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

[cryhwks]

People still complaining about Maya and Josy. Get over it, it happened the way it happened and no "It should have happened this way." Is going to change what happened. Accept that you can't change anything about it, and move on with your life.

 

[Joey's Conscience]

in my opinion only with Maya can we talk about a relationship that develops with "normal" times, we meet, talk to each other, offer us hospitality etc etc

with Josy: she is a crush, there is little to tell about the crushes

with Jill: it's a miracle, she meets MC in quite extreme moments and she is making all the effort to get to know MC.

with Sage: from strangers to fuckbuddy with a guitar lesson

with Bella: from naked stalker behind a bush to passionate lover for recognizing a song on the radio

Yeah, I simplified things for the sake of not overextending the comment, but I'd argue every girl but Josy has something that made them grow closer and closer to MC.

Josy: She's already your crush as you start the game. All of a sudden she decides do be very flirty with MC for some reason. She hooks up with you a couple of times, kinda disappears, comes back as Maya's GF, and now you're already discussing relationship status.

Jill: She's meant to be the angel character, so she meets MC as she's trying to help him. But that's just who she is, she'd do that for anyone. However what sets MC apart for her is that you're different than all the snobs she's surrounded by. You're a simple guy, yet you're indifferent to her money and status, and you're not out to impress her like the other guys do.

Sage: Notice I said "romance" and not "sex". Sage has a much more casual vision of sex, so it doesn't mean much here. That aside, you can see them growing closer on other aspects. She starts off blackmailing MC into helping her, but from that you grow into being her confidant, and eventually her friend. As her relationship crumbles, you're the guy that's there for her, listening to her frustrations, and providing her sexual relief. I'd argue she's still in the "growing closer" phase, rather than "romance phase". She's still getting development, as she never thought of the MC as something more than a casual fling, but we're getting there.

Bella: Has a shitty opinion of you, but gives you a chance because of Jill. She's very reluctant to you at first, but comes to know you mean no harm (in chick route). Again, wouldn't say they are at a romance level yet, but definetly growing closer. She's drawn to MC because she's a fairly lonely woman, deemed an "ice queen", but she sees you trying to crack through the ice. Plus, she has unresolved issues with her housband, and you can tell that deep down she craves for affection.

Sorry for the wall of text. If you got this far, here's a photo of a kitten as a reward:

 

[AchedCroissant]

Sometimes I think that the LI who have had less drama in history will have more drama than the others (Maya, Josy even Quinn included)

I don't want to trust that everything is pink with Jill, Sage and especially Isabella

 

[horusxcaen82]

so, I went back about 700 pages or so and started reading up just to see what people were talking back in October about the game, and I saw they were talking about the length and how long it would take, and as far as I am concerned I want to stick with this game until its done but could someone give like a rough estimate more or less how long each update has been? not asking really when the new one will be out obviously it just came out about a month ago, but like every 5 or 6 months?

 

[Gladheim]

so, I went back about 700 pages or so and started reading up just to see what people were talking back in October about the game, and I saw they were talking about the length and how long it would take, and as far as I am concerned I want to stick with this game until its done but could someone give like a rough estimate more or less how long each update has been? not asking really when the new one will be out obviously it just came out about a month ago, but like every 5 or 6 months?

Yes like 5 months more or less...

 

[Holy Bacchus]

so, I went back about 700 pages or so and started reading up just to see what people were talking back in October about the game, and I saw they were talking about the length and how long it would take, and as far as I am concerned I want to stick with this game until its done but could someone give like a rough estimate more or less how long each update has been? not asking really when the new one will be out obviously it just came out about a month ago, but like every 5 or 6 months?

At first the updates were about 3-4 months for Eps 2 & 3, then 4 took longer due to all the branching paths. Ep 5 took around 4 months, then Ep 6 took just over 5 months. General expectation is for it to be around a 4-5 month dev time per episode from now on and given what's been said in recent status updates, a release around end of Feb/beginning of March seems most likely for Ep 7.

 

[shazba]

so, I went back about 700 pages or so and started reading up just to see what people were talking back in October about the game, and I saw they were talking about the length and how long it would take, and as far as I am concerned I want to stick with this game until its done but could someone give like a rough estimate more or less how long each update has been? not asking really when the new one will be out obviously it just came out about a month ago, but like every 5 or 6 months?

4-6 months is a typical estimate. The developer has had a serious hardware upgrade but suggested it won't speed up release times; he'll aim to improve overall quality.

 

[shazba]

Yeah, I simplified things for the sake of not overextending the comment, but I'd argue every girl but Josy has something that made them grow closer and closer to MC.

Josy: She's already your crush as you start the game. All of a sudden she decides do be very flirty with MC for some reason. She hooks up with you a couple of times, kinda disappears, comes back as Maya's GF, and now you're already discussing relationship status.

Jill: She's meant to be the angel character, so she meets MC as she's trying to help him. But that's just who she is, she'd do that for anyone. However what sets MC apart for her is that you're different than all the snobs she's surrounded by. You're a simple guy, yet you're indifferent to her money and status, and you're not out to impress her like the other guys do.

Sage: Notice I said "romance" and not "sex". Sage has a much more casual vision of sex, so it doesn't mean much here. That aside, you can see them growing closer on other aspects. She starts off blackmailing MC into helping her, but from that you grow into being her confidant, and eventually her friend. As her relationship crumbles, you're the guy that's there for her, listening to her frustrations, and providing her sexual relief. I'd argue she's still in the "growing closer" phase, rather than "romance phase". She's still getting development, as she never thought of the MC as something more than a casual fling, but we're getting there.

Bella: Has a shitty opinion of you, but gives you a chance because of Jill. She's very reluctant to you at first, but comes to know you mean no harm (in chick route). Again, wouldn't say they are at a romance level yet, but definetly growing closer. She's drawn to MC because she's a fairly lonely woman, deemed an "ice queen", but she sees you trying to crack through the ice. Plus, she has unresolved issues with her housband, and you can tell that deep down she craves for affection.

Sorry for the wall of text. If you got this far, here's a photo of a kitten as a reward:

View attachment 944218

Is it bad that I skipped straight to the kitten? I felt bad so I went back and read the rest of the post.

 

[shazba]

...unfortunately just makes me imagine the unsightly, rotund, bespectacled programmer sitting at his computer in a smelly room typing out his deviant sexual fantasies.

I never really thought of that, I always imagined a group of hot babes were employed to write the narrative, so like thanks for ruining my enjoyment of every other AVN from now on. At least you didn't suggest the horny programmer was typing out his fantasies one handed...

 

[horusxcaen82]

I suppose 4-6 months isn't bad, I guess I asked because I gulped the game down from episode 1 to 6 in one go because of how engaged I was with the story instead of taking my time with it and now its like, what do I do now lol, I am sure Im not the only one that does this sort of thing but its probably my fault for running through it like I did.

 

[Gilgamesh1997]

While every one busy worry about, Jill , or Quinn dark fate, or Maya's dad, or Bella's secret.
I'm starting to worry that the real twist will be Josy turning out to be a psycho Yandere.

Pink: check
View attachment 903130
Cute ,Smart : Check
View attachment 903131
aggression: check
View attachment 903134
Willing to Please, Seemingly Perfect
View attachment 903136
View attachment 903137
She is just way too perfect to not have some fucked up shit along the road .

i just finished a playthrough of acting lessons. you may be right

 

[Kellermann]

I never really thought of that, I always imagined a group of hot babes were employed to write the narrative, so like thanks for ruining my enjoyment of every other AVN from now on. At least you didn't suggest the horny programmer was typing out his fantasies one handed...

 

[shazba]

To me, Josy has the worst LI storyline by a lot. You boot up the game and MC and her just like each other, but that never transfered to me as a player. There was very little development compared to the other girls, and what was there came off to me as she being way too flirtatious for someone in a relationship.
So yeah, I wouldnt mind it too much if I had to choose, it would be easy Maya

Josy's storyline has some big issues for me.

The first one is how she and the MC were never really friends. They worked together but the guy was scared to even talk to the girl. I know what DPC was trying to show with that, but it makes their connection so fragile.

After that, my second issue is how the girl doesn't have her own storyline. She never was her own character, because since coming to B&R she is basically a plus in Maya's storyline.

At this point while other LIs are showing more sides and getting more interesting, she is kind of eclipsed. So yeah, i get why most people in their path are in it for Maya.

Even without any explanation, I feel that the MC's initial feelings for Josy, and even hers for him, are entirely understandable and relatable. Anyone who's ever had a school crush, or a work crush, or a summer crush, should be able to recognise in the MC those same feelings of admiring someone from afar, of being infatuated with someone without really knowing much about them. The physical attraction is there, and you might exchange the odd word or two, and you get a good feeling about them, but neither of you are confident enough to make the first move. That's how I'd say it feels with Josy, that they both have an attraction to each other but are both too timid to make the first move; Josy because she's technically still with Maya, and the MC because he's worried she'll reject him.

Josy does, however, need some more character development because she was largely absent for the first season, and so far in this season she's been something of Maya's wingwoman. She hasn't yet got a chance to really shine as a solo act so hopefully we'll get some much needed one-on-one time with her in Ep 7 (but not at the expense of Maya being taken away ). Would also be good to get some insight into their (M&J) relationship before this, particularly before they first hooked up, because I've always got the sense that Josy just did what she did on the camping trip for fun and to experiment because her and Maya were friends so she thought nothing of it, but Maya took it very seriously and that Josy somewhat fell into a relationship with Maya that she never intended to have.

I have had dozens of crushes like Josy in my entire life and I felt very identified with Mc. For something Josy is one of my favorites, without having a character arc developed (yet) his personality and her body/face, oooff She drive me crazy.

Josy's problem was just that.

the initial characterization is perfect, the summer crush, or more precisely the late summer crush, that girl you can talk to a few days before the holidays end and you have to leave. a universal situation in which everyone recognizes themselves.

and remains a character continuously present despite the distance, messages, phone calls .. Josy is there in all the first days of BR, when MC thinks of leaving college he wants to go back to her.

then the fireworks of the third episode and from there the void

first the mess of 4, in which Josy is almost as much spectator as we the players, and then the disastrous consequences of 5 (if the proposal is refused, otherwise free sex)

from the third chapter onwards for Josy there was either the role of lady-in-waiting for Maya or bad figures with bad dialogues.

in the sixth DPC made her pigtails to point her out.

the only big event that could involve her is Maya's father, again Maya, even her stepbrother Tommy has forgotten that she is at BR.

but it is always part of the problem of carrying on different stories in a non-homogeneous way, with continuous runs and stops

Yes, the "crush from afar" situation is understandable and relatable, but the way it was done just never let me connect. One of the strenghts of a game like this is making you feel like you're in the MC's shoes, and it creates a big disconnect between player and character when the game goes "MC likes this girl you know nothing about".
With the other girls, you go through the whole process. Meet them, befriend them, grow closer, romance them. By now, it's not just the MC that cares for the characters, I, as the player, care too. However, I never managed to care for Josy. They tried to have the bonding moments in the beginning, but it was too fast, and then she's gone for too long. She needed more development imo.

in my opinion only with Maya can we talk about a relationship that develops with "normal" times, we meet, talk to each other, offer us hospitality etc etc

with Josy: she is a crush, there is little to tell about the crushes

with Jill: it's a miracle, she meets MC in quite extreme moments and she is making all the effort to get to know MC.

with Sage: from strangers to fuckbuddy with a guitar lesson

with Bella: from naked stalker behind a bush to passionate lover for recognizing a song on the radio

Yeah, I didn't really start warming up to Josy until the last couple of episodes. She seemed sort of bland and meh throughout the first four episodes and then suddenly she gets sexy and I'm thinking, wow, I really want to install my RAM stick inside her DIMM slot. I'm even considering doing a Josy-only playthrough as I'm trying to do with all of the main LIs.

I actually like Josy as character but as others have pointed out her arc is smothered by her association with Maya and I can't bring myself to care for Maya's for the same reason. 3some's may be hot but the whole 3 way relationship just doesn't feel right.

Going back the story may have have worked better if Josy was Bi and Maya was primary lesbos and just your friend, that season 3 ending could have had a conflicted Josy that causes the awkwardness.

But you can't change those things now. If anything Josy should be like the fucking Kaiser Soze of BAD, just go full madness and make her the mastermind behind all the conflicts and wrongdoing. Why you ask? she liked a Dik at the start of the game.

Yeah, I simplified things for the sake of not overextending the comment, but I'd argue every girl but Josy has something that made them grow closer and closer to MC.

Josy: She's already your crush as you start the game. All of a sudden she decides do be very flirty with MC for some reason. She hooks up with you a couple of times, kinda disappears, comes back as Maya's GF, and now you're already discussing relationship status.

Jill: She's meant to be the angel character, so she meets MC as she's trying to help him. But that's just who she is, she'd do that for anyone. However what sets MC apart for her is that you're different than all the snobs she's surrounded by. You're a simple guy, yet you're indifferent to her money and status, and you're not out to impress her like the other guys do.

Sage: Notice I said "romance" and not "sex". Sage has a much more casual vision of sex, so it doesn't mean much here. That aside, you can see them growing closer on other aspects. She starts off blackmailing MC into helping her, but from that you grow into being her confidant, and eventually her friend. As her relationship crumbles, you're the guy that's there for her, listening to her frustrations, and providing her sexual relief. I'd argue she's still in the "growing closer" phase, rather than "romance phase". She's still getting development, as she never thought of the MC as something more than a casual fling, but we're getting there.

Bella: Has a shitty opinion of you, but gives you a chance because of Jill. She's very reluctant to you at first, but comes to know you mean no harm (in chick route). Again, wouldn't say they are at a romance level yet, but definetly growing closer. She's drawn to MC because she's a fairly lonely woman, deemed an "ice queen", but she sees you trying to crack through the ice. Plus, she has unresolved issues with her housband, and you can tell that deep down she craves for affection.

Sorry for the wall of text. If you got this far, here's a photo of a kitten as a reward:

View attachment 944218

It would have been a balancing act for DPC. Spend more time developing the summer crush with Josy in front of the reader, or hit hard and move the story on to college quickly. Unlike complaints of unnecessary lengthy D&G games, this timing was critical, it was the beginning of BaDIK and it had to hook the reader or risk losing them.

Reminds me of the technique used in Paul Verhoeven's Robocop. The director wanted the audience to like Alex Murphy, but didn't want to spend too much time on character development. So he had him brutally, mercilessly murdered on screen to really hit home to the audience, and it worked.

Now I'm not suggesting DPC had merciless, brutal killing in mind when he scripted the opening scenes with Josy (a few may dispute that point of view - including the Ice Queen), but he moved things along quickly with Josy and then *drama* Josy's in a relationship and MC's off to college. I think it worked well, I was hoping Josy would stay in the story even though it seemed hopeless.

Unfortunately, as everyone is stating, when she finally does come back permanently to the story she's just a foil for Maya's drama's.

 

[ImperialD]

I suppose 4-6 months isn't bad, I guess I asked because I gulped the game down from episode 1 to 6 in one go because of how engaged I was with the story instead of taking my time with it and now its like, what do I do now lol, I am sure Im not the only one that does this sort of thing but its probably my fault for running through it like I did.

its not bad at all .. especially if the game is as great as this one has been .. and is

P.S. Sage is so freakin awesome .. yummy

 

[shazba]

I suppose 4-6 months isn't bad, I guess I asked because I gulped the game down from episode 1 to 6 in one go because of how engaged I was with the story instead of taking my time with it and now its like, what do I do now lol, I am sure Im not the only one that does this sort of thing but its probably my fault for running through it like I did.

I did the same thing up to ep5, just smashed through it in 1 or 2 sittings, then replayed the shit out of it with different approaches. Lucky for me the next episode was out in a month, unfortunately for you you've discovered this gem right after the recent update.

My advice, "Play it again Sam" - yeah I know Bogart never actually said that...

 

[Plaguerave]

I suppose 4-6 months isn't bad, I guess I asked because I gulped the game down from episode 1 to 6 in one go because of how engaged I was with the story instead of taking my time with it and now its like, what do I do now lol, I am sure Im not the only one that does this sort of thing but its probably my fault for running through it like I did.

Your not the only one I got hooked and kept playin midnight came I was like ok need to save an go to bed but fuck whats going on need to know more next thing 3am ok really gotta save and go to bed, wait they just threw what 6am yawning like hell now making sense of the hots and everything behind the tuition shit but still need to oh damn wait 8am its the end.

Took longer due to multiple times of getting up to get a drink and have a smoke but yea I am excited for more and curious where its going to lead!

 

[SomboSteel]

I mean, everybody realizes that Josy is just the new Meghan right? The unfortunate forced anchor that a large portion of the story will be tethered to regardless. No matter how much you dislike or are indifferent towards Josy (or Meghan) you will likely never be able to truly escape her until the game ends.

If something similar happens in DPC's next game, i think it will be fair to say that "anchor girls" like this are his weakness (narratively and otherwise)

 

[shazba]

I mean, everybody realizes that Josy is just the new Meghan right? The unfortunate forced anchor that a large portion of the story will be tethered to regardless. No matter how much you dislike or are indifferent towards Josy (or Meghan) you will likely never be able to truly escape her until the game ends.

If something similar happens in DPC's next game, i think it will be fair to say that "anchor girls" like this are his weakness (narratively and otherwise)

DPC's stories have a base plot that require certain characters to remain in the MC's life. It only works if you like those certain characters. This is a dangerous technique since everyone has different tastes (hence why the girl rankings in this thread differ so much). I'd say Maya is the most polarising characters since she is the most demanding, and if she doesn't appeal to you it feels like she's forced on you (because she is). Lucky for me there are no female characters in this game that I find repugnant.

 

[horusxcaen82]

I do want to replay the game,

Your not the only one I got hooked and kept playin midnight came I was like ok need to save an go to bed but fuck whats going on need to know more next thing 3am ok really gotta save and go to bed, wait they just threw what 6am yawning like hell now making sense of the hots and everything behind the tuition shit but still need to oh damn wait 8am its the end.

Took longer due to multiple times of getting up to get a drink and have a smoke but yea I am excited for more and curious where its going to lead!

I played the game almost 24 hours straight, while doing other chores around the house n things, (not to get to personal about myself, although you all seem like a kind understanding lot, is that I am pretty much considered a shut-in who do to physical aliments cant do a whole lot outside, so I have to take it east, and because of that games like these are my escape)

I do want to play this game again, and I shouldnt rely on the scene unlockers and things to get a more organic experience, maybe after the craziness of the next month or so dies down I'll start a new save and focus on another LI, or maybe just do the casual sex thing with those characters.

 

[ename144]

Yeah, I simplified things for the sake of not overextending the comment, but I'd argue every girl but Josy has something that made them grow closer and closer to MC.

Josy: She's already your crush as you start the game. All of a sudden she decides do be very flirty with MC for some reason. She hooks up with you a couple of times, kinda disappears, comes back as Maya's GF, and now you're already discussing relationship status.

Jill: She's meant to be the angel character, so she meets MC as she's trying to help him. But that's just who she is, she'd do that for anyone. However what sets MC apart for her is that you're different than all the snobs she's surrounded by. You're a simple guy, yet you're indifferent to her money and status, and you're not out to impress her like the other guys do.

Sage: Notice I said "romance" and not "sex". Sage has a much more casual vision of sex, so it doesn't mean much here. That aside, you can see them growing closer on other aspects. She starts off blackmailing MC into helping her, but from that you grow into being her confidant, and eventually her friend. As her relationship crumbles, you're the guy that's there for her, listening to her frustrations, and providing her sexual relief. I'd argue she's still in the "growing closer" phase, rather than "romance phase". She's still getting development, as she never thought of the MC as something more than a casual fling, but we're getting there.

Bella: Has a shitty opinion of you, but gives you a chance because of Jill. She's very reluctant to you at first, but comes to know you mean no harm (in chick route). Again, wouldn't say they are at a romance level yet, but definetly growing closer. She's drawn to MC because she's a fairly lonely woman, deemed an "ice queen", but she sees you trying to crack through the ice. Plus, she has unresolved issues with her housband, and you can tell that deep down she craves for affection.

Sorry for the wall of text. If you got this far, here's a photo of a kitten as a reward:

View attachment 944218

YMMV, but for me Josy's dinner date was extremely effective at making her feel close to the MC. They got to bond over how much they hate Tommy while eating, then shared some serious introspection about their hopes and fears on the couch. The fact Josy was so openly conflicted about the whole "boyfriend" thing made her less appealing as a LI at the time, but I felt it made her extremely human.

What really frustrates me is that the moment has never really been revisited after the MC learned the truth. In Episode 4 he was too busy sulking to address it, and after Episode 5 it's been largely forgotten now that all three are either platonic friends or a formal trio. It's almost addressed in Josy's Episode 5 path, but she gets sidetracked talking about the summer crush instead (which I find much less interesting).

If, as most of us suspect, Maya & Josy could break up at some point in the future (hopefully it can be prevented!), maybe that bit will finally be fully explored. Until then, I think the best we can hope for is Josy spending enough time with MC to develop some new connections. I certainly think the spark is there, they just need some tinder to catch it.

Personally, I'd argue Bella is the one who never really got a proper chance to bond with the MC. The lunch scene that 'brings her around' might work for her, but it did nothing for me. Likewise the aborted make-out scene that opens up her path is... honestly rather off-putting even before you factor in the ominous narration. And the various lewd scenes after that seem to be about the MC wearing down Bella's resolve rather than any sort of real connection between them.

To be clear, it's definitely not that I dislike Bella. Her scenes are frequently a hoot, and she's marvelous as a friend. But as a romantic partner, I just cannot see it. The MC has apparently been obsessed with her since that drunken kiss, but for the life of me I can't figure out why.