concern graphic imagery

[cclough86]

why is there a scene bout some serios scenes in a smithing game bout kings dieing and hanging people and tortureing a blacksmith with dialog choices that have no real choice cause if u choose wrong u die an restart the day but why is this even a thing in a game thats a simulator for midevil blacksmithing this isnt a rpg and these graphic images were jarring and completely killed my momentum and flow in the game

[KellyR]

After sleeping on it, I've realized that my problem with this sequence boils down to lack of agency, which also relates to sort of a breakdown of verisimilitude in the story.

If I summarize the plot of the game so far--for me, anyway, I've only just gotten past the torture bit--it goes like this:

You wake up with no memory except a trippy dream sequence in which you apparently met a pseudo-god. You are immediately dropped into an orphanage, loaned 20k copper, and told that if you don't make rent and pay back the loan you'll be killed. So already, this community you've been dropped into is sort of crappy, to say the least.

You do your best to be a good tradesperson, make money, etc. The king shows up and slaps you around even if you agree to make the thing he wants.

An assassin shows up and tells you to make her a dagger or she'll kill you (And if you refuse, she does indeed kill you). You make the dagger under threat of death.

You witness an execution of someone you know is innocent (At least, once they tell you your dagger was used in the murder).

You get tortured nearly to death, and are supposedly saved by a priestess simply because of your acid trip where you saw god.

Then after one night of sleep to start to recover, you get dragged in front of the governor who tells you he's only keeping you alive because your acid trip vision might make you useful in stopping some religious feud.

And then the landlord shows up, demands rent, and when you pay the rent she tells you it's going to be double next month (Even though I hadn't made any improvements to the building, in hopes of avoiding that since I'd read about it happening in the forum).

At this point, why the HELL would I continue trying to do good for this community? Why would I do what the governor says when that would mean my usefulness to him was at an end and he'd probably just have me killed?

For that matter, I have a BOATLOAD of money. Why wouldn't I buy a ton of warrior slaves, equip them with the masterwork magical weapons I can now churn out in record time, buy them all the best armor, and have the landlord and the governor killed, and rule this dungheap myself? What incentive has this society given me to not go supervillain?

And this is where the lack of player agency comes in. This is all a plot you're railroaded down. There are no real choices other than "Choose to say the thing that will obviously increase your reputation, or the thing that will obviously decrease your reputation", neither of which will change the course of events at all. You could very well have millions of coppers, and a bunch of warrior slaves by the time the assassin comes to call. You should have the option to have your slaves kill her. Or ambush her when she comes to kill you that night. You should be able to choose to watch the city burn instead of helping with whatever disaster is coming to the city. Hell, a reasonable person would have packed the orphans, their slaves, and their best tools and such into a wagon and LEFT the city after being falsely accused and tortured nearly to death.

So yeah, I'd like a bit more in the way of actual choices and ability to influence the direction the plot takes.