It was the Masters who got us digging. The digging then stirred the Stone Pigs. That threatened London, so the Masters had to save it.
With their knowledge, the Masters kinda had to see this coming when they got us digging.
Am I the only one thinking that this whole thing was basically a PR stunt by the Masters in order to look good as saviours of the city? Initiating a natural disaster and then expecting to be celebrated for averting it seems in line with their weird way of thinking.
If not, then I’m at a loss as to what the point of the whole digging exercise would’ve been. It’s not like we found anything the Masters desperately needed, or did we?
Unless the Bazaar was so desperately unhappy and about to do something bad** they had to come up with something on the quick. In that case, well done I guess? Though I begin to actually feel bad for the Bazaar for being constantly duped into thinking something might come out of this experiment after all. Poor old lovesick crab.
**Take flight and leave them behind because they couldn’t fulfill their contract? edited by phryne on 7/29/2021
Much as I’d like to blame the Masters for everything, I don’t quite see it that way. To me it seems the business with the Stone Pigs’ dreams is what set this off. So snakes and cats are to blame. I think the Masters got us digging to fix it.
[quote=fishandchips]
Also, I do not like the new players vs old players differentiation for completing the ‘final’ quest. It should solely hinge upon your participation in the main activities of the event itself e.g. digging or feeding.[/quote]
Wasn’t the whole point of digging and feeding to differentiate the new players and the old players?
[quote=fishandchips]My stats were maxed but I was a fresh new POSI: no Laboratory, no Railroad, no ship. So I could only dig, and dig some more.
There was no way for me to build the device.[/quote]
Things have changed considerably since I last played FL. The writing is still exceptional, which is why I returned. The Clearing Out was interesting, but it left me wanting because I really didn’t understand what was happening in the story. If it weren’t for the forum and wiki, I’d have no clue what was going on. I got some nifty doodads and threads sure enough, but that’s not why I come here. If I had to do it over again as a return player with low stats and no status, I would not have invested so much of my very limited time digging, and just been content with buying scrip to cash in for those unique items. C’est la vie.
Thank you very much. Those echoes do indeed explain everything. I’m not quite sure I like the concept of a tiny percentage of players getting the full lore while everyone else is left guessing. Points for realism though ;)
And these are hilarious: "The timetable was accelerated considerably, outside of our control," says Pages. "By my calculations, Londoners sped up the rate of excavation by several orders of magnitude", mutters Pages, sullenly.
One more thing: could some kind soul please link me to the echoes from the bit with the dream and the Viscountess in the Viric Jungle? edited by phryne on 7/30/2021
Overall, I really dug the event. I do think Failbetter succeeded in creating the feeling of a "you had to be there" moment, particularly in regards to the ending. The additional carousels from the event are quite nice, and I especially enjoy the flavour of the spider symposium and the conflict under Old Newgate. Being able to experience the Bazaar’s dreams was a treat, so I’ll be sure to treasure my Sample of Lacreous Affection. The overall mechanics were good, but I do feel that everything got a bit rushed towards the end. Despite that, the event was a definite success in my book.
[quote=phryne]It was the Masters who got us digging. The digging then stirred the Stone Pigs. That threatened London, so the Masters had to save it.
With their knowledge, the Masters kinda had to see this coming when they got us digging.
Am I the only one thinking that this whole thing was basically a PR stunt by the Masters in order to look good as saviours of the city? Initiating a natural disaster and then expecting to be celebrated for averting it seems in line with their weird way of thinking.
If not, then I’m at a loss as to what the point of the whole digging exercise would’ve been. It’s not like we found anything the Masters desperately needed, or did we?[/quote]No, based on what I’ve seen, this is wrong. For once, the Masters actually weren’t the bad guys – the entire mess was pretty much the Viscountess’ fault, and the Masters were just cleaning up after her.
The point of the "Festival" was to fool Londoners into helping the Masters try and find the thing the Stone Pigs wanted before they did, in an attempt to head off the catastrophe. After that failed, the device was a last-ditch measure to put them back to sleep.
[quote=Toran]Oh wait, is this a Mr. Cards thing?[/quote]Yeah, they really spell it all out there. But even as a non-Master I found it pretty easy to piece the whole thing together, especially having seen the Viscountess thing in Parabola.
I think it was a few weeks back, right after the Masters’ announcement of ending elections "to prevent further tragedy", that I wrote in a Viscountess-related thread something along the lines of "She’s only gone and roused the bloody Stone Pigs, hasn’t she? No wonder the Masters are in a tizzy." So imagine my surprise when the earthquakes started. edited by Tsar Koschei on 7/30/2021
Yup, Mr Cards was privy to the masters real discussion. I haven’t even read the version that the other Londoners saw.
And for the record, the snakes have been stealing things from the Stone Pigs’ dreams for years. Sunless Sea had a whole quest to build an engine based on plans that the snakes stole from the pigs’ dreams.
[quote=PJ]And for the record, the snakes have been stealing things from the Stone Pigs’ dreams for years. Sunless Sea had a whole quest to build an engine based on plans that the snakes stole from the pigs’ dreams.[/quote]Be that as it may, it seems the snakes at least knew what they were doing, unlike a certain fleabag.
It was clear about the rest of the lore - but the Mr. Cards content is a lot to lay on top of it. That’s VERY specific, which doesn’t happen a lot in matters of love or the Bazaar.
Decently long time but silent player, popping in to give my two cents on the event. I greatly enjoyed all the event had to offer, and am more excited than ever about Fallen London going forward. The artwork has been lovely, the story snippets have been riveting, the exploration thrilling, and the comradery delightful and heart-warming. I’ll echo the critique about the later stages progressing rather quickly, and I hope that not too many players missed out on anything, but I’ll also admit that the increasing speed did help the feel of London suddenly dropping out from under our feet.
One particular tidbit I’d like to share, that I noticed just before the Master’s device was activated, is that even with only one day to rescue trapped and stranded civilians amidst the earthquakes we had managed to save over 600% of the expected amount! Surely with that many Londoners giving their assistance everyone that was in need had a choice of rescuers!
I also want to thank this thread here, both for tips on the best ways to get biscuits for the hungry diggers and the like, as well as consolidating the lore uncovered along the way. Each of you here deserves a pat on the back.
My one regret is that I had been thinking of making an alternate character for a while, and I should have made it at the start of the event; what fun would it be to have a backstory as a humble digger, before tumbling headlong into the Neath’s mysteries?
I am greatly looking forward to giving a thorough poking about into the newly opened holes now that the dust has settled. My two remaining questions though, are thus: What is the Theologian of the Old School going to do with all those brass-skulled skeletons, and what am I going to do with all these leftover biscuits?
I thought the whole thing was great, definitely the way forward for events. I don’t even really have the minor complaints others have voiced. The frenetic pace was exciting, but I was lucky in that I was able to dip in to the game at various points during each day, so I didn’t get left behind. I can see how it would be disappointing to find you had missed great chunks of the action through not being able to do that, though.
And the weird, confusing story that was only picked up in pieces and not by everybody? Well, I am used to FL lore being arcane and impenetrable, I guess. Often at the end of an ES I am left scratching my head and thinking ‘well, what the hell was that all about?’ I am no stranger to feeling utterly lost in FL lore.
I wholeheartedly want to agree with the aforementioned sentiments - this event was truly unique, wonderfully orchestrated and very, very enjoyable - a lot of Thanks and admiration to the creators!
yes, the timing might be a little tight - but it really managed to convey a certain sense of immediacy, urgency and dread.
yes, the different levels of possible involvement (due to your individual standing in the game) might have been slightly frustrating for many - but it was an attempt to create something that is involving and interesting for players of all stages (which is not that easy given the massive disparity of possibilities between early and late game) and I myself find it quite fitting if events of this scale are weird and confusing for new-arrivals in the Neath and amenable to influence if you have been around for quite some time.
yes, the lore was not presented for easy digestion - but is rarely is, and I am of the strong opinion that by now Failbetter Games is aware of and used to the many who like to collect and explore and combine and analyze and maybe in the end understand the greater whole in places like this one. so maybe it is sort-of a treasure hunt for the community. and in the end it was not too difficult for the hive-mind here to present the whole story.
what amazes me the most is the feeling of togetherness this event created. we as fellow Neath-citizens managed to avert impending doom, safe our [insert_emotion] city, give us all a future to continue to pursue whyever we are down here - and we managed that in a unique feat of shared efforts and resources. so much so that if even brought solitary and lonesome players like me out of hiding, instilled a need to communicate, to be part of this community. to at least once openly voice my thoughts … well here they are.
Overall I enjoyed this. I was confused at times and didn’t realise that the Dreams of Immobility gave more information (or would disappear so soon), thanks to all those who linked to the outcome.
Like the new equipment, some good stats for everyone.
Now to explore the new areas and catch up on some things I haven’t got around to - mainly Railway; Ambition and the new Zailing. So many things to do and choices to be made:)
I also loved the festival, especially because for me it made a splendid turn from "Hey, we just want to try out some new overarching features and maybe also introduce a few new places for grinding." to "Actutally, this will take you deep into Fallen London’s lore. Oh, and remember that new dream quality that came out of nowhere? Yes, that’s important now. Like, right now!" Very well done, Failbetter!
I have a theory to add, by the way (sorry if someone else already posted it). It contains a medium Sunless Sea spoiler, just so you know.
Could this "truffle" that the Stone Pigs seek be related to the Cladery Heart from the Cladery Heir’s questline in Sunless Sea? If I recall correctly, this ship was made from some kind of organ that the Cladery Heir’s mother had cut away from the Bazaar, to ensure that the Bazaar would stay below. I think the organ was described as an urge to travel on or so. For me, this sounds exactly like something that the Stone Pigs would want to have (or rather have back?).
So, what should we expect next? Next port, watchful gains, something else? I forgot the whole roadmap already.
And when? Next Tuesdat is a cut-off date for… something?