The Sultan's Alchemist quest....erm, what?

[KaryAnn]

The alchemist quest on the second island, which is a story quest and you have to visit him, tells you a story about how he got his turban. After following various conversations options in asking him about it, we find out it's not a regular turban, but one worn by Islamic 'warriors' as he further goes into detail that he was the "Sultan's" alchemist for a time, following an accident that made him leave the land of Noltan. The alchemist further talks about the Sultan calling him a 'great warrior'.

Lastly he references a "harem" and having multiple wives, in a wishful manner.

Again, what?! What did I just play, I crossed the river in a Viking longboat, ended up on the snowy shore of a fantasy game filled with fantasy creatures where I had just fought some dragonflies and then the next quest gives me a lesson in Islamic history?! Where did that come from? Why is that even there.

This is an inappropriate quest for the game, and frankly I don't want to go into detail as to why. Those discussions never end up in a good place and the threads get ban hammered without ever really solving the problem. As it stands however, the connotations involved in this quest are inappropriate and if we cannot discuss them on public forums why should they be presented in a game?

There is no freedom to interpret the game's descriptions a different way because the connotations are so religiously specific.

Most of all a fantasy game with a nordic theme at that. Talk about the consumer getting completely snowballed into thinking they bought one thing and then receiving another. This is not appropriate content for the game! It is not even remotely advertised by the game's theme.

Not to mention it would be controversial even if it was remotely advertised by a different theme.

Assassin's Creed games at least have a 'religious disclaimer' right when you first start the game, so you know what you are getting before you play it. This quest however, came right out nowhere and in no way fits the setting.

You can't even skip the quest because the character is tied to the main story. So he will have to be a character you interact with whether you like it or not.

So my question to the developers is do you have any plans of changing the background and lines of Alchemist Morrek. Or frankly, just remove Olaf's questions about his turban, what a sultan is, where that country is, what they do there, and so forth.

[Metroplex]

Religion plays a part in the game as it has in previous games.

[KaryAnn]

Originally Posted by Metroplex

Religion plays a part in the game as it has in previous games.

That is a little vague. I have not played the previous games. Can you be more specific?

[Totoro]

@OP

Oh please...

[KaryAnn]

Originally Posted by Totoro

@OP

Oh please...

That sounds like you don't care. Or you don't think it's a relevant issue.

Should we stop caring about 9/11? Should we forget about that too? When terrorists blow up innocent people because they want to impose their will over someone's else, we should forget about that too and say "Oh please..."?

The terrorists seem to care about their Sultanate a whole lot, while butchering innocent people. It certainly seems important to them. Perhaps you should tell them they're wrong.

And when you've lost a family member or someone close because of that nonsense, maybe you will care and want it to go away too, and not have it in your game when you're trying to get away from all that.

That's all a game is. An escape.

[Zechnophobe]

As far as I can tell, you are just a really intolerant person if you think references to any specific religion, especially the fairly historical benign parts, are somehow 'not okay' to have in a game.

The vikings are noticeably Norse. This guy? He's got obvious middle eastern background. What's the big deal?

[axxis34]

Just in case you didnt know: The Vikings travelled far around the world. They discovered North America as early as around year 1000, they discovered and settled Iceland and Greenland. They had colonies on Ireland and in the Uk and they were given the lands of normandie to safeguard from other vikings. They were the ones that named Russia Russia (ruriks land, wich was shortened to Rusland, and later became russia), they had settlements along the river of volga down to the black sea, they traded with Baghdad, the sultans there even had a bodyguard of Vikings!

The vikings also travelled along the coast in the Mediterranean past the gibraltar strait.

So in essence, no, it is NOT wrong for the game to have this quest, it actually fits withing the games lore (and real history too).

Btw, did you know that the vikings also worshipped Odin, Thor et all? The old Norse Gods? But that you arent complaining about? It is also stated in the game, infact, in the first island! So I dont buy your reasoning.

[Totoro]

Religious terrorism as we know it, is a quite new phenomenon. Terrorists will eventually realize that no matter how much people they blow up, someone will always be mocking their religion.

What comes to this game, there are no pictures of prophet Mohammed or any offensive material. Having multiple wives is normal in the Middle-East so you don't need to lose your sleep.

Also how many terrorist leaders you think are playing this game?

[hotfix666]

Originally Posted by KaryAnn

The alchemist quest on the second island, which is a story quest and you have to visit him, tells you a story about how he got his turban. After following various conversations options in asking him about it, we find out it's not a regular turban, but one worn by Islamic 'warriors' as he further goes into detail that he was the "Sultan's" alchemist for a time, following an accident that made him leave the land of Noltan. The alchemist further talks about the Sultan calling him a 'great warrior'.

Lastly he references a "harem" and having multiple wives, in a wishful manner.

Again, what?! What did I just play, I crossed the river in a Viking longboat, ended up on the snowy shore of a fantasy game filled with fantasy creatures where I had just fought some dragonflies and then the next quest gives me a lesson in Islamic history?! Where did that come from? Why is that even there.

This is an inappropriate quest for the game, and frankly I don't want to go into detail as to why. Those discussions never end up in a good place and the threads get ban hammered without ever really solving the problem. As it stands however, the connotations involved in this quest are inappropriate and if we cannot discuss them on public forums why should they be presented in a game?

There is no freedom to interpret the game's descriptions a different way because the connotations are so religiously specific.

Most of all a fantasy game with a nordic theme at that. Talk about the consumer getting completely snowballed into thinking they bought one thing and then receiving another. This is not appropriate content for the game! It is not even remotely advertised by the game's theme.

Not to mention it would be controversial even if it was remotely advertised by a different theme.

Assassin's Creed games at least have a 'religious disclaimer' right when you first start the game, so you know what you are getting before you play it. This quest however, came right out nowhere and in no way fits the setting.

You can't even skip the quest because the character is tied to the main story. So he will have to be a character you interact with whether you like it or not.

So my question to the developers is do you have any plans of changing the background and lines of Alchemist Morrek. Or frankly, just remove Olaf's questions about his turban, what a sultan is, where that country is, what they do there, and so forth.

Better you sleep

[rickah88]

@OP,

So did you complete the quest?