AC: Origins General Discussion
*** SPOILERS IN QUOTES PLEASE ***
In this format, if possible.
Beginning of game spoiler
Decided to start this topic because I just played a certain mission in Memphis. I think it's a main story mission and not a side mission.
It was the one where Bayek drinks from the seer's cup and fights the giant snake in the underworld/duat. Holy cow. glad you can't die in there, or I would have. My favorite part of the whole sequence was afterwards just being in the giant field of reeds. Powerful imagery come to life. This was the first "holy cow" moment for me in this series since Connor's eagle flight mission. At lease you couldn't fail this one. Arno's castle run did nothing for me, btw.
“Force has no place where there is need of skill." Herodotus
in which case, wow. Amazing segment though, you're right. Being in the Field of Reeds there and seeing Khemu was amazing. One thing that freaked me out is that in the Field of Reeds, at various points there are Snakes that chill there and I'm so happy I didn't walk into one. You can hardly see them too, cus of all the vegetation.
STILL RELATING TO MY MEMPHIS SPOILER
Spoiler: Highlight to viewPrreeettyy sure you can die in that boss fight. I think you just happened to get quite lucky. Unless I'm just wrong,
in which case, wow. Amazing segment though, you're right. Being in the Field of Reeds there and seeing Khemu was amazing. One thing that freaked me out is that in the Field of Reeds, at various points there are Snakes that chill there and I'm so happy I didn't walk into one. You can hardly see them too, cus of all the vegetation.
But yeah, it was fun...
Also, I didn't see any snakes in the Field of Reeds.
“Force has no place where there is need of skill." Herodotus
The Empirical Truth stuff:
Regarding Present Day content:
What's it like?
DAZ, I saw you had some interesting speculations about present day on Youtube, suggesting proper stealth gameplay sections similar to the South American boxing stadium section in AC3. Did any of that come true?
Awesome! More things to read about when I recognize what you're talking about! haha
“Force has no place where there is need of skill." Herodotus
Being a mod that hasn't beaten the game is the worst with all these spoiler tags.
That's all I'm saying about that. Layla is also a much more ACTIVE and REBELLIOUS protagonist than Desmond Miles.
She would make a better Assassin than him right off the bat, because she eventually has a lot of RAGE towards Abstergo.
it's great to see the series really leaning into how silly its pseudoscience is, and that thing in particular makes the whole "layla is the only one who can figure out how to make the animus alter history" thing seem plausible. I thought the modern day stuff was great, especially with how it just drops you right into a tomb where your animus is literally plugged into bayek's mummy.
^^ topic of those spoilers please? Haha
“Force has no place where there is need of skill." Herodotus
^^ topic of those spoilers please? Haha
Present day and protagonist discussion stuff.
Phew! Game is 99% complete! Only thing left is to do the rest of the weekly quests as they show up~
Spoiler: Highlight to viewbased on the emprical truth stuff, especially the part you find during the Hyena questline, I think Desmond might be coming back in some way. Layla is pretty good, though a lot of the writing in her emails is much lower quality and feels inauthentic compared to her conversations throughout the main story. What I like most about her implicit role is that despite having assassin skills, her true talent and potential seems to be in her work with the portable animus. She is much more of a historian type character than desmond, without being as stuffy and academic as shaun. Her reactions when she has to kill the abstergo squad were really well done and felt believable. One of the things in her emails I did really like was the one where she speculates about how it's theoretically possible to use the animus to relive the memories of inorganic matter.
it's great to see the series really leaning into how silly its pseudoscience is, and that thing in particular makes the whole "layla is the only one who can figure out how to make the animus alter history" thing seem plausible. I thought the modern day stuff was great, especially with how it just drops you right into a tomb where your animus is literally plugged into bayek's mummy.
About this:
This is such an easy way of rewriting Desmonds fate! The possibilities of being able to change the past in the coming AC games is gonna be exciting~
on a less spoilery note, i find it kind of funny how much positive reception this game is getting in large part for its use of concepts and structural stuff that everyone ignored when AC1 and 3 did them. The influence of The Kingdom and The Frontier is everywhere, the mission structure has investigation-like qualities built into it, the quest structure feels so much like AC3's side content in how it's just all in the open world and overlapping without needing to be individually triggered, not to mention the self-contained stories they tell. Forts in AC3 were not new per se, but the design and structure of them is closer to origin's outposts than brotherhood's towers or any of the other equivalents.
I know both those games had problems, but when people talk about them they always paint them as shallow experiences with nothing to offer, when they are actually some of the most inventive entries in the series. I'm glad they got the polish part down while not sacrificing more interesting aspects, but it makes me think of how overvalued polish can often be.
Unity was bad not because of its technical issues, but because it was completely safe and uninspired. but people don't really know how to articulate when they feel that way.
kinda rambling here but what's been on my mind a lot lately is how uncritical and lacking in self-awareness a lot of the conversation around games can be.
Especially in the Assassin's Creed community, good LORD. Have you *SEEN* the Subreddit?!
[in case anyone from there is reading this comment, it's SparkedSynapse / Leo K. Most of the time I'm cool with you guys, but holy hell]
on a less spoilery note, i find it kind of funny how much positive reception this game is getting in large part for its use of concepts and structural stuff that everyone ignored when AC1 and 3 did them. The influence of The Kingdom and The Frontier is everywhere, the mission structure has investigation-like qualities built into it, the quest structure feels so much like AC3's side content in how it's just all in the open world and overlapping without needing to be individually triggered, not to mention the self-contained stories they tell. Forts in AC3 were not new per se, but the design and structure of them is closer to origin's outposts than brotherhood's towers or any of the other equivalents.I know both those games had problems, but when people talk about them they always paint them as shallow experiences with nothing to offer, when they are actually some of the most inventive entries in the series. I'm glad they got the polish part down while not sacrificing more interesting aspects, but it makes me think of how overvalued polish can often be.
Unity was bad not because of its technical issues, but because it was completely safe and uninspired. but people don't really know how to articulate when they feel that way.
kinda rambling here but what's been on my mind a lot lately is how uncritical and lacking in self-awareness a lot of the conversation around games can be.
Yeah, but, there's not a 5 sequence multi-hour tutorial in this game.
I agree with you on AC3. One of my favorites, especially from an atmosphere point of view. But that long drawn out intro (to some people anyway) kills the game. To me, that was part of the game and world building, so I didn't mind. But many people did.
“Force has no place where there is need of skill." Herodotus
I completed two side missions at once yesterday. Not a real spoiler, so I won't put it in tags.
His Secret Service and Shadows of Apollo have the same final objective (kill a guy and steal something off his body). I had them both active at the same time and that was the only objective left. Funnily enough, I didn't even seek the target out.... he came to me! So I was clearing an unrelated location, he shows up, I kill him, take the item, and complete two missions simultaneously.
“Force has no place where there is need of skill." Herodotus
Storytime!
What's your most embarrassing death in this game? Here's mine.
Mission: Flea of Cyrene
Description: When Bayek leaps from the Temple of Zeus in Cyrene, his acrobatic exploits attract the attention of young Esiocles. He and the self-proclaimed "most important child in Cyrene" strikes a bargain. For more displays of Bayek's jumping prowess, Esiocles will show him around the city. So begins their grand tour of the Roman provincial capital's colorful and unique history.
That's it. You go to three (I think) locations and jump off of them to impress a group of children that grows in numbers with every jump.
I died on one of the jumps from missing the pool and landing on the edge of it. I failed a leap of faith while trying to impress a bunch of kids from showing them leaps of faith.
Thanks, Bayek! 
“Force has no place where there is need of skill." Herodotus
What's your most embarrassing death in this game?
I took down about 10 guards (half of which were shooting at me from horses) and felt like a complete badass. Civilians running around and screaming, making the pressure rise. I finally take them all out when my sword (which is on fire at this point) accidentally hit some flammable object in the environment as one of the last hits. I didn't realize that Bayek was burning from this flame because I was focused on something else on the screen.
I basically killed myself because 10 men couldn't.
I also didn't think cobras could kill you... I was wrong when I found some level 38ish cobras and didn't notice that with each strike they took down 1/3 of my health... oh well.
Also, I killed my mount while jumping off a cliff. The horse landed and I rolled off. I couldn't call a new mount until I was far enough to despawn Fangs.
“Force has no place where there is need of skill." Herodotus
https://g.redditmedia.com/YrIwG8g170zO7ldJvp2DmqiWgaJ-tJ23MZAur7bgDGY.gi...
Not my personal death but my god...
Still... none of those are embarrassing as "Hey Kids! Watch me jump off this building and live!" *splat* 
“Force has no place where there is need of skill." Herodotus
All three Trials of the Gods are live this week if you (like me) missed one.
I got Sobek and Sekhmet already. I didn't really find them to be all that challenging, once you figure out the strategy.
Bring it on, Anubis!
Also, Community Challenge to get a new piece of gear.
https://assassinscreed.ubisoft.com/game/en-us/news/152-316047-16/trials-...
One more thing, I've noticed that now the Trials of the Gods, if you look at just the initials, have gone...
A(nubis)
S(obek)
S(ekhmet)
A(nubis)
S(obek)
S(ekhmet)
are
I(sis)
N(ephthys)
S(erqet)
C(neph)
R(a)
E(rnutet)
E(hi) and
D(ua)
next?
Dua would be an... interesting encounter to say the least... the minor Egyptian god of toilets
“Force has no place where there is need of skill." Herodotus
I wish Abstergo, uhhh I mean Ubisoft still gave a damn about such cool symbolism, phrase-ciphers and numerology as we do. Feels like these games have been pretty watered down lately. I love Origins mechanically but it leaves much to be desired in terms of narrative and I feel kind of empty about that whole thing. I'm looking for things to delve into, secrets to share, things to talk about, discuss and all chew on together. I'm not finding very much.
I hope DLCs give us something good.