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LightWarden posted:
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Mar 7, 2019 13:59
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What a weird fight.
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Mar 7, 2019 22:12
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The opening parts of Chapter 4 are pretty similar no matter what kind of Marshal you feel like playing.quote:Days go by and turn into weeks as you settle into your duties as Marshal of Lander County. That two wealth is one of the few sources of income you get no matter what. Doing your job doesn't pay all that much (or rather, it's assumed that it gets tied up in your day-to-day living expenses and you don't have anything extra for better gear). If you want to get the good stuff, you need to look into alternate sources of income such as autographing books, killing the bear, or doing a side-job as a doctor, lawyer, prospector or hired guard, and that's without getting into the extralegal options such as accepting payments from Preston or just lining your pockets like Laura does. quote:The morning sun shines bright through gaps in your Marshal's Office. The few wooden boards you were able to replace weren't treated and have begun to warp. Those will only get worse too, which makes you wonder whether it was worth it to try in the first place. The description does change a bit based on things like Laura not improving the office at all and also having met Frank Spears first. Laura could go help him out, but that boosts Honor and Order so she'll just sit this one out. Ruolan already saw what happens there, but there's a little bit where you can move Frank around between the tables, bar and floor, with Mother Maddy getting annoyed if you treat an injured man on places where she serves food, and Frank being less than thrilled if you're flopping him around all the time. quote:Go back into my office. People get shot all the time out here. Even if you give Frank a pass you're still going to at least wind up hearing out a bit of it- we've seen this discussion before and it's just information. quote:"Let's just skip to the part where you tell me to ride on out and deal with this." We've also seen the conversation with Frank- he gets weaker and weaker as the conversation drags on, but it's not going to be fatal for him. If you decide it's town business you get one last prompt- if you have a deal with Preston he'll remind you of it and you either deal with Frank or you walk away and have your arrangement worsened by a step, while if you don't have a deal with Preston Frank will mention that Andy is still out there and you have the option to either listen further or walk away. Walking away at this point skips to the wait for the stagecoach to come in. quote:I know what he was doing, where he came from and who he was with. That's enough to investigate right now. Time to go with the option that makes Preston like Laura more! quote:"I'll go after the men that did this. Shouldn't be hard; seems they want to be found." We've seen these dialogue options before, though there's also one now for the Stoic trait. quote:Give a little nod. You can tell Preston one thing and then change your mind afterwards, which gives a -2 to Preston, but if you told him you were going after the bandits it's still a net gain. I want to show off Albion first before hitting up Echo Canyon. You can choose to skip all of this and go straight to the stagecoach if you want, but that's not as fun. quote:Despite what I told Preston I need to find Andy. He is out there, in the wild, and he's wounded. (-2 Preston) If you don't go straight to the stagecoach then Carrie will always be the first person who stops by to invite herself along. Depending on how you treat her you can get an influence bonus or penalty out of it. We saw her last time, so I want to show off the other companions instead, so I'll decline using the option that doesn't offend her. quote:"I'm going to have to decline." While it's normally a choice between Dan and Ben, if you go to Dan first... quote:Schmidt is easy to find; he talks to everyone and spins a more than fair tale. Soon enough you learn that he is probably out at Jeff Donner's place just a little ways down from the slaughter house. And indeed, there you find him seated on the front porch where he and the big butcher lounge in the early morning light with coffee cups in hand. ... you have the option of getting both if the two of them became friends back in Chapter 1. The middle option depends entirely on what you chose as a plan. quote:"Frank Spears nearly got himself perished by a gang out on the range. I figure you and Carson might like to ride together once more. He'll join up no matter what option you take, but if you're going to save Andy he'll also get an influence bonus out of it. If you let Dan make the case and he was with you at the mining site then he'll also give a short recap of your adventure. Similarly, if your plan is to hit the bandits and Ben was with you at the mine he'll ask if it's going to be like it was at Red Ribbon and make a comment about what he saw- he'll still come though. quote:"Frank Spears nearly got himself perished by a gang and his friend, Andy Smith, is out wandering the wilderness. Probably wounded." As I've mentioned before there are three tiers of bonuses you can get from adventuring with the three different companions- the first is a starter bonus (Riding from Ben, Gunfighting from Carrie, Survival from Dan) and you can pick those up from dealing with the companions in the first two chapters (riding to Preston Springs with Ben and/or Dan, having a contest with Carrie). The second stage is a conversation where you can find out a bit more about them and learn something from it. The third stage for Carrie and Dan are the ones where you can start a romance or just stay friends, but since Ben is already happily monogamous things play out a little differently and you find out more about his wife's pregnancy. Since Laura has the religious trait, she can say something particularly comforting... quote:"I am certain the Lord will provide." quote:"There won't be. Its the first birth that is the really dangerous time." Instead of a romance, Ben's big thing is offering to name his child after the Marshal if he likes them enough- the child will have the Marshal's name as either their first name if it's 71+ Influence or a middle name if it's 51 to 70 Influence with Ben. How fortunate for him that the child's gender is going to match the Marshal's later on. To be honest, I didn't plan on seeing this scene- I wanted it, but figured I wouldn't have enough opportunities since Laura had to bench Ben for the Red Ribbon event. But it turns out that parting amicably with Ben at the end of Chapter 2 also had the effect of setting him to stage 2, so I just needed one trip with him to get into the stage 3 conversation. So Laura's going to get a delightful legacy out of this one... quote:"I'd be honored to have your child carry my name." If you bring along both Ben and Dan, not only do you get Ben's scene, you also get Dan's! Laura's got all the gunfighting she needs and her sharpshooting is only going to get better through practice and item upgrades, so it's time to beef up her other skills. So Dan, what happens to those lesser beings who can't scare off bears? quote:"Run away?" quote:It doesn't take long to find Trout Creek and the portion of it that intersects the road east over Bridger hill and eventually leads toward Utah. Moreover, the tracks from the ambush are still there; perhaps too many. What you find at the ambush site depends on your survival- 46+ gets you everything about the four men on foot and six riders who ambushed the two, while 37 to 45 gets you what Laura found out (thanks to Dan's survival lessons paying off), and 36 or lower just says that there were a lot of people and a lot of action. It doesn't affect anything else, and no matter what you find out, you have the choice of going after the gang, going to Albion Falls or heading back to wait for the stagecoach. Laura is a completionist so of course she's heading out for Albion Falls since you can't go there after dealing with the bandits. quote:Head to Albion Falls and set about finding Andy. Next time, Albion! LightWarden fucked around with this message at 19:35 on Mar 18, 2019 |
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Mar 18, 2019 03:59
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If we were voting, I’d pick 4. Laura seems the type to announce herself with gunfire. 
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Mar 18, 2019 05:53
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You have a few broken tags in the post: i'll post excrepts where that occurs so you can crl+f to it: >"I'm going to have to decline."[/b] (this place also has questionable repeating options and maybe bad quote-nesting?) >[quote]"Sure, go ahead Laura," Ben replies. >[quote]"Not the religious type,
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Mar 18, 2019 09:00
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Albion Falls is a place we've seen most of already.quote:Albion Falls is a Mormon settlement older than any around these parts save only for those across the border in Utah. Tidy little fields, fenced in pastures, and more than a few orchards soon give a grand green sight amid the usual dusty brown bloom. Every option here winds up going to the same place. quote:A lean man in a fair white shirt appears in the doorway as you approach. His eyes are distant as though tracking the very arc of the sun and his stride says he could walk for a hundred miles. There are a few minor dialogue changes for being Native American. quote:The scent of blood lies heavy in the air as the parlor door opens. There, just beyond the threshold, lies a man pale and shuddering for breath. Andy is so badly wounded that you only get four questions out of him before he perishes. Fortunately, none of this information is required in any way and it's more for the player's understanding than any impact on the game. No matter what question you ask him there's a narrative piece right afterwards that shows his deteriorating condition based on how many questions you ask. quote:0) The word all but floats toward heaven. Letting him rest just skips to the scene where he passes away. quote:His eyes flutter and then he lies silent and still. All these options grant at least a +5 influence bonus to Albion. Despite the fact that he's on his way out it's not a 100% guarantee that he'll die. There are three ways the Marshal can save him. The first is to simply be a doctor, which lets you perform CPR on him to stabilize him for +10 Albion influence. The second only appears at 51+ Survival, which lets you Strike Andy's chest to get his heart going again. and perform a cruder version of CPR which even the game admits doesn't always work. But it does in this case, and grants +8 Albion influence. Finally, if you hold his hand and were struck by lightning then it arcs into him and revives him, greatly impressing the Bishop with this miraculous turn of events. You can agree with him for +15, or +10 if you're not religious and joke about how he should see you on Sundays, or +20 if you're religious and tell him that you knew there was a reason you were struck by lightning. Or you can tell him "Please keep in mind that not all Indians can do that." (which doesn't have any influence bonus). Good thing Laura never mentioned she was a doctor, otherwise she might be obliged to save someone. quote:Call the Bishop over. Andy has breathed his last. The dialogue is a bit different if you managed to save Andy, since you can instead ask if he'll be able to recover. As we saw earlier, asking about Andy's remains with Carrie present causes her to annoy the Bishop with her commentary. For both Ruolan and Laura, saying goodbye to the Bishop is a pretty simple matter since they have one important thing in common- neither one killed Ben Carson (so far, anyways). If Ben died, this is where things get complicated. Before I show this off, I might as well mention one other tag, the Heartless trait. Heartless is applied to the Marshal after three or more murders- self-defense doesn't really count, so it's really more of killing off of three or more named characters. Unfortunately, Laura is only at 2/3 murders since of all the people she's killed only Denny (Chapter 1) and the Elder Winthrop (Chapter 3) count. She'd have to have killed off at least one of Ben, Carrie or Dan to get the trait by this juncture. You'd think the Red Ribbon Massacre would count, but it doesn't increment anything on the internal murder count. Heartless dialogue options tend to involve being a complete and total dick. They're fun, but almost always involve either pissing someone off or serving as another avenue for murder. While you can get the trait in the first three chapters, actual options involving the trait don't show up until this chapter. quote:"I think that is enough for now. There are several situations where Bishop Hancock confronts you. The first is if you had Jeff send Ben's herd on to Albion Falls, which isn't really a bad idea on the financial front since they pay 10 Wealth for it compared to the 6 wealth you'd normally get for selling it (or 8 if you have 41+ Persuasion or 46+ Intimidate, +7 or +9 if you sell them in the next interlude). quote:"A number of cattle had gone astray, heifers that were supposed to be in the care of a man called Ben Carson. Thought lost, they nonetheless were later returned to Big Bell ranch." The second situation is if you got Dan's statement without sending the herd on to Big Bell. quote:"Recently, a small herd of straggling cattle out of Big Bell ranch had gone missing. An investigation into things uncovered a statement from a prospector named Dan Schmidt indicating that an altercation occurred between Marshal [Your name] at a watering hole not far from Preston Springs. Furthermore, it said that you killed Ben Carson, the cowboy whose responsibility it was to protect that same herd." Next there are a few different variations if you killed Ben at the watering hole and they didn't get any information back. If Dan abandoned you as a companion because you upset him enough, he'll rat you out. quote:"Marshal? There is a murderer about." If Ben died at the watering hole but you didn't leave anything pointing at yourself... quote:"Marshal? There is a murderer about." Finally, if you killed Ben at the Red Ribbon Mine massacre, you get a different dialogue set. quote:"Bodies were recently unearthed near the Red Ribbon mining site and Ben Carson was one of them." If you don't use the persuasion dialogue option, Bishop Hancock presses further. quote:"So, tell me why. Why did you kill Ben Carson?" Even if you avoid Albion Falls, the Bishop still shows up when the stagecoach first arrives in town and you can have most of this conversation there (exception being that Andy is gone by this point). Sadly, there isn't really any viable path to 0 influence with Albion Falls on this run since Ben is going to survive for a while, which is a shame, because the 0 influence descriptor is pretty great: "To the Saints of Albion Falls, you are the devil in the flesh." The bit about the scorpion is a reference to stories such as the Scorpion and the Frog, about a scorpion who convinces a frog to carry it across the river but halfway there stings the frog, paralyzing it and condemning them both to drown. When the frog wonders why the scorpion would do such a self-destructive thing, the scorpion usually responds that it was simply in its nature to sting. Anyways, getting the Saints to know you as a scorpion is a minor legend bonus in the epilogue. But for Laura, things are a little simpler. She'll have other chances to sting. quote:"I think that is enough for now." Next time, it's on to Echo Canyon. The echoes may be gunshots.
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Mar 25, 2019 06:37
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Oof, so we are not QUITE the murderhobo we could be. I guess i can see why the massacre itself wasn't a heartless bump since ostensibly it was a battle, but slaying the camp owners in cold blood should have added a point or two.
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Mar 25, 2019 09:57
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The stat descriptions are my favorite part of this game. Maybe when this playthrough is ended you can post them all as a fitting close-out. 
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Mar 25, 2019 10:09
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I guess i can see why the massacre itself wasn't a heartless bump since ostensibly it was a battle, but slaying the camp owners in cold blood should have added a point or two. Yeah, definitely. Maybe a few other places too.
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Mar 27, 2019 01:56
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Man, this was a troubled one. I managed to lose the update so I wound up replaying and rewriting it.quote:With things resolved, you consider your next move. Hartigan and his gangers are still out there. They've also laid a trail for you to follow all the way to Echo Canyon if you can read a map right. quote:From a distance Echo Canyon proves to be a crescent crack in the ground hundreds of yards long. It is almost as though a towering giant had pressed a boot-heel into the earth in passing. The red walls are dusty and sharp as they tower above a ribbon-like pathway below. One thing is for certain; getting close without being seen will be hard, if not impossible. If you have Carrie with you then you can just wander on in without problems, while all other paths involve running into Hungry Snake first. It doesn't really matter which way you go, so Laura will take her time and make them come to her. quote:Set up camp and wait. It's Hungry Snake. Laura could throw down, but that can wait a moment. quote:"Who are you?" We've seen this before, though different companions have their own input on Hungry Snake. But now it's time to throw down. If you go hand-to hand with Hungry Snake, there's a couple of different options: -Coming at him checks your Brawling skill, with 50+ giving you the best result. Failing this check is one of the only ways to lose health in this section -Testing him checks your Resolve, 40+ here for the best result -Going in for a grapple checks your Stamina, 40+ gives the best result -Provoking him to attack and then countering checks Gunfighting, with 50+ giving you the best result, though a Brawling under 50 means he also gets a good hit in This is a section where the skill rewards are more about learning from your mistakes than your successes. You get a larger bonus to Brawling if you lose against him, and a larger bonus to Stamina and Resolve if he also got in a few good hits and injured you. Laura doesn't have the Brawling skill yet to go hand to hand, but she does have another option... quote:Reach for my pistol. 51+ Gunfighting means you get him cleanly, 45 to 50 means you hit him but one of the other bandits gets a shot on you as well, while 44 and down means you get injured by a bandit's bullet before you can draw. Regardless of if or how you challenge Hungry Snake, you're going to wind up going to Hartigan- refusing just means the collection of armed men convince you to come along. Since Laura has asserted her dominance she feels no need to press the matter further. quote:Agree to go see Hartigan. quote:"You are under arrest." It's a bit different without Carrie, but Dan also has a past history with Richard Hartigan. quote:"I have some questions." We've seen these responses before, though there is a new one if you're a Native marshal, and the comment about his eyes doesn't do much if Carrie isn't present. quote:"So, here's the deal. Or at least, my deal," Hartigan begins as he eases out a cigar from a breast pocket and idly taps it. "There's this special stagecoach that's coming in. Now, it ain't much for riding but its got springs and struts that can carry a heck of a lot. A lot of gold is what he's got in mind." Hartigan's impression of the Marshal is a depends on their Honor, Law and Order scores, ranging from a paragon of justice to someone like Laura owing to her incredibly low Honor score. Asking about limitations is one way to get a fair amount of points towards Hartigan. quote:"What exactly would I get out of this arrangement?" If you do choose to cooperate, it starts with Hartigan asking what the Marshal is going to promise to do. quote:"I'm willing to negotiate with you." quote:"I want nothing from you." (Favor 0) There are six levels of promises the Marshal can give, and five levels of favors the Marshal can ask for. The bigger the favor the Marshal wants from Hartigan, the bigger the promise Hartigan wants from the marshal. Hartigan only agrees to let the Marshal join the gang if the Marshal promises to plunder the stagecoach, while asking for a share of the gold requires something from promises 1 or 2, and asking for Hartigan to aid the Marshal for one day requires something from promises 1 to 3. If the Marshal is asking more from Hartigan than what they're promising in return, Hartigan will refuse, and the Marshal can either ask for something else, offer something else, or talk Hartigan into it with a high enough Persuasion (36+ for the one-time alliance, 38+ for gold)or Intimidate (41+). With 51+ Intimidate you even get +5 influence since Hartigan respects the Marshal's ferocity (41 to 50 and he just comments that it's cute when the Marshal tries to be threatening). You can use a 39+ Persuasion or 41+ Intimidate when Hartigan refuses to let you join the gang if you don't commit to looting the stagecoach, but that just gets a share of gold. Refusing to cooperate with Hartigan gives a bonus to your Honor, Law or Order stats depending on which option you end up choosing and then kicks you over to the intervention check. If you're romancing Carrie or have 61+ Influence, or if you have 71+ Influence with Dan, then they plea for Hartigan to let you go on account of their respective relationships and he lets you all walk. Carrie posted:"Father, please," Miss Caraway pleads and steps before Hartigan. "Laura doesn't mean what you think." Dan posted:(71+)"Wait a bit, Richard," Schmidt almost pleads, "because this don't have to come down to iron and blood." With 51 to 60 influence on Carrie, 51 to 70 on Dan, or 71+ on Ben then they'll convince Hartigan to let you negotiate one last time. Carrie posted:(51 to 60) "Miss Engels hasn't been a barrel of fun, but no one's pissed in my boots neither." Dan posted:(51 to 70) "Because Laura doesn't deserve this." Ben posted:(71+) "Well... darn." Ben says softly at the turn of events. Ben does have a hidden side that peeks out now and then, though you only find out more of it in bits and pieces later on. Regardless of which character makes the appeal, you have one last chance to make an offer or fight. quote:"I would not offer you anything but the bullets from my gun." The options are pretty similar to the ones if you chose to negotiate originally, but a lot more of them are locked out if you don't have a high enough Persuasion score and you don't get to ask for any particular favor from Hartigan. This doesn't necessarily mean you'll get nothing if you comply though. Things go even worse if you're not in good standing with your current companion. Carrie posted:(41 to 50 Influence) "I want to see Miss Engels squirm a bit first." Dan posted:(41 to 50 Influence) "Because I'm standing a little close to her." They're no longer your companions, but Carrie still doesn't actually participate in the Echo Canyon fight just yet. If you actually harmed Carrie in an earlier chapter then heading to Echo Canyon guarantees a shootout with Hartigan and the gang. If you killed her then Hartigan brings it up during the intro. quote:Hartigan scuffs a boot as if trying to clean off the heel while he runs a finger along the still unlit cigar, "Preston made a contract with them desert people out in Salt Lake. Some kind of swap I suppose. But that don't matter much because it ain't happening. What is gonna happen is me and my boys are gonna hit that stagecoach and fill our pockets to the brim. Now, I know a little about you, namely that you killed my little girl." If you intentionally botched Carrie's bandage back in Chapter 2, this is the first time you see her again. quote:[...] Now, I know a little about you, namely that you're a piss-poor doctor who doesn't know how to wrap a bandage worth a drat." The results have not been kind to the gunslinger and unlike when she breaks ranks over low influence she does play a part in the upcoming battle. Unfortunately, that also means it's possible for things to get way, way worse for her. That about wraps it up for the talking portion of Echo Canyon, next time it's time to show off how a Marshal can handle a bandit stronghold.
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Apr 16, 2019 06:06
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I wonder- is it more in character for Laura to kill the bandits here, or agree to aid them here and betray them later when she’s escorting the stage?
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Apr 16, 2019 06:20
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achtungnight posted:I wonder- is it more in character for Laura to kill the bandits here, or agree to aid them here and betray them later when she’s escorting the stage? I was thinking the same thing. I like the idea of double-crossing the bandits and taking what we can for ourselves.
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Apr 16, 2019 17:15
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The gunfight at Echo Canyon occurs under a few different circumstances: 1. The Marshal starts it by drawing on the gang. 2. The Marshal doesn't reach a bargain with Hartigan in any form. 3. Hartigan starts it if the Marshal maimed or murdered Carrie in a previous chapter. It's a -15 to Hartigan at the start of the fight no matter the circumstances, and if Carrie is your companion she won't assist during the battle because she can't go against her father. If you want to simply survive then you need to either get to your horse and escape or last for 13 rounds of combat, at which point the Hartigan gang will retreat. If you want to decisively beat the gang, you need to inflict 6 points of casualties, which will route the gang completely and end the chapter in victory. The fight always starts with a round 0 where you have several options. -Just start shooting takes out a bandit for 1 point of casualties, but costs 1 health if you have 39- gunfighting -Try and deal with Hartigan straight off focuses on the gang leader himself. You can either "Stare his stormy gaze down with a typhoon of my own", "Walk toward him as if every step were a brick wall I just pushed through" or pull out your pistol and exchange point-blank shots. Staring him down is an Intimidate check, walking towards him is a resolve check, and with 45+ Intimidate or 40+ Resolve he'll back off a bit out of respect, giving you +5 influence and the chance to get to your horse and leave. Exchanging point-blank shots means you're going to get hurt, but with 45+ Gunfighting you'll injure him as well for 1 point of casualties, -1 health, and +5 influence, otherwise it's just -2 health. -Focus on Hungry Snake. If you shot him the first time you met him then there's no check at all involved. quote:The already wounded man's eyes widen as you wheel your pistol around at him. This inflicts 2 points of casualties. Otherwise you can rush him, shoot him or stare him down. If you brawled with him and came out on top in your previous encounter then you get an automatic victory no matter your choice. If you drew with him then it's a 46+ Gunfighting or Brawling check, or 41+ Intimidate check, otherwise (if you lost or didn't fight him) it's 51+ Gunfighting or Brawling or 46+ Intimidate. Succeed and it's 2 points of casualties (for shooting) or 1 point of casualties (for brawling) and you have the option of either using the chaos to head for your horse and leave or continuing the fight. Failure means you get injured for -1 health. -Racing for your horse outright as your first choice rather than after dealing some damage checks your Gunfighting- 51+ and 46+ Riding avoids any injuries, otherwise you're taking damage that increases for each 5 points you fail the check by, so -3 for 40- Gunfighting and another -3 for 35- Riding, making it potentially lethal. If you're with Dan, he'll comment on your injuries afterward. Avoiding injuries altogether gives you the "bullet legend" flag which improves your Legend score at the end. -Finally you can surrender. This is automatically fatal unless you're romancing Carrie, in which case she'll plead for your life and Hartigan will let you go. -If you maimed Carrie then you also have the option to grab her and use her as a hostage. With 49+ Gunfighting or Brawling you can knock the gun from her hand otherwise you need 44+ Resolve to power through her first shot (-2 Health) and subdue her before she gets off another, otherwise you're dead. With Carrie as a hostage Hartigan is unwilling to fight further and offers to let you go in exchange for her freedom. You can take him up on the offer ("You back toward your horse and drag Caraway along with you. The stream of curses she utters seem to have been invented solely for you.") or use her as a human shield and kill off members of the gang until Hartigan fully retreats (which also counts as victory for this chapter). Once it's over there's the question of what to do with your hostage. You can let her go, shoot her in the back to kill her, or if you're feeling especially malicious (and have the "heartless" trait) you can shoot her in her remaining leg and leave. If you routed the gang then you can loot the camp either quickly for +4 Wealth if Carrie is still alive, or fully for +7 Wealth if you killed or incapacitated her. Harming Carrie further sets your Influence with Hartigan to 0, lowers your honor and also increases your murder count (even if she's technically alive after that). And yes, maiming her remaining leg means later parts of the game just get that much shittier for Carrie. The fight itself is relatively straightforward to play through but a bit complicated under the hood. By default you can shoot, move, duck under cover or reload. Shooting a bandit requires a Gunfighting check (41+) that increases in difficulty as the rounds progress since there are going to be more bandits dug in and fewer targets of opportunity. Succeed in the check and you have much better chances of avoiding return fire with either a high enough Gunfighting in the first few rounds or by using cover. If you fail you can still injure bandits for casualty points but unless you have good cover you're going to take injuries in return. There are four locations you can be in during the fight- out in the open, in the bandit camp tents, in the wagon or in an alcove in the canyon wall. You need to spend a round moving into the bandit camp and then another round to move from the bandit camp to the wagon or alcove. The stone alcove is obviously the superior choice of cover, since the wagon gets destroyed by around round 6 and the tents aren't very good cover. You can spend a turn hunkering down if you're in the wagon or alcove, though the wagon won't protect you after round 5. You have six shots (or five with the tiny gun) before you need to reload, and you can only reload if you have 1 or 0 shots remaining. Reloading means that unless you have the fast reload pistol you're going to take fire and unless you're under cover in the wagon (during the first five rounds) or the alcove you're going to get injured by it. Though if you're in the camps you can find a spare gun to get a free reload for your pistol as a separate option which lets you load it fast enough to avoid taking fire. Entering the camps in the first five rounds means you find some poor fool who didn't get into cover fast enough for a free point of casualties if you have a bullet to spare. If you're in the camps you can also hop on your horse and flee the canyon entirely. If you're in the wagon you can spend a turn taking a look in the back to find the keg of gunpowder that's set up for their ambush of the golden stagecoach. You can light it up and send it at the bandits with a 26+ Engineering check, taking injuries if you fail the check unless you have Ben to provide cover fire for you. You inflict 3 points of casualties with 31+ Explosives, 2 with 23 to 30, or 1 otherwise. The gang also takes their own actions. If you haven't taken out Hungry Snake yet he takes a shot at rounds 3, 8 and 12, while Hartigan opens fire on rounds 4 and 9. The gang stops shooting to reload their guns on rounds 5 and 10, and in round 6 the smoke from the gunfight is so thick that they can't do much to hit you if you're in the open. Hungry Snake and Hartigan prevent you from dealing with other bandits when they're acting by both spoiling your shot and likely injuring you in their return fire, though you can focus on them instead the first round they attempt to take action. With 45+ Intimidate or 41+ Resolve you can stare down Hungry Snake hard enough that he'll withdraw, counting as 1 point of casualties and if you got the better of him in your first encounter brawl then he'll actually keep his head down the rest of fight. Otherwise it takes 48+ Gunfighting to shoot him, or 47+ Sharpshooting to shoot him after he shoots you (-2 Health), which counts as 1 point of casualties and keeps him out of the fight. Similarly, you can stare down Hartigan with 51+ Intimidate (counting as 2 casualties) or 41+ Resolve (counting as 1) to make him halt his attack, or shoot him with 48+ Gunfighting before or 47+ Sharpshooting after he shoots you (-2 Health) for 2 casualties. While the alcove is great cover, hiding in it past round nine means that you'll get a note about the bandits attempting something. You can take a peek and see that they're messing around with the gunpowder barrel in the wagon, giving you the option to shoot one of them to drive them off until you try turtling again, or shoot the barrel of gunpowder, with 41+ sharpshooting detonating the barrel to remove both it and 2 points of casualties. If you're out of ammo, duck back under cover or ignore them for a round then they'll light the thing up and roll it into the alcove. It's -2 health from the ensuing detonation but at least it's not automatically fatal since it doesn't get right up to you. Stepping out of cover means that you're immediately exposed to gunfire (-2 Health in most occasions), though they can't hit you in rounds 5 or 10 since they're reloading (giving you the Bullet Legend flag), and you can dodge things in the first four rounds with a high enough Gunfighting skill. Wandering around in the open on rounds 5 and 10 means your companion(s) are either impressed by your boldness or dismayed by your stupidity, but if you're wandering around with a high enough gunfighting in round 10 then even Ben and Dan are impressed. quote:"You're gonna have to walk on water to better this one," Ben calls over. Carrie doesn't do anything in the fight outside of commenting if she's your companion (and doesn't do much outside of the opening round if she's your enemy), but Ben does some work with the bandits at the start of the fight and does even more during Hungry Snake's rounds (3, 8 and 12) if Hungry Snake is taken out of the fight, combining crossfire with Dan if you have both with you. If you have just Dan alone he doesn't do too much by himself to swing the fight in your favor. Though if you have both of them and deal with Hungry Snake first you can basically hide in the alcove and still win as long as you deal with the rolling bomb. For a CYOA text adventure game the Echo Canyon showdown is surprisingly in-depth and tactical, changing based on your actions and decisions, and while it may appear simple at the outset there's a number of interesting things going on under the hood. It's probably the most complicated non-linear fight in the game. It also presented me with the most complicated question of this run- What Would Laura Do? The answer is pretty simple- kill everyone. The question then becomes one of where, when and how. With Ben and Dan at her side Laura could effortlessly breeze through this fight. Shooting Hungry Snake in the opening round means she'd rack up 2 points for that plus another one for his absence at the start of the fight, meaning she'd only need three more kills to drive the gang from the canyon, which she could accomplish in the first few rounds. She could accomplish that just by heading for the canyon and hiding for eight rounds while Ben and Dan do the heavy lifting. Even without Ben she could still solo the gang with her skills. The problem with murdering the gang is that it skips the rest of the chapter (plus some skill boosts and a thing I need to take care of) and has a higher boost to her law and order stats than dealing with them later. She could take Hartigan's deal, but unfortunately it's not all that much wealth in it and while having an outlaw owe her a favor might be neat there are going to be some complications down the road that would make it difficult to collect. She could promise to take the deal and then just not do it, but any schmuck could do that, and even if she doesn't take the deal then she has a high enough relationship with Dan that he'd gladly plea her out of this. So out of the ways to deal with Hartigan, it's time to choose... quote:"All right then," Hartigan nods agreeably. "What are you gonna bring to the table?" ...the one that most reminds him of what he's dealing with. quote:"If I don't walk away, then no one will." As long as she's not dead Carrie eventually shows up at Echo Canyon so you'd find out the truth now if you hadn't learned it earlier. If you talked your way out of Echo Canyon you get a chance to boost one of your stats, with options depending on which ones are below par- "I can't believe I got out of there in piece" is always available. quote:I can't believe I got out of there in one piece. (+2 Gunfighting, +2 Intimidate, +2 Persuasion, +2 Survival, +2 Resolve) If you started the fight and then fled on horseback at any point (opening round or by reaching the camps and heading to your horse during the fight) the options are a bit different, with a few more if Carrie was your enemy. quote:I can't believe I got out of there in one piece. (+2 Gunfighting, +2 Intimidate, +2 Persuasion, +2 Survival, +2 Resolve) Laura has good stats all around so it's either the general boost or the Stamina boost. quote:I can't believe I got out of there in one piece. After Echo Canyon you have a chance to dismiss your companion, which can be silly for most people unless you're planning on taking Hartigan's offer and don't want to disappoint Ben. quote:"We'll all need one where we are going." You know this tale. It's time for the Golden Stagecoach. quote:"We're going to need a driver." A lot of people are going to have to die on this trip, and not all of them will be bandits. quote:Marshal Engels Laura:
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May 13, 2019 06:44
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Fun fact- besting the gang at Echo Canyon can earn you Legend points for a gunfight that goes down in the annals of law enforcement history a la the OK Corral. We saw riding alongside last time. I think Laura should drive.
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May 13, 2019 06:58
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achtungnight posted:Fun fact- besting the gang at Echo Canyon can earn you Legend points for a gunfight that goes down in the annals of law enforcement history a la the OK Corral. Counterpoint: if we drive we don't have a driver to kill.
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May 13, 2019 08:23
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Frank is coming regardless. But whether he’s driver or shotgun is up to us.
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May 13, 2019 10:07
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achtungnight posted:Frank is coming regardless. But whether he’s driver or shotgun is up to us. Why shotgun? We have a perfectly good pistol  Good update, hope you continue the tale-that-never-was of all the ways Carrie can hate you
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May 14, 2019 15:14
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Is there an even worse fate in store for her?
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May 14, 2019 18:52
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Xander77 posted:Is there an even worse fate in store for her? Frankly i'm just hoping that we get to feed someone to a lion.
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May 16, 2019 11:00
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It's been too long. A host of personal things cropped up over the past few months, but I still like this game and I like talking about it and showing off all the work that went into it. The hard part is feeling overwhelmed by the scope of an update, so I think the most manageable solution is to stop trying to do it in gigantic parts and break it down into more manageable segments. So if you're still interested, let's continue.quote:"We're going to need a driver." There are only a few scenes in this chapter that everyone encounters- the intro with Frank Spears arriving in town and then this one. It's entirely possible to just skip leaving town to deal with Andy or the Hartigan gang and just hang out until the stage coach arrives and Preston asks for the Marshal's aid. Refuse to help him and he'll either point out your deal if you have one or the fact that you're a marshal if you don't. You can then agree to either get an influence boost or a better deal from him (if you don't already have the best one) or you can refuse entirely for an influence penalty and go back to town. Ben will head out on his own to help the stagecoach, and Dan will follow along if he's present, giving you one last chance to either join up (for an influence boost) or leave it to its fate. Mechanically, it doesn't affect much if you drive, ride shotgun or ride as an escort to the stagecoach, other than some minor text changes for the most part. quote:"No, but I'll ride alongside as escort." quote:Nod and let him settle in. As long as you went to see Andy then Frank will ask you about it, and you can tell him what happened or lie to him, with some minor commentary from your companions and some optional dialogue choices if you have the "heartless" trait. quote:"He was pulling through last I heard." [Lie] You can even lie to him if Andy actually lived. quote:"No." [Lie] quote:Preston steps over as the last bags are loaded and the doors shut and says tersely, "Don't lose my gold." quote:There is no campfire, of course. That'd mark the stagecoach too clearly. And you'll have to set a watch so that no one can sneak up on you. quote:Schmidt pokes at where a fire would be if one were lit, "I get the feeling we're riding into something big." If Carrie is your companion then she'll talk as well, to remind you that she'll do what she can but there's limits to what she'll do against her father. If you're romancing her you get a different option. quote:After Frank turns in, Miss Caraway sidles over and settles in on the log beside you. In the moonlight her freckles try to dance across the bridge of her nose, "I've been thinking..." (+5 Carraway) quote:The sun burns down as the wagon rolls on through the dusty day. The second option changes depending on if you're driving, riding or riding alongside, but the effect is the same. If you're heartless you can also shoot the horse to stop it from panicking. If Carrie is here you can have her KO or shoot Frank. You need 41+ Brawling or Gunfighting if you want to be able to KO or kill him regardless of your position, but if you're riding or driving you can KO him while he's distracted by the horses, and if you're riding shotgun you can shoot him while he's distracted even if you're not good at gunfighting. If you don't have the skills or position to take him down the he kills you with a shotgun blast. Of course, shooting Frank in front of Ben deeply upsets him, but with 51+ Persuasion you can convince him that Frank was going to sell you out, resulting in a -10 to -15 influence hit if you're successful. If you're not then Ben leaves ("Save the silver tongue for the gallows because one day, you'll be facing a jury, a judge, or me," Ben promises then turns and rides off.) and Dan follows. Of course, since your gun is already out you can just shoot Ben as well, which creates an even bigger clusterfuck if you have Dan along as well. Dan will pull his gun on you, though you can kill him with 41+ Gunfighting or shoot his pistol out of his hand with 46+, leaving you with the option of letting him go or killing him. If you're heartless you can taunt him. quote:"Even if you shoot me, he'll still be dead. Or you can try to talk your way out of it. quote:"Come on now, you don't want to shoot a friend." Taking out Frank (and possibly your companions) means that it's over. quote:It isn't long before Hartigan and his crew of twenty ride on over and survey your handiwork. quote:"Do I have your attention?" a voice booms out across the open land. A moment later six riders emerge from scrub cover a long ways off. So, it's decision time. While allying with the bandit gang might sound tempting, the rewards come in the forms of wealth, gang membership or a favor from Hartigan. Unfortunately while the wealth boost isn't nothing it's kind of small potatoes compared to what Laura already has going on, the gang membership isn't really her style and a favor from Hartigan may be... difficult to collect, given future events. So what would Laura do? Kill people, starting with an easy one. quote:Open up on them when they get close. One down, a bunch more to go.
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Jul 7, 2019 04:10
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Hit the 3 coming in. It seems the most immediate threat and the best way to kill the largest number. Oh and welcome back.
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Jul 7, 2019 09:28
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Hell yeah we are interested. Also p sure we aren't voting on this one still.
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Jul 7, 2019 10:22
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quote:Three of his riders come a whooping in at a gallop while the others steady their rifles and begin to ply them at range. The first assault is always these three randos. With 46+ Sharpshooting or Ben you can take them out without any problem for 2 points of casualties and causing the rest of the bandits to back off into the bushes, giving you the option to pursue. This is a trap- pursuing them means that you leave the wagon undefended and you find nothing but Frank Spears' corpse when you return. However, if you leave one of your companions behind, they'll keep the wagon safe for you, for +5 Influence and unique dialogue. quote:You charge after them and soon catch up. A running gunfight ensues until at last you drive them well off. If you miss the incoming riders you only get 1 point of casualties and Frank Spears gets incapacitated by a bullet wound- you can either finish off his attacker for another point of casualties, or let him go for +5 to Hartigan. Targeting one of the marksmen requires either 51+ Sharpshooting or Ben, and gives 3 points of casualties and inspires awe in Carrie or Ben if you manage to make the shot yourself, then it's back to the same choice of to pursue the bandits and leave the wagon unguarded. Even if you miss the marksmen, as long as you have Dan or Carrie they'll drive off the riders for 1 or 2 points of casualties respectively, giving the choice of pursuing or leaving them to guard the wagon. If you miss the marksmen and don't have any friends then the riders will give Frank a potentially lethal wound before riding off. While going at maximum damage mode means Laura could put a bullet through the enemy sharpshooter no problem, she's going to have to do something a bit different. quote:Hold my fire for now. Returning fire means you get 3 points of casualties, but Frank gets incapacitated and you have the same choice of leaving the wagon to pursue or not. quote:Wait. quote:Let them go. This is the same junction you reach by missing the marksmen with no allies to cover for you. You can surrender the wagon to Hartigan and get things over with, or press on. While Laura could patch him back up to a merely incapacitated state thanks to her doctor training, there are only a few places in this game where Frank Spears can perish and most of the rest of them involve either losing the wagon entirely or a plot branch she won't be traveling down, so this is where his story ends. RIP Frank Spears, you'll be seeing Andy soon and a part of you will live on in the form of your +5 Gunfighting lesson to Laura. quote:Promise nothing, keep the wagon moving on. Bridger Hill is an obvious death trap but there are several ways around it. It's not a favorable location since the primary path is through an enemy encampment. This is the point where the wagon's status can be affected- it has 7 HP and losing all of them means it's a sitting duck, though that doesn't really happen until the next section. Head across the sands and you'll start sinking, keep going and you'll lose 1 HP from your wagon. Keep going forward and it becomes irrecoverable, giving you the option of leaving it for Hartigan, or taking what you can and either leaving the rest or trying to sink it further so he can't get to it. Alternatively you can pull back to the road or wait for Hartigan to show up and either give him the wagon or die trying to keep him from taking it. If you have 46+ Survival or Dan with you then you can navigate across the sands by finding spots where you won't sink and escape this section without harm. Head across the rocks and the wagon immediately loses 1 HP, giving you the option of turning back. Keep going and you'll lose 1 more HP giving you the same options, plus either taking what you can and retreating or waiting for Hartigan to show up (again either giving him the wagon or dying in the process). Keep going after that and the wheels get completely destroyed by rolling over the rocks so you can only give him the wagon or take what you can and leave. If you have 20+ Engineering then you can lash the doubled wheels together with rawhide to spread out the impact of the rocks- you'll still have taken some damage but you can escape this section. Alternatively you can take the fortified position on yourself. quote:Ride up there first. Trying to pick them off means you get 1 casualty with 51+ Sharpshooting, but then it's back the previous section and you have to choose between going up the hill, or across the rocks or sand. Charging up the hill requires both Sharpshooting and Gunfighting skills. With 51+ Sharpshooting you inflict 1 point of casualties as you keep them pinned down while you advance, and with 51+ Gunfighting you inflict 2 more by reaching the top and clearing them out. With only 42 to 50 Sharpshooting or 41 to 50 Gunfighting you don't inflict any casualties and take 2 wounds per check you failed, but still clear them out. If your skills are any lower you will outright die. quote:Try and pick them off. But lets go check this trap out. quote:Take the wagon on up the road, use it for cover along the way. This thing is unpleasant to face. If you're driving then you can get the coach off the road, and while it means you dodge the explosion it also means your wagon flips over and gets totaled. Bailing means you live, but the wagon (and Frank Spears, if he's still alive) gets destroyed. Riding over and defusing it is a check that require either 41+ Riding and 22+ Explosives or 26+ Explosives and 34+ Riding otherwise you are way too close and get blown to bits. Riding over and shooting it requires either 41+ Riding and 41+ Gunfighting, or 43+ Gunfighting and 34+ Riding. If your Riding is worse, you'll take -2 Health from stray rounds, but you can still make the shot with 45+ Gunfighting. Fail these checks and you're way to close and get blown away. Shooting it out with your rifle is sort of the safest way to do it. 51+ Sharpshooting and the problem is solved. quote:Shoot out the slow match from the barrel with a round from my rifle. 42 to 50 Sharpshooting and you miss your shot, but if you have 35+ Resolve you can make your second one count. Unfortunately while your second one defuses the bomb it's too late to stop the wagon, and it slams into yours, killing two of your poor horses for -2 wagon HP. If your aim and/or resolve are bad, the wagon and everyone on it gets exploded. Fortunately this is survivable if you're riding alongside the wagon instead of on it (but you'll still die instantly if you're riding shotgun or driving). Naturally, if you somehow manged to destroy the gunpowder back in Echo Canyon and escape, it won't be here and you can roll up to the top using the wagon as cover without issue. quote:With such a narrow road, you know its a good thing the bandits lost their wagon and keg of powder back in Echo Canyon. This would be the perfect place for a bit of explosive foolery. Eventually you reach the crest and chase away the bandits. For a little while there is nothing to worry your travels. quote:The roll of land is all downhill from here, straight on through the dusty roil to the sagebrush swirled border with Utah. Hartigan is going to have to come straight at you now if he wants to avoid having to deal with a posse from Utah as well as Nevada. With the bomb wagon out of the way, there's only a wall of corpses standing between Laura and a successful mission.
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Jul 16, 2019 07:16
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Given that you keep skipping every opportunity where Doctor is useful, I'm really curious as to where it's going to come into play now.
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Jul 16, 2019 08:20
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quote:Then you see them. Tiny bits of black on the horizon. A whole swarm of riders coming straight toward you. The Ride for the Border is not unlike the battle in Echo Canyon in that it's a turn-based against an advancing force, but it's even more time-oriented than Echo Canyon. The Hartigan gang follows a strict time-table of closing into range (they're a bit faster due to not having to pull a huge wagon). This takes place over eight rounds, which determines what your combat options are and what your companions can do. Round 1 to 3 means they're out at rifle range, with the Sharpshooting check to inflict casualties getting easier each round as they close in- 45+ in Round 1, 42+ in Round 2, and easy pickings in Round 3 (though you need 41+ to not get shot in return). Ben works best at this range and will rack up one point of casualties for each round you spend shooting rifles. Round 4 through 7 (and also onwards) means they're inside pistol range, with the check increasing in difficulty as it becomes more chaotic. 41+ in Round 4, 43+ in Round 5, anything in Round 6, 45+ in Round 7 to deal with Hungry Snake putting you in his sights, and then 47+ in Round 8 and onwards to shoot bandits point-blank, with injuries inflicted on you if you fail in round 7 and onwards. Round 8 and on means they're close enough to hop aboard the wagon and start doing damage. 38+ Brawling is required to knock bandits off the wagon in Round 8, while Round 9+ requires 40+ Brawling. Carrie will shoot to wound incoming bandits in Round 8, and Dan will climb aboard the wagon and start chucking them off by Round 10. Your options also change depending on what your role on the coach is. If you're riding shotgun you can jump off to your horse, while if you're riding on your horse you can jump onto the stagecoach. Jumping onto your horse doesn't help that much- you can't melee bandits from horseback, it exposes you to stray bullets if you jump on Rounds 5 or 6 and if you leave the wagon on Round 7+ then the bandits will happily work on breaking it now that you're not a threat. Jumping onto the wagon still exposes you to stray bullets if you jump during Rounds 5 or 6, but you and Dan can launch an attack on them from Rounds 7 and on, dealing one point of casualties with 46+ Brawling plus another one for having Dan. The wagon is also moving forward this whole time. By default it travels 1 unit of distance each round, but you can put it to a gallop or keep them galloping to cover 2 units of distance for that round. During the first three rounds, you can inflict a casualty with a rifle snap-shot at a gallop with 51+ Sharpshooting, plus another casualty if you have Ben with you. After round 4, choosing to start or continue galloping means that your wagon takes 1 point of damage each time from either exhausted horses or bandits injuring them with gunfire. Someone will take a shot at you on Round 6 (which you can dodge with 45+ Gunfighting), while Hungry Snake will chuck a knife on Round 7 and a shoot on Round 8 (can't be dodged at a gallop, but can be interrupted by Carrie) and bandits will attempt to melee you on Round 9+ (but will be blocked by Dan). You can also just keep rolling along, not traveling as fast as a gallop but making it easier to defend yourself- 41+ Sharpshooting to avoid a rifle shot in Round 3, 42+ Gunfighting to avoid a shot in Round 5, 43+ Gunfighting in Round 6, and 39+ Brawling to avoid Hungry Snake's knife in Round 7. Hungry Snake will still land his shot in Round 8 unless Carrie stops him, and bandits will still thump you in melee in Rounds 9+ unless Dan stops them, but it's entirely possible to avoid killing anyone on this run and just sort of tank it- if you have Dan running interference then you can endure pretty much any number of rounds of melee. There are two victory conditions. The most obvious one is to inflict 9 points of casualties (tracked across this entire chapter, including if you inflicted any damage in Echo Canyon before leaving), which causes the survivors to flee. It's technically possible to get enough to end this in the first turn, especially if you have Ben to help you out in the previous fights. Alternatively you can run out the clock, covering 12 units of distance (so a maximum of 12 rounds of combat, or a minimum of 6 rounds of galloping), which will cause the bandits to break off when you run into your reinforcements by the border with Utah. Winning through casualties gives -20 Influence to Hartigan, while winning through time only means it's -10. There are also two losing conditions. Obviously you can die from bullets and bandits, but your wagon started at 7 HP and if it hits 0 then it collapses and the gang catches up to surround you, giving you three options. You can just flee as fast as possible and let him have everything, or you can try to take what you can before leaving- but in this case, if you haven't inflicted at least 2 points of casualties it ends poorly: quote:You quickly fill your saddlebags but the bandits are as thick as fleas and come in with their pistols blasting. Though you swing into the saddle a flurry of rounds kick you off just as quick. Moments later another follows and darkness begins to gather. The last thing you see are two bandits looting your horse from bit to cantle. If you have, the survivors are more concerned with grabbing their share and let you out alive. Alternatively, you can tell them "Hartigan, you can have the gold." This is pretty much like the "drop everything and run" option except if you inflicted 6+ (well, 6 to 8 really since 9 would be your victory) points of casualties. quote:"Oh, can I please Marshal?" Hartigan mocks as he rides to the fore. "My people have paid for this with sweat and blood. Only fair you should do the same." At this point he and his gang will gun you down with the weight of their remaining numbers, and nothing can save you other than a romance with Carrie. quote:Then Miss Caraway steps in front of her father with a pistol in hand, "No." While she doesn't want to go up against her father, she will draw steel for her love if it comes down to it. As for Laura, no prizes for figuring out her solution... Bang! quote:Ply my rifle against a bandit. Bang! quote:You sight in on the approaching targets. The stock kicks against your shoulder and a bandit falls from the saddle. Carson hardly needs to aim as he blasts a bandit to the ground. Bang! quote:Ply my rifle against a bandit. Come back and fight you cowards, we've got plenty of ammo! The last line about Hungry Snake changes depending on what you did to him in Echo Canyon. Laura shot him, but here are the other options. quote:Lost the brawl: Hungry Snake is one of the last to go. He reins in beside his boss for a long moment before the two of them bring their steeds about and head back into the desert. A similar thing happens when you win by running out the clock. quote:The bandits hurriedly drop away from the wagon and scatter. quote:Hours later you come across a camp of men in crisp white shirts and dark trousers. Amongst them a tin star gleams and you know that this particular trial is near an end. And here we see one of the main reasons Laura went with this route- ending the chapter by escorting the wagon gives a +10 Order bonus, while ending it by clearing the canyon gives both a +10 Order bonus and a +10 Law bonus (also, you don't get the skill bonus for surviving Echo Canyon, and it takes a higher casualty count to win the wagon escort). With a successful run, we'll next take a look at the fall-out and the different ways the chapter can close out.
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Jul 22, 2019 06:43
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*Literally cannot wait*
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Jul 22, 2019 15:27
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Thank you. This is an amazing game and you're doing an amazing job.
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Jul 22, 2019 16:06
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The game considers there to be nine main outcomes to Chapter 4. Two of them are considered successes by the inhabitants of Preston Springs. Outcome 1: Defeated the gang at Echo Canyon Outcome 2: Saw the stagecoach to safety Success gives you +10 to Order with a further +10 to Law if you routed the bandits at the canyon (which aside from missing the post-canyon stat boosts is the other reason Laura didn't wipe them out). Succeeding means Preston is happy to see you, and in most cases dealing with him will result in either an upgrade to any arrangement you made with him, or just +10 Influence if you're already getting as much from him as possible like Laura is. quote:As you return to Preston Springs Preston himself steps out to greet you on the street. Pretty much all the extended conversation outcomes have some form of possible flirtations even if the exact wording depends on your financial arrangement with him. If you had no deal whatsoever with Preston then he remains impressed and leaves the door open. quote:"Well done," Preston says to you. "Had me worried there for a bit, but I guess you're the kind of person I can trust. Too bad we couldn't... see eye to eye on everything." There's also the various failure states. Outcome 3: Let Hartigan take the wagon when he first asks without fighting Outcome 4: Surrendered the wagon at some point after fighting Outcome 5: Pursued Hartigan's forces in the opening stage and left the wagon unguarded by your companion Outcome 6: Broke the wagon somehow and left it for Hartigan Outcome 7: Lost the wagon but took what gold you could before leaving it for Hartigan Outcome 8: Got the wagon mired in the sands, took what you could before burying the entire wagon so Hartigan couldn't get it Outcomes 6 through 8 are a bit different in that you also get a scene of the Marshal riding back to town with saddlebags full of gold (technically, Outcome 6 shouldn't have this scene, but it's still there). You're given the choice of either going directly back to town and continuing as normal, or "Secret the gold in the wilderness then clean out my saddlebags and head back empty handed." Taking the gold for yourself means that you get +10 Wealth, -4 Honor and -4 Law (and also makes the game treat it as Outcome 4 from now on). This infuriates Ben causing him to take -15 Influence and break contact with the Marshal completely, while Dan will follow along if he's friends with Ben. If Dan is alone he just takes an influence penalty of -5 if the Marshal is 51+ Honor ("I guess you're due. Man can't get rich unless he cuts a few corners.") or -10 if the Marshal is enough of a villain that this is probably a regular thing. Carrie of course thinks this is great and gets +10 Influence from it ("Yeah, this is the good part," Miss Caraway grins over at you. "If anyone asks, the Hartigans took it all." "Heck, its even true." (if romancing her)). Preston is less than thrilled about losing the wagon, with a different response for each outcome. Regardless, losing the wagon means a -10 to Order and +4 to Notoriety, with a further +2 to Notoriety and -5 Law if the Marshal didn't bring back any gold. It also comes with a hit to Preston Spring's hidden Prosperity score, which represents how well the town is doing. Some of you already noticed that the description of the town can change based on things, which are determined by this hidden score. It starts at 5 and before this chapter there really aren't too many ways to modify it- the only actual option is to get a stake in Harry Winthrop's tannery business and then cash out, which lowers prosperity by 1. Losing the wagon lowers the prosperity by 1, with another -1 if you failed to bring back any gold. Then it's time to say goodbye. quote:Carson absently eyes the horizon, "I've got to get heading on back. There is always more work and I've been away too long. Especially from little Laura and Millie. Can't believe I've gotta tell Millie that I rode to Salt Lake and didn't even visit family. So, like I said, I'll be heading back but that don't mean I have to stay there or want to be a stranger." Your companions have different responses to each of the different outcomes, and different closing statements based on their influence score. Frank Spears will also say goodbye if he managed to survive this long. quote:Outcome 8: This is also the point in the script that suggests there was an Outcome 9 at some point that involves somehow stealing the entire wagon. quote:if chapter_4_outcome =9", There's no actual way to get to this outcome and no further mention of it in the script, so it was obviously cut. Then there's the follow-up from Hartigan's gang. As a quick reminder, there were 6 promises you could make to Hartigan and 4 favors you could ask from him back in Echo Canyon quote:"I promise to help you plunder the stagecoach." (Promise 1) Depending on what you promised and what you did, there are different responses from Hartigan. Outcomes 1 and 2 are considered Hartigan's loss, and if you didn't promise him anything (Promise 5 or 6) then he just continues fleeing without a response. If you actually promised to help him, then someone throws a rock through your window with a piece of snakeskin stuck to it if you made Promise 1 (and thus proved to be a lying snake), or throws the entire drat rattlesnake through your window if you made Promise 2 through 4 (the text even changes depending on your office condition- it's described as "the only window you have" if you haven't bothered to upgrade it). You have the option of either killing the snake yourself or naming it and keeping it as a pet! This also comes with -10 influence to Hartigan and cancels any favor request. Outcome 8 (burying the wagon in the sand) is also a failure state for Hartigan, resulting in rocks or rattlesnakes through the window or nailing a dead one to the door in the case of Promise 4 (you specifically promised you wouldn't ditch the wagon where they couldn't get it). Outcomes 3 through 7 are ones Hartigan considers a victory- even if the Marshal escaped with a bit of the gold the bulk of it still goes to Hartigan's band. At this point Hungry Snake will show up to congratulate the Marshal with different responses depending on what was promised, what the outcome was and what the Marshal requested from him. If you made Promise 2 Carrie will actually show up in his place to deliver Hartigan's greetings if she's still alive (I think Carrie might have been originally planned to show up as a possible messenger for most or all of the promises before the author realized that would double the workload for something almost no one will ever notice). Generally speaking, as long as Hartigan won then whatever favor the Marshal bargained for will be received, though there are a few exceptions. If the Marshal promised to help plunder the wagon (Promise 1) but instead broke it down and took money from it (Outcome 7) then Hartigan won't actually follow through with letting the Marshal join the gang if that was the favor (Favor 4) but will instead promise to help them once in the future (Favor 2). In terms of wealth pay-out, the interesting thing is that the less you promise the more he actually pays, so Promise 1 gives +5 Wealth (or +3 for Outcome 7), Promise 2 and 3 give +5 Wealth, Promise 4 gives +7 wealth and Promises 5 and 6 give +9 Wealth. Technically it's possible to get paid twice- taking the gold from the wagon gets +10 Wealth but also sets it to Outcome 4, which makes Hartigan happy enough that he'd be willing to pay the Marshal if the Marshal wanted wealth, so you could get up to +19 from this. With Promises 5 and 6, if Hartigan wins then Hungry Snake mentions that he's both elated and baffled by the Marshal's actions for promising nothing and yet delivering everything, and will also make the Marshal an honorary member of the gang if the Marshal didn't ask for wealth. Aiding Hartigan also gives -10 to Law, and an influence bonus ranging from +5 to up to +20 if you promised nothing and yet delivered the wagon unharmed. That's Chapter 4 done. Laura didn't make much money, but she killed a bunch of bandits and saw the end of both Andy and Frank Spears, which is what really counts. Preston Springs may be getting wealthier, but Laura wants the villagers to be fat and happy. She won't let any bandits take that from them, or even some wannabe marshal... quote:Marshal Engels Laura:
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Aug 15, 2019 05:27
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Shame we missed the pet snake. I get the feeling it might be appropriate. Can’t wait to see how we handle Steele.
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Aug 15, 2019 09:12
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How many pets can we end up with, in total? (Hoping there's a way to tame the lions)
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Aug 15, 2019 21:08
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As far as pets go, you only get the opportunity to keep a snake if you don't have a cat or mouse (and you can't keep the mouse if you want a cat either). But for now let's get this interlude done.quote:Preston Springs is still chattering on about the fate of the Golden Stagecoach. Apparently your escort of it to Salt Lake City has been told and retold dozens of times until they have you riding a bear and swinging wagon axles over your head as you chase off all manner of unsavory elements. That other wagons are coming through right and regular only helps keep prices low. Your wealth is slightly altered by how the last chapter went, +1 wealth for succeeding at either defending the wagon, clearing the bandits or at least recovering the gold (people are more uncertain, buy less and drive prices down), -1 wealth otherwise. So time to work our way through the town. quote:Get in touch with Jeff Donner. Getting to talk to Jeff finally gets to the skill-up parts of the conversation. Laura doesn't need the conversation boosts, but it's always nice to talk shop about murder. quote:"Actually, I was wondering if you can tell me a little about making a clean kill." Had Laura taken Ben Carson's herd this is the point where she could sell it once they've fattened up, either for 7 wealth to sell it to Jeff (or bargain him up to 9 with 41+ Persuasion or 46+ Intimidate), or 10 wealth if she'd sent it on to Big Bell ranch- it's more money if you return the herd to their owners (but it's also a red flag to the Saints). Then it's on to the shops. Laura has already purchased almost everything she'll ever need and at this point is just running up her score, but there's still a few skill boosts here and there. quote:Timothy Sadler's workshop is a lively place what with a young man brushing in oil to a hide while a lad of ten bubbles up fat over a brass heater for tallow. There will be candles before nightfall, that's for certain. Preston Springs has a hidden Prosperity score mechanic which determines how well-off the inhabitants are, and this interlude is about the point where you first start to see it since there aren't much in the way of options to mess with it before hand. It starts at 5, and goes up by 1 if you successfully brought the stagecoach through, or down by 1 if you lost the gold entirely. At 5 Prosperity Timothy just has the one candlemaker, while below that... quote:Timothy Sadler's workshop lies half empty as motes of dust drift about the unused benches. A grunt rises from the corner as Timothy himself staggers upright. The smell of old beer is heavy about him. quote:Step on over to the General Store. Much like with Timothy, Matthew has more customers if you were successful, and a few people just loitering around the shop not buying anything if you weren't. There are novel variations for most of the major outcomes of the Red Ribbon Mine, and their text changes depending on who was with you at the time. If you attacked the dam, you get this one. quote:"This here dime novel, 'Massacre at the Bloody Ribbon Mining Camp', has got my name on it." If you captured the camp, you get this one. quote:"This here dime novel, 'Indian Attack at Crimson Ribbon', has got my name on it." And if you killed literally everyone, you get ours. quote:"This here dime novel, 'The Obliteration of Red Ribbon Mining Company', has got me written all over it." It may have been a county tragedy that occurred on our watch that we were in no way or shape responsible for whatsoever, but no reason we can't get rich and famous off of it! quote:Autograph it first, then return it. Not much else left to see in the stores. quote:See if Godfrey the gunsmith has gotten anything new in stock. quote:Head to the blacksmith. Successfully protecting the wagon means there's one new bit of subplot here in the form of Preston's bank. quote:Walk around on the proposed site for the bank. If you have an arrangement with Preston then letting it slide automatically bumps it up to the highest level (kind of a waste at this point since there aren't too many pay periods left in the game), and if you don't have an arrangement you can choose to either let is slide for -2 Honor, or investigate potential fraud for +2 Law. In Laura's case, let's tank some alignment stats. quote:I bet I can use this to squeeze a few dollars from Preston. There are also a few variations if a joke about blind eyes, pillows or crumbs came up in your negation back in Chapter 2. quote:"I get the feeling that I'm not supposed to be seeing something around here." With less than 50 influence, Preston walks away, though you can pressure him into not turning his back on you with either 21+ Notoriety, 51+ Gunfighting, 22+ Legal or 51+ Intimidate. He'll take a -5 penalty, but explain that he doesn't need to build the bank just yet. quote:He surveys the open field for a moment, then gestures grandly as his fingers trace a building that does not exist. Those fingers halt and his hand strains to touch the invisible construct, "I imagine a grand granite edifice. A pediment of grace and stature over wide pillars. Inside, a vault to protect a ton of gold and busy tellers keeping track of accounts." quote:"What will it take to make you trust in my vision?" At this point, with 59 or fewer Influence Preston will walk away again, but you have the same options to convince him to hang around, except the check is 5 lower than before. quote:"Why do I need to build the bank today? This week? This month? Why can't I let things develop and, when the time is right, begin construction then?" Preston asks. We've come this far, we deserve a bank. Laura wants the inhabitants of Preston Springs to be fat and happy, and convincing Preston to actually build the bank improves Prosperity by another point. quote:Move on to bigger things. quote:As you head for the swinging doors of the Mother-Lode saloon, you spy a familiar figure down the way. Sam Pitcavage, his trousers frayed but with a heavy pouch in hand. The encounter with Sam occurs at the first drinking establishment you set foot in, and what he's been up to depends on what you told him to do last time, either working for other prospectors and learning from them, working as a guard or simply working harder. Most of your choices and their rewards remain the same, just with different text from Sam. The last of the three options is always about Sam's encounter with a bear, no matter which path he took, and the options depend on what you did with your bear encounter. quote:"Have you had to protect your claim yet?" Technically a Resolve boost might be more useful, but Laura won't pass up the opportunity to demonstrate her dominion over the lesser creatures. quote:"Driving them off just shows them that you are the boss." Most of the drinking establishments haven't changed since the first time around, though the Evening Star is a bit different. quote:Stop in at the Evening Star. With 6+ Prosperity Eve is moving forward with her plan to build a library. If it's 4 or down, she gives up ("That she has ceased to talk about building a library is a sad thing, but not all dreams are realized in their prime."). Theater time! quote:Ride down to Elko and see a play on their little makeshift stage. Now let's cash in these favors. Not much left we can learn from Carrie. quote:Get some pointers from Miss Caraway. quote:Ask a favor of JT Preston. Nothing we really need from Preston, so let's just continue the story. quote:"Can I ask how you got where you are today? Not right here, but Sheriff and owner of nearly the whole town?" quote:Ask Schmidt for a favor. Survival is the biggest bonus, but Laura has gotten this far by focusing on how to hurt people in every way known to man, so it's time to continue with that. quote:"I was wondering if you could give me some pointers the next time I have to rush a bear with a knife. quote:You know that you've got piles of lumber and such waiting at your lot. Time to kill better. quote:Practice incessantly with my guns. Our gunfighting is 75, high enough to ace any check the game will throw at us, and honestly will probably still go up a bit further. Time to be better at sharpshooting. quote:Practice solely with my rifle. Then it's exercise time. quote:Get out in the fresh air and do things. Boost the murder skills... quote:Chop wood like there is no tomorrow. Money isn't a big concern, neither is land management, so reading is the only skill boost she has left to perform. quote:Take out my books and get to studying. Engineering is a complete wash at this point, so might as well focus on bending the law to her will. Just in case she has a run-in with the law in the future. quote:Focus on the law texts. quote:Your spare days have been eaten up in full and you know that it is time to once again shine up your tin star. The things you gathered to start on your lot can wait for you to get back to that. With this interlude over, it's time to meet some new people and bury at least one of them. quote:Marshal Engels Laura:
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Sep 18, 2019 04:19
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=04F4xlWSFh0
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Sep 18, 2019 04:42
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Yeah, Preston! How do you expect me to pull off, I mean thwart, bank robbery if there’s no bank?
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Sep 18, 2019 09:45
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LightWarden posted:With this interlude over, it's time to meet some new people and bury at least one of them.
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Sep 18, 2019 10:06
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quote:Autumn blows in and brings with it a surprise. The opening to Chapter 5 is pretty simple- either you go out to see Maria or you hang around your office and Maria comes to see you. Information-wise they're largely identical, though there are some actions you can only take while out at the landing site. If you bought tea from Wong Dai Choi in the second interlude then that's what you're drinking, otherwise it's coffee- finishing your drink first does have a minor effect on a later interaction with Maria. So Laura is going to head out right away. quote:I'd better look into this right away. You get a scene based on the prosperity score of Preston Springs- since it's at 7 this is the best outcome, while if it's below 5 the place is basically deserted. quote:The main street is empty. Not a man or woman is to be seen or heard, though somewhere close by a saloon sign does groan in its shifting bracket. The faint odor of burnt bacon eventually wafts out of the Grand Haven Hotel along with a hint of black smoke. If you stayed at the office you get a similar scene as seen through your office window, with minor modifications based on how much you improved your office. quote:The valley around Preston Springs is a long green and lush stretch of land that goes on for miles and miles between the jagged ranges. Even your Roan can't eat that distance up in one gulp but soon enough you enter the foothills. All the while the balloon obligingly bobs high above the mountainous wasteland and that keeps you from getting readily turned around in the maze of animal paths that wind their way through here. All of these basically boil down to going over to say hi or heading back to town- sneaking gives you the opportunity to back off and have Maria come to you. Firing your gun just gives you a -2 to Maria and means that she has her pistol in addition to her saber when you meet. quote:Rein in and wait. quote:You ride over the ridge as the balloon is winched down to the ground by a quartet of brown clad monks who might well be of the Franciscan order. Behind them a few horses mingle with burros in the nearby grassy field. A pile of provisions and sacks sit along a path that leads up into the mountains. If these people are looking for trouble then they don't plan to give generously. Giving anything other than your name is a -2 to Maria since she's pretty sure you're not the Marshal and doesn't like the reversal. If you're a Native marshal then she happier to meet you. quote:"Marshal Laura Engels." You can identify yourself, or you can stay quite for a bit. quote:Stay silent. Showing the badge gives a minor influence boost. quote:Reveal my tin star. You can get bonus influence from asking her about her full name and the convent, and skipping the questioning entirely is -2 influence. quote:Let her ask a question or two. You can get some influence from talking about coming a long way. quote:"I feel I have come a long way from where I started." quote:The monks stow away the last of the balloon then take their ease in the shade of the packs. The sun continues to rise and slowly bakes the land. Passing on a drink because you already drank before coming here gives -2 to influence. Saying that you missed your morning cup has her respond "You came straight out to see me? How kind," but still gives a -2 to Influence (probably a copy/paste formatting error). You can turn her down entirely without penalty, but Laura needs a drink. quote:"Tea would be wonderful." If you're Chinese, she acknowledges that you might already be used to drinking tea. You get a different conversation for each of the different guns you could have. quote:It is a Colt Navy Revolver, or Colt Revolving belt pistol of naval caliber if you want to be specific. The Navy Revolver has the largest influence boost at +4 for being a fancy artifact, though there's a +2 for the Walker Colt (the big pistol) and the Remington (the quick reload cylinder swap pistol). quote:"From the way you talk, you'd get along with Yiska pretty well." No matter where you have this conversation, it always ends up here. quote:The two men are riders of very different sorts. The first is powerfully built fellow with short, golden hair and a clean shaven beard. Upon his hips ride twin sawed-short shotguns where most men could barely manage a revolver. Furthermore, a long rifle nestles between his shoulder blades and is wrapped in a loose blanket with the grip exposed. All roads lead to the same point, where the two marshals clash. quote:Steele's eyes narrow as the words leave your lips, "That ain't funny. There's never but one Marshal to a county. Deputies, sure, but there's only one real tin star." quote:"I have my own documents." The following scene and its choices only occur if you met Maria and her party outside of town. If she came to see you, it skips this part and goes straight to the talking. quote:Maria's bodyguard idly shifts his stance. The twin shotguns at hip a reminder that there is more than enough buckshot for everyone and maybe even the horses. Nearby, Carlos subtly shifts his saber just enough to make certain it won't stick when sliding out of the scabbard. The fight with Steele at the start of the chapter is actually one of the hardest fights in the game because unlike other fights it's a 1v3 since Carlos and Eduardo both believe Steele to be the real Marshal and you to be some random assailant. So if you want to kill Steele you have to kill at least one of them. Taking a swing at Steele gives -20 to Maria and the results depend on your Brawling skill. With 51+ you can floor him but regardless of your skill Eduardo will put a stop to the fight by pointing a shotgun at you. Maria then exlains that she assumes you're both marshals and should be civil to each other, only for Steele to call you an impostor. If you actually pull a weapon, things get much worse. Drawing your pistol is an immediate Gunfighting check: 45- and Eduardo blows you away before you can do anything. With 46+ you can choose to either open fire on Eduardo or Steele. Killing Steele results in you getting murdered by Eduardo's shotgun immediately afterwards, while killing Eduardo means Steele still gets a round off, but with 35+ Stamina or Resolve you can keep your senses long enough to finish the fight. quote:Plug Eduardo first so that his twin shotguns don't splatter me. Maria basically stays in the monastery from this point on, and since you murdered her uncle her influence score is set to 0. If you break out your rifle you find out that Eduardo and Steele have done the same. You can just ride back to town without further commotion or you can actually attack, with a choice to shoot either Steele or Eduardo first. If you target Eduardo first... quote:You take aim and fire. The golden-boy bodyguard staggers and his rifle falls from his grasp. If you target Steele first you need 50+ Sharpshooting to get him, then 44+ Stamina to survive the running duel with Eduardo. quote:Your first round staggers 'Marshal' Steele and the next finishes him off. If you don't have the sharpshooting skill to get Steel the first time around, the fight goes very poorly. quote:Your first round goes wide and then both men return fire. The running battle lasts for what seems to be hours until you Steele finds the range and his rifle rounds zip through the air. You fire back in equal measure but then Eduardo's shadow falls over you and his twin shotguns boom forever in your ears. Aside from loot and a sense of satisfaction, killing Steele outside of town means that you've effectively ended Chapter 5 in a very short period of time, and you go right to the wrap-up. Unfortunately, Laura doesn't have the stamina to beat Eduardo in a sniping duel, and more importantly, killing him here means that she can't do several other things this chapter (some of which involve murder). Steele will die, just not this very moment. quote:"I'll be leaving now, but not because I'm wrong, but because I don't want to see anyone get shot who doesn't have it coming." If you don't kill Steele then all conversation paths eventually lead to the revelation of the Marshal James' demise and the mystery of this chapter. quote:"Sorry, what?" The badge description changes based on your Honor score- at 71+ it's brightly polished, while at 40- it's badly tarnished like Laura's is. The choice here is the player determining what the Marshal's doubts and motivations are. It changes some of the dialogue options a bit. While murder may be the quickest solution, Laura is still a master of criminal law and a criminal master of law, so it's time to get to the bottom of this. And then murder someone.
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Sep 24, 2019 03:18
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LightWarden posted:
These are often the most entertaining types of murderers. Von Karma types, some might call them. \/\/ Is there anything cool you can do with the balloon if you do steal it? achtungnight fucked around with this message at 10:49 on Sep 24, 2019 |
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Sep 24, 2019 04:32
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Awww, Laura didn't get the cool balloon. 
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Sep 24, 2019 10:17
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I'm looking forward to the creative ways you give Steele his due.
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Sep 25, 2019 05:25
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The balloon itself is mostly cosmetic- you can't do anything with it yourself other than sell it, but its presence or absence has an effect in one of the endgame branches.quote:There is nothing to do but mount up and ride on back to Preston Springs. With every jingle of the harness you ask yourself the obvious question. You remember quite clearly the hanging. Indeed, it is something you could never forget; especially how the noose gripped your neck and promised to do far more. The creak of the lever, the thump of the door, and then the long fall that came afterward. The four options here are for deciding what the Marshal's suspicions or motivations are for this chapter, which change the text in various places. The first one is the suspicion that you encountered someone impersonating Marshal James, the second is the worry that you were recruited by a ghost or revenant, the third wonders if it's a clerical error and the last one is if you're heartless enough that you don't care about anything but stopping this threat to your power. Laura is still one murder away from the heartless tag, so she'll just keep an open mind about getting to the bottom of this. quote:Whatever is going on, I've got to figure it out. The investigation phase of Chapter 5 is about wandering around the town and the county looking for evidence against this new Marshal Steele. Or you can always just skip it and go straight to the Grand Haven Hotel to have a showdown with Steele. Things will probably turn out a little differently. There's a time element too- each action takes at least one turn (and it takes another three to head down to Elko to see Yiska, Tumbleweed Jack or the telegraph station) but the time element is largely irrelevant as far as I can tell- there aren't too many things that actually check it outside of a bit with Preston so it was largely cut. Anyways, you can always ponder what you know. quote:Ponder what I know. Which is nothing at the start of the investigation, but builds up as you collect evidence. quote:Go see Miss Caraway. She or her father probably scraped up against Marshal James once or twice. quote:"What brings you by Laura?" she asks and doesn't toss back the liquor. quote:"Do that. Please," she asks and proves to be in a fine humor when you return. (+5 Caraway) Calling your companions by their first name requires 71+ Influence, though asking at below that just results in them refusing, but giving +5. The answers about Hartigan and Hungry change depending on the outcome of Chapter 4 including how you handled Hungry Snake and whether or not you reached a deal with Hartigan, and Carrie's lines all change depending on her influence and whether or not you got into a romance with her- with a high influence she's concerned about the Marshal while a low one means she's amused at the prospect of Hungry Snake or Richard Hartigan plotting revenge. quote:"Do you remember Marshal Simon James?" Carrie's description of Marshal James changes if the (player) Marshal has a pet. Instead of the love of cards, she mentions that he liked cats or mice if the Marshal has one, or that he was afraid of snakes if the Marshal managed to get one in the last chapter. The player's response to Carrie's revelations about Tumbleweed Jack change depending on if the Marshal killed an Upton at the start of the game, talking about how it gets easier if they're guilty, or talking about a guilty conscience if the Marshal is innocent. If she's in a romance with the Marshal she'll actually explain what her father told her if the Marshal swears to keep it off the record- quote:"There was a fella over in Elko who wanted the Marshal 'removed'. At least, that's how he put it. Used a lot of words that really meant other words," Carrie says. "It were money, good money, but when my father went to collect, all that was waiting for him were an envelope and a lick of what was promised. I don't know much more than that. Its one of those things he don't want to confide in me on account of him not getting the upper hand in it." quote:Let her ask a question. The choices are different depending on if the Marshal has an arrangement with Hartigan or not. Talking about coming to an arrangement improves the existing bargain- either to the first step (someone investigating Elko) if there was no arrangement, to the second step (calling on the band for one day) if it was at the first step, or to the fourth step (a part of the band) if it was at the second or third step (third step was a treasure share). You can also say that the existing arrangement is fine or just cancel the whole thing for a +10 Law and +2 Honor boost. quote:"I think we could come to an arrangement, him and I." quote:"I intend to make Lander County my personal fiefdom." After visiting Carrie, Dan or Preston you will go check out the grave if you haven't already. If you're with Carrie or Dan you can bring them along with you. quote:Invite Carrie along, just in case. Bringing Carrie along means you get the option of a side conversation, though you could skip it entirely by picking up the pace. quote:Boot Hill draws slowly closer but she doesn't seem to be in any hurry. Dan knows a fair amount about the Marshals in the area, and his dialogue changes depending on whether or not you're in a romance with him. quote:"What do you know about the death of Marshal James?" quote:"Now, I have to think—" Dan begins but a sudden ruckus from the front of the line cuts the congeniality to ribbons. While most of the conversations and evidence are the same regardless of which approach you take, there is one decision point that can change things between playthroughs. When you visit Carrie, Dan or Preston the first one usually triggers a different encounter with Billy Tate (I thought he would have appeared when Laura stopped in to visit Carrie, but I believe the grave visit took priority). You can probably guess how this is going to end.
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Oct 11, 2019 08:23
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Kill Billy, Volume .5
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Oct 11, 2019 14:52
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