Machiavelli and Rodrigo Borgia (Probable Spoilers)
There were two very outlandish predictions I made about the game's antagonists back on AC-Maps. One of them I was completely correct on regarding killing the pope (I'm Looking at you, Asaic and SBZ) and one I got completely incorrect regarding Machiavelli.
For those unaware of what I'm talking about let me bring you up to speed. Back on AC-Maps I presented countless evidence of an assassination of Pope Alexander VI (aka Rodrigo Borgia) despite people claiming that killing a Pope would cause bigger controversy than Modern Warfare 2's No Russian level. Well it turns out I was correct, and I have yet to see any controversy on the news about being able to kill a Pope in the game. +1 for me.
HOWEVER, I also believed that Machiavelli, based on what he wrote regarding absolute power for all leaders, would be AC2's main antagonist. I was completely wrong and after the first fight with Borgia, when I saw him, my jaw dropped. Not because I was wrong, but because Ubi did something as stupid as making Machiavelli an assassin without thinking it through.
In detail, Machiavelli believed that in order for society to function without problems, the leaders in said society needed to have absolute power and be unopposed, even if that means the killings of people. That's pretty much what the Templars stand for, which leads me to question why he's an assassin, the rival of a templar. I think Ubi made a stupid move doing that because the information contradicts itself, but then again, Ubi isn't exactly historically sensitive when it comes to making Assassins Creed games (Majd Addin died almost 30 years later than his assassination in the first game).
Was anyone else aware of this Machiavelli problem when he revealed himself in the game?
At first I wanted to argue the Machiavelli idea because overall Ubi did a great job in choosing the Assassins, but the more I think on it...you are right. Machiavelli wrote a book (The Prince) essentially advocating tyranny and meant to get him back in the good graces of the Medici after he was expelled. Needless to say it didn't work and he lived the rest of his life in exile but his message was more Templar then Assassin. He wrote a book later (which I have read) The Histories, commissioned by a Medici pope (so take what it says with a grain of salt). Machiavelli would not be my ideal choice of an Assassin example.
I'll have to disagree with the pope thing. There is no controversy because you do not actually kill him. Intending to do something and actually doing it are two completely different things. People are far less forgiving of intent of a heinous act followed by a change of heart than they are of actually carrying out the heinous act.
Many video games, TV shows and movies have characters who are bad or evil or whatnot and are intending to do something terrible, but ultimately have a change of heart before it's too late. That is a popular story mechanic and is never faulted. If Hot Coffee was only about you talking about going inside the girl's house but at the last minute the character stops and says, "Nah, I don't want to take advantage of you" and he leaves, it wouldn't have been an issue at all.
Oh yes, I forgot to mention that..the pope was not actually killed so that is a moot point..just like I knew that Lorenzo's bro was gonna die anyway and Lorenzo wasn't cuz history limits the game.
Maybe I should point out that I'm near the end of Memory Block 14 and haven't entered Rome yet. I was so sure we were going to go into Rome and slice off his head with the Piece of Eden or the Sword of Altair. Damn, well, at this point, I'm rounding up the last of the feathers in Venice and spending the money on Courtesans to get the remaining achievements. I plan to beat it tomorrow, take a break and play MW2 for a little bit, and start Eagle's Bruise next weekend.
Moral of this story: NEVER ASSUME.
Back to Machiavelli..perhaps we are also seeing from hindsight. At his greatest time, he was holding Florence against the corrupt Medici (years after Lorenzo was dead), and technically a hero at that time. Maybe this is a lesson in corruption itself. After he was defeated by the Medici, he sought to save his own future by kissing their ass. Maybe this is a moral story showing us that even the Assassins are not incorruptable when it suits their own end.
Maybe I should point out that I'm near the end of Memory Block 14 and haven't entered Rome yet.
Ha ha! Your spoiler topic backfired on you, FLAE.
The final scene goes something like this... Ezio says to the Pope, "You were not responsible for my father's death. I will not take your life." The Pope is so grateful that he embraces Ezio and they share a tender kiss.
THE END
ROFL!
The final scene goes something like this... Ezio says to the Pope, "You were not responsible for my father's death. I will not take your life." The Pope is so grateful that he embraces Ezio and they share a tender kiss.
THE END
Just to clarify for the rest of you, this scene is from the special stabguy edition of the game. He lobbied really hard for this alternate ending. 
Fly Like an Eagle wrote:
Maybe I should point out that I'm near the end of Memory Block 14 and haven't entered Rome yet.Ha ha! Your spoiler topic backfired on you, FLAE.
The final scene goes something like this... Ezio says to the Pope, "You were not responsible for my father's death. I will not take your life." The Pope is so grateful that he embraces Ezio and they share a tender kiss.
THE END
Yeah you would wish that's what happened stab 
Hey, it worked for Altaïr and Maria. Stabbing someone a few times is a great way to break the ice.
In other news, Asaic, Ian just released a video that proves you can kill the Pope. Check the homepage on THB.
But then you have nothing to do, so you actually follow the story.
"When you have to kill a man, it costs nothing to be polite."- Winston Churchhill
"Kill a man, and you are an assassin. Kill millions of men, and you are a conqueror. Kill everyone, and you
Well the point is that you CAN kill the pope no matter how hard Ubi tried to stop Ian from doing it
I tried doing it today, I couldn't manage it. However, you can shoot him from the platform from where you're supposed to air assassinate him.
"When you have to kill a man, it costs nothing to be polite."- Winston Churchhill
"Kill a man, and you are an assassin. Kill millions of men, and you are a conqueror. Kill everyone, and you
what went wrong with the poisoning?
I watched Ian's shiny video on it and was able to do it, by the time I picked up the staff, I stood up, left the controller on my armchair, and starting stomping around in circles because it was just so cool.
what went wrong with the poisoning?
I scared too many of the civilians, so I wasn't able to blend after the first guard. So I was detected. I was pretty frustrated by that point, so I just took the easy way out
"When you have to kill a man, it costs nothing to be polite."- Winston Churchhill
"Kill a man, and you are an assassin. Kill millions of men, and you are a conqueror. Kill everyone, and you