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

[Better Cock Spock]

If the contract is indeed important and the documents are in fact needed. For Derek to come along and just be a superhero would be a massive letdown for me. I mean why couldn't Derek just have done that in the first place anyway?

I don't think the documents are going to be that important and it was just a convenient plot device to get us in the twins house to
a. see Patrick's abuse
b. see the mother's illness

the options going forward are

the documents are rubbish and are not needed so we need to find another way to help Maya, which we would need to do if we didn't get the documents anyway. so the paths become aligned.

or

The documents are important, someone else gets them and the paths remain aligned anyway.

See I agree I don't really think there's going to be a "fail state branch" here, the plot has to go on, with or without them.
However, back to my original point, which was responding to the
"Patrick causes the destruction trying to get them back" Which makes no sense, because, you might not have got them, why would they be at Bellas if you did, how does Patrick know they are at Bellas if they did go there and so on and so on. Its just a silly out there thought.

Derek is motivated by seeing his friend fail, the guy who is capable of so much change and inspiration, he failed and that spurs Derek on to step it up for Maya. Or something corny like that.

The can that is the loan plot has been kicked down the road far too much already, yet another Hail Mary from the Maya Squad will be extremely unwelcome. Actual progress needs to be made, and if the documents aren't it, then at this point her story is becoming one big jerkoff.

I didn't mean a literal fail state, but a fully developed branch where we didn't get the documents is not feasible.

 

[Better Cock Spock]

Really hope Maya and Josy aren't on the winter trip with Jill, Bella and Bianca.

They don't need to be there.

Don't forget about Sage

 

[godkingxerxes]

Don't forget about Sage

Sage doesn't need to be there but she'll be a welcome addition.

 

[hakuna-matata]

Agree, too early for James in S3, when Bella is the Steam cover for S4. Also, for once a good twist.
Patrick comes back and steals the documents, so the saves don't diverge even more, or just rages because he can't find Maya because they all went to the dorms to pack their bags for Jill's family cabin

View attachment 4453307

Imo, if James does show up in season 3, he will be the season end cliffhanger.

How would Patrick even know to go to Bella's house a month later for the documents?

Plenty of time to stalk them, also I don't remember did we see any decorations already? Because if the decorations are up, it could be the Thanksgiving dinner, with the only problem that has to happen early in the episode and that isn't DPC' style.

All he has to say is "I looked up location using the gps on the car"

 

[Better Cock Spock]

All he has to say is "I looked up location using the gps on the car"

It's still a month later, and there's no good reason for the documents to be there. For one, they could just make copies and give that to the Royce family lawyer, while returning the originals back to Patrick's office, so no one's the wiser.

If it's just a matter of tracking Maya there during Christmas dinner, this fucking guy is gonna bust up the place and demand the documents? The guy who definitely can't take MC in a fight? Small chance he has a gun, and that would escalate things even further and likely involve the police. In the grand scheme of things, this whole thing does not warrant the grim scene that's in the flashforward. That cunt Vinny showing up and wrecking dinner makes more sense—atm not a lot more, but I can see it as more likely.

 

[MiltonPowers]

It's still a month later, and there's no good reason for the documents to be there. For one, they could just make copies and give that to the Royce family lawyer, while returning the originals back to Patrick's office, so no one's the wiser.

If it's just a matter of tracking Maya there during Christmas dinner, this fucking guy is gonna bust up the place and demand the documents? The guy who definitely can't take MC in a fight? Small chance he has a gun, and that would escalate things even further and likely involve the police. In the grand scheme of things, this whole thing does not warrant the grim scene that's in the flashforward. That cunt Vinny showing up and wrecking dinner makes more sense—atm not a lot more, but I can see it as more likely.

It's much more likely its the return of Jimmy.

 

[Lagunavii]

I didn't mean a literal fail state, but a fully developed branch where we didn't get the documents is not feasible.

Yeah, I don't think a "fail to get documents branch" is feasible either, which tells me someone else either gets them or they're just not important enough to drive the plot forward anyway.

Now I don't think it's going to be another full blown scooby gang mission to get them, Derek getting them is a likely outcome....

But equally it's a likely outcome that the start of the next episode starts with them looking at the contract, realising it's useless and talking about the next move (or talking about not getting the contract and talking about there next move)

My point wasnt about the importance of the documents, because that remains to be seen. My point was saying Patrick smashed up Christmas, is a bit of a stretch, given that not getting the documents is an option. And until that perticular branch is resolved and reconciled. The main path goes on regardless.

But still even if we got them, even if Derek got them, why would Patrick's response be to go smash up there? The documents have left his office, will be copied, will be with lawyers etc, Patrick will have known he was beaten.

In short. It's a bit of a dumb theory when you give it a bit of thought.

 

[KАRАMBA]

View attachment 4453277
Was it worth it? To disappoint your slut Goddess

Why disappoint? Maybe she was impressed.

 

[Roger-a-Dale]

Derek is motivated by seeing his friend fail, the guy who is capable of so much change and inspiration, he failed and that spurs Derek on to step it up for Maya. Or something corny like that.

The can that is the loan plot has been kicked down the road far too much already, yet another Hail Mary from the Maya Squad will be extremely unwelcome. Actual progress needs to be made, and if the documents aren't it, then at this point her story is becoming one big jerkoff.

I didn't mean a literal fail state, but a fully developed branch where we didn't get the documents is not feasible.

As I see it up until now Maya and Derek have not gone to the police, because as bad as he is Helen still needs Patrick. If you get the documents they turn out to involve some way more illegal stuff than anticipated and they have to get the police involved. If you don't get the documents, Derek will try to get them by himself, then Patrick catches him and beats him up, so they get the police involved anyway and the documents end up in the hands of the law.

So the difference is what happens to Derek. The question is how bad the consequences are. Derek could simply have alternate beaten up appearance in the fail branch. Or it may be that Derek leaves B&R. On the fail branch he is hospitalised and on the success branch he takes the fall for how the documents were obtained. Terrible for us either way, because we lose Derek and many probably doubt that DPC would go there, but that conversation at the end of ep 10 is pretty ominous.

It might also be significant that on the fail branch the group never sees what is actually in the documents.

And of course there is the meta consequence that getting the documents is a good end condition. It's just a matter of how the story justifies it.

 

[dalli_x]

Derek is motivated by seeing his friend fail, the guy who is capable of so much change and inspiration, he failed and that spurs Derek on to step it up for Maya. Or something corny like that.

The can that is the loan plot has been kicked down the road far too much already, yet another Hail Mary from the Maya Squad will be extremely unwelcome. Actual progress needs to be made, and if the documents aren't it, then at this point her story is becoming one big jerkoff.

I didn't mean a literal fail state, but a fully developed branch where we didn't get the documents is not feasible.

There's one strange thing about the document thing. The MC himself implies when he looks through the files that there's something strange there and it doesn't seem to have anything to do with Maya's documents.

 

[Macky009]

Even if they turn out to be bullshit (which is likely), too much hinges on getting the documents. If MC failed, Derek will probably get them later. Something like that is too big to create an actual fail state branch.

Agree, it will be too much trouble for dpc if there is no contingency plan if mc failed to get the documents. It could create a different story path which will prolonged the game development and can affect the story of the main L.I. at most it could create a minor ripple effect in the stoey of the L.I., one good example is that in ep 8. If the mc failed the house renovation then Rusty will have to sell his car. This affect the story of Sage and Quinn but it does not affected the game as a whole.

 

[Geralt From Rivia]

I think the option where MC failed to steal Patrick's documents should be a separate route that leads to the failure of Maya's route and a bad ending to her story. Game should have bad endings if MC played stupid games - this in DPC's style.
Increase in the size of the game, further branching suggests that this is most likely true: it is difficult to write, it leads to an increase in development time, but it is possible. Sooner or later, most likely in the endgame, we will get real consequences for our bad decisions and will no longer get away with it, another FUCK FUCK FUCK moment that we will laugh at, will eventually cause another PTSD. Not as dark as in Acting Lessons, but it will be: "This game is not only about fun and good times"

 

[hakuna-matata]

It's still a month later, and there's no good reason for the documents to be there. For one, they could just make copies and give that to the Royce family lawyer, while returning the originals back to Patrick's office, so no one's the wiser.

If it's just a matter of tracking Maya there during Christmas dinner, this fucking guy is gonna bust up the place and demand the documents? The guy who definitely can't take MC in a fight? Small chance he has a gun, and that would escalate things even further and likely involve the police. In the grand scheme of things, this whole thing does not warrant the grim scene that's in the flashforward. That cunt Vinny showing up and wrecking dinner makes more sense—atm not a lot more, but I can see it as more likely.

My theory mostly works if it's still Thanksgiving dinner that night. I know a lot of people who start putting their Christmas decorations starting November 1st. The snow storm is legit.

I didn't mean a literal fail state, but a fully developed branch where we didn't get the documents is not feasible.

I only have one save with a fail. I want to see what happens.

 

[KАRАMBA]

I think the option where MC failed to steal Patrick's documents should be a separate route that leads to the failure of Maya's route and a bad ending to her story. Game should have bad endings if MC played stupid games - this in DPC's style.
Increase in the size of the game, further branching suggests that this is most likely true: it is difficult to write, it leads to an increase in development time, but it is possible. Sooner or later, most likely in the endgame, we will get real consequences for our bad decisions and will no longer get away with it, another FUCK FUCK FUCK moment that we will laugh at, will eventually cause another PTSD. Not as dark as in Acting Lessons, but it will be: "This game is not only about fun and good times"

Fuck it, "game not about fun and good times" we have outside our window.
Here we want a happy ending.

 

[Znar26]

(That's it....Lt...Bella.... let it drop to the floor....now bend over, pick it up and toss it on to your bed....hmmmmmmmmmm....yes..Yes...)...."Yes!"....

Ensign Derek: "Did you say something Mr. Spock?"

 

[hakuna-matata]

I think we can all agree, we hope the "loan" storyline ends. Enough is Enough! I have had it with these motherfucking loan storyline in this motherfucking game!

 

[godkingxerxes]

I think the option where MC failed to steal Patrick's documents should be a separate route that leads to the failure of Maya's route and a bad ending to her story. Game should have bad endings if MC played stupid games - this in DPC's style.
Increase in the size of the game, further branching suggests that this is most likely true: it is difficult to write, it leads to an increase in development time, but it is possible. Sooner or later, most likely in the endgame, we will get real consequences for our bad decisions and will no longer get away with it, another FUCK FUCK FUCK moment that we will laugh at, will eventually cause another PTSD. Not as dark as in Acting Lessons, but it will be: "This game is not only about fun and good times"

But a bad ending for Maya is a good ending for Fuckface.

 

[BeingADikDik]

Guys, I think I figured it out.

The documents aren't a student loan. That's just a ruse from Patrick in desperate attempt to get Maya to have kids before it's too late. Not too late for Helen to see her grand child (heck, Derek might have already solved that) ... but too late for Maya to have them because she has the same disease as Helen. The documents are the medical test that shows her diagnosis. Patrick's devastation that Maya also has it turned to anger and abuse towards her (and not Derek). There will be no throuple ending because Maya won't make it to graduation. DPC loves his drama ...

 

[Lagunavii]

I think the option where MC failed to steal Patrick's documents should be a separate route that leads to the failure of Maya's route and a bad ending to her story. Game should have bad endings if MC played stupid games - this in DPC's style.
Increase in the size of the game, further branching suggests that this is most likely true: it is difficult to write, it leads to an increase in development time, but it is possible. Sooner or later, most likely in the endgame, we will get real consequences for our bad decisions and will no longer get away with it, another FUCK FUCK FUCK moment that we will laugh at, will eventually cause another PTSD. Not as dark as in Acting Lessons, but it will be: "This game is not only about fun and good times"

I did think about this as an option and discard it, but ultimately as I thought about it more and we are getting closer to endgame I've started to think about it more.

I've always maintained that the plot needs to go on regardless of retrieval so it's either not important or it is and someone else gets it.

If its not important, happy days our scooby gang finds another way, which they'd have to do anyway if they didn't get it. Paths are aligned plot goes on.

But it could very easily be not getting means you've just written Maya out of the story. Which we all know is a DPC thing to do. Especially given the scoring for success or not begins way back when you meet Patrick, which is again another DPC thing to do.

I'll laugh my head off if the splitting of the throuple, specifically getting Josy over Mays is dependent on this contract or not.

 

[Blue Milk]

Agree, too early for James in S3, when Bella is the Steam cover for S4.

"Too early"? It's honestly getting to the point where it's feeling too late. S4's only probably going to have 2 proper episodes, as in episodes where we have choices, minigames, parties, etc, before Eps 15 and 16 are basically just linear and play out the results of the choices we've made along the way through the finale and epilogues.

So if this is the case, then James returning and creating drama needs to be sooner rather than later and I'd say it needs to be in this episode, even if it's only as a cliffhanger moment at the end. 2 episodes in S4 surely isn't enough. 3 still doesn't feel enough but still better than him only being a factor in S4.