https://youtu.be/tTZLVrhXfkc
In the tabletop non-miniature version of Warhammer, the way you create a character is pretty awesome. You start out with a person and then you take the person through a handful of backstory details. Like, your guy started as a ratcatcher, then became a bodyguard, then became a bounty hunter, and *THEN* became who you are right now let’s start the story. You know how you have the ability to spot traps? Well, you learned that when you were a ratcatcher. You know how you know how to disarm someone? That came from your days as a bodyguard. So on and so forth.
You’re starting as a fully realized character with a full set of skills and there is a story behind all of them and the most interesting part of your story isn’t the part where you were a level one schmuck recently kicked out of the orphanage. The most interesting part of your story is what happened when you took on Rouge, The Red Rogue. And this is that story.
Tyranny does something vaguely similar.
The Evil Bad Guy is trying to take out the last enclave that still stands against him and his two armies are bickering over who gets to do it.
So, which army are you a part of… the disciplined one or the chaotic one?
When you go into this enclave, how do you take out the opposition… assassination? Sabotage? Propaganda?
When you have the opportunity to destroy a city, do you do it immediately also killing your spies or do you give your spies enough time to make it out?
Okay, *NOW* we can begin the story. (By the way, the spies are kinda ticked. Well, the ones that are left, anyway.)
And, along the way, you learned a handful of new skills.
Unfortunately, you’re playing as a bad guy and games in which you play as a bad guy always are fairly depressing. These are the people you’re suppose to be fighting and you’re just enabling them!
But this is Obsidian. I’m looking forward to the twist already.
I hope there’s a twist.
Please let there be a twist.
So… what are you playing?
(Picture is HG Wells playing a war game from Illustrated London News (25 January 1913[/efn_note]
I hear there’s a new Civ.
Seen it yet?Report
I’ve enjoyed my time with it. Much fuller featured than the last two were at launch, good new city building mechanics, and an improved version of one unit per tile.Report
@will-h
The game is much more aggressive than Civ V, but it still well worth playing.Report
That sounds kind of similar to the old space RPG “Traveller”. You’d generate a complete backstory for your character – origin, early life, career, the financial and social situation that you ended up in, the lot.
The problem is that it was heavy on randomness and light on decision-making, and there were some career paths that were more efficient, and some less so. So there was a tendency to end up in what was basically a late odd-numbered Star Trek movie, with three retired senior officers, all with a detailed history of their adventures and commendations – who had inexplicably teamed up with Harry Mudd to try to run guns to the Maquis while avoiding Organian intervention.
The character creation process was so complete and so interesting that it was a reasonable replacement for actually playing the game.Report
Was that the one where your character could die during character creation?Report
Hmmm, now you’ve got me going to the steam store and stroking my imaginary beard, trying to decide if I want to shell out for it or not. Sounds like your bottom line is that I should, yes?Report
This is Obsidian.
That said, you go some dark places and you’re a bad guy and I haven’t gotten to the twist yet.
So yes… unless you were hoping for Another Hero’s Journey.Report
This sounds to me like the correct way to play is to try and make every single decision with reference to The Prince.Report
Do you treat your underlings like an arrogant jerk and insult them all the time or do you treat your underlings with cold dispassion as if they were nothing more than information transmission devices?Report
I mean, I’m downloading it now. I guess I’ll report back later.Report