The poor starveling cat didn’t see this coming… but I guess that, of all your means, it was the only one able to retaliate and wound the little devils a little bit. And the story you tell them, of course.
But I didn’t think anything could ever get the better of the cat, or even be on par with it. Congrats to these kids, they’re real monsters. Probably future psychopaths as well.
edited by Emain Ablach on 2/27/2016
I say, did anyone else wish there was option to introduce this matrons "little darlings" to your connected to The Urchins 20 or higher and let the professional juvenile delinquents handle these amateur little monsters? "Madam, I recommend you teach your children to play with matches…for the betterment of Fallen London’s future…" A. Belfort, Now a confirmed misanthrope…
I really enjoyed this story. I feel like I was deliberately given an opportunity to see "behind the scenes" of Fallen London when it came to talking to servants: Who cleans the mirrors at Mrs. Plenty’s carnival? What’s it like to work in a honey den? What’s it like to work in the Shuttered Palace?
What horrifying forms would Victorian contempt for the servant class take in a city where death is temporary, and do the revolutionaries- who more often use the awful conditions of the poor as a fiery talking point- do anything to help?
I liked this story because it showed us what life in London is like for people who are not Of Importance. I think my player character, who could easily have ended up a servant, needed the reminder.
I also sense foreshadowing!
[spoiler]I’m wondering if the eldest child might become a future member of the Calendar Council. I don’t have a solid reason to believe that, other than revolutionaries end up being a part of the story, and the eldest mentions something about building bombs.
By the way, did anyone choose to answer the family in a child-friendly way, and get the letter for the governess… and open it? I delivered it directly, but now I’m curious about what it might have said.[/spoiler]
edited by Lamea Lawless on 2/27/2016
edited by Lamea Lawless on 2/27/2016
edited by Lamea Lawless on 2/27/2016
Great story.
Just finished it. The Exceptional Stories are getting better and better! And I gotta say, I really enjoyed the rewards for this one ;)
I registered for the forums just to say how much I enjoyed playing this one. With its multiple locations and uses of various items, it really felt well-integrated into the universe. The characters were sympathetic, and that "the children would appreciate entertainment now" occurrence was like a tolling of a bell of doom. Zero-action dialogue really helps add atmosphere. The single plot niggle I had was that it wasn’t entirely clear to me why there was a particular demand for the services of the institution encountered. Why would people care to pay for what they had to offer?
My only regret is that I apparently didn’t pick up every bit of story in the city. And I neeeeeed to know what happens if you deliver the letter.
I’m waiting on the opportunity card to finish things off, but I had a while of a time with this. I like things that focus on simple mundanity, rather than constantly having ludicrously high stakes all the time, and it feels at home in London. Everything added to the eldritch nature of the world and how that tied into the lower class of the world, which is wonderful.
It’s ace, gentlemen. It’s top bloody notch.
Question about the opportunity card mentioned:
I took the ending which had the eldest give me a letter for the governess. However, I’ve seen no indication of anything to DO with that letter. Is the opportunity card regarding this? Is that simply the end of the story?
You know, ol’ MN is a bit esoteric for the work these days, but there was a time when my character would have loved and been EXCEPTIONALLY qualified for a position with the Triple Orpheus…
I think its 75 to get out if you draw the card, and at 100 it just boots you out.
[quote=aertew]I choose to give the truth for the children, but has anyone chosen the harsh lie option?[/quote]I did! Here is the echo. In exchange, does anyone have the letter’s content?
Anyway, I really loved this story. Going around and speaking with different people was a lot of fun! I didn’t even knew I have servants. Would be interesting to know something more about them, or even hire different kind of servants. Maybe they are our more humanlike Companions? I’d like to chat with them. I also liked the interaction with the children, and the new ‘choose an item’ mechanic.
The only part that left me slighty confused was the final flash lay, because I didn’t completely understand my role and objective, but that’s probably because I was playing at work and I was sleepy. I’ll probably replay the storylet sooner or later, so I’ll see.
Overall, a really good work!
edited by Zeroebbasta on 2/27/2016
Emily Short! I was coming here to say how much I was enjoying the story and now I’m entirely unsurprised - I’m not very deep into the world of Interactive Fiction but that is the one name I do know. Loved the Atlantis word-gun game.
See this recent clarification from Chris:
http://community.failbettergames.com/topic21842-a-flash-lay-some-revisions.aspx#post132928
Basically, when your Progress reaches 75 you can complete the Flash Lay by playing the right card.
But if you’re unlucky and don’t have that card, then the Flash Lay will automatically end when your Progress reaches 100.
I liked this story. It wasn’t as intense as the previous ones and allowed us to investigate a more mundane but frequently overlooked part of Fallen London. Just because there are cosmic mysteries everywhere, doesn’t mean that normal human ambitions and dreams are stopped.
[quote=Zeroebbasta][quote=aertew]I choose to give the truth for the children, but has anyone chosen the harsh lie option?[/quote]I did! Here is the echo. In exchange, does anyone have the letter’s content?
Here is the letter’s content.
Pros:
+A dip into servants’ life (including your maids), enriching the flavor
+Mysterious story, pretty well-written, with some interesting characters
+Sense of humor (especially when playing with the children)
Cons:
-The investigation part is too long, maybe a bit distracting, the narrative pace could be better
-The theme of the story doesn’t stand out, I don’t really know what it wants to tell. Loyalty versus professional advancement? Importance of proper parenting? Family bonding between kids and governess?
-The final reward is not promising, considering the action cost, but that’s just a minor thing
Overall: 8.5/10. Definitely worth the money. I highly recommend the story to anyone who wants to get some tastes about the lives of servants and wish to know a secret employment agency.
edited by Lomias on 2/28/2016
My take: it’s not a heavily thematic work; it’s a glimpse into the lives of working-class Fallen Londoners, and those who would improve their lot, through the lens of the disappearance of one ambitious governess. It’s a documentary piece.
As I see it, this story is about desires, relationships and the lives of servants in Fallen London. And love, of course. It’s always about love. Any kind of love.
I loved this story.
But. PLEASE PLEASE, when a choice says “this will increase Steadfast” and I pick it on that basis, LET ME KNOW AHEAD OF TIME that it won’t actually - because I’m already at 12 - and will in fact reduce my carefully-hoarded Ruthless. That really made me bitter.
[quote=Ewan C.]I loved this story.
But. PLEASE PLEASE, when a choice says "this will increase Steadfast" and I pick it on that basis, LET ME KNOW AHEAD OF TIME that it won’t actually - because I’m already at 12 - and will in fact reduce my carefully-hoarded Ruthless. That really made me bitter.[/quote]
Does any choice increase quirks above 10?