I thinkThe game makes Royland the ideal sentinel.
I think the game makes Royland the best sentinel and i will explain why :
1 - Diplomacy does not solve conflicts in Game of Thrones. I knew it would enter into war when I saw them kill the family of Gared. The Whitehiils and the Boltons are sick people, psychopaths, with rare exceptions (Gwyn Whitehill). In the general strength is the only thing they understand. Duncan would choose to avoid conflicts today, in real life wars are avoided with diplomacy, Duncan would be a good politician, but not in Game Of Thrones. Point for Royland
2 - The scene with Duncan being the traitor is much better for the story. He says much worse things and I really felt betrayed, especially in the "Corpse car" part
3 - Maybe I'm forcing things here, but I think Royland fight better than Duncan, and as we go to a war ......... Royland taught a trick that allows Rodrik to overturn Gryff Whitehill even with Rodrik injured, He even taught Talia how to fight a little ( she says that in episode 1) I dont like it, but at least she knows how to defend herself, It would be funny if she go on and Kill Gryff in episode 6. A nice Plot twist... and she is so angry, when she finds out that Rodrik died ( in my gameplay 
R.I.P rodrik) who knows what she can do?
4 - What do you get for following Duncan? Your enemies still treating you badly, no matter how submissive and obedient you are. Ethan dies as Asher / Rodrik too. I think it was failure of the writers or simply, as I said, force is the only thing they understand. You lose nothing by killing those who you can. The same outcome
*** EDIT**
5 - Now i watched the final scenes of episode 5, maybe im forcing things here ( again) But Royland/ Beska Reactions are much better than duncan when Rodrik/Asher dies. Beska says " Your Bastard, are you fuking leaving me?!.... Rip their fucking hearts out. Royland and Duncan say almost the same thing. But Royland shows more emotion in his tone of voice, he's desesperate, almost cryng and give one last "advince" : " Take as many as them as you can with you! while duncan didnt say a last sentence.... a goodbye at least...... something like " you're a True Lord Rodrik, im pround of you my boy... we will survive I promise " would be nice. I know Duncan is sad because Rodrik dies, but to me, This scene when Royland is your sentinel makes more impact, Telltale could have done something better with Duncan, go and compare the scenes
I'm not criticizing those who chose Duncan as sentinel. That's just my personal opinion, is more a criticism of the story, in my view, makes Royland the ideal sentinel and disparages Duncan a little
Comments
I prefer Royland as well but there are plenty of good reasons to choose Duncan, I myself chose Duncan but I wish I picked Royland.
HELL NO!
Forresters aren't playing Game Of Thrones , just they want survive in the game. Diplomacy is better than war.
Just saying but if you follow Royland they die too xD
I agree. That's why he's my Sentinel.
Agreed. But my point is. Its better dying WITH the assholes then using diplomacy and let them win without fight with them first. Like the tourturing Gryff Scene, what i have to lose? why not enjoy the moment if i will be f***** anyway? war can get you killed, but you bring a lot of assholes with you before that happens, in my opinion its the best scenario considering that a war will start anyway
Well, Royland sounded like a crazy man with memory problems as my traitor (picked Duncan and did everything Royland told me to), so I guess it might be the case.
Yeah. I remember when i chose Duncan for my Sentinel, wanting to make things with peace and all of that... But later when Ramsey killed Ethan i realised that diplomacy is not an answet. It's fight. That's why i was so satisfied, when my save file broke or something and in episode 2 that was Royland who was my Sentinel.
Well diplomacy worked against Robb Stark, if that counts
Royland For The Win!
I have Duncan as my sentinel and I hurt the Whitehills any chance i got... I never used diplomacy and Duncan is still fine with me
Fine by me, i like Duncan more anyway... It would be really funny if they both betray you, if the sentinel does something to betray you in ep 6...
I was a little bored. Don't judge :'D
It's beautiful...
They both mention the cart. Royland says you've caused problems ever since you crawled off whereas Duncan says he wishes that you didn't crawl off.
I'm pretty sure if he listened to his mother, he would not have been in that position. Diplomacy lead him to his downfall because he didn't master shit about it.
On the other hand he was the best military leader in the WOTFK and he had the Blackfish who is a boss in warfare. Yet he was losing the war all along...
Team Duncan!
It really depends on your play style. If' you're diplomatic you should have Royland, if you're aggressive you should have Duncan.
I agree. Though I wouldn't word it as such. To me it's not so much that Royland or Duncan make the best Sentinel- it's like Ethan could say back in Episode 1- they are both worthy in my eyes. But I think Duncan makes the better traitor. At least if you play at least a partially defiant lord. So that automatically makes Royland the better Sentinel. Because, the way I see it, it fits Duncan's character to work from the shadows, if need be, for what he believes to be the good of House Forrester. I can fully see his motivations, if he isn't picked as a Sentinel. His Lord and best friend was murdered, leaving the house in the hands of an inexperienced child. And when that didn't last, the Lord's defiant son came back, driving his house down the path of pride and defiance, but at the same time, utter destruction. Thus, Duncan started working with the enemy, trying to find some way to save the house- before its Lord's unwise decisions (in his eyes) drive them to extinction. Yeah, I reckon Duncan could do that. Also makes the reasons he states for his betrayal valid.
Royland, on the other hand? I just don't see him as a man who could turn his cloak, even for the greater good- and he just doesn't seem discrete enough to spy, period. In my opinion, the betrayal breaks Royland's character, as I saw it. It did not, however, break Duncan's for me. So in the end, I'm fully glad that I went with Royland as my Sentinel- it made for better storytelling and I much prefer that version.
I like Royland as the Sentinel too. It worked both ways for me: he left a bad impression on me in the beginning with how aggressive he is, and he doesn't think very highly of us. I was thinking "give him a chance", and he too would give ME a chance and see the kind of Lord we can grow to be.
Plus Royland made a good point, Duncan made a bad move sending Gared to the wall without consulting Ethan about it; he'd never do that to us. And I don't like how Duncan treated Gared. Forcing him to leave home, telling him to become a ranger. So Gared becomes a ranger, but except "lol no actually, fuck that go find the North Grove for me". Just ugh, make up your mind dude!
Hear, hear!
But if his mother hadn't released the most precious hostage they had he wouldn't have received the red wedding treatment. They both sucked in diplomacy, that's why they lost. And then of course the useless diversion caused by the funeral, no control over his own lieutenants, lack of resources to lead a war that expensive etc.
I'm aggressive but I chose Royland. Although I see where you're coming from, it makes sense to have an adviser with differing views so that all options are taken into consideration.
I personally like having a Yes Man.
Wrong, Cat has a good grasp of politic.
The trade wasn't even a bad idea by itself. Jaime is an oathbound Kingsguard, Sansa is a young maiden from the most powerful family in the North and already one of the most beautiful women in Westeros. She can be married to secure an alliance. At the time they could have forged an alliance with the Tyrells by marrying her to Willas. An alliance Renly-Robb-Mace would have crushed everything. Not to mention that at the time it was believed that Arya was an hostage so there's that as well. To add even more substance, Arya could have possibly married Robert Arryn to definitely drag the Vale into the war and gain an EXTREMELY powerful ally. (again by being oblivious that she escaped) The STTAB alliance would have been unstoppable. And Robb still marries one of Walder's daughters so he gains their support and the crossing !
Of course a lot of outside parameters fucked up the plan completely but in theory, it is a very good idea.
Edit: Ressources weren't really an issue, he was using the Westerlands gold mines he captured to finance his campaign
It's all personal choice in the end.
Duncan is acting strange no matter what.
I've said it before and I'll say it again;
"Even though it isn't explicitly stated and the game doesn't directly penalize you for it (most of the time), there are wrong choices".
From a story progressing standpoint, Royland no doubt was in mind as sentinel. As you said yourself, Duncan as the traitor felt way more genuine, and in my opinion the confrontation was one of the best scenes in the game. All that said, telltale definitely should've made things play out at least a little different when a player chose Duncan as sentinel. Then again, that's the story of telltale games. "Should have".
Sorry, But to me at least, Duncan Was close friends with Lord Forrester and the uncle of Garred (One of the best characters IMO) I understand Royland is better for getting things done but Duncan is simply more trustworthy in my opinion (Or so we think up until the senseless traitor scene, Still loved the scene though)
Well, to be honest with you I only watched the TV series and there's no mention of a plan to marry Sansa to Willas (never heard of him) or Arya to Robert Arryn (is he the book version of Robin?) in the TV series she is just a mother that wants her daughters back. And I have no idea of who is the Mace character you mentioned. Also in the TV series there's no mention of this Westerlands, Robb just says that his enemies are strangling him with the lack of resources. So yeah, from a book point of view, you're right, but in the TV series they both make tremendous mistakes.
To be fair I'm not expecting you to know all this, I got carried away in my explanation...
I agree. I see some comments saying how Duncan has good advice when it isn't about war, but I personally think I know all the advice he could give, whereas, Royland can help my characters defend themselves greater.
I've always agreed with Royland about a lot.
Same thing I did. I am very diplomatic, (Except as Asher at times, I just have to get in that badass groove.) and it might be why I chose Royland, so I could have a better outlook on EVERYTHING.
That's one of the reasons why I didn't choose Duncan as my sentinel. I feel I can be just as diplomatic without having him advice me about it.
oh right I know Mace, but I only knew him as Lord Tyrell until now, I had never caught his first name before. About the plan I agree, it would have been an effective reason to give up Jaime, but the way the thing was handled by Cat in the TV series was very disappointing, since she could have purposed a neutral soil exchange.
No problem at all about you being carried away, thanks for the info about the book characters.
With the situation now,it does clear that war will be the climax of this series.The best character for this situation is obviously Royland,just like what Malcolm said.
Yes, what i mean with the corpse car part is that Duncan says more terrible things. say that you've caused problems ever since you crawled off is less ofensive then say I wish you were dead
I think you mixed those two characters up.
This is stupid. Duncan was the only serious candidate for sentinel. "Diplomacy does not solve conflicts in Game of Thrones." It can. What is the other option? "Strength is the only thing they understand." Whose strenght? House is on the verge of extincion. Forresters did not fool Ramsay and Whitehills. This are hard times. Waiting and cooperation is a chance to survive.
Besides, Ethan would never choose Royland because he called him a milksop.
This is indeed hard time for the Forresters,and Asher's army is the only hope for them to survive.There is no other option,Ramsay has made it clear that the two houses must clash to prove their survival worthiness,otherwise he'll destroy both.Also,Duncan went behind Ethan's back to send Gared to the wall without his knowledge,it's clear that Duncan is a loose cannon from the start.Ethan mature enough to not hold a grudge to someone whom called him a "milksop".