(I’m not asking this for the sake of statistics, but for practical reasons).
Stat bars and the way you shift the balance - how does this affect your story?
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Fame/Justice meter: fame-oriented hero seems like a mere poser, even if (s)he does all the right things, the same as a justice-oriented hero does. Because the reason for doing them is different and this somehow cheapen the accomplishments. Or is it just me? Do you feel that your hero’s motivation is wrong in that case, too? Have anyone noticed any actual drawbacks/advantages of being “famous”, aside from making the player feel bad about it and the financial support thanks to Sonja’s survival in the 1st game?
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Lawful/Lawless meter: it was pretty simple to determine where my sympathies lie, but after playing the demo for HeroFall I have a feeling that staying lawful is going to become way harder than it used to be. (Have people played it already? Any helpful thoughts to share?). Does being primarily lawless in the end of the Prodigy make you a villain in public opinion, even if you have media on your side? Or is it limited to law enforcement?
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Offensive/Defensive meter: now this is what intrigues me most. As a “defensive” player, I noticed that defensive strategy almost always turns out to be the best way to save Power and Health, especially noticeable if you buy a suitable upgrade for your costume. It may be boring and not as badass as it is expected of a hero, but it works. Still, I wonder whether my observation may be proved wrong by some “offensive” players? Does the effectiveness really depend on the cursed “decision consistency” and is that why my rare attempts to go on the offensive end so poorly (yes, even if I purchase that “powered wristbands” upgrade or some such)? Also, defensive hero sometimes seems… unreasonable: when confronting Madam Vice for the second time, there is either “Try to talk her down” option (now why the hell would I do that - am I that stupid to think she will listen at this point? And why it affects my Defensive positively?) of “attack” (naturally, increasing Offensive). As for Offensive, oh my… Powers blazing, “fists of fury” (I mean, really?), “attack-before-you-think” tendencies… And it usually takes more Power. Please, tell me it gets better, more effective and less brazen once the meter fills with colour red (once you’ve practised enough)?
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Solo/Team player meter: this is probably the most upsetting meter of all. I’ll give a single example to illustrate why it is “upsetting”.
The Prodigy, “Minterview”: you can talk to either Diva or Fistfull. And if you’re a hardened Soloist, all you can do is to be a complete and utter jerk. Which it’s not so bad provided you end up conversing with Diva (I actually enjoy insulting the old hag - she practically begs for it, doesn’t she?). But the other option? Monk and Fistfull? Pray tell, why on Earth is a solo player supposed to be the type to blackmail people he’s just met and who did nothing to justify such treatment? Seriously? Is this some kind of twisted logic based on cultural differences I can’t comprehend?
So, a team player is supposed to be a good, outgoing, compassionate guy/girl, whereas a soloist is always an egoistic bastard/witch. Maybe the author didn’t really mean that, but the games’ choices all but outright establish this point.
Control/Unleash meter: is there anyone who practiced Infini more than regular Powers? Does it help with better use of your new Powers, or does it only make them even more difficult to handle? Using Infini with more Control than Unleash never did much good for me - there always was a better option of using regular Powers at less expence.
