I am finding the argument mini-game impossible

[Clubs Deuce]

Maybe it's just me. I won't rule out that's a possibility. But I have yet to win a single round of rock paper scissors against anyone. Even when I have the advantage. It doesn't matter who it is, I cannot defeat them at rock paper scissors, and it's incredibly frustrating because it makes me feel like I have no control over where the game is going, despite that being a large part of what makes a game like this special. Every time I try to make a decision my partner overrules me. Every time I try to press for information or convince someone to change their mind, I get told off. It'd be more merciful if it were just thrown into an RNG, because then at least I wouldn't have to slowly watch the conversation spiral out of my control.

[Jeroen]

Disable the AI for your partner, then you can choose his/her answers to align with your own and win every time.

For the NPC arguments, put some points in Charisma. Also quick save / load :)
Or accept the consequences and see where the story takes you....

[Clubs Deuce]

See, both of those things are things I am already aware of. But when you lose almost literally ever game, it doesn't matter if it only takes two to turn things in your direction. As for partner AI, having no AI feels like cheating the story. I don't want everyone to agree with me all the time, but I want there to be a fair shot of being able to turn things in my direction. quick save/load is also something I don't want to resort to for the same reason. It makes the argument worthless if I play until I win.

[w.f.schepel]

There is a pretty consistent system behind the RPS mini game, which seems to be pretty well matched to the intelligence of the char you are having a RPS game with. Low intelligence dudes, such as orcs, will generally try the same thing twice and the third time, they will pick what would have beaten your previous choice. If you open with a rock and they counter with scissors, you can safely pick the rock again, but on the third try, you had better pick the scissors. Smart chars do not counter directly, but pick the thing that would counter the thing you pick to counter their previous choice. Confusing? In practice, it goes like this: you pick the rock, they pick the scissors. Now, a direct counter would be paper. However, they do not go for the paper, instead, they pick the rock to counter the scissors you are expected to take.

Always keep in mind this game is not random, there are no draws. So all you have to do is figure out which is more likely to happen. You won't win all arguments because losing in the first round, which is the one round where you cannot predict anything, can set you back so badly there is no coming back. Also, if you take your opponent for a low intelligence kind of person when in fact it is an orc scholar, you might also get burned. However, now that I have figured it out, I win 90% of my arguments. (Although sometimes I lose on purpose, fighting nets more xp.)

[Insane Samurai]

Spacebar works pretty well there. You still lose most of em but at least its instant. Also I've won some really strange ones like that, like a 2 vs a 5 where they didnt win a single round.

On a side note, I think the RPS should be entirely random, not follow some sort of system based on intelligence. It's only there to represent a debate of some sort right? It's not as if these guys just stop and break out a game of rock paper scissors to convince an orc you're going to destroy him if he stops you :)

[Jeroen]

Originally posted by w.f.schepel:

There is a pretty consistent system behind the RPS mini game, which seems to be pretty well matched to the intelligence of the char...long story... fighting nets more xp.)

Wow, I did not know that it wasn't random, thanks for the info :)
And I would never have figured this out, because I lack the patience to do this and there are too few RPS encounters per race/enemy to figure this out I think.