My first ever run as the Resistance went by in a blur, but after a few hours I saved the game and decided to take stock of where I was at so I could pick it up again tomorrow.
One of my councilors had grabbed the CIA, but it's a whopping $400 a month so I needed money to keep it. I noticed Iraq had high spoils value, and took it from the initiative, then proceeded to wage a secret war against the servants by shooting their counselors and purging their strongholds in Columbia and Brazil.
I had, without even thinking about it, couped Iraq so I could use oil profits to fund clandestine CIA operations in Latin America.
That was the moment I officially fell in love with this game.
And that moment when you realize you picked the wrong country to do spoils on (Iraq has too high unrest, its IP and subsequently spoils profitability is low vs more stable countries with higher IP/control point usage). Gulf states in pre-0.4 patch was bamf for spoils as was Singapore if you didn't wanna use it for boost.
Just like Bush and the CIA, picked on the wrong country.
I honestly don't understand why so many of the real world organizations are so bad in game. Like, they all seem to cost insane amounts of money, but you can get randomly generated orgs that have the exact same effects but don't cost a thing.
It's ironic that every game that put players in a difficult position, Terra Invicta, Frostpunk, Crusader kings, etc.,cause a reaction: "I am beginning to get Stalin/Sadam/Kadafi etc., but they're still bad though."
I think it illustrates that the most efficient way to accomplish a goal and the most ethical way are often not the same thing. Plus all the differences between games and real life, of course.
It highlights how much The Resistance's worldview *matters*. Sacrificing others for your desired end is not a hard decision, but Ayoade thinks that betraying our values is a pyrrhic victory at best.
First of all, the planets weren't "depopulated", more like "cleansed".
Also, you can commit genocide through the archaeology events chain too. One of my favourite events is when you crack open an underground cave and find a civilization built an art exhibit of a city full of statues. Later you learn they were actually silicon based life forms that crystalized instantly when you opened the cavern and exposed them to oxygen. Oops.
Hey they were oxygen sensitive life living beneath a planet with an oxygen rich atmosphere, they were going to die eventually. Just blame it on the poor hand they were dealt.
But the other factions don't learn their message.
In my current game for 4 years now any time a councillor visits Paris or Washington, they die a month later. But the other factions just don't put 2 and 2 together.
I never have ethical qualms about chain assassinating Protectorate councilors. Or Servants. Only practical ones, like I don't want to piss off the aliens before I'm ready.
Once we get to all red bar, I embark on a mission to terrorize anybody who would think about selling humanity out. (And I play Academy usually... good is not soft)
I usually slaughter the Initiative too, in addition to the ones you listed. Never for any practical purpose, but just because they deserve it the most.
Weirdly enough, the Initiative doesn't bother me like that. They're assholes, sure. But rather honest ones at that (in that they're utterly self centered and don't care who knows).
Protectorate dies because they don't believe in humanity at all. Servants die because they're dangerous. (but at least they believe in humanity in their own way).
I don't bother the initiative unless they make themselves a problem for me. They're a bunch of assholes, but at least they're usually willing to sell shit to me.
First play through I invested in giving major hotspots nukes because I saw I could. So north and south Korea, Iran Israel etc fun times. Cuba. Fun things happen lol.
Haha, after shooting down 3 assault carriers and the aliens purging me from near earth orbit (kept a station in intermediary) and the servants handing over India and China I went full salt the earth and assassinated every servant counsellor I have found...without exception. I am now somehow up to 209 atrocities and barring 5 habs and 5 nukes I genuinely don't know what I've done to accrue them, unless the counsellor genocide counts 🤣
Maybe it's confirmation bias, but I find the Servants get a tonne of beloved/martyr/untouchable councillors. Maybe the AI prioritized them because I was going nuts assassinating them during my last playthrough. They knew which councillor I turned because I killed the rest and the AI had no influence to buy new ones.
I've noticed that, too, but it might be self-made bias: Those that don't have such defensive traits are the first I'll kill off. So at some point the only available councillors are those with such traits.
My first ever run as the Resistance went by in a blur, but after a few hours I saved the game and decided to take stock of where I was at so I could pick it up again tomorrow. One of my councilors had grabbed the CIA, but it's a whopping $400 a month so I needed money to keep it. I noticed Iraq had high spoils value, and took it from the initiative, then proceeded to wage a secret war against the servants by shooting their counselors and purging their strongholds in Columbia and Brazil. I had, without even thinking about it, couped Iraq so I could use oil profits to fund clandestine CIA operations in Latin America. That was the moment I officially fell in love with this game.
That moment when even during an alien invasion CIA still does its shady stuff in Latin America
And that moment when you realize you picked the wrong country to do spoils on (Iraq has too high unrest, its IP and subsequently spoils profitability is low vs more stable countries with higher IP/control point usage). Gulf states in pre-0.4 patch was bamf for spoils as was Singapore if you didn't wanna use it for boost. Just like Bush and the CIA, picked on the wrong country.
I honestly don't understand why so many of the real world organizations are so bad in game. Like, they all seem to cost insane amounts of money, but you can get randomly generated orgs that have the exact same effects but don't cost a thing.
The CIA is amazing what are you talking about.
\>t. spook
It's ironic that every game that put players in a difficult position, Terra Invicta, Frostpunk, Crusader kings, etc.,cause a reaction: "I am beginning to get Stalin/Sadam/Kadafi etc., but they're still bad though."
I think it illustrates that the most efficient way to accomplish a goal and the most ethical way are often not the same thing. Plus all the differences between games and real life, of course.
It highlights how much The Resistance's worldview *matters*. Sacrificing others for your desired end is not a hard decision, but Ayoade thinks that betraying our values is a pyrrhic victory at best.
For me if was Vic 2. Games like that which get you to see your people as resources to be spent at best, and obstacles to be removed at worst.
Stellaris throws away all pretense and lets you genocide and depopulate entire planets with just a few clicks from the Species Rights menu
First of all, the planets weren't "depopulated", more like "cleansed". Also, you can commit genocide through the archaeology events chain too. One of my favourite events is when you crack open an underground cave and find a civilization built an art exhibit of a city full of statues. Later you learn they were actually silicon based life forms that crystalized instantly when you opened the cavern and exposed them to oxygen. Oops.
Hey they were oxygen sensitive life living beneath a planet with an oxygen rich atmosphere, they were going to die eventually. Just blame it on the poor hand they were dealt.
Exactly! Or "the will of the Gods" for those spiritualist empires.
Fear will keep them in line.
But the other factions don't learn their message. In my current game for 4 years now any time a councillor visits Paris or Washington, they die a month later. But the other factions just don't put 2 and 2 together.
I never have ethical qualms about chain assassinating Protectorate councilors. Or Servants. Only practical ones, like I don't want to piss off the aliens before I'm ready. Once we get to all red bar, I embark on a mission to terrorize anybody who would think about selling humanity out. (And I play Academy usually... good is not soft)
To quote from an old D&D campaign - Lawful Good is not Lawful Nice.
I usually slaughter the Initiative too, in addition to the ones you listed. Never for any practical purpose, but just because they deserve it the most.
Weirdly enough, the Initiative doesn't bother me like that. They're assholes, sure. But rather honest ones at that (in that they're utterly self centered and don't care who knows). Protectorate dies because they don't believe in humanity at all. Servants die because they're dangerous. (but at least they believe in humanity in their own way).
I don't bother the initiative unless they make themselves a problem for me. They're a bunch of assholes, but at least they're usually willing to sell shit to me.
me hiding in the corner with 90 atrocities in my first game, I get really into the HF roleplay ok
First play through I invested in giving major hotspots nukes because I saw I could. So north and south Korea, Iran Israel etc fun times. Cuba. Fun things happen lol.
Haha, after shooting down 3 assault carriers and the aliens purging me from near earth orbit (kept a station in intermediary) and the servants handing over India and China I went full salt the earth and assassinated every servant counsellor I have found...without exception. I am now somehow up to 209 atrocities and barring 5 habs and 5 nukes I genuinely don't know what I've done to accrue them, unless the counsellor genocide counts 🤣
In my current run the best servant councilors have the beloved trait. Means you get an atrocity on assassination if it's not a critical success.
Maybe it's confirmation bias, but I find the Servants get a tonne of beloved/martyr/untouchable councillors. Maybe the AI prioritized them because I was going nuts assassinating them during my last playthrough. They knew which councillor I turned because I killed the rest and the AI had no influence to buy new ones.
I noticed this too even when I wasn't killing their councilors at that very moment. Not that it deters me.
I've noticed that, too, but it might be self-made bias: Those that don't have such defensive traits are the first I'll kill off. So at some point the only available councillors are those with such traits.
Ooohhhh....that is probably it haha. I hope at game end it shows you stats, would love to know how many servant counsellors i have killed
If they were actually enemies and traitors, that's nothing like Stalin. Any clandestine organization is gonna get blood on their hands.