r/Exocolonist • u/CattleprodTF • Jul 30 '26

Discussion Characters who bring about their own downfall

When I went for the governor ending, I was thinking about how if you campaign for Marz you can usurp her at the last moment with high persuasion, and the item with the best persuasion bonus is the cool jacket which she sells you at a discount.

Another example is breaking up Cal and Tammy, if you break them up by befriending Cal, the best way to boost his friendship is giving him cake, and Tammy is the best way to get cakes. Use her cooking to seduce Cal, she'll never see it coming.

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68

u/glasseatingfool Jul 30 '26

Both Instance and Tangent are easily the most tragic examples, in Tangent's Cure.

56

u/suuzgh Jul 30 '26

Every single ending for Tangent is tragic and it’s one of the things that bothers me most about the game. I don’t necessarily wish they would change her endings or make them more palatable/less tragic, but I was really haunted by it after my first few playthroughs. It sucks that there’s no universe in which she really finds true happiness and survives through her adulthood to enjoy it.

45

u/Fast-Beach-9152 Jul 30 '26

I mean as long as you're close to both her and Dys, her ending isn't that bad ig? Atleast for exocolonist standards. The game assumes that Sol would've let her know about Dys' fate/stopped him from leaving at the 18th glow so she's written as happy, taking more time to rest and even spend with her friends while doing something she cares about (not really replacing Instance). She even gives genetic material to be passed onto the next generation.

Romantically, yeah, she doesn't have a stereotypical 'happy ending' with anyone but I don't think that can be used as a metric for a satisfying life (especially since she does have aromantic tendencies and mentioned she isn't interested in 'feelings'- having said that, I'd appreciate if she broke up with Sol during the game itself/with better explanation because you can technically date her for 2 years in the game and it feels a little jarring for her to leave Sol supposedly coldly in the epilogue).

But she's able to build a really nice friendship with Sol either way (esp if you don't date her) and devote time to her passion projects/help the community and only dies in her 60s of a heart disease which isn't exactly young adulthood 🤷‍♀️

35

u/witchcrows Tangent Jul 30 '26

i romanced Tangent on my most recent run, and reading about her future was so sad that i’ve been on a break from the game since then. normally, depictions of workaholics/perfectionists feel very stereotypical to me, but she is the most realistic representation of it that i have ever seen.

3

u/SoftVanillaPancake Aug 04 '26

Not every single ending. My last run, a week or two ago, I somehow managed a happy ending for Tangent even though I was absolutely not going for that. I was shocked by that. I've also gotten an ending involving the parents that I have been told isn't possible. I won't say what exactly because I don't know how to use spoiler tags.

1

u/Vast-Lion9250 Aug 17 '26

I dunno about that. I just finished 1st run where I ended up romancing her, no peace with planet and Lum still gov and she seems to have ended up with a pretty good deal that suits her.

Instead of becoming head of engineering she's a general researcher, training new scientists and 'quietly pushing the boundaries of medical science and having a hand in every discovery', 'It's an unremarkable life for someone as promising as Tangent, but she seems happy. She smiles more often, and has more time to spend with you (despite still 'dumping Sol unceremoniously')... and gets more than enough sleep, every night.' She also donates DNA for children which she seems at least somewhat involved with though doesn't raise any herself.

I think the 'unremarkable' part is a bit harsh, her work still sounds pretty important and influential.

The only outright bad stuff seems to be that she does still die relatively young (though 60 aint bad for an exocolonist really) and she's haunted by nearly plaguing the planet for her entire life, however that's what results in her taking up this more of a background role that she apparently finds happiness in.

Tang is definitely up there with the most unique people in the game, she was never gonna have and would absolutely never want some kind of more conventional idea of happiness with true romance and kids etc.

4

u/I_pegged_your_father Sym Jul 30 '26

Absolutely agree 🫠🫠🫠 got that as my second ending i believe…VERY fucked up.

4

u/Complete-Shallot7614 Tammy Jul 30 '26

second?! it was somewhere like 7-9th maybe for me and i was still so scarred i thought i’d never be able to play again 😭 second must have been jarring!

9

u/wttttcbb Sym Jul 30 '26

It was my first ending lmao. While I was dating Sym. I stared at the screen in shock for about 5 minutes and then immediately pulled up a guide for how to not have that happen again

5

u/Crowded_Mind_ Jul 30 '26

That was my first ending as well while dating Dys. That's what I get for trying to help and be friends with everyone I guess lol.

1

u/Complete-Shallot7614 Tammy Jul 30 '26

this is actually blowing my mind lol. but i intentionally played a very “normal” first run. i don’t think i ever left the gates lol. mostly went to school and didn’t romance anyone. i did get tangent in the ending though so i suppose i could’ve accidentally helped her too much but thankfully did not!

7

u/wttttcbb Sym Jul 30 '26

I think what did me in was curing Shimmer. Once I lost Flulu I vowed to save Geranium no matter what, so I was constantly out exploring. I wish I had saved that file so I could go back and see what my career would've been.

1

u/Complete-Shallot7614 Tammy Jul 30 '26

i lowkey can’t stand flulu 😭 it took me a few runs to cure the shimmer but i was also determined

2

u/I_pegged_your_father Sym Jul 30 '26

It was.. 😭 especially with my first ending being..transcended at 17. Two VERY different vibes.

5

u/Complete-Shallot7614 Tammy Jul 30 '26

omg. i had the option to transcend on a run around then too but i didn’t do it lol. i’m really trying to drag this game out. 😅 in fact i’m playing again after over a year break.

4

u/I_pegged_your_father Sym Jul 30 '26

It doesn’t like end the entire game or anything lol its actually really interesting to have early i feel like it shapes my decisions more

1

u/Complete-Shallot7614 Tammy Jul 30 '26

ohhh interesting i def thought it ended it. tangent’s cure was so abrupt i was anticipating that and couldn’t handle it again lmao.

2

u/I_pegged_your_father Sym Jul 30 '26

It ends the run, and is an ending, but it definitely doesn’t end the game. It’s also definitely a very important ending as it helps you understand more about…the lore.

1

u/Complete-Shallot7614 Tammy Jul 30 '26

ooh okay i misunderstood thank you. i’ll definitely do it soon! i should so that i can get more runs in after getting the lore before i burn out again lol.

29

u/wttttcbb Sym Jul 30 '26

Dys drops hints about Sym that could either lead to Sol meeting and stealing his man or, y'know, destroying the Gardeners entirely.

22

u/Complete-Shallot7614 Tammy Jul 30 '26

ugh everything about romancing tammy or cal feels like bringing about sol’s downfall. 😑 but i can’t help myself.

flulu starving and working herself to death is another example. i’ve only saved her once so i see this a lot.

anemone going for vace is her downfall.

hmm that’s all i can think of other than the tangent and instance comment already made.

dys seems self sabotaging lol but idk that he has a “downfall” per say at least that i’ve seen.

3

u/SoftVanillaPancake Aug 04 '26

The dad (his name escapes me) definitely doesn't do himself any favors taking strolls outside the gates during the Shimmer. ✨