I have come into the possession of exactly 41 points of Fate. Since I am Seeking … something, and have no reason to believe I will survive that Search, I intend to spend my Fate sooner than later. But I am not sure which story it shall be. I previously invested in Secrets Framed in Gold, and in reacquiring the soul I had … misplaced. I felt both of those stories to be very much worth it (though I believe a certain Repentant Forger may disagree; I do feel sorry for what I had to do to him). But, what next? The Blemmigan Affair, The Gift, or maybe the Empress’ Shadow? Or do I acquire four more Fate, and have so many more options to utterly fail to choose from?
What do you think, my friends, where should my Fate fall?
Of those three options, I’d recommend The Gift as it has the most story to offer. The Blemmigan Affair is fun but fairly forgettable, with the main attraction being the unlocks. The Empress’ Shadow has a good story, but the main story is rather short, with most of the appeal being the permanent carousel unlocked.
I’ve used the Empress’ Shadow carousel a bunch, since for some 10 or so actions you can get a full opportunity deck, have a chance at a favour, and 12.50 in items. Not the most profitable on its own but when you’re just waiting on one friggin card it can speed up the process a bit.
The Gift is definitely my favorite, story-wise. The end reward is another way to get cheap Docks favours or some Making Waves.
Blemmigan Affair is fun, has a lot of different ending rewards.
I’d definitely argue that the [better] Exceptional Stories are a lot more interesting, lore wise. Rewards are generally a solid 62.50 item, in my experience. If you’re looking for a fun ES, I’d highly recommend the 12:15 from Moloch Street (murder on the Orient Express but with a Devilish flavour) or The Persona Engine (really cool stuff going on). I still haven’t played about 2/5s of the stories, but those were my personal favorites of the ones I have played. edited by JainaEgo on 4/15/2018 edited by JainaEgo on 4/15/2018
The exceptional story Where You and I Must Go, provided you make a clearly signposted inadvisable decision, is considered to be Seeking lite. (The story is very good if you don’t make that decision, too.)
That’s a good one, yeah. I didn’t have a ship at the time so Zailing was very frustrating.
Our Lady of the Pyres is pretty neat, too (Zailing involved, again). Get to mess around with some cults, a lady with animescence, and a devotee of the Dawn Machine.
I did "Where You and I Must Go" with my main character after I’d been Seeking with my alt for a while, and I’d say that "Where You and I Must Go" does reflect the flavour of the last stages of Seeking. If you really like this ES, you might enjoy Seeking more than you would otherwise have imagined. If not, the story gives you a glimpse of what you’re passing up by not Seeking.
Thank you all for your responses. I should say that I care much more for story than for rewards, carousels and the like. There’s a lot of voices for Where You and I Must Go, of course, but I have to admit The 12:15 from Moloch Street sounds quite interesting too. Will have to think about it some more, I suppose.
That is also an excellent story! One advantage it has over Where You and I Must Go is that it gives you a chance to catch a glimpse of Hell, which I don’t believe happens anywhere else in the game.
I would also recommend The 12:15 from Moloch Street over Where You and I Must Go. The latter got mixed feedback when it launched, mostly because of the zee voyages and action sinks breaking up the flow of the story, while the former was pretty unanimously well-received.
Agreed. The only point I was addressing in my prior comment was the remark that Where You and I Must Go is "Seeking lite." It’s really more like Seeking Ultra Lite or Seeking: the Commercial, but in general some of the scenes have the same suicidal/homicidal flavor as Seeking. I found that only the part of WYAIMG that takes place at Avid Horizon (the Seeking-ish part) was interesting; the rest didn’t particularly appeal to me. But 12:15 From Moloch is exciting and Different all the way through.
Thank you all for your comments. Since I am already Seeking, I do not think I will need Seeking: the Commercial, so I am definitely favouring The 12:15 now. But of course I made the mistake of reading the brief descriptions of all Exceptional Stories now, and there are a few more that I am curious about.
Hojotoho! (I have always had a soft spot for the urchins.)
The Century Exhibition.
Cut with Moonlight.
The Factory of Favours.
Can anyone of you elucidate on those? Much appreciated.
Cut with Moonlight mostly, er, shines a little light on Mirrorcatch Boxes, and the criminal business you see in Sunless Sea. There’s some vague something something about an alternate London.
Hojotoho is about urchins trying to do charity instead of crimes. It is quite straightforward if you like fuzzy stories.
The Century Exhibition is Sunless Skies: the Commercial.
The Factory of Favours is a pleasant story if you like Clay Men, but it is very low-key.
Lost in Reflection is very well received and a good bit more intense than the other ES if you are going to pick only one, too.
Did only Factory of Favours of your list and it was least impressive through 5 ESs I’ve played. Despite L.B.s and claymen involved there are neither interesting plot nor lore nor drama in it. But the ending text was good! Although this story is required to get a finishing of 2018 winter season which is great, and other two stories of a trio are also great. edited by curtistruffle on 4/18/2018
Of all the ESes, the ones that stand out most to me are Lost in Reflections, The Frequently Deceased, The 12:15 From Moloch Street, HOJOTOHO!, Cut with Moonlight, The Calendar Code, and The Final Curtain.
Once again, thank you all for your valuable input, delicious friends. After much further deliberation I have settled on the 12:15 from Moloch Street. Though I am keeping your remarks in mind should I decide to invest in another story before my time in London comes to an end.