Alfagrem

Member
Aug 23, 2017
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293
The complaint is that it's choices made without consequences.

I've done a 'blueballs' run and no matter how insensitive and unpleasent you are, Jill will still try date you even if you are -3 with Bella and -4 with her.

So if that's the case then why bother having choices that result in RP loss if the plot is going to take us to certain places anyway.
 

Manuka

✨Ghostwriter✨
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Sep 17, 2019
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I am pretty sure I will just state the obvious, but:

All this "forced romance" is a necessary evil. Implementation of the story in other ways would simply not be possible. So complaining about it seems just plain stupid to me ("I dont want to date Josy" "I tried my best to avoid Maya and we still kissed" "I tried my best to piss off Jill and we still went on a date" "That's not how it should be - Stupid Illusion of choice" yadayadayada).
Forced Romance as in: Kissing Maya, Date with Josy, Date with Jill etc.
It is absolutely impossible to avoid those scenarios, due to the plot and how it's driven.

You can ignore Bella and/or Sage during chapter 4 but in the end Sage and Bella will befriend you back in Chapter 5. Same with Josy and Maya. That's cause all of those characters are important for the plot.
And tbh that's how it should be.

DPC crafted a very interesting story, where everything does happen in a fixed way. Your choices technically only affect which H-scenes you can and will see. But the overall plot demands every single Love Interest to be present and that's the best decision DPC could make to create such a good game.

I am pretty sure that the ending will be an accumulation of your choices and different endings will be available, but knowing DPC I am quite positive, that most choices in this game do not matter for the overall plot (THAT'S how it should be btw, lest you want to program/write a 1TB Renpy game).

I am still mad when people complain about the affection system, the dating system and whatnot after they played the game 5 times and gamed the system. It's not really meant to be gamed. If you look at it with a more experienced/gamified viewpoint with DIK points/Relationship points, of course the game falls apart.

But playing the game for the first time and making decisions on a very personal level with the feedback at the end of each chapter how much Chick/Dik you are: Wonderful decision by DPC. Kudos to such a great design.

And yes. That forced romance was a big reason why I did not like Acting lessons that much. It really dragged down my experience being forced into a relationship with Megan, while not being interested in any of those girls. Still... I enjoyed the game and I knew that it was a necessary sacrifice DPC made.

TLDR: Dont complain about forced romance and/or the point/affinity system, unless they are blowing it WAY out of proportion/context. If you do I can't help myself rolling my eyes at you.
Everyone is entitled to their own feelings on this, settle down, we all know it's limited geez oh fuck. And if you actually read the posts, you wouldn't be quoting things out of context yourself. "Eye Roll" right back at ya
 

Cndyrvr4lf

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Jun 16, 2017
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The complaint is that it's choices made without consequences.

I've done a 'blueballs' run and no matter how insensitive and unpleasent you are, Jill will still try date you even if you are -3 with Bella and -4 with her.

So if that's the case then why bother having choices that result in RP loss if the plot is going to take us to certain places anyway.
Yeah DPC has stated that this game will rely less on RP "cause it can be manipulated to easily" he feels. That's the reason for the affinity bar which also can be manipulated, so meh....
 

Alfagrem

Member
Aug 23, 2017
171
293
I take most of the choices as just giving you the chance to add a little of your own character to the interactions. Sometimes they might not appreciate you trying to joke at take offense whilst other times they'll crack up at the release of pressure.

Essentially you can take any number of routes through an interaction it but still end up in the same place.

Until we reach [completed] then there's really no way of knowing if we've ruled out certain avenues (and scenes) which we'll anyway find when we do other run throughs.
 

Manuka

✨Ghostwriter✨
Donor
Sep 17, 2019
312
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I take most of the choices as just giving you the chance to add a little of your own character to the interactions. Sometimes they might not appreciate you trying to joke at take offense whilst other times they'll crack up at the release of pressure.

Essentially you can take any number of routes through an interaction it but still end up in the same place.

Until we reach [completed] then there's really no way of knowing if we've ruled out certain avenues (and scenes) which we'll anyway find when we do other run throughs.
Although I still think it's eventually going to lead to one main person. At some point the rp's have to matter right. I'm hoping for a lot of bombshells next episode or season.
 
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Cndyrvr4lf

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Jun 16, 2017
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I take most of the choices as just giving you the chance to add a little of your own character to the interactions. Sometimes they might not appreciate you trying to joke at take offense whilst other times they'll crack up at the release of pressure.

Essentially you can take any number of routes through an interaction it but still end up in the same place.

Until we reach [completed] then there's really no way of knowing if we've ruled out certain avenues (and scenes) which we'll anyway find when we do other run throughs.
Without opening up the game and seeing what variables are saved the easiest ways to pay attention to what might be important is the phone and the little character pics. All those little messages have to mean something, right?
 

Alfagrem

Member
Aug 23, 2017
171
293
Without opening up the game and seeing what variables are saved the easiest ways to pay attention to what might be important is the phone and the little character pics. All those little messages have to mean something, right?
I used the scrappy mod to avoid the positive choices and eschewed the use of the phone unless necessary to progress (phone Josy on first roam, Phone Quinn at prep party).

The end results of this path of going for negative RP are;

Jill - Tries it on after the Chad assault but I'm wearing my cockblock helmet, She kisses you on the couch at Bella's.
Isabella - Kisses you after your 'date' at luigi's. (could still of had the library scene if I had visited her at -3RP)
Josy - Kiss on first date.
Maya - Grinds you pre-cumpetition and then you share a kiss on her bad when you get back from the cumpetition.
Sage - Kisses you after the Chad fight at gym.

and ofc there's Derek who you've spent time naked with, hugged, shared a lapdance, shared a bed and would of been locking lips with if it hadn't been for the Cathy cluck!
 
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Terix3

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Aug 2, 2017
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The complaint is that it's choices made without consequences.

I've done a 'blueballs' run and no matter how insensitive and unpleasent you are, Jill will still try date you even if you are -3 with Bella and -4 with her.

So if that's the case then why bother having choices that result in RP loss if the plot is going to take us to certain places anyway.
The choices you make also shape your character and that is a consequence as well. Like when talking to Jill /Bella if you are on DIK path and complement them MC will use words like "hot" or "Sexy" and they don't like that . However on chick side MC will say they look nice / are pretty and those absolutely like that. Slowly it will built up to an effect - you certainly did not make make Bella change her opinion on MC which does change some events in game. Ofc generally those changes will be different lines of text or access to a scene rather then "eliminating character from your world" for obvious reason.
I think it is pretty big already that we have 3 places to stay in for events in ep 4 and 5 that is a lot of variation.

So yea i like how the choices shape MC, text changes based on your affinity, how others react and how eventually there are things you can/can't do.
 

AvatarStormBringer

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Dec 20, 2019
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it would be fine for me to accompany MC even until after the wedding, but the problem we get longer, the better the chances of not seeing it concluded.

the hypothesis of the whole cycle included in MC's first year of college seems to me the most realistic
Uh Bra, hold your horses, wedding? You sure you are not playing Sisterly Lust here? Pregnant and Wedding in 144 days?
The problem with all that is you're forced to be with other girls. There's no real choice. I did everything to avoid Josy and she still latched on, Maya still kissed--it's all a no go you simply can't choose everything. There's still interaction you can't avoid. If you ask me, the better choice is to go after Bella as it will lead you to Jill, and Bella is someone she looks up to, always seeking her approval. I also didn't like the shower scene on their "first date," but it happens if you stick to that route anyway. In the end, it's a sex game.
Anyone have a playthrough where Bella hates you and doesn't recommend you to Jill? Will you still get the Sauna scene? I thought all Bella's scenes can be avoidable by choice?
I think she does, but she doesn't realize it yet.

I agree on both. It wouldn't be very Jill-like to bully anyone, as karmic as it may sound.

To me I don't want those refusal points. (Well, it depends on how they are implemented). I don't like those games where you refuse a girl and suddenly they disappear from the game completely. In a story-driven game like this it wouldn't make much sense.
You are talking about from a story point of view and not sex options right? If I totally reject a person I don't want the game to come back and ask me, "would you like another chance to fuck this person?" If you see them totally being cut out from a story until a certain chapter, you know that Leah is coming!
Am I the only one who thinks that Heather has a facial problem, I mean compared to a lot of other characters her face makes me uncomfortable
Her face is too stiff, like a B-grade game character. Even the side characters have better emotions than her. but now I think about it I can say the same for Camila and Mona.
Lol Sage before he reworked her made me cringe a little face wise so I can relate.
Her hairstyle before the rework. Urgh. (Not the color though)
 

Wizard_Shiryuu

Engaged Member
Sep 6, 2019
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Uh Bra, hold your horses, wedding? You sure you are not playing Sisterly Lust here? Pregnant and Wedding in 144 days?

Anyone have a playthrough where Bella hates you and doesn't recommend you to Jill? Will you still get the Sauna scene? I thought all Bella's scenes can be avoided by choice?

You are talking about from a story point of view and not sex options right? If I totally reject a person I don't want the game to come back and ask me, "would you like another chance to fuck this person?" If you see them totally being cut out from a story until a certain chapter, you know that Leah is coming!

Her face is too stiff, like a B-grade game character. Even the side characters have better emotions than her. but now I think about it I can say the same for Camila and Mona.

Her hairstyle before the rework. Urgh. (Not the color though)
Yeah, I mean cut from the story. There are some girls when you reject an advance and suddenly the girl is gone. I've had games where "faithful" playthroughs became like half the content in every update.
 

RC-1138 Boss

Message Maven
Apr 26, 2017
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The choices you make also shape your character and that is a consequence as well. Like when talking to Jill /Bella if you are on DIK path and complement them MC will use words like "hot" or "Sexy" and they don't like that . However on chick side MC will say they look nice / are pretty and those absolutely like that. Slowly it will built up to an effect - you certainly did not make make Bella change her opinion on MC which does change some events in game. Ofc generally those changes will be different lines of text or access to a scene rather then "eliminating character from your world" for obvious reason.
I think it is pretty big already that we have 3 places to stay in for events in ep 4 and 5 that is a lot of variation.

So yea i like how the choices shape MC, text changes based on your affinity, how others react and how eventually there are things you can/can't do.
I agree that it is true that the afinity meter(Chick/Neutral/Dik) and the DIK scale (Chick/Dik) shape most of the protagonist choices and the way he interacts with other characters in the story (only exception being the start of episode 4).

However i still get the feeling that, story wise, Jill got the short end of the stick so far. She is the least fleshed out main romantic interest in the game so far. I will go as far as say even Quinn got more development than her. That is also one of the reasons why i find her the most boring love interest in the game.
 
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ename144

Engaged Member
Sep 20, 2018
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Anyone have a playthrough where Bella hates you and doesn't recommend you to Jill? Will you still get the Sauna scene? I thought all Bella's scenes can be avoidable by choice?
If you manage to prevent Bella from coming around on the MC, he will not be able to visit her in the library after asking Jill out, and thus will not be able to get the Sauna scene with Bella in Episode 5.

On the other hand, Bella will still invite that MC in to talk to Cathy, let him use her car to drive Cathy home, then ask the MC to call her Bella, stay the night, have a private yoga session, and finally teach him to make pancakes. So there's a lot of forced interaction, but there is a small sliver in which your (bad) choices are acknowledged.
 
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