Stories of the important heroes in the Watcher's teams - thoughts

[IamNOOB]

 Hello all ! I might be noob in this game and I had problems completing it on VETERAN- in some tougher battles I died and loaded a save. But I am just thinking after my first playthr. I play the game not to look at numbers or create new strategies, I play it , because I CARE ABOUT good STORIES in all possible forms. Films, books, PC games. And also because I love the classic RPG flavour I tasted back then , when I played PoE I /several years ago / .

I wish to share some ideas about the writing and the stories of many of the characters that accompany the WATCHER. I feel I expected a bit more in some parts of the story. Of course, I RESPECT the job this game studio did , creating such a great RPG.

Group A

The ones I loved story-wise :

EDER - that guy is just nice and interesting, as usual, they kept the basics as far as his personality is concerned and now they added something new in PoE II. I know him, but I always like to see or hear his lines in any dialogue, plus I always pick him as a shield warrior tanking. The way the actor voiced Eder and the way they wrote his lines is amazing. Not to mention , that the story of his son /not proven by DNA tests but a son he is ! /  was really touching 

 

MAIA - well, that char was a huge surprise for me , but it is logical /Kana is not the only huge AUMAUA with guns in his family, logical , is it not? /  I loved her lines and her style of "I am a female soldier , supposed to live with no emotions BUT I got a brain and a heart anyway " The bird is a part of this character nobody can ignore. I like Ishiza , that goes without saying...

 

REKKE - Well, this guy seemed a bit boring at the start, probably because no one understood what he was saying. But later, after the language barrier drops , this char is proving that writing is a priority in PoE II. I hope you agree. 

 

XOTI - she is not my favourite but the voice acting is really cool and she is to some extent interesting, just as the developers wanted, I believe. Plus, she is sexy. Her story is nice. And the fighting line "GLORY BE TO GAUN" is something one remembers. Plus one from me for XOTI. But still, she does not sound as cool as Eder does. 

 

Group B 
I "complain " about those guys, something is missing in their story, in my view at least

 

ALOTH - he was just underdeveloped, he was just not fun at all , this time. In PoE I for some reason I liked him more as a character. Something is missing... Nothing original in his story

 

SERAFEN - maybe some of you love him BUT HE IS SO BORING and predictable. A bit of a cliche character. They wanted to put a pirate in there and they did it , but his story sucks. Daddy issues <<<???? Presented in a way , that is not "refined"... I do not buy it. In fact, the idea that a Cipher and a former slave is a pirate using two guns might be a good idea, but it was not executed well story-wise. WHAT DO YOU THINK??

Vatnir - Has too few lines, apart from his main quest, looks too shallow,... Hm, as a whole : he is a priest, who in fact does not really want to be a priest and he is kind of ...well... coward. At least I feel that way. Not to mention , he never really did anything cool in his quests or in any other. I know I am right

The drunken monk - MIRKE or something : just a damn alcoholic, no fun, nothing original.

 

Edited July 8, 2019 by IamNOOB

[uuuhhii]

worst part of  serafen's quest are there is nothing after killing malnaj

the nemesis of serafen past and present

no dialogue no special item just very anticlimatically leave the ship boarding scene

only put in a few line about it in second dlc

who thought it was a good idea?

maia pellagina aloth all feels wasted or underdeveloped in different ways

vatnir obviously should be a full companion

the whole sidekick thing doesn't exactly work out

[Wormerine]

Overall, I found companions disappointing, as I found PoE1 companions to be one of the strongest aspects of the game. 

I liked how they implemented them this time around more - the way they join you feels more natural, and having them respond to things around you, rather then delivering their stories in big chunks has a better flow. However, because their character arcs are independent from locations you visit I found that: each individual story feels underdeveloped, while characterisation feels very one note. If the game were decided into linear chunks, your companions could develop over time. As it is, Takehu will always be irresponsible, selfish, spoiled brat, and no matter how he develops in the future it is something which is suggested but rarely seen. 

Here is my personal take on companions:

RETURNING COMPANIONS - all disappointing, mostly due to how they transfer from PoE1 to PoE2.

1) Eder - I like the guy, but it feels to me like he doesn’t fit in. Considering how important Eothas is to him, I expected him to have a compelling part to play. I feel he is not very well explored. His personal quest really disappointed me. After reading short story for PoE1 which included his relationship with Elafa it makes a bit more sense, but before that it really felt like something which came out of nowhere. He felt like a baby’s first henchman with likeable personality but little relevance. He could have been an interesting counterpart to Xoti, but as his personality has to for the most part cover both faithless and faithful Eders, he ends up in a vague, indecisive inbetween. He does get couple good lines regarding current events and Saints Wars though. 

2) Aloth - disappointed how Deadfire undermines growth he had in PoE1. Certainly disappointing if you happen to suppress Iselmyr, as it doesn’t change his character - it simply cuts a lot of content out. His encounter feels the most artificial and convenient. Like Eder, he feels like “that mage” character. 

3) Pallegina - I think she is the one who suffered the most when merging PoE1 endings into something manageable. As she becomes an unrelenting mouthpiece for Valians, she looses a lot of complexity she had in the original. Her personal quest doesn’t further her character, but fills plot points, which I just didn’t find compelling. Considering how I loved her confrontation with Hylea in PoE1, I am sad her personal story and conflict wasn’t explored. Just like Eder she gets some good lines, but they don’t lead anywhere. 

NEW GUYS

4) Xoti - my definite favourite of the companions, in spite my early hate for her. Being independent from factions (though one might argue she represents Gods) she seems better developed and more rounded as a character. I liked her personal quest, and she felt more involved in the overall story then most of the others. 

5) Takehu - I really disliked this guy, until my last playthrough. Siding with Huana and taking him as my regular companion, showed me parts of his character and arc I didn’t see before. It also helps that with two dedicated story quests (watershapers/gullet) and some really relevant story bits (Sanctuary Island and landing on Ukaizo) he has space to grow and respond to things around him. 

6) Maia - never found her interesting. I like her quips, but she never got deeper then that. It always felt to me, like she didn’t get much content. Even when playing as Rauatai supporter she never gave me much cause to care about her or her faction. 

7) Serafen - I liked him. Just a fun guy to keep around. His waves of past memories, bursting under emotional duress was a nice touch. Also, the only faction guy likely to stick with you until the end - gotta respect that.

SIDEKICKS:

I pretty much liked them all. Small story arcs and quips added in DLCs helped to flesh them out. Sometimes all you need is just a bit of context to like them. 

[the_dog_days]

I honestly thing Aloth is the best written character in the series. Not my favorite, but the most nuanced.

[IamNOOB]

3 hours ago, the_dog_days said:

I honestly thing Aloth is the best written character in the series. Not my favorite, but the most nuanced.

Why do you believe so ?

[Wormerine]

On 7/11/2019 at 2:02 AM, the_dog_days said:

I honestly thing Aloth is the best written character in the series. Not my favorite, but the most nuanced.

I do think he is well written, just doesn’t have much to do or say about in Deadfire. I thought his personal quest was interesting, though a to brief to be properly explored.