Tyranny + Bastard's Wound Expansion Thread

[Popiel]

Everything is so "meh" and seems like something made to appeal to a grown up WoW fan manchild who is a big boy now and has the mood for more grimdark, serious stuff xD

 

[Darth Roxor]

i woulda never guessed the character in the pic folded her arms if the game didnt tell me explicitly

 

[Belegarsson]

Spoiler

Both choices lead to a fight at this point.

Same at the part where the Fatebinder ends the edict of storm.

Spoiler

Also, is Kills-in-Shadow's AI extremely buggy for anyone else? She would just stand still and do nothing even when I furiously click on an enemy.

 

[Darth Roxor]

Also, who thought this "character-models-as-dialogue-screen-avatars" thing was a good idea? It was already fucking terrible in NWN2. Absurdian truly isn't a learning animal, holy shit.

 

[Delterius]

If Obsidian went full Anime, they'd be able to draw 50 variations for every portrait for 10 cents each.

 

[J_C]

i woulda never guessed the character in the pic folded her arms if the game didnt tell me explicitly

This.

Some of these description texts are so redundant, I don't know how nobody at Obsidian said that this is retarded when you have a 3D model showing the motion.

Seriously, like some of the people there are just robots who are not thinking with their heads, they are just following orders.

- Alright everyone, players said that they like descriptive texts, so we have to put them into each of our games from now on.
- But Feargus, we have 3D modells in the game which can show what the texts say. No need to write it out
- I don't care, descriptive texts are old-school, so we will use them no matter what.

 

[Infinitron]

Also, who thought this "character-models-as-dialogue-screen-avatars" thing was a good idea?

The guy in control of the budget, I suspect.

 

[jaydee2k]

Everything is so "meh" and seems like something made to appeal to a grown up WoW fan manchild who is a big boy now and has the mood for more grimdark, serious stuff xD

Yeah because the C&C in WoW is real

 

[warpig]

I wasn't talking about C&C(I never even played wow so I don't know if there's any). I was talking about setting, story, writing, atmosphere(or whatever you want to call it) that feels like some cartoonish, fake crap to me. Some kind of sanitized, nerdy "evil" power fantasy with supernatural crap around every corner, evil overlord's generals with glowing heads etc. Nigger, get real, this is some "Coldsteel the Hedgehog"-level crap smh.

 

[Haplo]

Also, who thought this "character-models-as-dialogue-screen-avatars" thing was a good idea? It was already fucking terrible in NWN2. Absurdian truly isn't a learning animal, holy shit.

Agree. I mean the models aren't even nice, in Wasteland 2 they were at least decent - and you had the choice.

 

[Anthedon]

I've only played a bit now. But the dialogue portraits, Jesus. They are way too goofy considering the atmosphere the game tries to conjure.

 

[rado907]

By the way, the setting strongly reminded me of the Seanchan empire from the Wheel of Time.

 

[MRY]

It's like if you told me that evil didn't actually win ....

Haven't played the good ame, but I think you just hit the mark there. Consider the initial answer to your question. There's magic in this setting and certain characters have the power to level entire cities. Individuals can trump whole armies in Tyranny, despite the idea that how one raises and equips said armies should matter in this world. From the sound of it, the setting is about as Bronze Age as World of Warcraft. It is as if somebody fell in love with a concept but forgot to consider all the ways it should impact the history and nature of the new world.

But all of those elements are in the Iliad, and it feels very different from Shanarra.​

 

[prodigydancer]

I've only played a bit now. But the dialogue portraits, Jesus. They are way too goofy considering the atmosphere the game tries to conjure.

It's not a huge issue to me but they should've made them optional. I wonder why they decided to put such a superfluous feature into a small-budget game at all. It probably didn't take long to implement but any time wasted on useless fluff can be better spent elsewhere.

 

[Lacrymas]

Those elements are in the Iliad only if you yank it out of its historical and philosophical context. There's a reason the gods there don't level cities and armies, while that doesn't apply to Tranny, Kyros is basically a god of destruction. S/he only seems to be able to channel destructive magics in the Edicts and does quite frequently. Anyway, the setting is confused, there are a lot of anachronisms that clash badly, I already gave the symphony example (you can't have symphonies in such early civilizations). The architecture is medieval, the philosophy is a hodgepodge of different eras, the economic system is somewhat advanced for the Bronze Age (although I'm not an expert, but I'm fairly certain early Bronze Age people didn't have such laws, the age itself began in Europe when people formed a trade route) etc. Like I said, none of the elements of the game work towards a unified concept or idea, I don't think there IS a concept or idea, just chance dart throws.

 

[TheChickenKing]

Nigger, get real, this is some "Coldsteel the Hedgehog"-level crap smh.

It's "Coldsteel the Hedgeheg", not Hedgehog, you ignorant fuck.

 

[Infinitron]

More reviews: http://www.gamebanshee.com/news/118118-tyranny-reviews-2.html

GameSpot gives it an 8/10:

Evil may be banal, but Tyranny is not. While I have some personal misgivings over how much I enjoyed such a twisted, unscrupulous game, this is a unique experience that makes you think about human nature, morality, and what role mercy and compassion should (or even could) play in a centuries-old war. It reaches beyond the standard heroic fantasy RPG where you slay monsters and save the kingdom, inverting that familiar story and setting and creating something utterly different--and somewhat depressingly realistic.

CGM gives it a 9/10:

Tyranny is the game I needed this year. It let me wallow in a year’s worth of misery, made me ask serious questions about authoritarian leadership, and provided a deep, engaging CRPG that I’ll be spending a lot more time with in the coming months.

Shacknews gives it an 8/10:

The story, and the characters within, blend perfectly, and the expertly crafted world building is something we don’t see in RPGs as of late. While Tyranny might not be as good as I had hoped it would be, it is still a welcome addition to any classic RPG fans’ library, and Obsidian should be proud of the product that they’ve released to the world. Sure, there are things that could be better, but in the grand scheme of things, Tyranny is a brilliant jaunt through a land riveted by evil. For once, it’s good to be bad.

The Guardian gives it a 4/5:

Whatever legacy players leave on the world of Terratus, Tyranny will leave a lasting legacy on RPGs. This is a game that truly takes on the whole concept of evil and does it justice.

PC Invasion gives it an 8/10:

Tyranny puts Obsidian’s strengths in world creation to the fore, and allows them to stretch their creative legs into less explored areas of fantasy RPGs. There are plenty of genuinely horrendous acts to witness, but the game is nuanced enough to stay focused on the complexities of balancing the vanguard of a volatile invasion with your legal duties as a Fatebinder. The shorter length makes replays a realistic possibility, and the frame-work is in place for additional campaigns to play out in ways that are significant. After completing the game, I noted one particular Steam achievement indicating a faction path that I hadn’t even considered possible. It suffers from back-loading a few important game mechanics (and a glut of quality items) in the accelerated rush towards an abrupt conclusion, but Tyranny’s many other redeeming qualities make it another classically-informed RPG success.

Gamesear doesn't score it:

Tyranny is flawed, there's no doubt about that, but it is one of the rare few RPGs that dares explore some of the darker, more mature topics out there. And while the combat may have been disappointing, the lore and the characters have been so enticing to me that I've managed to binge through the entire game within three days. So if you're a fan of RPGs, and more importantly of Obsidian's previous work, I have a feeling you're going to enjoy Tyranny as well. Despite my criticism, I can comfortably say I've had a great deal of fun with it and that I would love to play it again after a couple of patches.

And GameCynic gives it a 9.1/10:

Overall, Tyranny is an engaging, RPG-newbie friendly adventure: combat is simpler than Pillars of Eternity with smaller party sizes and the removal of friendly fire, and the storyline — while much shorter — is finely weaved, keeping you on your toes and always looking forward to seeing how things will turn out next.

 

[rezaf]

Are alternative solutions to any situation even a thing in this game?
I tried to reason with the Vendrian Guard, but the game railroaded me into conflict.
I tried to arrange a balance of power between the Scarlet Chorus and the Disfavored, but the game railroaded me into siding with either or none and thus into conflict with at least one.
I tried to peacefully negotiate with the Bronze Brotherhood, but the game railroaded me into hostilities.
I tried to treat the Unbroken with a measure of respect, but the game railroaded me into having to fight them.
I tried to leave the Beastmen tribe be (or challenge their leader, which was even mentioned in dialogue), but the game would have none of it and railroaded me into killing them all.

Is the entire are we the baddies angle just a bad excuse for not coding alternative outcomes, because, hey, we're playing the baddies, and hater's gonna hate, right?

 

[Infinitron]

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2016-11-14-tyranny-review

Tyranny review
Grist to the mill.

Tyranny's depiction of evil is fascinating and thought-provoking, albeit somewhat obscured by convoluted quest-lines and repetitive combat.

Tyranny is a Dungeons and Dragons game where the top half of the alignment page has been ripped out and burned. It's a fantasy world where being nice to someone will result in bewilderment from the affected party and scorn from your own. It's an RPG where, rather than choosing between giving someone flowers or stabbing them in the face, you choose between stabbing them in the face or giving them some warning before stabbing them in the face.

The premise has been pitched by games from Dungeon Keeper to Overlord "What if you were the bad guy?" It's an idea that presents itself as original when, in truth, it's almost as clichéd as the hero's quest itself. But Tyranny truly is different. Whereas most games of this ilk revel in villainy, gleefully embracing its chaos and depravity, Tyranny presents to us an evil that is ordinary. It's powered by a giant machine of administration and bureaucracy, the kind that says "I'm just doing my job" as it cranks the wheel of the rack.

What results is an adventure that is terrifying, captivating, and desperately sad, where you wade through a sea of death and torment clinging onto whatever scrap of humanity you can. It's also, at times, an exhausting one, thanks to quests that seem interminably long and a misguided focus on combat.

Tyranny has you making important choices before the story has begun in earnest, an idea that is something of a double-edged sword.

Tyranny begins at the end. The armies of Kyros the Overlord have marched across all the known world, and only one small corner of it, known as the Tiers, still resists his iron grasp. Kyros' twin armies, the orderly Disfavored and the screaming horde of the Scarlet Chorus, bicker at an impasse known as Vendrien's Well about how to crush this last band of rebels. That's where you step in. As one of Kyros' most trusted representatives, you issue a magical Edict that will kill everyone in the valley unless the battle is won within eight days.

While this is where the game starts in earnest, the story begins a little before this in the 'Conquest' prologue, with a choose-your-own-adventure introduction that serves two purposes. First off, it helps grease the choking bolus of lore which Tyranny requires you to swallow, and second, it sets up your relationships with the various factions who squabble over the ashes of the world.

With virtually all the good snuffed out of the realm, much of Tyranny is about figuring out what kind of monster you want to be. To help you decide, it offers two stark choices through the armies that bring the hammer to fall on Kyros' enemies. The Disfavored are essentially the Romans and the Third Reich combined, espousing military order and their own racial superiority, led by the honourable yet fiercely uncompromising Graven Ashe. The Scarlet Chorus, meanwhile, are the Mongol Horde, where a person can find a twisted form of freedom, provided they're willing to do an awful lot of killing in the process. Their leader is the Voices of Nerat, a strange composite of personalities that oozes wit and charm, while being about as reliable as this year's political polls.

It's possible to side with either of the two main factions, or forsake any alliances and forge your own path to glory. Either way, your relationship with these and a half-dozen other factions throughout the world are influenced by the decisions you make on your journey, affecting how individuals respond to you further down the line. In fact, sometimes a little too far down the line. Several times I had characters either betray me or refuse to deal with me due to decisions I made in the prologue, the significance of which evaded me at the time because the game hadn't truly started. There were also times when Tyranny seemed to ignore the system completely. Early on I tried to cross a bridge guarded by mercenaries running a toll, and while the scenario hinted at multiple ways of dealing with this, including a leadership dispute that seemed ripe for exploitation, I exhausted all the dialogue choices and was left with no alternative but to fight my way through.

The combat is enjoyably tactical, but I wish there was less of it.

Given how complex the reputation system is, some inconsistences are perhaps to be expected. It even extends to your party, who in typical Obsidian fashion are a brilliant bunch of misfits and miscreants. Take Barik, for example, a Disfavored soldier whose armour became fused to his body during another Edict you enact in the prologue. Barik is fully committed to the Disfavored's code of honour, which makes him loyal and dependable, but also utterly merciless toward anyone who shows defiance to Kyros, and contemptible of the Scarlet Chorus' anarchic ways.

Nevertheless, it's hard not to feel sorry for him, as the armour that protects him is also a massive burden, preventing him from washing and forcing him to fight while smeared in his own excrement. An equally interesting character is Eb, who starts the game fighting againstKyros, and joins your party out of a mixture of respect for you and resignation to the inevitable. Watching her be gradually corrupted by the unfolding events is simultaneously fascinating and disturbing.

Tyranny's approach to party interaction is a contradictory one. The reputation system means their attitudes toward you shift as the story progresses, viewing you with respect, anger or fear depending on how they judge your leadership. But they don't have stories of their own. Each has a background, sure, but you never get to explore it much further than the odd conversation, which makes the game feel less rounded than Obsidian's other recent RPG, Pillars of Eternity.

In combat, however, your relationship with your party becomes incredibly important. Each member has a range of powerful abilities that are performed with your central character. Eb's combined power is a powerful spell that lifts your party off the ground, healing them while simultaneously damaging enemies. Barik, meanwhile, pulls rusted blades out of his twisted armour before firing them at your opponents. As your relationship with each character improves, more powers are unlocked, while further abilities become available to your own character as their renown spreads through the world.

The world is dotted with giant, magical spires, which can be claimed as your own and upgraded to function as forges, trading hubs, etc.

Coupled with the fact that each character has multiple ability trees to choose from, and a nifty spell creation system where various runes can be combined for dozens of effects, Tyranny's combat system is both more flexible and creative than that seen in Pillars. That said, it remains staunchly traditional. Sticking to RPG archetypes (tank, damage dealer, healer etc) is the surest path to victory, while using formations and the surrounding terrain to your advantage is key to preventing your party from being overwhelmed.

Despite the quality of the underlying systems, I eventually grew tired of the combat simply because there is so much of it. You can barely go five paces in the world without someone pulling their blade on you. Obviously, you're in the middle of a war, but the act of combat simply isn't as interesting as the story that Tyranny tells. After a while, it begins to feel like the endless skirmishes are padding the game out.

This issue compounded by the fact that some quests seem to go on for forever. One mission that involves finding a way through a magical barrier took at least five hours to complete, requiring me to traipse around an entire province just to track down a magic lapel, which isn't exactly the experience I want from a scoundrel simulator. Tyranny is supposed to be a slighter, more directed experience than Pillars, and although there are certainly fewer side-quests (because nobody is going to ask a weapons-grade bastard to help find their lost sheep) the convoluted nature of some of the main quests result in it being a similar length without the same level of variety.

Nevertheless, I continued to be gripped by Obsidian's anatomy of evil, not simply in the depths of depravity the game lets you reach, but how it leads you down those roads without you even realising. With a legion of proud and noble Disfavored soldiers saluting you as a hero, it's possible to forget who exactly you're fighting for, until your duty compels to you commit one of the worst crimes of all. When you offer mercy to your enemies in exchange for their total surrender, and they respond by spitting in your face, it's so easy to shrug your shoulders and say "Well then, you brought this on yourself." When you travel through the picturesque fields around Vendrien's Well, or to the pristine grandeur of Tunon's Court, it's possible to believe the world ticks on as normal under Kyros' rule. Then you arrive at a place like the Blade Grave, where the very earth arose and ripped through entire armies during the Edict of Storms, and the full scale of the atrocity is plain to see in the thousands of armoured shells that litter the scenery.

In moments like these, the grim brilliance of Tyranny is revealed, and it's undoubtedly worth persisting through the game's weaker stages to experience them. The dark cousin of Pillars of Eternity may not be as polished or comprehensive as Obsidian's standout RPG. But I think, in the end, Tyranny has far more of import to say, and it'll make you listen whether you like it or not.

 

[Mei Scarlet]

Are alternative solutions to any situation even a thing in this game?
I tried to reason with the Vendrian Guard, but the game railroaded me into conflict.
I tried to arrange a balance of power between the Scarlet Chorus and the Disfavored, but the game railroaded me into siding with either or none and thus into conflict with at least one.
I tried to peacefully negotiate with the Bronze Brotherhood, but the game railroaded me into hostilities.
I tried to treat the Unbroken with a measure of respect, but the game railroaded me into having to fight them.
I tried to leave the Beastmen tribe be (or challenge their leader, which was even mentioned in dialogue), but the game would have none of it and railroaded me into killing them all.

Is the entire are we the baddies angle just a bad excuse for not coding alternative outcomes, because, hey, we're playing the baddies, and hater's gonna hate, right?

There is an achievement about uniting all the rebel factions so it's definitely possible. But yeah, Disfavored quest line in the stone region was very disappointing: I wanted to reason with SC in the first town and I couldn't, I wanted to negotiate a safe passage through the first beastmen area and I couldn't, I wanted to negotiate peace with beastmen leader at the spire and I couldn't. I even initially refused to help at the very first Disfavored camp but quickly found out that I couldn't progress until I agree. The worst thing - I thought that their grand plan was total bullshit and even told so to Archon - couldn't stop it anyway. I was ready to betray them to prevent the ritual but the game didn't let me even when SC attacked and began to disrupt it themselves. But I'm sure that the second playthrough will have it play out completely different since I won't support Disfavored this time.

 

[Sizzle]

Are alternative solutions to any situation even a thing in this game?

Yes, but they mostly depend on which path you decided to take in Act I.

I tried to reason with the Vendrian Guard, but the game railroaded me into conflict

You can only do this (it's the start of the Rebel path) if you let both of their officers and men go. Then you'll receive a message from their leader, asking if you'd like to meet and discuss coming over to their side.

Otherwise you're going to have to fight them.

I tried to arrange a balance of power between the Scarlet Chorus and the Disfavored, but the game railroaded me into siding with either or none and thus into conflict with at least one.

Yup, always at least one.

I tried to peacefully negotiate with the Bronze Brotherhood, but the game railroaded me into hostilities.

Still haven't played through all the 4 game paths, but I believe you can only come to a peaceful solution with them if you're playing Rebel. That path is about uniting all the various defeated factions in the Tiers.

I tried to leave the Beastmen tribe be (or challenge their leader, which was even mentioned in dialogue), but the game would have none of it and railroaded me into killing them all.

Yeah, not having that option sucked. You can deal with them peacefully if you're playing the Independent path (also maybe the Rebel one as well, still haven't played that one to the end).

 

[Shadenuat]

Are alternative solutions to any situation even a thing in this game?

Your choice how to progress through the game heavily depends on your single decision in act 1.

I think game looks sorta like this:

Spoiler

Disfavored --location 1-(U)nique (C)onquest (T)hingie--2--3-
Conquest+ACT1 choices->CHOOSE 1 Chorus --uct--3----1---2-------------------------------- END
Rebel ----2----3--1----uct-------------------------------
Anarchist ____1__uct__3___2_______________

Thing is, it's not advanced enough for nodes to interject. Although I believe you can jump to Anarchist at some points, but once you're on one of the rails, proactive play ends. It's not Fallout New Vegas.

When I played Difavored path, I too felt railroaded and helpless as hell.

crap formatting killed the little schematic lol. well it's basically Conquest+Act 1 choice -> choose one of 4 rails.

 

[Fairfax]

Spectral Blur is a spell crafted with the Illusion core, in which I also included the duration accent that makes it last 72 seconds.
For those who read the fine print about the combat, does that really mean every single Hit will be downgraded to Miss while the spell is active?

 

[Shadenuat]

Rebel path - dude steals magic helmet, bring back to get guys into alliance
Solo anarchist path - you need to get helmet, but before you can multiple simultaneous multidicked scripts turn on closing all doors making you kill 15 dudes until you get cutscene where dude steals helmet

Ok cut 4 major paths in the game to 3.

 

[veevoir]

Spectral Blur is a spell crafted with the Illusion core, in which I also included the duration accent that makes it last 72 seconds.
For those who read the fine print about the combat, does that really mean every single Hit will be downgraded to Miss while the spell is active?

Well, I can tell you that with arcane shield + spectral blur for sure I was the party tank with my mage.

But no, I think it is similar to PoE, only one reduction per attack.