It’s a superb work. The storyline always make me curious , optimistic and yearning for more. I got attached to the story most especially because of Nicola Tesla . I believe people engaged in sciences and history intrigued individual would also be interested. Looking forward to more updates.
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I agree, in addition to scientific and historical background , there are actually more knowledge and events to experience in this story.
For instance , the business venture of company and investors in that era is eye catching , as i learnt a lot of things on how business and company operate then, as well as their logical sense of investing and doing business . For example, any new project will require a reasonable assumption that it will brings profitable returns in future, it amazed me when it was mentioned a research in contacting extra terrestrial life would be naive as they could only charge the Martians for any fees… Lol , but a research in Artificial Intelligent of machine to replace human workforce is certainly profitable in term of cost control.
Not to mention , we also got to learn the views of both the Union and the company’s side of story before determining which side we should lend our support .
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I liked the game a lot with respect to the scientific concept, unfortunately the games like this are not abundant, the only negative that I have to highlight is the duration approximately 150,000, personally I like long games more than 800,000+ but good cheer with the project!
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The demo never finish the whole story yet, there should be more to tell, so the ending will be more than 180k words, that’s the reason why the author request us to give feedback and idea on what do we want more in the game,
On games that are more than 850k words, i think there are few, Choice of rebels and Tin Star are two i can think of at the moment
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NEW UPDATE – Chapter 9 added!!
Hello everybody! 
I’d like to start off by saying it’s been an insane time in my life lately, with incoming career changes, international migration and very many big milestones. So, apologies for not maintaining this thread for a little while. Trust me that I’ve read and appreciated all your generous feedback, incorporated some immediate corrections, and still planning to do more revisions in the beta stage. 
What I’m pleased to announce is that I can finally share with you Chapter 9, the longest one yet at 39k words, including some of my favorite parts in the game so far! 
I’m quite proud of this one, and it might take you a few playthroughs to see all the quest lines contained inside. Try and see if you can catch 'em all.
Mildly spoiler-y list of chapter contents:
- Marconi court case (if Lewis is at Wardenclyffe)
- Stanford White scandal (if Marion is at Wardenclyffe)
- Sylvester Viereck conspiracy (with significant variation if Marion has gone to Europe)
- Edison’s spirit phone (if you complete either of Marion’s missions)
Other additions & Patch notes
- If you’re one of the people who requested the “pining for Tesla” plot, this update might make you happy. Try reaching out to him after he has gone to Smiljan during the World Fair.
- It’s now possible to discuss starting a family with certain RO’s in Chapter 9.
- Fixed the crowdfunding bug that was giving the player exorbitant sums of money.
- Fixed some spelling & formatting notes you guys pointed out – apologies if a few still got through! Thanks, everyone!
I am beyond excited for you to get to play this new chapter. Let me know if you enjoyed it, it means a lot. The only thing that remains are the endings (Chapter 10) which will be made available for the beta testing of the game. The endings will be finished by the end of January 2022.
A side note: this chapter has not yet passed review from the CoG editorial team, so there might be bugs, inconsistencies and design aspects subject to change.
Love,
Dora
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Just to know because im a bit curious, is there a difference between a female MC and a male MC?? And how about the sexuality? Do the characters react if the MC is bi or gay/lesbian?? 
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how do I romance Marion?
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Just be nice to her, choosing to be attracted to her in chapter 1 helps too. Then, choose to spend time with her at the fair.
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I’ve been waiting for an update for almost two months now, it was really worth it! I can’t stop praising the prose of this game, it does it in such a way that you feel the weight of the events and your actions as if they were real, or very plausible, if I’m being cautious.
Since we are seemingly near the end (entering spoiler territory) I pray that the hints of starting a family in exchange for Tesla’s dream come true. I hope that the “sterility” option (as in, our bodies can’t produce offspring) is just one of many possibilities for our protagonist, and not an intrinsic trait. I know that at first glance it seems an irrational act, considering how much Tesla and MC sacrificed, but I think that if carried out, it would profoundly enrich certain endings of the story (I know many people who put family before dreams, and I don’t think it’s wrong). In any case, I look forward to the end of this story; definitely one of the best CoGs I’ve read.
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Just a question is it possible to romance Edison’s daughter she keeps turning me down?
The comprehensive romancing Marion guide!
Chapter 1
• Choose to be romantically interested in Marion or to be her friend
• Be kind to her during your interactions and don’t lie to her.
• Choosing to be religious adds a tiny boost to your relationship.
• Tell her she’s beautiful.
Chapter 4
• If you seek Marion’s help (by working to expose Edison and Brown), be kind to her and flirt with her. However, be aware that asking for to many favours will sour your relationship with her.
• If you have a good relationship with her (which you should, if you followed the steps above), appeal to your friendship, or
• If you have high empathy, point out the problematic passage against from her father’s journal, or
• If you have high idealism, try to persuade her to join your laboratory, or
• If you chose to be religious in chapter 1, appeal to her faith
• When visiting Edison, toast to Tesla
• Do not push her leg away when she’s, umm, seducing you underneath the table
• Challenge Edison when you can
Chapter 5
• At the fair, choose “my heart is with Marion Edison”
• I’d recommend not punching Edison
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Loved the new chapter. Only played once so I don’t know how many ending states we have but I was watching the stars atop Wardenclyffe with Tesla after I told him Marion and I were planning a family and he revealed the government was taking the land in 2 days. the imagery of two old men (my mc is male) just quietly sitting and holding hands was pretty powerful.
I was a little surprised by Marion asking about children, not so much the ask as the timing. As I understand we’re about the same age (childhood friends and her stepmother is mentioned to be both our ages) and I was 48 at the time. Not impossible for everyone, but getting pregnant is bit problematic at that age even if menopause hasn’t kicked in yet. Plus at this point we’ve been living together for well over a decade. Seems to me this should have come up about the time Wardenclyffe construction was beginning instead of at the end. If adding children to the story is problematic before this point it seems more natural if we had been unsuccessfully trying this whole time. The bedroom conversation would be just as successful in adding tension to the following reveal from Tesla if not more so if it had been a pregnancy announcement instead.
Decided to blur that whole thing since the previous few posts tell me at least some people who want to haven’t seen it yet.
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Noticed something in Ch. 6:
Clemens responds: “It means that Thomas Edison, much like the rest of us, is at the mercy of his debtors.”
Should be “his creditors.” The creditor is the one who loans, the debtor is the one who is loaned to. (There are situations where one is at the mercy of one’s debtors, but in context, that’s not the case here.)
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Thanks for the new chapter!
Earlier Chapters
Chapter 1
If we limit ourselves to direct current exclusively, Westinghouse & Thompson will move in and scavenge the rest of the market.
I guess this is meant to be Westinghouse & Thomson, i.e. Thomson-Houston?
Chapter 7
In the time-skip in C7, it mentions that the rich PC’s father remarried. If the PC’s mother hadn’t died (as is a choice in Marion’s introduction in C1) at the start of the game, I feel like this is a slightly bigger deal (whether if the rich PC’s parents divorced or their mother died). It’s a small thing, and as it’s a time-skip section dwelling too much on it might break the flow, but I’d have liked an earlier mention as to the PC’s family’s situation.
Sure you can choose to disregard your family, but as there are options for the PC to try and hold out for a reconciliation (such as at the New Year’s Eve party), they’d presumably also know about a divorce/their mother dying earlier too, especially if they and Tesla have a significant reputation.
Chapter 9
Edison and the End of an Age
I think I enjoyed the scene with Edison the most in the chapter. I didn’t antagonise him much, though I wasn’t exactly fond of him, the imagery of the grieving, isolated inventor with the press like vultures outside in the snow was wonderful, but not as much as the portrayal of his mental and physical frailty. It humanises him, and a warning of what could happen to you or Tesla. With all of the other stumbling blocks the PC faces in the chapter, no resounding successes, at best a bitter one, it didn’t feel forced to me and slotted in nicely.
It’s especially great if you go after Stanford White and have the scene between Clemens and Marion. There’s a great synergy with those two; together I felt those scenes really encapsulated the end of an age, the passing of time family, grief and regret.
I’d have liked some more specific flavour text for if Marion was the PC’s RO or if the PC’s the rich PC estranged from their father (given the parallels between the rich PC and Marion), but it’s great already.
Letters Plot/Going after Viereck
The Fatherland appoints itself the voice of German Americans, but its real purpose is to counter the anti-Keiser propaganda coming from the British.
“Sylvester is entirely at liberty to approve of the aggressions committed by his Keiser, and to voice his opinion to anyone who wants to listen.”
Kaiser, I think?
One thought I had about the Viereck plot in C9 is that the PC seems a little bit too jealous about Viereck’s closeness to Tesla, e.g.
They speak of you when you are not present? No. You cannot think on this now. You purge the thought. You will it to slide off you like a raindrop down an insulated wire.
I had high loyalty, but my PC was also in a relationship with someone else, so it seemed a little oddly possessive. Perhaps suspicion about Viereck concerning the Ahnenerbe plot, but not to that extent. The scene at the end with Tesla was great though, two old friends watching the stars as an age ends, and a mirror to earlier moments between them.
Having played through both the Viereck and White routes though, I do think the Viereck plot is a bit lacking, especially in comparison to the White route. It was quite cool at first in that you could finally get at them, especially with Viereck’s closeness to Tesla. Being able to feed him to Steinmetz’s alligators was a bonus too. Afterwards, though, it like it was over and wrapped up a bit too easily. Marion’s involvement was quite surprising, but I think that also contributed to it feeling not properly integrated into the whole chapter, as she’ll later bear a grudge against you for not going after Stanford White. It’s understandable why she bears a grudge, but she was also willing to trail you and kill Viereck with vague justification. There wasn’t really a justification as to why you were unable to go after both. Steinmetz’s background is also glossed over a bit if you choose to press Viereck.
(Looking at the code, is Marion shooting Viereck meant to be exclusive to her returning from Europe? Because I got that with her being my PC’s accountant.)
I know there’ll be a chapter left, but I think it’s just all a bit short, especially compared to the choices leading up to the Expo, which is the other branching bit. The White route was shorter, but it felt justified in a way; if you take it to the courts, not getting involved in all of that felt understandable and in general there wasn’t as much buildup. But with Viereck, it was surprisingly easy to get and deal with him; for all the buildup of the “secret espionage ring”, them burning down our old lab and the smuggling, it was a bit underwhelming and didn’t seem to live up to the stakes. I was also expecting some more involvement from Roosevelt or Pulitzer. I get that Chapter 10 could expand on this, but in C9 itself it felt a little flat.
It almost feels like having both the Viereck and White plots in the same playthrough would feel more complete and satisfying. Viereck for the Letters plot and because it has all the build-up throughout the game, White for the passage of time stuff. I haven’t done the Marconi one, but that issue not being addressed in the other plots also felt a bit like having a plot thread dropped for no reason.
Ages in Chapter 9/The Timeskip
I do concur with @SeventhJackel about trying for children with Marion at this stage seeming a little odd. I felt that if there was a time for it, it would have been back in Chapter 7 or 8, perhaps just after the turn of the century.
In hindsight, while I did like the “age” sentiments which threaded through Chapter 9, the massive 14-year timeskip from 1900 to 1914 seems more out-of-place the more I think about it, and not just about starting a family. The previous 8 chapters cover 14 years (1886-1900), so the timeskip was especially peculiar. 14 years of frenetic innovation followed by 14 years of nothing happening to the PC and Tesla, really. It’s strange from a pacing and timeframe POV, almost like a “race to the finish”.
The end of Chapter 8, especially if you get funded by Westinghouse then support the strike, seems to imply that the next chapter would start very soon after the end of the strike, not over a decade later (“The success has made a great impact on Bertha’s morale. You can tell she appreciates your involvement with her cause, and her bond with you and Wardenclyffe has only strengthened…Somewhere, a check Nikola issued to one of the construction workers bounces.) Read a certain way, Chapter 9 could start with the implication that the PC, Tesla et al have been sitting in an abandoned, depowered yet long-finished Wardenclyffe for 14 years without any money.
Start of the Great War
I admit it’s quite presumptuous of me, but could I suggest pushing the start of the Great War back to 1906 or so? It’s a time skip of 6 years instead of 14, the IRL date of Stanford White’s death, and Wardenclyffe’s historical abandonment. IRL, Clarence Dally died in 1904, so it wouldn’t be too far off. It also fits with the Letters plot, too. Assuming greater influence by an ethnosupremacist group upon German society, why not have tensions spark up earlier among the Great Powers, say with the First Moroccan Crisis, or an earlier Bosnian Crisis.
The assassination of Franz Ferdinand by the Black Hand seems like an important character moment for Tesla and a catalyst for his disillusionment at the end of C9, but I guess that even with a 1906 start date it could happen in a similar way, just not with Princip. It would also place Theodore Roosevelt as incumbent POTUS instead of Taft or Wilson, and he would be much more inclined to intervene (especially if he knows about the Letters plot) or at least arm up, which would justify the melting down of Wardenclyffe for steel.
Play with the timeline a little more bit and you could even have a certain Franz von Papen involved in the Letters plot; while he’d not yet be the German military attache in DC, IRL he was involved in the Zimmerman telegram, and also had an insane plan to invade Canada from North Dakota with an army of 650,000 German- and Irish-American cowboys.
This is all alternate history and wild speculation on my part, admittedly, but I think it makes some sense, especially given Tesla’s inventions here, the Letters plot and the PC’s involvement. But of course, it’s your story in the end, this could mess up all the timing and I don’t know where you’re planning to take all of this - I could just be overreacting and Chapter 10 would resolve the issues I’ve raised!
I did very much enjoy the chapter nonetheless, best of luck with the beta process and beyond!
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Thank you very much for that guide.
100% total respect for you man.
very great game 
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At the end of Chapter 9, Tesla finds a bottle of “tonic” in my office and dramatically confronts me, asking if I’ve ever slipped it to him without his knowledge.
Except…he already knows I did, because I confessed to him at the World’s Fair after he told me his mother had died.
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Oh man, I think once this is released it might in my top three CoG! It’s well written and well constructed, is appropriately serious and humorous when needed, and the characters are fleshed out and very individual. I’ve read Tesla’s autobiography and think you do justice to his character. Clemens and Lamme are my favourite characters so far, Steinmetz a close third. Overall the story was immersive and there were some tough choices for the reader, and my MC stuck to science rather than getting involved in politics, although the disappointment of the NPCs made me a little sad. Some feedback:
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I chose the janitor background and noticed that in the first one or two chapters this was referred to by other characters a few times, but later on didn’t seem to have any affect on what the NPCs thought of the MC, even though he was rubbing shoulders with the wealthy, flirting with Marion (who isn’t above othering, with her derisive reference to Tesla as “the Serb”) and receiving backing from Morgan.
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The secret society parts seemed a little disjointed and that was the one side plot that I just couldn’t get into. My MC burned the letters twice but I never had a sense for the risk or danger that the game tells me exists. It’s only after receiving the achievement for killing Viereck that I realized he was a Nazi. Otherwise, since my MC chose not to meet the society for funding, there were no hints of fascism or the society’s other activities or influence throughout the story. Maybe some extra news clippings, references to newspaper articles, or Clemens’ comments could be used to give the reader more information about them?
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As an absinthe fan, I’m a little disappointed Latimer didn’t have some nice, real French absinthe instead.
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And then for this part:
MC being a smarty pants
“Then your equation is incomplete. Real magnetic fields often have non-sinusoidal waveforms, which your simplification doesn’t account for.” You begin to add your own integrals to the already crowded blackboard space. “Now, if you average like this, and make a generalization of the nominal period of the waveform, your expression for the dissipated power will have a much broader application.” You dust the chalk off your palms. "Taking the appropriate parameters at each frequency range, of course.
Is there any way for us mere mortals to understand this? Why are they non-sinusoidal? I did the equivalent of AP physics but barely understand a word of this. Is there an undergraduate-level textbook that you could recommend for this part and the science in this story in general, or is it too high level?
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According to the stats page, my MC’s lab was receiving $2000 in funding per month from Westinghouse even after he agreed to tear up the contract. Is that supposed to happen?
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My MC only had a father but the game said: “Though the cabins aren’t much, you can spare the space. Even if it means one less worker on the grounds, at least your family will be close. It takes quite some insistence before they finally accept the keys, but you can see how much it means to them.” I’m guessing this was written with a two-parent family in mind, but it sounds weird to refer to just the father as “family” and “they”. Speaking of which, for the janitor background we don’t really have any interactions with the father/parents. It would be interesting to know what they think of the MC’s successes or failures. I played a male MC but I’d imagine a female MC might also be pressured by her parents to take certain courses of action.
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This might be addressed in chapter 10, but my MC’s lab decided to work on the WMD. Is this information meant to be known to the public? If so, given the context of chapter 9, I’d have expected more press attention and discussions between the characters working at the lab (the accountant and engineer as well as Tesla and the MC) about their feelings towards what they were building. Could it also be used as a bargaining chip later on to avoid the lab being requisitioned?
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The romances seem to die off towards the end. It’s a large time span so an added scene would be nice to show how the characters age. The Chicago Fair date was when the MC and NPC were young and lively. I’d be curious if Lamme still has her, uh, adventurousness when she’s in her 40s, y’know? (By the way, was she actively going for an electric kiss or was it just because those cables were the only materials she had on hand?) Especially if she’s been recruited as the engineer and is practically living with MC. Also, I have this little fantasy in my head of my MC and her getting married and her staying at her job, them not having children etc., basically having a non-traditional marriage that makes a feminist statement.
Not the person this was directed at, but wanted to say that this would be interesting but would also be a lot of writing. Maybe a middle ground could be for characters of European heritage to be able to pick which part of Europe, and then choose either completely Americanized or to have retained some of their language/culture/religion. I chose that background and was a little disappointed at having assimilated completely. Myself I’m a few generations down from immigration and am atheist but grew up under some influence of Eastern Orthodoxy and still have an affinity for the customs of the religion and for the people who practice it.
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How did you get backing from Morgan? He always blows me off at the party.
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Obviously don’t do it if it’s too much work, but this would be fascinating to see:)
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