Feedback: Its awesome, but the game doesn't deliver on its social promise

[matshazi]

Great game, I got the epic store just for Griftlands and am happy with the progress. Here's what I would improve:

The game doesn't deliver on its social promise.

A) Like in the game trailer, the player should be able to frequently hire party members at taverns, shops, and public places, NOT on the beach as mercenaries!

1. The beach mercenary camp is narratively non-immersive. Why are they waiting on a deserted beach for a job?
2.  You developed a social structure. USE it to gain favors with characters with quests, drinks, and time spent so they can be hired.
3.  It reminds me of Shadow of War where you could capture orcs organically or through loot boxes. Merc beach = loot box. Its random and it sucks, it's irrelevant to the story.
4. In Rook's campaign, I did not have the chance to hire ANY companion in the first 2 days after 5 playthroughs! In the 6th, ONE guy volunteered to join me at night, and because I didn't have the persistent party member mutator, HE LEFT RIGHT AWAY when I spoke to the faction leader, before I could use him in any quest, negotiation or combat!
5.  Add a mutator that allows the player to start with a companion of their choice.

B) You should be able to unlock minibosses of other campaigns as party members.

Its a waste you don't get to see them more than 50% of the time in one of the campaign arcs. It would be a cool easter egg considering the work put into their art.

C) You can't provoke guards who Hate you into combat even after winning the negotiation.

1. The option is there to enter a negotiation with them, but when you win, it does nothing. They still hate you, and you can't fight them.
2. The player should be able to negotiate with Hated enemies and reduce them to Disliked, or FIGHT them to kill them. I like the idea of having to provoke them into battle with intimidation or reduce their hate with flattery.

D) The player should be able to keep visiting the areas he has explored. 

1. This way, the player could invite characters to visit them at their home tavern, where they could help you with negotiations and combats. The boon mechanic is too impersonal at the moment, a cut scene should be added where they explain they want to help your efforts and you can depend on them.
2. The player could keep access to the shopkeepers.
3. He could gain favor with the characters by giving them gifts.
4. Hated enemies should ambush you at the HQ tavern during the morning or day.

E) The player should be able to gift some combat and negotiation items to the NPCs who are looking for that particular item.

1. Simply discarding loot you won't use seems like a waste and isn't narratively friendly. If I had a pistol, or rise manifesto, why would I trash it rather than give it to someone I like who could find a use for it?
2. This would also add a layer to gaining favor. 

F) The parasite in Rook's campaign is repetitive and weakens replayability.

1. The player ponders what is randomly generated and what is on the rails of the story, and making it appear as a random event creates a disappointment when you realize it happens every run.
2. If it HAS to be there because of act 3-5, it should be added at the beginning of his intro, before Rook speaks to the guard to enter the bog, to make it clear.

G) Party members should be able to be picked up and dropped off like pets at taverns.

1. Your hired guns should betray you if they see you go against their values.
2. This is why the player should be able to leave them behind on some missions, eg: against their faction/friend.

 

[matshazi]

C) You can't provoke guards who Hate you into combat even after winning the negotiation.

1. The option is there to enter a negotiation with them, but when you win, it does nothing. They still hate you, and you can't fight them.
2. The player should be able to negotiate with Hated enemies and reduce them to Disliked, or FIGHT them to kill them. I like the idea of having to provoke them into battle with intimidation or reduce their hate with flattery.

 

OK I misunderstood this part. I was able to provoke them to a fight now, using insults, but I find this mechanic a bit underwhelming because if you win the debate you get nothing at all.

[RageLeague]

For A, you can pay other people to help you fight in that location, but they won't follow you around the map. They aren't mercenaries, after all.

[pacovf]

On 2/16/2020 at 2:45 PM, matshazi said:

 

F) The parasite in Rook's campaign is repetitive and weakens replayability.

1. The player ponders what is randomly generated and what is on the rails of the story, and making it appear as a random event creates a disappointment when you realize it happens every run.
2. If it HAS to be there because of act 3-5, it should be added at the beginning of his intro, before Rook speaks to the guard to enter the bog, to make it clear.

I wouldn't say it's repetitive / weakens replayability any more than always starting with the same deck does. However, I'd agree that is not integrated very well, narratively speaking. The moment Rook steps into the Bog, he gets infected, and in a couple of days he's already part monster, part tree. But aside from like 3 Boggers (according to the compendium), everyone else is fine? It should be a rampant epidemic if it's so easy to get infected! I hope they rewrite the event to something that makes more narrative sense (e.g. someone infected him on purpose).