First run finished (spoilers)

[aono]

Ok, I passed my first play, it was for rebels. I have some issues I want to share.

Spoiler: Ranting

I don't know, maybe it something with actual playing (maybe I had a bug?..), but I had a feeling that game is narratived (sorry for this word) as a game about putting yourself above your mere stance, right? I mean, you suddenly finds a power you never had, that puts you as a peer with your allies (not to say "higher"), so it's actually obvious you go to create your own power base (read - play for "anarchies" or rebels). Right?
But a game for rebels looks like secondary one, truth to be say. I don't know, maybe it's everywhere, or maybe it's _only_ rebels, but... I really feels like I'm playing game "unsupposed way". Something about "ok, you find a loophole, little loophole for you-who-wanted-be-good, so eat it and be happy".
The very obvious questions rises. Why can't I say to Archon's militaries on citadel in the end of Act 1 - "sorry, guys, that rebels already swear fealthy to Court, military operation over, and you know now it's violating of Kyros Peace to kill this guys." (and exactly this was a whole plan)? Why can't we just enter that citadel ASAP, not waiting for archons fight each other? What the hell, what is LEGAL STATUS of Fatebinder who sided with rebels? If he IS a traitor, why don't court proclaim him so, kills him and show me end credits (it's harsh but realistic)? If he ISN'T a traitor (by law, to hell sensible emotions of all that northern warriors), why soldiers of Ashe just tries to kill you on sight, and you can't ask a Court to enforce Kyros Peace?

And... sorry my wording, but I was really, really pissed when I saw it. Do you know what you will NEVER say to state servitor, if you have an ounce of self-preservation, in a land with harsh laws and lawful stupid tyrants on law enforcement, where you just squeese from damn juridical hell with a magical one-time warrant? You will never says him (her): "hey, I'm planning to overthrow an Overlord, join the club". EVEN if it's servitored guild of smith-mages. And the game HIGHLIGHTED it, with answer "you're blunt!". If I was so blunt in intrigue, I'd beed murdered before game even starts.
...and I don't know, maybe another pathes are better with it, but Rebel path is stunningly... let me put it so, "honest". No traitors. For all the game I waited for that capitan of local guard to say "ok, you gathered me a force, a force of fellow Tirmens, now we have a great quality and quantity, and you - do you prefer gallow or sword?". For all the game I waited splinter factions who says: "hey, we don't believe this guy, if you with him, we against us". For all the game I waited at least tirmen assasins. Nope. Just nope.

And I should notice that for good Fatebinder "joining" (subjugating) rebels is really obvious action, not something daring and impossible to think. Well, it can be daring if Overlord is EVIL and excecuting for a shadow of inloyality, but that's not case.
I mean, well, you are civilian official, who came to two armies your office supposed to supervise, and says them - "our high lord is not amused with your lack of progress". You see two armies, who are blickering, blaming each other, sabotaging each other. It's quite obvious you're starting to search another ways (especially including magical motivational power of Edict), ways that don't include military actions (because you haven't your own military force, and military forces here are not working good). And it's quite obvious you don't throw such chance away until citadel (because you need somebody who back you), and you don't throw them away to the armies after because why the hell you will give army YOUR victory, when in 4 days (I'm pessemistic) you manage to complete a task armies wasn't able for months?

And you know, if game supposed to be "following one of Kyros factions, not rebels" (it's perfectly normal issue, but no, game allowed to join rebels), one big, big faction missing for aligning. Tunon. Please let me play for Court; even more, it should be DEFAULT option, we are playing Fatebinder, after all.
But for me relationships with Court was limited to... let me think. I had one call to justify my actions (and I believed it will be repeated after every my big escapade), I had big correspondence with some eldery Fatebinder, I had a visit from assasin (and all my tirsmen followers weren't say a word about Overlord top killer just caming in and speak with me about my feelings after deEdicting!), I had a visit in the end of second act... and that's all. After each big action I came to Court myself (taking only Imperial followers), but no, only assasin had a word once or twice.

Also nice game.

 

[Norable]

I'm pretty sure you are playing for the court. Tunon doesn'T want to rule, he wants to bring order. And if you aren't on the anarchy path, you do just that. Bringing order. Thats why you aren't executed on the spot. And thats why you can "bend" the law. Tunon himself says this to you. Your trial comes after evidence is gathered (the same as with the other archonts), not after the first offence.

And your character can see see value in the two main factions and support them through the game without being "evil". Well maybe not for the Choir. Ashe is a pretty swell dude after all. So going with the rebels or solo isn't the only reasonable way here. Again, if you play for the court (which you do), you want to restore order. Ashe is order. So you could give him "your" victory.

As for splitter factions and assasins from the rebels... they don't have a choice. They need your power, because they don't have the force. Even at the end of the game. Thats the point of the edict. They couldn't stop the archonts and they couldn'T stop Kyros troops. Heck they nearly couldn'T even work together without you.


But your mileage may vary here.

 

[aono]

I'm pretty sure you are playing for the court. Tunon doesn'T want to rule, he wants to bring order.

...and then you're breaking the law, going for ABSOLUTLY CLOSED Oldwalls (and Tunon himself says you're NOT above the law, and this law particullary - you have a privilege to interpret law for some extent, but it means constant scrutiny), inspiring rebellions, and guy who is fully up to bringing order don't call you to himself asking "what are you doing, Fatebinder?". That's... strange, isn't it? I mean, Tunon isn't flexible guy. He rival you if you save fellow fatebinder by legal loophole. And discovering legal loopholes in Kyros Edicts just shattered his mind.
He even don't intresting about my finding about Archon's misdeeds - until hearing comes, and even then he just ignore every evidence about one of two parties.

And your character can see see value in the two main factions and support them through the game without being "evil".

Problem is not they're evil. Problem is they're bad. It's organized military factions with a lot of resourses and actually three Archons, who can't finish a small insurgency for months. Why? Because they're very busy plotting and blickering against each other; they just can't secure order. And you have no control about their actions.
But yes, of course, I can see value in this factions and support them - but essentially I have a choices: support one faction against another; be anarchic; be essentially traitor to Kyros. There is no a position "I'm the middle-grounder who trying to actually STOP chaos by excersing my own authority as Fatebinder" - and power it is!

Again, if you play for the court (which you do), you want to restore order. Ashe is order.

No. Ashe is soldier honor. He looks like order with all his phalanxs, regulations and so on, but it doesn't stop him to actually waging a civil war against another Archon. As it don't stop him to throw his soldiers into Edict-hitted place because one of his own was taken (Barik's reaction in senechal castle actually touched me more that any other line in game, maybe but Sirin testimony) or throw away good recrut because he born wrong region. Also it don't stopped his officers to bribe Fatebinder for weapons or send soldiers and civillians into forbidden locations.
Tunon is Order. And he just sitting.

As for splitter factions and assasins from the rebels... they don't have a choice

Well, yes, if they are really reasonable. But reasonable guys never starts such a rebellion. Yeah, they haven't a chance. They never did.
It didn't stop them before.