Just finished my first playthrough. Two WTH moments.
spoilers below
I just bought the game and finished my first playthrough.
I am a very cautious and forethoughtful gamer. There are almost no games that I fail in a first try except those that require reflexes like FPS, as I take everything into consideration and consider my options very carefully. I survived Long Live the Queen the first time, beat Starcraft 2 in the brutal difficulty without losing once, and never died/failed on Walking Dead S1&S2 and WUA, etc. I've never failed turn-based strategy game at blind playthrough as I strategize every move before each battle. That is why, I was utterly shocked at the outcome of GOT S1 game.
Despite doing my absolute best to survive, Ethan ended up getting stabbed by Ramsey. After watching the ending, I was so shocked by the fact that I've made 'wrong' decisions in a choice based game as it has never happened before. Being a role player as I am, I took this very seriously; I went to my my bed and spent nearly an hour in agony, thinking why I've failed to survive and made wrong choices, blaming my stupidity.
Then I got back to the computer and restarted the game to try for the second time. I chose drastically different options and..... nothing changed. For next hours, I explored all possible options. Literally nothing important changed. Apparently the plot variety is even narrower than the walking dead or WAU... I felt stupid with earlier self-reproaching. There are no meaningful choices, a lesson I already picked up in earlier telltale games but did not realize due to the way the game initially seemed to provide multiple options.
Another WTH moment is why Ramsey's soldier bursts into the grandhall when I shut the gate behind them. I had soldiers prepared for fights, and I clearly ordered to let only Ramsey in. There is no way someone(even if it were your angered Councillor that betrayed) could have overruled my authority when soldiers at the gate all heard my order in person. They would simply have refused to open the gate regardless of the person who ordered the gate opened. Ramsey's men were all unscathed so one can only assume they were let in, but HOW? This is ridiculous. I even tried to combine this with merciful option to ensure townies wouldn't force-open the gate(though I don't see the feasibility here) So what happened at the gate? How did Ramsey's men passed through the barred gate without even fighting with all my soldiers who were ordered not to let those guys in stationed there?
I really loved the plots but those two things were somewhat disappointing.
Comments
Those two things are the two most common problems with most players, but you should also come to realise three things:
1) we have only played one episode so far,
2) Ethan's death sets the story forward for the Forresters (apart from showing you that this is GoT and you should be wary of death creeping around every corner)
3) you still felt the effect of your choices at the time, and if you didn't play it again it would have been better :P
They entered and killed everyone. Their swords are bloody if you notice.
Personally, I take making decisions in a game, looking back and thinking 'why the hell did I do that'? as a good sign. That games could manipulate me in a such a way speaks volumes about the impact of in-game events on the decision-making of the player. For instance, I chose to spare the thief of any punishment to prevent further pockets of resentment of my methods. But, maybe I should have been more forceful to prevent the same thing from happening twice, to serve as an example? I love it when games make me question my decisions. it adds to the experience.
Ethan has to die as it sets the story in motion, I suppose it's similar to Bran being pushed out the window - It spurs everyone into action. I think that as the game progresses, choices will begin to matter more.
I don't mind characters dying. It's one of GOT's appeal.
I just don't like it when enemies magically fly through the gate you ordered barred, without explanations. I don't like it when Ramsey decided to kill me when I gifted him ironwoods, didn't stand up to him, even let him do as he wish with my family, cowering - that somehow leads Ramsey to call Ethan wise and kill him.
Ethan's death wasn't the problem. The way it was presented to overrule most of my decisions with a contrived manner was the problem for me.
just saying it to emphasize why I was shocked at the apparent failure(which turned out to be determined outcome). not trying to boast or anything, but apparently I overdid the emphasis?
and how did they enter? that was not possible under the circumstances I set with decisions.
Considering the morale of the troops it's possible the gate guards were intimidated into opening the gate by Gryff. Just speculation of course
The soldiers getting through the closed gates pissed me off too. It's lazy writing.
Role players, in my experience, typically do not think of choices being right or wrong. Role players tend to immerse themselves in characters and make choices they believe the character, as the role player perceives them, would make. I consider myself to be a role player and couldn't help but share what I think a role player is compared to what you said.
A traitor (pissibly the maester)
That's not lazy writing. Clearly there's a reason for it. I don't see why people keep assuming it's a plot hole when the next episode isn't even out yet.
They teleported i guess.
There probably won't be, I think. (for the particular circumstance I mentioned) A wold among us left some plot holes unexplained...
Yeah, exactly, you THINK. You're just assuming here.
It's a plot hole until it's not. It's lazy writing until it's not. The difference between you and I? I choose not to give the writers the benefit of the doubt and I have reasons for that.
In your response, you are assuming this is not a plot hole. Your reasoning is justifiable enough. SmallGoodFox's reasoning is also justifiable. History shows TellTale writes plot holes, therefore this just might be a plot hole.
And then there was my reaction which sounded like "BWAHAHAHA DIE YOU LITTLE SHIT!!"
Then honestly, that's your problem, not mine, if you just assume the worst.
It could be a plot hole. However, I think it was made so clear that the soldiers were not supposed to be there ("Lord Whitehill will install a garrison of twenty men within your walls." "At Ironrath? That we cannot abide." ... "It's already done.") that it really feels weird if it indeed is a plot hole. The Forresters (Elissa and Ethan) clearly thought it was for them to decide if they let those men inside, as did we when playing. IMO that hints that someone did let them in behind our back instead of them just teleporting inside. So I'd put my money on the traitor theory.
I think it will probably be the Sentinel you didn't choose.
It's definitely the Maester. For example, if you choose Ser Royland for Sentinel - it means Duncan wants House Forrester to survive using his knowledge about the North Grove, but also wants the Forresters to go extinct just because he got pissed off for not being assigned. Impossible from logical point of view.
This I could get behind. I must have missed reading about the traitor theory in the forums.
You have given me no reason to conclude that it isn't a plot hole. You have the opposite stance as me without anything to back it up except your opinion and assumptions. At least I have a reason, my own skepticism towards TellTale since they have written plot holes in the past.
Regardless, WildlingKing actually gave me an intelligible reason to believe otherwise.
Okay, no need to be a dick, but whatever. I thought it was pretty logical to think somebody betrayed you, and you've only reinforced that thought with your rude responses.
My intention wasn't on being a dick and I disagree about my responses being rude. I apologize I came off that way. It probably was logical, I just never thought about it.
It looked like Ramsay had the intention of killing Ethan to whole time, so he'd to it regardless of what he said.