[SPOILERS] The logic of relationships with Emily

[blackhand_lost]

DON'T read if you haven't finished the game. Sorry for a wall of text.

So, I don't find the story of relations with Emily believable, tbh. From the start of the game she is kinda imposed on the player as his sexual interest, with her appearance and attention towards Louis, and the mutual interest between the characters grows as their paths keep crossing resulting in a bed scene(optional).

But after that there is no further development, they just act like nothing happened except for one brief mention. You could think Emily is still interested in Louis when she visits him again in act 3, but that appears to be Emma, while Emily is having her fun with Napoleon, admittedly with no political gain. One would think that an experienced politician like her(or sir Gregory, if he sent her) would realise that Napoleon is all about personal ambition and wouldn't fall for this kind of manipulation.

So we might think that Emily is no longer interested, but later she confirmes she was attracted to Louis all the way, and when Emma says she slept with Louis Emily becomes jealous, which makes no sence because the sisters used to share their lovers for the whole life.

So we come to conclusion that Emily is really attracted to Louis, but that is not shown throughout the game.

Now to the worst part- the reaction when they learn they're brother and sister. In the 18th century marriages between cousins, for example, were not unheard of. The real reason of the brother-sister taboo is the high chance of genetic diseases for children born in such alliances.

But Louis and Emily seem shocked after just one night they spent together not knowing the truth. And they're not real siblings, they just share a father.
Louis says he feels like a monster after that, really? The player doesn't get to choose a reaction really. Even worse, it's a choice between 2 bad reactions. It looks like the developers were just afraid of this topic, if so, why even put it into the script then?

And if you tell me Louis and Emma are creatures of high moral qualities-well..they're not. Letting Perou attack Elizabeth, leaving Elizabeth desperately asking for help- no problem here.
Marrying a man for money, regularly using sex for political manipulations- sighn us up!

So, these reactions don't make sense, and the player is deprived of choice, which is supposed to be a feature of this game. The whole point of these relationships is apparently to make the player uncomfortable, which they do in an anti-climactic way.

To be honest, Emily in general is a mess and could use some of mr Wahington's opium stash. Didn't enjoy how this character was written in the long run.

[Vinznt]

I can go along with what you're saying. Episode 4 & 5 seem very different from the three previous episodes. So not sure if it was intended all along for Emily & Louis to be related. It did seem out of left field that you find out that you're related to more and more of the guests (by Episode 5 I was expecting the reveal to be that everyone was a demon). That might be the reason for the disjointed relationship arc.

[blackhand_lost]

Originally posted by Qpid:

by Episode 5 I was expecting the reveal to be that everyone was a demon). That might be the reason for the disjointed relationship arc.

Yeah, same. It would be funny if you think about it. I thought that scene where you notice Piaggi had nasal bleeding hinted that he had the same 'visions' as Louis, so he might be a demon as well. Maybe they just wanted to trick the player, or indeed changed the direction of the plot in the later stages of development(or both). Sad we\ll never know :)

[Stan Halen]

When you notice Piaggi with a nose bleed during the Lance mission, he is being possessed by Holm. If you use the conviction response during the confrontation is will show you hit the immunity for Holm.

[blackhand_lost]

I see, Izigaul, thank you for explanation.

[Crazy Bat Lady]

I didn't want to start a new topic on this because it's regarding the relationship of Louis and E...

At what point was it announced in-game that they were siblings? I got to episode 5 and it was when he encountered Emily's spirit in the Ether that it was first (to me at least) announced that they were siblings?! ....And neither of them seem remotely bothered by this revelation!? In my game they did the rumpy pumpy so... Ew.

[1GoGreyhound]

I believe the developers may have been relying on players remembering that the time period chosen for this game involved quite a shocking lot of out-of-wedlock sex among the political elite--perhaps because so many of those marriages were arranged for monetary, social, or political gain. Among the upper classes at least, it seems they were absolutely NOT prudish. And you might be surprised at the methods of birth control they had; it takes a lot of digging, but the information is out there.

I think either Holm told Louis about Emma and Emily being his sister when he stopped by to welcome us to the family, OR she herself told Louis when he stopped by her room shortly after that conversation with Holm. And she was VERY upset and drinking.