Overview
Coen's notoriety increases as the player disrupts Brencis's operations, whether by slaying his soldiers, completing quests that undermine his authority, or otherwise working against the vampire regime in Vale Sangora. The system creates a dynamic where the player's aggression has visible, escalating consequences in the game world.
Consequences of high notoriety
As notoriety rises, Brencis responds with increasingly restrictive countermeasures:
Edicts: Brencis issues new rules designed to thwart the player
Increased patrols: more soldiers on roads and in villages
Curfews: restrictions on movement during certain hours
City lockdowns: in extreme cases, Brencis locks down Svartrau, making traversal through the capital far more difficult
Higher notoriety also makes feeding at night more dangerous. With more guards present, the blood craving system becomes harder to manage safely, increasing the risk of involuntary draining incidents.
Benefits of notoriety
Notoriety is not purely negative. Citizens and rival factions notice the player's actions. People recognize and fear Coen. More importantly, high notoriety improves standing with anti-Brencis factions who are actively rebelling against the vampire regime. In some quest situations, having built a reputation as a threat to Brencis provides advantages that a low-profile player would not have.
Mateusz Tomaszkiewicz described the social dimension: "It is more than Brencis and his soldiers, it's also the people in the valley. They will recognize you and be afraid of you."
Interaction with other systems
The notoriety system intersects with several other mechanics. The time limit means that countermeasures like lockdowns cost the player precious time to navigate around. The Quest System responds to notoriety levels, with some paths opening or closing based on the player's reputation. And the Narrative Sandbox ensures that the consequences of notoriety ripple outward in unpredictable ways, affecting NPCs and quest outcomes throughout the valley.
Strategic considerations
Players face a genuine strategic choice about how openly to oppose Brencis. A cautious approach keeps notoriety low, making movement and nighttime feeding easier, but may limit access to anti-Brencis faction quests and rewards. An aggressive approach builds notoriety quickly, gaining rebel allies but triggering harsh countermeasures. The right balance depends on the player's priorities and how they want to approach the assault on Greifberg.