Absintheuse
Posts: 348
1/26/2017
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Delicious friends, the Exceptional Story for February is here!
A magnificent Exhibition has come to London, with all the wonders of modern technology on display! But a thief is amidst the gaudy pavilions, seeking an elusive prize, and an aberrant menace from the Heavens is about to be unleashed. Dare you make an enemy of time itself?
The Century Exhibition is the third and final story in the Season of Skies, and was written by Fred Zeleny, James Chew, and Cash Decuir. The Season of Skies involves three linked stories where you investigate outlandish outbreaks of crime, in pursuit of a hitherto undetected criminal mastermind.
All players will be able to explore a web of conspiracies inside their studies. Exceptional Friends were able, over the course of three months, uncover a plot that could forever change London. Each month's story stands alone, but playing all three will unlock the season's bonus content.
Editing and QA: Olivia Wood, Cash Decuir, James Chew, and Chris Gardner.
Art by Paul Arendt.
EXCEPTIONAL FRIENDSHIP
In addition to a new, substantial, stand-alone story every month, Exceptional Friends enjoy:
- Access to the House of Chimes: an exclusive private member's club on the Stolen River, packed with content
- An expanded opportunity deck: of ten cards instead of six!
- A second candle: Twice the actions! 40 at once!
Finishing all three stories in the Season of Skies will make you eligible for an additional opportunity, to follow.
If you want to keep an Exceptional Story beyond the month it’s for, you must complete the related storylet in your Study. This will save it for you to return to another time.
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Mr Sables
Posts: 597
1/26/2017
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I can't say I'm enjoying this one at all . . .
I'll have to wait for action refreshes before finishing, but I'm about midway in and kind of wishing I could just get to the end and be done . . . the mechanics are kind of confusing, and I'm hoping I'm not wasting my 'favours' with the Drownies and Rubberies, as those options seem not to be doing anything (in fact I'm exhausting options in every area with nothing seeming to happen) . . . the story just before, trying to get to the prophet, was equally confusing, as I exhausted every option and was left just randomly clicking until I somehow got to him to continue . . .
The story feels lacking, too, even if the writing is very good . . . like, it's trying to do too much at one go, so there's little real focus on any faction or character or concept . . . that may be why I'm so much disliking it, to be honest.
There are no characters. No lore. No reason to invest.
My character is just wandering about aimlessly, trying to progress the plot, looking at stuff of no interest to him or me and . . . no one around to get attached to or dislike, because there are no protagonists or antagonists or anyone. It's just me . . . wandering.
I kind of wish there was a 'quit' or 'leave early' button, where I could end the story and just be done . . . I can walk out of a bad movie, but I can't walk out of this, and I just have to keep on going, even though I have zero incentive and am getting rather frustrated.
That being said. It may just be me. Apologies for being harsh :-/
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Edit: I'm starting to get very peeved off; I don't know if it's just me, but it's very confusing how I'm supposed to progress things, as I can exhaust every option on the train or listening to the music, but nothing happens or unlocks or changes . . . there's no clear quality changes or instructions or any pointers, just 'go find x' or 'stop the music', and it's like "I've tried everything you've given me, but nothing is working" . . . it's making me angry, especially as I'm not keen on the story anyway, and I shouldn't be angry when playing a game. I'm going to go take a break . . . *sighs*
Second Edit:
The action-sink at the end also peeves me off . . . it's a series of very short sentences, often just one or two, and it takes an action at each time to progress, when it could just be one decent sized text and one action (or a series of zero actions) . . . this feels like you're forcing me to slow down, after the dodgy mechanics and total lack of a story, and it's just very infuriating after an already infuriating experience.
I greatly appreciate the clarity added to the section that was confusing, but I feel that was undone by the fact I'm now being forced to spend over half-an-hour on something that should have just taken one action. It's very aggravating.
Third Edit:
No decent reward for all I suffered either.
No story to this 'story'. Very shoddy mechanics. No decent reward.
edited by Robin Alexander on 1/26/2017
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Barse
Posts: 706
1/26/2017
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I will agree with Robin and say that in some places the progression is extremely unclear - especially when quality numbers are hidden behind flavour text and you need to do more actions than there are options to progress. I thought a few times that I'd broken something.
That said, I thought this was really fun! It felt a little more like a variety show than a tight and focussed story at times, but given the nature of the Exhibition that's easy to forgive. Without going into spoilers, the things shown at the exhibition were cool, and a few things there seem to have extremely important lore implications, and it's exciting to see the player character get given such important choices. Also, I love the Crystal Palace artwork!
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 The Scorched Sailor, up for most social actions and RP. Not as scary as he looks.
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suinicide
Posts: 2409
1/26/2017
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I liked this story, though I do admit the part Robin is talking about was confusing. I would also like to report a typo at the end "An acquaintance with burnt-away eyebrows gasp excitedly".
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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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Malcolm Harris
Posts: 35
1/26/2017
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Currently waiting for my actions to refresh traversing the train. I adore exhibitions and displays of technology, and this story does well at bringing that experience into Fallen London. I've enjoyed everything I've read, and the few allusions to a certain other game that I've spotted!
edited by Malcolm Harris on 1/26/2017
edited by Malcolm Harris on 1/26/2017
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babelfishwars
Administrator
Posts: 1152
1/26/2017
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suinicide wrote:
I liked this story, though I do admit the part Robin is talking about was confusing. I would also like to report a typo at the end "An acquaintance with burnt-away eyebrows gasp excitedly".
Squashed.  Thanks
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Mars, God of Fish; Leaning Tower of Fish
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Plynkes
Posts: 631
1/26/2017
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Dammit, I thought I had unlocked the Moloch Street story by starting off the first bit and it moving to my study. Now the game wants me to fork out 45 fate to play it. Well sod that.
You really could make it a bit clearer when something has actually unlocked or not. Maybe I'm just stupid, but it does seem a little confusing.
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"Then tell Wind and Fire where to stop, but don't tell me."
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Kylestien
Posts: 749
1/26/2017
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So, question for anyone who had completed the story (please keep it as spoiler free as possible though the nature of it means it probably won't):
[spoiler]If we picked certain option here, and the last two exceptional stories, can we use it to major advantage? It is just that ever since I spared a certain person 2 stories ago, I was wondering if I could use a certain thing to my advantage should the option arise. The power to maniupulate all of London at my fingertips... I could be quite the Moriarty.
Alas, I expect that du e to balance/coding/the devs having some kind of sense, the "manipulate Lodon to your whims" options does not exist, though that one hint one guy gave 2 months ago kept my hopes up [/spoiler]
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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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dov
Posts: 2580
1/26/2017
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Plynkes wrote:
Dammit, I thought I had unlocked the Moloch Street story by starting off the first bit and it moving to my study. Now the game wants me to fork out 45 fate to play it. Well sod that.
You really could make it a bit clearer when something has actually unlocked or not. Maybe I'm just stupid, but it does seem a little confusing.
Moving it into your Study is something all players can do - this is not limited to Exceptional Friends. When you do it, the game tells you:
Visit your Study to unlock an exclusive story for Exceptional Friends: <story name>
Then, inside your Study, you can start (i.e. unlock) the relevant story - it's highlighted differently, and only Exceptional Friends can do it. Once you play this in your study, the game explicitly tells you that you've unlocked the story and can play it at your leisure.
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edited by dov on 1/26/2017
--
 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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Barse
Posts: 706
1/26/2017
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Extra tidbit: I particularly enjoyed the jibes at Tennyson (I think he's pretty good sometimes but my god Maud is dull). If you picked certain options and would like to hear first-hand the soporific power of ol' Alfie T, there are miraculously a few wax-cylinder recordings extant from when he used to bore people in his parlour. They're awful quality, but that's only to be expected from an 1890 reading! Recording, complete with creepy moving edit of his face, here.
edited by Barselaar on 1/26/2017
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The Scorched Sailor, up for most social actions and RP. Not as scary as he looks.
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Diptych
Administrator
Posts: 3493
1/26/2017
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I'd just come to comment on the poetic recordings myself - particularly because I'm a big Whitman fan. From memory, the relevant real-world recordings aren't absolutely known to be his, but the accent's about right, so they might well be!
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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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Tokoz
Posts: 3
1/26/2017
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Clearly I'm a dullard, but I can't seem to figure out how to actually progress. I started the story, it then returned me to my study, and I'm looking all over london to try and determine where precisely the hell it is.
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loredeluxe
Posts: 106
1/26/2017
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Does anyone have the result for Airs of the Century Exhibition 100? A few of the storylets requires Airs 67-99, so that elusive 100 is a great interest to me.
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Hattington
Posts: 210
1/26/2017
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D*mn it all, I know it would've been a doomed effort but I'd have really wanted an option to
[spoiler]keep the Wind for myself [/spoiler]
If nothing else, it would've paired tastefully with all the other trinkets I've collected so far this season.
Oh well. May Her Majesty put it to better use in the upcoming Sunless Skies game. I don't suppose when, like the Season of Wrecks' little conclusion with a certain envoy, this season's storylets will get a proper conclusion? I'm hoping for a proper visit to/from the mysterious mastermind.
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The Dawnburnt Vake-Rider: https://www.fallenlondon.com/Profile/Hattington
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radicalace
Posts: 7
1/26/2017
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Typo!
Ready the gallows!
[spoiler]"In all its glory: the gramophone!"
A black, grooved disc spins round the top of a box; a lever hangs just over the disc, running a needle between the grooves. Affixed to the side of the box is a large horn, from which emits a music that has half the crowd tapping their feet. The tune is something frantic, using un-invented scales and no shortage of brass. It's driving the crowd into hysterics: half are moved to dancing, half into fury over the immorality of this 'devil's music'.
"The music isn't ours," corrects one of the exhibitor. "Though we wish it was."
In the Prophet's Tent
The Gate-Prophet's roar unleashes a tremendous gust of wind, which flares open the tent flaps. As the thief reaches for the tablet, knocked to the foot of a dreary throne, he screams. The Wind tears at the thief. His hair sprouts and turns an aged white. His back bends. His bones – suddenly brittle with age – can no linger support him.
The Gate-Prophet's voice refuses to go silent; he grasps at this throat. His nails begin to lengthen. His face wrinkles, sags, goes grey. His voice croaks into silence, but the wind roars on.
Send in the spouses!A cadre of the elderly stand tutting at the debauchery. They wonder where their spouses have are; hope they aren't horrified by this display. Don't they realist? Look closer, you bid – their spouses are before them, they are this very bacchanal. Understanding is abrupt. They sets into the dancers; many of the newly-young are dragged away by their collars, ears, hair.
[/spoiler]
edited by radicalace on 1/26/2017
edited by radicalace on 1/26/2017
edited by radicalace on 1/26/2017
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My Profile
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Kukapetal
Posts: 1449
1/26/2017
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There's actually another typo in that second passage.
"His bones – suddenly brittle with age – can no linger support him."
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Catherine Raymond
Posts: 2518
1/26/2017
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Hattington:
[spoiler] Speaking purely for my character/s, I would rather not keep the Wind. The last thing I want to risk is a lifetime of decrepitude for a moment's carelessness.[/spoiler]
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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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Mr Sables
Posts: 597
1/26/2017
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*bangs head on wall*
I'll refrain from further grumbling, but . . .
What rewards did people get? I got a 'personal recommendation', which felt like a huge slap on the face for all I've suffered and the massive action-sinks toward the end . . . I wouldn't have minded as much not getting a great item/reward, but I felt like there was no real story and infuriating mechanics, and this was time I could have spent grinding my connections for the next conversion.
Did anyone else get any half-decent rewards?
Edit: Prepares to get downvoted for not liking the story :P Oh well :P
edited by Robin Alexander on 1/26/2017
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ElevenGiants
Posts: 24
1/26/2017
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Sorry to report a typo:
All aboard to the Century Exhibition!
A gleaming cable-car waits to spirit you away to the Century Exhibition. The Exhibitions glass walls shine from far across the marshes.
Should be "Exhibition's glass walls"
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http://fallenlondon.storynexus.com/Profile/ElevenGiants
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Kukapetal
Posts: 1449
1/26/2017
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Barselaar wrote:
Extra tidbit: I particularly enjoyed the jibes at Tennyson (I think he's pretty good sometimes but my god Maud is dull). If you picked certain options and would like to hear first-hand the soporific power of ol' Alfie T, there are miraculously a few wax-cylinder recordings extant from when he used to bore people in his parlour. They're awful quality, but that's only to be expected from an 1890 reading! Recording, complete with creepy moving edit of his face, here.
edited by Barselaar on 1/26/2017
Dear God, that sounds like Satanic gibberish...and that terrifying video is NOT helping :P
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