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[SPOILERS] Observations on Truth

Discussion in 'Release 44 Feedback Forum' started by Tiina Onir, Aug 17, 2017.

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  1. Tiina Onir

    Tiina Onir Avatar

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    Before we start, this post is about the Truth quest which I just finished. Unfortunately, what I want to say cannot be said without giving things away, so I'm not even going to bother trying. You have been warned.

    [​IMG]


    Ok, if you're still here, it's your own fault.

    I just finished the Truth quest, and I can't help but be disappointed. We'll skip the bugs, they've been reported. What I'm disappointed about is the lack of choices, and how incomplete it seems.

    My complaint is really centered around Artiface. Entire rooms of NPCs with identical and beyond vapid dialouge. It really looks like noone's bothered to write their dialouge, I certanly hope we aren't planning on going gold like that. Even variations on the same ideas would be an improvement, but even that's not what I wanted.

    Room of Averice
    I wanted a real choice: do I take some of the incalculable wealth around me, or ignore it? I wanted to be able to talk to those around me, ask them they have unending wealth, but what's the value when there's nothing to purchase with it? Maybe even two keys, one gold one iron. Both would work, but maybe it affects the outcome subtlety.

    Room of Glutteny
    Again, I wanted a choice here: give me foods that I can eat give them great stats bonuses (it really doesn't matter for this questline anyway), but if you eat some, you get cursed upon leaving or something. Again, the dialoge needs work (which is to say it's completely nonexistant) I wanted to ask them if the vast feast did anything to sate their hunger.

    Room of Lust

    By this point I knew the dialogue wasn't going to be worth even talking to the NPCs, but I tried anyway. Unfortunately I was not surprised. I can't think of anything you can really do without getting the rating bumped to 'M', but something needs done. This room most reminded me of pre '97 Pirates of the Caribbean ride at Disneyland (a feeling that I didn't shake for the rest of the quest), and to be frank, I don't mean that in a good way.

    Rooms of Sadism and Masochism
    I searched around, looking for keys. Another opportunity for a moral choice lost. At least at this point the dialogue had a little thought put into it. Here you had Torturers, Victims, Spectators, and Sayter Guards. Of course, just like the Disney Ride, even drawing your sword to intervene, you cannot. This seems incredibly artificial; sure the sayters say this is all consensual, but do I trust them? They are the caretakers in a place named for deception (even if you didn't know what Artiface means, Pippin the Sayter will helpfully tell you). The dialogue from the Victims seem to indicate it's not consensual. The description of falling asleep in the upper rooms and appearing down here is not something I would expect from a willing masochist.

    Room of Sadopedophilia
    Again, no key. I'm not prevented from intervening by the occupants of the room, but by some invisible hand that prevents me from being anything other then an observer. This isn't a quest, so much as a ride that requires my attention. All of this would have been just as good as a cut-scene. Beyond the Sayter Guard's word, I'm given no reason to believe these aren't actually children being tortured, and we've already established that I'm given every reason to not trust the sayters.

    Room of (Child) Homicide
    OKAY! We FINALLY get what, at this point, feels like a token choice (as we move beyond it, it will feel even MORE like it was a mere token nod to player agency). I'm not sure it actually affects anything beyond this quest, maybe it will.

    At any rate, there's not much choice here. There isn't any REASON to kill the kids, rather there is every reason not to: pushing the pressure plate would cause the walls to crush them, which you would have to wait for it to cycle. If it where the opposite, where saving the kids would be the inconvenience, that would actually start to look a bit like a choice. I think there's a real likelihood where most of the people who DO trigger the crush-trap do so accidentally. I would prefer this be a lever, so the intent is clear.

    (To be clear, I choose not to step on the plate. So I'm making some assumptions here about would have happened)

    Chanciller's Room
    I really don't have a complaint here. At least have the guards tell me their names (this isn't the only place I'd like to have that option in the dialog).

    Chapel of Bore(a/u)s
    Well, that was anti-climactic. Also (as I'm writing this after the fact and I had to talk to NPCs to get the spelling), I noticed different dialogues spell Boreus differently.

    Teleporting Tunnel Maze

    Okay, maze is a strong word. it's pretty small but the teleporter makes it almost seem bigger then it is. Or it would if it weren't so jarring when you hit it. This makes it way too obvious what's going on.

    Bonesteel Forge
    Okay, by this point we know clearly what makes bonesteel (as if the name wasn't enough foreshadowing). Knowing that it's made from the bones of the (short lived) human denizens of Artiface, we should have the option to shut it down. I tried closing the valves, pulling my weapons on the operator. Again an invisible hand prevents my agency.

    One other problem I have with this room, as a crafter, I (of course) checked that those were a working smelter and blacksmith table. They are, but they are just the basic ones. It would be really neat of these where expert or greater tables. Of course, there's an ulterior motive for me suggesting this; it would present a dilemma of getting the advantage of being able to use it, or forever shutting it down.

    Library of Artiface
    This is the most spartan library I've ever seen. I don't think any of the shelves have books on them. This should change (even if you just fake the books with a filled-shelf object that you couldn't actually select the volumes of.

    What's the point of Kiakis being here? He's trying to translate a book, and even asks for my help with it, but never gives it to me (nor makes clear which book he's translating).

    The library is fairly big, for how empty it is. I never saw anyone explain where all the books went. At any rate, it's too easy to miss the exit. I think the faun rebel (I can't remember his name now) should point out that you can't leave by going backward, only by going forward (I killed WAY too much time running all the way back to the beginning).

    Epolgue
    I expected to see some change in the Xenos. Nothing big, just the dialogue from the fauns and/or sayters from what I allegedly accomplished by convening the faun in the library to continue encouraging a resistance.

    EDIT: about the crafting tables, I love them next to the lava like that. A different option then just making them +X is to make them normal, but not take fuel as a nod to Dwarf Fortress.
     
    Last edited: Aug 18, 2017
  2. Merlota

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    I did it by accident incase you are keeping track.
     
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  3. Tiina Onir

    Tiina Onir Avatar

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    So were my assumptions about right?
     
  4. Merlota

    Merlota Avatar

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    Dead on in my case.
     
  5. Alley Oop

    Alley Oop Bug Hunter Bug Moderator

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    i did it on purpose because i figure it was the door latch. that it would activate the spikes didn't occur to me at all. it just seemed logical to have an easy way to open the door when your hands are full of screaming child rather than try to fiddle with a lock and key.
     
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  6. Belladonna Rose

    Belladonna Rose Bug Hunter

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    Did by accident.
     
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  7. Arya Stoneheart

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