Ren'Py A Better Place [Ch. 4] [TheLostOne]

[BlasKyau]

Hey this game got my attention, any thoughts so far? I always look out for your insights before playing similar games.

I haven't made much progress, but for now the game looks interesting, the story seems like it can be entertaining, and it has a flashback system to let us see the LI's past that is appealing. In general, flashbacks are fast and with changes in color and lights that prevent you from looking deeply but let you see enough to understand or suspect what is happening (at least when you join a few), the fact that they happen during the conversations make them an interesting addition to the game.

I suppose that as I progress I will form a more complete opinion, but for now the 3 LIs that I have seen don't seem to have any fetish that I dislike, and I'm liking the gameplay. Also, the MC seems like a decent guy, which is always a plus (and for now I haven't seen any rape).

 

[DraxisSilencer1000]

I haven't made much progress, but for now the game looks interesting, the story seems like it can be entertaining, and it has a flashback system to let us see the LI's past that is appealing. In general, flashbacks are fast and with changes in color and lights that prevent you from looking deeply but let you see enough to understand or suspect what is happening (at least when you join a few), the fact that they happen during the conversations make them an interesting addition to the game.

I suppose that as I progress I will form a more complete opinion, but for now the 3 LIs that I have seen don't seem to have any fetish that I dislike, and I'm liking the gameplay. Also, the MC seems like a decent guy, which is always a plus (and for now I haven't seen any rape).

Thanks for the response mate! For now I'll be looking for other games.

 

[Pushpa Gotama]

How is the lesbian content in this game? I'll steer clear of this game if there's already a lesbian relationship with either one or two of the LI's. Judging how Luxe blushes mentioning Big Sis, this might be the case. If the definition of lesbian content here is just the girls having fun in a threesome with the MC then I'll go on. Please someone answer this.

 

[The_Lost_One]

How is the lesbian content in this game?

It's amazing how much hassle these tags can cause You get with all the girls. There is no ongoing relationship, though the blush may indicate something that happened at some point when or after they met. As I said in the Dev Notes: Girls will get with other girls, but you will always be part of it in some way.

Don't get scared if you see a relationship forming between two girls. It just means you'll get to play with both of them together sooner or later. This is a harem game (i.e. A Better Place), but I'm trying to avoid the cookie-cutter "everyone falls in love with you at first sight" approach. It gives me more flexibility with scene variety.

If you don't like the idea of them getting close though, then yea, steer clear.

 

[BlasKyau]

It's amazing how much hassle these tags can cause You get with all the girls. There is no ongoing relationship, though the blush may indicate something that happened at some point when or after they met. As I said in the Dev Notes: Girls will get with other girls, but you will always be part of it in some way.

Don't get scared if you see a relationship forming between two girls. It just means you'll get to play with both of them together sooner or later. This is a harem game (i.e. A Better Place), but I'm trying to avoid the cookie-cutter "everyone falls in love with you at first sight" approach. It gives me more flexibility with scene variety.

If you don't like the idea of them getting close though, then yea, steer clear.

Personally, lesbian scenes bore me. I don't hate them, it doesn't bother me that they exist, they just bore me. I always skip them (using CTRL if I cannot do it in other way). Honestly, I don't get turned on by seeing two girls kissing, or any explicit sex scene between two girls. I may be very weird, but each one is as he is.

 

[Bob Jared]

Personally, lesbian scenes bore me. I don't hate them, it doesn't bother me that they exist, they just bore me. I always skip them (using CTRL if I cannot do it in other way). Honestly, I don't get turned on by seeing two girls kissing, or any explicit sex scene between two girls. I may be very weird, but each one is as he is.

It's somewhat similar for me. I'm perfectly capable of shipping girls together on an emotional level, but as far as a sexual turn-on, lesbian content on it's own is a complete neutral. Though threesomes with a male can be enhanced depending on the relationship between the girls.

Also, the idea of a man having sex with a full-on lesbian (i.e. not bi) who stays being a lesbian is pretty hot to me. (and pretty rare even in fiction)

 

[The_Lost_One]

Also, the idea of a man having sex with a full-on lesbian (i.e. not bi) who stays being a lesbian is pretty hot to me. (and pretty rare even in fiction)

Now that's an interesting concept. Shame I don't have any full on lesbians in the game, I could actually think of a few angles for it.

I put the tags because there is content like that in the game. I really don't think about what fetish I'm doing with the sex scenes. It's mostly a "how can I make this interesting?" type of thing. Personally, I find vanilla stuff boring in fiction. Why keep things simple if I can let my mind run wild?

Though, as you've both said, that's just me.

 

[BlasKyau]

It's somewhat similar for me. I'm perfectly capable of shipping girls together on an emotional level, but as far as a sexual turn-on, lesbian content on it's own is a complete neutral. Though threesomes with a male can be enhanced depending on the relationship between the girls.

Threesomes seem fine to me. I can't say I'm excited about them (I generally prefer single LI scenes), but I do like them.

Also, the idea of a man having sex with a full-on lesbian (i.e. not bi) who stays being a lesbian is pretty hot to me. (and pretty rare even in fiction)

Personally, I'm not particularly excited by sex with a lesbian. In fact I prefer that the sex scenes be with LIs with which the MC has or is going to have a romantic relationship (and I don't see that in a character who is strictly lesbian)

Now that's an interesting concept. Shame I don't have any full on lesbians in the game, I could actually think of a few angles for it.

I put the tags because there is content like that in the game. I really don't think about what fetish I'm doing with the sex scenes. It's mostly a "how can I make this interesting?" type of thing. Personally, I find vanilla stuff boring in fiction. Why keep things simple if I can let my mind run wild?

Though, as you've both said, that's just me.

I'm pretty vanilla when it comes to sex scenes. Depending on the fetish (femdom, maledom, BDSM, footjob to name a few) I completely lose interest in the LI or the scene. To give an example, if the scene is maledom, surely I will prefer to avoid it (in the worst case I will skip it, there is no possibility that I will see it), if it's a LI who has that fetish, avoiding her will be the only option that interested me.

 

[Bob Jared]

Now that's an interesting concept. Shame I don't have any full on lesbians in the game, I could actually think of a few angles for it.

Figured as much. Only mentioned it in relation to the general topic of lesbian content.

In fact I prefer that the sex scenes be with LIs with which the MC has or is going to have a romantic relationship (and I don't see that in a character who is strictly lesbian)

I totally get that. Though for me, one way to add variety among the girls in harem is to have a couple be emotionally close to the ML in a way that doesn't necessarily count as romantic.

 

[BlasKyau]

I totally get that. Though for me, one way to add variety among the girls in harem is to have a couple be emotionally close to the ML in a way that doesn't necessarily count as romantic.

Personally, I don't find sex with a lesbian more exciting than with another girl, maybe I'm weird. Also, I'm not usually interested in sex scenes with girls who cannot become romantic interests of the MC. Which I suppose will also be a weird thing.

 

[Bob Jared]

Personally, I don't find sex with a lesbian more exciting than with another girl, maybe I'm weird. Also, I'm not usually interested in sex scenes with girls who cannot become romantic interests of the MC. Which I suppose will also be a weird thing.

Nah, pretty sure I'm the weird one here. The fact that i can count the times I've encountered games that include straight sex with a lesbian on this site with one hand just goes to show the lack of interest. (at least among the the creators) It seems to be even more rare in other media like videos and doujin.

 

[BlasKyau]

Nah, pretty sure I'm the weird one here. The fact that i can count the times I've encountered games that include straight sex with a lesbian on this site with one hand just goes to show the lack of interest. (at least among the the creators) It seems to be even more rare in other media like videos and doujin.

If you could start a romantic relationship with the lesbian LI... but then I guess she would stop being a pure lesbian.

 

[voyeurkind]

If you could start a romantic relationship with the lesbian LI... but then I guess she would stop being a pure lesbian.

Actually, I know a number of women who identify as lesbian but have male pattners(female as well). It depends on the specific guy.

Of course, I also know lesbians who can't stand men at all.

 

[BlasKyau]

Actually, I know a number of women who identify as lesbian but have male pattners(female as well). It depends on the specific guy.

Of course, I also know lesbians who can't stand men at all.

They are lesbians, I guess, but they sure aren't the pure lesbians I supouse that Bob Jared was talking about.

 

[DraxisSilencer1000]

Damn, you'll be punished if you don't indulge with Big Sis' voyeurism shit? I thought it's something like turning on or off a fetish switch or something.

Edit:
Now that I've been playing this and seeing "Lit the Candles" is Big Sis not gonna be an LI then? She's just into Luxe? That's it?

 

[DraxisSilencer1000]

So I just finished chapter 1... I think I'm out, now that I'm seeing on the real reasons why they would want the MC to be "one with their family." They stopping on being such mysterious and secretive persons that they are, the more I'm convinced they are still lying. Especially with that 2 year stalking shit. I can't even tell if they even want a friend, a family member, a guy they can fuck with or any other hidden agenda they have. This is my thoughts so far, that the more I play this game the more I've been feeling red flags playing this which is similar to my playthrough of Complex Society. With all the mysterious, secret shit they're having. Coming back to my former statement earlier, I think they just want a guy to fuck with them. Because the more I'm thinking about it, the more I feel they are not being genuine at all. If Luxe really feels worried that despite all of them at the mansion is stalking the MC for over 2 years, and still feel worried about his mystery past. They should've just dropped him or in this case, actually concerned herself more with the present than his past. I may be wrong on some accounts or this may be a shit take but nevertheless I think I'm out.

Lastly, what really convinces me with this take is it doesn't seem like the MC really is the driving force here. I'm more convinced we're just essentially encouraging Luxe and Big Sis to just get off already. All the more making it spicy by having a man join them. Not essentially as a family or a harem though, no I'm not convinced.

Any opinion or criticism regarding my thoughts are welcome.

Lastly there's a bug:
It seems that there are 2 versions of "Tit For Tat"?. The first is getting Luxe drunk (Did I got this right? I didn't see this event, for some reason it didn't trigger for me.), and the repeatable one is Luxe's revenge on Big Sis. Making her drunk instead. The bug itself is that, the repeatable scene seems to trigger for me first, instead of Luxe getting drunk. The pacing feels strange but I still proceeded, and when the "Let it happen! (+18)" choice pops up and I click at it, the scene just finishes and transitions to the MC's bedroom. I'm free to go whoever's rooms again.

Another one is I can't seem to trigger "Goldilocks and The Two Pervs." I keep visiting Big Sis and nothing just really happens.

I did all this after finishing chapter 1. I dunno what's happening but it seems "Tit For Tat" version 1 and "Goldilocks and The Two Pervs" needed to be triggered before finishing chapter 1?????

At the moment I've finished every event except:
Luxe:
"...And Then Some"

Sparks:
"A One Time Special Offer"

Shadow:
"Standing"

Big Sis:
"Goldilocks and The Two Pervs"
"!!!!!!!"

I think that's all, with my ranting and bug reports. Thank you for the game, and good luck to you and your game dev.

 

[The_Lost_One]

Hey, no criticism necessary. If it's not your game, it's not your game.

First off, someone did mention the event bug already and it'll be fixed in the next version. It's because I forgot to make !!!!! necessary to open up Tit for Tat.

The part about the voyeurism fetish - you don't exactly get punished for skipping anything. Sometimes a girl might not like that, but it's more along the lines of you opting in or out of seeing a particular scene. That's why it's so easy to get points back.

As for the story, the only thing I can say is that it's too early to judge. The MC can hardly be a driving force at this point and if you finished Chapter 1 you probably understand why. For now, the focus on Big Sis and Luxe is heavier because they're the ones who started gathering people. I could write out the entire story right now and it'd make sense, but then what's the point?

Each girl has a story of her own and her own reasons for doing what she does. Whether there's more lying or not, I can't say, but Luxe's understanding of friendship was skewed from the beginning. All the points you mentioned will be talked about at some point in the future. I will say that in Chapter 2 is the first time the MC gets a voice.

The part about sex is valid. If people's interest didn't depend on there being sexual content, I wouldn't have put any in yet. I'm trying to justify pushing it in so quickly and make it just clowning around, but it is absurd and it makes character relationship development a LOT more difficult. I gotta do what I gotta though or I'd have to abandon the project anyway... Sometimes I wonder whether I broke the story already, since you're starting to believe that was the sole purpose.

I like that you actually gave some thought to the story and the characters' motivations! Plus, the confusion you're feeling right now is exactly what the MC feels at the end of Chapter 1, so I think that came off as intended. If this isn't your cup of tea, then you won't like the rest of the story. The game is called A Better Place, it'll take a while to get there though.

 

[DraxisSilencer1000]

Now that I think about it, Serenity might be the one that can give me reason to come back. At least now the MC has someone to relate to as being a new member of the mansion. She's really what caught my attention when I first looked at this thread's banner.

Now that I've been playing this and seeing "Lit the Candles" is Big Sis not gonna be an LI then? She's just into Luxe? That's it?

Lastly, if it's alright please answer this. If you're really planning on that harem aspect I expect her to be an LI, not just someone to "have fun" or "clown around" with, but actual romantic, emotional, or whatever-you-wanna-call-it relationship.

 

[The_Lost_One]

Lastly, if it's alright please answer this. If you're really planning on that harem aspect I expect her to be an LI, not just someone to "have fun" or "clown around" with, but actual romantic, emotional, or whatever-you-wanna-call-it relationship.

Every girl is going to be a LI. As the story progresses, it will be a lot less clowning around and become more serious. (Originally, I didn't intend for there to be any sexual content until the MC has an opportunity to grow emotionally close with at least one girl.)

Serenity will bring her own amount of weird moments and questions, but, again, it will all make sense eventually.

Plus, depending on the amount of support, I might add more girls that didn't make the initial cut. Some of them I really liked, but they were too similar to others and each girl adds yet another side of the story to develop. So, unless enough people are invested and want to keep this going, there's no point in adding expanding content further.

 

[Chifilly]

I don't know what I'm doing wrong, but I can't get Sparks' "A One Time Special Offer" event to trigger. I have done every other event available, and I'm only going to the Bathroom to try and trigger it like the hint says, and I've done it constantly for what seems like hundreds of in-game days, and it's just not triggering.