I have to say, I’m completely in love with Moulin, concept and execution. This last year was such a huge treat for me, and now we’re delving even deeper into Neathy lore…
Delicious!
And I also appreciate that we’re having increasingly more contact with the more insectlike members and features of our friends the devils. Seems like they might perhaps be ones less enfranchised in the entire "Hellish revolution" business…
[quote=Aro Saren]
And we are given several equal options of statue to ourselves this time. Touche. edited by Aro Saren on 1/21/2021[/quote]
They’re not really equal, though, are they? Based on the descriptions, I mean.
I have a dilemma - for personal and RP reasons, I’d love to build a statue of Clio the Muse, but I’ve been on such a nice streak of statue-based narcissistic self-aggrandizement…
I’ve gotten down to 0 supplies. If you have less than 3, then a storylet shows up to let you either scrounge (gaining wounds) or convince your team to soldier on (gaining resentment). I don’t think there are penalties beyond being forced to play those options to progress.
So the main limiting factor is probably wounds/disgruntlement. I actually wonder if the “optimal” expedition strategy is to run alllll the way out and force-march back with Disgruntlement. I also don’t know whether repeatedly building disgruntlement has compounding effects.
I will note that both of those options require Moulin: Returning to play, so if you run out of supplies and haven’t turned around you’re probably forced to do that.
It also doubles the number of actions to reduce distance, so it probably significantly reduces overall EPA. The question is whether the total reward would still be worth it…
Also, sad about the hand size not being based on lodgings, but that would have been pretty OP.
While monographs are funny, I would expect some restrictions on what you can spend for each thesis. It freaks me out when I write about '68 Campaign using evidence only from the 1st city traces. It’s like my university thesis all over again, where it was accepted because noone really understood my field of research…
And actually selling them is unexpectedly boring. Especially if you do not care about epa. edited by Aro Saren on 1/21/2021
I have to say, I really enjoy the Moulin expeditions. I think I’m predisposed to like anything called an "Expedition," but I think it captures the feeling of being alone in unfriendly territory. The only complaint I have mechanically is that it’s an action sink, but that’s it’s meant to be a significant undertaking rather than a quick jaunt so I’m ok with that.
It combines the feeling expeditions with the mechanics of Heists, my other favorite "classic London" activity, while sprinkling in the newer mechanical flavors of preparation, side characters, and variable reward value. And I think the sum of it is an experience that captures the tension of exploring inhospitable territory. Plus the encouragement to test your limits and suffer the consequences. Right now I suspect the optimal approach is to march out to the end of your supplies into the wasteland, and then have half your team die of starvation and hazards on the way back because you bull-headedly chose treasure over safety. Which, y’know, that’s what I’m here for.
It was the snap-gap which made me realize why this whole thing tugged at my memory. Violating the cordon of a death-zone that was established by unknown remote powers to explore and loot while avoiding unknowable hazards that defy the very laws of physics, and whose treasures are given value by that very same disregard of natural law? Why, that can’t be anything other than Stalker, the classic Soviet sci-film by Andrei Tarkovsky! (Or, possibly, the Ukrainian first-person shooter STALKER: Shadow of Chernobyl, which is loosely based on the film. Both centrally feature throwing nuts & screws ahead of you to verify that wherever you’re about to set food is a place where objects still hit the ground.) Memories of that movie bring in a mood of isolation and desolation which enhances the game experience.
[quote=PSGarak]
It was the snap-gap which made me realize why this whole thing tugged at my memory. Violating the cordon of a death-zone that was established by unknown remote powers to explore and loot while avoiding unknowable hazards that defy the very laws of physics, and whose treasures are given value by that very same disregard of natural law? Why, that can’t be anything other than Stalker, the classic Soviet sci-film by Andrei Tarkovsky! (Or, possibly, the Ukrainian first-person shooter STALKER: Shadow of Chernobyl, which is loosely based on the film. Both centrally feature throwing nuts & screws ahead of you to verify that wherever you’re about to set food is a place where objects still hit the ground.) Memories of that movie bring in a mood of isolation and desolation which enhances the game experience.[/quote]
Actually it’s based on a book "Roadside Picnic" by Soviet authors Strugatskys, of which both film and game are adaptations. The whole thing with "bring a crapload of artifacts to a shanty-town living by selling it to scientists and even having a slap-dash institute, then brave the deepest part for the most unknown crap" is much closer to the book than to that mostly plotless garbage by Tarkovsky.
So far - no. It’s called "Altered, somehow", it goes at least up to 5, and that’s all that we know. edited by Aro Saren on 1/22/2021
Dangerous/Watchful options are locked, if related stat is maxed
Something Nacreous gave me 4 x Knob of Scintillack, 250 x Moon-Pearl, 1 x Certifiable Scrap, restarted Altered, Somehow and increased story quality "Number of completed alterations" by one.
Here’s the Breath of the Void result, for the curious. I do appreciate how I felt somewhat over-prepared in terms of high value Cover items only to find I actually JUST prepared enough on top of still needing to do the Cartographer’s Hoard grind and requiring an item that either requires Fate or participation in high end banditry.
I can only imagine what you could spend the Secret College on…
Hot take, but as you do more Expeditions, it should increment the number of people you can bring with you. Maybe increase the total to 3once you’ve done seven of em. edited by Deathjack999 on 1/22/2021
[quote=PSGarak]
It was the snap-gap which made me realize why this whole thing tugged at my memory. Violating the cordon of a death-zone that was established by unknown remote powers to explore and loot while avoiding unknowable hazards that defy the very laws of physics, and whose treasures are given value by that very same disregard of natural law? Why, that can’t be anything other than Stalker, the classic Soviet sci-film by Andrei Tarkovsky! (Or, possibly, the Ukrainian first-person shooter STALKER: Shadow of Chernobyl, which is loosely based on the film. Both centrally feature throwing nuts & screws ahead of you to verify that wherever you’re about to set food is a place where objects still hit the ground.) Memories of that movie bring in a mood of isolation and desolation which enhances the game experience.[/quote]
The Clatterwaul and the Quandary cards are also quite Stalker-like. In fact, the Bandaged Navigator is particularly similar to the titular Stalkers of both book and film fame: Fallen London
Another testament of the FBG’s delicious literary, historical and cultural understanding. The sophisticated and elegant way they’re handling such topics and references is possibly the greatest reason why I love both the game and the company so much.
Roadside Picnic is definitely worth reading, and I agree that Moulin is much more similar to this setting than the film’s. The fact that this is actually a former battlefield, and the central authorities are trying to keep us out, however, are perhaps closer to Tarkovsky’s motives.
At any rate, while the film does not have a plot very much like the Picnic, it has strong atmosphere and exceptionally good and well-written characters and contains some of the strongest philosophy to be found in Tarkovsky’s movies, regarding the roles of art, science and faith in our worldview. Plus, actually, the characters are quite FL-like, as fleshed-out bearers of viewpoints and philosophical differences. The could easily be named e.g. the Cynical Artist, the Obsessive Scientist and the Haunted Stalker (not mentioning the Selfless Wife).
The preferences are of course quite subjective, and may also depend on whether you’ve read the book or seen the film first. At least we surely can agree that the game, while atmospheric and possessing some interesting thoughts, is quite vacuous by comparison to both Strugatskys’ original and Tarkovsky’s loose adaptation.
Oh, and the Alteration is an interesting mechanic. Pity that the Fate-locked option still costs so much for (presumably?) giving the Peculiar Enhancement, considering its fleeting nature… edited by Sir Reginald Monteroy on 1/22/2021
Actually, in the book it was a lost battlefield too - Earthian forces tried to complain about said picnic and were swatted. And authorities were keeping the people out at the time of the book.
Although, I think there’s a seasonal fad on that stuff currently, or someone at FB likes to watch anime - “Urasekai Picnic” is another take of this season on said book.
And I have another complaint: not only we cannot expand our team, the distance to the dig stays the same too, no matter the route. Although with Wellspring revelation that last bit is strangely justified, it’ still grating.
Haha, I still haven’t gotten to moulin, because I’ve had, now, 5 board meetings for dividends over the last few days? Last week’s meeting, new meeting using the bureaucratic advantage since I hadn’t built moulin, Time the Healer gave me a new meeting AND another bureaucratic advantage, plus one more using the re-architect the station option.
One of these days I’ll leave the boardroom and actually get to this awesome-sounding station…
