First QnA for 2026! (Patreon)

Well, first of all a small revelation! I have removed certain questions about the last demo, they will be answered in the next QnA to let everyone have the ability to discover them first. Writing is going well, over 50 000 words in January, aiming for the same in February. With that being said, here are the questions!

sorry if this one has been asked before, but will sidesteps who got scarred/blinded by argent be able to take revenge for it?

Oh yes. Of course! What is villainy if not the ability to repay past wrongs. Especially Sidesteps with motivations like Anger or Revenge might be very keen on it.

if we tell dove that we're sidestep or a ROs lover will we get a reaction if when we meet her? would this be included in villain gossip?

Yes, that will absolutely get reactions! And it varies whether it will be included or not. Some villains gossip a lot, some less. Some have trusted people, others don't. So it would depend on the circumstances.

on that note, will we ever hear villain gossip?

Sidestep has a tendency to be able to overhear things they shouldn't be present for, so that is absolutely possible. There will be callbacks to things as well, much like Sky-Raider can react to the puppet and Mortum being an item.

In Jake’s Mitchell file, if Jake had died in the fight against Porphyry and Locus, what would’ve happened? To them? To Nocturne? How would Noe have dealt with Jake dying?

I don't think it would have had a big effect mechanically on Hollow Ground's empire. There are other people to step in as enforcers. Emotionally however? That would be a big blow, HG would turn severely depressed and disinterested while Nocturne would have been hellbent on Revenge. Porphyry would not be alive, no matter how much she needed to escalate things to take them down.

Given the process of decanting and artificial aging to a ‘trainable’ level, is it common for things like primitive reflexes (eg moro reflex) to be found in new Re-Genes? If so, what’s the Farm’s approach to them?

Yes, it takes time for the newly decanted Re-Gene's nervous system to stabilize. The time between decanting and memory implanting is basically a "newborn" stage, which needs to be handled carefully. It takes several months after memory implanting and careful training for the body, brain and nervous system to reach an equilibrium. The immune system takes even longer.

If Shroud ate Heartbreak's mind, how'd that end?

New Heartbreak, with added spice. Will we all be heartbreak now?

Also, is the puppet's gender and heartbreak's gender being the same a coincidence?

It is a red herring. I introduced certain dependent variables that weren't important to hide the ones that were. Just to make it harder to predict what might be significant for code divers and people with good attention spans.

If MC sacrificed themselves for the ROs, how'd they react?

Grief. Gratitude. Anger. I think Ortega would be the angriest.

If MC, hypothetically, pretended to be dead and ran away forever from the country, would it work?

Hypothetically it would. But Sidestep could never be sure.

Would the farm still be able to find them?

They might. Far less likely though.

How will Ortega's 70s look like? Back at the ranch like their mom or still up to something thrilling?

I don't think Ortega will never really calm down. They would try to retire, but be bored. Perhaps training new heroes.

Would they love to just settle down with Sidestep if they agree to come back to the ranch with them?

For a while, yes. But I think Ortega is too restless in the long run.

Did HG feel threatened by the fact that Hood actually had geokinetic powers and that was part of the motivation to kill him?

It was certainly not unrelated, but there were other motivations too.

If there was a war between the govt and all enhanced, which side would end up winning?

Depends. There would be enhanced siding with the government too, so it would be all about motivation, recruitment, tactics and motivation.

How do you picture the next books going in regard to that fallen hero getting back up? Will Sidestep be able to join the good guys again? Rebirth and Retribution already allowed for Sidestep to look back at their past life as a good doer with a certain fondness and nostalgia, and look at what they've become with guilt and regret. Both books also permit them to essentially be a hero in all but name. This seems like a natural progression for that kind of Sidesteps. Sidestep by the end of Retribution is directly though dreamily entertaining the notion, and not just pondering about the surrounding implications anymore.

That is one of the options I have planned at the end of Revelations. The question is who the good guys are and what that entails...

If yes, what would the pacing look like (some kind of final book team-up to save the world or a book three thing already)? And if not, why? To avoid going all over the place or perhaps because you feel villainy even if it is a forced one is a theme/narrative you want to stick to for now?

I see book three as a balancing of morals/motivations/philosophy. This is where you will learn the facts that made Sidestep do what they did, and will be able to make an informed decisions about it, uninfluenced by... well... stuff. However, whatever choice is made doesn't change the underlying facts. Sidestep will still have to deal with what they know. This will mean that while Sidestep can certainly be a hero, and have the Rangers on their side, they still have to deal with the big bad (who might have the law on their side). There are variants to how a Sidestep who wants to be a hero can handle this, including getting back as Sidestep proper. I always saw Sidestep's journey as extremely driven. That part won't change. The choices made and sides picked will define what your final 'team' will be in book four if that makes sense? There is no either/or.

Not really a question but if Sidestep does eventually go back to the light side, I think it'd be really interesting to delve into and separate the reasons why. Do you plan to? Maybe they realised they can't do it alone or don't want to. Maybe because of their friends or RO that they don't want to hurt or lie to anymore. I'm a bit worried about Sidestep staying Sidestep to preserve the storyline so to speak, love can radically change a person (nevermind Sidestep who's emotionally a teenager) and the characters have been so well written so far without feeling like plot slaves but I understand you got a narrative to stick to.

Oh this is what I LOVE writing! We will go a lot into reasons in Revelations. This is what I have been building towards!

How good is your English? Noticed some oddities in your Patreon posts and I'm just curious cause the books were smooth af.

Ahaha that is because I proofread, spellcheck and rewrites and polishes my books. A patreon post is a first draft with the notepad++ spellchecker engaged but no grammar checker. This is my unfiltered first draft, and my swenglish will be shining through. I have several ticks that are leftovers from swedish grammar (notably the -s, certain word order thingies, fusing words together), once it comes time to polish text I hunt them down and eliminate them. And if I don't, my playtesters will do it for me. I live and think in English these days, but I can't stop being swedish. And, I also embrace certain ticks from there (our comma use, my lack of capital letters for stuff, making up new words) just because it's fun. I am not precious about being perceived as linguistically perfect online, I think it is quite useful for people to see the difference between intuitive writing and final polish. There is a reason editing takes so long. The QnA's are the worst offenders, I don't correct the grammar of the questions either, we can all be equal offenders here! Take our hats off and relax. Being understood is what's important.

For the issues with the telepath tracker and the missing telepaths has anyone not a telepath been dragged into this? Like if someone has a boost that was mistaken for telepathy or someone pretending to have telepathy?

Oh yes. Mistakes happens.

If we get the chance to interact with Tina in a non-antagonistic way could we pass along some information about the SD to her to help her search for her husband?

Oh yes! A conversation there is planned. I hope to squeeze it into this book, but we'll see, I'm not exactly sure where the cutoff will be, wise by past mistakes.

In guilty crash routes where the villain was not a known telepath will the Rangers let other groups know the villain is a telepath? Or does whether they are against or supporting Step effect this?

That will absolutely affect this. That is why it is a different variable, and not the same as an openly known telepath.

In scenarios where Mortum has taken Sidestep, guilty reveals or betraying you after retrieving the puppet, will the Ranger ROs find out that Mortum took Step?

Dr. Mortum certainly hope not, but we know how clever and nosy certain people can be...

And if so will it be a case of the Rangers figuring it out themselves, because Step went missing and they investigated? Or will there be the option for Sidestep to tell them that Mortum took them?

Both? Both is good.

do the choices in the void dream have any consequences or can you just power through them?

Right now you can power through most of them. The thing is that I have additions/updates/changes to that start but I won't implement them yet. Why? Because people will be playing through this a lot, and I don't want them to grow old. There's gonna be more layers eventually, but for now keep on clicking.

Since Ortega curses themselves for failing to consider Hollow Ground kidnapping their supposed sibling after Heartbreak instead of Sidestep being dead, can we throw this fact in their face to similarly cuss them out, as a way of doubling down on not forgiving them?

It sounds like something Sidestep would use in an argument, yeah.

Unlike the Farm, Ortega would’ve had every reason to believe we could’ve been alive, and they failed to consider that for 7 years.

Things are slightly more complicated than that, but Sidestep can certainly see it that way.

What do Dove, Armadillo, & Sky-Raider think of villains that rob criminals? Are they at all worried about being robbed?

Nah, they don't see themselves as overly rich (they spend a lot of what they get fast) and who would steal from a thief? That seems to invite trouble.

Speaking of them, a while ago, you did a ranking of the cast by tech-savviness; where would they rank? Where would Sidestep (both tech-savvy & streetwise) rank?

Both Dove and Sky-Raider are pretty tech-savvy, so they would be near the top (not sure where yet). Sidestep is as tech-savvy as the story needs, at least if they have that skill. But even a streetwise Sidestep knows a lot of stuff compared to someone like Herald.

Which sub-genre of "survival" movies are each of the Rangers + Mortum most likely to survive without any powers? (for example zombies, aliens, freakishly strong serial killers, etc.)

Freakishly strong serial killers for all of them I think. Easier to deal with than the others since the scale is more personal and they are pretty capable physically even without powers.

Even if Sidestep outsider, even among other re-genes, Is there a change some Sidestep's might have missed being around other re-genes?

OH yes. We will get into that when we get more Farm content, but Sidestep can absolutely have felt like a lonely outsider even there. Never belonging.

Is there a chance of Armadillo teaching more of re-gene language, if sidesteps asks?

Absolutely.

Before Arde escaped what kind of missions they used to do with their team?

Basically black ops. Move in and eliminate with extreme prejudice.

What was Ace's childhood like? What kind of child were they like?

Rootless. Moved a lot. Wasn't close to their parents, then left home entirely. I think there were either alcohol issues or drug use in the family, there certainly was gambling. They grew up too fast and learned the hard way that you needed to be ruthless to survive.

How is Nocturne's mother doing currently?

Aging but perky.

The farm is trying to hard not to let cuckoos interact with other re-genes, so they would not find about world outside of the farm too much. Just how much is farm actually succeeding in that, counting the regene language?

There is information being shared, a lot more than the Farm knows, or would like. You can clamp down on things, but stopping the flow entirely is hard.

It seems like video calls aren't a thing in FH universe. How happy would Jake be if he could video call to his family?

The world is not quite as interconnected, civilian satellites are a recent thing, and there are no giant internet cables criss-crossing the ocean floors. He would be delighted if he could!

Was Jesus a boost?

Nope.

If the player chose to stay with Ortega/Daniel/Chen, will there be a later chance for Step to meet Tia Elena? After the events of Book 2, does Ortega finally tell her that Step is alive if they don't go to the ranch?

Yes and yes.

It's been mentioned a few times that Ortega used to tell Daniel stories about Sidestep during their hero days (like the nanovore incident) -- was there any particular story that stood out to him?

Hmmm. I think the Catastrofiend fight was one because it was so absurd and heroic, and Ortega did a good job of telling it.

Did Ortega have a picture of Step out of their hero outfit (& if he did, would he have shown it to anyone)?

Yes, and once Sidestep was dead, Ortega would have. At least to those closest to them.

Will there be any opportunity to really lean into the frightening/intimidating aspect of Step’s bodysnatching ability once people find out about Puppet? Something like all the characters being paranoid in John Carpenter’s “The Thing”. Will we get to scare the shit out of people in a similar way— where characters are thinking any one of them could actually be possessed by Step?

OH YES. I am dying to write scary psychic entity Sidestep going nuts with their powers. I want it so badly, but I need to be patient.

The complexity of this project amazes me. Could you talk a bit about how you figure out the whole thing at a high level? The skeleton? What worked well planning the last ones and what didn't?

Alright, let's talk Revelations then! The first draft skeleton was pretty simple in theory. I had all the beginnings at the start I needed to fuse down into two paths until the situation with the imposter was resolved. That was the first "climax" if the book. Then we have the second part, which will culminate around Ortega's birthday party, and will be very villain/plan focused. I have a bunch of events that I want to happen, but the order is not fixed. This was a similar thing I did with Retribution, and that worked out moderately well.

Rebirth issues: Too simple. I knew nothing. I had no idea what variables I needed. I was afraid to dig into certain things and built a very sparse and straight narrative, focusing on finishing above all. The beginning especially have issues for me.

Retribution issues: Pacing. I needed to switch around a lot of scenes since the pacing was off, some paths were very slow, others too sparse. I needed to add scenes to seed future things, others to add action and chances to have fun. Originally the bridge scene was the first scene in the book. The pacing looks simple in theory but is the most complex in practice. I had great help from a playtester with that, who helped bash especially Herald's path together.

So, looking at this I can predict that Revelations greatest issue will be pacing. I know the paths I am writing now will change a lot, but this time I am trying to take it into account. I am already cutting out bits and placing them in a separate subroutine document to make sure I can use these bits when other paths can encounter them. I am trying to build a modular game this time, where the backbone of a scene can be used, but encountered at different times depending on the path. I haven't tried this before, but I need to since the starts are so different. For example, I want the discussion about Ortega's dad to be something that can pop everywhere, but exactly were will vary. I need to try to write sparse and simple now so it will be easier to fit, and then escalate and deepen once the basic skeleton is done. Last time I planned the paths of Retribution in detail in pen, and that was a lot of effort becoming essentially wasted at the later stages of the story. I am trying to be more loose with my planning now and save the detains for when I am approaching that point. Right now I am detain planning up to the impostor encounter, after that it is loose and open. However, I have already had to delete and rewrite a lot of my plans once. That's why it took so long.

What was Sunstreams role in the rangers exactly? Because I get the impression she was probably used as the pretty face of the team even though she was capable of more unless I’m wrong.

I think that is a fair assessment, I have never really focused on her so she is very vague in my mind as well. I have some ideas but they are percolating at the back of my mind right now, we'll see if she gets depth or if she stays a shallow symbol.

Aside from tossing tanks, what other amazing feats of telekinetic power has Skybright done?

Think Superman but with telekinetics. You know, saving crashing planes, holding up a bridge that is coming down, creating an evacuation slide from a burning skyscraper to get to the next rooftop.

Do Daniel's parents keep up at all with what is going on with Daniel through the news? How about his Nanny?

They do, not that they would admit it. Danny's old nanny has ALL the clippings. She is very proud of him!

Will we get to meet Daniel's civilian friends on any paths?

At least brief encounters I think.

When did Daniel learn Spanish?

Listening to his nanny. Then a lot more (and cruder words) when he came to Los Diablos. Then it was polished as he become a corporate sponsored hero.

What's the nature of the Core's infection? Biological, or more like a computer virus? Is it organic? How is it transmitted? ... Is the Core quarantined, or has it ever been, to manage the infection?

Hmm. How can I answer this without giving too many spoiler. I would say that the infection is mainly biological, but at this point certain things begin to... blur. It has two modes of transmission, the main one is physical, which is one reason why the core is more... isolated than it has been in the past to manage the infection. Everything else is spoilers.

Does Arde know about the Omegaverse?

The... what now? (looks it up) Oh. Okay. No. You know what? That is not something that exists in the Fallen Hero universe. So no need to know about it.

What would Anathema have thought about Mortum, Dove, and Skyraider? What would they have thought about Anathema?

Anathema would have gotten along with all three of them! I think they were pretty likable. Don't think that any of them would have gotten close though, if anyone would, it might have been Dr. Mortum.

Has Arde ever tried alcohol? If so, what were their thoughts on it?

Yes. Bitter. There are better drugs.

Did Arde hit up a hot dog stand/make themselves a sandwich before they came to rescue Sidestep in the 1.2.2 path and that's why they smell of mustard and bread?

Good spot! Yes. Absolutely! Arde is a snacker...

can sidestep gift arde smthn? some jello or bread? 👉 👈 regene bonding time is good for the soul...

Sidestep bonding with someone voluntary? That sounds fake, doesn't it?

actually that sprouts another question-- interactions are clearly limited at the farm, but what are some subtle ways that regenes bond and form friendships?

That happens almost exclusively within the various Re-Gene teams, because they are the ones who have the most, the closest and the most unsupervised interactions. The outward signs are (and have to be) subtle, just like their language. But Re-Genes who are close often subconsciously (and consciously) echo each others body language, especially at rest. Sitting in the same way, a bit like how cats do.

Why does Bennet feel the need to keep his eyes open? Is it for a specific reason after the site visit or is it more basal instinct/natural defense screaming at him to keep his eyes open during his encounter there?

Bennet is messed up, what is real and what are subconscious coping mechanisms are hard to tell at this point. But it is connected to the visit to the Heartbreak site.

Would he be able to give a reason why one should keep their eyes open around the site, or would he be unable to answer?

He would be unable to put it into words, his powers often lets him 'know' things even if he doesn't understand them.

Further, probably not going to get an answer on this one but may as well try: what is the difference in a sidestep that got eyesopen vs. one that did not? will this have a big impact down the road?

Oh this WILL have an inpact, and you will know in Revelations. Many of the Heartbreak secrets will be peeled away (not all tho.)

will deveraux make a return if he wasn't killed or is he scared off for good if the hotel attack was successful?

He is in my stack of NPC's, he'll be back.

Is the sniper mention in Chapter 12 with the Puppet and Mortum at the apartment ("I mean, at least I don't think we are going to be interrupted by a sniper. Or something. I hope.") intentional foreshadowing about the Puppet's precog and/or the sniper at Parkfield?

Yep. I have little lines like that here or there.

Do coeliac Re-Genes get gluten-free bread or do they have alternative forms of carbs instead?

Huh. I never considered that. I would assume there would be gluten free alternatives.

Will Sidestep get a chance to bond with Mortum over them both being dosed with Void blood in the books? And specifically Sidestep telling Mortum about the Tesseract assault?

There will probably be a void discussion somewhere, it makes sense.

building off of the above, how much does mortum know the truth about sidestep's past heroic exploits? Does Mortum know that sidestep was the one to end the void, and the nanovore threat?

That will depend a bit on Sidestep's reputation, Mortum certainly knows they were involved, but the extent might vary. They would know more about the nanovore incident (local) than the Void one.

Have there been any escaped regenes living high profile lives in the past, or was Sidestep the first?

I think Sidestep was the first.

were their any funny or scandalous magazine headlines for charge back in the day?

Oh many. Just have a look at various UK magazines, Charge was a good sales magnet for years, if there was no useful headlines somewhat anchored in reality, they would make up ones and leave just enough plausible deniability that the Rangers wouldn't come down hard on them. But if you're asking if I know any, I don't. If anything funny pops in my head, Sidestep might bring it up in game.

Do you have any vague estimates on who between a generic MBO regene, an SCO, & Porthole in their current state was more expensive to create & maintain?

Porthole. Definitely.

Would you consider Vera a conspiracy theorist?

Hmmm. She wouldn't consider herself that, it makes sense to keep all options open. Me however? Yeah. Just a little bit.

Are growing Re-Genes breathing the liquid they are immersed in for their entire growth cycle or do they need to be connected to oxygen as they become more developed?

They are breathing liquid until their decanting, the liquid is oxygenated, so it takes care of those needs. One of the biggest things with the decanting is to empty the lungs of fluid and get them started breathing air. Re-Genes are subject to testing and typing before finally being implanted with memories if deemed viable. During this time they are also kept in a tube, but not the original growth one. At that point they breathe oxygen through a mask. This is also where low levels of pathogens gets introduced to trigger their immune system response, which is yet another opportunity for boosted powers to manifest if they have not been evident so far.

What languages do you speak?

Fluent Swedish and English. A fair bit of Danish and Norwegian due to language similarity, and growing up in the south of Sweden where the dialects resemble Danish. Don't ask me to understand countryside Danish though, or counting in it. Just like french it's weird that way. I studied French and Russian back in school, but remember very little since I haven't used it outside class (or during tourist travel). I have been studying Japanese for a long time, not actively enough the last decades to be good at it, but I do know the basic grammar, hiragana and a bunch of kanji. I do get my practice there as I watch a lot of japanese media. Been meaning to pick up french again since my best friend's comic library is like two thirds french at this point and I want to borrow stuff, but time... so little time.

Before the Nanosurge did Owl have any idea about what her post-vigilante life would be like?

Nope. She lived for her work.

What about The Rangers & Villain ROs?

Like what they imagine their retirement to be? Huh. I think Daniel and Dove are the ones that have the most set ideas, but I am not going to say anything due to spoilers. This feels like in game discussions.

IIRC you mentioned that depictions of Sidestep’s pre-TBR telepathy took some inspiration from sharks ampullae of lorenzini, has there been any R&D efforts on bioware augmentations based on that?

OH yes. Hehehehe. I think that might be in Revelations, but I can't promise. This is one of those things where the length of the book will determine where it lands.

Does the farm have safe rooms? Like little bunkers in case a boost goes haywire.

Oh yes. You know that both has happened, and is expected to happen. This is especially true for the decanting/typing/testing parts of development, where there really is no way to predict what boosts can do. Those parts are both separate and heavily reinforced, with the option of evacuating to sealed bunkers in case of emergencies.

Does Mortum have gray hairs, and if so, do they feel any way about it like Ortega does?

Hmmm. I don't think so yet. I'd like to think they'd see that as distinguished.

What kind of employer is Mortum to the people they hire?

Professional. Friendly. A bit of a workaholic who expects the same with no patience for fools. Pays well, but the job security is not the best.

How did they advertise for the assistant positions?

No advertisements. They only pick people based on recommendations or personal connections. Mortum still got contacts in the science world which comes in handy.

Did any of their assistants know of the doctor's reputation as an ex-villain before they were hired?

Yes. Mortum makes that clear on first approach.

Probably not going to get answered but does Ortega still outs you to the other Rangers on the Step car crash stuck in puppet path if you have high suspicion?

You're in the puppet, you have no idea ;)

how does the farm keep track of regenes that have the ability to stay discrete (like shapeshifting or camoflauge)? do they have any special measures in place to keep them from running away?

Implanted trackers. To be fair, this is true for every Re-Gene, but they are more extensive and secure with the ones who has the greatest chance of escaping. There will be backups to the trackers there, so even if the Re-Gene could intuit and find one or two to cut out, there might be other passive ones that needs activation to be easy to scan for. In many cases things like implanted explosives might be used, or deposited poison capsules that dissolves after a set time (kill or incapacitate) if they don't return as planned.

you said before that if steel wasn't able to make the airstrike call during heartbreak ortega would not have done it, would heartbreak still have been stopped without that airstrike call?

Not without a LOT more casualties.

we know what ortega would ask sidestep if they had a guaranteed honest answer, what about the other ros?

That is too variable. Sidestep has a lot of secrets, but it would depend on the relationship which one would be on the top of the list.

Do the nanovores have more varied colors in other spectrums? Like to humans they're uniformly sliver, but in shrimp vision would they be more colorful?

I have always imagined that there are subtle color variants depending on the strain, so that makes sense. If compared side by side, Argent's might be more silver, while Sidestep's one would be more muted gunmetal gray.

If/when Argent successfully uses the regenerator, will she have any interest in getting drunk since she won't have to worry about her nanovores?

I think she would be curious, but also she's seen Ortega so she would be cautious.

Are the Wolfpack specific to Los Diablos as the hotspot for villains, or do they operate in other areas along the west coast?

I've seen them based in different cities. Sort of part organization, part henchman union.

Since you said the Wolfpack is a large organisation with chapters, how catastrophic was the warehouse heist for the Wolfpack? Was it only Pelayo and Ward's team which disbanded after the events at the warehouse, or the entirety of the Los Diablos chapter?

I saw it as their chapter sort of. Not the whole Los Diablos one, there is probably a handful of them there. But they are each rather independent, think of it a bit like McDonald's franchises. You have the logo, the menu and the contracts, but every site is run by a different boss with different staff, having central backup mostly in the case of logistical/bureaucratic support.

How long has the Wolfpack organisation existed?

Probably since the turn of the century, but they've grown much in the last decade.

How did Sentinel take the news of Hood's death? Did he ever talk about it with Ortega or did they avoid the subject?

Oh Sentinel took it badly. Hood was his closest friend. He didn't talk to Ortega about it, I think there was some unearned blame being thrown because Sentinel suspected Ortega might be one of the reasons it happened.

Has Sentinel ever sought revenge/justice for Hood's murder the way Ortega has?

Good question.

If given the opportunity would he take it?

Sentinel? Does he really seem like the vindictive type?

Which of your characters do you think would be most confused by a boost whose sole power was to turn people into cheese? Who'd be most likely to take in stride? Do you think there'd be any interesting reactions to such a power?

Okay. Look. The one that would be the most confused would be me, personally. Like... what a question. I am impressed. Genuinely. Cheese? Like... cheese? Would it be cannibalism if you ate it? Is the cheese sentient? Reversible? Digestible by the lactose intolerant? I don't even know where to begin with this, which I suppose is a sign that I am channeling Dr. Mortum now so there is your answer. Sky-Raider would take it in stride. He's seen weirder.

Are Re-genes taught Asimov's laws or a modified version of them?

No. Most use-cases for Re-Genes specifically includes harming humans.

How many civilians do the Catastrofiend, Psychopathor, and other similar big time villains with little regard for human life tend to kill with their actions?

I really have no number. I would say that Psychopathor probably has a higher kill-count since he often uses explosives/guns. The Catastrofiend is more personal and up-close, and more focused on prey that matters rather than mass casualties. Any time you mention a number on these things the reaction is either that few, or that many

How many more characters with a relationship bar do you think will be in the series or is that still in flux? Kind of surprised that Armadillo got his own, thought his opinion would just be tied to Vera.

I genuinely have no idea! I just felt that Amadillo was important enough as the first Re-Gene you have the option of interacting with. They are sort of the placeholder for Sidestep interacting with that part of their past.

What are some of the (non spoiler) things you have already put on the cutting room floor for book 3?

Nothing permanent yet. But 99% one optional beginning paths including Ortega and Mortum that was in the og book. It leads to such a divergent state I am not sure I can pull it off. BUT for a long time in Revelations I had decided that I could not let the player get stuck in the puppet body, and I changed my mind about that so I won't rule anything out.

What are the themes that you are most excited to explore in book 3?

Secrets revealed! And how that will change/reinforce Sidestep's opinions on the world and the people, and how the people around them might change and be affected. Another theme is duty/responsibility/how far you are willing to go for what you think is right. We might get ideological splits even if we don't get emotional ones. A third one we will dive into as well is reality, memory, and what a person is. Identity!

Will not dealing with Deveraux harm the Anarchist plan much or is it mainly lost politics points like with Carter?

It is a tag, depending on what happens, and tags are placed to be used.

Since the Boost drug messes up DNA, and presumably the molecules produced during cellular expression, does that mean there's lots of new tasty prion diseases emerging in the Boosted community?(this is tangentially a burger question)

Get a chance to examine the Catastrofiend and you might get some answers. But yes, there are a lot of new diseases bubbling under the surface in the boosted community, but since they are also more durable in general (to even have survived) so the biggest issue would be things jumping into the general boosting population. Looking into the transplantations of boosted organs might be interesting...

Since psi-sensitivity is innate, is it like a scaling situation? Like, would you say most people are some level of psi-sensitive just by the fact that they're receptive to telepathic powers? Are there folks who are innately psi-non-sensitive? More than just in the way of epileptics blocking out the signal, as it were. Could someone be essentially a dead zone for a telepath?

I would say it is a sliding scale, yes. You have things correct there, there will be some theories about that discussed in game so I won't have it here. But you are correct in the things you are saying.

When did Vernon move to the FWT and start at the Confidential?

I would say at the end of the nineties, let's say -97.

What motivated his move to the west coast?

Freedom. Innovation. Excitement. The east coast was not a place for him.

How old is the Confidential?

Since 1996. It was a fusion of several local 'zines, stepping up to provide more coverage with the growing organization of Los Diablos and the politics there.

How old is Vernon?

He was born 1977 I think.

Where was Vernon born?

Somewhere in South Carolina.

Did Mia write the Confidential article about Sidestep at the gala that they read at the end of Rebirth?

I always assumed that. But Sidestep checked a lot of news sources.

Is she also responsible for all versions of the article on the Chapter 13 bridge fight, including the Argentstep helmet kiss?

Yeah, I would imagine so.

Where was Mia born? Is she a west coast native, or did she move there at some point?

She is a west coast native, born in Los Diablos. We'll get into her background eventually.

How many articles does Mia tend to average per month?

I have NO idea. She writes a lot, many smaller news stories, but also longer, more in-depth and personal pieces for magazines. She's working on a book.

Which imposter would run away from Shroud the fastest?

The interesting question would be who would run towards her...

What will matter more when determining the imposter between scar and gate?

Scar, unless a certain level of gate is reached. The latter is more of an on/off switch.

Now that you have done a lot of work on the start of both how fast do you think the 1.1 and 1.2 paths will merge?

As early as possible, which will be as soon as you are out of the flat in 1.1. Things will first merge into two main paths, depending on whether you are stuck in the puppet or your own body, which will determine how you are dealing with the impostor. Once that is resolved, a full merger will happen.

Follow up to the above, how fast do you think the selfstuck routes (1.x and 4.x) will merge?

Also pretty fast. Some effects will stick around of course, but as soon as you are 1) out of sight of the rangers, and 2) mobile enough to move around you are on the same plot-path. The only difference will be how messed up you are physically, and what resources you can call on.

Is the "you feel like you have a gun pointed at your head, betting that the hammer will strike an empty chamber" line from Rebirth an allusion to Sidestep picking up Ace's memories from using them as their Puppet?

It was more poetic language but can certainly be taken as that.

If the catfiend were to be decapitated, would the body regenerate from the head, or would the head regenerate from the body? I'm refusing to acknowledge a potential secret third option

Oh but there is a potential third option here you see. But I will say if we assume that one of the parts is destroyed, then the Catastrofiend can regenerate from either. If both still are around... well...

Will Steel have the "talk" with us in his 1.1 path if he knows that Step knows that he knows? I have been really looking forward to seeing that.

You bet he will. Not often he has Sidestep cornered enough not to be able to run away.

I was reminded of The Hood’s existence in Marvel & it got me wondering, what would Ortega’s reaction have been if Sidestep named their villainsona some variation of Hood?

I think there probably has already been a few of those villains (or vigilantes). It is an evocative name. Ortega is not fond of it.

How many friendships did sidestep have?

Depends on the Sidestep.

How often does Mortum use their telekinesis for hands-free eating/snacking while they’re working?

Mostly works for light things, like chips and peanuts, but it is very handy for cheese doodles.

Have they levitated pizza slices into their mouth?

No.

How often do they use their telekinesis to multitask?

Not as often as they want to. It requires focus, and speed is the enemy of precision.

Do either Halabi or Ben know (or even suspect) about Mortum’s telekinesis?

Halabi suspects.

Does Ben live full-time in his base we see in the Patreon story? Is he happy with his home?

I think he does. But he's not above checking into a hotel for weeks at a time when he wants to relax, just to be pampered.

Does Chen keep a new relationship with sidestep quiet/semi-secret if he is suspicious of step, or would he just want to give the relationship time to mature and be stable before making it known to friends (blabbermouth ortega) otherwise? Or does he let his friends-other people know rather quick?

I think Chen might have prefered to keep it quiet, but the rest of the team are snoops and snitches.

What were the early days of Mortum's post boosting like?

Headaches. Nausea. Like two weeks of very bad influenza and extreme light sensitivity.

What did they think of the green eyes when they saw their reflection?

They never saw that, the light sensitivity was bad and Vitruvian was taking care of them.

How fast did their green eyes disappear after boosting?

Fast. Only took a few days.

Did Ben notice Mortum's eye colour change while he was helping them dispose of Vitruvian's body, or did Mortum make sure to hide their eyes from him?

The color had faded at that time, neither of them was aware that it had happened. In fact, Mortum might have taken this as a normal if severe bout of illness if Vitruvian hadn't confessed to everything out of the misguided notion that Mortum would be grateful now that they had survived.

What about any involuntary floating of objects?

Oh yes, that happened. Mortum thought they were extremely clumsy at first, things kept getting knocked over.

Why did you pick telekinesis as Mortum's power?

It's fun! Especially since it is a very limited version, and it did help explain how they could work with the nanovores.

Is Sky-Raider’s (respect the hyphen) name an intentional reference to the also flying pirate themed Earthdawn discipline/class called Sky Raider or just a coincidence?

I have no idea what Earthdawn is, so it is just a coincidence! It is a description of what he does pretty much.

Does Ben care if people exclude the hyphen from his name?

It annoys him when it's in the media.

Do people with innate powers (not from Stripes) have the same health and infertility issues as people who got powers by boosting like increased cancer risks and degraded DNA?

No. But so far only the base psychic powers have been established as a naturally occurring if rare ability.

What about for people who took Void blood?

So far it seems to be on the level with normal boosting.

How long did it take Argent to move to San Francisco after the Nanosurge? Was it the same year in 2011, or in 2012/2013?

I would say it was the same year, she ran away fast.

Are there any plans for scenes that take place that's not LD?

In book four, absolutely!

Did Argent and Ace ever run into each other in San Francisco?

I don't think so.

What year did Ortega's apartment get blown up? If a year's too hard to pinpoint, was it before or after Chen lost his arm?

I would say it was in 2016, so around the same time. They both think it might have been related.

What was the novel version of Hollow Ground's gender?

Male, same as the main character, just like here.

Who do you see as among the most doting/attentive of the ROs?

Probably Herald.

Actually now that I think about it, does the Farm have a handheld barcode scanner to make sure all deployed Regenes come back?

Not a barcode scanner, but absolutely scanners.

Does Jake's phasing work on the same principles as the Void's Tesseract does? Is he technically moving orthogonally in a different dimension?

A very good guess, they do work on similar principles.

Does Mortum have a private arrangement at Joes to have a specific/usual booth?

Not any more than other customers, but Mortum can "book" a table by calling in early. It is not always held for them.

How long has Mortum frequented Joes?

Probably for as long as they have been in Los Diablos.

Are there any other places Mortum meets with prospective clients?

Yes, it depends on who they are. Some are proper and needs upscale restaurants, others are more suited to empty warehouses where nobody will be spotted.

When Sidestep goes to fight the Re-Gene during the warehouse mission, you can pick the choice that says it will be a good way to get an in with the WolfPack for future use/for a big status boost within the LD underworld. In the case that they did fight the Re-Gene. Have they capitalized on that at all yet within the villain community? If not, why not, and will they in the future?

I (and Sidestep) was pondering that, but came to the realization that being open about it would be painting a target on your back that you was here. It didn't feel right to use that openly for Sidestep once I started thinking about it. Bragging that you fought the Special Directive? Not smart. Better to blame it all on Psychopathor.

For mob bosses, do Ward and Pelayo have any idea they fought alongside their boss back then? (not about getting their colleagues killed)

It hasn't come up yet, but at least in my mind this was the time when Sidestep encountered them and found them suitable.

Does Ortega taste like baseline human to the Cat fiend? Does their main character syndrome affect their blood chemistry on a detectable level? What about Chen?

They are both basic boring humans.

why is Ortega always the last to know about sidesteps re-gene identity out of all the RO's romance routes.

Because Sidestep can't read Ortega's mind.

Would the farm staff that were present during escape 2 be okay with Regina dragging Sidestep back in, despite them leaving the place in such a mess the last time they were there?

Oh they don't have a choice or a say in it.

What was Argent's mindscape like pre-Nanosurge?

I have no idea! Might have been a bit early computer game inspired.

Is this still the case? (that Herald thought that the nanovore cage might've been a bomb or a listening device or something that Argent had been taken over to plant in their HQ)

Spoilers.

is one of the consciousness' in Sidesteps head HG's little sibling? is that why connecting to HG's memory of them close a gate?

Not really.

What does Arde think of isopods and beetles, since their armored form is bug-like?

They are neat!

In the instance where you get the puppetcrash puppetstuck path and tell Ortega that HG is threatening Sidestep or that they're being brainwashed by and/or afraid of Sidestep's villain identity, does Ortega still end up arresting the Puppet?

I am still on the fence about that, I have some alternatives, need to see how it goes. It will have a separate start, I can tell you that! So far depending on choices it can go two ways, just want to make sure it doesn't go entirely off the rails.

And thus, does path 3.2 (stuck in the hospital, innocent or protected) actually exist, and if so, is it at all distinct from 3.3 (stuck in hospital/arrested)?

It is distinct, but might fuse soonish.

What was the conversation between Mortum and Sky-Raider like when they asked him to rescue the Puppet from hospital?

I think Sky-Raider was surprised that Mortum was so worried. That was when a few things clicked for him, especially in the romanced routes.

What was Ben thinking if Mortum came to him with this after a puppet reveal?

Ben wouldn't know that yet.

What was Hood's office space at the old HQ like?

Cluttered but comfortable. A lot of sentimental memorabilia, I think Hood liked to keep things that meant a lot to him.

What were Anathema, Sunstream and Sentinel's like, if they had them?

Anathema's was open and bright, but not with that much stuff. Sunstream's was cozy and serene, she had lots of plants. Sentinel's looked normal at a first glance, but not many things that weren't in closed cabinets (wind issues when annoyed).

Excluding potential Sidestep rivalries would either Dove, Sky-Raider, or both of them be in the running for the “Best thief in LD” title? And how do they feel about the answer?

Oh there is a friendly rivalry there (and sometimes not so friendly). Dove would be the best thief, as she would argue that Sky-Raider just robs people. No finesse.

Is there any sort of competition/rivalry between Vera & Ben since they’re both in similar niches?

Oh yes.

Does Armadillo know how to play Rock, Paper, Scissors?

Yes.

In a Q&A you said Nehal’s last crew had an unfortunate encounter with the law, is there any more detail on that or is it just normal criminal background stuff?

Just normal criminal background stuff, I have no details.

And in another you said the situation in Pelayo & Ward's situationship comes from Pelayo, what's his issue?

You don't get involved in the workplace, that never works out well (the fact that he might be worried about Ward not being the hot babe he likes to be seen with might also factor in not that he would admit to that).

Did Oryx have some sort of boost/mod like super balance to help fight in hoof heels or was she just good (?) like that?

Yes, she was very fast and agile, no balance issues at all.

If Sidestep says they’ll get their Villainsona to retrieve the gun & succeeds does Mortum have any particular opinions on the various ways the retrieval can turns out (quiet, insane collateral damage, just buying it, etc.)?

No. Though the insane collateral damage will get a raised eyebrow.

If Ortega got into a bar fight, which of the Rangers past and present would join the fight and which would try to deescalate?

Picking the ones I immediately know: Join: Sentinel, Chen. De-escalate: Anathema, Herald. Cheer on and escalate but not fight herself: Argent.

Do telepathy and body hopping work similarly? For example, telepathy can interact with humans, animals, and some machinery. Does body hopping follow that same path or is it a completely different mechanic?

It seems likely they are related in many ways, but there also seems to be other things involved.

You mentioned that if Ortega had seen sidesteps face before they got attached, they would see Sidestep as just a useful tool. Ortega later tracks down the puppet to use them for information, presumably also about Hollow Ground, but gets attached despite it. Do you think that Ortega would’ve eventually found themselves genuinely caring about Sidestep in the prior circumstance, or is it that Ortega feels worse about their “flirt with people for information” schtick as they’ve gotten older?

Oh Ortega would have found himself genuinely caring eventually. They are a softie if it's about people they get along with.

My brain won't let this go, so I'm forced to ask. Could Sidestep bodyhop to the catfiend?

Yes. Is it advisable? No. Would I like to write it? HELL YEAH. Will I? Not sure the option will be available.

Will the regenerator need Sidestep to um. pre-flay the tattooed skin off before using it?

Pretty much yes.

Will we have to worry about a [the fly: 1986] like situation happening with the regenerator. will argent?

No. And.... yes. Maybe.

What kind of seizures does Sidestep have? Absence, motor (myoclonic, tonic clonic etc) or a mix?

Mostly absence, but it varies a bit on the Sidestep.

Where does Mortum keep their academic certificates?

They have a proper office somewhere for certain clients who are impressed by such things. Yes, some clients will know their real name. That might even be the reason Mortum was sought out. Depending, the real certificates might be replaced with replicas with other names, see below.

Did they need to get them changed to be under their chosen name?

No. But they have fake new ones for show with people who won't track down the truth.

Is there anyone Ortega wanted to punch for saying things about Sidestep after Heartbreak but didn't? Would they still like to punch 'em?

Oh many I think. The feeling has faded now.

We know he’s from the Midwest but where exactly is Ben from?

I haven't decided, but I always saw him as coming from Minnesota due to the scandinavian heritage.

Does Vera have any particular destination(s) outside of LD that she wants to visit?

Hawaii!

I just learned this term, but is it just a coincidence that the personality stat bars in FHR are blue and orange vs the term "blue orange morality"?

I have never heard that term before, they are just cool complimentary colors that I like! Based on Sidesteps OG suit, and the orange tattoos.

Would the Boost Drug do anything if mixed into a blood bag separate from a human body? What happens if I then inject the resulting mixture back into a human?

There have been many experiments with various delivery methods as a way of diluting/making the drug more safe. It would not do anything visible to the blood, but it would damage the cells. So injecting it wouldn't be nice.

Does location of Boost Drug introduction affect the results appreciably? LIke if I inject someone in the foot, are they more likely to get speed/kicking based powers?

No.

Do you have the imposter stats set in stone for both the puppet and Step's body?

No. It won't be set in stone until release. I do have the puppet body version pretty stable though, what is in step's body I am weighting options with.

Sidestep has a pretty strong reaction when Ortega reveals they know who Step's genes come from. Is that something regenes tend to think about? Would they want to know more if given the same opportunity Sidestep has?

I'm not sure exactly what you are asking here. Ortega doesn't know where Sidesteps genes came from (though they might theorize it was HG's sibling). In general, most Re-Genes doesn't think about it.

Are there any other neurological conditions that give resistance to or immunity from telepathy?

Yes, there are a few. Not gonna tell you which, but some things will be revealed in game.

Damn this thought hit me like 3 weeks too late. Are there any Santa truthers in the cast who think the jolly man is a Boost and/or has a herd of Boosted reindeer?

Nope.

Actually what about the other common folkloric characters? Easter bunny? Tooth fairy? Etc

Nope.

Would Mortum's gun be able to hit Jake if he was intangible?

OOOOHHHH. Huh. Interesting. I would say yes.

Why is telekinesis not considered a psychic ability in FH despite it being so in other settings/cases? Is it to do with the manipulation of matter, vs psychic things being purely mental/esoteric?

I don't really worry what other settings do? For me it is not a psychic ability because it is focused affecting matter, not the mind. Otherwise you could see magnetic manipulation, fire generation and a lot of other things also be psychic powers.

Can dampeners affect telekinesis?

No.

Are there any non-regenes that have been forced into wearing regene tattoos?

No.

Has anyone ever tried coating a bladed weapon with the Boost drug and just started stabbing people?

You know what? I bet they have.

You said Chen enjoys Animal Planet and has watched them all; do you think he would enjoy How It's Made? (Shows you how mundane things are made. Jaw breakers, garage doors, surf boards. If you can think it they likely have it)

OH YES. That is so soothing.

Would a corpus callosotomy or similarly aggressive anti-epilepsy surgery remove an epileptic's telepathic resistance? and has there been any talk on how telepathy would work on a split brain (disconnected hemispheres)? i wonder if it would resist telepathy by forcing managing two "separate" minds in tandem, or conversely if it might be a major vulnerability because you can be completely puppeted on the non verbal hemisphere without really being able to notice or point it out even after the fact

Ehehehe. Yes it would remove the telepathic resistance. Telepathy on a split brain is FASCINATING and there has been research done. If Ljungstrand ever talks to me again maybe you'll know.

Why did vera's dad get into pigeon husbandry? Would she ever introduce sidestep to him?

I think his uncle was doing it. Pigeons are cool! And yes, she would!

Where is vera's mom at? What's her relationship with vera?

She's still married to Vera's dad, they have a nice relationship, Vera just tends to idolize her dad a bit more.

How much does Vera's family know about her powers?

Everything.

How close is Ben with his mom? Do vera and ben have any favorite drinks/spirits?

Not really that close. There is much of his life that you don't really talk with family about.

Do you have a particular whiskey brand in mind which Ace/the Puppet prefers?

Nope. I might like rum and tequila, but I have never been fond of whiskey.

Was the whiskey that Ben offered Mortum in Lovers Triptych the same brand that the Puppet likes, thus cause for Mortum's grimace?

Not sure if the brand was the same, but it was definitely the cause for the grimace.

Do you have any current plans for dates/interactions with the ro's taking place at Step's apartment or villain base?

Yes!!!

I think I've asked before about how long has to past for Boostings to be considered distinct, but what about locations? If I say simultaneously administer the Boost drug through intravenous injection, intramuscular injection, orally and as eye droplets would that be considered 1 big Boost or 4 small Boosts?

Oooh hmmm. It would be considered four smaller boosts I think, the absorbance rate might be different enough.

Considering the real world CIA’s track record has The Farm ever toyed with the occult or strange (even for the setting) “science”? Things like trances, astral projection, magic, etc.

OH yes. We will get into the more occult parts of the setting in the future, as you can see from Bennet's POV not everyone is as much a cynical down to earth skeptic as Sidestep.

What would the ROs say is their favorite thing about themselves?

I don't know how to answer that. I don't even know how to say something like that about myself, the same goes for my characters.

Have any academic institutions rescinded the degrees of villain alumni?

Oh yes.

Will we ever be able to see something fully through Heartbreak’s PoV (either in-game or as a Patreon story)?

I am torn. SO far I am going to keep the secrecy, but one day I might wake up and just KNOW so who knows?

Why does high puppet individuality (over 60) increase the PCV value during the crash select sequence, and vice versa for under 30?

Vibes. To be more detailed, I saw it as "getting along" more with the puppet body in the first case, and a rejection of it as "nothing but a tool" in the latter case. Which would have certain effects.

Do the laser dolphins ever venture out of the LD coastline?

Oh yes, they have quite a big territory.

Have they ever met Dread Reactor?

No, they stay clear of that thing.

Have Tina or Ted met it?

Hmmm. I would say seen at least, it's hard to "meet" something like that.

What would Dread Reactor think of AM from I Have No Mouth & Must Scream? (Are they capable of reading a book?)

They are not capable of reading a book.

Put yourself in the shoes of a bar reviewer, on a scale of 1 - 5 how would you rate Hoots & Joes (no apostrophe)?

Hoots 3, Joes 2.

What was the thought process ( for you) for coming up with Armadillo's powers?

I needed something that could help Dove get Sidestep out, but not as simple as flight and teleport. Also I was always fond of the classic Hulk-jump. But then I also needed a way for Sidestep not to be autosmashed by that. And a way for Arde to work as a classic villain/henchman (no tattoos on the armor). It's basically a four-armed strongman (because I wanted a proper fighty Re-Gene) with all the weird traits I needed for the first encounter glued on build-a-bear style.

What would the villains (Mortum, Dove and Sky-Raider) consider the most embarrassing event of their careers?

I won't tell you that! I need to have someone make fun of them in game to come up with that.

Would Mortum improving how much they can physically lift with weight training improve the upper limit of what they can move telekinetically?

No.

Does the boost drug have any effect on recently deceased or well preserved corpses?

Ehehehe. Good question.

Unrelated question: Is Lenin's body still in his mausoleum in the Fh world?

Yes. Yes it is.

Are Mia and Vernon sorta nods to/expys of DC characters Lois Lane and Perry White respectively?

Mia definitely to Lois Lane/Jimmy Olsen. Vernon is a nod to a character from an unpublished comic my partner wrote (the one this story started as fan-writing for).

If Step is staying with their RO post crash and they got clawed up by the regene in Rebirth, is that an injury the RO would clock as impossible for Step to have patched up themselves? Would they ask about it or keep it to themselves? (Was specifically thinking the Ortega bath scene but I imagine Daniel and Chen would have had to help Step change, sponge bathe, ect also)

Oh there are SO MANY scars on Sidestep that could give rise to those discussions, the claws won't stand out.

Is it possible for sidestep to puppet Ortega since it's a different boost entirely than telepathy or is it still too similar, and with Ortega's epilepsy would it not work?

So far Sidestep can't.

Will there be opportunities for Ben & Vera to hate Sidestep’s guts or was that a 1st come, 1st serve type of deal?

There is ample opportunity for anyone in the cast to hate Sidestep's guts eventually.

You've previously said that Mirlene is (marginally) more butch than Julia. Did you mean by self-description or how people perceive them?

By self-description.

How does that interact with Mirlene being a trans woman? Does it ever make her dysphoric or does it bring her euphoria?

I think it is part of her way of dealing with her dysphoria. To accept that she can be herself, that she is a woman even if she isn't 100% the perfect feminine doll. She could be a woman and still be a scientist who didn't always bother putting on makeup and occasionally rocked a suit. On bad days it hits wrong though, so she does vary. She tends to go more femme when she's going to interact with a crowd, as can be seen in the museum and auction scenes.

what would happen to the threads if chen (still unthreaded) had confirmation that he was telepathically manipulated into believing hollowground was a myth?

I guess you will see!

Does Mortum ever reflect on how useful their powers are when working with adhesives? (Yes I was gluing miniatures together. Yes it got messy! :OOOOOOOOO: )

OH YES. Same goes for things that stain or are poisonous to the touch.

why does steel have such a negative response to sidestep complaining about losing their eye vs. anything else that they say after a guilty crash reveal where argent blinds them? (-30% vs -20% & -10% steel friendship losses) does he believe that argent was justified to take that level of retribution against sidestep?

Reflexively defending a teammate. He needed to pick a side. Also he is one of the people most touchy about telepathic manipulation. Don't think Argent is off the hook though.

How willing is ortega going to be to let sidestep out of their sight if they know sidestep is suicidal, and how are they planning to keep an eye on them? does ortega disclose that information to someone if they feel like that person is close enough to sidestep and may be able to help, or do they keep it to themself out of respect for sidestep's privacy?

Spoilers. You will have to find that out in game.

Is ortega aware that they have it if sidestep finds their recorder at the crash site? since sentinel's watching, does he tell ortega or do they find out by reviewing footage or some other means? does the recorder contain a tracker?

We will get into that variable later, just like the regenerator stuff this is put on hold until I have the basic structure done, then I can patch things back in.

Why did the Nanovores have a telepathic interface that Sidestep could connect to if they're robots? Why not use a remote or something?

Oh there is a very good reason for that, which we will learn in game.

Will we be able to pull a "oh, you didn't know?" About Ben being back in town to Chen ?

Ahahaha yeeeeah. That would be funny.

Is Mortum a fan of mecha?

Yes. I am sad I had to remove the giant robot that was in the OG book, it just didn't fit. Maybe book four.

Did you read 'The club dumas' ?

I have no idea what that is, so no. But looking it up, it looks like exactly the book I'd like to read, so maybe I should get it!

Why it wasn’t possible to avoid the accident at the end of Retibution? (with stats or plot choices)

Because I wanted it in game! I wanted the crash, because it would lead to the imposter. And to do it otherwise felt... meh. Like I was forcing someone into a path anyway. Better for the drama and the story to have it happen to everyone.

Why not give Sidestep the chance to “come out” as villain in their own terms in the emotional conversations you have with the ROs?

You will have that opportunity eventually. But I have a pace for the story, and part of that is Sidestep's nervousness and paranoia. It's like one of those horror stories, you know? Why won't they just leave the spooky house right away? Because then there wouldn't be a story.

are hench agency resumes couched in plausible deniability by referencing “security work” or does it outright say “domestic terrorist 2012-2014"

Security work!

The differences between old & new heroes have been mentioned before but what about villains? What if anything, would someone like Sentinel say differentiates the villains of his era from modern ones?

Not as much as you'd think. Dressed up a bit nicer and less flashy.

Whatever happened to the guy that gave Sentinel the boost drug?

I have no idea.

How many times has Lord Ember attempted to assassinate Ortega?

Enough times that he won't admit to it, because it would be embarrasing.

Why does shooting HB, then continuing to shoot and putting the gun to step's mouth, trigger the hb gun variable but not suitag? Is this a coding discrepancy or is there an in-game reason that it's not triggered through this path?

Huh. I need to look at that closer and check my notes. It might be a coding error but I can't be sure.

If the girls are able to pilot the suit on their own, could sidestep arrange a situation where their civilian identity and the 'villain' are seen in the room together by a ranger or something, in order to decrease suspicion?

Oh yes.

What kinds of costumes does Mortum come up with for Halloween? Do they go for the stereotypical mad scientist or switch it up?

I see Mortum like Heidi Klum. Variation and ambition in the costumes!

Would they ever allow themselves to be upstaged at their parties costume wise or do they Have to have the best costume of everyone present?

Oh Mortum aims for the coolest costume. This is bragging rights we are talking about. If they are upstaged they will be impressed and plot revenge for next year.

What's the most effort Mortum has put into making their own halloween costume? Was it worth it?

Enough effort that certain projects got delayed. It was absolutely worth it.

How much French does Ortega know?

Not much at all.

In theory, could Sidestep/the Puppet and Mortum talk in French in front of Ortega without them knowing what they're talking about?

Yes. Absolutely.

Were Pyroclast & Zephyr always this intense or is it a byproduct of being heroes for a long time?

They were always the intense types.

Would Vera be offended if sidestep offered her millet seeds in (or out of) pigeon form and attempted to negotiate a bagel tax for every time we hire her.

She would be offended and call Sidestep a cheapscate and double her fee.

Why did you decide on February/around Valentines Day for both the Heartbreak incident and the Mammoth Lake eruption?

The Heartbreak one was because of Valentine's day/the press would pick that name. The Mammoth Lake is just a coincidence, I said three months later, and that happened to be around that time. I might as well have said four months or five months.

How many days did it take for Heartbreak to reach Los Diablos?

I don't know. Weeks.

How many days was it between their powers first being noticed to when the Rangers were finally called in?

I don't know. But the Rangers were called in right at the end, it took a long time for Heartbreak to be pinpointed, the effect was subtle at first but escalated exponentially.

Have Argent or Daniel ever been to Elena's ranch? (prior to breaking Step out of the hospital)

Yes.

How dangerous would it be for Chen to take numbers, given the damage to his digestive tract?

Probably still okay. His liver works.