I was actually surprised that the community had such a hatred for Richard, and not someone like Atheris. I mean don’t get me wrong I hate the bastard too But I actually thought that someone like Atheris would have been hated more by the community. Its not that surprising though now that I’m thinking about it. Even though Atheris is rude, aggressive and very ruthless. Its mainly aimed at Richard and not at the Mc. She is also very protective of Mc if you have a high relationship with her. Even if you don’t have a high relationship with her, she still protects you from bullies. Atheris is legit ride or die, she is the person you want in your corner when shit gets real. But besides that, there is just something about Richard that really rubs me the wrong way. The dude is fake as hell, a legit snake. The type of person to smile in your face while talking shit about you behind your back. We have all probably met a Richard at one point. Also the fact, that the dude has such a fragile ego that you cant even joke with him does him no favor’s.
Also I agree with Zhann, Reva is absolute bae The only reason I want to romance Clara is to fuck with Richard lmao
The reason why Richard is hated and Atheris isn’t is that Richard shows his dickish side to us when we want to spend time with him (and he wants to spend time with Clara and Mateo) while Atheris is always kind and caring toward us (even though she does bully Freya and Clara), and respects our takes on some situations even if she disagrees (ex: “What should I do with my loyal brother?” said the new King Charles). If Atheris blamed us for falling from the horse, or called us a wimp for saying that Charles shouldn’t have killed Francis (even if we could maintain our reasoning), she’d be a much more polarizing character. Look at Arianna from Arcadie: Second Born for an example of what Atheris could have been.
Bruh, thank you for reminding me of that bitch lol I could not stand Arianna, I might dislike her just as much as Richard. Which was crazy, because I usually love strong and dominant female characters. But Arianna just aggravated the hell out of me. Once Second born comes out, I’m killing her first chance I get.
I actually think him being male is one reason that doesn’t hold sway for Richard as much as it would in the real world.
Obviously, I’m not saying it doesn’t exist to some extent; after all, almost every knight for the kingdom we meet is male. On the other hand, Nutellaqueen showed there are enough rulers who aren’t male that the gender norms aren’t as rigid.
Being firstborn, on the other hand, is definitely a big advantage.
And in Rhivenia we do have a sword that picks the next monarch. I think I mentioned it before, but this is actually one bit of lore I’d love to see…how many actual revolts have happened based on the sword’s choice.
Obviously, there was dear old dad…but if peaceful transitions of power, at least on the surface are the norm and not the exception, then something really must have gone on to make some people side with the others.
This actually reminds me of how many people reacted to Anomen when Baldur’s Gate 2 was first released. And yeah, I was one of those who did the ‘what ordeals can we make him suffer’. Of course, it didn’t help he was the only romance option for female players (not counting mods).
That said, I do think easing back on some of the Richard stuff would be a good idea. I am not calling anyone out; I mean I’ve posted my own stuff what my MC might do to him
It is just that if a large number of posts are about hating/torturing someone dominate a thread, it could make someone less inclined to participate. This might be because they do like Richard, and don’t want to be attacked…
For that matter, that same person might also think ‘if this is all they are concerned with, maybe I don’t want to be part of that.’
And this could also be off-putting to an author. Perhaps an author likes the character, but even if they don’t this could also make them feel ‘why bother?’ or ‘is this what people really act like’
Note: I’m not saying the author said anything; they didn’t, just an observation on my part. I admit, I’m also thinking of Ron Gilbert, and how some people reacted to the art when the newest Monkey Island was showed.
Others have already responded, so I’m sure I will echo some of their points.
Richard is first born. This already gives him a year or two headstart over Atheris. While I stated the society isn’t as gender rigid, I can still see ‘first born’ being a thing for lines of inheritance, etc.
And it would be interesting bit of lore to see how many first born were chosen by the sword. We already know the ‘last born’ are definitely in the minority for monarchs. Of course, we can also assume a lot of this is due to lack of life experience.
Isabelle is the first queen, and obviously loved by Charles. For people who support Charles, this means her son would be seen as more fit for the throne than Alvena. Of course, those same people wouldn’t really know if Richard was the better fit.
Others have talked about Richard going out into town, being gregarious, etc. Being first born certainly has its benefits here, as well as the visible fact he isn’t above being friends with common born folk. The same goes with the servants others mention as well.
I can’t help but see Richard as being like a stereotypical high school football hero; he does have some talent, even if not as much as people might think he has, but he certainly is the biggest person in town.
It is a shame the author couldn’t put more time in for Richard’s popularity. Of course, something usually isn’t expounded on and I think this is one area.
In some ways, you could make the case that if it wasn’t for an army on the player’s doorstep, civil war would probably break out between Atheris and Richard. Richard would certainly start out with commoner support, etc. but I can see Atheris having key allies among nobles, merchants, etc. and she has certainly shown herself to be more skilled in the area of war, etc.
I don’t want to delve too deep into real world politics here, but for the person who asked about why people wanted Richard to be king, it’s easier than you think for someone to feel like supporting a charismatic political figure who in hindsight may have not had people’s best intentions in mind.
Hey, as a Xavi romancer I was only not going to free him if we received proof that he was the poisoner which I know he isn’t , so I see marrying him to prevent war with Asinea as an absolute win.
I think Lena is alright from what little I know of her. I’ll definitely want to cultivate a friendship with her because my main MC will end up as her SIL.
But I actually thought that someone like Atheris would have been hated more by the community. Its not that surprising though now that I’m thinking about it. Even though Atheris is rude, aggressive and very ruthless. Its mainly aimed at Richard and not at the Mc. She is also very protective of Mc if you have a high relationship with her. Even if you don’t have a high relationship with her, she still protects you from bullies. Atheris is legit ride or die, she is the person you want in your corner when shit gets real. But besides that, there is just something about Richard that really rubs me the wrong way. The dude is fake as hell, a legit snake. The type of person to smile in your face while talking shit about you behind your back. We have all probably met a Richard at one point. Also the fact, that the dude has such a fragile ego that you cant even joke with him does him no favor’s.
The only reason I want to romance Clara is to fuck with Richard lmao