What should Game of thrones season 2 do to be a success and avoid being a dissapointment?
Game of thrones had a bit of a non ending which is understandable in a game with multiple seasons however what are people thoughts on what season 2 needs to do to continue the game being engaging and avoid it becoming a flop with a terrible sequel?
For me at least it has to do with how they handle determinant characters. Game of thrones story as a whole doesnt change all that much storywise however its one of the better examples of the game being tailored with alternate scenes and different characters.
Rodrik and Asher really are deal breakers if they both just die or have minor roles i'll have little interest in continuing because with the game. With them there isnt a better example of workable determinant characters. They can still matter to the story as every player has one or the other and with them in simaler situations they could work well in season 2. Ludd/Gryff are of simaler importance as they have the same opportunity and slightly lesser duncan/royland as again every playthrough needs one alive and as such they can still matter to the story.
Mira honestly I would like to see have some scenes as well though I'll understand if she doesnt play much of a role. If they just kill her off i'll find it lazy but I will understand, she already dead in most playthroughs and there is no alternative to her.
The second thing I think needs to happen is that they continue the story and dont drop plot points. They have a few seperate story groups which could work in season 2. I expect to see new characters but they really need to stick with thee same characters over a few seasons so there characters can build up and we can still care about them.
Other minor suggestions is to perhaps not make the game so bleak or random, There was never really any build up to any of the main twists in the game they were either random or just because the plot decided we/the opposition needed a sudden advantage. The glenmores were the worst for this.
Comments
I think the most important thing would be to focus on the Forrester and Whitehill conflict. There's the thing about determinant characters as well. I won't be outraged if they get killed off but I think it'd be a bit odd to end the season with that many determinant characters only to kill them off. That's all I have to say really. I have no idea where the story's going so I don't know what to say.
I think it would be better for them to not tie it strongly with the tv show characters like in the first season. Few of the narrative flaws usually came from the relationships with the tv characters. For example, Tyrion was set up to be an important figure in Mira's story arc, but because of what happened to him in the show, he gets sidelined and eventually removed from the finale.
Roderick and Asher are either going to die or not have important roles. It'd take up too much time to account for both characters in each episode.
Thats pretty negative, I dont even see why scenes have to be that different for either of them.There both the lord they will still be making the same choice no matter who you are. If all telltale games end up being like the current walking dead formula of nothing mattering whatsoever then I see no reason to play it. Game of thrones season 1 did it fairly well for the most part, tons of scenes had different dialogue and called back to older moments
Well after Walking Dead season 3, I dont have that much hope for Season 2, Im sure every determinate character will die in the first episode.
Allow Rodrik/Asher to not only be playable, but to also live through the whole season. If they can do that, then I am happy.
If they do that, I will be so happy. I don't want to show too much favoritism toward Rodrik/Asher, but to me, the game's story has always been their story.
Exactly, it only makes sense they live longer because if they're both dead, Ryon will become the next Lord.
[Rodrik/Asher falls off a horse]
"I can't feel my legs."
[If Mira lives and gets married to Morgryn, she later finds out that she is pregnant with Morgryn's offspring]
Morgryn: Hello, Lady Mira, I've come to talk to you some more about Ironwood and - what the?!?
*Asher or Rodrik are riding a horse with Duncan/Royland/Gwyn and Talia, they fall off the horse. *
Asher/Rodrik: I CANT FEEL MY LEGS DUNCAN! dies right there on the spot.
Duncan/Royland: NO MY LORD! MY LIFE IS LOST WITHOUT YOU! Stabs self
Gwyn: NO ASHER! I WAS SOMEHOW PREGNANT WITH YOUR CHILD! Stabs self
Talia is now new pc.
Mira is gonna get tossed down the tower stairs by Morgryn in an argument in a 1 min long scene.
fades in from black
Morgryn: You will do as I say!
Mira: No Morgryn! Please no!
Kobe'd right down the stairs, neck snaps
Fade back to whatever the other scene was
The usual stuff. Like taking the critizism the first season got at heart and try to make a compelling narrative.
Man, it sounds way easier than it actually is, doesn't it?
I wonder how Gwyn got pregnant if Asher died in the ending of E5
Just don't give us another traitor plot. That was hideous.
Now you see, it doesn't need to make sense, and dont worry, if Asher died in your game, than Gwyn tries to warn the Forester, only to GASP be accidentally shot by her own people!
Asher is alive in my playthrough, nothing to worry about. hehe
I agree. Determinant characters should not be treated as expendable It's so obvious of telltale to kill off characters with that status just to make their jobs easier. Everyone knows it by now and it greatly cheapens the effect of "your choices matter".. which is supposed to be the whole point of the game. Otherwise you can easily just watch someone play it on youtube.
Allow us to have success/win at times. S1 was all about watching the Forrester's suffer a crushing, humiliating defeat... How about a change?
Having your choices actually matter and alter the story so there is a point to play the game at least a second time.
And lastly I'd personally love to see my girl Mira come back from the dead (my ending). I know that's practically impossible but some things do make me wonder. Tom never revealed his employer and simply stated he works for people who'd be willing to help, "people who want you alive". It's most likely someone plotting against the Lannisters and they need your house to help overthrow them when the time is right. Back at Ironrath the Forresters are dying left and right, it would be beneficial to have Mira alive as a last resort in case. I have a few other theories but I honestly think I am just grasping at straws at this point. I'm just so invested in this character that I may not even bother purchasing S2 if she doesn't have a role in it.
If you know telltale well you know that they always kill determinant characters so know what to expect on season two definitely asher/rodrick must die
Gryff slips on ice and breaks his neck.
Ludd chokes on bread with salt.
The new antagonist is now Torrhen Whitehill.
I honestly felt like a punching bag during the whole season. I felt those stabs and it hurts like seven hells combined.
By that analogy they should've died in episode 6.
Well, they ought to make episodes lengthy and well written (easier said than done, I kno), show that determinant characters actually stay alive and break the determinant curse once and for all, don't have one episode be about the choices from Season 1 but rather the whole season should be affected by them, don't introduce too many new characters but rather develop the ones we got (max 1/2 new protagonist(s)along with Asher/Rodrik and Gared), have steady characters with clear motivations be shaped by events unfolding around them, IronFromIce patriotism, don't kill more characters with that cheap "shot in the back of the head sequence" (TWD - M, NF), at least in the later episodes give us choices that could mean massive fuck ups but also massive wins for players who choose well/not so well - I know some people might not like this because of the "no wrong choice" ideology but I think it would greatly strengthen the Game of Thrones feel, you win or you die right? Develop more facts about the Whitehill/Forrester history - we love that stuff! And my personal wish - give us a battle/siege sequence (final episode maybe?) where the outcome would be determined based on how well we chose, prepared, mashed QTEs. Example: Scenario 1: We win the battle, most characters survive. Scenario 2: Battle is won but with sizable casualties. Scenario 3: Battle is won but with massive casualties/main character deaths, basically a Pyrrhic victory. Scenario 4: Battle is lost, protagonist survives, has a chance at revengeance. Scenario 5: You done fucked it up, Battle is lost, protagonist dies, Game Over. (like in "The Game is over" not game over.
I know this would be a challenge for you Telltale, but you can't sit there and tell me it's impossible - Take your time, listen to feedback, release when you got the next episode at least half way done. Doesn't have to be monthly as long as it's awesome.
Regarding the shot in the head stuff. Besides Ethan's and Gregor's death, I think the first season did a fairly good job at making us care about the family and the house. No one died until we reached Episode 5 and Episode 6, which makes their death hitting us harder.
Just don't kill Asher/Rodrik or make them background characters, they need to remain protagonists. If Telltale just kills them off, it'll make the Asher/Rodrik choice pointless. Basically don't do what you did with TWD S2 ending choice.
And the less tv show characters, the better. It didn't really work that well in S1, especially with Ramsay "I have a plot armor" Bolton. shivers
Also no more stupid plot twists á la traitor please.
Hmmm, to start off - S1 wasn't a disappointment to me. I didn't watch GoT before and I didn't think I'd like it so much. I just played it, cause it's Telltale and E1 was free and I liked the game.
I'm playing on Smartphone and what bothered me, were that some wipe commands in combat weren't registered quickly enough. The action scenes are kinda weird to play already in Telltale Games cause it's so repetitive and simple and it's frustrating to have to start over again or to realize, that sometimes it didn't even matter if you were fast enough to click (cause you'd get hit or you'd dodge anyway e.g.).
Also more choices should have a greater impact, a lot of choices didn't really matter anyway.
I know, it is exciting when a char does unexpected things, but if it doesn't even matter how you treat him, cause the story says "f*ck your choices, we have a plot to follow" (and I'm not at all only talking about the Ramsay/Ethan thing) and it happens every time, then it gets boring.
Also choices, you didn't see having an impact in S1 should have one in S2 from the savefile.
That's BS they can easily just have the same role and scenes with slightly different dialogue. Mass Effect 3 had Garrus and Tali play large parts when they could both be dead. And clearly with episode 6 they showed that they totally can have both characters be main characters if Telltale wants them to.
Rodrik & Asher, without a shadow of a doubt. I can live with other determinant characters from the various S1 endings being "taken care of" in short order (namely Gwyn Whitehill and the Sentinels), but giving Rodrik/Asher the chop would be business suicide. The fans are savvier than Telltale might think, and they'd be able to see right through the George R.R. Martin-approved "anyone can die, any time" retort for what it really is: A cheap excuse to eliminate a major determinant choice from the previous season as quickly as possible for the sake of lazy convenience.
Oh, and allowing Mira to linger around in every scene where Morgryn appears (if the player chose to wed them) would be greatly appreciated. Seeing her submissive, silent, and broken would be quietly brutal in its own right, and stylistically click with GOT's harsh universe.
I'm afraid Mira would turn into another Reek. That's another reason why I didn't accept Morgryn's proposal, but it would be cool to see the consequences of that come into effect.
If you got two awesome and amazing playable characters that players are deeply invested in. Killing them off early and terribly is a mistake and will no doubt piss people off.
Asher and Rodrik are the ones who carried the first Season. They are the ones I was looking forward to play with every episode. I want to continue playing as them.
I think the subplot about the importance of ironwood should be carried into S2 as well. It's clearly one of the most invaluable commodities in Westeros, especially for armies at war. But even while everything else was crumbling around them, the Forresters still had one ace in the hole: Their craftsmen. It was repeatedly stated throughout S1 that the Whitehills had none of the skill or artistry needed to work ironwood. Even a scheming Machiavellian like Morgryn realized this.
Either A) the Whitehills will have to keep the Forrester craftsmen under their thumb, or B ) Mira's warning about the Whitehills laying waste to the forests will come true. Hell, we already saw it underway when Rodrik met Gwyn at their secret rendezvous.
Btw, I can see TTG introducing us to allies of House Forrester, which I am not sure we'd be able to play as. I guess rather not though, cause it'd be weird to play ur own allies and control in what way you can help the Forresters. Also I'd rather stick to the plot and with the Forresters cause S1 bonded me with them.
They need to make the Asher/Rodrik and Ludd/Gryff situation truly matter, which could mean 4 different combinations of protagonists and villains. They also need to make the North Grove choice matter. Even if you have to abandon it eventually anyways, you should at least arrive at Ironrath late and unable to help as much as abandoning the North Grove earlier. Mira choice should also matter too.
Oh, and please give us some more determinant songs, Telltale. I know you wanted to do one for the pitfighters in season 1.
MFW Whitehills stormed Ironrath and slaughtered all the craftsmen standing around. That was totally weird to me anyway, why normal folks were just standing around, didn't even look like they had weapons or why Lady Forrester or Talia were outside without a weapon.
But in the end, if Whitehills killed all craftsmen during that fight, they probably still found the schemes.
TTG could even include in S2 that the Whitehills (or just Morgryn with or without Mira) claim Ironrath and the Ironwood around and they don't know how to make use of it properly cause they killed all Forrester craftsmen during the battle.
To be fair, all that we saw are people fighting and dying in the courtyard. And there must be people hiding inside the keep or the basement. It is not far fetch to assume that Rodrik/Asher ordered the civilians and craftsmen to hide inside the keep. The small-folks who got slaughtered in the courtyard might possibly people who volunteered to assist the soldiers in some other way such as bringing supplies, weapon and other useful stuff to in order to repel the Whitehills or they could even have been helping with fortifying or dragging wounded soldiers away from the fighting to get healed by the Maester.
And when the gate fell, Ludd/Gryff might have taken everyone in the Keep as prisoners and to force them to serve him, like the craftsmen for example.
Now that I think about it, I think this is an excellent opportunity to create a new playable protagonist who is a Forrester craftsman and is currently held hostage by the Whitehills and forced to serve them. And we see how things are from his perspective.
What are you referring to about songs and the pitfighters?
Remember the song the pitfighters sing aboard Asher's ship? Their lines were supposed to change based on what Asher told them as well as whether Bloodsong was alive or not. They ended up cutting it due to time constraints I believe.
Aww, that would've been awesome! Like how Asher can say stuff like save innocents and murder the guilty. That would've been amazing.
It would definitely be the most ideal way to give the player eyes and ears inside Ironrath during the Whitehill occupation.
Yes exactly! I said that same line... It was epic and definitely worthy of song. Really wish they were able to flesh it out like they had planned.
I think it'd be cool to visit a tavern in s2 and hear a bard singing about either Rodrik or Asher, either the one who actually died at the ambush or the one who is presumed dead after Ironrath. The song could be honorable or offensive depending on your decisions and you can confront the bard about it.
That would be pretty damn cool.
I do hope that some bards will make a song about the Battle of Ironrath. It really felt like something worth singing about. Although I suspect that the Whitehills will disgrace the memory of the Forresters.
Yeah Ludd/Gryff will definitely attempt to control the narrative and not let everyone know how they almost got their asses handed to them by a force significantly smaller than theirs.
That is also why we should get a choice to talk or fight with the bard