A Flame In The North

Fenric's ship and Mechanist's airship endings

In particular, it seems like the Thieves in the Mechanist's path got buffed relatively to what they were like originally (looking at the FFProject reply earlier in the thread, where a Glaive Thief apparently only had 6 Skill rather than 8?) I don't care about that one too much: although if there were already adjustments like that to nameless thieves here, I think it only strengthens my argument for buffing more important characters like Zamarra's Grauch.

The Prince of Thieves himself, however, is surprisingly difficult due to the timer. I fought him twice with an Enchanted Sword and a Chainmail Surcoat, as well as shooting at him one time and casting IRONHIDE the other - and still lost to the timer. The third time, I resorted to getting Dawnbreaker and setting it on fire, which may be a bit of an overkill narratively.

It took me way too long to win in "the cinematic way" because I didn't realize that the Dawnbreaker had to actually be equipped, and not just in your inventory. I suppose I misread "a weapon meant for the Gods" part as meaning that it would always damage you when used, and not just when it set you on fire, and so didn't want to resort to it unless I was going to risk the flame.

I think this is actually one of those things which you will probably NEVER see happen in a written version - a ref would ask to turn to one spot if you have Dawnbreaker equipped and to another if you don't, so a player with Dawnbreaker would either always assume they used it at that point, or at least know to switch next time around. Here, there is no way to tell what exactly the issue was. (At one point, I actually assumed you needed to have Clockwork Drill from the Thieves' Guild and use that on his skull!) Granted, I did also stumble on the Mechanist's machine ending thar way, which is in many ways superior for the city as it gives them far more lasting protection (only downside is that you would probably have no time to hunt down any Fingers and they would continue to be a nuisance for the rest of Novgard.)

So, I think the minimum response would be to modify the failure ref if you have the Dawnbreaker but didn't use it - i.e. "Length of blade is stuck...Of course! The Dawnbreaker! You hurriedly reach for the holy sword but the Titan's arm reaches you first..." A more logical one, though, would be to give the player the option to give away all the other Swords they have once they emerge "with Dawnbreaker on their belt" - that wording itself suggests that should be the weapon the Defender has equipped by default. Perhaps it would even happen automatically - after all, that very ref is about weapons getting distributed from the hall, and it would make perfect sense for the Defender to give away those weapons which are purely dead weight and inventory clutter at that point, with literally no benefit over the Dawnbreaker.

As great it is to get another 10 powerful spells, their presence at times becomes overwhelming for the story, and some become inexplicably unusable at certain points. There's nothing as bad as the inability to LEVITATE to escape the bridge trap of the original, thankfully. (Though, I really thought LEVITATE at 135 was meant to be an attempt to levitate across the room, not to pull the lever.) Yet, it still makes for a poor first impression when the very first available ref (604) offers to climb the tower to see further ahead - and you cannot use FARSIGHT, which you were just told is meant to do EXACTLY THAT!

Further, I still don't understand why we can’t cast SHIELD (or ENERGY?) in most one-on-one fights: Fifth/First Finger, Fenric, Asgrim, etc.? Or why you suddenly get the option to attack Iuli with a mug, but not to cast REVEAL or DISPASSION on him - or to cast REVEAL on Kalbeck to see if he is worthy of your trust. (Could probably go for all the suspicious characters like the Talrasian Priest, Lyric or the Fourth Finger, I guess?) Plus, if we can knock out Iuli with a mug, why can't we knock out and interrogate the Fifth Finger, considering SHE LITERALLY GETS HELPLESSLY ESNARED at 212? Or indeed, after she is shot in the leg in 112, it would only require some self-control not to send the final arrow. Really weird, given those internal monologue complaints about the guards not keeping the fourth alive at 360.

To be fair, this might be solved by rewriting the archery option a bit and not making ENSNARE available there in the first place - the ability to make the vines emerge from the cobbles seems to contradict the claim that everything besides the Gold District is built on bedrock, which is rather important to the plot. Similarly, how can Kalbeck and co. buy food with 30 gold, if all the food is rationed?

And by the end, I was hoping that a healing potion could save the horse at 348, but I guess not.

You can go from ref 167 straight to ref 100, which is...really strange?

Sometimes, you have to guess which options are mutually exclusive and which ones are not, and it's hardly satisfying. In particular, it's not quite clear why exploring the outbuildings and talking to Iuli blocks you from looking at the top of the tower as well. On the other hand, at 303, you can climb the tower even if you have already done that before.

And while I know that whole tower is ultimately a time-wasting trap option on any run where you actually intend to get the best ending(s), I still find it strange that at 4, dialogue options do not change from reading Iuli’s journal, even though most of them would be asking about the things you already found out about by then. (Dialogue with the woman at Thieves' Guild tavern has a similar issue if you had already talked to the Mechanist.)

4
Once it stored ale and mead - as evinced by three tuns (evidenced?) + your hosts abode

7
similar to the grand-mages chamber in Talras + to deception and cowardice!". Bornvalt (?)

8
As 'Defender of Novgard' they may very well (comma?)

9
the stony splinters of a catapaults impact,

15
As you struggle to rise your last vision + before he can bring his club to bear you slice (comma?)

36
guards quarters + you definitely do not want to head. (to?)

43
"I choose to continue my studies in Talras"? (No period at the end of the quoted sentence, unlike the preceding one.)

53
part of the left statues inscription

60
felt covered boards + a well armed gentleman

61
Necromancer's catapaults

63
a well trained parrot.

66
a sour faced woman

78
the ripest looking fruit

82
near murder (hyphen?)

86
in the defenders favour. + by iron-tips. (is this hyphen needed?)

87
Ranks of pike men form

94
binding the Revenants legs

99
impacts the Titans head.

105 (such a nasty option!)
a beautiful flaxen haired woman + before he can bring it to bear you smash (comma?)

115
to deflect the thirds sword + Pivoting you drive (comma?)

151
like a silver serpents tongue

161
No punctuation at the end of the options.

162
Go to the Tailors?

164 – missing punctuation after quotations.

165
the world-flame fell

184
But more follow hit (him?)

195
plummet down.For a moment

200
rows of iron tipped lances + the still burning wreckage +

202
on the passages sides + you reply "I am

215
by the crowds tide.

225
the machines fiery mouth

248
the ships head impacts

254
as the wraiths sword + it is sucked into the crystals fragments

260
are well founded + a crossbows firing mechanism

270
to be seen.Will you:

277
defeated us" he whispers.

284
at the ladders top + several archers filling turning any who try to climb back up into pincushions. (?)

286
in the defenders favour.

294
towards the revenants side

297
as the Titans bestial roar. + up the Titans back

299
found a worthy enemy.A + down the Titans body + off the creatures back + to the swords haft

300
the burnt out husks + in ever greater numbers + into the formations flanks,

303
clumps of green fungus grows from it (singular vs. plural.)

307
It is thus in both our nations, and the world's, interests, + just self interest. (?)

308
at the districts centre

315
listening to the Preachers speech.

329
of the inns roaring fires.

343
as though it you who has suffered

348
your steeds pace slows

360
your fight.Your adversary

264
the ill prepared guardsmen

386
is between the monsters jaws.

396
towards the Titans head. + across the Titans back

403
But no sooner have you set eyes upon it does it fly up (?) + like beggars rags + seems well maintained + a drunken mammoth!" he whispers

404
"Guests first" he says.

407
It is two days ride

426
leap from the ships side

443
of your ships ram

449
the golden sun of the Revolutionary council. (capitalization?)

450
Tall banners bearing the golden sun

455
the wraith's essences (singular vs. plural.)

461
all the guilds weapons

462
tells you secrets he has seen" it rasps.

486
Alfgeir bellows "Pikemen to the walls!"

496
you shift onto the Titans back. + across the Titans back

499
scales of iron armour.You descend,

503
now my deaths been postponed

506
would be thieves

511
the lives of Innshelms people

542
the fire lit streets + the buildings children's toys. + the spires and dome's + 8 STAMINA.But

551
by the forges foremen. + an old - but well built – man

552
the forges blast-furnaces

560
the words Sovensons Tailors

567
like wind tossed seeds

577
of the World-lame

589
ones already-dented skull

590
of the cities soldiers.
As the Titans looming arm falls

595
pierce the beasts mantling

596
towards the Titans back + across the Titans back

599
finds a soldiers visor + knocks the Novgardian's opponents + lice a ghouls head from its shoulder