Spoilers QnA March

You said that when it came to Chen’s/Blaze’s relationship, Chen got the feeling that Blaze was more interested in Julia. Was his instincts wrong? Because you mentioned several times that Blaze hated Ortega.

Ortega has that effect on people. You can hate them AND be interested in them, I am sure many Sidesteps out there would agree. In essence, Chen was not wrong, and at heart of it is that Blaze felt less threatened by Julia than by Ricardo, because she is a woman. Blaze is very much bisexual.

How did HG and Nocturne react when they learned that Jake wanted to sleep with them/date them? Was their poly relationship something they negotiated on beforehand, or was it something that just developed? 

Well, the emotional seeds sort of happened bit by bit. But, it was negotiated before anything actually happened. Nocturne always talks before she acts. She and Jake had a thing first, with HG's knowledge and blessing, before HG was brought into it.

Does Shroud eat normal food? If so, what's her favourite? 

She does, a lot. However, except when she's "full" she can't really taste much, so it gets harder and harder to force herself to eat as she withers. She likes seafood.

Is Shroud able to activate her power at will or is it always "on" like King Midas' golden touch? What happened to her handler when she first discovered her powers? 

It is always on, but it was not always as strong as it is now. It just used to be a flicker of memories and a moment of weakness. Then they were catalyzed into growing (much like what happened with Sidestep). And well, you can imagine what happened to her handler.

At La Cantina, did Mortum notice the gun was already "full" when they decided to shoot Sidestep? It doesn't seem like something the inventor would miss if Sidestep was able to notice it in the alternate scene with Argent. If Mortum knew, why did they still pull the trigger knowing it wouldn't work to remove Sidestep?

Mortum did notice, but let's be fair to the good doctor, it was a rather stressful experience. They weren't thinking clearly, it was all emotions, anger and desperation. 

Sidestep mentions they don't think medical advancements have come that far yet (to impregnate someone), but just how advanced is gender-affirming surgery considering non-trans Sidesteps can't tell even in bed? 

Even in our world, gender affirming surgery has gone very far as long as you have the money and time to put into it. At least for women. Regardless of what myths float around in certain parts of the internet, most people have a hard time telling. This is of course doesn't helped by having men play trans women roles in movies, which reinforces the stereotype. The biggest obstacles for men is a functioning male sexual organ. In the FH world, medical tech and mods have progressed a lot further, and that is something that can be achieved.

The way I see it, the moment a surgical technique is invented, it will be used to improve people's looks and sex-life because people are willing to pay for it. And, with the amount of money that can be made even from cis men with issues (just consider viagra), it makes sense that it would be a priority. And, once the groundwork is there, it can be adapted. 

When Ortega says they "poked the wrong bear" does that have to do with the Immovable Bear from Portland? 

Nope, it's just an expression.

What does Nocturne think of HG’s powers? How does she feel about the lies she and HG are keeping from Jake and her part in it? How worried is she about the consequences that might happen with telling the truth?

This is her biggest concern. She doesn't feel good about it, but she also is afraid of the fallout, and thus hasn't pressed the issue. She keeps bringing it up, though, but it's always risky to rock the boat.

Where does HG prefer to keep their family photos? Do they prefer photo albums or more visible places (walls, shelves, fridge door etc)?

Both. Not the fridge though. Frames are nice.

Did Deadeye’s demotion affect her opinion on Hollow Ground in any way or her relationship with them?

Yes, that's only natural.

How did it affect HG that they were unable to stop/affect the arrest despite being more powerful than before? 

Badly. Drove home the point that they needed to cast a bigger net, and try to be ready for anything.

If they have such a flaw, what would be HG trio's biggest flaw/trait that hinders their capacity for change/growth?

HG: Overconfidence.

Nocturne: Overcautious.

Jake: Thinking inside the box.

What would a "perfect day" look like for each of the HG trio? 

HG: Lazing around the pool with the people they care about.

Nocturne: Same as HG actually. 

Jake: Being able to go back home and surprise his parents and other relatives.

If Sidestep kicked Hollow Ground then ran amuck killing some of their men, how bad did this incident look for them? How big of a disruption was this given that the people in the club were lieutenants and the like?

Hehehe it certainly didn't look good. Not gonna give details, but there will be implications of this in book three.

Sidestep thinks it would be war if they were to ignore Hollow Ground's invite. Under the circumstances were Sidestep has proven themselves a badass, how eagerly would Hollow Ground pursue each profession if at all? Afterall Hero Hunters can probably go the whole game without stepping on any toes.

Some of this can be seen in the code for the game, HG_reputation and dialog differs depending on what your profession and reputation is. Not going to say anything more.

The fighter path mentions The Rangers having toys for special occasions. What are some if them? Is it going to be possible to play with them in the present?

We'll see, I haven't decided yet.

Will we ever get to have the option(s) to specify *why* we hate Ortega? Similar to Step hating them for some days for bearing a resemblance to the Farm’s ‘staff,’ but instead of their unreadable mind, it’s their personality? Their actions? Can this be possible with the other Rangers?

I think so, I like having these kinds of discussions.

Who’s power is stronger Shroud or Sidestep or are they about equal at the moment with one being able to improve?

NOT gonna tell you that ;). Keep being nervous.

Has Step ever done missions in other states while they were still working for the Farm? Or was it only restricted to Nevada and/or its immediate surrounding states?

Many times. Has been to the east coast as well, in New York and Boston.

Argent was planning to kill Step if she hadn’t found out that they were a Re-Gene, despite not being that bad of a villain. (E.g. No civilian kill) Is her kill list standards really that low?

Let's put it this way. 1) She likes to threaten, but whether she'd actually do it is another thing entirely. She likes being seen as dangerous and impulsive. And 2) she's not the only one who has input on that choice, and certain other... passengers might have their own fears of what Sidestep can do to them. 

Would Argent be able to recognise modded villains who she's tangled with before, outside of their armour/signature villain look by her technopathy recognizing the mods?

Depends on how specific and extensive. Just like recognizing someone's car. If it's a prototype, it's a good way of identifying them, if it's a standard model sold in the thousands, it's less significant. Also, it can be hard to focus on details in a fight, she is busy with other things. She needs peace and quiet for her technopathy, in stressful situations she's busy with her passengers.

Alpha spoilers: on a guilty end, how did breaking the news to Herald that Sidestep was the villain go?  Who took responsibility for breaking it to him?

Not good. Chen did it, and he's not the best with words.

Alpha spoils: in one of the endings, chen can reference an incident argent was involved in that happened in san fransisco, and ashfall/pyroclast was a witness to.  Could we have some details about what happened?

Nope, that might come up in the future. Both Ashfall and San Francisco will have a bigger part to play.

Had Ortega ever seen even a glimpse of Sidestep’s tattoos? Even if they weren’t aware or registering what they were? Like during the Psychopathor incident or at Elena’s

Sidestep doesn't think so.

The person who realised the extent of Sidestep's telepathy back during their first farm days, are they still around? Are they step's handler. (mild alpha spoiler) Are they the him Sidestep refers to?

You might be on to something there...

Can you elaborate a bit on the surveillance mods someone like.. say… Ortega… could upgrade themself with? Is it just enhanced hearing, or recording possibilities as well? If it is enhanced hearing, how far does the hearing extend?

There is a great variety of spy-mods out there. Both increased acoustic range, pinpoint microphones, recording abilities, lense/eye replacements, and many other things. What Ortega has I am not telling ;).

Maybe alpha spoils? Was the Farm aware of Step developing talodine resistance?

No.

Could Sidestep devise a way to leave a "protection" against Hollow Ground's threading in some of their allies' mind? A sword of damocles type of deal, but defensive instead of aggressive? And would that require more force or subterfuge? 

An interesting idea, which would rely more on subterfuge, but force to make it last longer.

Alpha spoilers: when step was in the hospital after the car crash and had emergency surgery, what was that surgery for?

Mainly to repair the compound fractured legs.

Also during surgery, was step’s telepathy still active or were there precautions taken by the staff? Who told them step was a telepath in that case?

Sidestep was deeply unconscious. No sign of any telepathy was noted.

Alpha spoils? Also tw sui in the blaze fight, when step goes out the window with him and he says 'i got it' and fires the grappling hook, was that the rat king he was talking to? Were they guiding him?

Yes, that was the Rat King Blaze was talking to. They were most insistent.

And just one more (alpha spoilers) did Ortega pass on the same story to the rest of the Rangers that Step told them, or did they make up a different one, given their assumptions regarding Step being related to HG and how that might factor into why Step actually disappeared?

Ortega's story was adjusted, making sure to keep the secrets they thought Sidestep was hiding.

Question for Argent, if this hasn't been answered already (lore post/alpha spoilers): you mentioned she doesn't like changing her facial features. Is she afraid that she won't change back right if she does? And related, do the nanovores know what to change back into, or is it a conscious effort to remember her shape?

This is something we will get into in the future, but in short, your speculations are not wrong. Remember, she doesn't even know what she would look like as a grown woman, her memories of her face are from a teenager. She's worked hard on getting a suitable hero face.

What are Argent's bad days like? Is she at higher risk of losing cohesion or is it mostly just bad pain/hard to function?

Both, they go together.

Why and how does HG's telepathy work despite the dampeners?

Physical contact, nervous system to nervous system.

Will herald ever get to have the conversation he wants to have with Norma? 

In some paths, yes.

Alpha spoilers: If given a chance, would Shroud like to take over Lord Ember's position as the new kingpin?

No.

Mortum lore spoilers: Does Mortum suspect their mind has been telepathically influenced?

Yes.

Can argent "talk" to ortega's generator?  Would she be able to get to the bottom of issues with it? 

We'll see.

How did Argent look before the nanosurge, could you give us a physical description of her pre-silverness?

No, that is spoilers ;)

Alpha spoils, in the Rat King epilogue, they say understanding but not understood.  I'm assuming Argent is in charge of them. Is the Rat King having trouble understanding Argent or are they having trouble understanding her?  What do they "sound like" to each other?

They have trouble understanding her. And she can't really talk directly to them. In a weird way, Argent's sharks are a very basic form of translator here. It's like trying to talk underwater, in dim light. Big gestures, no details.

Has Hollow Ground ever put their grubby hands on one of our hench(wo)men, mob boss crew included?

Good question, but they are probably not important enough.

Are revealed Steps going to be able to meet tia Elena

Yeah.

In Rebirth, Argent tells Ortega that she finds Step creepy. What is it about Step that unnerves her? Are the nanovores influencing how she feels about them?

The nanovores gives her their bad vibes.

On the bridge, a tech thief mentions that they were "approached by a prospective buyer", was this the Handyman setting  up the ambush? Or a coincidence?

Not the Handyman in person, but definitely his handiwork.

Alpha spoilers: There Will be other occasions in Revelations to up the Rangers "doubt" even in the guilty path? 

Oh yes.

In the puppet-crash route (innocent and guilty), there will be a possibility for Step and the others Rangers to know of the existence of Step's autopsy photos?

Oh yes.

Now we know what Daniel and Chen thought after the confessions of virginity or abuse suffered by Step in ch 18, but what about Ortega?

Ortega's mind is unreadable, you have to go by their reactions, it's the closest you'll know for now.

What would happen if somebody interrupted Shroud "eating" somebody?

You might find out, but it won't be good for either party.

If Shroud had been able to actually "eat" Argent, would she of used any of the information gained? What would have been the most important thing she would have learned? 

Hehe not telling you Argent's secrets.

Was argent upfront about her technopathy to chen and ortega? Or did something happen to make her admit it to one or both of them (some deets if yes, please?) Do they have an idea of the full scope of her power or has she kept those cards close to her chest? 

Nope. Nothing. Ortega has got to know some small bits once she started to trust them. But not the full scope.

Alpha Spoilers and tw sui? Did Ortega see Anathema die or only Step thinks to have seen how they died? In Chen's memories he thinks that they are still alive even after Step's fall but did he not see them die or was just wishful thinking? If Ortega and Chen did not see it, what do they think/what did they tell them, was Themmy's cause of death? 

What exactly what seen and not during Heartbreak will be something I get into in game. Sidestep's memories are not exactly clear. Sidestep thinks they were the only one that saw what happened. Did they tell Chen and Ortega? They must have. There would have been questions. A hole in the staircase where the acid had eaten away and the body fallen down. Something to be dealt with later. Right? Does that make sense? It must. 

Who's paying for step's medical bill in mc crash ending? I doubt they'd be generous enough to let the Rangers pay for whoever they felt like and end with them footing the bill, so I guess it's fair to ask if Ortega was up waiting for sidestep rather than being kept overnight like the puppetcrash ending because it sidestep is receiving care under Ortega's name.

Ortega foots the bill, but whether they can get it back from the Rangers later is an open question. So yes, good guess.

The info Step can retrive from Lou Carter will be important? If yes can Step obtain them through other means later on? Is Chen still looking into the accident at Carter's house? If yes, does he have some clues? If Step didn't help him with the civilians or took credit for the bombs does Chen still think Step is the coulprit? If Step saved Carter, is he still alive and keeping his mouth shut?

It's not a major thing, just a starting scene to set things off. That being said, there are things there that will come back later. If Carter is alive, he will be seen again. Chen is investigating the issue, and the actual cause of the explosion will have an influence in book three. Whether Chen thinks the villain did it or not will also matter.

Alpha spoilers  Is there some kind of connection between the "It" of the Core, and the "second voice" of the Catastrofiend?  

No.

Is there an official or unofficial hierarchy among handlers at the farm (like cuckoo handlers vs blues being differently ranked/promotion from one to the other)? Rivalries/jealousies? Do field handlers differ from base handlers or is it the same handler all the time that stays with them on missions? 

There will always be unofficial hierarchies in any workplace. There's a LOT of office politics in as isolated a workplace as the Farm. Not much else to do there. In general, base handlers work with early training. Once the Re-Genes are assigned to a team, the field handler takes over, even when they are at the base.

Does farm staff live on premise or local commute? What happens if someone wants to quit?

Most are on premise, or commute locally. If someone quits, it's the same precautions with any other high security job. But it is dissuaded, often they just switch branches or jobs.

What was step’s handler’s role during the second stint at the farm as step was no longer involved in field work/training?

Reprogramming/care.

Was there a shark tank at the farm? If not in Sidestep's farm, was there a shark tank in other farm facilities?

There was a shark tank. Some species have very interesting genetic profiles for research into regeneration and aging.

During the raid on Lou Carter's house, step mentions they "don't give off a human scent." Is that a feature of their armor, or do Regenes not smell human...?

The armor.

If you’re on the path of romancing steel, do any of the rangers know/have an idea of what’s going on between step and steel?

If it's anybody, it will be Herald that picks it up first.

Does Hollow Ground's power work on non-humans?

No, and believe me, they tried.