phryne
Posts: 1351
9/27/2016
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Want to see the current standings without voting? Click here!
More and more new players come to the forum asking for advice on which past ES to buy. While everybody has a different answer to that, seeing a general trend would be interesting, I think! To make it more representative, there's another poll where you can vote for your least favorite story.
"Flint" is not included, as it's kinda unfair to compare it to the "regular" ES in my opinion.
There are 15 options - I'd recommend only voting if you've played through at least 2/3 of them 
It was a very close call for me personally - but "The Frequently Deceased" got the upper hand over "Lost in Reflections" by the slightest of margins.
edited by phryne on 10/1/2016
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Accounts: Bag a Legend • Light Fingers • Heart's Desire • Nemesis • no ambition
Exceptional Stories, sorted by Season and by writer ― Favours & Renown Guide
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rahv7
Posts: 294
9/27/2016
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Optimatum wrote:
I wish there was some way to do preference voting, or some such. Having played all but one, I have three or four that I would consider my absolute favorites...
Totally agree. A lot of the stories are really good and it's tragic that I can only recommend one.
As I am writing this, "Where You and I Must Go" has 0 votes although it is a really good story in my opinion. It's probably just nobody's favourite.
Edit: Based on dov's post below, here's a list of my favourite stories:
- Lost in Reflection
- (Flint)
- The Waltz That Moved the World
- Where You And I Must Go
- The Calendar Code
- Cut With Moonlight
edited by rahv7 on 9/27/2016
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It's possible people have forgotten that there is an actual devil in the actual Lord Mayor's office. A devil who is promising to look after people's souls. What is wrong with everybody?
https://www.fallenlondon.com/profile/rahv7
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Passionario
Posts: 777
9/27/2016
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I adore Lost in Reflections, The Waltz that Moved the World and Cut with Moonlight.
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Passionario: Profile, Story, Ending
Passion: Profile, Appearance
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absimiliard
Posts: 759
9/27/2016
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I probably should have chosen Lost in Reflections but I so love the zailing aspects of Where You and I Must Go that I simply had to choose that.
(I'm also tremendously fond of the Court of Cats, but let's just admit -- I'm completely biased on the topic and ought not be trusted, I mean I've played the thing through multiple times just to see the endings shift and I'm currently hanging a playthrough permanently just so I can keep my status as a current Arbiter.)
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"Because, Parabola!" -- the Curious Captain
Eating nightmares from friends -- and I'm easy to befriend.
Absimiliard: the Black Rose of Wolfstack Docks
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dov
Posts: 2580
9/27/2016
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I've brushed up my ranked list of all Exceptional stories, since it was missing the latest few Exceptional Stories.
Here's my personal ranking:
Excellent:
Lost in Reflections
Cut with Moonlight
The Frequently Deceased
The Waltz that Moved the World / Flint (I can't decide which of these is better for me)
Where You and I Must Go
Good:
The Pentecost Predicament
The Calendar Code
The Art of Murder
The Chimney Pot Wars
Five Minutes to Midday
Discernment
The Haunting at the Marsh House
Meh:
The Last Dog Society
The Seven-Day Reign
The Court of Cats
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 Want a sip of Hesperidean Cider? Send me a request in-game. Here's an_ocelot's guide how.
(Most social actions are welcome. Please no requests to Loiter Suspiciously and no investigations of the Affluent Photographer)
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Diptych
Administrator
Posts: 3493
9/27/2016
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If you're logged out, you can see the results.
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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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Optimatum
Posts: 3666
9/27/2016
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I wish there was some way to do preference voting, or some such. Having played all but one, I have three or four that I would consider my absolute favorites, but I suspect my decision here was based more on which I played most recently and so best remember.
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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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phryne
Posts: 1351
9/28/2016
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While I expected Lost in Reflections to do well, I did not expect it to run away with victory like that!
edited by phryne on 9/29/2016
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Accounts: Bag a Legend • Light Fingers • Heart's Desire • Nemesis • no ambition
Exceptional Stories, sorted by Season and by writer ― Favours & Renown Guide
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Ruddertail
Posts: 36
9/29/2016
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Kind of a weird like, but I really loved The Pentecost Predicament. It has an interesting story, some clever philosophy, and while it's not the deepest one at all, it's really fun to play.
Least favorite would be Where You and I Must Go, even if the story was interesting the mechanics were beyond the pale. YMMV and all that.
edited by Ruddertail on 9/29/2016
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http://fallenlondon.storynexus.com/Profile/Ruddertail
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Gul al-Ahlaam
Posts: 225
9/30/2016
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Ah! That makes sense! I'm a big gore fan, so extra gruesome is always a plus for me. I tend to forget not everyone sees it that way.
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The Uncanny Hierophant.
The Jewel-Eyed Prince.
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Catherine Raymond
Posts: 2518
9/30/2016
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phryne wrote:
Gul al-Ahlaam wrote:
IDK why people don't like The Art of Murder. It's easily my favorite of the lot (not including Flint). I think it just hits a lot of my aesthetic and narrative sweet spots. See, it was quite the opposite for me - both me and my character are quite repulsed by anyone who sees (serious, final) murder as sport or art.
Gul al-Ahlaam wrote:
Plus it's got one of the best endings to any exceptional story imo. Yeah, the endings were definitely the best part of that story! Overall, I didn't hate it, but it's far from the best imo.
Gul al-Ahlaam wrote:
I'm a big fan of The Seven Day Reign too. Great use of mechanics, interesting characters, awesome plot, made the Young Stags way more fitting for my character. I never much liked the Stags, and discovering a [spoiler]tradition of murder and cannibalism at their heart[/spoiler] didn't make them seem any sweeter. But apart from that personal note, I agree the story was pretty good.
Generally, there seems to be a trend of ES involving gruesome murder/cannibalism (Art of Murder, Seven-Day Reign, Last Dog Society) not sitting too well with most of the FL audience!
Also, I think Cut with Moonlight deserves an honorable mention at this point for still not being anybody's least favorite story!
I think the stories with cannibalism themes are some of the most powerful of the lot. I too like the Seven-Year Reign (the chase scene was really gripping, as far as I'm concerned). And I didn't mind the Art of Murder. My real problem with Last Dog Society was the lameness and pointlessness of the ending (i.e., the story didn't give me a reason to care who died at the end or why).
It seems to me that anyone who's played FL for more than a few weeks should understand that it's set in a world where murder per se is a pretty trivial offense. How can it be otherwise, where the guy you murdered last week shows up on your doorstep this afternoon to complain of your bad timing in killing him right before an important business meeting? How can it be otherwise, where people practice their knife technique on each other (in Knife & Candle), and then murderer and murdered cheerfully post-mortem the fight over coffee or drinks a few nights later?
So the only real sins in FL are blasphemy (since the gods are alive and just might do something Really Bad to you if they track you down) and cannibalism. And the cannibalism is kind of excusable--there aren't very many protein sources in Fallen London, and one does get so tired of fried, boiled, baked and stewed rat after a while.
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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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Relixe Hemlock Hyem
Posts: 3
10/2/2016
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If I may still chime in here (I'm no frequent forum user by any means, so I wouldn't want to impose), I also voted for The Art Of Murder, and also happened to enjoy The Seven-Day Reign - although that one was my first Exceptional Story, so I may be biased towards it. I find a lot of the more morally harsh but also direct directions of themes of murder, cannibalism, etc, a style that suits me more, if only because I know my character doesn't shy away from such Ruthless actions. The ending of The Art Of Murder took some serious considering for me. In fact, I think it's ending portion may be the sole reason why it's my favourite. I understand it's just one of the many aspects these stories have to offer, though, so I get why many may not like that style.
I also can't help but not mention The Pentecost Predicament, for expanding on one of my favourite places in Sunless Sea, and just being an all round enjoyable story throughout. It may not be my favourite, but the longer I play this game, the more I appreciate it in hindsight.
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Julius Stokes
Posts: 113
9/30/2016
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Cut With Moonlight - I like opposing authority. Screw authority.
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http://fallenlondon.storynexus.com/Profile/Julias~Stokes - A revolutionary of his own sort, who has devoted his life to overthrowing the Bazaar, ascending to godhood, and saving London. Doesn't have to be in that order. I'll accept any social actions - except maybe suspicious loitering.
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Hattington
Posts: 210
9/30/2016
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Hmm. Why isn't Flint an option? Because my choices are mainly rated on the basis of lore, and it's certainly the loreriest one I know of.
For what it's worth, I too think The Pentecost Predicament deserves an honorable mention as a runner-up.
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The Dawnburnt Vake-Rider: https://www.fallenlondon.com/Profile/Hattington
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Gul al-Ahlaam
Posts: 225
9/30/2016
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IDK why people don't like The Art of Murder. It's easily my favorite of the lot (not including Flint). I think it just hits a lot of my aesthetic and narrative sweet spots. Plus it's got one of the best endings to any exceptional story imo. I'm a big fan of The Seven Day Reign too. Great use of mechanics, interesting characters, awesome plot, made the Young Stags way more fitting for my character.
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The Uncanny Hierophant.
The Jewel-Eyed Prince.
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Amalgamate
Posts: 435
9/27/2016
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Is there a way to see poll results without voting? I'll probably want to take a look at the results here when I buy my next ES, but I don't know how to see the results without skewing them 
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http://www.fallenlondon.com/Profile/amalgamate
Social invitations of all kinds welcome, especially games of chess and deadly sparring!
Also happy to help with nightmares, send sips of Cider, and plant battle.
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Myrto
Posts: 209
9/27/2016
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I liked the Calendar Code (my vote), but I also really liked the Waltz that Moved the World. I found the story progress in Waltz to be very moving.
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Myrto, a mysterious veteran spy who is only on their own side. Married to navchaa!
Edith Alpha Doyle, social climber with grand ambitions; Correspondent who would be happy to assist you in whatever way she can.
, teenage orphan who came to the Neath to pursue a career in crime; monster-hunter. Currently on the Seeking road.
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