Vendetta- my WiP basically has two “backgrounds” (noble and helot) and just trying to do justice to those is full-on. Nine? Fuhgeddaboudit.
I haven’t played in a while, but my expectation of the game would be a consistent plot spine (which as Ramidel points out is basically Street Gang kid grows up) with the background choice serving as a clever way to give stat variety and little more. Possibly some flavor text that each background gets 2-3 times later in the story. But nothing like discrete subplots for each background: the effort would be insane.
Some people of course are insane that way. But I wouldn’t expect it. 
@Vendetta I picked the War Veteran background and I re-played the demo a few times just so I could investigate the different backgrounds. Those few sentences here and there that differed added an extra touch to the game-one which I definitely liked.
If you’d never mentioned those backgrounds, at all, I might not have minded it terribly -but now I’ve seen them, I’d be very sad to see them go. 
@Vendetta
If you had never mentioned the backgrounds at all, I probably wouldn’t have cared either way, simply for the fact that it would have been an unruly amount of work to incorporate them after the fact 
That being said, I am quite fond of different backgrounds, no matter if the game is tuned to them or they have just a couple touches here and there. It’s more of a role-playing thing, really. The College Kid makes different choices than the War Vet than the Politician than the Street Gang Leader. At least that’s how I approach it, and seeing that every background has different Stats even those less into role-playing would have to change the way they go through the game.
While I only know the demos, it seems that even there this differences in the skill set make for a very different game. While the War Vet would be more likely to rely on his gun skills (i. e. gunning down every single person in that Irish Bar when taking revenge for Billy), the College Kid will not go into a shooting if he can help it and instead get Rosie to help him solve it quietly and “behind the scenes”.
I’m guessing that differences will only be more pronounced in the later chapters.
In short, it comes down to the approach. Different backgrounds make for different ways through the game and thus for higher replay value.
I like it the way it is.
@Vendetta, in response to your question I agree that the backgrounds as they currently stand mainly affect the player statistics and it would have been equally possible to vary the starting statistics through a more in depth exploration of the street gang leader background and there would hopefully have been the possibility of playing a smart as opposed to the stereotypical thuggish brute who rises to the postion using fear and violence. The simple fact is however that, for those of us on the forums at least, you can’t unring the bell and while I have no doubt that with the street gang leader as the only possible background it will still be an enjoyable and great game the simple fact is that if you do decide to go that route I’ll never stop wondering waht could have been while playing the game.
Still if you do decide to go that way and restrict the available backgounds it won’t matter to the general public and my (and the other people on this forum’'s) knowledge is strictly speaking a hazard of having been privy to the development process.
As it stands though my favourite backgrounds are the College Kid followed by the WWI vet, the union guy and the ex-cop.
jcury
486
@Vendetta just because of one complaint no need to remove anything. It’s not news to anyone that what goes on in the criminal world is often extremely brutal and violent. I find nothing offensive in the bathhouse scene, it makes it more realistic. Just because of 1 scene they turned the mc in to the Green River Killer.
Hua_An
487
I would have the scene removed simply because I don’t believe anyone would ever choose it as most don’t play their MCs as rapists, but those who want it removed because of morality are a bunch of hypocrites imho. Rape is a horrible crime, but not much more horrible than beating someone to a bloody pulp and definitely not more horrible than murdering an innocent man in cold blood. But those things are perfectly ok, aren’t they?
My decision actually had very little to do with that “one complaint”. Indeed, if that person had followed their own fine principles in-game, and actually chose to refuse ‘VIP treatement’, they would instead have encountered Donna at the diner and perhaps would’ve been less quick to judge / make broad assumptions based on very little actual play… Or perhaps not.
After very careful consideration, I knowingly made absolutely the wrong decision there in agreeing to remove those two lines, but I made it for all the right reasons. None of my actual reasons would be shared by the complainant, just as I don’t share their view.
And back to our regular program…
@vendetta I didn’t choose anything. I looked at the code you tried to obfuscate and if I had, what would that matter? You created the choices, you can’t try to pass them off on others. That argument is silly and I believe you know better. Should I not play Tin Star because I’m not a cowboy?
What views exactly do you not share with me? Perhaps if you spent more time reading my posts you’d of spent less time replying so huffily. I never said that rape is a topic that shouldn’t ever be written about. I did ask you to remove it from your story, but I also asked you what was the point of it your story.
Your reasoning seems to be that you want to showcase how deplorable humans can be to each other. Okay. Then where do you draw the line? Why not include cannibalism or pedophilia? In your story you drew the line at homophobia. Why does it bother you so much to draw the line at rape?
Why not murder, or prostitution, or even bootlegging? I’m sure if we asked around, we’d find people with strong views on each of these subjects, and whether or not these are suitable content for an interactive novel.
But the long and short of it is that I really have neither the time nor the inclination to debate this with you. The rape issue completely aside, you’ve made your views on the game as a whole absolutely crystal clear, in no uncertain terms, so I would very much appreciate it if you would kindly refrain from posting further in this particular thread and find another soap box from which to preach. Thank you.
I already bowed out of this thread when it became clear that my views were in the minority. I replied because you addressed me directly and here you are doing it again.
It’s obvious that you’re a talented writer and coder. I just think it’s a shame that you choose to deal in cliches, cartoonish ultraviolence and misogyny, then try to pass it off as gritty realism.
If the only criticism you can handle is fawning praise then I’ll leave you to it.
Hua_An
492
He draws the line where he wants to. It’s his game.
1 Like
@friendzone I did not ‘address you directly’, I was replying to another’s comment to explain my decision as much as I was willing. You chose to air your holier-than-thou viewpoint once again, and - despite my polite request - have done so yet again, choosing to now pile on additional insults just to hammer home your point.
Indeed, I have to ask myself, do I really need this shit? I guess you managed to catch me on a bad day.
For those actually interested in playing the game and offering constructive criticism (as opposed to a broad rant), future feedback will be via the playtest site itself once it resumes. There, at least, I’ll be able to deal with trolls myself.
Would a moderator please close this thread… again, and for the final time. Thank you.
@CJW @Havenstone
Hey Vendetta I was wondering when the next update is and also did you remove some content since last time I remember in the second chapter with the explosion you could chase after that one guy, help people and kill a man and rescue this girl and do a lot of things before the demo ended?
Redditz
495
@Reaper_General, I’m pretty sure “Would a moderator please close this thread” sums up his intentions.
You kids need to cool down when it comes to WiPs.
1 Like
CJW
496
Indeed!
This topic is now closed. New replies are no longer allowed.
