Attachment to Family Members

**LogJam** · March 06, 2015, 03:04 AM

So I've been playing a lot of Attila today instead of doing uni work, and I have become really aware of how attached and invested towards characters/family members I get. I find myself getting a bit upset when they die - though that may mostly just be because I lose their bonuses and expertise. But I can't help feel a little sad to see them go, and I think it's because... well... they died. Even if it's by natural causes, after a long and productive life.

I would also like to add that the political system can be BRUTAL - I sent one of my guys off to do some task early in my game (talk smack about someone, I can't remember), and next thing I knew I was being told that he had been beaten to death and thrown in a ditch on the side of the road. Reading that hit me harder than any amount of blood and gore dlc has or will, I can tell you right now. Stone cold, CA.

Am I crazy, or is anyone else experiencing similar feelings?

**Lugotorix** · March 06, 2015, 03:12 AM

This is a pretty common sentiment resulting in a lot of re-loads since Stainless Steel. Sometimes you just have to let the great ones go.

**jtfjtfjtf** · March 06, 2015, 03:24 AM

I haven't had a guy beat to death. Is that a politic questionnaire thing? Rome 2 was so emotionless.

**LogJam** · March 06, 2015, 04:00 AM

Originally Posted by jtfjtfjtf

I haven't had a guy beat to death. Is that a politic questionnaire thing? Rome 2 was so emotionless.

It's an elaboration on the 'agent unsuccessful' dialogue that pops up at the start of a new turn. It's happened to me twice, during failed political actions.

The targets, or friends of the target, proceed to completely destroy my family member, as communicated in a little bit of writing.
It goes something along the line of 'Your agent/family member/whoever was beaten to death, and had their body unceremoniously dumped in a ditch.' Just really brutal stuff. It probably sounds dry just reading it but when you are not expecting it, and if it's someone you like being killed, it hits pretty hard. And I suppose just the matter-of-fact nature of how it is stated added to my shock.

If it happens again I'll try get a screenshot.

**Butan** · March 06, 2015, 06:46 AM

Until now I didnt get such a brutal consequence to a political action. Only the basic "dilemma" of throwing influence onto it to win, or abort and lose control.

Anyway LogJam, if you played older TW which had relatively well built family/politics you know that it was like this back then: attachment to characters ^^
It was for me the main letdown of Rome 2 and one of the reason I tolerate playing vanilla Attila, because the family/politic is very well done now.

**stevehoos** · March 06, 2015, 07:16 AM

CA did a good job on this, credit is due.

**Humble Warrior** · March 06, 2015, 09:11 AM

Originally Posted by LogJam

So I've been playing a lot of Attila today instead of doing uni work, and I have become really aware of how attached and invested towards characters/family members I get. I find myself getting a bit upset when they die - though that may mostly just be because I lose their bonuses and expertise. But I can't help feel a little sad to see them go, and I think it's because... well... they died. Even if it's by natural causes, after a long and productive life.

I would also like to add that the political system can be BRUTAL - I sent one of my guys off to do some task early in my game (talk smack about someone, I can't remember), and next thing I knew I was being told that he had been beaten to death and thrown in a ditch on the side of the road. Reading that hit me harder than any amount of blood and gore dlc has or will, I can tell you right now. Stone cold, CA.

Am I crazy, or is anyone else experiencing similar feelings?

Ow! that`s a classic one. Not had that. This is what I like in my strategy games. This is what makes you invested in your game inbetween the wars. The more `stone cold` the merrier.