VN Ren'Py Being a DIK [v0.10.1] [Dr PinkCake]

[Black Swamp Ent.]

At the end of the day, as much as I'm sure we'd all like to see this game carry on for 12, 16, or even 20 episodes, we have to remember that this is one person making the game, and if they don't want to spend the next 4+ years working on this one game, then they don't have to if they don't think they need to.

The fact that Ep 6 is so huge and promises 4-6 hours for completion of one playthrough makes me think that we could be getting 2-3 episodes worth of content condensed into 1 and could mean that we'll get less episodes than anticipated.

While I love Badik and the writing and characters, there is such a thing as too much of a good thing. I think if DPC were to try to stretch things out too much, the characters and story could take a quality hit or have unnecessary filler dialogue/events. I'd rather have a great story and characters that make you want to play it multiple times rather than a huge lengthy story that drags on for the sake of "content".

 

[Kellermann]

While I love Badik and the writing and characters, there is such a thing as too much of a good thing. I think if DPC were to try to stretch things out too much, the characters and story could take a quality hit or have unnecessary filler dialogue/events. I'd rather have a great story and characters that make you want to play it multiple times rather than a huge lengthy story that drags on for the sake of "content".

All right, you convinced me. I don't want to reach a point where I'm bored with BaDIK. I'd rather leave it on a high note.

 

[der123fer]

While I love Badik and the writing and characters, there is such a thing as too much of a good thing. I think if DPC were to try to stretch things out too much, the characters and story could take a quality hit or have unnecessary filler dialogue/events. I'd rather have a great story and characters that make you want to play it multiple times rather than a huge lengthy story that drags on for the sake of "content".

I doubt that would be a problem with DPC. My estimate is on 10-12 episodes, and that seems just exactly fine and even perfect by me. As he even said, we’ve just touched the surface of it (just started rebuilding the DIK mansion, just got accepted into the DIKs in the first place, still don’t know anything about the dealers, etc.). There are enough plotlines that have been set in the first season that haven’t been explored much but will be expanded upon in the next 5-6 episodes. We’re probably in safe hands

 

[mavigri]

This game was so good until the talk with Maya and Josy in DIK House Library.

We have every kind of choice 'til here but right now I have no choice but "forgive them and accept them as a friend". I don't want this ffs. You made me choose everything I wanted to choose but when it's the most important choice in the game, I don't have a "I don't want to be your friend" option. Fuck this, disappointing...

 

[ename144]

I doubt that would be a problem with DPC. My estimate is on 10-12 episodes, and that seems just exactly fine and even perfect by me. As he even said, we’ve just touched the surface of it (just started rebuilding the DIK mansion, just got accepted into the DIKs in the first place, still don’t know anything about the dealers, etc.). There are enough plotlines that have been set in the first season that haven’t been explored much but will be expanded upon in the next 5-6 episodes. We’re probably in safe hands

I certainly hope you are right. I've long felt 16-20 episodes was too far to stretch this premise, so I'm quite happy with a 3 season forecast.

Unfortunately, while I trust DPC's skills as a writer, I do not trust his overall... plot motivations. He's not only demonstrated a willingness to abuse the trust of his audience (IMHO), he's proud of doing so. We are definitely in skilled hands, but we won't know if we're in safe hands until the end.

 

[ename144]

This game was so good until the talk with Maya and Josy in DIK House Library.

We have every kind of choice 'til here but right now I have no choice but "forgive them and accept them as a friend". I don't want this ffs. You made me choose everything I wanted to choose but when it's the most important choice in the game, I don't have a "I don't want to be your friend" option. Fuck this, disappointing...

That resolution was a no-win scenario for DPC - though it's entirely one of his own making.

He wanted the player to sympathize with the hurt and shock of the MC, so he had Maya and Josy do something shocking and potentially painful. He then amped up the drama by having the PC mope about it for the whole episode.

It certainly helped sell the MC's trauma, but by the same token it also prevented Maya and Josy from mending fences with the player, not just the MC. Combine that with the ludicrously rushed resolution that focused far too much on them forgiving each other than earning the player's forgiveness and it's no wonder that lots of players just want to write the whole mess off once and for all - no matter how badly that would fuck up DPC's story.

On top of that, Episode 5 was poorly positioned to fix the problem since it was so short. In the wake of the library debacle, we needed three things: a) a chance for players who hated the characters to berate them (even if it ended with them being friends again, the dressing down could be cathartic); b) re-establishing a camaraderie between the three that would illustrate why the MC wants to stay their friend (and thus why we should care); c) explaining what the new relationship between the three would be for those who succeeded in trying for something more.

Unfortunately, those needs were derailed by the inability for Episode 5 to actually advance the plot in any way. It practically trapped the various plots and relationships in amber for safekeeping. As a result the closest we got to a) was ducking out on Josy's request, and c) was a borderline joke with Maya all but asking the MC to keep sleeping around.

Worst of all was b). Not only did the episode completely bail on rebuilding any sort of platonic friendship between the three, the friendship route chose to focus exclusively on how sad the girls were to be only friends and not lovers - even when the girls turned us down! It's true that in the wake of the library scene we probably did need to be reassured there was still a solo path for each girl, but that could have waited an episode.

By cramming that message in to the exclusion of all others, it not only failed to reestablish the friendship between the trio, it wound up making the threesome path look that much weaker in comparison.

It's nowhere near as bad as the original failure in Episode 4, but it's means we have to readdress the issue yet again, which will only overexpose the characters to those who are sick of them even more. It's one more pothole Episode 6 is going to have to patch. No wonder the thing is going to be huge.

 

[DaweFan69]

If this game does end being 20 eps, that shit would be crazy. Game would probably be 30-40gb which is huge for these types of games, and it would probably be the greatest one of all time

 

[CassidyPRO]

November is gonna be a great month, Cobd, Badik, possibly Milfy City

cobd?

 

[Bill_Buttlicker]

cobd?

Call Of Booty-Duty.

 

[Paynne]

cobd?

City of broken dreamers.
https://f95zone.to/threads/city-of-broken-dreamers-v1-02-phillygames.25739/

 

[DavDR]

Delaying the game, like Cyberpunk

That resolution was a no-win scenario for DPC - though it's entirely one of his own making.

He wanted the player to sympathize with the hurt and shock of the MC, so he had Maya and Josy do something shocking and potentially painful. He then amped up the drama by having the PC mope about it for the whole episode.

It certainly helped sell the MC's trauma, but by the same token it also prevented Maya and Josy from mending fences with the player, not just the MC. Combine that with the ludicrously rushed resolution that focused far too much on them forgiving each other than earning the player's forgiveness and it's no wonder that lots of players just want to write the whole mess off once and for all - no matter how badly that would fuck up DPC's story.

On top of that, Episode 5 was poorly positioned to fix the problem since it was so short. In the wake of the library debacle, we needed three things: a) a chance for players who hated the characters to berate them (even if it ended with them being friends again, the dressing down could be cathartic); b) re-establishing a camaraderie between the three that would illustrate why the MC wants to stay their friend (and thus why we should care); c) explaining what the new relationship between the three would be for those who succeeded in trying for something more.

Unfortunately, those needs were derailed by the inability for Episode 5 to actually advance the plot in any way. It practically trapped the various plots and relationships in amber for safekeeping. As a result the closest we got to a) was ducking out on Josy's request, and c) was a borderline joke with Maya all but asking the MC to keep sleeping around.

Worst of all was b). Not only did the episode completely bail on rebuilding any sort of platonic friendship between the three, the friendship route chose to focus exclusively on how sad the girls were to be only friends and not lovers - even when the girls turned us down! It's true that in the wake of the library scene we probably did need to be reassured there was still a solo path for each girl, but that could have waited an episode.

By cramming that message in to the exclusion of all others, it not only failed to reestablish the friendship between the trio, it wound up making the threesome path look that much weaker in comparison.

It's nowhere near as bad as the original failure in Episode 4, but it's means we have to readdress the issue yet again, which will only overexpose the characters to those who are sick of them even more. It's one more pothole Episode 6 is going to have to patch. No wonder the thing is going to be huge.

You hit the nail right on the head with the 'earn the player's forgiveness'.

 

[barbatoscloud]

So the game will end until the MC graduated from college ?

 

[DuckDairyDip]

So the game will end until the MC graduated from college ?

Likely not unless there is a timeskip likely at the very end or epilogue.

 

[felicemastronzo]

Why would a academic year go only about 6 month ?
IIRC DPC is from sweden right? I have assumed he has taken their academic year as model, which is similiar to ours, meaning seperated in a first half, from end of august until christmas and the second half, from new year to june.

At least in my opinion that would a pretty shitty ending, for all who choose a chick run, for a dik run that would actually fitting thought.



Why postcards?
U could show MC+LI with timeskips in between, that is a good solution if done right.

the first 5 chapters cover a couple of weeks, and the story is too much alive to afford any time jumps. of course it may be that there are more ahead, but for now I have no reason to believe it.

when I talked about postcards from the future I was referring to the classic epilogue with images of the protagonists grown up, with children etc ... for a story of university love in my opinion it is not the best

 

[barbatoscloud]

Likely not unless there is a timeskip likely at the very end or epilogue.

but 16 -20 eps I think enough without time skip. Besides, I want to see MC and Derek become predisent of DIK

 

[felicemastronzo]

That resolution was a no-win scenario for DPC - though it's entirely one of his own making.

He wanted the player to sympathize with the hurt and shock of the MC, so he had Maya and Josy do something shocking and potentially painful. He then amped up the drama by having the PC mope about it for the whole episode.

It certainly helped sell the MC's trauma, but by the same token it also prevented Maya and Josy from mending fences with the player, not just the MC. Combine that with the ludicrously rushed resolution that focused far too much on them forgiving each other than earning the player's forgiveness and it's no wonder that lots of players just want to write the whole mess off once and for all - no matter how badly that would fuck up DPC's story.

On top of that, Episode 5 was poorly positioned to fix the problem since it was so short. In the wake of the library debacle, we needed three things: a) a chance for players who hated the characters to berate them (even if it ended with them being friends again, the dressing down could be cathartic); b) re-establishing a camaraderie between the three that would illustrate why the MC wants to stay their friend (and thus why we should care); c) explaining what the new relationship between the three would be for those who succeeded in trying for something more.

Unfortunately, those needs were derailed by the inability for Episode 5 to actually advance the plot in any way. It practically trapped the various plots and relationships in amber for safekeeping. As a result the closest we got to a) was ducking out on Josy's request, and c) was a borderline joke with Maya all but asking the MC to keep sleeping around.

Worst of all was b). Not only did the episode completely bail on rebuilding any sort of platonic friendship between the three, the friendship route chose to focus exclusively on how sad the girls were to be only friends and not lovers - even when the girls turned us down! It's true that in the wake of the library scene we probably did need to be reassured there was still a solo path for each girl, but that could have waited an episode.

By cramming that message in to the exclusion of all others, it not only failed to reestablish the friendship between the trio, it wound up making the threesome path look that much weaker in comparison.

It's nowhere near as bad as the original failure in Episode 4, but it's means we have to readdress the issue yet again, which will only overexpose the characters to those who are sick of them even more. It's one more pothole Episode 6 is going to have to patch. No wonder the thing is going to be huge.

I agree with what you wrote, but I think the solution was actually much simpler.

the scene in the DIKs library lacks balance because the whole drama is MC's charge, his speech only solves the problem between the girls, in that moment it would have been necessary for the girls to show how much they cared about MC, to apologize to him for the lies and omissions that had been there up to that moment, that it was a dramatic moment for them as well towards MC, instead it is not so (the only "dramatic" reaction they have if they refuse his proposal ...)

everyone forgives each other, but in the end they are a couple and MC is alone, there is no balance.

this would not have resolved the "hatred" of the players towards Maya and Josy, but at least it would have made sense that Mc remained friends

 

[DuckDairyDip]

but 16 -20 eps I think enough without time skip. Besides, I want to see MC and Derek become predisent of DIK

Considering season 1 was only a few weeks, there would need to be some sort of time skip or time jump in order to fill 2 or 3 more seasons to cover four whole school years even with longer episodes.

 

[DavDR]

in that moment it would have been necessary for the girls to show how much they cared about MC

Yes, but do they? I take your point about the scene, but I have to ask. Does Maya or Josey really care for the MC?

 

[felicemastronzo]

Yes, but do they? I take your point about the scene, but I have to ask. Does Maya or Josey really care for the MC?

Josy and Maya are LIs, so they care about MC

the problem is that they show they care about MC until a moment before that scene, as both can't wait to be able to explain each other and obviously want to be forgiven, but then they do nothing.

once they arrive in the library, however, they appear very selfish, once Mc has solved their couple problems they are okay, it must be MC who insists on being considered, for them it would have already passed.

in front of these situations I never choose to blame whoever wrote the scene, it may be that DPC wrote it badly, but as a player I don't care, I judge the characters for what they do

in fact on the episode there were two "retcons", the embrace between the two girls that disappears while a rejected MC leaves, and the speech at the picnic (or after the visit of Josy's father), where they confess that the reason for their behavior was the fear of being alone, which in fact are apologies to MC, belated but better than nothing

 

[DavDR]

Josy and Maya are LIs, so they care about MC

the problem is that they show they care about MC until a moment before that scene, as both can't wait to be able to explain each other and obviously want to be forgiven, but then they do nothing.

once they arrive in the library, however, they appear very selfish, once Mc has solved their couple problems they are okay, it must be MC who insists on being considered, for them it would have already passed.

in front of these situations I never choose to blame whoever wrote the scene, it may be that DPC wrote it badly, but as a player I don't care, I judge the characters for what they do

in fact on the episode there were two "retcons", the embrace between the two girls that disappears while a rejected MC leaves, and the speech at the picnic (or after the visit of Josy's father), where they confess that the reason for their behavior was the fear of being alone, which in fact are apologies to MC, belated but better than nothing

Let me ask it this way, would Josey ever choose the MC over Maya, or would Maya ever choose MC over Josey? Obviously they would not. So the question is, would the MC be satisfied with a relationship where he was always second?