#and erissa's idles look SO cool!

[thecedarchronicle]

I played through the new beginning of the game and I have to say it's much better than I was afraid it was going to be. I like the angle of MC first discovering another side of Jorvik through the Moon Circle, it feels like a good introduction. Especially since it happens right after you create the first connection with the canonical soul steed!

Except - what's the deal with seeing the Soul Riders right out the gate? I understand wanting to introduce your new players to the main characters as soon as possible, and maybe I am put off since I'm already familiar with them, but it just seems way off. Why is Lisa taking complete beginner classes at Moorland when she's already learning under Herman at Jorvik Stables? Why are all five of them so keen on befriending this random kid? I'm glad they didn't introduce more NPCs to immediately abandon but it doesn't feel like the right fit. Also, am I missing something? Why is Maya the instructor? Isn't she a stable girl trying to save up to start taking riding classes?

I'll be clear I don't want this to sound like I'm bashing on SSE. I really really like the new start of the game. I think it's a much gentler introduction and in general a way better tutorial. I actually feel like I know why the MC is here and what's going on, and as a result immediately feel way more grounded in the story. I just think their choice of characters did them a disservice.

I'm no professional writer, but I think it would have been really cool if Maya was the student learning with us. She could even be the person sharing the cabin with MC. Give MC and Maya a chance to bond as the "newbies" and become friends during the first day, and you immediately have a good reason as to why the MC would be invited into the Soul Riders' group.

Maybe the next day, after having a strange dream, Alex comes and visits Maya, and when you approach them to start the day, you overhear snippets of the conversation they didn't really intend for you to hear --- something about Dark Riders following Anne to France, and hopefully she's safe, or that Lisa just got back from tour, but she's not responding to any of Alex or Lisa's texts, asking Maya maybe Lisa's done with all the magic and danger?

Or maybe MC mentions something they see in their dream that Maya recognizes. MC overhears Maya mentioning it to Alex and realizes these two girls know way more than they let on, and later MC follows them to eavesdrop and gets the drop on the two of them + Linda saying some really incriminating stuff about the druids and Aideen, and once they realize MC is there, they finally give an explanation. It would give MC some more agency in the story, too. Instead of being told to "go here with me and you'll be given answers" MC decides to explore the underbelly of this place themselves.

Although. A really cool thing. Would be if you advanced along the main story to get to the druids and they admit to you that Fripp or whoever sensed a huge energy shift and realized someone of huge power had arrived on the island, and you find out that the entire first couple of days on Jorvik all five of them were just doing this huge undercover operation on you to figure out what your deal was. Because if I was a new player and wasn't familiar with SSO's brand of storytelling I would have been so suspicious of them the entire time.

#sorry for the long post i had a few thoughts #all in all i really like it though! #i was worried over the pictures i saw of the dream sequence but i am relieved it was a dream and not like. the apocalypse happening #it was a really sick sequence too #SSE really really outdid themselves #and erissa's idles look SO cool! #also seeing justin + anne without her scars was so cute #ssoblr #star stable