I have finally started playing “Divinity: Original Sin (Enhanced Edition)” recently, after considering buying it ever since the sequel came out to pretty rave reviews. I’ve never been a major player of these old-school style RPGs, though I have played and loved a few in the past. So far I have been enjoying the hell out of it; it is exactly the kind of game I needed at the moment, one in which I can take my time diving deep into conversations with colorful characters, or plunge into dungeons full of traps, treasure, and equally colorful monsters.
There have been quite a few surprising and fun moments in my short time with the game so far (I’m still only in the first town, working on my first main quest line, but already a good few hours in), but one instance in particular was so entirely unexpected that it stopped me in my tracks. I spent an unreasonable amount of time focusing on this aspect of the game and laughing about its absurdity.
While minding my own business investigating a murder, a man stopped me at the entrance to the Inn and tried to recruit me into a fucking pyramid scheme!
In real life I’ve had a few experiences of people trying to recruit me into a pyramid scheme (or Multi-Level Marketing opportunity, as they like to call it). I could feel that familiar tone as soon as the character began speaking, that pattern they all use of reeling you in with an offering of a business opportunity where you can be your own boss and make your own schedule. It sounds like a great deal, but the longer they speak the more you realize that they are actively avoiding telling you what the job position really is or what company they work for.
(They undoubtedly know that their prospective recruit would bail if they heard too early on what the job was)
I listened to the man in the game with suspicion, but there’s no way I expected a video game character to pitch me a pyramid scheme. He said that if I joined this organization, he would give me adventure contracts that I can accept at my discretion, with the promise that I would receive a cut of the shared rewards upon completion.
Then he got to the part where he said that if I recruit more people into the organization, then I will get a cut of the profits that they earned from their contracts as well.
Immediately I burst out with laughter and a light-hearted, “you son of a bitch.”
I finally got over the exchange and turned him down. As I continue on my journey, I still occasionally run into members who will try to convince me to sign up.
It was a very real and all-too-familiar reality within a high-fantasy RPG, and I think it was a pretty entertaining thing for the devs to include.
Comments
3 responses to “Pyramid Scheme Fantasy – Divinity: Original Sin”
The following time I read a blog, I hope that it doesnt disappoint me as a lot as this one. I imply, I know it was my option to read, but I truly thought youd have something attention-grabbing to say. All I hear is a bunch of whining about something that you could possibly repair in the event you werent too busy looking for attention.
You must have missed a few things.
1. My “Game Journal” posts are quick, in-the-moment thoughts while playing games. Meant as little anecdotes that catch my attention. They are not Reviews or in-depth articles.
2. Whining is a complaint. The story I was telling is of something I loved about the game because it was genuinely surprising and amusing. It made me laugh, and I thought it was cool. I completed the developers in the last sentence.
Thanks for stopping by.
*Complemented the developers