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.
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Pete: Shameful.
Helena: Say another word, Peter.
Pete: I have four for you: Full. Of. Shame. Wait...
Helena: Everyday he finds new and exciting ways to annoy me.
Myka: I told you to think long and hard about it before you ever came back.
Helena: Let's just say I had my reason and leave it at that.
Pete, laughing: Long and hard.
Claudia: Can we not encourage him so early in the morning. I'd like to be able to keep my breakfast down today.
Pete: H.G. is the one who keeps setting her room on fire, like we don't already know she never sleeps in there anyway.
Myka: Whatever you think you know, you don't.
Pete: Mykes, even if the walls weren't as thin as they are, you have broken the Univille noise ordinance every single night since that woman has been back.
Abigail appears.
Myka: I swear to god, Pete.
Steve: Every single night.
Claudia: The walls are so very thin.
Abigail: And the warehouse echoes.
Abigail pats Myka's and Helena's heads, then reaches for a bagel.
Myka: Abigail!
Abigail: What? I thought we were sharing.
Myka: Helena?
Helena: I take it as quite the compliment, actually.
Helena proudly sips her coffee.
Myka: Oh my god. Goodbye to all of you and especially you, person who is definitely not sleeping in my room tonight.
Myka leaves, glaring at Helena.
Helena: What did I do?
Abigail sits in Myka's chair.
Pete: Think you burned your room down a little too soon this time.
Abigail: Nonsense. She just did it for the chase.
Everyone looks at Helena.
Abigail: Are you not going to chase her?
Helena: As though I am some desperate scoundrel who so longs for intimacy that I'd allow myself to be lured in by acts of emotional manipulation?
Claudia: Right, no. Of course not. You? Hah!
Steve: That's definitely not a lie. Sarcasm font.
Claudia: Don't say sarcasm font.
Steve: Why not? It's funny.
Claudia: We all know it's sarcasm.
Abigail: Your loss, boss.
Pete: Shameful.
Everyone goes back to what they were doing.
Helena taps her fingers against the wood of the table nervously.
Helena: For the record.
Helena stands.
Helena: I dislike all of you.
Helena leaves.
Steve: She was definitely not lying that time.
Claudia: Ah, she'll get over it as soon as she sees Myka's gorgeous greens.
Abigail: If anybody's curious to know, the floor here is also thin.
Pete: Swabs in, ma'boys.
Everyone reaches into their pockets and pulls out ear buds, ear plugs and cotton swabs. Shoves those into their ears. And returns to their breakfast.
Their newspapers.
Their minding of ones own business.
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continued first allergy livetweet:…
… ok so its mostly calmed down but my nose was tickling so much for the next hour and i had to talk to people and kept almost hitching.??
like i said i literally. rubbed my fingers w pollen on my nose on purpose to see if im actually allergic and. guess i am it sure felt like it (my eyes and nose felt so weird) but i didn’t actually sneeze
but. i remembered. ive been taking a low dose of an antihistamine (atarax) for anxiety. i…. wonder how it would go without taking that.
i did induce once in the bathroom and. i couldnt stifle it agh and the itch is just worse now
um. anyway. locust tree pollen. will have to keep that one in mind.
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i remember being brought up christian like, almost concerned that i never felt a connection to any of the shit they were talkin about,
and when i was younger i was like "oh no! am i bad for not feeling connected to god?? is it bad i feel like my dead mom doesnt talk to me or watch over me?? am i horrible for pretending?????"
but turns out i just had Autism Powers that made me immune to it and i was able to completely sever myself from the idea of being Christian at the ripe old age of like 13. and it was such a HUGE comfort to see that there were all these other beliefs and spiritual sort of things that other people chose to believe in and didnt necessarily treat their beliefs as COLD HARD UNDENIABLE FACT the way christians treat the existence of god & heaven & hell
like now that i am older i know i was in fact traumatized by the culturally catholic beliefs my family held & forced on us all, but i am really immensely grateful that my child self looked at all the other aspects of christianity that would horrify most other children into behaving/conforming, and basically just went, "okay, source?"
and that was the end of that
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