Originally, I wasn't going to post here because I don't like to speculate on these things and get myself and others all hyped up for possibilities which may not be realized, but what the heck. Styg has commented here, so I guess he doesn't mind us discussing this.
3. We play with a completly new protagonist starting at level 1
(...)
I wouldn't mind the third option either, it's certainly the easiest one to pull off without breaking the immersion. Meeting NPCs from the previous game or even our old protagonist from a different perspective would have a certain charm.
In my personal opinion, this seems like the wisest option for several reasons.
First, it doesn't require players to have beaten Underrail in order to understand what's going on in the second game, which is
hugely important considering how few members of the community have actually completed a play-through. If the Steam forums are any indication, most people quit once they reach Depot A--or if they're more rugged, Deep Caverns.
Second, a fresh start with a new character means that there doesn't have to be any crazy timelapse vertigo shenanigans explaining why the original player character lost all their gear, skills, stats, and levels on the train ride north. I don't care how well it's executed, people still won't like it.
Third, it allows us the possibility to see the Underrail from the perspective of someone who grew up in the North instead of the South like the original PC.
Fourth--and for me the most exciting--it means that we might be able to interact with the protagonist like they're just another NPC. Maybe Underrail 2 could take place a few years after the events of Underrail, and the protagonist has seated themselves as the leader of the Protectorate/Free Drones/Oculus/whatever, depending on your actions in the original. Or, since that would be very cumbersome to pull off, maybe they just become a bartender who is looking for Tanner undercover. Regardless, it brings up a lot of cool possibilities. Maybe you could even fight alongside your original character against Tanner, or you could actually fight against
them in a match to decide who's the better protagonist.
Or maybe the canon ending is the protagonist becomes the next Dread Pirate Roberts on the Black Sea, or they take over Tanner's job at SGS? (But that's less exciting.
)
Whatever the result may be, there's a lot of potential in a full restart. Yeah, you won't be able to continue your original journey and maintain your role-play, but this way you get the opportunity to play a whole new role. I do honestly think it's too early to be discussing all of this stuff, though. Don't tell me the hype for Expedition has burned out already! I still want to sail the high sea(s) on my jet ski and stab people in the face with spears like Achilles! Also, the new music sounds rad as hell. Hype!
EDIT: On a completely different note, I see that the devs have ascended from Faceless into Godmen. Congratulations! Just don't let Azif find out, or he'll never stop pestering you guys for autographs.
