If your theory is right, which it could be, then MC is someone she settled for. I can understand why she keeps it a secret and its a pretty shitty thing to do. If I discovered a secret like that I would be gone. No way in the world would I accept that. So maybe you are right. Its a dog act and it would explain a lot of her attitudes towards MC.
And yeah, I feel like the updates are written for a different crowd- each one doubles down this idea of secrets and omissions and grand subterfuge......fuck man I just want a game where a gf/bf or married couple go out on the town and bang people, I don't need grand betrayal exposition #342.
That's why I had a butt-heard from the "all the good endings" news. Given all these secrets, omissions, characters, etc., I don't see how it will work here.
On the high-confidence route, the MC is the guy in charge. Steph yields to him even if she maintains her attitude. She is in love with him, is loyal, and she places him at the head letting him make decisions for the couple. Honesty is still lacking. Without honesty, there can be no trust.
So, even with the "revelation" that there are these secrets and that Steph is hiding them from the MC, he is still the "boss" and running the show. That means the players' choices have a direct influence over what occurs. Compare this to the "other" routes and the player will be stuck on routes where the MC has no control (or very little with the exception of the escape hatches). This is all based on the current game and who the fuck knows what will happen by the end of this ride.
I remember once talking to a female friend (actual friend, not into her at all) about this and she just replied something like "oh, of course that makes sense-there are less stakes with someone you don't know well vs a boyfriend so you can do crazier stuff" and internally I was seething.
For women, this is an unfortunately real attitude they hold. It directly conflicts with any kind of real logic. Logically, a steady honest, trustworthy partner is the safest person to engage in wild and crazy behavior. Using woman logic, they would rather cheat with a bad guy than engage in crazy sex with an honest guy. I am using some
extreme generalizations here. There are sane women who are worth getting into relationships with. There are more crazy women with shitty pasts and fucked up relationships that are seriously fucked.
That's why I quit this "nice guy" shit straight out of university. It simply does not work and brings only suffering and disappointment.
There are only a few times that being nice has ever really bitten me in the ass. I'd rather be "the nice guy" who misses out on a few good fucks than an asshole who can't stand to look at himself in the mirror. Although, in my experience, assholes rarely know they are an asshole and most likely can't see that in a mirror!
