| 1 | ''Troper,'' |
| 2 | |
| 3 | ''You are required to study this page correctly. Failure to know your allies and enemies will result in a citation.'' |
| 4 | |
| 5 | ''Glory to Arstotzka.'' |
| 6 | ---- |
| 7 | |
| 8 | [[foldercontrol]] |
| 9 | |
| 10 | !Arstotzka |
| 11 | |
| 12 | [[folder:In General]] |
| 13 | [[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/arstotzka_emblem.png]] |
| 14 | [[caption-width-right:350:Glory to Arstotzka.]] |
| 15 | Arstotzka is a communist state bordering Kolechia and Obristan. The country is filled to the brim with poverty and run by an oppressive regime, yet it still boasts some of the best living conditions in the region. |
| 16 | ---- |
| 17 | |
| 18 | * AllCrimesAreEqual: Smugglers, terrorists, organized criminals, and [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking people with (potentially) forged documents]] all fall under the same detainment system. |
| 19 | * ArtisticLicensePolitics: |
| 20 | ** For a totalitarian communist regime with a bureaucratic focus, they do seem lax on assigning such positions, with a labor lottery giving anyone the opportunity to work in positions like border inspection. In a scenario like this, such work is entrusted to those undergoing enough training or nepotism. |
| 21 | ** Notably, they have a free press that criticizes their policies and earnestly reports international affairs instead of trying to control the narrative to keep their influence. |
| 22 | * CommieLand: According to WordOfGod, Arstotzka is a communist state, though it is never referenced as such in-game, and the country's economic system is never explained. But in regards to its aesthetics and government, Arstotzka closely resembles a Soviet state in the final stages of decay, plagued by infighting between incompetent bureaucracies, increasingly oppressed by SecretPolice, choking under arbitrary and constantly changing rules, and staffing their ministries via labor lottery. |
| 23 | * CuttingTheKnot: Before they make additional rule changes and amendments, their policies tend to follow this, trying to prevent issues before they happen by violating people's rights and privacy. Kolechian extremists on the rise? Scan ''every'' Kolechian applicant. Polio outbreak from the United Federation? Outright bar citizens from entering our border. |
| 24 | * DiplomaticImpunity: They actively defy this, expecting (alleged) diplomats to be arrested if they appear in the criminal bulletin or even if their paperwork is bad enough to invite detainment. |
| 25 | * DisproportionateRetribution: |
| 26 | ** The government will take no chances for entrants with the potential of having forged documents. Should one detail be out of place, especially if it cannot be reviewed with fingerprints, identity records, searches, and expiration dates, the detainment option comes up. |
| 27 | ** Expressing even a hint of disloyalty will earn a sentence to forced labor or execution. When searching for any leads to investigate EZIC, [[spoiler:giving them the document with their symbol is enough to arrest you]]. Violate Dimitri's direct orders to only display ''official'' wall hangings with other decorations, and you're fined for the first time and sentenced the next. |
| 28 | ** Arstotzka often punishes the citizens of other nations [[GuiltByAssociation when the country they hail from slights Arstotzka]]. Kolechian extremists prompt immediate scans for all Kolechian entrants, Impor's trade sanctions mean automatic denial of all Imporian immigrants, and before vaccination papers are made available, the polio outbreak in the United Federation follows Impor's example. |
| 29 | * EvenEvilHasStandards: |
| 30 | ** They may be a thinly-veiled pastiche of Eastern Bloc countries, but even they won't hesitate to arrest human traffickers and murderers. [[spoiler:Some of the sometimes-alleged murderers that they will arrest ASAP if alerted includes a serial child killer and an allleged girlfriend murderer.]] |
| 31 | ** For all the complaints that the Ministry of Admission gets for being an {{Obstructive Bureaucra|t}}cy, they do implement changes to policies in response to immigrant complaints. For example, they replace the Entry Permit and ID Supplement combo with an Access Permit that combines the functions of both so that immigrants don't have to present as much paperwork. When they "randomly" strip-search (read: profile) Kolechians in response to terrorist attacks and refuse Imporian immigrants as a petty response to trade sanctions, and subsequently generate complaints, they roll back both policies swiftly. |
| 32 | * ImperialStormtrooperMarksmanshipAcademy: The border guards aren't the best shots despite their job, missing most of their shots during crucial moments. It's usually [[ItsUpToYou the Inspector and his Tranquilizer gun]] that has to put the terrorist attacks down. |
| 33 | * JerkassHasAPoint: |
| 34 | ** The Ministry of Income will be informed of your [[spoiler:sudden windfall of money and confiscate it]] if you choose to [[spoiler:accept EZIC's gift]]. While you may have needed it, they're in their right to investigate such suspicious activities. |
| 35 | ** The increasingly convoluted paperwork and their crueler privacy violations have some kernel of merit to them after considering the factors that call for them, such as the polio outbreak and contraband. |
| 36 | * JerkWithAHeartOfGold: For all its tyranny, Arstotzka will punish rapists and murderers. Either they will be executed or suffer the same horrors of a communist prison. [[spoiler:Keep this in mind when you meet Dari Ludum and Simon Wens...]] |
| 37 | * ALighterShadeOfBlack: Life in Arstozka is hell, and the government does everything it can to keep the population in check, yet it still manages to be one of the richest and liberal countries since most other countries are outright totalitarian police states or failed states that can't provide even the most basic of necessities to their citizens. |
| 38 | * NotCompletelyUseless: The border guards [[ImperialStormtrooperMarksmanshipAcademy miss most of the shots they make during terrorist attacks]], but there are still those very rare moments where they'll successfully hit their targets and leave you with slightly less to worry about. [[DownplayedTrope It's such a small chance of happening]] that you're still doing most of the security work, however. |
| 39 | * RepressiveButEfficient: Keeping a close eye on you and its citizens, always willing to dole out the harshest punishments for even the slightest errors, and violating the privacy and keeping out those that cannot follow their extensive (and sometimes [[GuiltByAssociation arbitrary]]) standards. [[VastBureaucracy When they aren't suffering for this]], they're successfully keeping themselves together and preventing attacks and crime from thriving within their territory — or at least within their checkpoint. |
| 40 | * RevengeByProxy: A non-lethal version. Impor imposing trade sanctions on them garners the response of denying all their citizens entry into their territory. |
| 41 | * {{Ruritania}}: Of the repressive [=1980s=] Eastern Bloc pre-Perestroika variety. Their bureaucratic rule comes with a job lottery, recurring rule changes, SecretPolice, baggage from the ethnic war of Ars-Kolech, and other Western perceptions of Eastern Europe. According to one former United Federation's border inspector, they have a slight technological disadvantage, if only compared to the UF. |
| 42 | ** Individual villages like Nirsk, where the Inspector and Segiu hail from, are implied to be this. |
| 43 | * SecretPolice: They have The Ministry of Information (M.O.I.), with special investigators like M. Vonel observing and auditing certain areas. |
| 44 | * UncertainDoom: There's no elaboration on what happens to those detained by the guards. At the very least, [[spoiler:Jorji can escape with his life through his connections but remains on the criminal bulletin after it]]. |
| 45 | * VastBureaucracy: How they run their government, having various overlapping entities that are not always working cooperatively or effectively. Add the issues of corruption from people put in both power and desperation, and you have an unstable government that won't always do its job and can be [[spoiler:toppled with the help of a meager border inspector]]. |
| 46 | [[/folder]] |
| 47 | |
| 48 | [[folder:The Inspector]] |
| 49 | [[quoteright:167:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/inspector_5.png]] |
| 50 | [[caption-width-right:167:The Inspector, as seen in the family photograph.]] |
| 51 | |
| 52 | The main protagonist of the game. He is in charge of deciding who can enter the country. |
| 53 | ---- |
| 54 | * AlmightyJanitor: |
| 55 | ** Officially, a lowly border inspector of a checkpoint for immigration. Unofficially, [[spoiler:the catalyst for a revolution against Arstotzka's current government as a potential agent for EZIC]], or [[spoiler:the secret conspiracy's greatest threat]]. |
| 56 | ** He is also expected to analyze all of the complex paperwork with efficiency, detain criminals and other suspicious characters whenever possible, and defend the area from terrorist attacks with a Tranquilizer gun. The Inspector can potentially have much better aim and skill in subduing threats than the guards stationed there, and with the detainment feature, he can ruin big figures of the criminal underground like Ludum and Safadi. |
| 57 | * BadassBureaucrat: Just a border control officer with an eye for paperwork. One who, through a sharp eye and possibly a creative interpretation of his duties, can bring down master criminals and possibly the Arstotzkan regime. |
| 58 | * BeleagueredBureaucrat: Migrants require progressively excessive amounts of paperwork to be accepted. You don't make the rules, but you're the one who has to deal with the people who they screw over. |
| 59 | * BigBrotherIsEmployingYou: He's hired as a border inspector as part of a labor lottery. |
| 60 | * BodyguardingABadass: When the Inspector is granted permission to use the Tranquilizer gun and rifle, he proves to be a better shot than the guards stationed at the border. More often than not, they're not the ones taking the terrorists out; the Inspector is. |
| 61 | * BribeBackfire: Perspective-inverted. Can be invoked on several immigrants who try to pay you for approval. You can usually take the money and detain them anyway. [[YouBastard Many will call you out as they're being led away.]] |
| 62 | * BullyingADragon: There are quite a few times where entrants will berate and insult the Inspector, who has the power to approve or deny their entry and even have them detained, though they're usually saved by the fact that he can't simply make such decisions without following the rules. However, if the entrant is particularly rude ''and'' they don't have their papers in order, or if they annoy him enough that he's willing to take a citation for it, they'll be in for a world of hurt. |
| 63 | * ComicallyMissingThePoint: When Jorji submits his "Cobrastan" passport, the Inspector can ignore the obviously crude fake and instead cite him for missing an entry ticket. [[DownplayedTrope He will still point out]] that Cobrastan is not a real country after handing it back, though. |
| 64 | * CorruptBureaucrat: There are plenty of opportunities to receive a little extra from entrants and guards. |
| 65 | * DarkAndTroubledPast: Implied as both the Ministry of Information ''and'' Income have been performing a full audit on him for the past twenty years, enough to warrant the Inspector fleeing to Obristan. An option that remains until the last day, for fear they'll discover more about certain "anomalies". They also don't have any kind words for their home village of Nirsk when talking to Sergiu. |
| 66 | * DeadpanSnarker: Being the beleaguered border inspector of the repressive Arstotzka inevitably means having pointed words and a sour demeanor. |
| 67 | ** Sergiu mentions that both of them are from Nirsk. When he mentions that he hasn't seen the place in many years, the Inspector informs him that "it is a shit-hole, as before." |
| 68 | ** On the day that the criminal bulletin is introduced, one of the first entrants is listed and is to be detained immediately. The inspector can't help but point out the convenience. |
| 69 | --> '''Inspector:''' Funny to see you here. Just when starting to look for criminals. |
| 70 | ** During the 25th day, when you're hanging your son's painting on a wall, an entrant will bash on it. There are great odds of them having incorrect papers, so you can deny him and they will say this line: |
| 71 | --> '''Entrant:''' Huh? You deny me about drawing, right?\ |
| 72 | '''Inspector:''' The exit is to your right. |
| 73 | * DisproportionateRetribution: The detainment function, which sends entrants into the custody of Arstotzka's guardsmen, can be applied to smaller offenses, such as misprints and typos on certain documents. This is somewhat justifiable, as by then, a raid on official documents occurred, causing an increase in accurate forgeries and a desperate government crackdown. Entrants often lie about the typos when called out on them, making their detainment more justifiable as well, especially when the lies are proven. |
| 74 | * TheDogBitesBack: There are chances for the Inspector to get back at those who wrong him, especially the repressive Arstotzkan government. |
| 75 | ** Dimitri, the {{Jerkass}} supervisor, demands that his lover Shae Piersovska be let through, regardless of whether or not she has the right papers. She won't, and the Inspector can defy his boss' wishes with her denial. Dimitri will be furious, yet he knows he can't do anything about it since the Inspector is just doing his job. Should he go too far with a ''detainment'', however, [[spoiler:Dimitri sends him to forced labor on false charges]]. |
| 76 | ** After so many terrorist attacks at the border (which have cut short the Inspector's shifts -- and the salary to feed his family), the government gives the Inspector access to a tranquilizer gun to deal with any threats. |
| 77 | ** Working with EZIC allows the Inspector to subvert Arstotzkan order from the inside, with enough tasks culminating into [[spoiler:the destruction of the checkpoint they were assigned to and the overthrow of their bosses]]. The Inspector can also let [[spoiler:the fall of West Grestin's checkpoint happen while escaping to Obristan with his family]]. |
| 78 | * EveryoneCallsHimBarkeep: He is continuously addressed as just “inspector”, with no real name given. |
| 79 | * FeaturelessProtagonist: While his face is technically shown in a family photo that can be acquired late in the game, all of his features other than his beard remain obscured in it. Outside of this, he is never depicted onscreen. |
| 80 | * FelonyMisdemeanor: Spotting a typo on the entrant's birthday or the ID number on documents can be enough to warrant an entrant's detainment. Other typos allow the Inspector to interrogate the entrant about them, demand fingerprints, demand a strip search, or reject the entrant. |
| 81 | * ForTheEvulz: The Inspector can ask to arrest certain entrants for pettier reasons. This includes the Arstotzkan football player so that he can ''keep his poster'' and the person who gives the love letter because they were approved but wanted the note back. When a man tries to leave his watch as collateral, the Inspector has the option of detaining him just so he can steal it. |
| 82 | * FriendOrIdolDecision: Comes across several of these, such as an immigrant whose papers don't check out in contrast to her husband's but risks getting killed if she returns to Antegria. |
| 83 | * ImprobableAimingSkills: {{Downplayed|Trope}}. He's at least a better shot than the armed guards. |
| 84 | * {{Irony}}: After spending the entire game managing and defending the border, [[spoiler:their choice in endings can either be seeing the checkpoint's destruction or facing the ''other'' side of immigration]]. |
| 85 | * KarmicJackpot: [[VideoGameCaringPotential Some of the things he can do]] at the risk of his pay or respect can lead to a married couple finally free of Antegrian tyranny, or help fellow guard Sergiu reunite with his lover, the latter earning you 100 credits if both remain together by Sergiu's last day at the checkpoint. |
| 86 | * KickTheDog: There will be entrants begging to be let through the border so that they can escape a cruel fate from wherever they came from, reunite with their loved ones, and more, and this usually results from them not having the proper paperwork. Sticking to the rules and avoiding citations will result in their denial. |
| 87 | * KnightInSourArmor: The occasional comments he drops paint the Inspector as a very bitter and jaded individual, but he can still be played as someone who will do the right thing even if it costs him personally. |
| 88 | * MoneyIsNotPower: Can be on both the giving and receiving end of this. |
| 89 | ** You can have all the credits you want, even if [[spoiler:it's ''thousands'' from EZIC]], but if you make too many mistakes or [[spoiler:get audited without the help of EZIC's agent]], you can still find yourself brutally punished under the Arstotzkan government. |
| 90 | ** Entrants can try to bribe their way past the border, but the only thing that guarantees their pass and survival is if the Inspector approves or not. |
| 91 | * MyMasterRightOrWrong: |
| 92 | ** Possible to portray this with the detainment of Shaddy Safadi. Even after his attempt to bribe his way through the border, the Inspector will quip: |
| 93 | --> '''Inspector:''' You cannot bribe an officer of [[MyCountryRightOrWrong Arstotzka]]. |
| 94 | ** Can also be applied to an overall playthrough, where the player has the option to abide by the rules set and never let even a few people pass. |
| 95 | * MysteriousPast: Did ''something'' to warrant being placed under an audit looking into the last 20 years of his life by both the ministries of Information and Income, but what exactly it was is never gone into. He's also a suspiciously skilled marksman and can fire a gun more accurately than the guards stationed at his checkpoint. |
| 96 | * NoNameGiven: He's only ever referred to as "inspector" by other characters and as "you" by the narration. |
| 97 | * ObstructiveBureaucrat: You'll be accused of this if you deny any of the reporters who only show their press pass and nothing else. [[UngratefulBastard Letting them in will instead have them report]] [[TheGuardsMustBeCrazy that the border security is too lazy and lax.]] |
| 98 | * OddFriendship: With Calensk, the stoic and no-nonsense border guard, and Jorji, the most eccentric entrant he'll constantly meet. |
| 99 | * OnlyInItForTheMoney: The Inspector can be made to ignore policies for the sake of bribes and send more suspects for detainment if it means a bigger paycheck at the end of the day. |
| 100 | * PetTheDog: Deconstructed. There are several opportunities for the Inspector to show benevolence to others and even save innocent people from peril, but most of these carry a high risk for the Inspector and his family since they live entirely on his income and too many citations can easily cost him his job. |
| 101 | * PreMortemOneLiner: Some of his lines when he points out an arrest-worthy discrepancy have this delivery. |
| 102 | -->''[When pointing out weapons or contraband]'' You have made a mistake coming here. \ |
| 103 | ''[When pointing out that the entrant is a wanted criminal]'' You have interesting face. |
| 104 | * PunchClockVillain: He may be working for a despotic regime, turning people away from the border or outright arresting them for arbitrary reasons, but even the inspector has to pay the bills and feed his family. |
| 105 | * SayingTooMuch: Offer M. Vonel the EZIC piece that you obtained earlier to help his investigation, and he'll respond by [[spoiler:arresting you and bringing you in for questioning]]. This unlocks the "Too Honest" achievement. |
| 106 | * ScrewThisImOuttaHere: When the government is planning to audit the Inspector, he is given the chance to [[spoiler:flee the country with as many family members that they can bring, which depends on how many Obristan passports they can confiscate in time]]. |
| 107 | * ToBeLawfulOrGood: The primary dilemma the inspector faces throughout the game. On many occasions, he will be prompted to help desperate people in need, at the cost of breaking the laws regarding border entry. Whether he does so or not is up to the player. |
| 108 | * TranquilFury: Should he buy crayons for his son, his son will make him a drawing that he can hang in his booth. If he does so, one scripted entrant will remark on how crappy they think it is. Should the inspector then deny entry to them, they will accuse him of [[DisproportionateRetribution refusing their entry because they made fun of his son's drawing]]. His response is a calm, but firm "[[GetOut The exit is to your right.]]" If he finds a reason to detain them, he can do so and will not utter a single word as the entrant begs for mercy and hastily tries to apologize. |
| 109 | * VillainProtagonist: [[VideoGameCrueltyPotential Certainly possible]] through denying people from Arstotzka even when they may die if they remain in their country. There's also no limit to just how corrupt he can be in his dealings. |
| 110 | * WildCard: There are a few factions that The Inspector can throw his lot in. He can assist EZIC's conspiracy, stay loyal to the Arstotzkan government, or [[spoiler:ignore and even doom both while making an escape to Obristan with the family members he can bring]]. All the while, there are plenty of options to either detain or accept bribes to look the other way. |
| 111 | |
| 112 | [[/folder]] |
| 113 | |
| 114 | [[folder:Calensk]] |
| 115 | [[quoteright:167:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/badass_8.png]] |
| 116 | [[caption-width-right:167:Calensk, stationed with you]] |
| 117 | |
| 118 | Fellow border guard who strikes a deal with you regarding a cut of his check and how many immigrants you detain. |
| 119 | ---- |
| 120 | * CasualDangerDialogue: Spends a good few minutes [[spoiler:mocking a bomb for its design]]. He's actually majorly pissed about the fact that he's losing potential credits. |
| 121 | * DemolitionsExpert: He teaches you [[spoiler:how to defuse a crude bomb that a Kolechian terrorist leaves on your desk]]. |
| 122 | * DirtyCop: Pays you to detain people on any pretext so he can get paid for processing them. And he underpays you. |
| 123 | * DisproportionateRetribution: He can help you by offering a cut of his extra pay that results from the additional detaining of individuals. This encourages you to report a person for arrest if they have even a ''single misprint or error'' on their documents, regardless of whether they're from official copies or forgeries. |
| 124 | * DoWrongRight: Ironically, he knows more about [[spoiler:bomb-making than a terrorist]] who walks into your booth one day. |
| 125 | * EvilPaysBetter: He encourages the Inspector to detain more entrants than seemingly necessary so that he can get better payment, which he will then send them a cut of. |
| 126 | * HiddenDepths: {{Downplayed|Trope}}. He has solid know-how on [[spoiler:defusing a bomb]], but considering how simple it ends up being due to the [[spoiler:explosive's]] poor design, he's probably not putting much thinking into it and treats it as a nuisance. |
| 127 | * NervesOfSteel: His first reaction to [[spoiler:finding a bomb in the Inspector's booth]] is to laugh at how crudely made it is and then calmly tell the Inspector [[spoiler:how to dismantle it]]. |
| 128 | |
| 129 | [[/folder]] |
| 130 | |
| 131 | [[folder:Sergiu]] |
| 132 | [[quoteright:167:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/timid.png]] |
| 133 | [[caption-width-right:167:Sergiu, stationed behind you.]] |
| 134 | |
| 135 | A border security guard who is stationed on the Arstotzkan side of the border. He was also born in the same district as the Inspector and claims to have many things in common with him. Sergiu served in the Six Year War and found a girlfriend in Kolechia, whom you can deny or grant access into the country. |
| 136 | ---- |
| 137 | * ColourCodedForYourConvenience: He's the only Guard with a green uniform, whereas everyone else wears blue. |
| 138 | * CommonalityConnection: One of the talking points that he brings up is he and the Inspector both being from the village of Nirsk. He admits that he's not familiar with it after so many years, and the Inspector snarks that it's still terrible. Sergiu is willing to agree. |
| 139 | * DentedIron: The war between [=Ars-Kolech=] slowly deterred his aiming skills. If you're not careful or not fast enough, he will die as quickly. |
| 140 | * EarnYourHappyEnding: If you save him from a devastating terrorist attack and [[spoiler:let Elisa in, he'll get reassigned to a presumably safer post and [[BabiesEverAfter plans to start a family with her]]]]. |
| 141 | * EscortMission: If you care about keeping Sergiu alive, especially to complete his storyline, you'll have to prevent him from dying several different times. |
| 142 | * ImperialStormtrooperMarksmanshipAcademy: Even as a war veteran, he's useless with a rifle when firing in self-defense. It's implied that [[ShellShockedVeteran he was a decent shot before the war got to him]], and he admits that his skills have lessened over the years. |
| 143 | * NiceGuy: He's quite a tad bit himself. He even thanks you for rescuing him from the first terrorist attack (which will happen almost immediately), claiming that his aim isn't as good as before the war broke out. Even if you deny Elisa entry, he doesn't react angrily (at most coming across as TranquilFury) and just expresses disappointment in the Inspector. |
| 144 | * ShellShockedVeteran: Implied. He mentions that Kolechia was a hellhole when he was fighting there, and his soldiering skills have deteriorated because of his time there. |
| 145 | * StarCrossedLovers: Has a girlfriend in Kolechia. Whether he's able or not to see her again, well, depends entirely on [[VideogameCaringPotential your]] [[VideogameCrueltyPotential actions]]. |
| 146 | * VideoGameCaringPotential: Helping and saving him from all the terrorist attacks. It's quite difficult, especially in certain points, but he'll thank you for your assistance. He's so thankful that if you let Elisa pass through the checkpoint and make sure that he stays alive, he will send you some of his savings (equal to 100 credits) the next night. |
| 147 | * VideogameCrueltyPotential: |
| 148 | ** You can just treat him as another expendable guard and be careless with trying to keep Sergiu alive, ignoring his personal story arc. |
| 149 | ** His girlfriend has one chance to migrate to the country to see him. As Elisa does not have the proper paperwork, a dilemma arises from choosing to either [[FriendOrIdolDecision obey Arstotzkan policy or to reunite the couple after getting to know Sergiu]]. Do the former, and the Inspector will coldly tell Sergiu that she should try again with the right papers next time. |
| 150 | * VideoGameCrueltyPunishment: Failing to help Sergiu throughout his time at the Grestin border locks you out of potential rewards. |
| 151 | * WhatTheHellHero: He asks the Inspector about Elisa failing to pass the border as the two were hoping, and the Inspector just tells him that she should get the right documentation next time. Sergiu [[TranquilFury responds]] by saying how they both know that's not possible, before taking the locket back. |
| 152 | [[/folder]] |
| 153 | |
| 154 | [[folder:Dimitri]] |
| 155 | [[quoteright:167:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/supervisor.png]] |
| 156 | [[caption-width-right:167:Ministry of Administrative Supervisor.]] |
| 157 | Your boss. He constantly mocks you for any minor errors. |
| 158 | ---- |
| 159 | * BadBoss: If you earn one citation, he questions your ability. He even tries to force you to break the rules in his favour. And he clearly believes that shit rolls downhill, since you still get cited if you decide to do so. |
| 160 | ** There's also the matter of workplace decorations: get caught once with anything "unofficial" (which can include your son's drawing or an old family photo) and the Inspector will be fined. Get caught again, and he will be arrested and sentenced to forced labor, while his family will be transferred back to Nirsk. |
| 161 | * {{Hypocrite}}: He gives you performance reviews every 10 days and calls you out if you have even a single citation. Yet he orders you to approve Shae's entry, and gets upset at you if you deny her, or ''has you arrested'' if you detain her. |
| 162 | * {{Jerkass}}: A very abrasive boss whose dialogue of him scolding and demeaning you greatly outnumbers the amount of praise he has for you. |
| 163 | * NonStandardGameOver: |
| 164 | ** He issues one to you by arresting you if you have unauthorized wall hangings when he visits, and then have them up again the next time he visits. Officially, the reason for the arrest is for defying direct orders. |
| 165 | ** If you detain Shae, he presses false charges against you as revenge, again resulting in your arrest and ending the game. |
| 166 | * PetTheDog: |
| 167 | ** If you haven't made any mistakes when he visits, he has this to say. Of course, considering you have to turn away a mother from seeing her son and separate a refugee couple to avoid any mistakes, [[YourApprovalFillsMeWithShame you may not want his approval after all]]. |
| 168 | -->'''Dmitri:''' ''You make Arstotzka proud.'' |
| 169 | ** If you admit his contact, Shae Piersovska, without any complications, he'll be slightly nicer and calmer the next time you see him. |
| 170 | * ScrewTheRulesIMakeThem: Orders you to let in a foreign woman he's romantically involved with even though she does not have the correct paperwork. Rejecting her will make him look weak, so he gives you a small chewing out the next day. However, if you ''detain'' her, he will falsely accuse you of stealing property and have you arrested. |
| 171 | |
| 172 | [[/folder]] |
| 173 | |
| 174 | [[folder:M. Vonel]] |
| 175 | [[quoteright:167:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/secret_police.png]] |
| 176 | [[caption-width-right:167:Ministry of Information Inspector]] |
| 177 | |
| 178 | A PoliticalOfficer from the Ministry of Information that is investigating EZIC. |
| 179 | ---- |
| 180 | * AffablyEvil: He's relaxed and polite, even when condemning convicts to execution on death row. Justified, given the potential paranoia they bring. |
| 181 | * BadBoss: If you've failed to let Stepheni Graire handle your financial discrepancies or helped EZIC even ''once'', he'll make sure you'll be "fully audited" as the scary men with guns drag you away to a cell for holding. |
| 182 | ** If you give him the [[spoiler:[[LaResistance EZIC]] notes as evidence]], he will have you arrested. However, it's very likely based on [[MyCountryRightOrWrong protocol]] and [[ProperlyParanoid suspicion]] rather than straight-up spite. Alternatively, [[SecretTestOfCharacter he's testing your loyalty and your intelligence]]. After all, a loyal buffoon is still a buffoon, but a cunning snake could make the difference between life and death. [[spoiler:Considering what you can really do, he had the right to be suspicious of you.]] |
| 183 | * FalseReassurance: Near the end of the game, he arrives at the booth without warning to tell you he'll be personally conducting a review of your background and activities on the job as concisely and clinically as possible. [[spoiler:If you've been nothing but loyal to Arstotzka and haven't helped EZIC at all, this becomes Subverted as the ministry even chooses to overlook any discrepancies they might come across because of this.]] |
| 184 | -->'''M. Vonel:''' Hello inspector. It has been some time. Read your bulletin carefully today. We will be speaking with many workers. Your audit comes soon. I will personally conduct it. [[SuspiciouslySpecificDenial There is nothing to fear]]. Work hard. |
| 185 | * JumpScare: He's always waiting for you at the booth, with no notice or warning whatsoever. |
| 186 | * TheNapoleon: Inverted. He's on the shorter side, standing a little over 1.5m, but he's an even-tempered individual. |
| 187 | * PetTheDog: Perform well for the month in serving Arstotzka, and don’t help EZIC in any way, and he'll recognize and reward your diligence by overlooking any recent suspicious activities. |
| 188 | * PragmaticVillainy: As long as you didn't help EZIC at all, he'll gladly keep you around despite your deal with Calensk, deliberately overlooking documents, and any screwing around with certain immigrants which he likely found out about. As far as he's concerned, you're 100% loyal to Arstotzka. |
| 189 | * PreMortemOneLiner: If the December 24 audit exposes your involvement with EZIC, thus getting you sentenced to death… |
| 190 | -->'''M. Vonel:''' Goodbye, inspector. |
| 191 | * PuttingOnTheReich: While most of the other Arstotzkan officials in the game wear vaguely Soviet Bloc-inspired garb like ''ushankas'', Vonel much more heavily resembles [[SecretPolice a high-ranking Gestapo officer]] with his dress trenchcoat and CommissarCap. |
| 192 | * ReasonableAuthorityFigure: Surprisingly for a secret police officer. Menacing aura aside, he is right in believing that government agents aiding terrorists is unacceptable in ''any'' country. So long as you haven't done that, he's more than willing to overlook your more minor transgressions. Even in the 'Too Honest' ending where he arrests you, it is mentioned that they will audit your recent activities rather than immediately execute you for treason, so [[RayOfHopeEnding there might be a chance the Inspector would survive]]. |
| 193 | * SecretPolice: He's good at it, too. He will know if you help even just ''one'' EZIC agent. |
| 194 | * TheStoic: He never breaks his calm, polite demeanour. |
| 195 | * TerseTalker: All his dialogue is short and to the point, especially when you compare it to your boss Dimitri. |
| 196 | |
| 197 | [[/folder]] |
| 198 | |
| 199 | !The Order of the EZIC Star |
| 200 | |
| 201 | [[folder:In General]] |
| 202 | [[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ezic.png]] |
| 203 | [[caption-width-right:350:For Arstotzka and the Order.]] |
| 204 | |
| 205 | A mysterious organization that aims to overthrow the Arstotzkan government. |
| 206 | ---- |
| 207 | * AllYourBaseAreBelongToUs: They try and [[spoiler:demolish the border on the final day]]. [[spoiler:If you helped them sufficiently, they'll carry on to take over the country. Depending on what else you do, you'll either join their ranks and get better housing for your family or executed for betrayal.]] |
| 208 | * AmbiguouslyEvil: They can easily be seen as a heroic group just as they can be interpreted to be antagonistic figures, with their intent to overthrow the Arstotzkan government with shady operations. Claims of their agenda being for common people like the Inspector can only be taken at face value. |
| 209 | * ArcSymbol: The EZIC star that they use to associate with one another. It is displayed on their hooded members, any event that was their doing is indicated with it on the newspapers, and [[SigilSpam it's on almost everything that they give and make]] for the Inspector. |
| 210 | * BenevolentConspiracy: While it is debatable on [[YourTerroristsAreOurFreedomFighters what their motives are and if they really mean what they say]], there's no denying that they take good care of those that help them and worry about innocent civilians. There's just enough material present to argue that they at least ''want'' to be a force of good. |
| 211 | * TheConspiracy: If you take them for villains. They're a highly secretive group planning the overthrow of the current government, their motives and ideals remaining a mystery. |
| 212 | * DramaticallyMissingThePoint: Burn their initial gift of 1000 credits, and they'll double the offer under the belief that you're asking for more money. They seemingly don't realize or understand that a border inspector (especially one working for the hyper-paranoid Arstotzkan government) would get into serious trouble if he suddenly came into posession of thousands of credits. |
| 213 | * EveryoneHasStandards: They don't intentionally target civilians in their operations and take no responsibility for the actions of the terrorist attacks that plague the border. |
| 214 | * FalseFlagOperation: One of their missions is to have their agent, a lookalike of Kolechian diplomat Kordon Kallo, take his identity and sent in to sabotage the peace talks. It puts a strain on the two nations' relations. |
| 215 | * InTheHood: The member that passes you secret notes (assuming it is one person and not multiple people using the same disguise) wears a hood that leaves his face shrouded in darkness. |
| 216 | * LaResistance: They're a clandestine organization that is trying to topple the government of Arstotzka, which they deem corrupt. They're not wrong in that assessment, though. |
| 217 | * LetNoCrisisGoToWaste: [[EveryoneHasStandards While they clarify that the attacks on the border are not their doing and disavow them]], they still believe that the rising tension between Kolechia and Arstotzka is important for their plans, and intend to have it continue by hindering the peace talks. |
| 218 | * MouthOfSauron: The hooded member (or members) of the order fits this role, passing notes to the Inspector on what they want him to do. |
| 219 | * NoOntologicalInertia: An odd case. [[spoiler:Assassinating the Man in Red with the rifle will cause the Inspector to be arrested, and with an uncooperative replacement, their operations are forced underground, rendering their previous quests moot. Meanwhile, if the player goes through the entire game without helping them, they will still end the game by carrying out their plans.]] It's as if their plans only go into motion if the current Inspector allows them. |
| 220 | * NotMeThisTime: On Day 17, an agent will give you a message saying that they have nothing to with the terrorist attacks that hurt normal civilians. |
| 221 | * TheRevolutionWillNotBeCivilized: {{Downplayed|Trope}}. [[WellIntentionedExtremist They may resort to some unscrupulous tasks]] to accomplish their goals, but they do not aim to create large-scale atrocities and try to keep their operations subtle. |
| 222 | * RightHandVersusLeftHand: Marie Escalli, one of their agents, disagrees with their plan to take out The Man in Red. Poor communication leads to the Inspector needing to decide on taking him out or not, with serious consequences following either decision. |
| 223 | * SigilSpam: Their symbol is a sort of square with radiating lines. This "star" is used for their clues, tools, and the appearances of their members. While they're secretive, Vonel and the government have taken notice of their icon. |
| 224 | * TheStoolPigeon: [[spoiler:Of the Lacerated Larry type. If you reach the end of Day 31 without having done enough EZIC tasks to trigger the "New Arstotzka" endings, or if you reach that point but then shoot their agents before they can blow up the border wall, during the audit the next day, M. Vonel tells you that one of the EZIC members they interrogated confessed to your involvement with them, [[DownerEnding which leads to you getting executed]].]] |
| 225 | * SuspiciousSpending: In order to further curry your loyalty to them, EZIC will send a package of 1000 credits as a gift for helping previous missions. It gives the Inspector's family not only everything they need, but also the opportunity to move to a higher class of apartment. [[spoiler:The neighbors grow suspicious, and after a government audit, confiscate the money. EZIC's gifts become much more subdued from then on, provided that you let an agent in that will deal with it.]] |
| 226 | * SymbolMotifClothing: They make their introduction with a hooded member sporting their symbol under their left eye. |
| 227 | * WellIntentionedExtremist: They can resort to more underhanded means to accomplish their goals. This includes, but is not limited to, [[spoiler:poisoning their enemies (with the chance of getting innocents caught in the crossfire), assassinating targets with rifles, and organizing attacks on government institutions]]. It's up to you to agree with them or not. |
| 228 | * WhatTheHellHero: They will admonish the Inspector if they proceed with enough of their missions but [[spoiler:suddenly decide to betray them at the last minute by not holding their fire against the agent near their booth]]. |
| 229 | * YourTerroristsAreOurFreedomFighters: Evil terrorist group or legit freedom fighters? The game leaves it ambiguous, so it is up to the player to decide if they want to help them or not. |
| 230 | |
| 231 | [[/folder]] |
| 232 | |
| 233 | [[folder:Corman Drex]] |
| 234 | One of the first members of the order you met. While the name and nationality is static, everything else will be randomly generated. |
| 235 | ---- |
| 236 | * ButThouMust: It's pretty much required for you to give them the note the previous hooded agent has given you, but [[SubvertedTrope that doesn't count among the criteria of helping EZIC]], and thus you can still get ending 20. |
| 237 | * CollectiveIdentity: [[ImpliedTrope Possibly]]. Aside from their nationality and name, Corman Drex's appearance is randomly generated, even between the two days they can appear. This makes the name come across as an alias used by EZIC agents. |
| 238 | * GenderBlenderName: Corman Drex is a masculine-sounding name, but both Corman Drexes will appear in either gender. |
| 239 | * YouDontLookLikeYou: If you deny their entry on the eighth day, they will appear again on the next day, but because of everything else of them being randomly generated, they can look almost entirely different. |
| 240 | |
| 241 | [[/folder]] |
| 242 | |
| 243 | [[folder:Mikhail Saratov and Stepheni Graire]] |
| 244 | Two agents, male and female, that you need to approve into the border in order to fulfill the criteria of helping the EZIC. Both are Arstotzkan natives that enter the border with their ID card missing. Their appearance is randomly generated, [[spoiler:though highlighting the decoder correctly will reveal their names, indicating they are the one you should let in]]. In Stepheni's case, she will help you sort out things when you accepted EZIC initial gift of [=$1,000 or $2,000 if the previous one is not accepted=], which causes some anomaly within your earnings. |
| 245 | ---- |
| 246 | * GameBreakingBug: In the earlier version of the game, there's a chance for Mikhail to receive correct papers, therefore allowing him to enter the country without penalty. |
| 247 | * SchmuckBait: Serves as part of this. Stepheni will only be needed if you chose to take the bait, as in the [=$1,000=] credit gift. And while she'll help you sort things out within the government inquiries regarding the anomaly within your earnings, all of your money will still be confiscated. |
| 248 | |
| 249 | [[/folder]] |
| 250 | |
| 251 | [[folder:Marie Escalli]] |
| 252 | One of the agents you have to let into the border in order to fulfill the criteria of helping the EZIC. Her appearance is randomly generated; [[spoiler:however, highlighting the cipher to her passport reveals the word [=E-Z-I-C=] in top-to-bottom order]]. Like every other agent after Corman Drex, she will be missing her ID card. |
| 253 | ---- |
| 254 | * {{Foreshadowing}}: When you let her in, she states that the 'Man in Red' is not a threat. The Man in Red is presumed to be Khaled Istom if he's denied entry or another assassin if he's let through or got killed off successfully prior. [[spoiler:She's right; letting the Man in Red through does not have any debilitating consequences for EZIC. If anything, killing him results in a NonStandardGameOver.]] |
| 255 | * RightHandVersusLeftHand: She does not agree with the rest of the Order, who believe that The Man in Red is a threat that needs to be eliminated. This raises an issue for the Inspector, who now has to decide on whether to kill him or not. |
| 256 | |
| 257 | [[/folder]] |
| 258 | |
| 259 | [[folder:Kordon Kallo Impersonator]] |
| 260 | [[quoteright:212:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/possible_kallo_imposter.png]] |
| 261 | [[caption-width-right:212:One of the possible appearances of the impersonator]] |
| 262 | The impersonator you need to accept in replacement of the real Kordon, whose passport you've already confiscated. There is a chance his skin tone and jacket might be of a different color than the real Kordon, and even those aside, the impersonator can be told apart because of his mustache. |
| 263 | ---- |
| 264 | * AgentProvocateur: His mission is to sabotage the negotiations between Arstotzkan and Kolechian officials, worsening their relations after the attacks on Arstotzka by Kolechian people. |
| 265 | * AntiFrustrationFeatures: If you hand him Kallo's passport and then approve his entry, you will not get a citation even though he is missing all other required documents, since you already got one citation for illegally confiscating the passport from the real Kordon Kallo. |
| 266 | * DeadPersonImpersonation: EZIC wants you to let the real Kordon Kallo in while also confiscating his passport, then use the confiscated passport for the impersonator they've sent to the checkpoint, where they can take control of the situation in their own terms. Kordon Kallo's death is implied as seen below. |
| 267 | * FalseFlagOperation: Plays a role in EZIC's plan for this. Following the Kolechian terrorist attacks, EZIC intends to keep the tension between the nations to achieve their ends. |
| 268 | * TheInfiltration: Is tasked to infiltrate the talk between Arstotzka and Kolechia to make sure their operation goes on smoothly. |
| 269 | * KillAndReplace: Implied. Kallo is an important diplomat, so simply replacing him with a look-alike during the talk would cause jeopardy within their operation because [[ConfrontingYourImposter the real deal could interrupt the impersonator]] and cause the entire operation to be for nothing, and ''worse'', unraveling their operation in other countries altogether. It's highly suggested that the other agents within the country have arranged his assassination beforehand to ensure that the operation goes smoothly. |
| 270 | * PaperThinDisguise: Played with. He looks exactly like the real Kordon, except he has a mustache. There is a chance that his skin tone and jacket color are the same as the real Kordon. In his defense, he said that he's going to shave his mustache off to complete the disguise. |
| 271 | |
| 272 | [[/folder]] |
| 273 | |
| 274 | !Notable Criminals |
| 275 | |
| 276 | [[folder:Various Terrorists]] |
| 277 | Occasionally, there will be terrorist attacks that threaten the order within the West Grestin border (mostly from Kolechia, but possible transgressions within the country exist), inevitably cutting the day short. They can occur in a scripted schedule or be randomly generated to appear after processing several entrants prior. There are three types of terrorists: A single grenadier climbing over the border wall and lobbing an explosive towards the guards before going down, a squadron of motorcyclists from within the border that attack the guards before bombing your booth, and a suicide bomber that tries to smuggle their bomb into the border before killing themselves in front of the guards. Starting from Day 16, you are given a standard-issue Tranquilizer gun to subdue the first two types of terrorist attacks, while the last one can be stopped by detaining them if you manage to scan their hidden explosives. Initially, only the suicide bombers were randomly generated. After you receive the tranquilizer, a grenadier might be randomly generated in day 20. |
| 278 | ---- |
| 279 | * BadassBiker: The armed motorcyclists are one of the more dangerous terrorist attacks in the game, being able to take down all the rear guards and being the only type of enemy that can bring ''you'' down for real. |
| 280 | * CuttingTheKnot: After the suicide bomber fiasco from day 6, you are given authority to use the body scanner to detect if an entrant is smuggling a weapon or some other contraband underneath their outfits. With the introduction of ID supplement on day 13, you can quickly detect whether an entrant has a bomb hidden within their clothes through the discrepancy between the weight and the supplementary information, allowing you to stop any further suicide bombings. |
| 281 | * EveryCarIsAPinto: Shooting at the motorbikes themselves will cause them to explode. Even if you're using the ''Tranquilizer'' gun. |
| 282 | * InterfaceSpoiler: You can tell an entrant is a suicide bomber if they don't say anything upon being approved. Since there's nothing that can be done about them after their passports are given back, you'll just have to sit and wait for the inevitable. |
| 283 | * LargeHam: The bombers in particular seem to have a code of shouting as they prepare their attacks. The [[TakingYouWithMe suicide bomber]] shouts "FOR KOLECHIA!" before blowing up the guards with them. |
| 284 | * NonStandardGameOver: Failing to take down the lower motorcyclist in time results in them lobbing a grenade at your booth, killing you instantly and sending you straight to the title screen. |
| 285 | * MadBomber: Variants of attacks include suicide bombers and individuals that climb the wall to toss an explosive at the guards. |
| 286 | * MadeOfExplodium: The bikes, [[ShootTheFuelTank when shot at]], cause a massive explosion from even the Tranquilizer darts. Considering that this [[AntiFrustrationFeatures helps take the terrorists out quickly]], [[AcceptableBreaksFromReality it's a welcome aspect]]. |
| 287 | * RevengeByProxy: If Kolechian extremists, they make it their goal to terrorize innocent civilians following their country's loss in the Six-Years War against Arstotzka. |
| 288 | * ShootTheFuelTank: One way to take the biker variants out quickly. |
| 289 | * SplashDamage: The most effective way to get rid of the bikers is to shoot at the vehicles of the lower bikers. This causes them to explode, taking the other attackers out with them. |
| 290 | * SuddenlyShouting: The normally silent suicide bombers (if approved) will approach the rear guard lineup, shouting "FOR KOLECHIA!" before blowing themselves up, taking the other guards with them. |
| 291 | * SuicideAttack: Suicide bombers from Kolechia will inflict this if let through. You can prevent this by identifying their contraband with a scan. |
| 292 | * TerroristsWithoutACause: They don't seem to have a clear motivation besides hatred of Arstotzka and[=/=]or Kolechian extremism, let alone a detailed explanation for why they have such beliefs, if only because our perspective as the border inspector won't give us too many details. |
| 293 | * WakeUpCallBoss: The armed motorcyclists are way too quick for your tranquilizer rifle's reticule. If you're not quick enough, you might waste more bullets than you need. They also come in packs, so good luck. |
| 294 | * WesternTerrorist: They originate from other Eastern Bloc nations, or even within Arstotzka itself. |
| 295 | |
| 296 | [[/folder]] |
| 297 | |
| 298 | [[folder:Dari Ludum]] |
| 299 | [[quoteright:310:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/dariludum.png]] |
| 300 | [[caption-width-right:310:"That little bitch. I break her in two."]] |
| 301 | An Arstotzkan local who owns the "Pink Vice" Brothel. In reality, he's a human trafficker and has been kidnapping and forcing people into working for him. |
| 302 | ---- |
| 303 | * BadBoss: He claims that he'll break one of his human trafficking victims in two once they meet if you give him the letter his would-be victim wrote. |
| 304 | * DisposableSexWorker: He doesn't give a damn about the prostitutes' lives and their safety. |
| 305 | * ForeheadOfDoom: He has a tall forehead. |
| 306 | * HateSink: Ludum is an abusive human trafficker, only seeing woman as a useful tool to him, even shamelessly promoting his business through them. When seeing a note of one of his girls begging inspector for help, he immediately thinks of a way to punish her. |
| 307 | * HumanTraffickers: He secretly engages in human trafficking under the guise of a brothel. |
| 308 | * LaserGuidedKarma: If the inspector detains him, Ludum ends up being arrested and sent to prison, the impetus for his downfall being a plea for help from one of his intended victims. |
| 309 | * LeanAndMean: He’s quite a tall person. |
| 310 | * TheOldestProfession: He's affiliated with a brothel, where he shares the brochures. It's just a cover-up for his human trafficking activities. Once captured, it's presumed that the brothel is also shut down. |
| 311 | * SayingTooMuch: If he's made to know about one of the women pleading for something to be done about him, he voices his intentions to have her punished out loud. This immediately summons the detainment option. |
| 312 | * ShoutOut: His name is a tip of the hat to the long-running Ludum Dare series of game jams. |
| 313 | * WouldHitAGirl: He makes his intentions quite clear if he's told about one of the girls fearing for her safety, and he has the prostitutes of his brothel killed if approved or denied for entry. |
| 314 | |
| 315 | [[/folder]] |
| 316 | |
| 317 | [[folder:Jorji Costava]] |
| 318 | [[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/jorji_release.png]] |
| 319 | [[caption-width-right:250:The friendliest crook in Grestin.]] |
| 320 | A peculiar fellow who comes to the Grestin border checkpoint several times, often with incomplete documentation or laughably obvious forgeries. He's one of the entrants that will give you a collectible token by fulfilling their tasks, which in Jorji's case, is letting him enter during the first 11 days. |
| 321 | ---- |
| 322 | * AchievementsInIgnorance: On Day 11, he ends up accidentally outsmarting the system in that he's cleared for entry as all his documents match… except his passport ID number has one less character than everyone else's. However, having an impossible ID isn't against the rules; it matches, so despite the blatant evidence of forgery, he's cleared for entry. |
| 323 | * BlatantLies: On his second visit, he gives the inspector an [[BadgeGag extremely obvious fake passport]] from the nonexistent country of Cobrastan and insists that it is genuine if interrogated about it. |
| 324 | * BribeBackfire: He tries to bribe the police to not put him in the wanted criminals bulletin. It doesn't work, and the Inspector can be the one to break the news that he's a wanted criminal anyway. |
| 325 | * ButtMonkey: He almost never has his paperwork correct, no matter how much he tries. At one point, he's swindled into buying an entry ticket ''days'' after they've become obsolete in favor of permits. [[HopeSpot While it might seem like he's learnt his lesson]] after the one time he has all of his documents ready, subsequent visits result in him [[spoiler:getting detained for contraband and being oblivious to his criminal status]]. He always bounces back, at least. |
| 326 | * CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass: He seems like a bumbling idiot with [[PaperThinDisguise incredibly half-baked schemes]], but he also appears to be a very well-connected and profitable drug dealer. There's also the fact that no matter how many times you detain him, [[CardboardPrison he's always out again in a couple of days]]. |
| 327 | * {{Determinator}}: Keeps trying to enter Arstotzka, no matter how many times he gets turned away or arrested. |
| 328 | * {{Foreshadowing}}: One dialogue line foreshadows him being a criminal: |
| 329 | --> '''Inspector:''' Do not come back again. |
| 330 | --> '''Jorji:''' Haha! You nice guy but I have business in Arstotzka. |
| 331 | * FriendInTheBlackMarket: Potentially to the Inspector. Not only can they accept bribes from him to turn a blind eye to his dirty business in [[spoiler:drug smuggling]], but Jorji can also tip them off about [[spoiler:a passport forger who may be able to help the Inspector and his family escape from Arstotzka if they should need to, even offering his own Obristani passport to the Inspector]]. He'll also [[spoiler:come back on the penultimate day, if he was let in at least once, and drop off a large monetary gift — which may prove crucial in getting the Inspector's family out of the country alive]]. |
| 332 | * FriendlyEnemy: He seems to approach his time with the Inspector as like a game, always being open and cheerful [[spoiler:and even helping them out in a crucial period]]. The feeling appears to be mutual, with the Inspector forgoing the usual "Papers, Please" line to instead greet Jorji on a FirstNameBasis. |
| 333 | * FunnyForeigner: Gives off this vibe, being both the main source of comic relief and having the [[YouNoTakeCandle most broken speech pattern]] out of all the recurring characters. His actual nationality is unclear, however, as there's every implication that the passport he's using is either a very good forgery or the result of a bribe. Given that he's the applicant who gives you the Obristan token, it's implied that he really is from there. |
| 334 | * GracefulLoser: He never bears any ill will when you deny him entrance or have him detained for valid reasons, probably because no matter what you do to him, he always manages to get out within a few days. At best, he blames the police officer who promised him omission from the wanted criminals bulletin if you point out his "wanted" status. The only time he actually gets angry is if his entry is denied for invalid reasons, and he's slightly ticked off at having his passport confiscated before [[spoiler:he actually gives you the idea to escape]]. |
| 335 | * IneffectualSympatheticVillain: Even if he is a criminal, you can’t help but find his antics amusing. |
| 336 | * ImmigrantPatriotism: Parodies this, being an Obristan native that does nothing but sing Arstotzka's praises and the Inspector's efficiency, mainly using the veneer of nationalism to hide his real purpose for entering the nation: [[spoiler:drug-running]]. |
| 337 | * JokeCharacter: He introduces himself as the one that follows your guidelines the least, to the point where his first appearance has him ''forego having a passport''. Anytime he appears is almost a guaranteed denial. The again, see WakeUpCallBoss and LethalJokeCharacter. |
| 338 | * KarmaHoudini: Nothing ever seems to stick to Jorji. He always comes back after a few days, even after being detained for smuggling drugs. This means he somehow also managed to get ''out'' of the country in between. |
| 339 | * LethalJokeCharacter: |
| 340 | ** As he will first appear by presenting himself without a passport, the player may not know just how to deny him when they have nothing to stamp. Closing the shutters hints at what you're supposed to cite. |
| 341 | ** Due to his previous appearances consisting of him getting everything blatantly wrong, [[CryingWolf the one time where every document is in order]] may be missed by the player, who will presume that it's just another case of denying him entry. It's apparently so challenging that the scenario offers the Obristan token if they let him in. |
| 342 | * LoveableRogue: He's a criminal [[spoiler:and a drug smuggler]], but he's just so damn friendly and charming that even the Inspector isn't able to hate him for long. Considering he never seems to stay imprisoned for long no matter how often he gets arrested, it's likely a lot of law enforcement officials feel the same way. |
| 343 | * NotEvenBotheringWithAnExcuse: If he gets caught trying to [[spoiler:smuggle drugs into the country]]. |
| 344 | -->'''Inspector:''' What is this?\ |
| 345 | '''Jorji:''' [[spoiler:Is drugs!]] |
| 346 | * OOCIsSeriousBusiness: He stops being polite to the inspector if you deny him entry during the one and only time all his papers are in order and he isn't carrying any contraband. |
| 347 | -->'''Jorji:''' This is crap.\ |
| 348 | '''Jorji:''' You know what? Forget it. Arstotzka worst country. You worst person. |
| 349 | * PatrioticFervor: Parodied. He initially tries to enter Arstotzka with nothing but sheer praise for the country, hoping that it's enough. Specifically, he claims Arstotzka is such a great country that a passport shouldn't be required to get in. Subsequent appearances have him speak highly of the place. |
| 350 | * PermanentlyMissableContent: Not letting him enter on his first four attempts, including the part where his paperwork is valid, will prevent you from getting the Obristan collectible token. |
| 351 | * PluckyComicRelief: He's practically the only source of funny moments in a game otherwise grim and dystopic. |
| 352 | * ThePollyanna: He greets you with much enthusiasm every time he comes up, and doesn't even lose his cheery demeanor when he gets detained. The [[OOCIsSeriousBusiness one time]] he stops being cheerful is when you deny him despite having all of his documents in order. |
| 353 | * PrisonEscapeArtist: It doesn't matter how often you detain him; Jorji will always come back to the checkpoint no worse for wear. |
| 354 | * ScrewTheRulesIHaveConnections: |
| 355 | ** He ends up meeting with people that deal with forging immigration papers, and they're eventually good enough to let him pass at least once. [[spoiler:He eventually offers this to the Inspector and his family, as a chance to escape the audit if they've done something wrong.]] |
| 356 | ** He has enough money and connections that will allow him to leave the detainment of the border guards more than once. It's not good enough to get him off of the criminal bulletin, however. |
| 357 | * ScrewTheRulesIHaveMoney: |
| 358 | ** He tries to bribe the Inspector to let him into Arstotzka. |
| 359 | ** One time you detain him, he will claim he paid good money for one of his fake passports. [[spoiler:He ultimately lets you know where to get a few for yourself and your family once he learns about your upcoming audit and that your passports have been taken away.]] |
| 360 | ** It's subverted on the day the criminal bulletin is introduced; he ends up on it despite paying someone to remove his name. |
| 361 | * SuspiciouslySpecificDenial: "Everything is definitely ok with me. For sure I am not in criminal bulletin or anything!" |
| 362 | * ThinkOfTheChildren: If he gets denied entry or arrested for [[spoiler:carrying drugs]]. |
| 363 | -->'''Jorji:''' Is ok, I understand. [[spoiler:{{Drugs are bad}}.]] Not good for kids. |
| 364 | * ViolationOfCommonSense: When he starts coming with documentation, the player can allow his entry before the day he has his papers in order. This ''still'' nets you the Obristan token despite the glaring issues, just at a much earlier time than expected, and can be done as early as Day 4 by approving the crude forgery. |
| 365 | * WakeUpCallBoss: He's the first entrant that you need to specifically inspect the rulebook to refer what's missing, and to teach you that the rulebook isn't just a protocol of what an entrant needs to enter the country, but also a tool you can use in case the entrant doesn't meet the criteria for entry (for example; missing passport or entry permit). |
| 366 | * WhatTheHellPlayer: |
| 367 | ** Deny him on his fourth attempt, the one time where all of his documents are correct, and he'll drop his usual cheery demeanor and call you out for the unjustified denial. |
| 368 | ** He'll suggest you take Obristan passports for you to [[spoiler:escape Arstotzka with forgeries]]. Normally, he'll force you to take his after this advice, but you can confiscate his passport ''before'' he makes the offer. While he can easily get a new one and would've given it to you anyway, he's somewhat irked over you pulling this. |
| 369 | * YouNoTakeCandle: While much of the game's dialogue [[EnforcedTrope intentionally features this]], most of Jorji's speech especially consists of awkward and broken phrasing. |
| 370 | -->'''Jorji:''' Arstotzka so great! Passport not needed. |
| 371 | |
| 372 | [[/folder]] |
| 373 | |
| 374 | [[folder:Nathan Cykelek / Carpov Calistnen]] |
| 375 | [[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/nathan_6.png]] |
| 376 | [[caption-width-right:250:"Shit! I make small mistake. Please give documents back."]] |
| 377 | An entrant who leads a double-identity life, which he quickly unravels by mistake. |
| 378 | ---- |
| 379 | * AlliterativeName: One of his aliases is '''Ca'''rpov '''Ca'''listnen. |
| 380 | * EpicFail: Passing over both of your passports that list completely different names at the border crossing is an ''unprecedented'' level of fuckupery. |
| 381 | * IHaveManyNames: Both of the passports he has have the same photo and birthdate, but two different names, Nathan Cykelek and Carpov Calistnen. |
| 382 | * MissingSecret: If you interrogate him, he promises to tell you his story of why he has two passports if you return his documents. However, if you do so, he leaves without saying anything else. |
| 383 | * OhCrap: When he realizes he handed over both of his passports by mistake, he begs you to give them back. |
| 384 | * ZeroEffortBoss: The very moment he appears at your booth and presents his documents, which include ''two passports'', the Detain button appears. |
| 385 | [[/folder]] |
| 386 | |
| 387 | [[folder:Shaddy Safadi]] |
| 388 | [[quoteright:255:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/cool_moustaced_immigrant.png]] |
| 389 | [[caption-width-right:255:"They must pay well for such obedience, dog!"]] |
| 390 | A Kolechian drug smuggler that attempted to enter Arstotzka. |
| 391 | ---- |
| 392 | * AlliterativeName: '''S'''haddy '''S'''afadi. Doubles as PunnyName. |
| 393 | * BeardOfEvil: More like a mustache, but he is still a criminal. |
| 394 | * BribeBackfire: You can deny or detain him upon finding out he's been smuggling contraband. He calls you out, bashing on your obedience. |
| 395 | --> '''Shaddy:''' They must pay well for such obedience, dog! |
| 396 | * PunnyName: "Shaddy" is similar to "Shady", aptly describing his background as a criminal. |
| 397 | * ScrewTheRulesIHaveMoney: When he's discovered smuggling contraband, he offers you a lot of money to let him pass. You have the option to accept this or detain him. |
| 398 | * YouBastard: Calls you a "dog" of the Arstotzkan government if you refuse his bribe and entry. |
| 399 | |
| 400 | [[/folder]] |
| 401 | |
| 402 | [[folder:Simon Wens]] |
| 403 | [[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/simonwens.png]] |
| 404 | [[caption-width-right:250:"What the fuck?!"]] |
| 405 | An Arstotzkan serial child murderer who escapes from prison in the United Fed and tries to cross back home. |
| 406 | ---- |
| 407 | * AssholeVictim: A deranged serial child murderer. The vengeful father and the fate of his late daughter Julia only reaffirm that his man must be dealt with quickly, and he deserves every single chance of comeuppance that you (and the father) can give him. |
| 408 | * CruelAndUnusualDeath: We don't know how exactly he is murdered (if you choose to make it happen), but the authorities describe the scene as a "confusing mess". |
| 409 | * HateSink: He is a serial child killer and has absolutely no redeeming traits. The moral dilemma that concerns him is only about whether he should be detained and sent to authorities or allowed into the country to let the Vengeful Father enact vigilante justice. |
| 410 | * KarmicDeath: Taking certain actions sees him [[spoiler:torn to pieces by the father of one of his victims]]. |
| 411 | * OhCrap: If you hand over the picture of Vengeful Father's children, he freaks out and storms out of the checkpoint. |
| 412 | -->'''Simon Wens:''' What the [[PrecisionFStrike fuck]]?! |
| 413 | * ScrewThisImOuttaHere: If you show him the photo of one of his victims (provided to you by said victim's father), he [[OhCrap freaks out]] and bolts from the checkpoint. |
| 414 | * SerialKiller: He was convicted of being a serial child killer. |
| 415 | * WouldHurtAChild: Because of this, a vengeful father asks for your help to get revenge on him for killing his daughter. |
| 416 | |
| 417 | [[/folder]] |
| 418 | |
| 419 | [[folder:Unknown Bomber]] |
| 420 | A terrorist from an unknown origin, entering the booth only to curse upon the Arstotzka and left a time bomb onto the booth, before immediately running away. |
| 421 | ---- |
| 422 | * DidntThinkThisThrough: Their scripted event sees them toss a bomb into your booth, screaming "DEATH TO ARSTOTZKA!". Not only is the explosive on a very generous timer, but it also keeps numbers on which wires should be cut in order. [[DoWrongRight Calensk is not impressed]]. |
| 423 | * FlatCharacter: They merely exist to halt the player's progress with a timebomb and following defusing puzzle. Not even their motivations are known besides hatred of Arstotzka. |
| 424 | * LargeHam: Leaves a bomb on your desk after they scream "DEATH TO ARSTOTZKA!" |
| 425 | * NonStandardGameOver: Cutting the wire in the wrong order causes the screen to flash, sending you back to the title screen. |
| 426 | * TheSpook: Their identity and nation of origin isn't given, and their appearance is randomly generated. |
| 427 | * SuddenlyShouting: '''''"DEATH TO ARSTOTZKA!"''''' |
| 428 | * WesternTerrorist: One strongly implied from Kolechia, like many others. |
| 429 | |
| 430 | [[/folder]] |
| 431 | |
| 432 | [[folder:Vince Lestrade]] |
| 433 | [[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/lestrade_6.png]] |
| 434 | [[caption-width-right:250:"Damn. Look, I did not kill her. I was set up. Let me through."]] |
| 435 | Republia professional track runner. He's on-the-run from the Republia justice system after allegedly killing off his girlfriend in a "jealous rage". |
| 436 | ---- |
| 437 | * ADeadlyAffair: {{Implied|Trope}}. He was accused of murdering his girlfriend in a "jealous rage", suggesting that he might have taken serious offense. |
| 438 | * {{Foreshadowing}}: This is the first time you can pinpoint something outside of the enclosed instructions from the guidebook, foreshadowing the wanted criminal mechanic introduced later on. |
| 439 | * NoCelebritiesWereHarmed: Is quite clearly based on Oscar Pistorius, who was arrested for the fatal shooting of his girlfriend shortly after the game entered development. |
| 440 | |
| 441 | [[/folder]] |
| 442 | |
| 443 | !Notable Entrants |
| 444 | |
| 445 | [[folder:Pyotr and Katya Vostok]] |
| 446 | A loving couple of immigrants from Antegria, fleeing from the Antegrian tyranny. Pyotr comes in first, with perfect papers, but notifies you of his wife coming in shortly after. Katya has a discrepancy in her papers, and if you let her through anyway, you receive the Antegria token (and a citation). |
| 447 | ---- |
| 448 | * AdaptationNameChange: In the short film adaptation, their names are changed from Pyotr and Katya Vostok to Isaac and Ivana Robinsky. |
| 449 | * AdaptationalVillainy: In the game, they're a pair of perfectly innocent immigrants who want to escape their oppressive country. In the short movie adaptation, the moment they're admitted, they [[spoiler:perform a suicide bombing]]. |
| 450 | * {{Foreshadowing}}: Their short arc foreshadows the practice of domestic spying within Antegrian grounds, which in turn exposed by a whistleblower in day 11. |
| 451 | * PermanentlyMissableContent: Not letting Katya enter the country prevents you from getting the Antegrian collectible token. |
| 452 | * VideoGameCaringPotential: Letting Katya enter the country despite missing her papers grants you an Antegrian collectible token. |
| 453 | |
| 454 | [[/folder]] |
| 455 | |
| 456 | [[folder:Antegrian Whistleblower]] |
| 457 | [[quoteright:195:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/antegrian_whistleblower.png]] |
| 458 | [[caption-width-right:195:"Thank you. I hope that things are better here."]] |
| 459 | An entrant from Antegria seeking asylum somewhere after exposing the domestic spying within her country. Other than her face, origin country and gender, all of her recorded information is randomly generated. |
| 460 | ---- |
| 461 | * BigBrotherIsWatching: She was on the run from Antegrian secret service after exposing this. |
| 462 | * {{Foreshadowing}}: She was referenced several times in the newspaper, first stated that she exposes the espionage practice within their domestic grounds towards the press and she was on the run ever since. Later on, her entry was denied several times in harboring countries like United Federation and Republia. Because Arstotzka has yet implemented asylum permit rule, you might be indirectly responsible for her escape because her papers will always be correct. |
| 463 | * PlaceOfProtection: Has been seeking asylum from neighboring countries with no success, until you came along and let her through. |
| 464 | * TheStoolPigeon: Crosses between Betrayer Belinda and Whistleblower Wilma. She ought to save her own skin for being on the run, but domestic spying is a violation of privacy, and she might do it to reveal everything Antegrian had covered up from the international grounds. |
| 465 | * WhatHappenedToTheMouse: Whether you accept or deny her entry, the next day newspaper stated that she just disappeared. It's presumed that either she transited away from the continent or was killed off by the Antegrian secret service hiding within the country if they were there to begin with. |
| 466 | |
| 467 | [[/folder]] |
| 468 | |
| 469 | [[folder:Danic Lorun]] |
| 470 | [[quoteright:237:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/danic_lorum.png]] |
| 471 | [[caption-width-right:237:"To prove, I give you something important."]] |
| 472 | An entrant from Republia. He didn't come with proper papers, so he "entrusted" you with a digital watch, which he claims to be a family heirloom, and asks you to keep it for a few days until he returns with proper papers. Occasionally, there are entrants that want you to buy the watch for a small price, and you can sell it off. He will eventually return and asks for the watch back, as long as you didn't sell it. He's one of the few entrants that will give you the collectible Tokens when completing their tasks, in this case keeping his watch and return it with the money he gave you. |
| 473 | ---- |
| 474 | * BribeBackfire: He acknowledges his lack of proper papers, but offers his family's digital watch as collateral under the promise that he'll be back with the proper papers next time, along with more money. The Inspector has several chances to break the promise and even get Lorun ''detained'' if he feels especially petty. |
| 475 | * FantasticRacism: He has it out for Arstotzkans, believing them all to be crooked liars. Depending on your actions for when he bargains his watch, he may double down on his beliefs or eventually come around thanks to your honesty. |
| 476 | * ItsAllJunk: If you really hate keeping too much stuff on your table, you can sell his watch to Kaevink Caullinski, the entrant on the next day that wants to buy the watch, or an entrant from the next day after that, before Danic gets back, annoyed that he couldn't keep his mouth shut in the line. |
| 477 | * JerkWithAHeartOfGold: He can be really obnoxious at times, with his lines hinting that he takes small offenses seriously, and he constantly swears if you choose to disagree with (or detain) him, especially when discovering the scratch on his watch and demanding the money back. But if you agree to return the money he gave you... |
| 478 | * KarmicJackpot: Selling the watch off to someone else or keeping it for yourself may be tempting, if you're even willing to hear him out and violate protocol. However, follow his instructions to the letter, even looking past his rude last-minute accusations, and you'll be rewarded with credits and a token. |
| 479 | * PermanentlyMissableContent: Not letting him in the first time, failing to keep his watch until he asks you to return it, and not returning the money when he angrily asks for it back, will all prevent you from getting the Republia collectible token. |
| 480 | * SecretTestOfCharacter: After getting the citation from taking him up on his bargain, you're left worrying about a random knickknack lying around your desk space, tempted to sell it to someone seemingly giving a better offer, and ''then'' dealing with a rude Lorun asking for his watch ''and'' money back, enduring it all after waiting for him to finally get back. Hold off on detaining him and actually hand him his money, and he'll be stunned by your integrity, before admitting the scratch was actually there before. Not only does he let you keep the money, but this also grants the Republia token. |
| 481 | * VideoGameCaringPotential: Lending the watch back and returning the credits he gave you will make him endeared by your honesty, in which he will return the money and give you a collectible token. |
| 482 | * VideoGameCrueltyPotential: You can accept his offer of keeping the watch for collateral, then betray the promise in one way or another. |
| 483 | ** The next day, Kaevink Caullinski offers to buy the watch off the Inspector for 10 credits and insists that Lorun won't be coming back to reclaim it, giving a quicker payout. The day after that, another entrant just before Lorun will make an offer to buy it for 20 credits, a bigger amount than what both Caullinski and Lorun offer. |
| 484 | ** If you've kept the watch by the time Lorun comes back, he'll have the right papers as promised and add 10 credits as a bonus. However, he demands you give his money back for somehow getting a scratch on the watch. You then have the option to detain him in response. |
| 485 | ** Alternatively, you can forego the deal altogether and deny him entry the first time he arrives, detain him when he asks for his watch back, and then have it sold for 10 credits at the end of the day. |
| 486 | * WhatTheHellHero: He'll already be disgruntled if he's denied entry, but he'll really call you out if you have him detained to keep the watch for yourself or to get rid of him after going back on your word. |
| 487 | [[/folder]] |
| 488 | |
| 489 | [[folder:Depressed Kolechian and Love Letter Giver]] |
| 490 | Two entrants related for getting one of the collectible token. The depressed Kolechian is a randomly generated entrant that will lament on their life for the fact that nobody loves them. The love letter giver is an entrant who tried to enter without any documents, only bring a crudely drawn love letter as a bribe to let them in. Both came on the same day in reverse order. |
| 491 | ---- |
| 492 | * BribeBackfire: The love letter giver asks for their letter back, which takes a massive amount of chutzpah. You can detain them for it. |
| 493 | -->'''Entrant (if detained):''' Is too much?\ |
| 494 | '''Inspector:''' [[BluntYes Yes]]. |
| 495 | * DespairEventHorizon: Whatever happened to the Kolechian sure does put quite a toll on them, to the point that the love letter you gave them will cheer them up, even if you denied or detained them. |
| 496 | * TheEeyore: The Kolechian entrant on day 25, voicing how much they hate their life. They'll remain this way until they get the letter. |
| 497 | * IJustWantToBeLoved: The depressed fellow will say this at the start of their inspection. |
| 498 | * PermanentlyMissableContent: Not giving the love letter to the Kolechian will prevent you from getting the Kolechian collectible token. |
| 499 | * SkewedPriorities: After the Depressed Kolechian is given the love letter, they'll be so happy that they won't care if you deny or approve them afterwards. Not even if they end up ''detained''. |
| 500 | * VideoGameCaringPotential: Keeping the love note on you and giving it to the Depressed Kolechian earns you the Kolechia token for brightening their day. |
| 501 | * VideoGameCrueltyPotential: |
| 502 | ** You can accept the love letter giver's denial slip, then detain them when they ask you to hand over the letter back. |
| 503 | ** It's possible for the Depressed Kolechian to be on the criminal bulletin, prompting their detainment. If you do this ''after'' giving them the love letter, they'll be too happy to care at least. |
| 504 | |
| 505 | [[/folder]] |
| 506 | |
| 507 | [[folder:Elisa Katsenja]] |
| 508 | [[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/elisa_8.png]] |
| 509 | [[caption-width-right:250:"Do you know Sergiu? He said that you were a friend that you would help."]] |
| 510 | An entrant from Kolechia and the lover of Sergiu. She will always be missing some documents. |
| 511 | ---- |
| 512 | * AdaptationalUgliness: Downplayed. While she's not unattractive in the movie, her face is more chiseled and she looks more unkempt. |
| 513 | * BreakTheCutie: There's no one else left for her besides Sergiu, and the Kolechian government don't give a damn about her or letting her legally leave the country. You can invoke this to her yourself by denying her or telling her that Sergiu is dead, crushing whatever remained important to her. |
| 514 | * VideoGameCaringPotential: If you let her in and Sergiu is still alive at that point, you will see a heartwarming scene of them seeing them for the first time in years followed by a hug. If Sergiu survives the next terrorist attack, he will tell you that he will be posted somewhere else and giving you [=$100=] as a token of gratitude. |
| 515 | * VideoGameCrueltyPotential: You can deny her only entry opportunity or even worse, let her through but ''fail to save Sergiu'', which leaves her alone and heartbroken in a foreign country. |
| 516 | |
| 517 | [[/folder]] |
| 518 | |
| 519 | [[folder:Filipe Hasse]] |
| 520 | [[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/filipe_hasse_0.png]] |
| 521 | [[caption-width-right:250:]] |
| 522 | Filipe Hasse is an Arstotzkan Citizen and the player for the national soccer team "Arstotzkan Arskickers". He lost his ID card during a match, and "bribes" you for an entry using the team's pennant. If you accepted it, you could hang it on the wall. Later he returns with valid papers but wants you to return the pennant. You can hand his pennant, or simply refuse and detain him on the spot. |
| 523 | ---- |
| 524 | * BlackComedy: If the Inspector feels so entitled and petty, he can respond to Filipe's request to return the pennant by ''siccing the guards on him'' without real charges. The reason for doing so is punctuated with his comment: |
| 525 | --> '''Inspector:''' The banner is mine now. |
| 526 | * BlatantLies: Claims to own the pennant himself, when it actually belongs to the team. The coach wants it back by his second visit. |
| 527 | * DisproportionateRetribution: The only way to keep the Arskickers pennant on your wall is to ''detain'' him, the process that involves leading the entrants out with the armed guards [[UncertainDoom to an unknown fate]]. And the Inspector specifically cites getting to keep the banner as the motivation here. |
| 528 | * {{Keet}}: He's rather excitable for an entrant, even asks you to root for the national team. |
| 529 | * LovableJock: He's a player for the national soccer team and is rather nice towards you. Even when he's calling you out, it is [[WhatTheHellHero well-deserved]]. |
| 530 | * PermanentlyMissableContent: That cool pennant he gave you? If you gave it to him, there's no way to get it back unless you load a save. |
| 531 | * SeriousBusiness: You can either return the Arskickers banner as he requests, or you can toss him to the guards if you ''really'' don't want to give it up. |
| 532 | * VideoGameCrueltyPotential: You can keep his pennant permanently on your office by detaining him when he comes back to retrieve it. |
| 533 | * VideoGameCrueltyPunishment: Played With. The pennant you kept hanging in your booth could get you arrested if you didn't put it down in time when Dimitri came to pay your booth a visit after you got another warning yourself. Karma's a bitch, indeed. |
| 534 | * WhatTheHellHero: Calls you out if you choose to keep the pennant permanently, which translate into [[DisproportionateRetribution detaining him]]. In fact, this is one of the few moments where the Inspector can choose to act like an asshole without [[PunchClockVillain having to abide by the regulations]] |
| 535 | -->'''Filipe:''' Oh boy. Such an [[PrecisionFStrike asshole]] here. If guards do not kill me, coach will. |
| 536 | |
| 537 | [[/folder]] |
| 538 | |
| 539 | [[folder:Imporian Mother]] |
| 540 | An entrant from Impor who appears on Day 4, visiting her son who was living in Arstotzka. However, she has an expired entry permit. If you interrogate her about this, but let her through anyway, you get the Impor token (and a citation). |
| 541 | ---- |
| 542 | * PermanentlyMissableContent: Not pointing out the discrepancy and letting her enter after will prevent you from getting the Impor collectible token. |
| 543 | * WarmupBoss: The first entrant who rewards you with a token if you [[ScrewTheRulesImDoingWhatsRight deviate from your rules for the entrant's benefit]]. She only needs you to ask about her discrepancy but let her in anyway. The subsequent ones will involve more complex tasks over more days. |
| 544 | |
| 545 | [[/folder]] |
| 546 | |
| 547 | [[folder:Journalist]] |
| 548 | [[quoteright:182:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/press_pass.png]] |
| 549 | [[caption-width-right:182:One of the possible press ID cards they're so entitled of.]] |
| 550 | Two randomly-generated journalist entering in two separate days. Both attempted entry with only a passport and a worthless international press identification card. |
| 551 | ---- |
| 552 | * AssholeVictim: It's possible to kill the second journalist by using the powder from EZIC that is meant for Khaled Istom. |
| 553 | * EntitledBastard: They claim that their international press identification card alone is enough to warrant them entry, and will belittle you for your incompetency or bias regardless of whether you chose to let them in or not. |
| 554 | * HateSink: They're abrasive and show little respect towards you, and the first one's attempt to enter will add more to the protocol. |
| 555 | * IntrepidReporter: They're entering the country looking for big scoops, regardless of whether it's right to do so or not. Doubles as ImmoralJournalist. |
| 556 | * {{Jerkass}}: |
| 557 | ** The first one will call you out for not letting them in, despite you having the right to deny them. Doing so results in the next day report claiming that the Arstotzkans have a highly strict border with apparent visa bias, forcing the ministry to have you use the "reason for denial" stamp. |
| 558 | ** The other journalist attempting to enter the border days later will also accuse you of being inefficient or fascist depending on whether you let them in or not. |
| 559 | * KarmaHoudini: Regardless of what they do, there's no way for you to detain them on the spot nor get them any comeuppance whatsoever. |
| 560 | * KarmaHoudiniWarranty: Alternatively, you can use the poison the EZIC agent has provided you in day 20, if you choose to spare Khaled. Doing so will not tick the EZIC checklist, therefore allowing you to get ending 20. |
| 561 | * MortonsFork: If you refuse their entry per protocol due to not having any valid paperwork besides a passport, they'll write a scathing article complaining about how excessively strict Arstotzka's immigration controls are. If you let them in anyway, they'll write an article about how dangerously easy it is to enter the country and mock you for being terrible at following the rules, and of course, the M.O.A. will issue a citation as salt in the wound. For the second journalist, however, you can TakeAThirdOption and kill them with the poison offered by EZIC on Day 20 without facing a NonStandardGameOver. |
| 562 | * UngratefulBastard: So what happens if you ''do'' let them in? Not only will they call you slow and curse out Arstotzkan bureaucracy, but they will also call the Arstotzkan border ''frail'' and criticize their lax protocols. The second journalist would also call you inefficient if you let them in. [[KickTheDog All as salt in the wound as the M.O.A. prints you a citation.]] |
| 563 | [[/folder]] |
| 564 | |
| 565 | [[folder:Khaled Istom]] |
| 566 | An entrant from Antegria. Doesn't sound suspicious at all, but in reality, he's an assassin hired to kill off some of the EZIC agent that currently resides in Arstotzka. If you've been accepting EZIC orders, you are tasked to poison him by applying a lethal dose of poison powder onto his passport. If he survives and deny his papers prior, the EZIC agent will state that the previously described "Man in Red" is Khaled, and he's making a return. You are tasked to shoot him and made a sacrifice for the order. For convenience, this character tab will also describe the poison used for the assassination and the man in red, even if it isn't Khaled. |
| 567 | ---- |
| 568 | * AssassinOutclassin: He's tasked to assassinate the EZIC agents that reside in Arstotzka, and depending on your disposition with EZIC, you can put him down before he did any damage. |
| 569 | * BloodFromTheMouth: |
| 570 | ** Upon poisoning and approving the passport and returning the papers back to him, he will move out from the booth and become unbalanced before eventually falling down, coughing up quite a bit of blood from his mouth. A random guard comes to inspect him, only to share the same fate just as he tries to approach your booth. |
| 571 | ** If you denied and poisoned his passport, the same still happens to him, except this time the nearby entrants will begin to suffer from the poison and send the masses into panic. |
| 572 | * TheBusCameBack: If he survives and was denied, he will not be mentioned up until day 23, where the agent informs us [[spoiler: that the Man in Red from the line is him, before giving you the silver key and access to the sniper rifle, giving you the choice to sacrifice your career to put him down for good]]. |
| 573 | * ColourCodedForYourConvenience: If you choose to not poison him and reject him, [[spoiler:he will reappear as the Man in Red, waiting at the line during Day 23]]. |
| 574 | * NonStandardGameOver: |
| 575 | ** If you touch the powder meant for Khaled, you die, and no ending sequence plays; you just go back to the main menu. |
| 576 | ** If you shoot an innocent civilian, [[VideoGameCrueltyPunishment you will be sentenced to forced labor or death]], depending on whether you ''merely'' tranquilized them or outright killed them. The same goes with the Man in Red, but you then get an additional sequence where EZIC informs you that while they've managed to keep your family safe, the new inspector isn't as cooperative and EZIC has no choice but to cease their activities. |
| 577 | * PerfectPoison: You will be tasked by EZIC to apply a small yet lethal amount of poison they provide onto his passport. |
| 578 | * SchmuckBait: Ezic warns you to not touch the poison powder in the packet. [[TooDumbToLive Do so]], and you will die straight away. No ending reels, ''[[NonStandardGameOver straight to the main menu]]''. |
| 579 | * SenselessSacrifice: Shooting the Man in Red and sacrificing yourself for The Order solves nothing, as the replacement inspector isn't cooperative enough, forcing them to lay low for quite a while, leaving you to be executed for your crimes and your family getting taken to Obristan. Whether you helped EZIC or not, it's advised that you don't shoot the Man in Red and just continue work as usual; EZIC will just change their plans and carry on. |
| 580 | |
| 581 | [[/folder]] |
| 582 | |
| 583 | [[folder:Kordon Kallo]] |
| 584 | [[quoteright:204:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/kordon_kallo.png]] |
| 585 | [[caption-width-right:204:]] |
| 586 | A Kolechian diplomat that was sent by the Kolech government to sort out things in the negotiations regarding a coordinated attack that occurred at the Grestin checkpoint on Day 27. EZIC stated that, while they did not partake on any terrorist attacks so far [[spoiler:(not until Day 31 anyway)]], they wanted to take advantage of the situation and tasked you to approve his entry, but confiscate the passport, then give the passport to the impersonator where you will approve the visa and let him in. It's unknown what happened to the real Kallo after the entry, but if you do help EZIC, the next day newspaper shows that the impersonator takes the action and made a ruckus during the negotiation, ensuring no one will hinder their progress. |
| 587 | ---- |
| 588 | * AlliterativeName: '''K'''ordon '''K'''allo |
| 589 | * AssInAmbassador: He acts as one for the upcoming talks regarding the terrorist attack in the previous day if you do something wrong against him. If he's rejected, had his passport confiscated, or a combination of the two, he'll call you out and deem you a "barbarian". He is justified since his paperwork is always in order and there is nothing to justify stealing his passport. |
| 590 | * WhatHappenedToTheMouse: It's presumed that EZIC disposes of him to make sure he won't make it to the talks if you steal his passport and give it to the impersonator so that an impostor can impersonate him. |
| 591 | |
| 592 | [[/folder]] |
| 593 | |
| 594 | [[folder:Messof Anegovych]] |
| 595 | [[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/messof_anegovych.png]] |
| 596 | [[caption-width-right:250:Director of Meskor Engineering]] |
| 597 | An Arstotzkan native and the director of Meskor Engineering. He's asking you to hand over his business cards to the potential engineers wanting to work in Arstotzka. He's one of the few entrants that gave you a collectible token if you completed his task. |
| 598 | ---- |
| 599 | * BenevolentBoss: Downplayed. He'll always compliment at least one engineer depending on how many you've advertised to, but will ditch the rest. In the end, he's appreciative of the help you offer and rewards you with $5 for every engineer who called (up to $20) and an Arstotzkan collectible token if you gave all four. |
| 600 | * HonestCorporateExecutive: He's a director of the company he's working with, and his papers are all in order. He will also only hire people with valid paperwork, and all four engineers do have valid paperwork. |
| 601 | ** Additionally, he will keep his word and pay you for each call he received despite only having use for one of them. |
| 602 | * JerkassHasAPoint: While he's rude towards the potential workers, he needs competent mechanical engineers; civil engineers didn't fit his job scope and he had to turn them down, and anyone who turned out to be incompetent would not be good hires. |
| 603 | * PermanentlyMissableContent: Not handing over all four business cards to the potential engineers will not reward you the Arstotzkan collectible token. |
| 604 | * ShoutOut: His name is a reference to Messof, aka Mark Essen, developer of ''VideoGame/{{Nidhogg}}'' and ''VideoGame/{{Flywrench}}''. |
| 605 | |
| 606 | [[/folder]] |
| 607 | |
| 608 | [[folder:Shae Piersovska]] |
| 609 | [[quoteright:233:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/shae_piersovska.png]] |
| 610 | [[caption-width-right:233:"How is Dimitri? I heard he runs checkpoint now."]] |
| 611 | A diplomat from Kolechia, except her diplomatic authorization does not include Arstotzka. It's implied that she and Dimitri are lovers. |
| 612 | ---- |
| 613 | * AssInAmbassador: Averted. She's rather nice and sympathizes with your position because Dimitri is still such a dick, but she's not here for diplomatic entry. |
| 614 | * LeaningOnTheFourthWall: When you point out that her Diplomatic Authorization doesn't include Arstotzka, causing the Detain button to appear, she warns you that you probably shouldn't press it because "Dimitri is not forgiving person"; indeed, doing so won't make ''her'' upset so much as it will upset Dimitri enough to trigger a NonStandardGameOver. Given that no one else who becomes eligible for detention ever comments on the Detain button, it's implied that the Detain button is only visible to you and she's using this trope. |
| 615 | * NiceGirl: She's rather nice and polite, even when you detain her she doesn't curse on you and asked you to give him a hello for Dimitri. |
| 616 | * PreMortemOneLiner: The lines she has if you detain her aren't her being kind to you, so much as warning you that an arrest awaits you the following morning. |
| 617 | --> '''Shae:''' I am no fool. This is inconvenience, but I am not worried for myself. Tell Dimitri I said hello. |
| 618 | * SchmuckBait: If you point out that her diplomatic authorization doesn't include Arstotzka, therefore causing the Detain button to appear, [[LeaningOnTheFourthWall she will warn you that "I wouldn't do that"]]. Detain her anyway and [[NonStandardGameOver Dimitri will make you regret it the next morning]]. |
| 619 | * SecretRelationship: Implied with Dimitri. Dimitri personally asks you to let her in five days earlier and she would occasionally mention him herself. |
| 620 | * VideoGameCrueltyPunishment: If you detain her, Dimitri is mad and gets you arrested on an accusation of theft. |
| 621 | |
| 622 | [[/folder]] |
| 623 | |
| 624 | [[folder:The Vengeful Father]] |
| 625 | [[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/vengefulfather.png]] |
| 626 | [[caption-width-right:250:"She was just a little girl."]] |
| 627 | A vengeful man from the United Federation driven by revenge to kill Simon Wens. He's one of the characters that will give you a collectible token if you completed his task. |
| 628 | ---- |
| 629 | * AntiFrustrationFeatures: If you confiscate Simon's passport and give it to him, then as long as you then re-confiscate the passport and give him a Passport Seizure Slip with an approval stamp, you will not get a citation even though he does not carry any required documents, since you already got one citation from illegally confiscating Simon's non-Arstotzkan passport. |
| 630 | * AntiHero: He wants his daughter to be avenged. A perfectly sympathetic motive. He also wants the inspector to violate protocol and not have Simon Wens arrested, so that he can personally deal with him. Still a sympathetic goal, but also a selfish one. |
| 631 | * DeathOfAChild: His daughter was killed by Simon Wens. |
| 632 | * GoryDiscretionShot: Whatever he did to Simon, it was merely described by the official news paper as a "confusing mess". |
| 633 | * NoNameGiven: His name is never shown, not even one of the generic entrant names, as he never presents any documents of his own. Interestingly, it's his late daughter who does get a name: Julia. |
| 634 | * OutlivingOnesOffspring: He embarked on his quest for vengeance and mob justice after Simon killed his daughter. |
| 635 | * PapaWolf: Extremely protective towards his late daughter. Simon killing his daughter prompts him to hunt him down all the way from the Federation. |
| 636 | * PayEvilUntoEvil: He wants to take care of Simon Wens personally. To do this, he requests that you let Simon in despite his face being on the criminal bulletin, then allowing him to follow after. |
| 637 | * PermanentlyMissableContent: You only get the Federation token if you assist with every single step in his quest for revenge. |
| 638 | * PreMortemOneLiner: Fulfill all of his requests and approve his entry, and he'll leave with this: |
| 639 | --> '''Dad:''' Read the news tomorrow. |
| 640 | * RevengeBeforeReason: There's no way you can stop his vengeful fury, even if you have chosen to detain Simon and grant him the justice he deserves. |
| 641 | * WhatTheHellHero: He won't be happy if you detain Simon Wens, believing that it isn't true justice. |
| 642 | * YouBastard: He will call you out if you deny Simon's entry, let him in but don't confiscate his passport, or lend Julia's photo to Simon which forces him to leave the booth immediately. He will also call you out if you do the exact directives he instructed but denying his entry. |
| 643 | |
| 644 | [[/folder]] |
| 645 | |
| 646 | |
| 647 | |
| 648 | !Other Countries |
| 649 | |
| 650 | [[folder:Kolechia]] |
| 651 | [[quoteright:320:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/kolechia_emblem.png]] |
| 652 | [[caption-width-right:320:For Kolechia!]] |
| 653 | Arstotzka's neighbouring country and arch-nemesis. The two of them recently fought a bloody war, and the Inspector's checkpoint is located in a city that is divided between the countries. |
| 654 | ---- |
| 655 | * ArchEnemy: To Arstotzka. Kolechian terrorists will attack your checkpoint several times during the month, leading to increased security, and more importantly to you, more complicated paperwork to examine. |
| 656 | ** As for Ending 20, they eventually have a tentative understanding through the talks and formed a truce. Whether it will last long is up for debate. |
| 657 | * FailedState: Implied. Sergiu outright says that as bad as things are in Arstotzka, they're ten times worse in Kolechia. The fact that you'll encounter so many Kolechians who are willing to die just to slight Arstotzka should tell you just how bad their living conditions are. |
| 658 | * MyCountryRightOrWrong: Kolechian extremism went on the rise after the nation's loss in the Six-Year War. The situation in their nation is implied to be ''even worse off'' than Arstotzka, yet terrorists still make it their mission to attack Grestin in the name of their country. |
| 659 | * PatrioticFervor: Of the "Patriotism is Bad" variety, with their extremists accompanying their suicide bombings with "FOR KOLECHIA!" |
| 660 | * {{Profiling}}: Their citizens become a target of this under Arstotzka after too many extremists land their attacks. If an entrant is Kolechian, the Inspector is required to "randomly select" them for a scan. Kolechia's officials are outraged. |
| 661 | * WesternTerrorists: Extremists from Kolechia will usually send grenadiers, and for some time suicide bombers, to the checkpoint. It's possible that they also have inside men in Arstotzka, since the Kolechian diplomat was sent next day to discuss the motorcycle raid from day 26. |
| 662 | |
| 663 | [[/folder]] |
| 664 | |
| 665 | [[folder:Obristan]] |
| 666 | [[quoteright:298:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/5d549196_356d_41a0_a7aa_89b685712a99.png]] |
| 667 | [[caption-width-right:298:Obristan above all.]] |
| 668 | The large country bordering Arstotzka to the north. |
| 669 | ---- |
| 670 | * GrimUpNorth: Subverted. Obristan is a cold, snowy country, and it is the northernmost country in the game, but it seems to have better living conditions than Arstotzka. |
| 671 | * TheGuardsMustBeCrazy: The endings where [[spoiler:the Inspector (with or without his family) successfully flees to Obristan with obviously forged documents]] implies that the border inspectors there are apathetic at best and flat-out incompetent at worst. |
| 672 | * RunForTheBorder: One possible ending has [[spoiler:the Inspector fleeing to Obristan, either by himself or with his family]]. |
| 673 | * VisualPun: The national motto is "Obristan above all." Obristan is ''above all'' (i.e. northernmost) other countries on the map. |
| 674 | |
| 675 | [[/folder]] |
| 676 | |
| 677 | [[folder:Republia]] |
| 678 | [[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/fd7f9a82_469f_4b91_b2de_cadceca00b3d.png]] |
| 679 | ---- |
| 680 | * ArchEnemy: Antegria according to ''The Republia Times''. |
| 681 | * PeoplesRepublicOfTyranny: Republia is an authoritarian hellhole, as seen in ''The Republia Times''. |
| 682 | * PreviousPlayerCharacterCameo: Or the equivalent of it, from Lucas Pope’s previous game, ''The Republia Times''. |
| 683 | |
| 684 | [[/folder]] |
| 685 | |
| 686 | [[folder:Impor]] |
| 687 | [[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/089b1071_08a3_4978_a8e0_86e5d0a2babb.png]] |
| 688 | This country is based on Japan, which Lucas Pope lived in when he developed ''Papers, Please''. |
| 689 | ---- |
| 690 | * InformedAttribute: The vast majority of Imporians that show up on the border don't look or have Asian names. |
| 691 | * {{Irony}}: Impor sounds like an incomplete pronunciation for the word "Import". They implemented import sanctions on Arstotzkan goods. You do the math. |
| 692 | * MeaningfulName: "Impor" is mostly notable for applying trade sanctions on the importing of Arstotzkan products. |
| 693 | * OnlySaneMan: Currently the only nation to not have a described deficiency aside from being less economically stable. |
| 694 | |
| 695 | [[/folder]] |
| 696 | |
| 697 | [[folder:United Federation]] |
| 698 | [[quoteright:333:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ee733bbc_8d7e_4587_b911_813544ebe099.png]] |
| 699 | ---- |
| 700 | * CultureChopSuey: This country appears to be a composite of the United States (with its name, symbol, and especially most of its passport-issuing cities bearing American-sounding names like Shingleton and Great Rapid) and Yugoslavia (similar geographic region, access to advanced western technologies thanks to UsefulNotes/JosipBrozTito staying neutral in the Cold War, and its polio outbreak being reminiscent of the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1972_Yugoslav_smallpox_outbreak 1972 Yugoslav smallpox outbreak]]). |
| 701 | * TheFederation: They seem to be this, at least in name. |
| 702 | * ThePlague: Was hit with a serious polio outbreak in day 23, but not until day 25 does it becomes serious, enough for the MOA to reject any entrants from there, at least until tomorrow. From there, the game introduces vaccine certificates among the papers you must process. |
| 703 | |
| 704 | [[/folder]] |
| 705 | |
| 706 | [[folder:Antegria]] |
| 707 | [[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/07a1a625_3a08_48b5_9b21_67701496ef6b.png]] |
| 708 | A landlocked country bordered by Republia, Kolechia, United Federation, and Obristan. Their regime is extremely oppressive, even by local standards, and has very bad relations with their southern neighbor, Republia. |
| 709 | ---- |
| 710 | * ArchEnemy: They have been frequently at war with Republia, and the relations between the two are still sour. |
| 711 | * BigBrotherIsWatchingYou: If the escaping couple's dialogue and the upcoming newspaper headline is of any indication, Antegria is a full-on surveillance society. |
| 712 | * CanonImmigrant: Antegria also appeared in Pope's earlier game, ''The Republia Times'', but its geography appears to be different, as ''The Republia Times'' mentions that Antegria has costal cities and frequent naval clashes with Republia, while in ''Papers, Please'', Antegria is landlocked. |
| 713 | |
| 714 | [[/folder]] |
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