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

Since this game goes around college and fraternity I must say Dr Pi nkCake got into another frat:

Γ gamma
o omicron
α alpha
τ tau

GOAT !!!!

Man, this is like the first Rock and Roll. It's not just GOAT also put Visual Novels to next level.
I played first time long time ago and already was something else but it was so ambitious so many path, side quest, personalities secrets, so much stuff unending, yet.. loooked like a giant maze, but they did it.
I can't just enumerates items cause they managed to stretch the limits in every spot you can look around.
Clearly also the storyline navigate through erotic, tragedy, mistery and much fun (greats smalls gags) and never lost the way.

Dr PunkXake,: Congratulations and thank you for this legacy.

v0.10.0
previous updates were better.

Score for v0.10.0
Story - 8/10
Characters - 9/10
Minigame - 3/10
Sex Scenes - 4/10
Renders - 9/10
Content - 5/10

Overall - 6/10

This game has a really easy gameplay, funny and good story, amazing girls, amazing animations.

A lot of options and most of them change what you are going to see and experience in the game, so you can make different routes not only for the girls and animations, but to get to know the girls and the world as a whole of the game better.

One of the best porn games ever made and an argument can be made it's the best. It's not perfect of course but there is very little that is at this level when it comes to AVNs. I've had a lot of fun with it.

The Good

- Characters - One of the strongest casts in an AVN. What it does very well is variety. Sage feels very different from Jill, Jill to Quinn, Quinn to Bella and so on. It means you'll find a character you'll like. It also has other men in it that aren't just there to be cucked or cunts they're friends or antagonists, the frat plays a big role in the game. I mean most are massive pussies but still for an AVN it's an improvement. It even has a Dad in it that's not a complete fucking waste of air he's a good man that loves his kid. There will be some you like some you dislike as it should be, the game nails the characters. Sage, Bella, Quinn, Riona, Lily, Nicole, Josy and more I was genuinely impressed how many characters with this I enjoyed, there are very few I really dislike as characters.

-The Writing - Mostly I feel the game is well written. It has numerous characters that are enjoyable and when it's just been a college game it does it extremely well. It does have a tendency to be a little melodramatic though. It doesn't necessarily have a main thread. It's more a bunch of individual plots that come together to make a college story. Frat rivalry, inter frat tension, this girls financial issues, a pimps moneys issues, that girl has Tybalt creeping on her etc. You basically pick a girl and the games frat and friends plots moves alongside that. On the whole it works. It'll likely all come together at some point but it focuses on the women, the frat and the main character so far.

- Music - I can only think of two other games that implement and use music as well as this it's quality. I've ended up on youtube a couple of times and found musicians I never would have. The music is fucking great and is used to great effect.

- Visuals - Most of what's there is done really well. The game looks good, scenes are well constructed. Most of the women are hot and look different from one another. There are, however, some horrible mistakes made visually. There's games that are better rendered or more visually striking with how the dev makes the scene but this is still high quality compared to most.

- Sex Scenes - There are well done. The writing and music often helps elevate them. Biggest issue is the animation, the MC fucks like he's an old guy. It looks like he can barely move his hips. There tends to be good variation in the scene and they're usually well done. I feel the game pulls everything together well for the scenes the chars, writing, music, environment, set up all come together to make the scenes work incredibly well better than the sum of it's parts really. A scene with Bella in the library is a perfect example of it. It is really good at pulling everything together for the lewd scenes.

- Phone - So there's a phone that has bios, texts and a twitter analogue. It's a small thing but I like this stuff. The twitter adds to the world without having to make a whole scene it's a nice touch. I tend to skip a few episodes so it's nice to be able to look at the phone bios and have some idea who the fuck a character is and what I did in regards to them. Likewise the phone is a nice simple way to have a convo happen that doesn't need a whole scene rendered around it. Not a huge thing but I feel the game is better off with how these were implemented.

The Mixed

- Fuckface - The games main character is a mixed bag. On one hand regardless of alignment he's driven, attractive, kind, fit, talented (musician) and funny when drunk plus hung like a horse. He doesn't remotely have a why would anyone touch this loser vibe a lot of AVN MCs have. It makes sense he'd end up popular and well liked. On the other hand dear god can he be a fucking drama queen and a bit dumb. I mostly liked him but I have rolled my eyes one too many times.

- Affinity and Scenes - Considering the importance of affinity I wish it came into a play a LOT more during lewd scenes like it does outside them. It's a bit strange to have an alignment system in a game with porn and then not use it much for the porn. I wouldn't say it's a negative so much as something I wish was used more.

The Bad

- Freeroams- The biggest issue is they're just annoying to navigate even with the room list and you have to check the phone to see who you need to talk to. I think if the freeroams had a list of objectives visually on screen, stopped the boring janitor shit and was quicker to navigate I wouldn't mind them. An objective list you can toggle and a clickable map would go a long way.

- Minigames - You can turn them off but with them on they can get pretty obnoxious especially on replays. I can handle the ones that hook into the story like the mansion and party ones. It's the ones that feel they're in for the sake of having games like tests and fighting that annoy me.

- Later Episodes- If you are only going to do a single playthrough be aware there has been a shift in episode 9 and 10. The game branched and it actually follows through with that and has separate routes. For the game in it's entirety that's a plus, choice matters and it makes the route and girls matter. The other side is you're looking at 1-3 scene in an entire episode. I really wish the split had come near the end of the game and everything up to that was a free for all. Simple fact is unless you do more than one run or use mods you get less content than before in an episode now. The dev isn't doing less, the branching simply means you'll see less unfortunately.

- Visual Flaws - When the game has them they're bad and they stand out. One character looks like she has a skin disease on her arse. One episode the chars had chrome teeth. It does spoil the renders when this stuff appears.

- Anti Mod - The game is deliberately set up to fuck over mod users and modders.

- Silly plots - While the game on the whole is well written there are some plots that only work, remain unresolved or mysterious because everyone gets hit with the stupid bat or doesn't ask simple questions.

- Very VERY Vanilla - Think of the last five people you fucked, were they all identical with what they liked and how they fucked? No because women don't work that way. The game has 5 main girls and over 10 side girls. Yet outside Sage and Quinn none really have kinks, get particularly kinky or even really have quirks in bed. Most don't even have preferences when it comes to how they like to fuck. It's a game with porn scenes if you're going to put the effort to make characters distinct outside of sex why on earth not make them individuals when it comes to fucking? Give them some kinks and preferences. You could just swap models and name for most scenes and you'd never no the scene was written for a specific girl. I wish the game was better in this regard.

No Josy, Bianca or Zoey Anal...yet- This is simply a crime.

Overall

Overall the game has been a blast so far. It's well written, often amusing and the majority of the stuff that really pisses me off are to do with the dev rather than the actual game itself. It's definitely one that is worth trying yourself, there is an awful lot here to like.

Well, I just finished a fresh run from Chapter 1 to 10, and my score is 4/5:

The Good: A great story, fun characters with unique personalities and goals, engaging dialogue that avoids lengthy monologues, good renders, impressive animations, and outstanding music. Some challenging yet fulfilling minigames, along with slideshow sequences that add depth to certain moments. The combat overhaul looks great, and the additions to it are appreciated. The first management system (no spoilers) is challenging but good; it could be improved, but it gets the job done.

The Bad: The tests. I won't spoil how these minigames change in later chapters, but some are fine, while others feel convoluted. I appreciate a mental challenge, but the tests disrupt the pacing significantly. The second management system feels like a trap.

The Ugly: Freeroam navigation. I wanted to get into it, but it's confusing, even with the addition of the map/shortcuts. Once you're in a room in DIK's mansion and decide to move without the map, you might click the wrong button multiple times until Chapter 10. An easy fix from the beginning would be to add a label with the name of the destination when hovering over it.

The Meh: The development of the interlude didn't resonate with me. While it looked nice with great renders, it felt like a separate entity that I didn't care for, possibly due to how it was introduced. The DIK/Chick system doesn't feel very useful; it's just a tool to enable or block content. However, interactions with characters tend to roll back in later chapters, and given the game's length, replaying different interactions requires investing another 20+ hours.

In the end, it's still a great game by DPC. It's not perfect, but it's definitely worth the membership.

Yes, it's a great game with lots of choices and in many ways it is better than anything else here. By a mile.

But I started playing Ep.10 and it felt like a chore to get to the good parts. I am dreading playing it again on a different path.

I hate the sandbox. I hate the minigames. I hate getting lost in that stupid frat house for the millionth time. And I hate having to do it all again to see what a different path looks like.

It detracts from the excellent characters and stories. It is a pain (and not the good kind).

It'd be a much better game without the endless little annoying hoops you need to jump through. For me, it breaks the game. Meh.

After playing through 0.10:

The game is weird. For me that was the only non-fappable game ever and I had to adapt to be able to enjoy it.

Renders are amazing - thats for sure. But the writing is just not there:

- The beginning is seriously frustrating, filled with unavoidable choices, kidnapping and rape attempt (or actual reverse rape). Yeah-yeah, it's a setup for the game but I've played through much calmer starts and games turned out amazing. Here I still want to call the police on those degenerates and see them locked up. These episodes instead of interest to characters and setup led to me despising most of them.

- The whole HOT bunch, with a possible exeption of Sage are just come one-come all girls anyone can wear like a hat. I just didn't care for them one bit, i wasn't interested in their arcs and I didn't have particular desire to have sex with these... well, let's call them what they are - whores.

- Josie and Maya story
- The game is huge in content, but there was very little content for me enjoy. Frat guys sex brags? Pass. Treating women like drunken pieces of meat? Pass. Roaming in maybe the worst roaming environment with similar doors? Na-ah.

- There is actually two and a half decent human beings to pursue romance with. And only one of them is a normal, psychologically adequate girl you can be in a healthy relationships - Jill. She is the girl who worth putting all other pursuits aside just to be with her.
Isabelle looks cool and she is a good person, but her Ice Quinness and jokes resistance makes her more of a great friend, than love interest. And Sage is kiiinda normal, but not really, moreover she is a sorority girl. And who knows who she's been through before... ugh.

- I don't know why exactly, but sex scenes are very boring. They are amazingly rendered, but feel standart-ish, paced... In most cases they gave that tired mediocre marriage vibe. Sextalks feel forced. No particularly freaky stuff to look for (and, like I said, if you value your health - almost noone to do it with among all this hoard of female characters). Totally anti-fap that works only because renders quality.

Among other thing I found it weird and uninteresting, that almost every non-stripper, non-slut female student character have some kind of relationships, but that doesn't stop them from pursuiting MC. Hence they are being put aside too. Sex with them will be generic anyway and they are not honest human beings. Why bother.

- Because of all that I had to scroll a lot of content.

- Zoey is a very cool girl, you could really have stuck with through the game.
Now to the good parts of the game:

- Derek is an amazing character that goofs the gameplay up a ton. DPC knows how to make excellent best friends for his novels. The rest Dicks exept Tommy are cool dudes if you want to get to know them.

- It's SOOOO gratifying to reject girls who fucked with your feelings, lied, manipulated and then like - I have feelings for you. In life it's not often you get to have that level of closure.
- Music being on is a must. Superb playlist that forms a unique experience is there.

- Jill. She is the one and only queen of happily ever after. I played through the whole game romancing just her and that was the only way I was able to enjoy these two seasons. I know, I've mentioned her earlier, but she is so beautiful as a person that I want to do it again. With her all these standartish sex scenes works perfectly. You don't need freaky stuff and trashtalk there, because sex becomes about true intimacy, tenderness and feelings. To create a character that you want to be intimate with and have a future together - that is so fucking rare among all that moms-banging harem-collecting sister-peeking stuff. So these relationships are a masterpiece.

- College atmosphere. It's just a good environment for action in general. I've come to enjoy this part a lot. Small talks, parties, lectures...

- MILFs in the game look hot, and it's fun to flirt with them. All the girls look hot, to be honest, not only MILFS.

Contrary to some opinions that the game went downhill after the second season I believe the quality is still there and it is still very enjoyable. There are some mysteries and parties to attend to and I want to enjoy all that to the fullest. And I want to see my wedding. Although interlude seemed like a waste of resources.

As a romantic drama with a side of humour about a college, like I played it, it's THE best on F95, guaranteed. 6 stars. 10 if need be.
As a dirty sexy porn VN it's beautiful, but weak and vanilla. But I realized that in this case it really doesn't matter, since I enjoy romance. Still 1 star off for the pre-pledging event. That was revolting.

But, hell, i'd love if there were more romance focused novels out there now.

Had you asked me to review this game 2 years ago, I would have given it a 5/5, I would have given it more if that wasnt the limit. It was innovative, rich but most of all heavy in content, it was a cheesy but lovable coming to age VN drama.

We all know that DPC is a great artist, we all know that many of the stories he creates are rich but most of all deep, something thats very rare in porn games, but this is so much more then just a "Porn game" its a story.

However, fast forward 2 years, and it is clear that this artist has reached a stillpoint, it is clear that there are so many plotlines that he cannot keep up, so he fills the fillers with extremely unnecessary minigames and "do this, click this, chat to this"

The reality is that this series is reaching a point where a conclusion should have been made, it should be in my opinion at an end point, but instead were getting nonsensical plotlines that is going nowwhere, but most lacking of all is that there really is no overarching plotline anymore. I doubt that DPC will ever read this, but in the miniscule chance that he does, then this is all I can say.

Its time to create a final plotline, tie this great series up, and give it a lasting ending, you will always be able to make a new VN, we know you are capable and we will financially support you in those endevours, but I hope that you give this VN an ending it deserves, I hope that you dont continue dragging it out, and fill it with pointless minigames. because truth to be told, this game is starting to age and I am wondering if you even have any clue on how it will progress.

Amazing game, with a captivating story. The plethora of branches, and the, super detailed twists of the story, make an amazing experience worth playing, more than once, to unlock everything. The dev loves the game and it shows.

The best game of the genre.

Writing of dialogues is classic literature level. Amount of jokes and hehes I had going through all branches is enormous.

Almost all sex scenes (all after first 2 episodes) have build up so it makes the sex 999% more enjoyable because you fuck fun and enjoyable characters, not some dolls.

Simply the GOAT of VNs (if you go through all branches, as you should do)

DIK story is excellent and gives the college experience with alot of different ways how to play it. Cons I would say is some of the forced story conflicts is somewhat dumb.

The storytelling, music, writing, comedy, graphics, scene varation, use of mobile phone/mini games, free roam and lewd scenes makes it the complete package. DrPinkCake is setting a different standard to the VN scene with this.

Massive improvements from Acting Lessons in every regard.

The best, nice characters....good renders, the story is quiet cliché but still enjoyable
Visuals 10/10
characters 10/10
sex scene animations 8/10
Renders 10/10
story 9/10
humour 8/10
just love this game

I'm writing this review only a day after the release of Episode 10 and having played through all of the routes because I have too much free time. There may be a few minor variations that I haven't seen that have probably a few lines of extra dialogue total that I haven't seen but are ultimately negligible to the experience, and rather than basing my rating on the most recent update like some people seem to be doing, an update that, mind you, I think is fine, I'm reviewing the game as it is as a whole from the current beginning to end, which I'm pretty sure is what you're supposed to do, but I digress.

I don't really have much to say about this game that hasn't already been said to death, but I'll say it nonetheless. "Being a DIK" is probably one of, if not the most successful and popular games on this website and in the non-Japanese VN genre as a whole, and for good reason, it has superb story telling, although the story is admittedly not finished yet and it's possible that the build-up may not meet expectations, I'll keep my fingers crossed. It also has great rendering and character design; although preferences may vary, I also think all main characters' are well written and likable, and even a lot of the side characters too, with the exception of a few who aren't meant to be likeable. Last but not least, there's good music to match the gameplay, which I'm astonished more VN's don't do, as just putting the right music into your game can multiply the emotional impact of any scene just on its own, whether it's a romantic moment, eating at a restaurant with friends, or even a party. "Being a Dik" is a story that takes place at what seems to be a stereotypical movie-like American college, there's parties, frats, dumb jocks, popular girls, goofy and idiotic friends, drugs, you name it, but even though a lot of the characters fit into those stereotypes most of them have backstories and motivations that drive them and are fueled by the tragedies and events of their own lives, pretty much every main member of the cast has their own story and reason behind why they act the way they do, many of the side characters do too, which is what i feel a lot of VN's fail to do, make their characters feel human and feel like they existed before the player character came into the picture and that the cast doesn't just exist as a foil to them, this feeling is something that only becomes more clear the longer you play and uncover more about the characters, it is still a porn game though.

If I had any complaints, it would come down to two things: First, update speed. The developer is a perfectionist, and, at a certain point, the cons of such a thing far outweigh the benefits. With the most recent update being only 7 days from being exactly a year apart from the previous one, I'm not exactly sure that the quality of the updates is enough to make up for the scarcity of them, but nonetheless, this is a complaint that will be irrelevant when/if the game gets a full release and is completed, which will hopefully be before I'm old and grey. My biggest worry is the developer getting burned out and leaving the game unfinished, or even worse, an extremely rushed ending.

My second big one is the minigames; some are fun and I don't mind, like Brawler and the Zoey drawing minigame, but for 90% of them, they are extremely annoying and completely kill the flow of the story whenever you run into them. Even then, that on its own is somewhat manageable to deal with, but the problem is that this is a visual novel with different routes, so you are expected to play through it multiple times if you want to see all the endings and content with different girls. For the main girls alone, there are four playthroughs, not to mention the other routes. Because of that, the minigames quickly become overwhelming. It is possible to toggle off the minigames at the beginning, but that's before you even run into most of them and know what you're getting into, and it's an unchangeable choice unless you go outside of the game and use third-party tools. There's also certain renders and scenes that, from what I know, are locked behind succeeding at the minigames, so if you want to see those, you can't turn them off. Ultimately, I resorted to a third-party tool to enable the console and toggle on and off the minigames whenever I wanted, so I could skip them when I already did them on a different save and didn't want to do them again, which was most of the time. Another smaller common complaint that is somewhat in the same vein in that it makes things annoying and time-consuming when doing subsequent playthroughs is the free roam event's where you have to click around and move through rooms with arrows, but I'm mixed in that opinion in that while I acknowledge that it does waste more time, I also kind of like them and enjoy having them as an addition to the game and would be kind of sad if they were removed as I feel the free roam add's more weight and a good time to interact with the texts and social media, so maybe I'm just weird there.

That's about all I have to say about the game, and even with those complaints, I'm still rating it 5 stars because, for me, the positives overall far outweigh the negatives. Maybe a more exact number to show my overall opinion of the game would be something like a 4.9, if a 5 was an absolutely perfect F95 game with no complaints, but that should show just how much value I got out of the game. It's an absolute must-play.

Now don't mind me while I go and log off so I can contemplate my life after I spent a little over 30 minutes writing a review critiquing and praising a porn game.

v0.10.0
I'm not surprised that a game of this size has a vocal amount of complainers but this is just getting ridiculous. Being a DIK is, at least content wise, the best AVN by far. The sheer size of this project is hard to beat. Sure, others are doing it more concisely, but this game has been going for fucking years. Revolutionary ideas like this aren't executed flawlessly on the first attempt.
While I agree the free roam sections need drastic improvements, simply writing "sandbox bad" or "mini-game bad" is pathetic. If you're that impatient to watch porn, then go watch porn. The passion that has gone into making this game for this long is impressive. Playing from Episode 1 to the current release will show you just how far this shit has come. The impressive soundtrack that keeps expanding. The writing that constantly improves. The mini-games, while annoying at times, are pretty impressive in their most recent state. Characters being more than just one note. Actions are having consequences. It also just looks fantastic graphic wise.
The longer BaD runs, the more invested I get. Episode 10 (the most recent one as of this review) has proven how much I've personally grown to care about these characters and that's pretty impressive. Getting this invested in drama in a fictional adult game seems silly but man I just love getting lost in it and not knowing what will come next. If no one interests you at all and you don't care about any of the context, then maybe this game just isn't for you; and that's perfectly fine. But with these amount of options, it's hard for nothing to interest you at all.

Maybe it's just me, but I lost interest in this game fairly quickly. I don't relate to the frat boy MC, and the plot is convoluted. There are so many characters and people on screen at once that it often feels like an orgy, without enough room to develop true intimacy with the characters. Granted a lot my issue with the game is simply with the setting. For me, there is nothing alluring or sexy about drunk shenanigans in a frat environment.

The visuals quality is excellent, however, and I have to believe that is a big part of the reason the game is so popular.

Unfortunately though it takes more than pretty visuals to make a compelling porn game. I just downloaded a full save and used it as a scene viewer. Didn't have the patience to get through novels of dialogue with all the unlikeable characters.

This is the pinnacle of AVNs. The template which all other school settings based games are based on. The art is top notch, all the girls are beautiful, The dialogs are fun and even emotional sometimes. The best there is, the best there was and the best there ever will be.

Edit - after I've finished chapter 10 I'm even more certain that this is the best AVN out there. Episode 10 was awesome and kinda mentally draining in a good way. | played 7 paths and they are all great. I don't get why people are bitching about minigames - you do not have to play them if you don't want to. the sex scenes are amazing so I don't get why are having issues with the graphics. I know that updates take a long time but it is well worth the wait. Go play it and you'll enjoy every minute !

It used to be pretty cool with a likable mc and an interesting story and all that stuff. but right now its just frustrating with all the pointless minigames and it feels like the story is not even about the mc anymore. that wouldnt be such a bummer if it wouldnt take a year for new stuff to come out. also why do i have to choose between li if its all casual. i would get why the mc would feel bad about dating multiple girls if he wants a real relationship. but he wasnt dating any of the main li in my game right now and he still whines about needing to choose.

Maybe when this came out it would have been 4 stars (but not 5 because of those illogical sandbox sections)

but now its just a mess of paths and stilted storytelling (because multiple years into this game harem is bad and evil!!!!1) including mandatory boring sandbox sections where you talk with people you dont remember because they have no personality beyond their basic traits

In the modern landscape the writing is lower than the vast majority of "highly rated" games, the renders are very good but no longer best in class, the forced sandbox and minigame sections are boring, forced, and drag down a middle of the road experience to something that I can not recommended playing

you dont see people simping over jumping jack flash because it was the first 3d game you shouldnt simp over being a dik because it was your first AVN

Perfect art, perfect story, perfect music , I hoped we get to see some futa or sleep sex along the way but hey that’s my fetishes not all people all in all I highly recommend this game, even the humor in this game is really good , dr pinkcake is a genius, hope to see more games from him

The first thing I wanna say is that my impressions are based on playing without the mini-games. I tried, but I couldn't deal with them. This is NOT a bad point for Being a DIK though, the author had the foresight to make this content optional, and giving options to the player is always a great thing.

The second is just a reminder of how many LONG reviews this game has. You can like it or dislike it, but writing a handful of lines about something of this magnitude seems inadequate. There's a lot to say, hence the following.

- I'm starting with the audio this time - There's a lot of tracks, a fair number are good and more importantly, play at the right time. This is coming from someone who can safely spout "not my cup of tea" at the some of the genres used, I still recognize their quality. I'd like to single out "Just Peachy" by Bellsmarie, it's perfect for Maya and the "triangle situations". Picking proper audio is an important skill (that many lack), so props on that account. The next step is voice acting I believe, and that would be the real kicker to greatness here.

What do you think is catapulting Slay the Princess to success? The obvious trigger to almost everything, that is picking up the knife or not doing it? Well yes, people are easily impressed, great publicity and the previous title seal the deal, but V.A is also one of the main reasons: "You are on a path"... Look at something like Snow Daze The Music of Winter for instance. You don't need professionals and tons of money, even sub-standard, partial V.A, is better than none.

- Humor - I'm not sure how to sell this in any other way. Being a DIK had me laughing numerous times. Yes, I'm an easy target. Yes, I'm partial to immature or "foul-mouthed" jokes. Yes, I like the reversal of PC culture arguments with satire. Yes, physical humor with dildos cracks me up. I'm not sorry, if it's funny I will laugh, and if I laugh it's funny. Thinking about what jokes should be funny, is a stagnant concept outside the circular logic associated with the terms "laugh" and "funny", ergo it never touches the circle. "Double ergo" it has zero relevance to the circle. "Stretching the ergo", pseudo-intellectuals don't stop Being a DIK from being very funny.

- The free roaming sections - I never took a spatial awareness test in my life, but after Being a DIK, I'm pretty sure I would fail spectacularly at any of them. I took the wrong path dozens of times. I don't know if it's me or the game, but it's definitely the game. Don't you feel any sympathy for the physical integrity of my monitor. What about my sanity?

- Visuals - I'm gonna go there, and address the "pioneer idea" that the girls are not realistic. It's STUPID . What's next? Are you gonna cry cause people don't die, and no one ever fights seriously in "The legend of heroes", after 13 titles... The rapture can't get here fast enough, so one of us gets taken away permanently. Forget breast, thigh, ass, and all other sizes, what you need to do is inform yourself on the product you are purchasing, and act accordingly. I'm not even bringing artistic freedom to the table, or the fact that VN's are ALWAYS an obvious product of fiction. My argument is simple: Don't try to change the very nature of things, acquire different things, more in line with your own taste.

With that out of the way I like the girls (What are my odds, regarding Sage jumping out of the screen, in Quantum physics/theory/tunneling numbers? Wife says it's cool, if it happens), the animations, backgrounds, and the adult scenes. As far as I can tell, is higher quality all around, when compared to some other noteworthy titles that you can find here.

- Isabella - I don't remember seeing any character quite like Isabella in any VN. (If I say how many I have read so far, it will sound like I'm bragging***). She looks like she could grab a 2-handed axe and cut a man in two, if he has the gall of asking her, whether she used milk on her omelet. Forget her emotional conflict, being on guard and "murderous" 24/7, is definitely on the original side of things. She is kind of like a reverse "yandere", who will kill you first, and then give you her sweet side (metaphor, not necrophilia). At any rate, I had fun messing with her, and realizing that was not gonna work.

- Being a DIK shows a ton of ambition- This leads to many problems (I will address some below), but I just love when developer(s) try to go beyond (reach the next step of the ladder), when so many just achieve one success, and sit comfortably on easy money and repetition. (This is especially bad in adult videogames and visual novels). The praise stems from the existence of "things" like One One1 or Yuzusoft, in essence. Never settle, always strive for more.

- The alignments (DIK) don't work - The entirety of chapter 4 made zero sense after my previous choices (as DIK). I had no idea what was going on, and why the protagonist was so upset when I payed little to no attention to both girls involved , (lots of Sage, Sage, and more Sage, a bit of Sage, not much Josie or Maya...) You can't have the protagonist act like that after the choices I made. I understand that getting this right is a huge endeavor, but this is a deal breaker at the moment. Hundreds of choices, and a protagonist that decides to think for himself are always gonna clash. I decided to just restart, but I was close to uninstalling the game, on account of my own incredulity staring at my screen.

- There's no main story - More accurately, the slice of life/comedy/ is overwhelming, and drowns the rest, at some point. Again, it's wonderful that the developer wants to do so much, but my brain has trouble keeping up with all the paths taken. That means that when you suddenly insert a relevant flashback/exposition, and backstory to some character, I may not be giving it all of my attention. That's a recipe for disaster, in a title that is obviously driven by the desire to portray interpersonal relationships, and ensuing struggles.

- The girls are following the alignment system - I will give it to you straight, there's only 2 types of girls in Being a DIK (Isabella is the odd 3rd). The first is the "good girl" who has everything going for her except some sort of first world problem. The game wants you to court them and be nice to them. Then there's the "bad girls" who give a "loose impression", and respond positively to, or initiate sexual interactions, faster than the competition. There's a narrative there (regarding the sorority dynamics) thankfully.

I refuse to believe that the writer is unaware of character archetypes in VN's, and incapable of stamping some quick exaggerated quirks early on, just to separate the waters, and then proceed to more complex considerations. Let me point the finger at Jill, Maya, and Josie. They are way too similar, and my choices towards them reflect only one character. I'm not against picking someone based on attractiveness (quite the opposite, I do it all the time, cause in fiction everyone ends up being a "treasure"), but personalities are far more satisfying to consider. What do you think about when best girl votes/posts come around?

- The legal problem Maya faces - I don't live in the U.S, and I don't know its legal system, but this has "90's soap opera twist" written all over it. Bad faith claims, and state provided attorneys are a thing there I hope? The irony of me complaining about this, after my speech on "breast" size above, is not lost on me, but come on, this is bad. Make her infirm and on her death bed. Make her move to the Fiji islands for a year. Or make her the last princess of Mars on a quest to save her race by breeding with humans. Not this. I'm gonna stop here (dead horse...) but I had another dose of the same remedy for Jill.

IMPORTANT: I stopped playing here

- Parting words - The seed of greatness is here, despite some of my harsh remarks. There's no mistaking it, and I think this is a title worth purchasing and supporting. The problem I see happening here, is the foundations of the work being neglected, in favor of new content that pushes the title to finished state, or just aims to "please the consumer". It's a strange comparison, but look at Crusader Kings 3. That game could be legendary, if they were to fix the basics, instead of adding more things for "freshness" sake, and sales (it's also about manpower invested and corporate interests, but I hope the main idea is getting across).

I don't have a score for Being a DIK( I didn't saw all of it), but I'm hopeful this could be a stepping stone to the (hopefully bright) future of visual novels/adult games produced outside Japan. That's what I see here, the seed of growth and possibility. Also I have I mentioned that I really like SAGE, that's important.

***Over 150 - It was false modesty, I'm afraid.