Reactivity

[Mikeymoonshine]

So one of the problems I had with the first game was that the way the game reacted to your character and some of your choices felt lacking in places. It was a well established world that had all kinds of cultural differences and history ect. However I get that there has to be some limit and an rpg can't be tailored around every specific choice. One of the biggest examples of this were the godlike, it's supposed to be this big deal to pretty much everyone yet if you play as one it doesn't come up very often. You can't even talk to Pallegina about also being a godlike (which i found really weird) or any of the gods about it. 

 

In Deadfire not only does the game have your character choices to react to but it also has choices you made in the last game as well and in my opinion it is a lot better but there are still some issues. Godlike for example aren't really a problem it comes up all the time and it can be brought up by your character in most relevant discussions. The game often has npc's referring to some aspect of my character's history and even their reputation in this game I think it is for the most part done really well. Also the fact that most of those lines are voiced makes it even more impressive. However sometimes I feel like some of it is actually too much. For example my character is from the living lands and several npc's have commented on this. Now I know the watcher is kind of famous but I did start to wonder why so many random people knew where my watcher hailed from. Like sure some of them would know but even like some random dude in Hasongo brought it up. I guess maybe there is an accent or something. Still it's a minor issue and for the most part I am happy with the reactivity to your character. 

 

On the other hand the reactivity to previous choices seems very strange to me. The game forces you to import a save, pick a set history or a created history in the intro and then that history doesn't really seem to matter all that much. There are a lot of lines in the game with the (this is a result of your choices from the previous game) icon but many of them are very pointless and sometimes I am not even sure how the game is supposed to be reflecting that choice, or even what choice it means. Sure sometimes it's great, if you break an oath to Hylea her reaction is hilarious and I think that worked well but if you gave the souls to Woedica it barely even comes up and I feel like this is one of the most impactful choices you could make in the first game. 

 

I suppose it's always going to be an illusion of choice, that is really how it has to be for the most part because there has to be a plot that will always be the plot regardless of what choices you made but it seems odd to me that Obsidian would go to so much effort to have you import your choices and bring them up so much only for them to not matter really at all. 

 

I didn't refer to import bugs here because they are not what the developers intended to be in the final product. I am Interested to hear what others think on the topic. I do not have experience with every choice and every type of character to fully judge the reactivity here. I do want to stress that I am more impressed than not with what they have done in this area. 

 

 

 

[morhilane]

My impression of the game is that as you advance in it, people learns who you are and more NPCs refer to you based on your background. Doesn't help that I did a show at the docks when I arrived at Neketaka...

 

if you gave the souls to Woedica it barely even comes up and I feel like this is one of the most impactful choices you could make in the first game. 

 

There is a text adventure with Skaenites related to it, giving the souls to Woedica is something Skaen ask you to do. It's not mentioned by the gods though, but going by how my playthrough referred to 3 different POE1 ending choices throughout the game despite using a custom legacy...

 

All the "break pledge" have consequences, some are not necessarily very visible, like Galawain buff/debuff certain enemies.

[Mikeymoonshine]

My impression of the game is that as you advance in it, people learns who you are and more NPCs refer to you based on your background. Doesn't help that I did a show at the docks when I arrived at Neketaka...

 

if you gave the souls to Woedica it barely even comes up and I feel like this is one of the most impactful choices you could make in the first game. 

 

There is a text adventure with Skaenites related to it, giving the souls to Woedica is something Skaen ask you to do. It's not mentioned by the gods though, but going by how my playthrough referred to 3 different POE1 ending choices throughout the game despite using a custom legacy...

 

All the "break pledge" have consequences, some are not necessarily very visible, like Galawain buff/debuff certain enemies.

 

Yeah I know there are some references to it, but I just don't think they reflect the choice properly. The whole point was to empower her to reclaim her position as ruler of the gods but Woedica is unchanged if you make that choice. One of my characters who did not empower Woedica can even say to ondra that "if it wasn't for me you would be in Woedica's shackles" but the gods are not subjegated by her in a world where you did empower her. It also is never explained why that is. Like they could have just had her say that she is for now focusing on Eothas and left the full consequences of this choice for whenever they end this story.

[Silvaren]

Reactivity has many levels. Not only with choices. Do you remember two scared kids near the temple of Berath in Neketaka? They react differently if the watcher is death godlike, and it isn't even via conversation. They spotted watcher and flee from him screaming "monster"! It's like living, reactin bacground.

[morhilane]

 

My impression of the game is that as you advance in it, people learns who you are and more NPCs refer to you based on your background. Doesn't help that I did a show at the docks when I arrived at Neketaka...

 

if you gave the souls to Woedica it barely even comes up and I feel like this is one of the most impactful choices you could make in the first game. 

 

There is a text adventure with Skaenites related to it, giving the souls to Woedica is something Skaen ask you to do. It's not mentioned by the gods though, but going by how my playthrough referred to 3 different POE1 ending choices throughout the game despite using a custom legacy...

 

All the "break pledge" have consequences, some are not necessarily very visible, like Galawain buff/debuff certain enemies.

 

Yeah I know there are some references to it, but I just don't think they reflect the choice properly. The whole point was to empower her to reclaim her position as ruler of the gods but Woedica is unchanged if you make that choice. One of my characters who did not empower Woedica can even say to ondra that "if it wasn't for me you would be in Woedica's shackles" but the gods are not subjegated by her in a world where you did empower her. It also is never explained why that is. Like they could have just had her say that she is for now focusing on Eothas and left the full consequences of this choice for whenever they end this story.

 

 

My point was more that maybe the flag is not checked properly everywhere.