Murder, Manipulation, Assassination, Power Grabs, Blackmail-Where do You Draw the Line?

#1

Since Affairs of the Court gives you pretty much no morals, you generally have to create your own when playing. As for me, I have a few rules.

  1. At least TRY to play nice. Of course, once you cross me, nothing and no one can stop your impending doom…

  2. At least TRY to find common ground with friends. For example, Luis de Vega and I disagree on the threat of Sahra. I refuse to give Juanita any power. But since we’re friends (and since he’s of bearable intelligence), I try to find ground with him. Of course, if they refuse me…nothing and no one can stop their impending doom.

  3. At least TRY not to become a sadistic murderer. Of course, once you cross me…nothing and no one.

It’s probably worthy of note that I have no set-in-stone morals when playing Affairs of the Court. I only “TRY” not to, but I never totally stop myself. This game reminds me of ‘A Game of Thrones,’ so perhaps this will help you understand my philosophy in politics (at least in games).

“When you play the game of thrones [warfare and politics], you win or you die. There is no middle ground.”

#2

I dont draw the line any ere if your in my way i will do any thing in my power to end you or dicreted you so you are no.longer a thret.

#3

As Cersei for once rightfully observed, the only two outcomes in the game of thrones are to win or die. When the stakes are that high, you cannot afford to play “honorably”, not if it interferes with your objectives. Insisting too far on such idiocy can only earn you an ignominious end like Eddard Stark.

That being said, while my character will stop at nothing to eliminate Ines, Juanita, and any other such threats, the line she draws is to bring about their deaths in a way that Agustin will not be left grieving, since she does care for him. Also, even when further securing her position, she will not do so at the cost of causing harm or grief to any of her family, such as Magdalena. Other than that, she loves cats, so she will take the other avenues for eliminating threats rather than murdering kittens to cast death curses.

#4

Still, Ned does become a sort of symbol of honour, one that does have some influence after his death as far as I’m aware. (Haven’t read the books though, but it seems like it in some ways.)

#5

I conduct myself honourably and will only directly and openly confront my rivals without any attempt of cowardly subterfuge, unless my rivals themselves are cowardly rogues in which case I will likewise hide my motivations, but still resolve any conflicts directly.

However should anyone breach my established rules, then the gloves are off and I will pre-emptively utilise every nasty trick to bring an absolute end to my opponent under the assumption that they will be doing likewise, and to serve as a warning to others to play ball and keep things civil.

#6

@Gadriel Cersei knows two things: how to be a bitch, and how to play a game of thrones. To be honest, I think Cersei would have been a good person if she had only married Rhaegar, or, perhaps even, Robert had loved her. She was…creating Joffrey (for those who haven’t read)…out of spite.

Back on Affairs of the Court…I usually talk the exiled guy-his name escapes me-into a deal for only Mateo’s husband’s life-not his step-daughter’s. Alas, I need a life mage heir and lack the physique to force exiled guy to do so otherwise.

I stopped using the death charm. It was too touch-and-go, and it made Agustin(a) sad to see Agustin(a) die, along with Juanita. I want them to remember with hate, so they don’t start questioning. Ignorance is a powerful weapon.

@RVallant But you’re missing the major point. Eddard Stark…died. As in “died.” Died: cease to exist on the mortal plain.

@CaptainCoxwaggle You don’t win often, do you? No offense, but in essence, you just said, “I wait until my enemy stabs me in the back, and THEN the gloves are off.” I hope you don’t make an enemy of de Vega, he would run circles around you in this game.

#7

Usually I like to go to either one side or the other. Using court opinion to get rid of my rival (Ines/Esteban permanently and Juanita to Sahra). I find as of this moment there is no real use turning the court against Adelita or ridding the world of her. The other end I will usually go for the manipulative master of the game who destroys everything in her path to get what she wants without anyone so much as noticing a stone out of place. If I’m on a particularly destructive path I will kill Felix (I loathe killing Rosa and try to avoid it) and Juanita while having killed Juanita’s other parent to gain my crown. If I want a life mage child I like going for the magical smack down to put fear into Don Enrique without having to put myself in a position to be blackmailed and lose my spouse and/or my life.

#8

@adjppm11227 - Nah, I’m not. I take a different view of it, oft times its better to die with morals or honour intact than to descent the slippery slope of ‘he who fights monsters’.
It’s like Kossimo in Vandal Hearts 2, who offers the view that a noble in producing nothing without gaining first from his peasants is nothing more than a parasite to society, and to offset this parasitical behaviour the nobility should act for the people’s interests (i.e. the honourable path) than in self-interest (even where disguised as being in the people’s interest.)

Anyway yeah, I suppose if death is considered a ‘loss’ or a poor outcome then strength and honour accounts for nothing. The pull for survival should justify crossing the line in any game of intrigue, but its far from ideal. I guess the best way to go is to make sure you’re a villain or ‘crosses the line’ type of guy with good PR. :slight_smile:

#9

i love sly machiavelian characters so in afairs of court im in home. Using court rumors poison hate and lust in my own gain is so funny and interesting. I cant role play with paladin honorable light characters are plain and unrealistic and dont have real chance in a game of thrones.
my slogan be good in rl be a charming villian in role playing

#10

I cheat to get my life-mage child. That way I can do no killing at all and no threats. But that was mostly because of the way the encounter with the life-mage guy went. If I’d been able to threaten him after we’d spoken I’d have done that, but the threat option is only available when you first meet him.

So I cheat. I take advantage of the 1 in 100 random chance of having a life-mage child naturally and you can bet I’m rerolling those dice until I get that life mage child. I do try to be nice to Juanita but she won’t be my friend, so I ship her off to Sahra. I leave Adelita alive, she’s not a threat. I did wish the game would just let me be okay with Agustin/a’s indiscretions. If you wanted loyalty and fidelity as part of your marriage there’s no way that you should have married them in the first place.

I always play as nice as I can. Everyone can be my friend.

#11

@RVallant Natural selection favors the immoral in a game of thrones. I need not say more.

@FairyGodfeather It really is a randomized thing? I thought it was a for sure thing and the game was just twisting your heart strings. I, however, usually kill Felix, having no other option. I’m not willing to gamble my family’s success on a 1% chance. Agustin(a) and Juanita I kill with the help of de Vega, by turning their spouse/father or mother against them. Tomas I send to Sahra, and suppress the Ines after Juanita’s death. Agustin(a) remands faithful to me after we have the life mage child, and Adelita slips away into the background. The only thing I don’t like about my ending is I never deliver on my end with Juanita’s letters to her aunt, but de Vega has no way of knowing that. Besides, I talk to the queen about Juanita during the hunt.

P.S. Do you ever wonder if de Vega is spreading rumors about you?

#12

@adjppm1227 You do actually have a 1 in 100 chance of naturally conceiving a life mage heir. If you cheat choicescript, then you can make that a definite. I opened up a whole pile of windows until I got the answer I wanted, however I think there’s a stat-screen glitch with the random function that means you can click to the stats and then back and it’ll reroll the random chance. That may be far less spammy, I haven’t tried that out though.

Yes I am a cheater. :slight_smile: A terrible, terrible cheater.

#13

@adjppm1227 Juanita’s letters? Does that variable come up when you are the monarchs mistress spouse or is it something else.

@FairyGodfeather is that for the online version or the app as well?

#14

@scrivener No idea. I only use the browser version. The problem with the random command might also be in the app too or it might have been fixed. You’d have to test it.

#15

@Scrivener No no. You see, if you want to remain friends with de Vega when he nods to you after the Ines blackmail Agustin(a), what you have to do is either A) allow him to give Juanita to Sahra, or B) tell him you want to give Juanita to the Ines, but then make her a useless gaming chip. This is through the “I want to ensure my son’s safety” choice.

Later on, de Vega visits you and says (crudely), “I’ve been spreading rumors about Juanita. Perhaps Agustin(a) would be more inclined to believe them if some letters involving Juanita’s scheming with the Ines were involved.” The way you make Juanita a worthless chip is by, in essence, framing her for scheming with the Ines.

@FairyGodfeather Yes, it works. In Choice of Vampires, there’s a scene in which you very discretely gain 1 point on a trait. If you so desire, you can keep going to stat screen until you get your desired 1 point in the place you want.

#16

I’m the Tywin Lannister of the games universe. Nuff said.

#17

In most games I’m basically Machiavelli

#18

Cold calculating manipulative charming powerful that’s my style

#19

I draw the line at sending de Vega away and letting the cooks die. I also dislike cheating so I don’t become the monarch’s paramour and don’t cheat on the monarch. Although, it’s not like I wouldn’t cheat, if it didn’t have consequences, but I value my high reputation more.
I hate mercilessness when it is not required, vengefulness, and rudeness. The only people I truly care about (besides myself) and I would never betray (even if it could benefit me greatly or keep me alive) are de Vega, uncle Pedro and my children. If either of the people I truly care about started actively working against me, i.e betray me, I would have no second thoughts and would get rid of them, if they didn’t stop after a warning or exile. (I guess all the years with Agustin/a have hardened my heart). Although, I have cared about the monarch, they are in my way of having a better life or a life at all, in the way for acquiring more power, and have also been a terrible ruler so my conscience is only slightly preturbed and I feel relieved to be free of constantly tiptoeing around them.
The consequences of some of my actions pain me, but if they were necessary (and they usually are), I do not dwell on them for a long time.
I guess, I don’t mind killing people but I hate being a bitch to them. I am always friendly, forgiving, and considerate when interacting with others, even people who consider me their enemy, but if their downfall can help me, then that’s the way it’s going to be. - I’m not sure who from GOT is like that.

I suppose, in my gameplay, I’m like a mixture of Baelish (ambitious, calm, polished, cunning, obsessively in love with someone (de Vega) and my actions towards the monarch are similar to Petyr’s towards Lysa,…) and Jamie Lannister (I have my own moral code to which I strongly adhere, I am loyal to a selected few and want their status to improve, that is to help them,…).

#20

Morals?
Kindness?
Forgiveness?