So I have been playing ... (104). Completing Dragonfall.

I shall exploit the header space to boost the signal of our GM's Gofundme campaign: https://www.gofundme.com/blueberrycreekrecovery

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As stated in the latest one-offs roundup, I'd put my playtime under strict limitations to give more priority for writing&editing time. Still, earlier this spring I snuck in some sessions to scratch an old itch: there was some unfinished business in Berlin. Just like with the first campaign, I had kept playing non-stop until quite late in the game, and taken a breather once I ran into a challenge that took more effort to resolve; the breather then grew into proper hiatus. Indeed, my last Dragonfall session before the break was over a year ago.


After failing to pick the most optimal save to continue from, I returned to the beginning of Apex Rising mission, dedicating some time to the trial-and-error (mostly error).




Even though I was still failing the mission, things had improved: this time around I actually understood what the game expected me to do (and why I was failing).




I'd learned enough from the prior failures to make better (or at least more creative) tactical decisions.




Finally, we did it: we'd set Apex free. (Not because Monika or anything; because I didn't like the idea of snuffing out a self-aware entity in the manner that the game offers, and also, because I think that having a potentially malevolent powerful entity running about makes for an immenesly more interesting story.)




As per usual, I dedicated an episode for the between-missions moseying and chatting with the NPCs.




I carried on with the mission, but then backtracked and did some things over again. (Anticipating certain type of fights ahead, I'd tried to make some "pragmatic" choices in my character sheet, spending some Karma against the character grain. For a while I tried to live with the choice and carry on, but as soon as I found an excuse, I returned to an earlier save.)






That's better.






When a game informs me that creature X hates creature Y, I will naturally go into scheming mode, trying to get them to attack each other.




Scheming mode also works with henchmen.




I reached the final chamber within the same session, but by that time I was tired, and once again, couldn't quite get what the game was wanting me to do. I failed accordingly.




After resting up, I had restored some of my functional reading ability, and realized that I had to repeat certain actions to complete the objective.




Time for some Epilogue moseying.