I addressed this already. The part where I mention the MC ends up with a bunch of political power. Savvy politicians assassinate my man. It happens in real life even and usually isn't tied to a terrible outcome. That's why you setup claims, even if fabricated, though our MC does happen upon a fair few legitimately. By the end of what is available in game you could act a tyrant with near impunity and sending the mayor at me? Please dude I just near one shot an orc that could have raped him to death with his pinky finger that was such a pain he couldn't even deal with him or his orc band. My point, if the entire post is read, is that the MC at some point should be able to be a lot more ruthless with the brutes like he was with the thief in the cabin and that isn't even going into accidents being arranged or using my massive pool of gold to hire some orcs to hit my enemies. By the time I got to Kate's quest line there was no one that could stand against me, I had a mercenary company that controlled the local mines, the ability to spy on, and in reality assassinate, Giron with impunity. Thomas should have been able to be turned into my sex slave, especially after I already did the werewolf questline where I massacred werewolf cultists and stole their magical/cursed sword. Even in werewolf form I chose to SPARE, I CHOSE TO SPARE, the carpenter. So no it is not "Better the diplomatic way."(Read simp like a bitch for everyone). Not anymore it's not, it's now better to act like a lord and be ruthless against thugs as it's the only currency they trade in. In reality someone like Thomas or Giron will backstab you the moment they have the chance, taking things from them and putting things they value in danger and letting them know it is how you keep thugs like them in line.
Street kids simp for brutes and thugs, lords put them in their place and use them. I want more of option two. Especially after owning enough men to overrun the understaffed garrison of Arenfield. As for the cult...well I already killed half of them so who cares if I kill the other half or give them the "lord who ain't taking your BS" treatment?
I read your entire post.
What you are implying is something that won’t happen or that maybe will in a distant future, but we will never see the MC going John wick on every person in town rn, for multiple reasons.
First one this game is somewhat of a mix between a dark fantasy and a power fantasy, you can fail and every choice has some repercussions, but you can get also powerful, but not godlike, for a thing called ludonarrative dissonance even if you are 99+ level with all stats, you will be treated like the peasant you are.
Second one, as I saw while playing Chyos has clearly an idea were the story is going, you will probably one day have an heavy revenge on Thomas and Giron but not in violent and brutal way, it will be more subtle.
Maybe in an endgame you’ll become a king enslaving and murdering everyone, but for now, and for at least some years, you won’t.
For now the diplomatic way is the best, slowly ascending the ranks, obtaining power, this is how you become truly powerful in the story, in gameplay you’ll may be still OP but in the story you are still not something, but you are becoming one.
I feel like I have to add few copper coins to this discussion. Although I'm warning beforehead my points of reference (as quests have multiple endings) may wary of the way you played the game. Yeah... long posts are my speciality.
I have to agree with
CaptainRishard on MC acting more brutal. As he have both experience and means to do so. Sure, he doesn't have to, but having option for him to be more aggressive (either by force, or negotiations or magic) whould be greatly appreciated. Let me explain this a bit more.
I do understand MC is threated like a garbage even if he's 100 lvl for the sake of narration, but his deeds to the village of Arenfield and Rumah should't be overlooked so easily and MC should be more appreciated by the community as a whole.
After all MC, by helping around the Arenfield and Rumah, grew not only as a person, but also as a warrior. True, not trained by a master swordsman (swords are greatly overappreciated in my opinion) nor master tactician, but self-taught (with Tia and Lyvia by his side) in the heat of encounters with orcs and bandits and he showed he's great leader, being worth becoming cheftain of the tribe, during "Siege of Rumah" by leading counter-attack on the orcs and killing thier boss and avenging his adoptive father. (My ending of Rumah questline)
While people of Arenfield may not know of his deed to Rumah, they surely know who is hutning and farming for them. Hunting? Corven and MC. Farming? Penny and MC. And sure, that food is not going directly to villagers, but without MC and Penny Lucius would have nothing to sell and thus village would probably starve.
MC helped John to finish his royal order for weapons, earning not only his trust and respect, but his work for weapons and armors for his mercenaries. He saved Kate from the hands of her father's "friends". He's keeping Thomas hands off Kate. He's providing food and money for Mira, Frisha and Emily. He went full John Wick (although with small help of Tia and Lyvia) to save Arianna from captivity and after that he returned there just to go John Wick 2 in order to make sure there is nobody left alive to try once again to hurt his friends and family. Also, MC did John Wick 3 in order to save Liandra.
And people of Arenfield surely know who captured elven bandit leader causing troubles around the village. They surely know who is the leader of mercenary group keeping village safe from bandits and orcs. And they surely know who re-captured local mine and who is keeping it operational to supply front and village with weapons, tools and armors.
MC worked hard for the respect and support of both Arenfield and Rumah. He's basically holding the village and local area in his grasp by the hands of his friends, mercenaries, half-orcs and of course his own hands. MC have every means to remove unwanted people from the village like Thomas, Giron, Dave, Penny's ex-fiancee with blessing of the village if removing of those people means improving life of everyones in the Arenfield.
And what Giron and his family are doing to help the village? The answer is they don't help. Even worst, they are oppresing people into paying horrible taxes in the name of king. They are more concerned about luxury of thier household, thier not earned but given nobility status and a marriage when people outside are getting more angry and desperate in order to survive another day.
Everything MC have to do is to either wipe out Giron and his family with the help of his mercenaries when people of the village are gladly looking away, or make a little effort to make it look like a more of a accidents.
Either way, removing Giron and his family would only benefit Arenfield, because there would be no self-centered idiot on important job.
Of course removing Giron and his family by sweet little accident is better politicaly. Because, you know, accident can happen. Like, for example, breaking your neck when falling down the stairs, falling down of a dagger 13 times, drowning, being eaten by a deer on a hunt. You know "accidents".
Even better option would be to search through Giron's house in order to find a proof of him trying to undermine king somehow. And in case of not having those, asking someone to forge them and maybe then telling King when confronted hey tried to run away.
And the best part? King would't even drop a tear over it. Because both from tactical and political point of view nothing will change as long as Baron of Arenfield is sending him so needed supplies. And either way, no matter what actions he would take against either MC's little revolt, or information about Baron of Arenfield died in a accident, he's rather fucked.
Hard times require hard choices. And in this scenario king doesn't have many good ones.
In case of revolt sending soldiers to retake Arenfield from hands of well armed and fortified mercenaries means losing front and maybe a war. Not retaking Arenfield means no supplies going to the front, which means losing front and maybe a war.
Trying to assasinate a man respected by people means open revolt and joining the enemy, which means no supplies to the front and being behind enemy lines. The only smart option would be to parley with MC.
Depending of which path MC took (revolt, accidents, proof of treason) king may be less or more hostile towards MC, but either way he have to appoints him as ruler of Arenfield because of not having much of a choice.
And that's is the "logical" one. Let's not forget MC can use magic to break and control minds. Making Giron and his familiy MC's puppets is quite a interesting option too. A eternal suffering as a puppet doing biddings of a man who they tried to stab in the back.
