itch.io

Since I got creative and tracked changes in variables from the start, I was aware of the factions from the beginning, but I never bothered to map out who "belonged" to each faction. I find that this knowledge would pretty much only be useful in conjunction with knowing the actual changes behind the curtain, so to speak, and I can't have considered it all that useful to learn, or I would have gone and figured it out already (that is something I could consider doing, just to get back into testing the game a bit more).

By the way, since a regular player won't know these numbers, this is kind of moot, but it did bother me a little that an increase in a faction was always a positive thing, meaning that if a choice increased a faction and did not decrease another, it would "always" be a superior choice if you were meta gaming. This is of course why I never get assassinated unless I deliberately try to, but then I'm not playing as intended.

Blackmail cheevo crashed for me.

[code]

I'm sorry, but an uncaught exception occurred.

While running game code:

  File "game/tharkas_ii.rpy", line 1018, in <module>

  File "game/core.rpy", line 6601, in blackmailed_successfully

  File "game/trophies.rpy", line 138, in trophy_unlock

Exception: Invalid trophy blackmailed_successfully

-- Full Traceback ------------------------------------------------------------

Full traceback:

  File "game/script.rpyc", line 4983, in script call

  File "game/core.rpyc", line 4915, in script call

  File "game/tharkas_ii.rpyc", line 1015, in script

  File "D:\Temp\Zorana\renpy\ast.py", line 827, in execute

    renpy.python.py_exec_bytecode(self.code.bytecode, self.hide, store=self.store)

  File "D:\Temp\Zorana\renpy\python.py", line 1178, in py_exec_bytecode

    exec(bytecode, globals, locals)

  File "game/tharkas_ii.rpy", line 1018, in <module>

  File "game/core.rpy", line 6601, in blackmailed_successfully

  File "game/trophies.rpy", line 138, in trophy_unlock

Exception: Invalid trophy blackmailed_successfully

Windows-10-10.0.26100 AMD64

Ren'Py 8.3.4.24120703+SPIKY

Galaxy Princess Zorana 0.7.30

Tue Sep 16 23:08:14 2025

Renderer: gl2 1920x1080

OS: Windows 10 10.0.26100 AMD64 Intel64 Family 6 Model 158 Stepping 13, GenuineIntel

Turn: 30

Phase: social phase

Mod detection failed: AttributeError("'NoneType' object has no attribute 'endswith'")/('0x52-URM/classes/API', None)

Scene data: context stack size=1

Layer: top

Layer: transient

Layer: screens

<SLE: 'quick_menu' ('quick_menu',) <renpy.display.screen.ScreenDisplayable object (quick_menu()) at 0x0000000011491730>>

<SLE: 'hide$say' None <renpy.display.screen.ScreenDisplayable object (say(who, what, portrait=None, transition=None)) at 0x000000003207fc40>>

Layer: x52Overlay

<SLE: 'URM_overlay' ('URM_overlay',) <renpy.display.screen.ScreenDisplayable object (URM_overlay()) at 0x00000000008284f0>>

<SLE: 'URM_quickmenu' ('URM_quickmenu',) <renpy.display.screen.ScreenDisplayable object (URM_quickmenu) at 0x00000000114914f0>>

Layer: bottom

Layer: master

<SLE: 'bg' ('bg', 'bedroom') <renpy.display.transform.Transform object (<renpy.display.image.ImageReference object ('bg', 'bedroom') at 0x00000000317c7c70>) at 0x000000000fc403a0>>

<SLE: 'hide$lorkas' None <renpy.display.transform.ATLTransform object (<renpy.display.transform.ATLTransform object (<renpy.display.image.ImageReference object ('lorkas', 'frown_onscreen') at 0x000000000f9141c0>, ('game/graphics.rpy', 194)) at 0x000000000fc40460>, ('game/graphics.rpy', 164)) at 0x00000000317c2130>>

<SLE: 'hide$viewscreen_bg_ovl_out' None <renpy.display.transform.Transform object (<renpy.display.transform.ATLTransform object (<renpy.display.transition.ImageDissolve object at 0x00000000320720a0>, ('game/graphics.rpy', 504)) at 0x0000000032072400>) at 0x0000000032080ca0>>

<SLE: 'hide$viewscreen_frame' None <renpy.display.transform.ATLTransform object (<renpy.display.transform.ATLTransform object (<renpy.display.image.ImageReference object ('viewscreen_frame',) at 0x000000000a6f78e0>, ('game/graphics.rpy', 188)) at 0x000000000a6f7400>, ('game/graphics.rpy', 176)) at 0x0000000032072f70>>

Layer: overlay

End scene dump.

[/code]

Some moments that stood out to me, obscure or not:

Getting a body piercing during a sports match, and winning.

Dying from alcohol poisoning.

Domesticating a wild beast... with your fist!

Blind a (not really) innocent girl.

Ace a written exam.

Learn the truth of the temple challenge/It belongs in a museum.

Improve 50 Shades.

Die in a simulation (RAMMING SPEED!).

Make her a Scream Queen.

Win a social game all by yourself.

There are only two successul ways through that event tree, and they both require the Thing.

Well, in order to explain what's going on, I'm going to have to talk about some things that you can never see "in game." Assassinations are never "pre-planned"; they happen because somebody really hates you (I've gone through several games with no assassination attempts). Initial introductions in every system are extremely important in making people like or dislike you, but that shouldn't be too hard to interpret. However, both during system introductions and during more traditional start/end of turn events, choices and skill checks can result in favor changes among 10 factions that you are never told about (there may also be racial-wide changes). Electors are affected by these factions, so when you make a dialogue choice that upsets the xenophobes, you're creating more enemies for yourself, and you don't even realize it.

This just to say that it's extremely hard to advise you, and I'm just going to put more pressure on you, because seemingly innocent dialogue choices may lead to your demise, because an unseen faction got upset. Generally speaking, if there are dialogue choices with skill checks that you can complete, you'll want to choose those over failed skill checks.

My initial winning strategy was to have a pet viper and focus on my social skills, interaction and emotion, with emphasis on etiquette, rhetoric, allure and menace. Since blackmail was nerfed, menace is probably not as good these days, but empathy is always useful to gauge affection, so that's a viable substitute. It sounds like you're on the right track doing something similar. Don't underestimate charming someone if you can pull the allure test off, it gives a juicy affection bonus to that elector.

It was one of the clues I uncovered while I was also mapping all the personal quests and made a successful plot secret run.

Gur Bcrengvbaf 80 purpx ba ghea 10?

I went undervcover and got honest ratings from the electors (and a few acquaintances) on their feelings of our future Empress. (These observations are subject to change and current as of stardate 0.7.13.1) Bear in mind that ratings can change overnight, as word of mouth gets around about triumphs and failures, allies and enemies.

I have ranked ratings from lowest to highest, make of it what you will.

18 Lukomir (Myrkka I)

25 Khdarr (Heru II)

29 Zolot (Myrkka I)

31 Ethexae (Myrkka I)

33 One Bite (Heru I)

35 Milan (Myrkka I)

35 Oletko (Tharkas II)

35 Radomil (Heru III)

35 Lnxnh

38 Erilotti (Mau)

38 Ozara (Tharkas I)

39 Eve (Heru III)

40 Robe of Ice and Starlight Needle (Heru II)

40 Three Rocks Nestled (Heru I)

45 Chapadoc (Heru II)

45 Oberod (Tharkas I)

50 Ixil (Myrkka I)

50 Muistis (Mau)

50 Rejt (Tharkas I)

50 Stoyan (Draug)

55 Mirelle (Myrkka II)

55 Rippling Eternity (Heru IV)

60 Lorkas (Tharkas II)

61 Krovos (Myrkka I)

65 Branekka (Heru III)

65 Sinniparrt (Draug)

70 Jade (Heru IV)

70 Sola (Tharkas III)

80 Grojdana (Heru IV)

84 Vahter (Myrkka I)

86 Xbehaqv

90 Kxenia

90 Tulitust (Mau)

90 Vasily

I also probed the electors on their strengths and weaknesses and learned, among other interesting tidbits, that Oberod is a noted military commander, rated 60/100.

Qrcraqvat ba lbhe qvnybthr pubvprf naq Qrprcgvba erfhygf, lbh znl nyfb unir gb znxr na Nyyher+Zranpr purpx bs 80 be 100.

I've gotten 24 votes, but I haven't tried a max votes run.

Sbe crbcyr vagrerfgrq va punfvat gur zlfgrevbhf tybj, lbh pna nyfb svaq vg va obgu cnguf bs Enqbzvy'f crfbany dhrfg.

If you are able to see "under the hood", you will find that there are 10 different factions with approval ratings. Many of the choices (especially ones that appear to be flavor) influence these factions, and it seems that Electors belong to certain factions, and have their approval rating changed by your approval with their faction(s).

There are, of course, also choices that trigger new and interesting events, and many choices that are reflected in the endings.

Will you be giving out keys now that the game is being released on Steam?