New Newgate Prison. A reflection.

I have been to New Newgate prison a few times in my time in Fallen London. As far as I’m concerned it’s the most annoying of all the menace areas. It’s boring, unchanging and tedious. Almost all the actions give one point of change to your freedom so all my trips there are way longer then I would like.

Getting out of there is a pain to. I don’t know if you can bribe multiple times. I assume when you use an item it gets rid of the whole stack. There just seems to be no sense of progression in New Newgate. No new options unlock when you return there. It’s mechanically the same as when you first arrive. Expect now there’s no list of daring escape plans to choose from. Just the tedium of waiting for your enviable release.

I understand the reason for making the Prison so boring. Your trying to punish us. All the places of menace are there to punish us. One only gets sent to one of these god forsaken places for not following the rules of the game. Though none of them are permanent and most only take around twenty actions to escape they feel as though they drag on forever…

What I suggest is just make the Prison a tad less boring. Maybe add a new story, some new cards, better bribe options. You’ve changed the cost of the side street items to reflect the new item conversion system. Why not add some new options for higher level characters in that vein. Letters to the Governor that use Incendiary gossip to show you mean business. Have you gang of hoodlums raise hell on the outside to show how bad of an idea your incarceration was. Remind them of your triumphs in the name of justice, such as slaying Jack of Smiles, solving the rubbery murders and so on. Maybe just some cards reflecting your a person of some importance.

What I’m trying to say is that somewhere along the line I think you might have forgotten about where the story began. We all started scared and alone in a prison cell in New Newgate. Some lusting for revenge against a sworn enemy. Others wanting nothing more then to satiate there curiosity of the neath. All starting as nothing more then prisoners. All wanting nothing more then to be free. That first time you break out of New Newgate is special. It defines you in a way so many other actions pale to do in comparison. So I ask why are your consecutive visits to this place so much less interesting?

While you make some good suggestions about newer options that take into account the shifting landscape of the game at large, I will point out that it does strike an odd chord that the fundamental complaint is that “being sent to prison is not enjoyable…”

I actually find it pretty decent.

Pick up the Repentant Forger Acquaintance. With the recent changes you can increase connected Criminals there as well.

You can bribe multiple times, though personally I just use the Guvnor(-3) and the -2 opportunity cards instead.

You can also keep the Prison Shiv on you for either an earlier escape or a quicker way back in for menace reduction.

I try and head back in whenever I hit 5 suspicion, using the Prison Shiv, Ragged Clothing and Prisoner’s Mask. Once in I take them off and put on the Workman’s Clothing to get out faster.

quite effective, keeps me comfortably between 5 and 1 Suspicion.

My complaint is not so much prison is miserable its that its unchanging. I know its supposed to suck, I mean its a prison. I just wonder why its so drastically unchanging?

My complaint is not so much prison is miserable its that its unchanging. I know its supposed to suck, I mean its a prison. I just wonder why its so drastically unchanging?[/quote]

As a deterrent, I guess. The price for Nightmares is losing your dreams: the price for Suspicion is losing your interest…

I really don’t see how it’s any worse than the other menace areas. All of the menace areas are fairly unchanging, I think the tomb colonies is the only one that has any stories attached to it. That said, I find the best way to deal with prison and other places of menace is simply to not go there in the first place. At 2 CP per action (One action from both you and your friend, to reduce your CP by 5 and raise theirs by 1), social actions are a very nice way to deal with menaces. There’s also cards that reduce menaces fairly well, and if you’re pursuing marks of credits, they can also advance “Counting the days”.

If you do get into prison, you’ll be pleased to hear that the bribery functions do NOT take the entire stack, and spending items is one of the fastest ways to get out. The same goes for the tomb colonies, except you can use connections there too (Including duchess, which has little use elsewhere). Though, the boat is NOT this case, as the fastest way is rather to get your watchful in just the right spot (Use gear to manipulate it) so playing chess with the boatman is easy (Once you pass a certain point, you jump up a tier in difficulty. Trick is to have a Watchful stat right BEFORE this).

yeah, I think as long as you have some sort of plan to manage the menace you should be fine.

really not sure which way is the best way, but Prison isn’t bad if you boost on in with your AP at zero.

Increased odds of getting the 3-2 CP cards and escape cards.

You make more frequent trips, but overall you spend less time, as you enter with increased odds.

Working off the full 35 CP would be hard, but 14 CP is far simpler.

Is the “Confound the Constables” option in spite not available at higher levels? It seems to be at least 3cp reduction, likely much more. (It’s still available at 55)

I have intentionally taken myself back to prison because I read that it is the only way to pick up the acquaintance with the repentant forger. Is he on an opportunity card I just need to wait for? Does anyone know if I’m going to need to sit and flip for a while, or should he be along shortly?

He’s an opportunity card. Don’t recall it taking too long.