Review RPG Codex Review: Torment: The Explorer's Guide

[Roguey]

you ended up with unintentionally unfortunate characters like Vivienne, the pro-police-violence black lady.

There's nothing wrong with this.

 

[Excidium II]

I liked before I knew it had an objective to make leftist whiteys feel good bout themselves.

 

[Fenix]

That's about all they say about him/her/it. Quoting:

The Ghibra more properly call themselves the Ghibra Ny’kul (“the children of Ny’kul”) after their most prominent god. The legends of Ny’kul praise him as the most accepting god, one who celebrates diversity in all forms, and the Ghibra see themselves as living proof.​

​

For fucks sake...
As I said - the king is dead, long live the king, forget about Numanerah, know NTwtF.

 

[G Ziets]

The section on the Bloom was based on our design document, and I reviewed it before it went out, so it’s almost identical to what’s in the game (minus some spoilers). I think there's even a blurb of quoted text that's taken directly from one of our dialogues.

 

[Crooked Bee]

 

[Jaesun]

 

[Kev Inkline]

 

[Infinitron]

The section on the Bloom was based on our design document, and I reviewed it before it went out, so it’s almost identical to what’s in the game (minus some spoilers). I think there's even a blurb of quoted text that's taken directly from one of our dialogues.

Are the other sections also based on your design documents in a similar fashion?

 

[G Ziets]

Sagus Cliffs is reasonably close, but there are some differences. I'm not sure about the rest - I only reviewed Sagus and the Bloom. (Some areas described in the book are not in our game at all.)

 

[mindx2]

That's about all they say about him/her/it. Quoting:

The Ghibra more properly call themselves the Ghibra Ny’kul (“the children of Ny’kul”) after their most prominent god. The legends of Ny’kul praise him as the most accepting god, one who celebrates diversity in all forms, and the Ghibra see themselves as living proof.
​

Subtle...

That's just bad, lazy "fantasy" art.

 

[Sizzle]

That's just bad, lazy "fantasy" srt.

Fantasy subtitle? :D

Sorry, couldn't resist

 

[Infinitron]

(Some areas described in the book are not in our game at all.)

Hmmm, which ones? Were they cut?

 

[Septaryeth]

It's a missed opportunity. I was especially disappointed in M'ra Jolios because the premise is kind of neat and I really dug the concept art that's been presented. They could've explored that premise, but at least as presented in the book, the underwater thing is just more "make that six legs" weird.

Can you explain the "God of Diversity and Inclusiveness"?

That's about all they say about him/her/it. Quoting:

The Ghibra more properly call themselves the Ghibra Ny’kul (“the children of Ny’kul”) after their most prominent god. The legends of Ny’kul praise him as the most accepting god, one who celebrates diversity in all forms, and the Ghibra see themselves as living proof.
​

Is there a story where these so-accepting Ghibra comes in conflict with others who disagree with Ny’kul and renounce him?

 

[Prime Junta]

Is there a story where these so-accepting Ghibra comes in conflict with others who disagree with Ny’kul and renounce him?

Nah. The conflict between them and the Patriotic Front of Jerboa (okay, fine, Jerboan Compatriots) is ostensibly about the Ghibra not letting air-breathing humans live freely in their underwater paradise. They were scant on details about that. There was a bit about the religions in Jerboa and M'ra Jolios as well which sounded an awful lot like an allegory for Islam and Christianity from where I'm at, although here they're living peacefully side by side except for those pesky Compatriots stirring up trouble.

 

[lightbane]

That's about all they say about him/her/it. Quoting:

The Ghibra more properly call themselves the Ghibra Ny’kul (“the children of Ny’kul”) after their most prominent god. The legends of Ny’kul praise him as the most accepting god, one who celebrates diversity in all forms, and the Ghibra see themselves as living proof.
​

Subtle...

Indeed, it's quite disappointing and a waste of the setting. I guess Cook wanted to do some damage control after SJWs threw a bitchy rant when they discovered one of the monsters from the core book is a regular succubus.

 

[Kev Inkline]

That's about all they say about him/her/it. Quoting:

The Ghibra more properly call themselves the Ghibra Ny’kul (“the children of Ny’kul”) after their most prominent god. The legends of Ny’kul praise him as the most accepting god, one who celebrates diversity in all forms, and the Ghibra see themselves as living proof.
​

Subtle...

Indeed, it's quite disappointing and a waste of the setting. I guess Cook wanted to do some damage control after SJWs threw a bitchy rant when they discovered one of the monsters from the core book is a regular succubus.

Monte Cuck & Children of NyQuil. Would definitely buy their debut album.

 

[Prime Junta]

Indeed, it's quite disappointing and a waste of the setting. I guess Cook wanted to do some damage control after SJWs threw a bitchy rant when they discovered one of the monsters from the core book is a regular succubus.

Numenera was extremely liberal/progressive from the start, especially on the gender/orientation front. Which of course wouldn't stop someone taking umbrage at Nibovian Wives. I'm kinda surprised it has any fans in these parts, as the social justice is laid on a bit thick in places even for my blood.

 

[Prime Junta]

Shanna Germain did a Q&A on the Guide.

 

[Prime Junta]

Hey Prime Junta, so they're trying to rack up preorders. Bet they regret having you review it now?

They didn't ask me to review it. They asked the Codex, and the Codex asked me.

 

[FeelTheRads]

Was Infinitron hoping for a positive review then?

 

[Prime Junta]

Was Infinitron hoping for a positive review then?

I have no fucking idea. Why don't you ask him?

What I do know is that neither he nor anyone else made the slightest attempt to influence it in any way. He and Crooked Bee did proofread it, but editorial feedback boiled down to "good read, we'll run with it" and "good job, perhaps we'll call on you in the future." I also made sure before starting on it that they were aware of any biases I might have, and they were A-OK with that too.

I.e. from my point of view at least I do not see any evidence at all of this mythical pressure to turn the Codex into a positive-reviews-only shill site.

 

[Septaryeth]

I just read the review again. FFS.

For example, the Guide explains that the water-breathing Ghibra of M’ra Jolios are telepathic because sound carries poorly under water (the opposite is true), and they call their militia the Tears of Ny’kul. How would an underwater race even have a concept for tears?

Well it makes sense that they worship a god of :incloosive:-ness, since he obviously tolerates stupidity.

Numenera was extremely liberal/progressive from the start, especially on the gender/orientation front. Which of course wouldn't stop someone taking umbrage at Nibovian Wives. I'm kinda surprised it has any fans in these parts, as the social justice is laid on a bit thick in places even for my blood.

Sourcebook aside, do you feel the same way about the beta?
I don't really mind more modern messages in my game but damn it I don't think I can take another Dreamfall Chapters where it's border-lining preaching.

 

[Prime Junta]

Sourcebook aside, do you feel the same way about the beta?

Nope, I like the beta a lot, especially since they revised the start in the latest iteration.

 

[Excidium II]

Was Infinitron hoping for a positive review then?

I have no fucking idea. Why don't you ask him?

What I do know is that neither he nor anyone else made the slightest attempt to influence it in any way. He and Crooked Bee did proofread it, but editorial feedback boiled down to "good read, we'll run with it" and "good job, perhaps we'll call on you in the future." I also made sure before starting on it that they were aware of any biases I might have, and they were A-OK with that too.

I.e. from my point of view at least I do not see any evidence at all of this mythical pressure to turn the Codex into a positive-reviews-only shill site.

This one's not something the editors are as invested in.

 

[Excidium II]

In content? Rarely.