Campaign Opening - The Isles

So, to switch it up a bit - chiefly because, rather than a night of Iron Kingdoms I had a night of "Sister's 18th Birthday" and hence couldn't steal the rulebook - I've decided to return to that most magical of places; the Isles.
But, in a twist on the norm, this isn't going to be me plotting out the setting... I think I've done enough of that, and certainly I wanna leave myself open for innovation in future; just in case I think up a better idea, or something really cool, but doesn't quite fit for whatever reason.

So, instead, we get this - my idea for an opening to a campaign in this setting. It'll probably cover 2-4 sessions, and with a bit of luck the characters'll have levelled up once before it's over... if not, well, GM Fiat and all that...

Anyway, for this opening I'll be steali- er, taking inspiration from two sources; the Iron Kingdoms Adventuring Parties, and Twenty Sided Tales' Tarson's End. For anyone who hasn't heard of the latter, please look it up - Twenty Sided Tales that is. It's a great site, and what made me wanna get into the hobby of Tabletop RPG.

Anyway, so, as some of you may know, in an effort to stop the 'You meet in a tavern...' style of opening session, Iron Kingdoms presents you with a series of Adventuring Parties - groups that you're a member of, such as Arcane Orders, Crime Syndicates, or Mercenary Contracts which explain why you're working together, what your goal is, and give some influence over the kind of campaign you wanna play - Investigators will want to be digging through old tombs for treasure, while a Bounty Hunter wants to, well, hunt bounties...
Anyway, in each case, it gives you a bonus to certain things - mercenaries can get jobs easier, investigators get wages so long as they find cool stuff, wizards get a tower (no, seriously)... but, in almost every case, there're restrictions as to what can qualify. An Arcane Order must always have at least one Gifted character, or loses it's tower, and everyone in a Spy Ring must take spy, thief, etc. as one of their careers. Mercenaries are exempt from this, because, well... all the characters in the game are mercenaries to begin with.

So, anyway, got a bit off topic there... the point was, that seems a much better way to create a party - everyone chooses a theme, they decide on roles, and then you tailor the campaign around that. So, for example, in The Isles setting you could choose to to be Sacred Band - members of the Temple, charged with hunting down and killing heretics, and spreading the faith to unbelievers.
So, obviously, there'd be limits to this. You'd need a cleric at all times - maybe two, one for each deity. Oracles, too, would be very welcome. Paladins and Fighters would be a boon; the latter being guards hired to protect the missionaries, and Inquisitors could replace or supplement the Paladins (depending on the goal). Rangers would be allowed - guides through the barbaric and unholy lands.
Now, on the other hand, Summoners, Witches, and Sorcerers would be off limits. So would Druids and Barbarians - after all, they're being converted away from that! Wizards would be rare, and while there'd not be a rule against Rogues, a Bard would be more appropriate.

So, what're the benefits? Well, any of the divine magic users would get free room and board in any temple they encounter, with hangers-on 'donating' for the privilege. They'd also get a discount for any temple services, and be able to cross borders much easier than other groups.

So, yes, that seemed like a great idea. It means that you have to plan the Campaign *after* your friends create their characters, but that's a small price to pay for a campaign you'll all enjoy much more, isn't it? And, besides - you could probably plan a simple campaign structure, and then edit it to fit the party.

... But this got me thinking. What if, just what if, you pushed it back a bit further?

Rather than starting as missionaries, what if you create an "introductory campaign" designed to lead them to the point where they are the character they want to be? This, is what lead me to think of Tarson's End.

Now, I don't wanna explain that - the writer does it much better - but the gist of it is that a group of friends grow up, and are presented a series of dice-free choices that lead them to start the campaign in the same place, with virtually identical equipment to every other ending, but with drastically different allies, morals, and goals. So, what if that were, instead, a short campaign about, for example, a group of pirates acquiring a ship?

And here, my friends, is the Introductory Campaign for the Isles - Blood and Silver.

The Set Up

Alright, so, the premise is that the party is a group of out-of-work- or wannabe pirates. They've just arrived in a new city, and they wanna make a name for themselves.

Here's the city in question - Hidropolis. Well, technically, it's a large town, but that's just not a pithy.
Now, it's a pretty standard settlement for the setting - located on the east bank one of the larger rivers in the Isles... the exact nation can be catered to the party, but for sake of argument, it's in the Alekion Kingdoms.

So, for a brief summary of Hidropolis: it has a population of about ten thousand, and is around two-three miles long and two thirds as wide.In the north, we have the workers district - with the slums located near the wall. The north-east is the military district, which houses the town garrison, along with the store houses and the like. In the south-east, we have the administrative district; presided over by the Royal Stoa - the seat of power for the local governor, and where the highly organised administration works. To the south, we have the temple district - obviously featuring the town's largest temple, and the mansions of most of the town's elite reside. Finally, we have the wharf; large enough to hold several warships at once, though generally only merchant vessels dock there. The main marketplace is located close to by; more for practicality than any desire to be near any sailors.
Barring the wharf, the city is ringed by a curtain wall, with a series of smaller walls separating the various districts. Ostensibly they're meant to limit an invader's foothold of the city, in reality they mostly serve to seal off sections of the city in case of plague, rioting or fire.

So, this it the setting for the party's rise to power. Now, obviously, I'm not gonna map this out in explicit detail - because I wanna use it with my mates, and if they already know all the twists and turns, it'll lose a lot of the fun. Instead, I'm going to split the campaign into three acts, and describe what'll happen in each. So, without further ado;

Act One - The Arrival.

The party has just arrived in the city; perhaps their old ship was captured, perhaps they had a falling out with the captain - or maybe they're fresh-faced youths dreaming of plunder and glory. Whatever the case, they start in this city with virtually nothing - a small room at an inn, and the clothes on their backs. It's up to them to see what's happening in the city, to get out there and catch the attention of the big players.

This, predictably, involves standard issue side questing. You know the stuff - the catacombs are haunted, there're rats in my basement, goblins are killing my livestock. Super simple stuff, with perhaps the occasional big job. Whatever form it takes, it serves one purpose - to draw attention to these up-and-comers.

Act Two - The Favourites

So, this will be split into three parts, but the line is rather blurred; it more flows from one to the other than has a definitive break. If I do it right, they won't even notice they've passed the point of no return til we hit act three.

Here, some of the major figures or organisations will start to take notice of you, and give you small jobs as tests of skill and loyalty. I'd like to have several factions involved - the Temple, Administration, Military, along with the Merchants, Mercenaries and Thieves Guilds. Some will be major, others minor, but they'll each start offering jobs to you - or rather, letting you do jobs for them. That's the first scene - you'll not be chucked out of their doors or ignored, but they're not gonna come rushing up asking for your help. You might get a note from them, or hear a rumour that they want outside help. More of the same to start with, but with a tilt to make it suit the faction who's offering it. At this point, you can take jobs from anyone - and, I'll keep a chart of how everyone feels about you.

Next, we get to to the part where they start to give contradictory or self-exclusive quests - one side wants something protected, the other wants it stolen, or even just you get two jobs at opposite ends of the city to do at the same time. In any case, here, the rewards are bigger, but every move you make starts to have repercussions.

Finally, we hit the stage where only a third of the factions will interact with you - some, you may have parted with on good terms, others will see you as near traitors. And the groups you are still friends with, well, they're putting a lot of pressure on you to join up. At this point, you're really gonna struggle to keep everyone happy, and stay independent. This is where we hit act three.

Act Three - The Depature

So, here's where they make their choice, and become the characters they want to be. Whoever they've sided with mentions - as friends do - that there's a ship just pulled into port - a small Bireme outfitted for combat and scouting. Perhaps armed with some light artillery, really it doesn't matter - only that it's perfect for you. The only issue is, it's currently held by one of the groups you've managed to offend. If you're on the side of the law, a suspected criminal owns it, and they need you to find evidence of her crimes in order to convict her. If you're in with the mercenaries or merchants, it's held up in legal proceedings, and you need to find a way to get it - your friends will handle the financial side, if you can get permission to buy it. And, as a thief, it's a new ship for the navy - and your allies have decided to help you steal it. In any case, this is going to affect the kind of pirate you are:
-Siding with the law will net you a commission as a Pirate-Hunter - charged to hunt down those who prey on your merchants. A decent wage, plus a bonus for any pirates you bring to justice. You'll be hated and feared by the criminal syndicates, and hunted mercilessly if you enter their territories, but you have the crown at your back and can dock in any civilised port in the Isles.
-Siding with the merchants or mercenaries will land you a letter of marque and a place as a privateer. Empowered by your nation to hunt down enemy vessels, you straddle the line between pirate and hunter; welcome among both but accepted by neither. The government will disown you should you be captured, and whoever bought the ship will expect a cut, but at least your navy will ignore you, and there are still far more targets than friendly ships...
-And, of course, the Thieves will set you up as a true Pirate - celebrated in the Archipelago, and feared everywhere else. Any ship is free for you to take, and the money is yours to spend... but, well, no debt goes unpaid, and your deal with the guild comes with some strings attached... well, chains really. A portion of any takings, and you helping with any matter they bring to your concern for one... and, of course, any run in with the law will end in death or an impressive bounty.

So, anyway, this is Blood and Silver - my pre-campaign campaign. At the end, you're what you wanted, but you don't just get it on a silver platter - you have to work for it. And, of course, it'll provide a host of ideas for a future campaign; think of everyone you wronged, and how that could come back to bite at an inopportune moment...

Anyway, that's me for this week. I'll see if I can't get *something* done by next time. But, until then - Volodanti out.

Addendum - Yes, I realise that the differences I've listed here are more akin to the Golden Age of Piracy than the like from the Classical-era Mediterranean. And a romantic one at that at that... But, well, for all my love of historical accuracy... the reality is kinda boring and very restrictive. On this occasion, I'd prefer something interesting to play than something realistic - and, in any case, it's a fantasy game with dragons and goblins. A bit of silliness and fun is quite in character.

Iron Kingdoms - Character Creations

My apologies for the late post everyone - I had genuinely thought this was posted yesterday at 2. Apparently, I must've pressed the wrong button.

So, taking inspiration for this post's name from the Alien franchise, we have part two of my two part guide to character creation in Iron Kingdoms for new players.
All of this you would easily have discovered had you simply read the title. But I am nothing if not redundant.

So, anyway, this time I'll be taking you through a few ideas and strategies for making a character; varying from 'useful but boring' to 'fluffy, but kinda unwieldy', and possibly even a brief foray into 'what were you thinking?'.

So, yeah. The Rifleman.

The Rifleman

So, a pretty simple character here, one that will work pretty darn well with virtually any race, though it leans more toward Humans, Iosans and Gobbers. It's quite simple, and can be very effective if used correctly.

Alright, the basics. Choose your race, and max out their POI. Otherwise, do as you want - a high SPD lets them get into position, or retreat when the going gets tough, PER or AGL boost their survivability, but really so long as the POI is high, you needn't really worry about it.

Step 2: Archetype. Take Skilled. An extra action per turn is just good to ignore for this build, regardless of what you want them to do.  Intelligent could be interesting, but really if you've made this guy right, the slight bonus won't really matter, and your party'll probably be too far away to benefit. The specifics of this Archetype don't much matter, but in this build Ambidextrous is basically useless.

Note: if most of your party is also intending to make ranged characters, get someone to take Intelligent, because then you can huddle together in their CMD, and receive a nice group buff.

Okay, so for the Careers take Rifleman, and Soldier, and obviously spend the Soldier's combat skills on Rifle and either Great weapon or Hand weapon. It doesn't much matter what you pick, so long as you get those precious 2 points in the Rifle skill.

Finally, it's time to buy equipment. A suit of leather armour is perfectly viable in this case; it's cheap, gives a decent-enough boost to ARM, and only costs you a single DEF. Alternatively, you may wanna take Infantry armour, or Chainmail. Either of these is viable - a bit heavier than I'd go for, but still functional. A Rhulic Rifleman in Infantry armour could still probably match a Human's DEF in leather thanks to their Conditioned ability, and even if not, you can duck for cover.

Now, here's the big choice - the weapon. There are three main options - a military, repeating, or long rifle... or a blunderbuss, if you fancy that authentic Khadoran feel. I'll give you a quick run-down of them

-Military Rifle has an average RNG, but a good PW. It's rounds are a bit more costly, but it can hurt anything shy of a 'jack. A solid choice, but lacks real strategic finesse.

-Repeating Rifles boast a very decent rate of fire in this build. With an Ammo-Bandolier, spare Cylinder and the Quick-load ability, you can fire three rounds a turn, and reload the entirety for free. Not to be sniffed at.

-Long Rifles compliment characters who favour range over anything else. Add a Scope, and you'll hit RNG 17" - generally about two turns movement for whoever you're firing at. A decent SPD can help here, and allow you to make very effective hit and run attacks, or hunker down in some cover and become virtually immovable to anything without AOE or spray weapons.

-Blunderbuss trades RNG for POW. It's inaccurate, lacks the RNG of even some pistols, but has the highest POW of any of these, and is pretty darn cheap. Not really a good weapon for this character build, but if you're a bit strapped for cash, can tide you over.

So, a good starting point, and with a lot of potential - both rules and fluff. They could be a Winterguard Rifleman, Cygnaran Long Gunner, or an Ordic Steelhead rifleman, giving you a lot of freedom, so this guy can fit into virtually any group with ease.

... And, for more advanced players. When you level him up, take the Dual Shot ability, and grab a Radcliffe Carbine first chance you get. One of these combines some of the best parts of a military, repeating, and long rifle into one easy-to-use package. This combination lets you dish out five POW 11 shots per turn, until you run out of reloads.That's the sorta fire power that can worry even a light 'jack - and, as a carbine, it benefits from the Gunfighter ability, so you don't even need a melee weapon!

Alternatives

Obviously, this isn't the only way to do this, and here are some other thoughts to make it work.

Gunmage: a Gunmage/Rifleman combo could work out really very well - a very effective sniper, and capable of a variety of special effects using rune-ammo. Just be aware this means you've also gotta put points into their ARC stat, or they'll struggle to bring their weight to bear.

Ranger: Pathfinder, Camouflage, and the potential for Prowl? Sign me up! With all the moving around you'll be doing, the long rifle is a bit of a waste, but in this situation a Blunderbuss could actually prove very beneficial. If you fancy it, a Scattergun could be a wise investment for dealing with knots of dug in mooks.

Trencher: for those born beneath the Cygnus, a Trencher is a very good choice. It has most of the same benefits as a Soldier, but a few potent abilities of it's own. From the start, you have a suit of decent armour, a Military rifle, bayonet, and smoke grenades, along with the know-how to use em. And, Trollkin can take this career, making a near-preposterous roadblock - shooting it'll do no good, and once you engage it in melee... it's an angry Trollkin with a bayonet. You do the maths.

Warcaster: an okay choice for a warcaster - you'll have a lower RAT than the other choices, but the ability to boost can make up for it. This stands somewhere between the Gunmage and the Trencher, and has roughly the same pros and cons, but at the end of the day, who cares - you're a rifleman with a warjack, ain't no-one gonna mess with you.

Saboteur

Now, this is a thought I've had rattling around up in my head for a while. It's not an easy idea, and the uses are a bit limited, but in a campaign with the right narrative, this can work fantastically.

Now, the Class is a combination of Ranger and Soldier. Put your points into Rifle first, Thrown Weapons second, and Hand weapons last. For abilities, you need to focus on SPD and DEF, but both POI and PRW have their uses too. When it comes to equipment, grab a carbine and whatever bombs you can afford, finish off with a suit of light armour, and prepare to sow havoc amongst enemy emplacements.

The idea here is to use them intelligently - if you charge in, you're gonna die. Sneak around the edges, lay traps, and ambush patrols though... then, you can deal a frankly stupid amount of damage to vastly superior forces. A grenade or two in the midst of some flat-footed enemies will reduce their numbers to the point where your carbine can finish them off. Two rounds, tops, and you've taken out a half dozen enemies, hopefully without taking a hit. When the enemy starts to bring in reinforcements, make a run for it - or sprint round to the other side of the encampment and start all over again. Repeat until they get wise, and then pull back.

As I said, not necessarily the best build, but a pretty good one depending on the circumstances. Playing as members of the Resistance in Occupied Llael? Khadoran agents working to weaken Cygnar's defences before the next big push? Cryxians literally anywhere? This could be the guy for you.

I'm afraid that's where I'll have to end it today. It's a bit shorter than I'd meant it, but I haven't had a chance to get a look at the rulebook this past week - actually, in a couple months - so I'm working off memory to make these.
I have a couple more ideas floating around in my head - a warcaster/knight, duellist/pistoleer, pirate/military officer - but they're less plans and more 'cool images'. The first, incidentally, was just an exercise in how high you can get your ARM without using expansions. Actually, surprisingly high once you get Heavy Warcaster Armour, a shield, and hoard your focus. But, that's kinda besides the point.

Anyway, I hope you've enjoyed this brief foray into different character builds. Even if there were only two listed.

... I really need to borrow that rulebook. Anyway, I'll have more next week - Synergies for 'Casters, a bit more on The Isles, or if we're lucky an update of Iron Kingdoms.

Iron Kingdoms - Character Creation

So, in keeping with the new schedule I've set myself, I'm writing this up on tuesday - when I have done nothing since last post. I tell a lie - I've had a 70 point 2v2 of WARMAHORDES, and I'm gonna have a game of Death Hulk again tonight... I may also be doing another game later this week, so yeah, I should have a lot of options.
For now, I've a thought that's been buzzing around my head for a little while now. You see, last time I gamed, a mate mentioned that he might be dropping his character - just temporarily. Cara has a lot of repairs that need doing, and two or three sessions sitting rolling skill-checks every few in-game hours would be very, very boring... So, he's considering just rolling a new character for the intervening sessions.
Now this got me thinking. Several sessions in, he's gonna be making a new guy, not necessarily a heavily-characterised guy, cos he's gonna vanish in a month, but someone fun to play, and relatively good. So, how's he gonna make him different? How would I make them different, were I to make a new character knowing what I do now about the system?
And, obviously, this reminded me of when I was starting out. Because it was so different to anything I'd done, I looked up articles others had written about, you know, tips for beginners... And they were alright, but they were all, as my old one was, on how they'd made their own characters... Maybe this has changed since, but I don't see any reason not to help if I can.

So, to that end, my Tips for Creating a Character in Iron Kingdoms.

Jack of All Trades is Master of None.

A simple one, but important. You can, using a variety of starting careers, specialise in five different combat skills. A combination of Trencher and Soldier will give you the potential for 1 point in Hand Weapon, Shield, Great Weapon, Rifle and Thrown Weapon. This may well seem fantastic to you - it means, no matter what happens, your character can do something.

Yes, they can. But nothing well.

You see, to make that works, you'd have to put a lot of points into STR (for melee damage), PRW (for melee accuracy) and POI (for ranged accuracy). You can, of course, do this... but you really shouldn't. That's going to leave them hardly any points for PHY (meaning a low armour, and health), or AGI (meaning low defence and health), or PER (which also contributes to defence). And, even if you think being both squishy and slow is worth it... you'll still not be that great. You'll only ever do two of them per turn - at most - and you can't make a ranged attack and a melee attack in the same turn. And this isn't even getting to the mess your Abilities will end up as...

Seriously, don't do it. Focus on two combat skills - a primary weapon, and a back-up. Your choice how you do this; pistol with a back-up hand weapon, fists and throwing weapon just in case, great weapon and a rifle, or shield and crossbow. Doesn't much matter the combination, so long as you know how it'll work.

DEF > ARM

This is, frankly, just a fact. I'm sorry, but in a world of cannons, magical hammers, and giant steam-powered automatons, not getting hit is a much, much more viably approach than taking the hit well.

A character who focusses on not being hit can pretty easily hit DEF 14 at the get go, which means that most enemies won't be able to hit without aiming... and even then, mooks will still probably miss. However, an armour over 16 is pretty difficult to achieve for someone who is just starting, which means any time you are hit - and you will be - you'll take a little damage... a little damage that may not seem like much, but trust me - these things add up, and character do not have a lot of health to start with. Yes, a high DEF means that any hits will hurt a lot, but with careful use of cover - and the occasional Heroic Dodge - you can generally walk out of a fight mostly unharmed. A character who focusses on tanking damage will find themselves low on health after every fight, and health does not regenerate very quickly.
As a side note though - their is no downside to a shield. You have to put points in it to get an effect, but once you have, there is literally no reason not to take one. Just being held in your offhand, they boost ARM with no negative to DEF, are cheap to purchase, and you can hold (but not attack with) a two-handed weapon while wielding one, so using it to get into position, then stowing it is pretty effective.

Addendum: Warjacks should not care about DEF. Unless you want to buy a ruinously expensive Cygnaran military chassis, and then put all your crowns into upgrading it to be light on it's feet, a mook with a rifle can hit it without aiming. Even if you do go down this route, you'll still struggle to keep it from getting hit by someone who aims.
Conversely, a heavy jack with a shield can take a frankly ludicrous amount of damage, for a lot cheaper. The former, obviously, can work, but it's and you'll have to invest a lot of time, money and effort into it.

Ranged Ain't Bad

I realise in most RPG's - and even the wargame this is based off - ranged damage is generally inferior to a good old sword in the gut, but that is not necessarily the case in this. A normal rifle isn't that much weaker than most characters' P+S, and a hand cannon can be deadly in the right hands.
This links into the above actually - DEF is much more important than ARM, and someone without armour will struggle in protracted melee. Or, if you'd like to think about it another way; a gun removes the need for armour, because the enemy can't hit you if he's pulling leadshot outta his leg.

... This is not to say melee combat is worthless. Far from it! Just saying that you can be a ranged character without suffering for it. And, of course, in this your strength and accuracy in melee are not related, so you can entirely make a highly effective knife fighter.

Magic is Support

Magic should not be used offensively. No ifs, not buts. Use it to buff yourself, or to employ tricks - like smoke effects, cover, or teleportation.

The reason for this is, while I'm sure arcane bolt looks a lot more impressive than the old pistol you could barely afford, you're not going to hit anyone with it. An elf who puts as many points as they can into their spellcasting will perhaps hit ARC 5. This, incidentally, functions both as a mana pool, and your attack characteristic. There's not combat skills to improve it either, so spells are effectively shot at RAT 5, with no possible aiming bonus. Unless you boost every attack, you'll struggle to hit a grunt in the open.

Conversely, a spell that boosts MAT or RAT, grants your attacks effects, or provides a bonus to ARM or DEF will hit automatically, and can tip the scales in a fairly even skirmish. Remember - a well timed cloud effect can save a character from a firing squad.
There are, of course, exceptions to this rule. Anything with an AOE will give you a fair chance of hurting enemies, even if it takes a couple hits to kill them. AOE's that remain for a round, or are placed rather than aimed are especially useful here - the former can be used very effectively as area denial, and the latter circumvents the need to actually hit. And, anything that damages an enemy when they hit you is useful, either as a deterrent or, on a warjack, as near perfect crowd-control.
And, of course, Fell Callers and Gunmages work rather differently, so don't worry about using them offensively.

Big Things Die First

An obvious point, but something to remember. A Gobber with a hand cannon isn't that much less dangerous than an Ogrun with a greatsword, but you'd still target the Ogrun first; even if it were further away. Your GM is an irrational meatbag just like you, and will probably do the same.

This isn't me telling you not to be an Ogrun - do it, it'll be fun. But, just be aware that you'll end up taking more flak for it, not least because everyone else can hide behind you.

Anyway, these are my general tips for starting out in Iron Kingdoms. Obviously, take all of these with a pinch of salt - I don't know everything, and these are just vague tips to help out someone who's only just picked up the rulebook.

And, most importantly - don't let these stop you from being what you want to be. If you want to be a heavily armoured Trollkin who focuses on offensive magic - do it! You'll get far more enjoyment out of an interesting character who you like than by making a by-the-books character who efficiently wins every fight. These are just my thoughts to help you make someone who doesn't die in the first five minutes, or who you end up hating because he's a hindrance.

Anyway, next time I ought to be using most of these tips to create a couple simple but effective characters for anyone to use. Until then, thanks for reading.

An Actually Short Update

So, another short one this week. I was meant to be doing a game of Iron Kingdoms on Thursday, so you were gonna be getting the long awaited update, but that got cancelled, and then I couldn't make the replacement game, so... yeah, sorry guys.

Annoyingly, because I didn't notice the cancellation til the night before, I didn't have a chance to think up a replacement for this week's post - I was considering doing a final update to The Isels campaign setting, but everything I wrote felt a bit, well, forced... Like I was writing it to fill space, rather than to actually expand, or improve the setting.

You know, I thought once I finished Uni, I'd have more time to actually, y'know, think up blogs. Well, that's been proved very wrong.

In fact, that can be what this is - my promise to start writing in advance, rather than waiting for the day and typing out whatever occurs to me. Sure, we'll lose a few things that happened late week, but it means that I'll always have something to say to you... and I think a slight loss in spontaneity is an acceptable trade off for you not having to read filler like this.

... Should not have referred to my blog as filler there. Perhaps toning down on the spontaneity isn't such a bad thing...

Well, in other news, I'm replaying Arkham Origins, and I can confirm... They shoulda dropped Copperhead and The Mad Hatter. Their sequences really didn't add anything to the game, and just felt like a rehashing of the Scarecrow fights from Asylum... which, incidentally, is by far the best part of it.
SPOILERS
Also, why is Bane randomly the guy from the film? I didn't even think it was that great a film, so why have you suddenly decided to base the character off him - a mercenary who (for unexplained reasons) knows who Batman is, and wants to eliminate him... I'm not even kidding - he just randomly knows who you are, and then accidentally forgets at the end. It's never explained why he's obsessed with you, or why he inexplicably has a band of philosophical mercenaries who seem to treat him like the Messiah. I get the luchadore on steroids is a bit silly, but it worked, and I actually enjoyed him in the previous games...

Anyway, that's the end of my Actually Short Update. I'm having a game this weekend, so bit of luck, I'll be able to share it with you. Cheers for reading.