Why does the henchmen cast change in Prophecies?

Anakita Snakecharm

Anakita Snakecharm

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: Nov 2009

The Shining Blade Camp

Nouvel Ordre de Phoenix [MJM]

R/Mo

What is the in-game logic behind changing the available henchmen from one group (Stefan, Orion, Alesia, Reyna, and co.) to another set (Devona, Cynn, Eve, Aidan, and Mhenlo's group) toward the end of Prophecies?

I'm aware of the in-character reasons given for why the original henchmen didn't make it to travel with you. Stefan got drunk, Alesia felt insulted by Mhenlo and left, and so on.

What I don't get is why that needed to happen.

Was it a skills/balance thing? If they wanted the new group to be with you at the end, why not just have those be the henchmen with you from the start?

Iuris

Iuris

Forge Runner

Join Date: Nov 2006

Crazy ducks from the Forest

W/

Can't say for sure, but I think the key is in the ascension.

Pre-ascension, you have "regular" henchmen. Commoners. Post ascension, you get the "heroic" ones - the people who were not so very long ago your teachers and quest givers.

snowman relic

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: Feb 2009

your just a meatsheild to me

N/Mo

Quote:
Originally Posted by Anakita Snakecharm View Post
What is the in-game logic behind changing the available henchmen from one group (Stefan, Orion, Alesia, Reyna, and co.) to another set (Devona, Cynn, Eve, Aidan, and Mhenlo's group) toward the end of Prophecies?

I'm aware of the in-character reasons given for why the original henchmen didn't make it to travel with you. Stefan got drunk, Alesia felt insulted by Mhenlo and left, and so on.

What I don't get is why that needed to happen.

Was it a skills/balance thing? If they wanted the new group to be with you at the end, why not just have those be the henchmen with you from the start?
Could i get a link to the wiki page that says the reasons the old ones left? i mean the in-character reasons i'd like to read them if anyone knows what wiki page it is

BrettM

BrettM

Desert Nomad

Join Date: Aug 2008

Fuzzy Physics Institute

E/

Nice theory, except that you still have the original henchmen in the Southern Shiverpeaks, after ascending, for all of the missions. The originals are also in most of the S. Shiverpeaks outposts, with the exception of Deldrimor War Camp.

I would guess that the devs had not yet hit on the idea of changing the henchie bars in different areas, so they switched henchie groups in the Ring of Fire to give you more firepower for the final missions. I wasn't playing back then, so the "heroic" henchies may have been added to Deldrimor War Camp only after Sorrow's Furnace was added to the game, which also needs more firepower than the regular areas. Likewise, the "heroic" henchies are also present in Lion's Gate for the "Sunspears in Kryta" travel quest.

Gwendolyn the Jinx

Gwendolyn the Jinx

Ascalonian Squire

Join Date: Nov 2010

Beirut, Lebanon

Servants of Fortuna [SoF]

Me/

Quote:
Originally Posted by snowman relic View Post
Could i get a link to the wiki page that says the reasons the old ones left? i mean the in-character reasons i'd like to read them if anyone knows what wiki page it is


source

Swahnee

Swahnee

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: Jul 2008

Italy

Mo/

Mehnlo, Devona, Aidan etc are infused, the others aren't. In fact they show up after the missions where you can get infused (in THK you can't get infused, so you need henchmen already infused).

At least, this is what someone told me a lot of time ago. Don't know why Alesia & C couldn't maintain their infusion after you fought with them in the first two missions of the southern shiverpeaks. Maybe because you can repeat those missions, and it would be weird to have Alesia & C infused/not infused/infused/etc..

BrettM

BrettM

Desert Nomad

Join Date: Aug 2008

Fuzzy Physics Institute

E/

Except that three of the henchmen in THK are from the earlier group, and they are infused for that mission or for any explorations starting from the THK outpost. So infusion can't be the reason for bringing in Mhenlo, Cynn, Aidan, Devona, and Eve at that point.

Henchmen available starting in Ascalon City:

Alesia (Mhenlo from THK on)
Orion (Cynn from THK on)
Reyna (Aidan from THK on)
Stefan (Devona from THK on)

Added starting in Yak's Bend:

Claude (Eve from THK on)
Dunham
Little Thom

Added starting in Amnoon Oasis:

Lina

So two of the henchies added in Yak's bend are available until the end, including all missions requiring infusion, as is Lina.

Anakita Snakecharm

Anakita Snakecharm

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: Nov 2009

The Shining Blade Camp

Nouvel Ordre de Phoenix [MJM]

R/Mo

Quote:
Originally Posted by BrettM View Post
I would guess that the devs had not yet hit on the idea of changing the henchie bars in different areas, so they switched henchie groups in the Ring of Fire to give you more firepower for the final missions. I wasn't playing back then, so the "heroic" henchies may have been added to Deldrimor War Camp only after Sorrow's Furnace was added to the game, which also needs more firepower than the regular areas. Likewise, the "heroic" henchies are also present in Lion's Gate for the "Sunspears in Kryta" travel quest.
This makes sense. The original henchmen do gain elites at Level 20, but it's possible the developers weren't doing entirely different bars then.

I always felt bad for "ditching" my original group, even though the game forced me to. We'd covered a lot of ground together, and it seemed like any heroism my character could claim would apply equally to those who had been right there with me.