"The auxiliary system has been activated successfully. Welcome to Ice and Fire: Escape Game. Hello Mr. Ethan, your AI assistant Annie is at your service."
"Um, hello."
"First, we will create the game character. You have a total of three hours at this stage. Please don't rush and take your time to review everything."
"Three hours?" Ethan felt this time arrangement naturally brought a serious atmosphere. After all, it seemed too long just for creating a game character, yet for someone about to face life threatening challenges, it felt too short.
Annie didn't answer his question, and Ethan could only look solemnly at the text that popped up on the screen.
[What is your ancestry?]
Andals: Strength +1, unlock the profession 'Henry Knight'
Ancestors: Strength +1
Rhoynar: Agility +1
Ironborn: Strength +2, unlock the profession 'Pirate in Distress', and gain the trait 'Navigation Adaptation'
Braavosi: Agility +2, Trade Skills +1, unlock the career 'Wandering Assassin'
Remnants of the Free Cities of Valyria: Trade Skill +1
Dothraki: Agility +2, Riding Skill +1
Note:
Players can choose a main bloodline and a secondary bloodline. The character image is based on the former, and the latter only provides bonuses.
Bloodline affects all aspects of the game.
Players will acquire the language corresponding to their main lineage's region.
"Uh..." Looking at the page, Ethan fell into deep thought.
"Tip: All choices can be modified before finalizing character creation," Annie reminded him in time. "So, you can decide after reviewing all available options."
Ethan nodded and clicked to the next page.
[Who is your father?]
1.A veteran returning home:
2.A farmer:
[Who is your mother?]
[Where were you born? (Place/Time)]
[What did you do in your childhood?]
[What did you do as a teenager?]
[Later you became?]
[Finally you arrived at?]
After briefly checking the options for each question, Ethan began locking in some choices to try and find the best combination.
Soon, he discovered a pattern when one question was locked, other options would automatically narrow down.
For example, choosing Ironborn as a race would eliminate the farmer career path. After all, "We Do Not Sow" the Greyjoy family motto means no farming.
Likewise, choosing to become a craftsman in the final career stage required earlier choices like being a craftsman's apprentice in childhood and youth.
This was a common design choice ensuring logical consistency in character backgrounds.
It took him nearly an hour to read less than a third of the options, simply because the system offered too many.
For example, under parental identity, nearly every conceivable non noble status in the real world was available even eunuchs and silent sisters were included.
Eventually, Ethan changed his strategy: instead of choosing from the beginning, he decided to work backward starting with professions that impacted the three major factors: layout, funds, and equipment.
He soon identified five competitive careers: Mercenary Knight, Wandering Mercenary, Pirate in Distress, Brotherhood Hunter, and Traveling Merchant.
Among them, Mercenary Knight and Traveling Merchant had the biggest advantages.
Although the Mercenary Knight was slightly weaker in layout compared to the other three combat professions (Ethan didn't know why maybe for game balance?), he began with a tame horse and a full set of armor (including a nasal helmet, gorget, old mail shirt, mail gloves, and greaves).
Compared to small layout differences, Ethan believed a full set of armor would offer a huge early game advantage.
After all, Syrio Forel the "greatest swordsman in the world" (in Arya's view) was killed by that Kingsguard brute, Meryn Trant, not because he lacked skill, but because Trant had a set of 'damn armor' (as the Hound would say).
The Traveling Merchant started with 100 gold dragons, four servants (with little combat power), four old draft horses, two carts, and seven mules.
An excellent choice for players who preferred a behind the scenes route. If the Traveling Merchant's average attribute score wasn't just 5, Ethan might have chosen it immediately.
These two professions were clearly Tier 0.
Next came the Tier 1 group: Wandering Mercenary, Distressed Pirate, and Brotherhood Hunter.
The Wandering Mercenary had minimal gear just a short sword and leather armor but scored highest in layout and had strong combat ability.
The Distressed Pirate started with 10 gold dragons, making it a well rounded option. Its only drawback: it was restricted to Ironborn. Considering their notorious reputation in A Song of Ice and Fire, players choosing them would need to use Ironborn as a secondary bloodline otherwise, they'd be hated everywhere.
Brotherhood Hunter wasn't especially strong, but it was the only ranged profession, making it attractive for archery fans. Hidden attacks from afar suited stealthy players.
Tier 2 included options like Ascetic Priest, Wandering Red Robed Monk, Wandering Assassin, and Rogue of the Rhoyne professions with no glaring strengths but still viable.
The rest landless farmers, pickpockets, runaway slaves, Flea Bottom beggars, or prostitutes in failing inns seemed like jokes. Ethan suspected the devs were mocking players' intelligence.
"This is a life or death game! Who with half a brain would choose to be skinned alive from the start?"
After evaluating careers, Ethan worked backward again and began testing promising combos.
For example, selecting Andal and Dothraki bloodlines, with a mercenary father and a maid mother from a knight's manor, led to a childhood as a sparring partner, a youth as a squire, and adulthood as a knight ending as a hedge knight.
Right from the start, a powerful character with solid equipment and attributes.
Another build: Ironborn and Iban, with a pirate father and salt concubine mother. Childhood at sea, teenage piracy, adult pirate, ending as a shipwrecked sailor.
This one gave a berserker with strength over 30 at the start.
But Ethan had doubts: "Wait, isn't there reproductive isolation between Iban and others? How was this guy even born?"
After careful thought, he decided to balance early and late game potential. He picked Andals to unlock 'Henry Knight' and Ancestors as the secondary bloodline.
Why? The bloodline note said, "affects all aspects of the game" Ethan guessed this included magic qualification.
As a veteran game designer, he knew that in any magic based world, players eventually got access to spells.
So what magic existed in A Song of Ice and Fire?
The most famous: resurrection from R'hllor (the Lord of Light). But this overpowered spell was likely unavailable to players recruiting Thoros of Myr or Melisandre was more realistic. The rest of R'hllor's spells were either useless or too costly.
That left green magic, used by the Ancestors. The 'Three Eyed Crow' could see past and future, and shapeshifting (possessing animals) and prophetic dreams were useful and had minimal side effects.
Perfect for combat, scouting, and danger sense.
The Lord of Light's magic might not need bloodline, but green magic likely did so Ancestor blood was essential.
As for riding dragons, that required pure Valyrian blood. The so called "Remnants of Valyria" from Free Cities were delusional at best. Ethan didn't even consider that path.
In the end, he chose Ancestors as his secondary bloodline to ensure future access to green magic.