TellTale games in general are increasingly predictable after playing previous titles?
Or do you think it's because of the GoT TV Show has become very predictable, and the game just does a great job imitating the tv show / books? (TellTale's formula and repetitive use of storytelling/decision-making or GoT's general predictability?)
Let me start by saying TellTale's The Walking Dead Season 1 was amazing. Season 2 was great too, but the major plot holes kindof ruined the latter half of it. Still great. Game of Thrones is great too, but it was more predictable than TWD Season 2. The only thing that wasn't predictable to me was Season 1 TWD.
Although TellTale's games are amazing and are all around some of my favorite games ever- they are not without their flawed/bad writing even if the writing is overall fantastic. (Writing is great, overall plot is shoddy.)
Why? Ethan was obvious the moment it showed him as a playable character. I immediately said, "They will kill Ethan off, because they think no one will expect the kid to die." After that, I immediately predicted Rodrick / another brother just because I figured they'd try for a Ned / Robb clone. Finn was incredibly obvious the moment you chose to take him with you when leaving. Rodrick was obvious before he left to trade hostages- and you KNEW that they hostage trade would fail before it even began. (The only real surprise is the fact you can save Rodrick by sacrificing Asher, as opposed to just killing off Rodrick.) Arthur was pretty obvious because he was a minor character (even Finn was more developed than him).
The only thing that was surprising was the traitor, although that wasn't that hard either. I immediately thought it was the Maester, so I instantly knew it WASNT him. Since Duncan is so obviously a good guy you know it's not him. That literally just leaves two options:
1) Royland, the incredibly obvious character.
2) TellTale doing something as idiotic as: It's whoever you didn't pick as your Sentinel. Even though Duncan being the traitor is a huge plot hole.
Since I picked Duncan as my sentinel, I knew Royland was the traitor because it was glaringly obvious they wanted to make me think it was the Maester.
I was a bit surprised because I actually thought they were smart enough to pick the Maester. Trick people into thinking it's not the obvious person, then MAKING it the obvious person! That, or I thought they'd do something retarded and try to ruin the story by making it the mother or something dumb like that. I did have a little faith in them, because I thought that the trait would be no one- and that the entire thing was a ruse by the Whitehills to sow dissent. THAT would have been unexpected. Since I was hoping they'd either trick me by not tricking me, unfortunately ruin the story with a major plot hole, and I secretly wanted them to actually do good by having no traitor at all, it was a bit of a surprise it was the person that I assumed it would be at the start. So it was a surprise that they were so predictable, because I was hoping really hard to be surprised.
So predictable...why? Because instead of just writing a story and making it a story- they purposefully add in elements and change things around to be edgy, for sheer shock value. Just make it realistic, there is enough drama in the story without having to pander to the audience by adding needless shock value. A good story doesn't need to be edgy. It doesn't need to shock people. A good story does that by its own merits.
With TellTale's decision trees and their general ideas behind designing these games- they seem to be repeating themselves. Pick one character? Almost certainly the other will die. We learned that in TWD Season 1.
Idk... it could be that GoT was really easy to predict and not very surprising at all because of the TV Series / Books, NOT because of TellTale. I don't know which it was, it's just that the first TellTale game I played was the least predictable, while the third was rarely ever surprising unless I literally tried really hard to pretend to surprise myself. The second-to-last episodes are increasingly bad, even if the Finale Episodes are always great. Although nothing could be as bad as the massive plot hole of S2 TWD's second to last episode and the idiocy / horrible writing revolving Luke and the non-sensible ice walking.
Comments
So what?
So what?
That means that the more TellTale games you play, the worse the games will become.
That is not good for people who love their games. That also means their games will become increasingly less popular as people get used to the predictable storylines / shock value attempts / obvious decisions.
It also means they're being lazy in their writing, sticking to the exact same formula / writing philosophy for ALL their stories rather than making each one unique following their own merits.
NO, that's YOUR opinion. It is not a fact. You might think what you do but don't force your opinion on others.
Everything you said was predictable was not predictable at all.
Well if you say it, then it must be true. Maybe that "logic" applies to you, but that hasn't happened to me, if that were true, then I wouldn't like TFTBL as much as TWD or TWAU, and yet, TFTBL has become my favorite Telltale series.
I honestly don't see how.
Ethan's death was obvious literally within minutes of him appearing on scene...
Perhaps you haven't watched enough GoT television or played enough TellTale? It becomes painfully obvious when you see how they do these twists.
I am pretty damn confident that they have a formula (or two) for their writers to follow. "First, make it obvious that someone will die. Then don't kill them. Kill someone else." or "Make a character likable or someone who will do some good or develop into a great character. Make sure they die quickly." or "At any moment that you think the viewer will think a character is immune or important, KILL THEM FOR SHOCK VALUE!" or "Even if it doesn't make any sense for the character, make them the traitor because we need to hurry up and release the finale. We're on a deadline here people!"
If you know about the premise of GoT or the style of the show, it becomes incredibly obvious how George Martin decided to kill Ned & Robb. He literally just thought, "What will people overwhelmingly expect? Okay, I'll do the exact opposite. Before I even begin writing."
I'm pretty sure writers are taught certain formulas for "Twisting" or "Shocking" the viewer. It gets old and predictable after awhile, especially when it appears in multiple types of media.
It's only my opinion as much as someone is capable of learning from experience playing TellTale games...
I guess if you don't learn very quickly or can't figure things like this out very easily...then sure...it will all be a surprise always.
I'd rather have something predictable than something that lets me down... I guess I'm still bitter about TWDS2.
You know what's predictable? Life in general. Life is predictable, so I'm just going to go now before I start a rant about how something being predictable is not a bad thing.
I gotta admit that GoT Episode 5 is still better than TWDS2. I was so incredibly disappointed with TWDS2, mainly everything about Luke.
Also, we don't play these games because they are real life. You don't read books or watch movies or tv shows because they are real life. You watch because they are NOT real life. Just sayin.
I don't find these things predictable, but I guess everyone sees things differently. shrugs
I wasn't saying I play them because they are real life. XD Read it again. :P
I was just saying something else that was predictable, life can be sometimes predictable.
In no way was I saying it was real life. XD
That's good. It sucks when you predict the twist / surprise.
I remember one person said they predicted at the beginning of Sixth Sense, that he was dead the entire time. Like 20 minutes in. That basically ruins the entire movie for them. That (Prediction) is a negative skill to have in entertainment.
I try to turn my brain off when watching a movie, so I can avoid predictions. I try my best to turn off my brain when watching tv series, so I can avoid plot holes. However when playing TellTale games, it's painfully obvious to me to the point where I cannot avoid it
I guess because it requires you to keep your brain on and active. Those decisions are too hard to make with a brain switched off. So all my movie / television skills don't work against TellTale games. Damn TellTale's immunity!
Aren't predictions a good thing though?
Whenever my family and I are watching a show predictions are a big part of the experience. My Mam always predicts who the murderer is in a drama but does that stop her from enjoying it? No. She always celebrates when she gets it right and we all get wrong because we try to prove her wrong while watching.
How does predicting something ruin something...? Surprise isn't always a good thing either and plot twists, they aren't always good.
But I guess your opinion is that a prediction ruins it, which I cannot understand myself.
Totally agree with you. It's becoming stale
I ship you guys so much
I think you're wrong (I am a huge fan of the show but I don't see how that matters) every character that has died on the show, died for a good reason not for 'shock value'. Ethan's death wasn't for shock value, it was a good tragic scene that put the story in the direction they wanted, Ethan's death was so much more than shock value.
It seems you wee able to predict elements of the storyline in GoT before they actually occurred (I honestly did not expect Ethan's death though replaying Episode 1 and hearing him tell Ryon 'I'm not going anywhere' almost felt like a subtle foreshadowing of his fate) - do you have any predictions for what you expect Telltale to do in Episode 6?
For the record, TFTB is only getting better by each episode, unlike GoT which is more of a mixed bag.
Which is entirely opinion, not something to go on any 'official record', though I hope we're not taking this to court.
We are now, welcome to the Wright court.
It's funny that all of the things you found predictable were not actually predicted here on the forums. Not that I saw anyway. There may have been a comment here or there but nothing that actually became a major theory which many people believed.
I think you're on to something here. OP needs to put his theory to the test and predict the major events of episode six.
The only thing I did't like about this game were the choices you were given doesn't make a whole lot of sense when the they reunite at some point in the story. We know that TTG choices are not game changing, but I expect them to make some sense when they come together at some point in the overall plot. Like the OP, I was very disappointed with how they handle the traitor situation. In the end, i feel that TTG have an excellent overall plot and writing for GOT but failed to give satisfying choices to the players. Some situations were so forced that as if they had no way around it so they made up something that seems very arbitrary. And I did not see what was coming to Ethans. You are a prophet, OP.
Are you sure you want to do this, Wright?
It's GoT so instantly you know one of the characters you play as will die.
It could be:
1) Gared, the guy traveling to somewhere very important, very far away who is the only one besides Duncan to know about a powerful, vital secret to House Forrester, the central focus of the entire game. If he dies, that entire storyline and character development is literally meaningless.
2) Mira, who is the only character in king's landing, once again focusing on the same reasoning as Gared, minus a little importance.
3) Ethan, a kid who everyone would immediately think cannot die because "Who would kill a child"? and will be Lord of Ironrath, an incredibly dangerous place.
It was so obvious, you could tell it would be him INSTANTLY the moment you realized you play multiple characters and conclude the girl from the previews will be next. Which she was. Althougb I did not at all know they'd replace Ethan with Asher AND Rodrick. I didn't see a fourth playable (Asher) coming for some reason. I assumed he'd be later after another main character died (Mira or my guess being Rodrick. Gared still being safe until he makes it to the north grove.)
Also it was incredibly obvious that either Gregor or Rodrick would return, making his character entirely useless afterwards. Instantly assumed it was Rodrick (I mean come on...a horse falling on him killed him? That was retarded...) I assumed it would be Rodrick or BOTH who returned. Idk if my thinking that Gregor was still alive was because of story elements or the fact once you answer him, the game informs you that "He will remember that." while immediately following his supposed death.
I'm no prophet. I just have seen enougb Game of Thrones, Walking Dead, and played enough Telltale Games to know how they write their stories, this whole fad on writers trying to be edgy by killing characters for shock value, etc.
It would be wise to throw in extra characters, even if they're only minor characters. The more characters you play as, the less likely you'll be able to predict who dies. (We all knew that many of the characters would die. Although I'm honestly disappointed and think it's bad writing/plot to kill off as many as they did. The entire Forrester story seems like a clone of the Starks + Red Wedding. They literally had the Red Wedding, but split between the hostage exchange at Highpoint & the E5 finale.) With the girls (one who is far away, one brother, and Ryon (who is too young to count) as the only remaining characters, it's literally the Starks all over again.
Repeating the exact same storyline for the Starks is just lame, not to mention lazy.
Ned, the character no one would think would die because he's the hero = Ethan, the character no one would think would die because he's a kid.
Ned's Limp & Cane = Rodrick's Limp & Cane. This made me think "...Seriously guys? ...Seriously?"
Robb = Rodrick or Asher
Red Wedding Atmosphere = Highpoint Hostage Negotiation
Red Wedding Action = Episode 5 Finale.
Mira = Sansa Stark. Literally almost identical even in that they "Learn how King's Landing Works".
Gared = Bran Stark. Gotta go north of the wall for some mystical reason. Combine Jon Snow alongside Bran's mythical journey and you have Gared.
Elissa Forrester (Mother) = Incredibly Similar to Catelyn Stark in some ways, but she just wasn't at the Red Wedding. Striking similarities in voice, appearance, mannerisms. Although this is okay, because at least she wasn't similar in character to Catelyn. I couldn't help but think "Did they just copy Catelyn" at first, up until she began to develop her character more. At the end I didn't think "Catelyn Stark!" but still...
And that leaves one female left, Arya, who is nothing like Talia.
Talia & Asher are literally the only character that I don't see resembling a Stark in nearly every way. Two original characters out of the entire extended family!
First off, the majority of people who play this game will never even visit the forums. Of those who visit, only a minority will ever post.
Second, these things aren't predictions you are always 100% confident in. They are assumptions that happen as the game progresses. Although you are bound to get some wrong, the ones you get right ruin the surprise. There is no shock value in someone's death when you see it coming from a thousand miles away.
With Ethan, it was still shocking and horrifying to see it happen. However, the moment he appeared on screen you knew he'd be the one to die. Does that mean the entire time you thought "He is dead. He is dead!" Not at all. People, including me, are too busy having fun and enjoying the story to constantly think the same thing repeatedly. If you did that, you wouldn't even enjoy the game. Instead, it's an obvious event that results in a significant loss of shock value / surprise whenever it happens. Doesn't mean the death isn't still meaningful, doesn't change the story, and doesn't mean the game is bad.
What it DOES mean though is that when it happens over...and over...and over...not just in one game but in many of theirs? It begins to get tiresome very quickly. You begin to be able to enjoy the game as much as the developers themselves. As someone who knows the entire plot.
Their games are still great. I'll still buy them all and play them all once. They are still a great developer. That doesn't mean they aren't also a lazy developer. That doesn't mean that sometimes they rush deadlines, make mistakes, or care more about money than releasing quality. Game Development is not easy, and running a business isn't either. When you work on the same project for years, it isn't as fun as it is for the people who play it for 15 hours.
It's OKAY that the writing is bad or has plotholes. The entire production as a whole more than makes up for it. It's just annoying when it goes from "Potential Masterpiece" to major plotholes or needless edgy attempts making it end up as "Great, but not even close to masterpiece."
I'm going to try Tales of Borderlands, since that game is said to have very few plot holes and a superior story / game as a whole. Most likely because they didn't have to rely on common writing fads or popular GoT tropes "Everyone must die!".
I'd like to add that I don't actively try to figure this stuff out either. I try to keep my brain working at a minimum so I can enjoy the experience.
However, sometimes the plot holes are so bad that I can't help but predict things.
I have to admit that I saw the choice between Rodrik and Asher coming. I theorized that it would be how they would solve the issue of having two playable characters on the same place. If I had played TFTB before I played GoT, I wouldn't have theorized that. Instead, I would have thought we would control Asher and Rodrik like we control Rhys and Fiona. I thought it would happen on the last episode only, though, so it happening on Episode 5 still caught be off-guard somehow.
And the traitor thing was something that went through my head as soon as Gwyn said there was a traitor ("Ohh it must be Royland being bitter for not being chosen as sentinel"), but I almost instantly dismissed the idea for being too obvious and because I remembered that Ethan made this choice, not Rodrik, so Royland didn't have any reason to hold that against Rodrik.
But I totally didn't see Ethan's death coming so soon. I expected Ramsay to actually take Talia.
I guess what I'm saying is that while a few things are predictable, TellTale often throws us some curve balls too (sometimes they are very bad moves, though).
So.... can you predict or have a general idea of whats to come in episode 6 like you did for the previous episodes?
Well, there is one thing that I can agree with.
Luke's death was the stupidest death in the history of video game deaths and should never EVER have happened. I will forever be bitter because of it.
I want to do this, I'm taking t to court: - Tales is a game that gets BETTER by each episode, Game of Thrones does NOT get better by each episode, its not necessarily bad but more 'mixed' than anything else - Episode 1 was awesome, Episode 2 was obvious filler, Episode 3 is better than Ep 2 but not better than Ep 1, Episode 4 is just stalling to compensate for the 6 episode length, Episode 5's only saving grace was its ending (and Tyrion's cameo).
Are you really going to argue that EPisode 2 was better than Episode 1? Or that Episode 4 didn't stretch out the plot?
TFTB on the other hand gets more awesome, more insane, more ambitious by every episode, who knows how spectacular its finale will be.
TellTale's finale episodes are usually pretty amazing, even though their second-to-last are often filled with horribly huge plot holes (Luke TWDS2, Traitor GoT).
Also you seem to be missing the point.
I didn't predict these before I even played the game or before I even played the episode. (Although Ethan was very obvious, so I guess in that case plenty of people did since I was certainly NOT the only one who saw Ethan coming.) There are also parts that aren't obvious at all, like Arthur's death. (That character was so minor, his death had next to no impact. I'm not really sure why they did it besides to make Ramsey look more evil...even though he's Ramsey... Also the magically appearing / disappearing elite infantry is also a bit of a plot hole, but I'm not here to nitpick.)
In fact, I didn't predict ANYTHING. The game basically screams this stuff at you at times.
What happened was that as I played, it became incredibly obvious what was going to happen long before it happened. The GAME, the WRITING, the foreshadowing (or in some cases the anti-foreshadowing where it's obvious they're trying to trick you)- all of it happens as you go along.
I don't actively try to predict anything. I just play the game and sometimes it screams "OBVIOUS..." My entire point is that this stuff gets to the point where it diminishes the immersion in the game. Immersion is a huge factor in storytelling.
Also some things aren't really predictable, but still suffer to bad writing. I didn't know who the traitor would be, although I assumed it had to be "The non-sentinel other." solely because "It's obviously the Maester. So...it's not the Maester. Deductive reasoning means it's the non-sentinel other...even though that makes absolutely no sense whatsoever." but I was still surprised because I was hoping it would make sense. When I saw Royland, I was hoping he would have valid reasoning to explain how his entire character up to that point was invalid somehow. Then it didn't come. Of course it didn't. They were trying to be edgy and knew they couldn't make it the Maester exclusively because everyone guessed it would be him.
If I thought about it, considering the writing style, this fad on trying to shock everyone just to be edgy, and the possible conclusions of Episode 6... then maybe I could predict with some accuracy. I might try if I get bored waiting for Episode 6.
What people seem to be missing is that this thread has nothing to do with me or predictions. It has to do with the weak writing, nonsense plot holes, and overall shoddy/rushed-ness of the game's later episodes. TellTale knows that the finale can't be rushed (hence why it has taken significantly longer to create than other episodes.)
I guarantee they will put more effort into the finale than they did in the entirety of episode 5.
After all...we can all ignore the traitor plothole and just pretend it was the Maester or that there was no traitor and Duncan/Royland just died in battle at the Stark's Red Wedd...er...the Forrester's Ambush. What you CANNOT ignore is the finale of episode 6.
I'll post some thoughts on predicting episode 6 based on their writing style below this one.
TFTB........giant robot in episode 5
I actually agree that GoT is a mixed bag while TFTB gets better every episode, I just wanted to post Miles Edgeworth.
But I will argue about Episode 4. Episode 4 was by far the best episode for Rodrik and Mira (and arguably for Asher too). We got Rodrik finally doing something about the Whitehills (although something not very smart) and the scene at High Point which is one of the best scenes in the game so far. With Mira, we got her actually playing the game of thrones instead of just acting like Tyrion's peon (or Margaery's peon at some points). We got her to find out about Ludd's sellswords, who would have steamrolled Ironrath if it wasn't for Mira breaking Lyman and Andros's alliance. With Asher, we got some character development for Beskha (and some bonding if you pick the right options), and we got to play a part on the conquest of Meereen; we got to earn our reward.
But the most important point here is Rodrik's actions on episode 4. His actions (the ones we can't control, though) set into motion the events of Episode 5, including his/Asher's death and Arthur's death.
Gared's story line was heavily neglected on the last two episodes, but at least in Episode 4 we met Sylvi.
I actually think Episode 4 was too short. I could have used more Mira and Gared, but that can be said of pretty much every episode.
I'll try this for fun, and to share my thoughts.
What do we currently know?
The playable characters will almost certainly be Gared, Rodrik/Asher, and Mira.
The only people still alive are Rodrik/Asher, Gared, Mira, (the mother) Elissa, Ryon, Talia, and the Sentinel. Also Beskha, but whatever.
The most likely character to die are main characters, not minor ones. Rodrik/Asher, Gared, Mira, and maaaybe the Sentinel since TellTale will most likely want to beef up him to a major character (at least in a meaningful death) so as to make the player feel good about their choice for Sentinel. All the others can die, but most likely won't need to. At most, I'd feel safe saying only one minor character would die- definitely no more than 1. Also one major character. My bet would be Rodrik/Asher but not Gared & Mira for majors. My second bet is that they all live. My bet for minors would be the Sentinel, but not Ryon or Talia. Second bet would be mother Elissa and sentinel.
Rodrick / Asher are Dead or Alive, depending on your choice.
If the "other" does die, since Ryon is all alone and too young, Gared may end up marrying Talia? It's a possibility, as that would leave the user feeling good despite most of House Forrester being slaughtered. Maybe some irony left there with talia being just like her mom. Her mom who lives basically just to tell her, "Hey, your life turned out just like mine! Sad sad."
Ryon is still alive. He will almost certainly stay alive the entire time. He is a pointless character with absolutely no development. There is little point to kill off worthless characters for shock value. They need characters to live unless they go for a "Everyone Dies" ending, which is a bit unlike TellTale, so this will be one who definitely lives. I see no reason to kill him off other than as a part of story development where the Forresters get hurt after having the upper hand.
Ryon is a useless pawn, basically a meaningless item in the story. His life may be a decision, or a decision involves you trying to save him and in exchange dying. (Rodrick/Asher perhaps? They die, giving some heart-filled speech that Ryon has to continue the house, as Gared and Talia stand behind him to imply they will take care of him until he ages.) Although that is just some speculation, so far... I actually like that as my best prediction.
We have absolutely no idea what the North Grove is. No one has a clue. It has been so built up that it literally makes very little sense as to what it could be. It has to be something extremely powerful that is more important than anything else, that can somehow get to Ironrath incredibly quickly to save the day. It could be absolutely nothing, they find it's a myth, and then Gared dies... but that would be pretty damn lame. TellTale isn't known for its lame finale's.
Gared dies? I honestly believe that given TellTale's track record, he'll live. I'd normally say it's a 50/50 but I think that TellTale will want at least one favorite character to live. Gared is a great choice for that good feeling ending. They might kill him off to give a "Jon Snow" emulated shock value, or kill him off like they did with Luke in TWD (needlessly for shock value) but I honestly don't think so.
Mira is still alive and remains in King's Landing. She has been absolutely useless so far, so we know she will do SOMETHING to impact the story before Season 6 ends. This implies Lannister intervention, additional sellswords, etc. It would NOT AT ALL surprise me if the decision was entirely dependent on how you treated Cersei vs Margaery. (One of the two helps you out in the exact same way.) This isn't my guess, just some possible thoughts. I'd have to think more on what Mira's entire plot is about. They will certainly not waste it though. You will be playing her.
So my best predictions pre-episode 6 playthrough (at any moment in the beginning of episode 6, it may become incredibly obvious what will happen):
Who Lives? Who Dies?
The Five Major Decisions:
Alright... this is taking way too long. I'm beginning to think so in depth that I'm contradicting my predictions as I realize more and more and ultimately just wasting tons of my time guessing.
If I get back to this, I'll post this as "My Predictions for Episode 6" before Episode 6 releases.
Anyway, these are all my thoughts...nothing really set in stone besides that Bloodsong dies :P
If I had to guess right now, no additional thinking or research into TellTale's writing style...
Although this isn't my final answer and I'd need a lot more time to think about it...
Not just that, but how pissed off / annoyed at TellTale I was when I read that they literally just changed things at the last second, that it was going to be a Luke / Kenny showdown instead of Kenny / That One Girl I Forgot Already's Name.
What pissed me off is when they said, almost like smirking at the time like they did something good, that they killed off Luke just for shock value. Not only was it not shocking, but killing off characters just for shock value is really, really bad writing. Especially when it's done like that... There need to be good reasons that characters die.
Luke's death and that TellTale interview literally made me go from "Very Much Respect TellTale" to "Oh..those guys? They're kindof dumb sometimes but know how to tell a great story. Great production value, but sketchy intelligence."
I will repeat some stuff that I already said many times in this forum: There can't be an ice dragon. It just can't exist. It's impossible. It would deviate too much from the original canon. Also, GoT's logic isn't "kill everyone", but "actions have consequences even if you are 'the good guy'". Not a slaughter, but a chess game. And Mira is the reason why Ludd doesn't have an army of hundreds of sellswords to steamroll Ironrath with right now, so she wasn't useless at all.
I'm okay with your other predictions.
The Ice Dragon will exist, because it's a video game. Also that makes no sense that it's not in canon. There are legends of Ice Dragons officially, just like Giants and Mammoths. We all saw how real those were. Ice Dragons are bigger than dragons, made entirely of ice, and shoot out cold rather than heat. It'll probably have Daenarys' dragons fighting the ice dragons in the book/shows final season(s).
George Martin can be literally quoted as being more "Kill Everyone" than he is "Actions have consequences". He started writing instantly deciding Ned must die because it's shocking / really edgy. What would happen after that? Robb would declare revenge, and everyone would want him to get revenge. So he instantly decided he must die too. That's just IMO anyway, that his writing is more about shock value and being edgy than it is about some underlying theme.
I didn't catch that until I just read it on another thread a few minutes ago. I don't really understand how that worked. He has a ton of gold, so he needs sellswords. Why does he have to have the lannister or ally to hire them? They said that Whitehills already sent a ton of gold. I guess that's why I missed it.
You don't want to argue that Bloodsong lives?!?!
Not a single death in the books happened "just because". They were the result of bad decisions by the characters or by characters that were near them. Ned is the most obvious of them, since he dug his own grave with a series of bad decisions. I couldn't believe when he actually confronted Cersei like that. I mean, did he seriously expect her to take her children and leave? And Robb. Oh, Robb. He couldn't keep the promise to Walder Frey, could him? He had to bed and marry a girl from a minor house.
GRRM wants us to fear for the "heroes". He wants us to see the main characters in trouble and keep in mind that their death is an actual possibility. That they are not protected for being main characters.
And I'm fairly sure Bloodsong dies.
The problem with the Ice Dragon is it coming to the south of the wall to help the Forresters and no one in Westeros knowing of it. It simply can't happen. The Ice Dragon is a constellation. I will be very disappointed on TellTale if they bend the canon this much.
And I don't get how Mira's thing worked either, but Rodrik (I think) says on Episode 5 that "Mira costed Ludd his army, so it worked somehow. I'm thinking that Ludd didn't have a direct connection with anyone but Andros, since Morgryn says Andros is Ludd's exclusive contact in King's Landing, and that Cersei got Andros killed already (or that making Lyman turn his back on Andros was enough to break the deal somehow). If you ask me, having a loudmouth like Andros as your "exclusive contact in King's Landing" is a pretty stupid decision, especially if you have the option to give the job to Morgryn instead (unless Ludd knows something about Morgryn we don't or he knows Morgryn had been talking to Mira and wasn't happy with that).