Reputation, Power, and Tyranny
Tyranny is one of Epic’s freebies next week, and I got to thinking about how it has some really interesting systems. One is that the way part of the way your characters levels up relates to the reputation system. As factions and individuals grow to respect or fear you, you literally become more powerful. I don’t want to dig into that because it's something the game explores, so let me focus on a specific detail:
For the most part, skill progression is a natural extension of play. It’s impossible to spend time interacting with people and not have them form one opinion or another. However, some of the most powerful skills can only be unlocked after significant reputation changes. This encourages a specific kind of roleplay that’s true to the world Tyranny is set in.
Tyranny sets its stage with The Conquest. In it, you make a series of choices about how your character spent the three years attempting to conquer the lands you now occupy. Your own backstory is set entwined with faction tension. You’re an occupying force in the Tiersmen lands. The Scarlet Chorus and The Disfavored, while united under a common cause, have violently opposing principles. There just are no grey areas or middle ground. Even attempts at diplomacy come from a power imbalance that benefits you as an authority.
This isn’t to say that you have to be vicious, but that you have to have convictions. Even a “good” playthrough requires explicit betrayal of the armies you led before. In Tyranny, the most rewarding experience comes from fostering strong loyalties, and a willingness to tell your enemies to die in a fire.
Oh, Also
Failbetter Games just announced that they’re creating Mask of the Rose, a romance visual novel in the Fallen London universe. Smooch a devil. Or a bat. Honestly, I’m anticipating this being my GOTY whenever this comes out.
Ruth Cassidy is a writer and self-described velcro cyborg who, when not writing about video games, is probably being emotional about musicals, mountains, or cats. Has had some bylines, in some places.
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