In the mission sequence for crafters, crafting master Sterga Hamla displays a very negative impression of the Matis people. Additionally, there are some contradictions in the mission series, all of that creating problems for roleplayers.
The problems are the following:
Matis players get a very negative impression of their own people, being not only arrogant and greedy for power and control, but also egotist and ruthless, endangering the environment of the planet by dangerous experiments. While some drawbacks and flaws of the other peoples are mentioned only casually, few if any positive attributes are mentioned for the Matis people.
Non Matis players are forced to swear allegiance to the Matis nation, an oath they are likely (and heavily influenced by the mission texts) to break at the end of the last mission of that series.
At the end of the series the players are given a pseudo choice pro or counter the Matis, but those choosing the pro Matis path are repeatedly warned that they are doing something wrong and unethical. Indeed, it is no real choice.
I suggest to modify these traits in the mission series, without touching the actions and mechanics of the missions proper, in order to present a more balanced picture of the Matis people. Mainly texts and dialogues would have to be adjusted as following:
1. There should be more mention of the virtues of the Matis which earn them respect among reasonable homins of all peoples, namely a pursuit of excellence and perfection, a sense for aesthetics and harmony, which makes them masters in crafting and gardening.
2. An oath of allegiance should be demanded only from Matis players. Non Matis players should rather be asked to promise not to abuse what they are tought, and not to turn it against the Matis people during their apprenticeship (Sterga Hamla cannot be so irrealistic to assume that he can bind the homins to that for their lifetime).
3. The tendency of the end mission should be changed. Sterga Hamla should tell that he needs the samples sent to the academy in the capital for the purpose that Matis scientists find out what has gone wrong in Silan, in order to find out better ways to control and overcome the rogue plants, and to decide whether such modifications can be made in a safer way or have to be abandoned altogether. It is then up to the player either to trust Sterga Hamla and the Matis or not. The samples should not be given to the Zorai NPC Aryu Ken, but to some Matis NPC replacing him. That one should not display a bad conscience like Aryu Ken, but thank and encourage the player.
The problems are the following:
Matis players get a very negative impression of their own people, being not only arrogant and greedy for power and control, but also egotist and ruthless, endangering the environment of the planet by dangerous experiments. While some drawbacks and flaws of the other peoples are mentioned only casually, few if any positive attributes are mentioned for the Matis people.
Non Matis players are forced to swear allegiance to the Matis nation, an oath they are likely (and heavily influenced by the mission texts) to break at the end of the last mission of that series.
At the end of the series the players are given a pseudo choice pro or counter the Matis, but those choosing the pro Matis path are repeatedly warned that they are doing something wrong and unethical. Indeed, it is no real choice.
I suggest to modify these traits in the mission series, without touching the actions and mechanics of the missions proper, in order to present a more balanced picture of the Matis people. Mainly texts and dialogues would have to be adjusted as following:
1. There should be more mention of the virtues of the Matis which earn them respect among reasonable homins of all peoples, namely a pursuit of excellence and perfection, a sense for aesthetics and harmony, which makes them masters in crafting and gardening.
2. An oath of allegiance should be demanded only from Matis players. Non Matis players should rather be asked to promise not to abuse what they are tought, and not to turn it against the Matis people during their apprenticeship (Sterga Hamla cannot be so irrealistic to assume that he can bind the homins to that for their lifetime).
3. The tendency of the end mission should be changed. Sterga Hamla should tell that he needs the samples sent to the academy in the capital for the purpose that Matis scientists find out what has gone wrong in Silan, in order to find out better ways to control and overcome the rogue plants, and to decide whether such modifications can be made in a safer way or have to be abandoned altogether. It is then up to the player either to trust Sterga Hamla and the Matis or not. The samples should not be given to the Zorai NPC Aryu Ken, but to some Matis NPC replacing him. That one should not display a bad conscience like Aryu Ken, but thank and encourage the player.
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Daomei die Streunerin - religionsneutral, zivilisationsneutral, gildenneutral