[Deceptive]

[omgFIREBALLS]

It is my perspective that if you want to play as a dirty, conniving double-crosser, you do not use these responses... unless perhaps there is great gain to be had. Why? Because obviously it builds you that reputation. Any answer can be a lie; my current Watcher is manipulative and selfish but has never used a deceptive response. If she goes for [Honest] or [benevolent] it's because she wants to be perceived that way, not because she is that way. If she does someone a favor, it's to gain their trust.

 

When I see [Deceptive] I read [Tell an obvious lie]. Using Ser Davos Seaworth for inspiration: If you're a famous liar, you're not doing it right. (original quote)

 

There's a twist to it though, because I do not feel dispositions always equate to reputation. They can also mean personality. Why else would some responses have disposition requirements? I don't like to imagine that the game is filtering out responses I cannot use on the basis that every NPC is subscribed to the live feed of my long-term behavior (which they certainly seem to be, however) and will not accept such a threat from me given that I do not have at least 2 points of an aggressive reputation.

 

So on the one hand, I would like to see what foul lies I could produce if I built up a high deceptive disposition. But on the other, I don't want the whole world to perceive me as a terminal liar.

 

Anyone play a [Deceptive] Watcher and find it satisfying? How?

[Wolken3156]

I kinda have no choice in the matter since I play a Skaen Priestess, which means I need build my Deceptive reputation in order to make Holy Radiance a terrifyingly powerful Vessel slaying tool.

 

The only real negative downside to having a Deceptive reputation though only really goes into play on the quest for the Missing Scroll, since if you choose to do as Wael tells you, the high priestess will never give you a reward for the quest since she won't believe anything you say. Not that it matters for me, since in a RP sense I wouldn't even help Wael anyway (Skaen Priestess, he's not my god so I don't care).

 

It does cause some NPC to react differently (Usually your companions), since they expect you to lie most of the time. There are some options that only be chosen with a Deceptive reputation of 2 or higher, mostly in the WM content. I don't remember them off the top of my head though. But yeah, there isn't really any downsides beyond that one tibit. Even if you have Deceptive reputation, you can still lie and get away with it. IIRC there was one dialog choice where you NEED a Deceptive reputation in order to make one of your lies actually believable.

Edited April 3, 2016 by Wolken3156

[JerekKruger]

You make a good argument, but since your post starts with the [DECEPTIVE] I know you're lying so I can't believe you

[Jojobobo]

I find the Deceptive reputation a little annoying, as it doesn't differentiate between what lies you tell. When I first started playing a Kind Wayfarer in v1 playing on Expert, during the quest A Mother's Plea I told the white lie to Aufra in letting her believe the potion would work - thinking as Ranga points out a positive outlook may help her out and that this white lie would be better for her. As such I was hoping for Benevolent rep, but instead got Deceptive.

 

Further playing as a scoundrel type in recent playthroughs, during the Final Act Lumdala will try to get you to frame Gaderman. If you agree to this, even if you snitch on Lumdala you still get Honest rep, however this completely overlooks the fact you have lied to Lumdala by saying you would frame someone else. You're also not really given any clear benefit here for lying, you don't owe Lumdala any favours and Kurren is going to reward you either way - so even if you are trying to play as the shifty scoundrel lying comes off as a little stupid here.

 

I think what would have been better was if the character received Deceptive rep if they told a malicious lie or they benefitted off the back of one of their lies. There's too many examples where Deceptive rep is simply rewarded for acting evasive or contrary, which most of the time in the game feels pointless.

[Urocyon]

I find it annoying that if you have points in Deceptive you get dinged in the Parables of Wael quest. So as a priest following Wael, one of my favored dispositions is Deceptive. Wael tells me to hide his scroll. Being the good priest, I do what he says. Get back to Grimda, another of Wael's faithful. When I tell her Wael told me to hide it, she says I'm a lying liar that lies and that I should go pound sand. Getting penalized for playing the class like he is supposed to be played (unless you want to weaken your Holy Radiance) in one of the few quests directly involving his deity seems wrong lol.

[omgFIREBALLS]

That is funny. Perhaps Wael's clergy is meant to be full of internal distrust, lol.

[JerekKruger]

It's also a little odd how people find out about your deceptive reputation. I mean, if you're a good liar, no one should know.

[omgFIREBALLS]

Came here to complain about something, and it turns out my own old thread was the only place except making a new one. Eh!

 

Further playing as a scoundrel type in recent playthroughs, during the Final Act Lumdala will try to get you to frame Gaderman. If you agree to this, even if you snitch on Lumdala you still get Honest rep, however this completely overlooks the fact you have lied to Lumdala by saying you would frame someone else. You're also not really given any clear benefit here for lying, you don't owe Lumdala any favours and Kurren is going to reward you either way - so even if you are trying to play as the shifty scoundrel lying comes off as a little stupid here.

 

Problem #2 with the same situation: If you don't agree to frame anyone but simply kill her, the only way to finish the quest is an [Honest] response to Kurren saying Lumdala did it. There is no other conversation option. I mean sure, you're telling the truth, but as opposed to what? It doesn't really feel like some grand display of morals or anything... the deed is done and there's a juicy reward with my name on it for the reporting of it.

 

The reason it annoyed me enough to merit lowering my keyboard's durability is however, that until that point I'd been avoiding [Honest] responses like the plague, and this response alone got me a full rank of [Honest] disposition. Quite willing to console that away, really.

 

It's also a little odd how people find out about your deceptive reputation. I mean, if you're a good liar, no one should know.

 

Magran's flames burn your "also" to ashes, cur, and let it be widely known that you are so poorly endowed that on the rare occasion that you consummate with a woman, even an orlan, your seed will refer to its last journey as the exploration of the Endless Paths. You have naught but repeated my point using fewer words.