Quick guide to RPG elements in Echo Bazaar

While the main enjoyment I feel from playing Echo Bazaar comes from the dark humour wittingly presented throughout the game in the form of various storylets, the game is still a facebook style RPG at heart. Thus, I will describe how to optimise RPG-style choices when playing Echo Bazaar, although an appreciation of dark humour is essential for fully enjoying the game.

There are 4 Main Qualities in Echo Bazaar:

Dangerous – Your competence at combat and intimidation.

Watchful – Your deductive and intellectual capability.

Persuasive – Your skill at influencing others through speech or in writing.

Shadowy – Your ability to remain physically undetected to others. Also a measure of criminality.

It is only necessary to focus on two attributes for the duration of the entire game in order to fulfill an ambition. It is not necessary to concentrate on Dangerous, just because it determines your combat ability. Focusing on any other attribute is similar to focusing on Dangerous, as the game isn’t combat focused. The rewards are similar if you choose not to focus on Dangerous. You however have to focus on your Dangerous quality if you wish to engage in player versus player combat. For this reason, I chose an ambition that requires me to build my Dangerous quality (although building Persuasive seems fun too because you can unlock storylets that allow you to two-time two ladies at once).

Even though there is no explicit hit point system in Echo Bazaar, you will be punished by increasing levels of Menaces when you reach the higher levels (Dangerous 34, Watchful 35 etc etc.):

You acquire Wounds if you fail a high level Dangerous challenge. If your Wounds quality hits 5, you will be sent to a slow boat passing a dark beach on a silent river.

You acquire Nightmares if you fail a high level Watchful challenge. If your Nightmares quality hits 8, you will go into a State of some Confusion.

You acquire Scandal if you fail a high level Persuasive challenge. If your Scandal quality hits 5, you will be exiled to the Tomb-Colonies.

You acquire Suspicion if you fail a high level Shadowy challenge. If your Suspicion quality hits 5, you will be sent to New Newsgate Prison… Again!

There are various ways to reduce the various Menaces before they become a problem, but I will not discuss them here.

I feel one of the most important RPG-style decisions you have to make early on is selecting free items based on the Main Quality you want to focus on, and later on choosing an ambition that requires that quality. For people who like PvP, then Dangerous is unavoidable. Otherwise the Persuasive ambition seems lots of fun.