Why is the guild master such a jerk?

[FearlessKing]

I arrive at a struggling guild as the one tasked to lead and save it, yet I'm an awful leader?

I've been in management for over a decade. My specialty is taking a struggling store/restaurant/leadership team and turning things around for the better. This game really intrigued me because it ticks all my boxes (fantasy, party management, turn based tactical rpg, etc.) However, after only an hour or so of play, I'm struggling to want to even continue because the guild master is just the worst.

During the tutorial quest it appeared like maybe things were about to turn around when he went to inspire the group to be brave. But even that just turned out to be a snarky little lie. These types of leaders are awful. Based on how the guild master treats the party and the way they go about thinking about everything is a recipe for disaster. If this guild succeeds they will do it in spite me, not because of me.

Great leadership comes from being patient, vulnerable, insightful, and truly inspirational. A good leader shouldn't ever think to themselves "Oh, these stupid idiots suck lol. They believe every lie I say so this won't be hard at all!"

No. A good leader would think along the lines of "Hmm, this guild is truly struggling. I knew this was going to be tough. I'm going to need to really consider my approach here. The hardest part is they don't believe in themselves. If only they could see their potential the way I do."

Why am I sniping with my dead friend's widow? Am I truly just the worst jerk that ever jerked? We should be mourning together. There could still be tensions and disagreements about how we think things should be run, or maybe both of us have regrets in our own parts in how he lived/died. But no, we're immediately spiteful and hateful at each other and it's not cute. It's not charming. It's not funny.

Everyone raved about the writing in the reviews and in the discussions so I could be alone in this, but I really think a change to this dialogue could be the difference between a so-so hidden gem and an INCREDIBLE hidden gem.

[Wicked]

Well, he just got the job despite himself, so he doesn`t have to be a good leader. Also, you know, comedy.

[Iguana-on-a-stick]

People rave about the writing in this game?

As far as I know it's the gameplay they like. The writing is pretty funny on occasion and decent enough at setting the tone it wants to set. The story is entertaining and has some pretty good twists, but I don't think anyone is saying you should play this for the story.

And you very, very definitely should not be taking it too seriously. Especially the characters.

The guild does not resemble a real-life workplace, it resembles (and is meant to resemble) a bunch of fantasy and anime clichés.

And yes, the guildmaster is a terrible leader. (Stuff like forgetting the name of half the adventurers weeks or months later.) And yes, the game tells you he is saving the guild regardless.

[Wenju]

Originally posted by Wicked:

Well, he just got the job despite himself, so he doesn`t have to be a good leader. Also, you know, comedy.

Thumbs up for this reply.

I think the writing is excellent. Not a silent protagonist, it's hard to imagine yourself when the words are not chosen by you.
If it helps, imagine you're one of the gods observing and helping the adventure guild as whole. Guiding the adventures as well as observing the guild leader and nudging him to certain decisions.

World build is there. Adventures are barely more respectable then thieves.
Guild master was himself a long time adventurer. His dea friend was the "moral compass". And for some reason they haven't spike for 10 years.
He is not commander Sheppard. He's a fail adventurer who knows the world is gritty and dangerous. But he's trying his best.
And he's not a daycare teacher. You cannot keep adventurers in line with kind words and patience.

But I'm the end... Yeah, comedy mostly.
Sad that you don't like, it's ok.
I hate most perfect protagonist, guess you are the audience for that.

[corisai]

Originally posted by FearlessKing:

Great leadership comes from being patient, vulnerable, insightful, and truly inspirational.

Let me guess - you don't have any kind of combat or even military experience IRL?

Our Guild Master is sending people to death at daily basis, routinely making a decisions who're going to live and who will die (quests you're not going to complete in time are not leading to happy end obviously). That's a very different kind of leadership.

Our "adventurers" are actually mercenaries and have higher then average death rate, they're literally risking their lives for coins. Game even simulate that - our most experienced adventurers are in fact would like to drop this job (=have a very low base mood) and GM need to take efforts to make them stay.

Originally posted by FearlessKing:

Why am I sniping with my dead friend's widow?

Hatred is usually irrational.

Honestly at least for me that little feud between those two make GM feel more like a living person then any "generic" hero. Perfect persons are product of propaganda, real humans always have at least some quirks or something even worse.

[OptimusPrimordial]

There are effectively two guild masters, you the player who picks the best applicants, trains them, organises teams, controls pay, manages inventory and organises missions. Then you have the story character who is a bumbling fool, bickers with his assistant and embarrasses himself in front of a prisoner. The guild master is the worst character in the game, best to mash through his dialogue so you can take back control.

[HawaiianBuffaloCollector]

the guild master is obnoxious, Fiona is obnoxious, the characters are not the strong suit of this game to say the least. i couldn't deal with it so i dropped it. i need the main characters to be at least sympathetic if they aren't gonna be likable and they're all just obnoxious as all heck

[Wenju]

Gen z really have suffered literacy brain washing.
I am sorry for you guys who only consumed media in the last 5-10 years, with your Mary sue's and absolutely PG 13 vision of the word and how everyone has to carter to you and your big feeling.
I suggest trying to read some Greek tragedies. Aeschylus' Oresteia, Oedipus the King and others.
Some other amazing pieces of literature that might have you, Classic Geroge Orwell Animal Farm.
Or if you only can read stuff with images, Look for the uncut version o Barefoot gen
Good luck

[Letterit]

Originally posted by Wenju:

Gen z really have suffered literacy brain washing.
I am sorry for you guys who only consumed media in the last 5-10 years, with your Mary sue's and absolutely PG 13 vision of the word and how everyone has to carter to you and your big feeling.
I suggest trying to read some Greek tragedies. Aeschylus' Oresteia, Oedipus the King and others.
Some other amazing pieces of literature that might have you, Classic Geroge Orwell Animal Farm.
Or if you only can read stuff with images, Look for the uncut version o Barefoot gen
Good luck

I don't get the point of this post, even more when you also write:

Originally posted by Wenju:

Originally posted by Wicked:

Well, he just got the job despite himself, so he doesn`t have to be a good leader. Also, you know, comedy.

Thumbs up for this reply.

I think the writing is excellent.
...

I also think the writing is excellent, at least overall in first three chapters.

But I fail see the link with classic literacy, Frankly Greek tragedies would be very boring to read now, for example, terrible lack of any humor. :-D

But anyway I don't think proper sophisticated writing can work so well in a video game because it's not a fluid linear flow as can be a book.

[Letterit]

The Guild Master is a typical anti hero, and his snarky comments not only pinpoint it and are here for fun, but they are inner thought, that's not really snarky.

The Guild Master is more the narrator than the main character, it's totally like Fireaxis XCoM1&2 commander but much more develop, mainly to develop humor and have a story telling support.

OP comments show a reading too much at first degree, it wasn't the intent/goal of the writing. Moreover that's just the beginning, trying to illustrate someone only coming to manage a guild at friend request, and yep without much skills for that.

But as story progress, the guild master will reveal be an astute leader and quite competent. Even more, often he is offering alcohol drink to all adventurers, if that's not a good leader then what it is?