How good/bad is your Henry?

[Shuu]

Hey fellow Henries!

I've started playing this game a few weeks ago and it's really addictive! The start is a bit frustrating as you cannot fight, defend yourself or make easy money but it gets better as you level up your Henry.

I was wondering how good/bad is your Henry aka how you're building your Henry's reputation?

Mine is quite a hypocrite because he'd help people around by catching thieves and acting like a good Christian, but on the other hand, he'd kill thieves/bandits asking for mercy, pickpocket and lockpick without any hesitation. So yeah mine's definitely like Jekyll & Hyde.

But once my current gameplay is over, I'd love to experience the good Christian Henry (he never steal or kill innocents) and bad Christian Henry (killing anyone he can)

[MacSuibhne]

I don't think Henry can be entirely one or the other. I don't think the game will allow it. Yes, you can play this game without killing anyone but I don't know how you can play this game without ever stealing or lockpicking or pickpocketing.

I suspect that speaks to the nature of good and evil... or at least the stories we tell ourselves to justify our actions. Perhaps it gives us a certain empathy for the less fortunate.

That said, I think that at some level how we play this game reflects our true natures somewhat. If you feel the need or urge to kill an entire village, where does that urge come from if not from within?

I started out stealing. At one point, I couldn't do that anymore... esp. to peasants and refugees and innocent people. I don't even kill poachers if can help it, even though they're all too willing to attack me.

In the same vein as above, Where does empathy come from if not from within?

That said, I am not particularly holy or pure of heart...I kill Cumans and bandits "Without mercy. Without compassion. Without remorse. All war depends on it." Capt. Ronald Spiers-- Band of Brothers.

[AestheticallyOP]

Originally posted by x3uu:

Hey fellow Henries!

I've started playing this game a few weeks ago and it's really addictive! The start is a bit frustrating as you cannot fight, defend yourself or make easy money but it gets better as you level up your Henry.

I was wondering how good/bad is your Henry aka how you're building your Henry's reputation?

Mine is quite a hypocrite because he'd help people around by catching thieves and acting like a good Christian, but on the other hand, he'd kill thieves/bandits asking for mercy, pickpocket and lockpick without any hesitation. So yeah mine's definitely like Jekyll & Hyde.

But once my current gameplay is over, I'd love to experience the good Christian Henry (he never steal or kill innocents) and bad Christian Henry (killing anyone he can)

Apart from the beginning where I tested the crouch stealth and kill/knock out mechanics my Henry is pretty angelic. Leveled up my speech at 20 and sword skill, maintenance too. My speech is high enough to avoid unnessarcy conflict so besides killing banditos and cumans I am a good christian.

[PuttBlug]

There's only one true way for my Henry, steal anything that's not nailed down, feed my favorite merchants with items, after they acquire some tens of thousands of groschen I sneak inside their shops, find their chests and take everything from there as well.

Now I'm barely after the quest for driving the bandits and Cumans from Privislavitz (probably writing that wrong) and I have almost 190k groschen.

[Ragmund]

I think, the right approach is a good and kind-hearted, yet somewhat simple Henry. At least for the beginning. Notice as the thievery quest-givers always find some excuse for the theft? This item would return to its rightful owner, that one is stolen from a reeeeeeally bad person, etc. Given he's just a village kid, he might even believe those. As I said, at the first days. Obviously, as time passes, he should understand what's what. So I'm going to complete most of illegal storylines as early as I can, and not going back to that kind of stuff later. Except when it must be done for some greater good, ofc.

That said, keep in mind that if you're not role-playing a truly devoted christian, the middle ages' morals were not as strict as ours. Also, being robbed of everything himself in Skalitz, I don't think Henry will have some bad sleeping over a few stolen grosches. Just don't steal from the refugees or other needy.

So, to summarize, my take on it is thus: occasional thievery and shady dealings are ok, just don't overdo it. As for the killing - it's kill or be killed era. Don't kill those, who probably would've not killed you. Slaughter those who would.

P.S. Playing for the first time, just a couple of game days in. Following the above, quite immersive as of yet.

[EA Latium]

Started doing some stealing at the beginning, to pay debt, food and help fellow refugees; as time passed started being on the right path earning respect and dignity; parents would be proud.

If killing can be avoided then it'll be avoided (fine print: may not apply to Cumans), the only spoils taken from the fallen are their purse, jewels and weapons; not desecrating by undressing, God is watching.

[PafunaMT]

I guess for my Henry it amounts to, "it's complicated." Henry tries to do the right thing but sometimes, when the Devil drives, needs must. In my case, Henry will certainly steal surreptitiously, or rob those who do some robbing themselves (like bandits), and will kill every Cuman he comes across (for obvious reasons). He's ended up in jail more than a few times, and gleefully knocks over stores and shops to get an extra bit of loot. Even so, my Henry doesn't rob wayfarers because there's really no sport in it, donates to beggars whenever he can, and doesn't rob villagers' persons because he has to live with them. He's not averse to a bath house romp, but he settles in with Theresa in the end because it seems natural. And even robbing shops gets old, because in the end, there's more to life than getting easy loot. Some things have to be earned, I suppose.

I think the brilliance of this game is making space for players to make their own decisions, even if the story will end pretty much the same way for all. Kinda like life, really: we're all going to die someday, but how we get there and what shape we're in is uniquely personal to everyone, and sadly sometimes that day comes when we least expect it.

Anyway, just my 2 groschen. Jesus Christ be praised.

[Iso Koala]

Im pretty kind, always letting people go etc, but sometimes I get some sadistic LULS for talking to a person, being nice to him etc, then taking out my bow and shooting him to his neck and steal his clothes. Shooting escaping villagers to their back is also fun bow practice for the whole family as well as fist brawling with someone and after knocking them down curb stomp them/pull out your sword to finish him. And yeah the stealth perk is cool too, why rob people when you can murder them to their beds? The way I can do that freely is hilarious in a twisted dark comedy way so I just gotta do that time to time, but I always reload after and stick to being goodie two shoes, except oh well, I rob everything that my fingers find.

[Iso Koala]

Another fun; punch a guard in his face. Guard gets upset and then you surrender to him. He asks 200 silver as a fine, which you pay and say blablabla there you are you poor sucker... Then immediately punch him at his face again, pay again...I have silver for this so suck it up!

[Krono]

I have my good Henry, the noble wannabe knight who has committed no crime but adultery (gotta love bathhouse saves), and my sneaky criminal Henry who's stolen hundreds of thousands worth of groschen and slit hundreds of throats. Both are fun in their own way

[MF]

For my 3rd playthru I tried to turn him into a psycho killer who haunts the roads. I just couldn't keep it up. I think it's me.............. when I make him do awful things I feel bad and I don't enjoy the game as much.

So despite my initial intentions he's now even 'cleaner' than on my first two playthru's. He's a mostly goody two-shoes who has a gambling addiction (farkle) but is otherwise as pure as the driven snow. I no longer spend my nights breaking into stores etc. Frankly I don't have to - I'm adept enough at hunting and slaughtering Cumans for Jesus. Now no matter where I go the merchant break into big smiles. It kinda feels good.

[MacSuibhne]

Originally posted by MF:

For my 3rd playthru I tried to turn him into a psycho killer who haunts the roads. I just couldn't keep it up. I think it's me.............. when I make him do awful things I feel bad and I don't enjoy the game as much.

I don't know, somewhere along the line (in life) I decided to try to be the kind of person I wanted to be... Nothing to prove and actually pretty proud of being a "goody two shoes."