What's with the low stakes in Bruce's story?

There's no real threat or any reason to care for Bruce at all other than Amanda knowing his identity. Whereas we got the DA Harvey, childhood friend Oz and Gazette reporter Vicki Vale in season 1. Tiffany is there just for drama and potentially replace Lucius.

Comments

  • Says there's no Bruce Wayne story then proceeds to mention the actual Bruce Wayne story but belittles it as "Just drama" You can say that about literally any plotline. "Thomas Wayne was a criminal just for drama. Selina stole from us just for drama. Harvey's got mental issues just for drama"

    What you're saying doesn't make any sense. Not to mention that you're pretending that John Doe's fascination with Bruce and inviting him to meet his friends as well as Iman's interrogation never happened.

  • And don't forget Alfred as well, who isn't feeling to good right now.

    There are loads of reasons to care for Bruce Wayne (the ones you stated), I care for Bruce Wayne more than Batman really. I 100% agree with you Agent, loads of reasons to care.

    AgentZ46 posted: »

    Says there's no Bruce Wayne story then proceeds to mention the actual Bruce Wayne story but belittles it as "Just drama" You can say that ab

  • Yeah, I love playing as Bruce. More often than not I choose to play Bruce instead of Batman. I would've gone after Mori but I could see that the choice was choosing between Gordon and Waller, and my Bruce/Batman was very pro Waller.

    captainivy1 posted: »

    And don't forget Alfred as well, who isn't feeling to good right now. There are loads of reasons to care for Bruce Wayne (the ones you stated), I care for Bruce Wayne more than Batman really. I 100% agree with you Agent, loads of reasons to care.

  • Even though Season 1 Episode 1 still had higher stakes at this point for Bruce's story into the Season, I'm nevertheless still gonna say it's only the first episode for the Season and the story is still unfolding. Quite honestly, I like the increased focus on Batman, but even so - it's not like Bruce is irrelevant. He is still dealing with Alfred's PTSD and the guilt of Lucius' death.

  • I find the risk of losing Alfred being much higher stakes than the risk of having your family name dragged across the mud.

    Alfred is the only family Bruce has, after all. The PTSD can make Alfred do something stupid, and I'm really worried.

    Even though Season 1 Episode 1 still had higher stakes at this point for Bruce's story into the Season, I'm nevertheless still gonna say it'

  • What kind of stupid things do you imagine Alfred doing? I just wonder because it never crossed my mind that he'd do anything stupid other than not see a therapist.

    Abeille posted: »

    I find the risk of losing Alfred being much higher stakes than the risk of having your family name dragged across the mud. Alfred is the only family Bruce has, after all. The PTSD can make Alfred do something stupid, and I'm really worried.

  • My Alfred is vengeful....that could be bad...I just dunno....but to the OP...Bruce has lost his friend and confidant ....is now facing the fact that all the help Lucius supplied over the years was at the cost of time with his own family. Wayne has guilt....he has grief...and the number of people he trusts enough with his secret is dwindling ...I would say he is in even more dramatic trouble than S1 E1

    AgentZ46 posted: »

    What kind of stupid things do you imagine Alfred doing? I just wonder because it never crossed my mind that he'd do anything stupid other than not see a therapist.

  • Alfred is only vengeful if you let him watch Lucius.

    My Alfred is vengeful....that could be bad...I just dunno....but to the OP...Bruce has lost his friend and confidant ....is now facing the f

  • And I did

    AgentZ46 posted: »

    Alfred is only vengeful if you let him watch Lucius.

  • I don't want to lose Alfred, but they may be leaning that way. After all, you can agree to add Tiffany to the team and there's an option to tell Alfred that they should recruit. Maybe these new recruits could soften the blow of Bruce losing Alfred.

  • I found the stakes for Bruce to be as high as Batman's as far as the story is concerned in Episode One albeit most of them are more internal than physical which I actually enjoy a great deal more. John Doe isn't dealing with Batman. He's got Bruce on speed dial. He's still under corporate scrutiny as politely as your CEO speaks with you, she still asks rather accusingly what's in the briefcase you carry into work the day the office explodes. Whether Alfred is Vengeful or Mourning, he's still in visible psychological pain over an ordeal he suffered because of Batman/Bruce. Will Tiffany in fact become the next Lucius, or the next villain?

    Episode Two eludes that the stakes for Bruce are about to get even higher. Waller wants to send him to the Pact as a double agent. Bruce has the inside ties to John Doe who wants to welcome you in. It's a true opportunity to become conflicted... but how conflicted will TellTale allow Bruce to become? That's a fascinating outlet to explore.

    Even though Season 1 Episode 1 still had higher stakes at this point for Bruce's story into the Season, I'm nevertheless still gonna say it'

  • We won't lose Alfred. No one can replace him, and more heads for the Batman project can only do good.

    AnimalBoy posted: »

    I don't want to lose Alfred, but they may be leaning that way. After all, you can agree to add Tiffany to the team and there's an option to tell Alfred that they should recruit. Maybe these new recruits could soften the blow of Bruce losing Alfred.

  • I told him it was his choice and he decided to stay and watch Lucius death. Now he is vengeful, and I'm afraid he will try something behind my back and end up targeted for being nosy. But I don't think TellTale will pull the same trick they did last season: If Alfred is targeted again, I don't think he will just be kidnapped, I think he will just show up dead.

    AgentZ46 posted: »

    What kind of stupid things do you imagine Alfred doing? I just wonder because it never crossed my mind that he'd do anything stupid other than not see a therapist.

  • Have you not been paying attention to the set-up in episode 1 and the loglines for the rest of the season? This story is obviously gearing up for events that will shake Batman's very conception of himself to the core. The season is titled "The Enemy Within" for God's sake.

  • I didn't and he's still vengeful

    AgentZ46 posted: »

    Alfred is only vengeful if you let him watch Lucius.

  • Have you not seen both the Riddler and Lucius, two characters who have been around since 1948 and 1979 respectively in the mainstream comic book continuity being killed off in the game?

    Have you not seen Vicki Vale, a character who has never been anything more then a girlfriend in the comics become a psycho villain in the first season?

    I don't buy Alfred being untouchable. Not in this universe.

    Personally, I rather have a Robin at my side over Alfred.

    We won't lose Alfred. No one can replace him, and more heads for the Batman project can only do good.

  • Agreed, except with the last line. I prefer Alfred. But yeah, I don't think anyone is untouchable in this universe.

    TellTale is doing whatever they want and I love it, it is keeping me on the edge.

    AnimalBoy posted: »

    Have you not seen both the Riddler and Lucius, two characters who have been around since 1948 and 1979 respectively in the mainstream comic

  • There's no real threat or any reason to care for Bruce at all other than Amanda knowing his identity. Whereas we got the DA Harvey, childhood friend Oz and Gazette reporter Vicki Vale in season 1. Tiffany is there just for drama and potentially replace Lucius.

    Well first of all, this is only episode 1 but we still had several threats that could've potentially affected Bruce (and most did, the rest will later):

    • Bruce's relationships with John, Alfred, Amanda (as you've presented as a threat as she knows Bruce is Batmna), Gordon and Tiffany
    • Lucius' death
    • Avesta's state of being and the lives of the two other agents
    • Riddler and the Pact

    In The Enemy Within we have Alfred who is suffering from PTSD, Tiffany who can threaten to bring Bruce down if he admits to being a cause to Lucius' death, Gordon whose power is being taken away from him (determinantly) and you have to choose between him or Amanda, not to mention the pact who are going to play a major role in this season.

    One thing some people never seem to realize is that dramatic points in a story are intentionally created to make drama, that's kind of the point of introducing the problem and adding tension... the same way that humor is added with the intent to incorporate humor into the story etc. As for Tiffany replacing Lucius, it'll likely happen but characters replacing other roles happens all the time, if a character slot is empty and critical to the story, then it needs to be filled with a new character.

  • Have you not been paying attention to the set-up in episode 1 and the loglines for the rest of the season?

    He can't. He's too busy trying to nitpick and find things to complain about.

    Have you not been paying attention to the set-up in episode 1 and the loglines for the rest of the season? This story is obviously gearing u

  • Well it's no surprise that it's low stakes so far, because would you really want Telltale to use all their tricks at the beginning of the season? It'd be too cluttered and be too much to handle.
    At this point in the season, at the end of episode 1, we're eiher at the end of the Initial Conflict (Introduction to The Pact being a group, and Waller knowing Bats' secret identity) or the beginning of the Rising Action (Batman/Bruce having to handle John Doe's "deal" and the repercussions of the Riddler's game.)

    The points you mentioned:

    Whereas we got the DA Harvey, childhood friend Oz and Gazette reporter Vicki Vale in season 1.

    Aren't all from S1, EP1. The drama with the DA Harvey only started to appear once he got drugged in Episode 2. Before then he was a normal buddy for Bruce to hang out with. Oswald wasn't exactly an antagonist from the start as he approached Bruce as being a friend, and wanting to help him. He wanted to know if you'll be on his side when this "revolution" starts. He wasn't really acting out of malice yet, and it wasn't until he started taking over Falcone's territory and Bruce's company in EP2 and 3 respectively that the stakes rose once more. And with Vicki Vale? What stakes? Romantic stakes? She was completely normal and had no need for concern until that shocking twist in EP3.

    The stakes are low, but the conflict and main struggles are here...

    • Do you trust John Doe/Joker, while potentially endangering Bruce's reputation once more, including those he loves dear?
    • Do you trust the Agency as Bruce/Batman, knowing that they have a lot of power and intel to potentially find out Batman's secret identity? interfere with Batman's crime-fighting, and Bruce's meeting with John's friends?
    • Concerning Amanda Waller: Will you cooperate with the feds and potentially tarnish your relationship with Gordon, your one true link to the law, or defy them and face the consequences?
    • Should you trust Tiffany now that she blames you for her father's death, or keep your distance so that she doesn't "find out your secret and scream it from the rooftops."
    • Do you take care of Alfred, and keep him from enduring more horror after his kidnapping of the previous year, or let him in on the operation, knowing that his mental health is gradually getting worse...

    So far, these are pretty good stakes. It delves into Bruce's reputation and image with the Agency, given that he could be working with Joker now, it provides tension from the Agency, knowing that they can interfere and take what they want using their power, there's personal conflict concerning loved ones like Alfred and the daughter of your close friend.. Tiffany.

    I'm sure by Episode 2 things will ramp up once we meet The Pact. Don't act like this series can't be improved and will never live up to the original season... (IMHO This premiere was more engaging and thrilling than last year's Batman premiere.)

  • For me this episode was about Batman being on top of his game, with new unexpected challenges being introduced as the episode progressed. At the beginning Batman in his prime after defeating his first real challenges and having gained more experience. He is confident, has a good relationship with GCPD, and is generally admired by the people of Gotham. Even Bruce has gotten over the drama of finding out the truth about his parents, as well as the fallout with Harvey and Oz.

    Then, the Riddler and Agency are introduced. They both immediately come off as dangerous, but nothing Batman can't handle. Then, first Bruce is caught off guard with the Riddler, who proves himself more dangerous than Bruce was expecting, and Lucius pays for Bruce's mistake with his life. Now Bruce has to deal with having lost a friend and an important ally, as well as having to confront his grieving daughter. Already the stakes are getting higher.

    Then, we are teased about John Doe's role in this, and the dangerous situation Bruce is with him - another player in the game, another thing to be worried about. Later, Batman manages to defeat Riddler, but pays a high price for it, and learns there are potentially even more dangerous criminals out there.

    And if that's not enough, in the very end Bruce is caught off guard once again, this time by Waller, who reveals she knows Batman's true identity. Overall, I'd say episode 1 was about bringing Bruce down from his high, and ep 2 will be when his struggles truly begin.

Sign in to comment in this discussion.