It’s honestly disheartening reading the comments here. This game had the potential to be one of the best, and it’s a shame the CGs turned out so poorly. I really hope they’ll release some fixes or improvements soon. That said, I’m still curious—does the story hold up, or did they rush it and end up compromising the narrative too? For me, the storyline is the main reason I play this game.
- Thread starter Jeevant
- Start date
I honeslty don't see why the epilogue is such a huge deal to you, especially since the uncanny AI art is a much bigger issue. As someone who is familiar with creation processes, adding a new chapter just to wrap everything up is not something new, nor it is exploitative, especially when it is needed, and even from chapter 6, when I realized that only 3 characters got a sex scene per 3 chapters, it make sense for them to have a closing epilogue for everyone with their special moment instead of chapter 9 with only henrik, Jostein, and tyr having a sex scene.
Again, I just think that focusing on the epilogue as a problem is quite unproductive, and definitely drive away the attention from the actual problem which is the quality of the cgs.
I honeslty think this is the case, and not just form the new EU would be regulation, but also because the game was released in a somewhat integrity in term of schedule, it wasn't perfect, but you know it took around 4-5 months each chapter, and this one I think almost getting to 6 even 7 month. I honestly think the dev might've rushed themselves so much that it released in such a poor state.
That being said, I don't share this point at all because, again, it's already written on the wall that this game needed an epilogue from the formatting of the story, which honestly, kind of the fault of the devs themselves to make it in such a way that chapter 9 would only be a closure for Henrik, Tyr, and Jostein who will have more intimate moment, and this is not a good way to write ending. I am pretty sure I had commented as well long ago that we definitely getting an epilogue just from this fact alone.
I can tell you the storyline isn't getting compromised, granted I haven't finished it. The CG and the bugs are the issues here. The prologue, and I need to emphasize it again, is not a predatory practice in this instance, but a necessary addition that the devs probably realized too late.
Argent Knight
Newbie
- Jun 23, 2021
- 35
- 82
Yeah, I'd have to agree. Given the sedate pace of the game and all the love interests and plot bits and background characters, I think it was kind of obvious there was always going to be some kind of epilogue.
I don't mind the existence of the epilogue. I think the devs have generally done a very good job: in a world where 90% of the projects have no end and often not even a clear long-term vision, these devs have managed to create a Patreon project that actually finished and they didn't deviate from the original line, showing a rare semi-professional approach. Kudos.
A wrap-up epilogue is acceptable.
Also, I'm not an anti-AI warrior and I'm not necessarily against the use of AI for enhancing or producing images (especially when there is a lot of self-training more than just stealing the art of other artists from the internet for a paying product), but I have to say that the disconnect between these images and the previous ones is pretty jarring. This is not a good result.
To be fair, I can't say I loved all the CGs made in previous chapters. Several are weird in terms of composition and expressions (e.g. Britt having dead-fish eyes, characters that don't look like they're talking to or acknowledging each other in the same image, etc), but at least they looked real...
A wrap-up epilogue is acceptable.
Also, I'm not an anti-AI warrior and I'm not necessarily against the use of AI for enhancing or producing images (especially when there is a lot of self-training more than just stealing the art of other artists from the internet for a paying product), but I have to say that the disconnect between these images and the previous ones is pretty jarring. This is not a good result.
To be fair, I can't say I loved all the CGs made in previous chapters. Several are weird in terms of composition and expressions (e.g. Britt having dead-fish eyes, characters that don't look like they're talking to or acknowledging each other in the same image, etc), but at least they looked real...
Argent Knight
Newbie
- Jun 23, 2021
- 35
- 82
100%. There is an amazing queer Ren'py game on Itch called Canticle. Just getting started and it is 100% AI. But that AI artwork is completely consistant across images, artistically stylized and obviously photoshopped to within an inch of its life, in a good way. AI images as tools, not slop.
My issue is not with the concept of using AI art, it's with using it now, at the end of the game and not doing it well.
My issue is not with the concept of using AI art, it's with using it now, at the end of the game and not doing it well.
I mean it is not 100% AI. It uses AI renders to start with images. All the text and code are made by the dev and all the images get extensive processing after. Not attacking you or anything, just saying don't use the term "100% AI"
Argent Knight
Newbie
- Jun 23, 2021
- 35
- 82
Fair, you're right. 'Based on highly manipulated AI art with original writing, bespoke system elements and a great UI' is more appropriate.
So back to Ergi; this is a project I was loosely following but never really tried because I've always read that the grind is insane and that while the story and graphics are solid, the sex is actually quite scarce. Is it worth trying the entire thing regardless of what happened with Chapter 9 or was the game hyped in expectation of a proper climax?
As for the AI debacle here, I'd be curious, was this one dev or was it multiple people? Perhaps whoever was doing the work in Blender abandoned the project and the writer/coder just did what they could to at least deliver something and were a combination of embarrassed and greedy so they did not want to inform the players.
As for the AI debacle here, I'd be curious, was this one dev or was it multiple people? Perhaps whoever was doing the work in Blender abandoned the project and the writer/coder just did what they could to at least deliver something and were a combination of embarrassed and greedy so they did not want to inform the players.
Argent Knight
Newbie
- Jun 23, 2021
- 35
- 82
Yes. And no.
Use guides. Or cheat. Or both.
The story beats are really good in places. But the grind is just stupid. Like 18 hours of grinding for 2 hours of story is nuts. usually grinding on a fucking countdown timer, which is even worse. You will be clicking everything. So. Many. Times.
My personal strategy is wait for the guides for each chapter, min/max the hell out of my build and be ready to save scum constantly but I can 100% understand anybody who just uses a save game editor to give themselves superstats.
There is a lot more relationship than sex in the game and some of said sex is very ... vanilla? Adolescent? Lots of soul searching about handjobs or blowing somebody because apparently you can't be a manly man with dick breath. Even though homosocial environments and situational homosexuality are literally baked into their culture, with only one week a year reserved for hetero sex and only the true chads getting laid during a festival of fire, acid trips and boobs.
I'd say the sex scenes range from okay to mildly good, which is about my average rating for the VN genre.
Where the game shines are the characters around the MC, primarily the love interests. They have depth, they have interesting stories and some of them are complete and utter bastards, total sweethearts or so stupid it hurts. But the game does get you to the point of being invested in them enough to care about those traits.
After three years of playing it, I think it ranks as a really close miss. There's some great story and character work, but the grind sucks and they screwed up the landing.
I actually realy enjoy the idea of doing things, having to think things through and having consequences, but sometimes this game takes it too far, like the chapter right after you come back from the mountains and there's a quest where you have to spend half of the total timer time on is just insane. And the fact that so many interactions are easily missable or have insane requirements is also crazy.
I think that it's best to not look at this game as a porn game, but as a normal gamethat has romance and sex scenes, like bg3.
I don't mind it either, but man this game could be a lot more convenient. and I am not even talking about the bugs in ch.9. ch. 7 make sense that everything is scattered around, but bringing that over to 8? this obsession over only placing something in a certain spot definitely need to stop. Like Vanaheim is such a good spot for creating stuff or selling things like flower and shit (which they did in the latest pacth, conveniently forgetting to sell freaking huldra essence, which carried through ch. 9 because they did use the same window), farms, research, etc. But NOOOOOO. you want to farm? Go to Alpine, you want to shop? Go to Vana, you want to do something whatever the fuck undercity do, go head go there. WANT A CPU? Why don't you go to that rail train because apparently, such a strong machine can be made in a vending machine in there. Just, why not make things available at those three places? I get it for undercity because it is in a war (but you can still do that after the war is settled), but man Vanaheim is so freaking empty despite it being the ONLY CITY for huldra.
It isn't as worse in ch.9, at least I don't have to go around just to make food and fine booze anymore (it'll only took 9 chapters), and I will say, the setting is far neater and more convenient than the previous maps. The bad things, you don't have access to a lot of stuff you generally have, like Serum production from Genome because that screen now excusively for Seidr leveling or, again Huldra essence.
NOW I am getting to the bugs at ch.9
Let's start with the most important one, the LIs. If you are at Alpine, You can't complete Jorgen event because the typo in the tag that happened apparently thrice. You also can't complete Jostein (Because of course it's always Jostein who got buggered at every initial release chapter) because the train screen bugged so you'll just end up skipping it, I am not sure if it's restrictly to the Alpine or not. And Also, I don't know what happened, Jostein always triggered his "day" which is basically a limit to how many time you can triggered an event with a person, but it triggered before I even talk to him sometimes, so again, ALWAYS JOSTEIN. My bae can't catch a break.
For Seidr, DO NOT INVEST IN VALK. My God! The pain is unbearable. There is a bug currently in the game your firearm jotun damage become 1 instead of the usual 10 (and I am pretty sure you lose the regen supression too), which in case you didn't realize, 90% of your damage. I have to rely on critting and a battle took me at least 70-100 ration EACH. This bug existed in the initial release for chapter 8, ,but God it was nowhere as this painful.
even worse for Seidr, you can't make potent Huldra Essence at all because freaking nobody selling Huldra essence, so you're 1 serum off after the first battle (I've been relying on the serum I stocked the whole game).
I am so sorry, the story is great (I haven't finished it yet because it's a long chapter, not just from the story, but also like ch.6, the bulk of the time you're spending is fighting, and god damn the fights are hard, especially when you're bugged), but this state of ch.9 scream Alpha release to me.
If you read my posts, I am saying about both. The art is shit now and the epilogue shouldn't be happening (it's essentially cut chapter 9 stuff, they said 9 was the very last).
Totally agree with those who say that this should not be played as a "porn game": if you're looking for a quick release with some cute images and a light game around it, just don't even start.
Yes it's grindy, no question about that, although the grind is mostly focused in the first chapters then the game becomes more varied. But you definitely need the guide or a way to read the renpy files (and possibly edit the save files, to add goods in the inventory if not edit tags that is more dangerous).
I still think it's pretty beautifully done and worth playing it, for the story and the characters more than for the sex scenes.
About the bugs, I don't know the extend of specifically Chapter 9 but all chapter releases have had various bugs, so I always wait for a couple weeks/a month before downloading the new version. To be honest it's not a big deal, also because the devs are very responsive and publish updated versions rather quickly.
I would be understanding if there were bugs especially in the last chapter as it is crunch time to tie up the various storylines (and they've been ambitious by proposing 4 endings per LI, for a total of 36 different endings, not to mention the end of the actual story that I think can be 3 different main finales plus various minor variations).
Yes it's grindy, no question about that, although the grind is mostly focused in the first chapters then the game becomes more varied. But you definitely need the guide or a way to read the renpy files (and possibly edit the save files, to add goods in the inventory if not edit tags that is more dangerous).
I still think it's pretty beautifully done and worth playing it, for the story and the characters more than for the sex scenes.
About the bugs, I don't know the extend of specifically Chapter 9 but all chapter releases have had various bugs, so I always wait for a couple weeks/a month before downloading the new version. To be honest it's not a big deal, also because the devs are very responsive and publish updated versions rather quickly.
I would be understanding if there were bugs especially in the last chapter as it is crunch time to tie up the various storylines (and they've been ambitious by proposing 4 endings per LI, for a total of 36 different endings, not to mention the end of the actual story that I think can be 3 different main finales plus various minor variations).
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and again, as I was trying point out, the epilogue was inevitable from writing standing point. It's not about opinion or promise, without epilogue, the writing would have a favoritism in it's ending because it'll only focus on 3 LIs, and that's just bad writing. their fault was not realizing it sooner and announced the epilogue earlier, not the epilogue itself
It's pretty much is if it's taken away most of the fun, and literally ruin the combat, which makes up more than 80% of chapter 9. As I said, the bug existed in chapter 8, but it was nowhere near as painful as in chapter 9. Not to mention, one of the bug literally disallow you from continuing an event for 2 of the LIs. Imagine if you're romancing these characters? I am quite understanding for bugs, but the bug that literally distrupt the main plot of the game should've been paid more attention to, especially, since in Jorgen case, it was typos (probably they used different tags before, but forgot to change everything). I am not as mad with Ch. 9 Seidr/Valk bug since I know they will fix it like they did in ch.8, but it's still frustrating because it really makes the combat which again, makes up more than 80% of chapter 9, extremely painful.
andromeda-90
Newbie
- May 13, 2023
- 68
- 54
I'm reading all these chapter 9 flaws and getting serious Game of Thrones final season vibes.
andromeda-90
Newbie
- May 13, 2023
- 68
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GeneTaylor06
Newbie
- Jan 31, 2021
- 61
- 20
Thanks for introducing me to the Canticle - really enjoyed it, one of the best games I've played lately, just way too short atm. I definitely agree if your going to use AI, this is a good way to go and the game in no way felt lazy, in fact seems to be really ambitious. I anticipate slow updates.
Dev did say that they may not release public updates and may be Patreon exclusive Chapter 3 onwards, but honestly may be worth it once more Chapters are out
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