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An Exceptional Story: The Art of Murder

babelfishwars Administrator Posts: 1152 12/31/2015	A new sensation in Bohemian circles. Sharp knives. Deadly poison. Elaborate and rather impractical deathtraps. Murder has always featured in Fallen London, but never has it been so fashionable. The Art of Murder is the second story in the Heart’s Blood season. Play An Exceptional Story: Death from Above to begin. The Art of Murder is written by Gavin Inglis, writer of Hana Feels and Neighbourhood Necromancer. edited by babelfishwars on 12/31/2015 -- Mars, God of Fish; Leaning Tower of Fish
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Alexis Kennedy Posts: 1374 1/1/2016	Thanks for the feedback, all! As ever, we're listening. I do want to add a datum, though - Art of Murder, measured in number of branches, is a middle-of-the-road size for an EF story. It's bigger than Marsh-House, Court of Cats and Last Dog, and shorter than Lost in Reflections, Cut with Moonlight and Discernment. It only feels smaller than usual because Flint was so preposterously big.
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metasynthie Posts: 645 1/7/2016	If you're looking for a high ratio of "minutes of original entertainment" to "money spent," there are probably better "bulk experience" games than Fallen London, it's true -- but this particular flavor is very hard to come by. The Marsh House and Court of Cats just have a smaller number of branches than Art of Murder; they don't necessarily take less time or feel shorter. The Blemmigan Affair, on the other hand, is quite large in terms of branches because of all the random events in Bugsby's Marshes. But I doubt that part was the most memorable when compared to the events of that story which only took up one or two branches. Given that producing Flint-size stories might be ruinous, seeing as that one took many months, the most efficacious thing to do for those who want to see larger Exceptional Stories and more free content is to help FL grow. The larger the base of subscribers, the more cost-effective it is to put time into creating longer stories. Tell your friends; help test the mobile version; keep this small business going! edited by metasynthie on 1/7/2016 -- Positively antique http://fallenlondon.storynexus.com/Profile/metasynthie
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babelfishwars Administrator Posts: 1152 12/31/2015	Hello, I've taken a quick look at the reward, and am upgrading it. If you played that branch before I changed it (a couple of minutes ago), and want to upgrade your Direful Reflection to a Night-Whisper, send me a support ticket. The usual place, remember to give me your character name: support@failbettergames.com No one who plays after I've posted this should need to do this, as I've tweaked it in game already. - Olivia edited by babelfishwars on 12/31/2015 -- Mars, God of Fish; Leaning Tower of Fish
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Estelle Knoht Posts: 1751 1/1/2016	The one thing I really like is that it actually made Snuffer menacing without forcing the players to be at their mercy - usually, we just get to see the end result of a Snuffer stealing face and it is all sanitary like the Bishop who is all clean and hopeful sob sotry. Here, the difficulty of tolerating or accepting Snuffers become apparent when they ramps up the brutality of it by ripping the face of people in the same room as yours. Probably would've been better if we get to spend more time with the contest, though, and at least let us mingle a bit before. -- Estelle Knoht, a juvenile, unreliable and respectable lady. I currently do not accept any catbox, cider, suppers, calling cards or proteges.
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Nigel Overstreet Posts: 1220 12/31/2015	After what I did during the Soul Trade & Cheesemonger storylet, I've got more than a vial of murder's blood. I've got about 5 quarts of the stuff. -- The Romantic Egotist: Most Hedonistic Man in All of Fallen London Are you or someone you know Overgoated? Please, let me know! Cider Club
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Kukapetal Posts: 1449 1/1/2016	Loved it! The setup was darkly hilarious, the writing top notch, the judging mechanics fun and the twist as to the judges' role in the contest very creative and dramatic. Though I roleplay as a compassionate character, he is also quite violent and easily carried away and there was enough of a "voluntary" aspect to the contest (at least before the twist) that he wasn't too morally conflicted and was able to simply enjoy the mayhem. The second half was enjoyable too, although my poor character is always terribly pained by encounters with these particular creatures. He is very protective of them, yet here he is having to chase after one who is quite obviously villainous. Very engaging from an RP standpoint, and I liked the choices we were given at the end. In the end, my character made a choice that I feel was the wrong one, but was nonetheless consistent with his character. He tries to be good, but he is weak, and sometimes that weakness wins out. At least there is a chance that his quarry might sit down and think about what she did :P And, of course, nothing will ever change the fact that, no matter how many of these creatures my character spares or rescues, the one he loved is gone forever. That knife will never stop twisting. All in all, fun first half and a nail-biting second half that was meaningful from an RP standpoint. Nice work. There is, however, one thing that I felt could have improved this story: Split it in half and flesh each half out more. Here's why: [spoiler] I thought the first half, with the murder contest, was creative and engaging enough to stand on its own. It was fun, it was funny, it was interesting and the twist with the judges being the test subjects for the murder techniques was creative and put our character in enough danger to keep the story from just being silly fluff. I REALLY wanted to play the contest to the end. I wanted to see what other contestants came up with, I wanted to see what they were going to try to kill ME with, and how I was going to get out of this mess, and how the contest would proceed once all the judges were eliminated. I wanted to see how this whole thing worked and perhaps how I could influence it and in the end figure out what to do about it (shut it down? look the other way? let it continue as long as a few rules were enforced? gleefully join in the bloodbath?). In short, I felt like there could have been a whole story with just this setup alone and was a bit disappointed it got hijacked by the Snuffer plot. But I liked the Snuffer plot. and I feel like there could have been a whole story with just this plot as well. It would have been easy enough to simply have the Snuffer hijack another gathering in a different story, and then maybe flesh out the hunt more...making it take place all over the city with different challenges to grind seeking or on the hunt and lots of lore for a reward....or keep what lore we got and, like someone else said, put it BEFORE Flint as a prequel of sorts. And leave the whole part with the art of murder contest as a separate story to be played before or after the Flint-related series of stories (or perhaps in between them as a breather). I think this might have gotten the most mileage out of both (very worthy) concepts.[/spoiler] In the end though, this was a fun story and I definitely enjoyed playing it. Once again, excellent job! edited by Kukapetal on 1/1/2016
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Diptych Administrator Posts: 3493 1/8/2016	Spooky wrote: Honestly, if I were to recommend the subscription for anything at this point it would be for the action and opportunity cards and I'd end up saying, "Oh, and also you get another story once a month." I think you just answered your own question, so to speak. You've seen the Exceptional Stories so far - if they're not what you're into, then weigh up the value of subscribing based on the actions and cards. Our satisfaction doesn't invalidate your dissatisfaction, as you say, but the reverse is also true - just because you didn't like the stories doesn't mean they're sub-par product and inherently a bad deal. That's just the risk we all take when paying for something as subjective as a piece of fiction. (Speaking for myself, I'd say my favourites so far have been Cut With Moonlight and Lost In Reflections.) -- Sir Frederick, the Libertarian Esotericist. Lord Hubris, the Bloody Baron. Juniper Brown, the Ill-Fated Orphan. Esther Ellis-Hall, the Fashionable Fabian.
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TheThirdPolice Posts: 609 1/13/2016	If you're not a fan of the shorter stories, you can always skip Exceptional Friendship and make a late purchase of any stories that get a good community response. Or you could pay slightly more for a monthly subscription, get those same stories on time, get a larger action pool, get a couple normal House of Chimes stories, and get many additional monthly vignettes (if that's how you see them). Exceptional Friendship is a great deal for any frequent player, even if you only fall in love with every fourth or fifth story. edited by TheThirdPolice on 1/13/2016 -- Excessive Corpse & Tender to Irreal Ravens Lover of Flawed Souls And with especial pride, Worst Screwup of the Decade!
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Emain Ablach Posts: 348 1/1/2016	I didn't feel like this story was especially short, nor am I disappointed by the reward. I must say I don't understand when people complain about this part of a story, the reward is the story itself, what we discover, the emotions and feelings it gives birth to, no ? What I hope to get when playing such monthly stories are : bits of lore, interesting/touching choices and dilemma, touching characters (the one from The Art of Murder is such a character, even though we don't have much time to get used to him/her/it), surprising turns of event in the story and, sometimes, a unique item with a tasty flavour text when hovering over with the mouse. Art of Murder gives all that. For me, this story is a success, even with its end which feels a bit rushed. PS : I don't mean to criticize people who want bigger rewards or don't like the story. I just felt that I needed to add my opinion here, after what I read. ^^ edited by Emain Ablach on 1/1/2016 -- Went NORTH. Got salted. Never came back. We won't remember him. https://www.fallenlondon.com/profile/Emain%20Ablach
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Askebaske Posts: 25 12/31/2015	My comments (ALL SPOILERS): Positives: * High challenge (scaling?) checks made for far more interesting gameplay than the normal straightforward-fest. A huge improvement! * The investigation mechanic was interesting, with lots of interesting text. * The final showdown was steeped in horror in the best way. Negative: * The reward for the 'inspired' ending was a joke, honestly. While I normally don't give a damn about the EPA for exceptional stories, this was a days worth of actions for a very small payout, which made the overall experience a bit tamer. * Both of the trackers were poorly explained, and involved a lot of guesswork, which detracted from the overall experience. I might just be disillusioned by Flint, but I felt this was one of the weakest exceptional stories.
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Trodgmey Posts: 164 12/31/2015	As an Exceptional Story I don't have any qualms about the length. However... [spoiler] I'm at the end and I'm rather annoyed at my options. Compared to most Londoners, my character is a bit fusty, and despite the gifts of Stone is rather appalled by the whimsical treatment of death in the Neath, and both fights it and avoids it studiously. I've actually lost access to a number of stories because in the "resets" I reset things back a bit far, and the new arrangements are making my character go and kill for Mr. Inch in order to progress back into things like the Labyrinth, something he just won't do. So my gameplay is stuck with four options. Two are outright unacceptable -- Trodgmey came underground to stop this nonsense, not to perpetuate it. One solves the problem of a particularly warped Cousin, but requires death. One follows Trodgmey's morals, but lets the Cousin go. What Trodgmey really wants to do is apprehend this twisted freak and hand her over to his dear associate Sophia and her partner Soap. (AHEM FAILBETTER FOLKS MORE SOPHIA CONTENT PLEASE KTHXBYE) I suppose I'll have him let her go, but I'm not happy about it. [/spoiler] -- Trodgmey -- an otherwise pleasant chap with a peculiar obsession with the first four cities. http://www.fallenlondon.com/Profile/Trodgmey
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SamNorrey Posts: 41 1/1/2016	To me, this has been perhaps the best Exceptional Story so far, excluding Flint. But Flint is in its own category, I'd say. Perhaps it has been a bit shorter than usual, although I'm not sure. Most Exceptionals seem to consist of a prelude, in various places in London, and then the actual action, usually in a story-specific place, and once you get there, the story resolves quickly, to the tune of 10-20ish actions. This seems to fit this story as well. Maybe we were all spoiled by Flint regarding length. But, what I wanted to say was that I don't think this actual story would have been improved by extra length. I was quite taken by the atmosphere, and the dramatic pacing was exquisite. I was tempted to buy an extra candle to be able to continue, and could only resist by switching to my alt and starting the story there as well. And then I got to the end, and actually exclaimed after reading through my options, because I was emotionally torn at what to do. Then I made my choice, and was relieved to find that it was indeed fitting to my character, and enjoyed the hint of 'there may be another story behind this'. And then I felt that this has been a really good story, and one that made an emotional impact. And what else would there be to do after reaching the quarry? I mean, there could have some extra lore, a page or two worth of conversation, other consequences if choosing a certain ending, but they would have been difficult to balance between the ending choices (no one likes to be left out of lore), and they would have killed the mood. This was a macabre story with dark humour, thrill and a quick pace, where investigation slowly gathers speed, and once you step into the thick of it, there's no stopping until you reach the end. The way it is, you are confronted with your choice while still panting from the pursuit, and must decide there and then what to do. It's a climax, and either way, afterwards you climb back into the London su..., fog, end of the episode, roll credits. To keep the dramatic impact, you cannot let this emotional high point flatten out. The mechanics, though not 100% clear, seemed to fit the story nicely, especially the conversation topic changes during the chase. The Red Temptations seemed clear enough in the sense that "when my character makes choices that go with the theme, they get some kind of influence", but it still seemed more like a menace than something to actively pursue. Then again, Sam likes to play it on the more 'normal' side of the fence, and is more ethical than not, so that was alright too. Not knowing how the maze/pursuit works mechanic-wise didn't really bother me, in fact I believe it heightened the experience. But I can understand why people would be bothered: it often bothers me with one-shot content that I cannot read all of the options by selecting them one by one, or even more when I don't know if I can go through them, or if I choose one, I'll move past never to return. With normal content one can wiki, and know if this is the case, or even read (some of) the other choices, but with Fate content this is tricky. That's why it was such a nice move in the beginning that one could continue with the investigations even when they no longer made an impact, just to be able to see all options. And while we're there, my only actual complaint (joining others) is that having to repeat one investigation step to progress seemed to make no sense story-wise, and put me a bit out of pace. I don't see the reason for it mechanic-wise either, what with the explicit opportunity to repeat options. All in all, terrific story, great dramaturgy, loved the humour and the expanding lore of the Cousins. Let this be the poorest Exceptional Story of 2016 -- http://fallenlondon.com/Profile/Sam~Norrey
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Esurnir Posts: 10 1/1/2016	I enjoyed the story a lot. I feel a bit sorry for whoever wrote it because I assume the comment are based on the fact that "you're the story that came after the flit". The story that was two month worth of content, 3 different location only in the second month, 312.5 echo reward. It's like being the band that play after Michael Jackson. Now personally, I really enjoyed it, I took this story as an opportunity to play my character, it took an aspect of fallen london, murder, and turned it into an entertainment, I'm kicking myself over the fact I didn't record every entry into my journal, especially about the second contender. Maybe a suggestion about exceptional story from this point on in order to reduce the ammount of discontent could be to standardize reward "value" from exceptional story to avoid people being dissatisfied? Also 1 element of dawn looks way cooler as a reward than 62500 glim. Though it's a personal opinion but that might influence how people receive rewards. Now as far as mechanic goes : yes probably 3 clue should have been enough (less confusion). I personally had no problem with the chase because after all, it's the number, experienced players probably know by now how many progress they need to complete things :p edited by Esurnir on 1/1/2016
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Estelle Knoht Posts: 1751 1/2/2016	Xhavius wrote: Having just finished the story, I have to say that I was quite disappointed. Not in the inherent quality of each section, they were well-written and engaging. But frankly, I would have MUCH rather focused on a society enamored of baroque and elaborate murder than have that only be the first half. I personally was hoping to feel like I was potentially in an episode of Hannibal before the end, but the story went a different direction instead. Right off the bat the story's been sending messages about how the murder-chasers are mostly wannabes that can't beat anything but the truly harmless, though - the really elaborate murders are all done by the Snuffer herself, but she failed to attract anything she deems worthy. I mean there's a Vespertine mixed in, but even she's swiftly cut down soon after. And the fact that anyone can just half-ass it and be recognized as a connoisseur of murder simply by registering for Knife and Candle and did nothing beyond that says even more about the society. -- Estelle Knoht, a juvenile, unreliable and respectable lady. I currently do not accept any catbox, cider, suppers, calling cards or proteges.
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CaptainNemo Posts: 26 1/3/2016	My two fallen cents on the story: The writing was great, as usually, I had no problem figuring out where to go and what not. I felt more and more fidgety wondering if I was going to be murdered, which is a good thing. Then I felt really rushed in maze, wasn't sure if I would lose the snuffer if I kept on exploring options after I had reached the required amount...so I opted to just to end the story. I was also confused about using the items from the Flint, never saw any options regarding that, guessing that comes later. I also didn't understand the mechanic which gave more of that Red attribute...I actually wasn't even very sure what was going on when I received the attribute or why it occurred when it did? Suggestion: [spoiler] One thing I would've liked to see is the option to allow the snuffer to kill you (not perma-death of course) so she can complete her destiny. Not sure if declaring her the winner would satisfy that concept as I chose to kill her instead and declare myself the winner. While I don't particularly care about rewards, I can see how some might be underwhelmed by what I received. [/spoiler] edited by CaptainNemo on 1/3/2016 -- Meet me where the sunless sea meets the city...http://fallenlondon.storynexus.com/Profile/Villads
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Mordaine Barimen Posts: 670 1/4/2016	They are also appearing in places where a sense of urgency and a split-second decision by the playe ris not present, such as after getting the fourth clue to find the BOhemian clique. Having that launch itself in my face was quite unexpected, ultimately irrelevant, apparently, as you get nearly the same info no matter which choice you pick. And it breaks with FL's expected interface. Why, for Stone's sake, must I decide immediately with no opportunity to do anything else, how to get info out of some bohemian contacts? If I can wander away from discovering the route tothe Cave of the Nadir for months at a time, why is this so important that it must hijack my game and force me to act on it? And don't even get me started on the unclear need for four clues out of three sources. All of them point to Veilgarden and the third clue says that you are on the verge of a breakthrough. If another player hadn't warned me, I would have spent an unknown amount of time in Veilgarden looking for soem hidden option to continue the tale. that Must card with no warning was the last straw, actually, and I stepped away from teh story at that point because I was upset with the mechanics. I haven't touched it again yet, which is not somethign I can say about any other Exceptional Story so far, even the one I was terribly disappointed in. -- I'm sorry, but due to policy clarifications, I will no longer be giving detailed mechanics advice on the forums. If you still need help, try the IRC channel.
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RandomWalker Posts: 948 1/6/2016	Replay to The Duke of Waltham: [spoiler] But we know from The Face Trade that it is possible for you to be given someone else's face for a while. Think of it - the last-minute arrival of the Face Tailor / someone similar to give you a temporary face (a criminal, maybe?) and you rush around London trying to recover your face while the snuffer spends your money and ruins your reputation! What larks! [/spoiler] edited by RandomWalker on 1/6/2016
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genesis Posts: 924 1/13/2016	dragonridingsorceress wrote: Knowing that Exceptional Stories out of season go for 45 Fate, I was shocked. For that price, I assumed they must all be large and detailed stories. But they are not for that price. The price they go for is 5 quid a month (which includes access to the House of Chimes, larger deck and an extra candle). 45 Fate purchase is an additional favour that FBG have made the many of us who clamoured against time-locked content (me among the loudest). Originally Fate purchases were not even envisaged/intended. Art of Murder felt on-par with Blemmigan Affair (which I adored), but which was rather less expensive. Keeping the comment above in mind, Blemmigan Affair is, in fact, more expensive. A Blemmigan Affair replay costs 30 Fate (and the initial purchase also costs 30 Fate). The Art of Murder replay for subscribers costs 25 Fate (and the initial purchase is wrapped up inside the 5 quid subscription). It didn't feel on-par with Flint, or even half of Flint. It doesn't and it's not intended to. Both halves of Flint were explicitly advertised as being larger than any individual standalone ES. This should be seen as the extra content provided in Flint, not lack of content elsewhere. -- http://fallenlondon.com/Profile/mikey_thinkin Keeping track of incomplete content and loose ends in Fallen London
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Anne Auclair Posts: 2215 1/14/2016	I think it’s a little unfair to knock AoM for being short. First, it wasn’t short so much as really fast. Second, there’s a lot going on right now. Last month there was Flint, Christmas, and Mr. Sacks. This month we have Penstock’s Wicket. Next month is the Feast of the Exceptional Rose. Third, leading up to Christmas and New Year’s everyone’s life becomes really busy. It seems to me that Failbetter taking the necessary time to produce a good quality story for January is worth some praise, especially when said story is part of a larger cycle (Heart's Blood). -- http://fallenlondon.storynexus.com/Profile/Anne%20Auclair
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Anne Auclair Posts: 2215 1/8/2016	I rather liked this story, it was a nice spiritual sequel to The Blemmigan Affair (an artistic fad organized by inhuman creatures as part of some larger agenda). Something I particularly liked about both stories was how their structures complimented and reinforced their content. With The Art of Murder the story starts out slow but suddenly becomes jumpy, tense, deranged and messy, much like, well, an actual murder. That’s very good writing. I also liked how there were a number of checks based on quirks rather than stats. edited by Anne Auclair on 1/8/2016 -- http://fallenlondon.storynexus.com/Profile/Anne%20Auclair
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Xhavius Posts: 12 1/2/2016	Having just finished the story, I have to say that I was quite disappointed. Not in the inherent quality of each section, they were well-written and engaging. But frankly, I would have MUCH rather focused on a society enamored of baroque and elaborate murder than have that only be the first half. I personally was hoping to feel like I was potentially in an episode of Hannibal before the end, but the story went a different direction instead.
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PageofCups Posts: 25 1/8/2016	Spooky wrote: Ever since I started my subscriptions I can really only think of Lost in Reflections and Flint as really enjoyable experiences. Everything else was either average or disappointing. All this sad business aside, I did rather enjoy the promo art for this month's story. I'll have to try Lost in Reflections soon, it's consistently getting praise here. Also, I agree the promo art for Art of Murder was great. edited by PageofCups on 1/8/2016 -- Not a sailor who writes, but a writer who sails: http://fallenlondon.storynexus.com/Profile/Max~Black
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metasynthie Posts: 645 1/1/2016	I'm pretty sure one of the considerations for size of rewards is how long the story is -- so this story is on the short side and has a smaller reward of 60-80 echoes, right? I liked the rushed, "what the heck just happened" feel of this story -- Bohemians swept up in a trend, a Snuffer with a very different twist on finding faith than our last Snuffer, a chase through a choice-labyrinth, unsure of how caught up in the whole thing we've become ourselves -- but even if you wish it had been more of a dive than a skim, it does make sense that a 40-action story has a lot less reward than Flint (which must have been what, at least 120, even with a short boat trip?) -- Positively antique http://fallenlondon.storynexus.com/Profile/metasynthie
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Juno Posts: 63 1/1/2016	I quite liked this story! Great Stuff --------------- The setting, flavorful text and story. Like many others, I quite liked the idea of a secret society celebrating something so unusually grotesque. The mechanics of the hunt coupled with the description was quite effective in raising the tension. The Misses --------------- Why do you tempt me with such a brief glimpse into such a tantalising world? I feel that an opportunity has been missed to introduce readers to the workings of the society, the motivations of some of the participants, the rewards promised to the champion, the inner workings etc, all which could have been introduced during the all too brief investigative stage. It also stands to reason that a cautious investigator would want to find out all he/she can before treading into such a dangerous group. The ending was all too abrupt. Granted the path I chose (the exquisite death) precluded further monologues from the antagonist, but it would have been nice to have a sense of closure. -- http://fallenlondon.storynexus.com/Profile/Etheridge An author by trade, available for talks both public and private.
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Blaine Davidson Posts: 388 12/31/2015	I thoroughly enjoyed this Exceptional Story. I feel that this was one where the actions could accurately describe how my character would behave. So for roleplaying purposes, well done. She got to be judgmental and dismissive, as well as stalk a quarry at her own pace. I'm not sure I understand the qualms with the Red Temptation stat. I saw them as confusing which made sense, as it would represent my character's unexpected descent into bloodlust. I do agree with the concerns of length though. Usually an Exceptional Story lasts 2-3 days but I managed to burn through this one in about 40 actions. edited by Blaine Davidson on 1/1/2016 -- Blaine Davidson, a reserved and sensible woman with a fondness of collecting rarities.
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Hobnail Posts: 179 12/31/2015	I found this story of strange baroque murder and mayhem SINGUALRLY DELIGHTFUL -- http://fallenlondon.storynexus.com/Profile/Hobnail
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RandomWalker Posts: 948 12/31/2015	For the record, the reward for the 'inspired' ending, with six or seven temptations, has a total value of 12.5 echoes. Fun story, but unless there's a hidden card or something, the reward is a joke.
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babelfishwars Administrator Posts: 1152 12/31/2015	metasynthie wrote: So... in order to continue with the Heart's Blood 3-part sequence, you need something gained during Flint, right? Now that it's out, can someone tell me if one shouldn't play this before finishing... all of Flint? Before finishing Part I? Before heading off to Apis Meet? Before going to the Dish & Spoon? What item is it, or at what point in Flint is it gained? I don't want to accidentally do things out of sequence. Ah... no. You're fine to play! You can do the stories out of order - the item you collect doesn't impact on the next story, but on something you can unlock if you get all three items. See here: http://community.failbettergames.com/topic21330-a-season-of-exceptional-stories-hearts-blood.aspx -- Mars, God of Fish; Leaning Tower of Fish
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Mr Sables Posts: 597 12/31/2015	That was . . . exceptionally short 0_0 I wonder whether it just feels that way in comparison to the previous story, or whether it actually is a lot shorter . . . I adored the story and the writing, but I'm very sad it's so short and was resolved so easily :-/ It'll be interesting to see whether our final choice has an impact on the next story, though, so I look forward to finding out that edited by RobinMask on 12/31/2015
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suinicide Posts: 2409 12/31/2015	The Essences are going to be used after next months story, with the vial of murderers blood from this one, and whatever you get from the next one. -- http://fallenlondon.storynexus.com/profile/sunnytime A gentleman seeking the liberation of knowledge, with a penchant for violence. RIP suinicide, stuck in a well. Still has it under control.
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Emain Ablach Posts: 348 12/31/2015	I just finished the story, which took me a lot of actions because one optional luck-based challenge kept failing, hahaha ^.^ I really liked this story. The topic is interesting, developped in a surprising way, and we learn a nice bit of lore. [spoiler]The twists, once you're below, are funny and I didn't expect them. I especially liked the gentleman with the trap, just imagining what happens made me laugh. The text in Watchmaker Hill, with the Eradicators, was very nice as well ! I'd liked to have something more complexe about the "aesthetics"... acts, maybe something like the Black Ribbon, but I get that it would be too similar.[/spoiler] To sum up : very nice story, thank you very much ! These monthly stories are a very good idea and add just what diversity is needed ! =) edited by Emain Ablach on 12/31/2015 -- Went NORTH. Got salted. Never came back. We won't remember him. https://www.fallenlondon.com/profile/Emain%20Ablach
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Ben Posts: 657 1/1/2016	I treated temptation as a menace, BIG mistake... shrugs I think I missed out on most of what this content was offering. -- The wind has no destination. http://fallenlondon.storynexus.com/Profile/IcountFrom0
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Rhysdux Posts: 19 1/1/2016	My character opted to kill the Snuffer at the end because there was no better option. Not killing her would have let her go free to murder others (assuming that the summoning ritual did not work), and my character did not want to be responsible for more slaughter. So she killed the creature, quickly and elegantly, on the grounds that this would at least minimize the number of deaths. Frankly, though, she would have preferred to turn the creature over to the constables or the Master's neddy men. She's a Bringer of Death and a Master Thief, but she has a strong preference for order, just the same. Plus she's been in a committed relationship with the Devout Intriguer for years, so killing another Snuffer was...awkward.
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Passionario Posts: 777 1/1/2016	Lomias wrote: Could anyone please PM me the text for choosing "Make a covert enquiry" in An Abrupt Beginning which requires being recognised by the Order Vespertine? I am just curious about the lore. Thanks. Link -- Passionario: Profile, Story, Ending Passion: Profile, Appearance
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Inky Petrel Posts: 370 1/1/2016	First, I did really enjoy the writing and the idea of this story. I loved that it further touched on some of the wider lore, and the atmosphere was great. However, I have to agree with others and say I felt it seemed very short. I purchased exceptional friendship specifically to play it, and I was really disappointed to realise I had already finished it in (I'm estimating) less than 4 candles, because I feel there was more that could have been done with both the characters (and the associated lore) and the entire "murder as art" story. What was there was so very cool, I would happily have wandered around finding out more about everything, but it all zoomed past like it was on skates. [spoiler] I (like others) treated the temptation as a menace, which appears to have been a mistake, as I think it led to me missing some of the story? though I'm unsure how exactly it would have changed my ending, I managed to gain quite a bit of temptation despite not aiming for it, and chose the related ending, but others have mentioned things that I never saw, so?[/spoiler] I also found progress terribly unclear in places, leading to lost actions while I tried to figure out which storylets to repeat in order to advance. I know it was only one in the end, but it was unfortunate. (Repeating storylets in general is kind of irritating in an exceptional story. It doesn't flow very well, and takes away from the narrative, which is fine in the larger game where grinding is necessary, but I get the impression from previous exceptional stories that these are meant to be more about the story, less about "fill the progress bar to advance" sort of thing) I finished the story feeling like I must have missed a big chunk of it somewhere, like I'd read the first few pages of a very interesting and well written book. Tl:dr: Dinner was excellent, but the portions were LB-sized. :p edited by Inky Petrel on 1/1/2016 -- Re: Fallen London, please don't invite me to things or send me things, I'm only on occasionally, so you will waste your candle Thank you.
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Lomias Posts: 84 1/1/2016	Passionario wrote: Link The text is well-written. Thank you very much! Finally finished the story, here is my opinion. The story is very interesting, but rather fragmented. First I know there was a group of crazy people murdering citizens in the pursuit of art, which turns out to be Bohemians. Then all of a sudden I became one of the judges of this crazy competition coz that's the only way to investigate. Wait what? Couldn't I just be an audience? Why was Bohemians involved in this cruel activity? Besides, I just don't understand why writers and poets suddenly turns out to be nasty murderers, I thought they only kill people in their fictions or fantasies! Finally, a Snuffer showed up from nowhere and the massacre began. Hey, if I were reading a book, I felt like I missed a whole chapter! I don't really see the connections between these three different parts of the story. However, I do enjoy playing it, especially when the judges were killed. edited by Lomias on 1/2/2016 -- http://fallenlondon.storynexus.com/Profile/Lomias
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Mordaine Barimen Posts: 670 1/1/2016	I must join in the chorus of people unhappy that there is no clue that you need to repeat one of the three clue-gathering options near the beginning. If someone hadn't warned me, I'd have wasted quuite a few actions flailing around Veilgarden trying to see how I need to unlock the next step. Bad design, sorry. -- I'm sorry, but due to policy clarifications, I will no longer be giving detailed mechanics advice on the forums. If you still need help, try the IRC channel.
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Jarvind Posts: 18 12/31/2015	I didn't love this one, to be honest. I'm not sure if it's because it was so short or because Flint was so great, but something about it just fell flat for me.
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Esurnir Posts: 10 1/1/2016	Both. [spoiler]The final choice had one choice that benefit and two that are penalized. Knock yourself out.[/spoiler] Also personally I'm fine with my reward I took the option that was modified. But that's because you know what? I liked it. It was because I wanted to at first I was "oh I can't do it, I rather choose the later two option" then I paused and said. "You know what? I came here for a reason, to be entertained and if I sip the cup I might as well drink it all and enjoy all its aroma."
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streever Posts: 15 1/7/2016	@TheThirdPolice: I actually LOVED the lack of a villain monologue. I get tired of that trope, so I thought it was refreshing to have the information come out during the chase. -- GUNTHER VON WELK: Monster hunter, correspondent, academic, publisher of The True Londoner, sea captain of note, and chess grandmaster of no-little prominence http://fallenlondon.storynexus.com/Profile/Gunther~Von~Welk
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Kylestien Posts: 749 1/5/2016	I enjoyed the story, but the mechanics and places to go were unclear and vague. I was unaware Red Temptations were a thing untill I compleated it for example, and as the above said I thought I had to go to Veilgarden before i did. But the story was enjoyable I must admit. [spoiler]I awarded her first place BTW. I mean after all if it's a contest about murder and you kill everyone there except the last judge, surely you are the winner? [/spoiler] -- I will accept all actions, though I hold the right to refuse for my own reasons. However, if you explain WHY you send me a harmful action like Loitering or Dantes,And I feel the reason good, I will consider it more. http://fallenlondon.storynexus.com/Profile/Kylestien Persuasive patron. You want a lesson, send me a message asking for one.
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Sara Hysaro Moderator Posts: 4514 1/7/2016	Writing stories the size of Flint takes a lot of time and effort, though. If all Exceptional Stories were of that size I'd be concerned that they wouldn't have the time to produce the free content everyone can enjoy. -- http://fallenlondon.storynexus.com/Profile/Sara%20Hysaro Please do not send SMEN, cat boxes, or Affluent Reporter requests. All other social actions are welcome. Are you a Scarlet Saint? Send a message my way to be added to the list.
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Mordaine Barimen Posts: 670 1/7/2016	Just finished The Art of murder and now the Last Dog Society has relinquished the bottom spot in my personal ranking. I could probably test the character limit of the forums listing off all of the ways that it failed for me. -- I'm sorry, but due to policy clarifications, I will no longer be giving detailed mechanics advice on the forums. If you still need help, try the IRC channel.
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colinsapherson Posts: 191 1/11/2016	Having just received the following message: Red Temptation has not increased: this quality cannot currently increase past 7. I feel I may have been running around the tunnels too long… Time to move to the denouement, I feel. -- http://fallenlondon.storynexus.com/Profile/Colin%20Sapherson%2c%20Lord%20President%20of%20the%20Council Available for Knife & Candle Moon League matches, Tournaments of lilies and other social actions (including boxed cats and photographers). http://fallenlondon.storynexus.com/Profile/Strangewheys~Wandering http://fallenlondon.storynexus.com/Profile/RUSKIN~WARE
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Spooky Posts: 5 1/7/2016	metasynthie wrote: If you're looking for a high ratio of "minutes of original entertainment" to "money spent," there are probably better "bulk experience" games than Fallen London, it's true -- but this particular flavor is very hard to come by. The Marsh House and Court of Cats just have a smaller number of branches than Art of Murder; they don't necessarily take less time or feel shorter. The Blemmigan Affair, on the other hand, is quite large in terms of branches because of all the random events in Bugsby's Marshes. But I doubt that part was the most memorable when compared to the events of that story which only took up one or two branches. Given that producing Flint-size stories might be ruinous, seeing as that one took many months, the most efficacious thing to do for those who want to see larger Exceptional Stories and more free content is to help FL grow. The larger the base of subscribers, the more cost-effective it is to put time into creating longer stories. Tell your friends; help test the mobile version; keep this small business going! edited by metasynthie on 1/7/2016 Sorry for the double post, just noticed this one. Part of the reason I've stuck around even after playing through some disappointments is because I like what Failbetter is trying to do here. I picked up Sunless Sea not too long after I started to run out of stuff to do. But, every time I tell any of my friends about the game, it's usually met with fairly negative responses and I don't really have much to retort with. Granted, I'll keep telling friends about the game, but at this point, I'm not sure if I can keep recommending they should try the subscription if they like the base game, due to how many disappointments I've had with the "Exceptional Stories". Honestly, if I were to recommend the subscription for anything at this point it would be for the action and opportunity cards and I'd end up saying, "Oh, and also you get another story once a month." Ever since I started my subscriptions I can really only think of Lost in Reflections and Flint as really enjoyable experiences. Everything else was either average or disappointing. All this sad business aside, I did rather enjoy the promo art for this month's story.
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Frederick Metzengerstein Posts: 69 1/9/2016	Thank you, Failbetter team, I also liked this story. I will echo what some others have said — I left wanting to know more about the murder-as-art connoisseurs and practitioners of Fallen London. But I have a feeling that their story was incidental to the three part story you’re telling about the face-wearing snuffers. So I only hope we can revisit London’s murder enthusiasts at some future date. The early investigation was exquisite. A really sublime at-your-own-pace investigation which I thoroughly enjoyed. It was sort of like at first my character was looking into this in his spare time, out of curiosity, and then he sort of got deeper and deeper into it. The murder competition was hilarious and the reveal was well done. I enjoyed judging the contestants (my character is quite Wildean if not Huysmanian so he sort of has a non-practicing conscience). As others have said, the chaos in the darkened room and chase through the tunnels was tense and claustrophobic. The options at the end were great and I enjoyed indulging my red temptation. Congratulations to the team.
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Constanze Theodora Posts: 2 1/3/2016	I thought this was great, I really enjoyed the writing -- very clever stuff! And I thought the pacing was perfect -- I liked how quickly things moved along, and I didn't feel like actions were being wasted. This is a good length for an Exceptional Story, from my perspective. However, I'd like to second what Trodgmey said about the ending choices: [spoiler] I would have really loved an option other than kill/let go free. I ended up letting her go, because my character Does Not Kill People, but it's definitely not going to sit well. Just as feedback going forward, I would even prefer to give up on rewards/take a hit in terms of menaces rather than make be forced into choices that my character would find unethical. Even something like "you try to take [whoever] into custody and fail and you are haunted by this here have tons of Nightmares hahahaha" would be awesome for me, from an RP standpoint. [/spoiler] -- Constanze Theodora, a thoughtful and compassionate doctor.
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genesis Posts: 924 1/4/2016	Having now completed it and read through numerous complaints about the lack of clarity of the mechanics, I am getting more and more convinced that the game needs minor a UI change. I do not, per se, think the mechanics were at all confusing. But what I think has perpetuated the perception of confusion is that you cannot see the unlock requirements on the storylets of Must Urgency (in Storynexus terminology). If you allow players to view lock/unlock requirements of such storylets then most of the confusion would disappear. This is becoming more and more pertinent because I've noticed that Must storylets have been used increasingly often in the recent content. edited by genesis on 1/5/2016 -- http://fallenlondon.com/Profile/mikey_thinkin Keeping track of incomplete content and loose ends in Fallen London
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PageofCups Posts: 25 1/7/2016	Thus far having played only Trade in Souls and Flint, this story was enjoyable, but surprisingly short, especially compared to the sprawling Flint. It ties nicely into Flint, but I'm not quite sure how it stands on its own. Flint would have been enjoyable even if deprived of the overarching threads leading into The Art of Murder, and whatever next month's story will be. On the other hand, I'm not sure I'd recommend The Art of Murder without Flint. It feels like Flint Part 3. -- Not a sailor who writes, but a writer who sails: http://fallenlondon.storynexus.com/Profile/Max~Black
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Spooky Posts: 5 1/7/2016	Alexis Kennedy wrote: Thanks for the feedback, all! As ever, we're listening. I do want to add a datum, though - Art of Murder, measured in number of branches, is a middle-of-the-road size for an EF story. It's bigger than Marsh-House, Court of Cats and Last Dog, and shorter than Lost in Reflections, Cut with Moonlight and Discernment. It only feels smaller than usual because Flint was so preposterously big. I was actually looking at the Fate store, considering if I should pick up Marsh-House or Court of Cats. If they're even shorter than this story, then I am glad you made this post. Now I know not to waste the FATE on what is probably going to be the length of pamphlets . I love and adore the writing of Failbetter Games, but the amount of content that is provided is woefully lacking far more often than I'm content with. I was hoping that Flint was an attempt at upping the quality of the game. I wasn't expecting it to be a single experience that somehow exempts the team from equally exciting content. Paying a subscription for ten minutes of thrills isn't exactly my idea of a worthwhile investment. I'm sorry if this offends, but the string of disappointments has been chewing at me for too long. [spoiler]To those that are going to respond, "Well, IIIIII don't have an issue." Your contentment does not invalidate my feelings.[/spoiler]
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Azuregosa Posts: 6 1/6/2016	I happened to join the exceptional club at the time of the Flint story, which I liked a lot. But it seems it spoiled me. I tried The Art of Murder and a few exceptional stories from the past and... despite the perfect writing, they give the feeling "ah, is that all?" I don't mean the rewards because rewards are not important to me, the story itself is important, but they all are so short that I feel cheated
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The Duke of Waltham Posts: 150 1/1/2016	metasynthie wrote: I liked the rushed, "what the heck just happened" feel of this story -- Bohemians swept up in a trend, a Snuffer with a very different twist on finding faith than our last Snuffer, a chase through a choice-labyrinth, unsure of how caught up in the whole thing we've become ourselves -- but even if you wish it had been more of a dive than a skim, it does make sense that a 40-action story has a lot less reward than Flint (which must have been what, at least 120, even with a short boat trip?) I agree completely. I have no real measure for the size of the story—Flint was my first—but it felt pretty complete to me. I understand why some players felt this was a lost opportunity to more deeply explore an interesting premise, but that would have diluted (and possibly ruined) the special character of this story: the dawning realisation of having stumbled into a mortally dangerous situation, the need to make sense of events unfolding with increasing rapidity, and the relentless suspense of it all. In addition to this, I really enjoyed the gallows humour and the twists in the story. (I also liked that I didn't know from the outset how long the chase would last; it made perfect sense in the context of hunting someone through a maze.) -- The Duke of Waltham welcomes requests for assistance from those troubled by menaces, and His Grace's townhouse is always open to visitors who will not attempt to steal the silverware or extract support for yet another ill-advised scheme concerning photographers. H. Cartwright, secretary.
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Saevitia Posts: 58 1/1/2016	I had a lovely time with this one. I was a little sad I couldn't choose all three options at once during some of the chase -- I ended up only seeing one particular "branch" just the once -- but that's not really a complaint so much as a commentary on my completionist tendencies. As for the ending, I very much enjoyed the opportunity to judge the competition as promised at the beginning. Edit: I don't honestly recall a reward at all from my selection, which was somewhat confusing given how the post about the seasonally-related stories suggested the rewards from Flint, Art of Murder, and February's story could be combined into something bigger. And, of course, I failed to echo the aftermath of my final decision because why would I do something helpful? Regardless, I didn't feel cheated or under-rewarded at all, but I'm never really worried about the value of rewards for these stories. I'm in 'em for the lore. Also the fun, obviously, but lore is fun. Edit 2: I think I do remember getting a Book of Hidden Bodies for what I picked at the end, actually. Still annoyed I didn't echo more of the story for later perusal. edited by Saevitia on 1/1/2016 edited by Saevitia on 1/1/2016 -- Saevitia's profile and appearance! [Gone NORTH] Now playing Esméralda, Saevitia's former helmswoman and moralistic Campaigner; she looks like this. I'm usually up for RP. Social actions are generally accepted; those with in-character RP invitations are most likely to be reciprocated.
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Optimatum Posts: 3666 1/2/2016	I believe the item for the bonus Heart's Blood content is the item given to grant access to the competition. -- Optimatum, a ruthless and merciful gentleman. No plant battles, Affluent Photographer requests, or healing offers; all other social actions welcome. Want a sip of Cider? Just say hi! PM me for information enigmatic or Fated. Though the forum please, not FL itself.
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xKiv Posts: 846 1/2/2016	Esurnir wrote: ... "you're the story that came after the flit". The story that was two month worth of content, It was two months of content, but it was worth more than two. The notefiles I have for flint i+ii are almost as big as for all six preceding stories combined. -- https://www.fallenlondon.storynexus.com/Profile/xKiv - a witchful, percussive, dangermous and shadowry scholar of coexplodence, hopsidirean, and walker of fallen kitties.
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Guest 1/2/2016	Corran wrote: I just realised that I haven't seen the storylet asking to rate Flint yet. Has anyone gotten it? I got feedback cards for both stories. If everybody is selected for feedback (and they may or may not be) who subscribed to Flint's 1 and 2, then the card is still subjected to the RNG value and its frequency of deck draws.
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Lomias Posts: 84 1/1/2016	Could anyone please PM me the text for choosing "Make a covert enquiry" in An Abrupt Beginning which requires being recognised by the Order Vespertine? I am just curious about the lore. Thanks. edited by Lomias on 1/1/2016 -- http://fallenlondon.storynexus.com/Profile/Lomias
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Mordaine Barimen Posts: 670 1/1/2016	Suzume, have you gone into the House of Chimes to ask someone about that odd sign? If no, that's your next step. If yes, you must now gather four clues from among your Lodgings, Veilgarden, and Spite. -- I'm sorry, but due to policy clarifications, I will no longer be giving detailed mechanics advice on the forums. If you still need help, try the IRC channel.
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Sestina Valdis Posts: 210 1/1/2016	Don't get me wrong! I really loved this story, and the whole art-is-murder thing has always been an interest of mine! (I have one character dedicated to this 'quirk', in fact). But as many others have said, this felt a little bit rushed and I thought that a lot more loose ends could have been tied up (like the character near the ending), especially compared to Flint (although I acknowledge that Flint was meant to be an epic, special two-parter, and it was, whereas this probably isn't meant to be of the same scale, and that's fine). Still, I'm not about to dismiss this because of Flint. But tying up some loose ends, whether in the next Exceptional Story or elsewhere, might be very interesting for some of us! I would also have liked to have spoken to the [spoiler]Snuffer at the ending about several things; as mentioned, the conversation topic changes were tantalisingly misleading.[/spoiler] edited by Sestina Valdis on 1/1/2016 -- Sestina Valdis, the Saccharine Satirist. Appearance and Misc. Accoutrements A Past Scattered Across Discarded Stockings Fei Xue, the Artful Assassin. Self Edward de Riere, the Barebones Baron. Avatar by Daniel Ilinca.
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Blaine Davidson Posts: 388 1/1/2016	Ben wrote: I treated temptation as a menace, BIG mistake... shrugs I think I missed out on most of what this content was offering. I think it depends on what your character is like. Mine certainly considered it a menace but if you're more bloodthirsty, then it would be beneficial. -- Blaine Davidson, a reserved and sensible woman with a fondness of collecting rarities.
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JimmyTMalice Posts: 237 12/31/2015	Well, what we saw of the story was certainly interesting, but it seemed a little... underdeveloped. [spoiler]I would have liked to explore more of this murder society instead of simply seeing a few set-pieces and then everything dissolving into chaos. The ending felt awfully abrupt - I was expecting the chase with the Snuffer to be the beginning of a wider story instead of simply being the end. The 'Topic of Conversation' quality that kept popping up made me think that there would be a more in-depth conversation like the ones with the Bishop in Flint, and it was very disappointing to not really get to talk to the Snuffer much.[/spoiler] It certainly has its merits, but it has to be the weakest Exceptional Story I've played (the others being Flint and Discernment). -- Gideon Stormstrider, the Esoteric Gadgeteer Jimmy T. Malice, gone. A Tale of Two Suns - Meeting Your Maker - A Squid in the Polls
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Manu Traveler Posts: 29 12/31/2015	I have to agree with what other have said: this story stars well, with some really fun (in a gallows humour sort of way) moments and great atmosphere. But the ending feels rushed and underwhelming. It is an ending that makes sense within the story, but there are things which could be explored and developed further. Not a bad story at all, but it feels like it could have been even better. -- Manu Traveler, the inquisitive professor Red Christine, the conflicted revolutionary Tyler Glen, God's mad disciple - GONE NORTH A Morel, the unrepentant heartbreaker Omphale the Magnificent, the titanic crossdresser
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Frensus Posts: 102 12/31/2015	A fun and exciting story, wonderful words! The investigation had an initially confusing metric for tracking progress, I feel it was a nice way of going about it in the end. I especially liked having the opportunity to explore every option there. Your twist in the contest's nature had a thrilling bite to it for the player, and then was twisted again, but on the entire audience! I must agree though that the item payouts were a bit disappointing. It's a once-per-character experience, and while I certainly don't want to have massive piles of rare and/or unique items thrown at me, seeing "Extraordinary Implications hasn't increased because it's already at 29" as part of my final payout felt unpleasant. -- http://fallenlondon.storynexus.com/Profile/Frensus Currently targeting: NiteBrite's Fabulous Diamond Diversion (1/50), Breath of the Void (3184/3200)
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Kade Carrion (an_ocelot) Posts: 1372 12/31/2015	Echoes start here. I really enjoyed the writing--dark as it was, it had just the right leavening of humor, and the central character was really fascinating. But I had a few quibbles about mechanics, which follow under the spoiler cut, along with musings about the final choice. [spoiler]During the investigation, I found clues in Spite, Watchmaker's Hill, and my lodgings, but I had to repeat one of them to get "a breakthrough" and advance, which was not obvious and suboptimal. I liked the "Red Temptations" -- losing control of yourself as you go -- but only naming them at the end was a little weird. I was really stumped on what to do--I was very tempted to award her first place because the macabre humor of it appealed. But I'd chosen to descend to stop the murders (my Ambition is Nemesis, so it seemed fitting), and I'd come to pity her, so I chose to let her go because I thought she was finished killing. Also if the Thief-of-Faces does come . . . [/spoiler] There are four possible endings. Text for #1 (inspired). Text for #2 (ceremony-less). Text and rewards for #3 (go). Text for #4 (award). edited by an_ocelot on 1/3/2016 -- Social Actions: send them to Kade Carrion (she/her; no Tournament of Lilies, please). an_ocelot has gone NORTH and cannot benefit from social actions! Possibly-Useful Things: Spreadsheets and hints and link collections, oh my.
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Catherine Raymond Posts: 2518 12/31/2015	JimmyTMalice wrote: Well, what we saw of the story was certainly interesting, but it seemed a little... underdeveloped. [spoiler]I would have liked to explore more of this murder society instead of simply seeing a few set-pieces and then everything dissolving into chaos. The ending felt awfully abrupt - I was expecting the chase with the Snuffer to be the beginning of a wider story instead of simply being the end. The 'Topic of Conversation' quality that kept popping up made me think that there would be a more in-depth conversation like the ones with the Bishop in Flint, and it was very disappointing to not really get to talk to the Snuffer much.[/spoiler] It certainly has its merits, but it has to be the weakest Exceptional Story I've played (the others being Flint and Discernment). Flint (the two parts together), is probably the best of the Exceptional Stories, ever, so it may be unfair to compare "Art of Murder" to it. On the other hand, I thought Discernment was weak. It's hard to compare Exceptional Stories because people's tastes vary widely. -- Cathy Raymond http://fallenlondon.com/Profile/cathyr19355 Catherine Raymond aka Mrs. Rykar Malkus http://fallenlondon.com/Profile/Catherine%20Raymond (Gone NORTH)
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Estelle Knoht Posts: 1751 12/31/2015	I really liked this! But then again, I liked Neighborhood Necromancer. It is very concise, save for the odd bit in the investigation phase where you had to repeat once. On the other hand, it does give me the odd feeling that it is supposed to come before Flint. -- Estelle Knoht, a juvenile, unreliable and respectable lady. I currently do not accept any catbox, cider, suppers, calling cards or proteges.
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Passionario Posts: 777 12/31/2015	Estelle Knoht wrote: I really liked this! But then again, I liked Neighborhood Necromancer. I was half expecting an option to lecture the S____r at the end of the chase. I suppose issuing an award will do. edited by Passionario on 12/31/2015 -- Passionario: Profile, Story, Ending Passion: Profile, Appearance
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Kaigen Posts: 530 12/31/2015	I found that quite enjoyable. The gallows humour was delightful, and I thought the mechanical representation of chasing someone through dark tunnels with a series of looping options was quite effective. I'm looking forward to seeing where this trilogy goes. -- Just a simple doctor with a chess habit. Publisher of The Flit Dispatch. "One must remember that the impossible is, alas, always possible." -Jacques Derrida
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Guest 12/31/2015	RandomWalker wrote: For the record, the reward for the 'inspired' ending, with six or seven temptations, has a total value of 12.5 echoes. Fun story, but unless there's a hidden card or something, the reward is a joke. And considering the last month's story revelation, being "encouraged" to "inspire" as such makes no sense without a counter influence (no matter how weak if you have cravings at max, if even which mine were not, since it had a menace feel not advancement feel.) And it clearly states what you get negatively if you go the other paths. That and the unclear times you have to do stuff multiple times to "advance" the story (with no marker to completion for the first stuff at the beginning whatsoever making you waste additional turns wondering if you did it right) makes this very unsatisfying a story sadly to report.
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Guest 12/31/2015	[spoiler] The second contender, a diminutive straw-haired fellow, wheels in an actual deathtrap....my word, that's hard to look at. Was that Professor Farnsworth's Great, Great (this prefix goes on for a while) Grand-ancestor wheeling it up? If so, the Professor has his usual announcement. [/spoiler]
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​An Exceptional Story: The Art of Murder

An Exceptional Story: The Art of Murder