Exclusive factions?

[IndiraLightfoot]

I'm just wondering: Will our party joining a faction be an exclusive choice pretty much from the get-go, or more of a "decide a bit later", like in PoE1,

or the absurd power-dream in Skyrim, where you not only can join all factions, but you even get to become the leader of each faction?

Edited October 8, 2017 by IndiraLightfoot

[blotter]

Here's some of what we know about how factions will be handled so far: 

1. the point of no return for one faction or another will be communicated more clearly to players
2. past that point, which will be further into the game than in Pillars 1, faction allegiances will be exclusive and prevent affiliation with other factions
3. faction plots will be relevant throughout more of the game, though you will have the option to reject/oppose/ignore all of them and set out on your own

Edited October 8, 2017 by blotter

[smjjames]

I imagine that the opportunities to get reputation with a faction will come up pretty quick given that you start in the de facto capitol of the Deadfire.

 

Given the (ingame world) political subtext implied with all four factions vying for influence in Neketaka, it might be more complex in that you won't be straight up locked out of the other three once you complete a certain mission.

 

As for becoming a leader of one of the factions, I don't see that happening. Nothing stopping you from killing the leader if you wished, besides the fight you'd face.

 

editwhiletyping:

 

 

Here's some of what we know about how factions will be handled so far: 

1. the point of no return for one faction or another will be communicated more clearly to players
2. past that point, which will be further into the game than in Pillars 1, faction allegiances will be exclusive and prevent affiliation with other factions
3. faction plots will be relevant throughout more of the game, though you will have the option to reject/oppose/ignore all of them and set out on your own

 

 

While the reputation would obviously have an affect, I thought maybe it wouldn't be a total lockout like being with the pirate faction but also friendly with Huana.

[IndiraLightfoot]

 

Here's some of what we know about how factions will be handled so far: 

1. the point of no return for one faction or another will be communicated more clearly to players
2. past that point, which will be further into the game than in Pillars 1, faction allegiances will be exclusive and prevent affiliation with other factions
3. faction plots will be relevant throughout more of the game, though you will have the option to reject/oppose/ignore all of them and set out on your own

 

Heh, that pretty much says it all. Thank you, blotter!

 

I actually prefer to be able to dip my toes into factions, even dabble a bit in them, like some greenhorn, and then dump those I don't fancy. Also, the factionless routes also appeal to me. Hopefully, you still get to run factionless in a number of ways, if that makes sense, based on all the meaningful non-faction choices you make in the game.

Edited October 8, 2017 by IndiraLightfoot

[blotter]

While the reputation would obviously have an affect, I thought maybe it wouldn't be a total lockout like being with the pirate faction but also friendly with Huana.

 

It's possible that they'll change their minds about it, but even if they don't, the cutoff point's supposed to be later in the game than it was for factions in Pillars 1, so you may be able to get a few quests before that point to be somewhat friendly with another faction. More specifically, I'm not sure how well the Huana will react to the Watcher working with the Principi, given the latter group's history of raiding Huana villages and the enmity they've earned through it. Temporary, uneasy alliances seem likely enough given their common enemies, but I'm not sure that this is really the best example of complementary affiliations. If Queen Onekaza II's more or less the faction leader, I'd almost expect it to be easier to reach out to her from a position of allegiance with the Vailian Trade Republics or the Royal Deadfire Company, given her efforts to manipulate them while maintaining a pretense of submission and accommodation.

 

Also, I figured I might as well toss in some links for faction info for anyone who hasn't already seen them:

 

https://www.fig.co/campaigns/deadfire?update=256#updates - provides a brief rundown on the impetus for colonization along with some info about Queen Onekaza II and Prince Aruihi (who seem likely to be prominent figures within the Huana faction).

 

https://www.fig.co/campaigns/deadfire?update=311#updates - Faction descriptions, Principi & Huana

 

https://www.fig.co/campaigns/deadfire?update=315#updates - Faction descriptions, Royal Deadfire Company & Vailian Trading Company

 

--

 

 

Heh, that pretty much says it all. Thank you, blotter! I actually prefer to be able to dip my toes into factions, even dabble a bit in them, like some greenhorn, and then dump those I don't fancy. Also, the factionless routes also appeal to me. Hopefully, you still get to run factionless in a number of ways, if that makes sense, based on all the meaningful non-faction choices you make in the game.

 

 

You're welcome, and I can definitely understand where you're coming from as far as using the first few quests or so to get a sense of the groups you're interested in working with/for.

 

As far as going factionless is concerned, I also agree that it'd be nice to have options on how to approach it (e.g., being cordial to factions but largely unaccountable to them as opposed to burning all bridges and killing their agents on sight). Given multiple ways to resolve quests and develop the Watcher's dispositions, I'd imagine this is guaranteed to a point, but to what extent is unclear.

Edited October 8, 2017 by blotter

[IndiraLightfoot]

the cutoff point's supposed to be later in the game than it was for factions in Pillars 1, so you may be able to get a few quests before that point to be somewhat friendly with another faction.

This change I do like a lot. Another thing that irked me a bit in PoE1 was the fact that the factions were literally just a few steps away from each other. Practical? Yeah.

Too apprently hub-like? Yup.

Also, they being resolved within such a confined segment in the game, and except for some quick outlier errands, being confined to the city itself, and then not having much of an impact in later acts was certainly a missed opportunity (probably due to time constraints and lack of dev resources back then). Hopefully, factions will be saturating the game throughout, without overpowering it or diminishing any non-faction playthrough.

[smjjames]

I don't see why you can't be a pirate and in the Huana faction at the same time. And Queen Onekaza II is the queen of the Huana people/nation, so, obviously...

[Sedrefilos]

I got the idea that the factions and their interaction will work similar to New Vegas, which is good imo.

[blotter]

I don't see why you can't be a pirate and in the Huana faction at the same time. 

 

Because being a member of the Principi isn't just "being a pirate" in the generic sense. It's being affiliated with a group of pirates which has historically been known for robbing, intimidating, and murdering Huana, to say nothing of their possible complicity in any slave trade that the Huana may be victims of in the game. You honestly don't see how the Huana might find that objectionable?

 

And Queen Onekaza II is the queen of the Huana people/nation, so, obviously...

 

Not necessarily; her emphasis on subterfuge under a veneer of diplomacy could easily require her to distance herself from the Huana as an active faction for reasons of plausible deniability. In terms of authority or executive power, she could very well be in competition with Prince Aruihi or others we haven't heard of rather than at the top of the faction as a whole.

[esyvjrt]

I hope they fix how your actions are magically know for everyone to allow, for example, be able to or help faction A against B without B knowing if there are no witnesses or if they die

[Wormerine]

I hope they fix how your actions are magically know for everyone to allow, for example, be able to or help faction A against B without B knowing if there are no witnesses or if they die

I hear you, but if that was the case rarely anyone would find out about anything you do. Escaping enemies could be an interesting ideas, but I doubt Obs will reinvent the wheel that much. I imagine system will be fairly simple with bonuses/minuses to your reputation with the faction depending and what you do. I would like to see something similar to relationship system added - for each faction having their likes and dislikes and react to those choices (for example if you don’t support animancy, Valian Republic would dislike that and ask you to be more politically correct from now on).