Anyone else dissapointed by this...?
IceFromIron
Banned
I saved Rodrik in Episode 5. And don't regret it. However, a huge reason I gravitated towards saving Asher initially, was so I could see him interact with the Forrester family back at Ironrath. I mean it annoyed me the Sentinel had nothing to say to him when Asher first shows up (to be fair though, you could say the same for Rodrik. Damn that was a short, and non-existent reunion, but anyway) especially Royland. He bigs Asher up massively if he's the traitor, and I recall him speaking highly of him back in Episode 1 and throughout the whole game really, so for him to say nothing to him was weird...
But my point here is: Asher doesn't even get to interact with the Forresters, or the Sentinel. Not really. I just played his version of the Ice Dragon, and I kept waiting for a bonding scene between him and Talia, or him and Royland, and it just doesn't happen. Even his scenes with Lady Forrester don't have much substance. I understood why Rodrik didn't have all that--he didn't need it. Rodrik is already connected to the Ironrath characters, and we didn't need any more of that. But Asher hasn't seen any of them in four years.
Though, just like with the Asher-Rodrik reunion, everyone acts like it's been four days. I don't know. But it made me even more glad I saved Rodrik. If I saved Asher for real, then played Episode 6 only for him to basically have no legitimate interaction with the Ironrath characters--I mean real one-on-one conversations, stuff like that, I'd have been super disappointed.
Everyone seems to say Asher's version is better, but that just seems to me to be derived from most people preferring Asher as a character. His whole sequence (the ambush / poison) makes House Forrester dishonorable, he gets zero bonding scenes with the Ironrath populace, to build a relationship there, even Asher and Beskha only have two real, and very short conversations the whole episode. About Rodrik early on, and that little bit about saving Ryon later...
So I suppose I'm mainly asking the Asher demographic here, but yeah: was anyone else dissapointed he didn't get any good dialogue / interaction with the Ironrath characters like Talia, the Sentinel, even something with Eleana would have been nice? Just something... ANYTHING. I kept waiting for it, say a scene with Talia where Asher can tell her, how much he's missed her. Idk. In the end, when Rodrik watches Lady Forrester die and Ironrath burn, you feel the loss, and it's a real tragedy. But In Asher's version, not only does it come out of nowhere, whereas with Rodrik's version it builds up, but I just didn't feel any legitimate connection between Asher, Ironrath and the people there. It just felt kinda anti-climatic in that case, as opposed to tragic.
Thoughts?
Comments
This is one of the reasons why I prefer Rodrik's version better. It is already established that he is connected and bonded with almost every characters in Ironrath. I just feel the reception of Rodrik's return felts more heartwarming with how his loved ones welcome him.
But I can understand why Asher didn't have a bonding scene with his family. They simply didn't have the time and peace. They need to prepare for the Whitehill's arrival.
I wish there were more, but I think we got some when Asher returned to Ironrath, Talia was smiling and he was greeted by a hug from his mother, it was small, but I enjoyed it. I feel like we mainly got them from Elissa. I loved this one line we got from Elissa. At the beginning of the final battle, Asher tells the Maester to get Talia and Elissa to safety, and Elissa says "I won't abandon you, not again". I was all "awww"
at that line. It clearly reveals that Elissa regrets letting Gregor exile Asher, and felt like she abandoned her son.
I thought about that, and I understand that. But narratively, it just doesn't work. Rodrik watching Elissa die, and Ironrath burn, you feel the loss and tragedy in it.
But when I played Asher's, it just felt, hey mum I'm home! Oh wait your dead.
Hey, it's Ironrath. It's good to be back--oh wait it's in ruin.
As I said before. Rodrik's version : bitter-sweet tragedy
Asher's version: anti-climatic disappointment
At least that's how it felt to me.
Rodrik watching his home burning and his men getting slaughtered was just heartbreaking...
Yes, it was, :-(
Yes it was :-'(
IronFromIce
I think it's just as heartbreaking for Asher (I probably feel this way because I saved Asher in my first playthrough). Especially since he's been dreaming of returning home for years, but when he does, half his family is dead, it's not the Home he remembers. And when he finally comes home, his brother and mother died to save him, and he watched his Home fall apart as once again, someone died to save him (His Sentinel).
Well it's definitely tragic for both... but it feels like 100% tragic in Rodrik's case, while 50% tragic and 50% anti-climatic in Asher's case
As I said, it's like: Hey mum (oh wait you're dead) I'm finally home (oh wait it's destroyed) :-/
Well at least I got to bond with--oh wait no I didn't
I guess that's a good reason for Telltale to have kept him alive against all likelihood, so that at least some of that kind of thing can happen with Talia and Duncan/Royland next season.
I agree about what you mean about the interaction and stuff. But in my opinion, the Asher playthrough would give more color to the next season. When I was in the verge of choosing whether to choose Asher or Rodrick, I was practically torn. I liked Rodrick: he was the "True Lord" model, he had more connection to us (since obviously there was more sentimental stuff with him than Asher before the choosing between them) but I thought what was in the line. Yes, Rodrick has the abilities. But what can he do with his capped capabilities? He's limped and he can't fight. And the ability to fight is obviously a very important factor in a war, also considering that they were running out of numbers. My inner self told me, "Sacrificing his life for his little brother and for his House is the most honorable thing he can do now." Additionally, we haven't seen Asher as much as we've seen Rodrik. It would be pathetic to kill him off when he had only showed up a couple of times and we weren't able to know him much more. Also, Asher as Lord would signify a new age for the Forresters. An age which would earn them the justice they deserve in season 2.
@Drei14 Asher got shot in the leg, while Rodrik healed pretty good. With Rodrik being able to fight again and Asher being wounded they wanted to tell us they are now on the same level. Apart from that Rodrik was able to beat Gryff and 2 other soldiers or Ludd in combat and was still able to kill Harys after this fight. I think he has proven that he can still fight. And thats why many people call him Rodrik the Unbreakeble or something like that. But all your other points are definetly valid. I wanted to save both, Rodrik would be the better Lord since he was prepared for this his whole life and Asher would have been something like the highest soldier who motivates the others and lead them into battle. But this Whitehill ambush made everything different and people had to chose one of them. And because of that there are so many discussions about which one of them should survive, which kinda leads to disliking one brother
You got a point. Asher was practically 'tortured'. The moment I chose him to say, "Iron from Ice", I was afraid an arrow would slit his throat. But thank God, that didn't happen. But maybe Asher would also heal much faster since his body is already used to shit or something. (This is just me hoping he'll be fine)
Hmmm.. Well, I can't really agree with the 'disliking' part. The thought that I haven't been able to save Rodrik made me miss him. I was more inclined in his character now than before. Don't mistake my words from my previous comment that I was degrading Rodrik, I was simply pointing out one of my reasons why i chose asher to live.
Rodrik is my "canon" ending.
Rodrik is unkillable.
Everyone is starting to feel he's made of Iron at this point.
Why the hell would Asher have a specific interaction with Eleana pending a war that's right outside the gates? Seriously, what's the point? As someone already said, "They simply didn't have the time and peace" for bonding/orgies and it wouldn't fit the setting at the time. Asher asking Talia "err, so yea long time no see. how your grades lookin?" is so out of place it makes no sense.
I didn't get the same feeling as you did from my Asher playthrough.
It sounds as if this is how you would've liked interactions with Asher and the house to go:
Asher walks through ironrath gates
Lady Forresster: ASHHHER
Talia: BIG BROTHER
Asher: Family I've missed you so much!
Dialogue options come up
A: Ask them how they've been
X: Have anal sex with Elissa
B: Have anal sex with Royland because he spoke highly of you in Episode 1
Y: Have anal sex with Talia cuz family
Without these options OP finds it difficult to believe Asher would care to see his house fall.
Why specifically anal?
Rodrik Forrester 'The Iron man' ,Vassal to house Stark ^^
Because he spent a lot of time in Essos
lel
lol wtf
I was disappointed in this as well. It definitely felt rushed. I loved Asher's story. But there was no acknowledgement by his family when he returned (it was as if he'd been around for a while) and I would especially have liked to see more between Gwynn and Asher... I mean they were supposedly in love once and hadn't seen each other in a long time and I didn't real feel any of that, even if I still went that route to lock in the "exiled lord returns to lead his house + forbidden love" story. Oh well. Now getting excited for a take no prisoners Rodrik + backstabbing viper Mira playthrough.