I steadfastly refuse to reconsider my method of playing the game. Even after the two Batmans punished me for trying to finish the fetch quests before the story quests, I am resolute. But there were some stirrings of doubt today. I have conquered so much of the city and the outlying areas via paperwork, that I've found myself in a classical business conundrum: the more you control, the more upkeep work you have to do. I try to move the story along, but every minute in the game that passes allows my iron grip on the cities of the Mediterranean to slowly subside. I have to keep sending out minions to keep control of the many, many cities I'm supposed to be running. It's nearly all-consuming at this point, navigating my way to story missions while stopping at as many mission centers as possible on the way. But again, not going to change my ways. Over 50% of Constantistanbul is renovated, and it is all mine. Except for one den! For some reason I have failed to capture the northernmost den despite repeated attempts! Infuriating. The captain in that den rabbits every time I so much as put a toe inside its borders, and man, can he get to his escape point fast. Just murderous. I'll get you, my pretty, and your little dog, too. Mark my words.
In story-related news, I've tailed a suspected traitor to the Prince and found him selling weapons to a deposed royal who is mounting a revolt. The Prince and I agreed both need to die, but the suspected traitor turned out to be loyal, just setting up an ambush. Whups. Hey guy, you need to let some of the rest of us in on these kinds of plans. Else someone asks some Assassin to murder you, and now look what happened. Anyway, looks like it's up to me to finish what he started and single-handedly punch everyone's ticket to Stab-Town, Home of Traitors And People Who Looked At Ezio Sideways.
As for the Masayaf keys, Sofia is helping me track down some rare books, which apparently in turn lead me to those sneaky hidden passageways where I undertake various missions in order to retrieve 'keys'. Have I mentioned? These 'keys' pretty much look like fancy CDs? Well I mean, of course they're artifacts from the Original Civilization mentioned in previous games, similar to the Apple of Eden, but I'm not understanding how Ezio is using them to view Altair's memories. In the latest memory, Altair is 60 (he was 24 and 26 in the first two) and is busy regretting his whole life with his wife, Maria - especially the part about letting Abbas get control of Masayaf while he was away fighting the Mongols. Abbas has gone all "Scar" on the region, and now lazy Assassins lie in the Masayaf streets, and other supposed indicators that the Creed has really gone downhill under Abbas' reign. Well, they try to make it clear in the brief time that they have. Anyway Abbas is being an idiot, and demands the Apple, despite knowing that it's power could destroy everyone. Altair's youngest son is killed, Maria is killed, etc. etc. The usual.
I got to get back to my territory control.
