![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Nov. 14th, 2020 07:59 amPlaying Pillars of Eternity 2 again has me thinking about Greedfall.
In Greedfall, every faction has rot in it, and that rot can be carved out. The not-Christians have a group that wants to convert the not-Celts by force, but if that group is excommunicated, the rest of the not-Christians are decent. The not-Muslims have a group that conducts horrible medical experiments on the not-Celts, but if that group is exposed and sentenced, the rest of the not-Muslims are decent. Play your cards right, and every faction can end up in a peaceful, mutually beneficial relationship with every other faction, just good people helping other good people.
In Pillars of Eternity 2, every faction has rot in it, and most of that’s irremovable. You can promote good people within the ranks of the not-Italians, but the not-Italians as a whole will still value profit over the lives and well-being of the not-Polynesians. You can defeat and disgrace those members of the pirate faction who support enslaving the not-Polynesians, but the other members will still be bloodthirsty pirates. No matter who you side with, someone is going to suffer. And if you choose not to side with any of them, that leads to the very worst ending, where they all squabble and battle while the people suffer under them.
Greedfall’s a lot more satisfying to play. But Pillars of Eternity 2 feels a lot more realistic.
In Greedfall, every faction has rot in it, and that rot can be carved out. The not-Christians have a group that wants to convert the not-Celts by force, but if that group is excommunicated, the rest of the not-Christians are decent. The not-Muslims have a group that conducts horrible medical experiments on the not-Celts, but if that group is exposed and sentenced, the rest of the not-Muslims are decent. Play your cards right, and every faction can end up in a peaceful, mutually beneficial relationship with every other faction, just good people helping other good people.
In Pillars of Eternity 2, every faction has rot in it, and most of that’s irremovable. You can promote good people within the ranks of the not-Italians, but the not-Italians as a whole will still value profit over the lives and well-being of the not-Polynesians. You can defeat and disgrace those members of the pirate faction who support enslaving the not-Polynesians, but the other members will still be bloodthirsty pirates. No matter who you side with, someone is going to suffer. And if you choose not to side with any of them, that leads to the very worst ending, where they all squabble and battle while the people suffer under them.
Greedfall’s a lot more satisfying to play. But Pillars of Eternity 2 feels a lot more realistic.
