This is a story based game, not a free-roam, "fuck-em-all" type of game. You follow an overarching narrative with opportunities for sex along the way.
Very well said.
One thing I'd like to expand upon is what Josy says to the MC if they just remain friends. Whilst that conversation only occurs on that path, it doesn't mean that on the "more than friends" path that she doesn't feel those same feelings, it's just that on this path she doesn't have to say it because she's getting to express those "loving" feelings for both of them without feeling like she's hurting either one of them.
So, just because the L-word was used by M&J for each other doesn't mean that they don't have loving feelings for the MC just because they didn't outright say it. It seems like some people think that because they haven't said anything like that to the MC that their feelings are not as genuine for him, but they're both at the beginning of these feelings and it will take time to see if there's anything more there, hence Maya's "casual" decision so they don't rush into things too quickly and risk getting hurt because they feel they have all sorts of expectations for their relationship that might not work out.
I generally agree, but one of the problems with the M&J triangle is that there are concerns both from an in-game and out of game perspective.
From the out of game perspective, we know that BaDIK isn't supposed to have NTR content, and thus it is highly unlikely that Maya or Josy are going to run off and cheat on the MC in the future. So it seems like we are intended to believe the trio when they imply that the reason for the cheating is that the each of them did feel something special for the other two. Granted, it could be that DPC intends to illustrate why three-way relationships are doomed to fail and thus the cheating is a deliberate fatal flaw. But I'm going to assume that is not the case, because at that point he would be practically trolling us.
If we assume that this is an honest attempt at a three-way relationship, then the cheating probably wasn't a result of lax morals, raging libidos, or even the inexperience of youth. It was a result of the trio being faced with an unusually complex situation at a time when Maya and Josy's existing relationship was already under severe stress. Now it's certainly fair to say that's a ridiculously convenient plot contrivance, but at the end of the day this is a porn game so some of that does come with the territory. I don't think this would be the most outlandish thing we've had to accept thus far.
But this does feed into the in-game issue: if this is what the game is aiming for, does the portrayal of the characters fit with that goal? This is, IMHO, where the game has been coming up short a little too often.
It's certainly not all bad. I find the characterization of both Maya and Josy credible and sympathetic. Both clearly feel an emotional connection to the MC. They both come to rely on that connection to help them through difficult times, but they are both extremely uncomfortable with that fact. Josy is the more honest about it (openly admitting it would be cheating while likewise admitting she does want something to happen). Maya refuses to admit her situation to the MC even after she decides to act on her feelings for him, but given how badly it went the last time she revealed her secret, I can understand why she lied.
So while the characters are flawed, I can believe their mistakes were 'honest' ones that could be corrected. Certainly I find their behavior preferable to Sage's, who will openly solicit the MC all while insisting it's just for physical pleasure and she's really loyal to Chad (for a hopefully decent reason). Maya and Josy may have been unfaithful to each other, but I can see how confronting the consequences of their actions could teach them the error of their ways and genuinely make them better people as a result.
Unfortunately, that's where the game tends to drop the ball. Forgiveness must be earned, and the first step in that process is to accept the harm that one's mistakes have caused. The trio have consistently bungled that step. Just about everyone has one or more issues with the resolution to the crisis in Episode 4, and they nearly always come down to the fact that the trio downplay their mistakes and agree to move on (as friends or quasi-lovers) way too quickly. So right off the bat we're in trouble.
Episode 5 further compounds the problem. It makes a big deal out of the MC having sex with one of the girls (and only one) before the trio establish what sort of relationship this will be, only to have the MC ditch both of them so he can continue to pursue Jill and Bella (even if he is not interested in either sexually). While the scenes themselves are good, this feels like the characters are repeating old mistakes, not learning from them. Eventually, the trio will agree to an open relationship at the picnic, but even that can feel less like the result of sincere introspection and more like Maya indulging the MC's concerns about being tied down.
To make matters worse, on the friendship route both Maya and Josy will tearfully admit their ongoing love for the MC - to the point of calling their commitment to each other into question. This is doubly problematic.
First, because each girl will blame uncertainty of how the other would feel about including the MC, it demonstrates that the two girls still aren't capable of properly communicating with each other. While it's not necessarily fair to compare the mindset of the girls in one route directly to the mindset of the girls in another route, comparison is inevitable for the player on some level. And the fact of the matter is that the game does nothing to illustrate directly why they would be less immature in the poly route than they apparently are in the friendship route.
Second, both Maya and Josy will insist on their deep love each other
if and only if the MC is on the friendship route - which is when we see first hand they still aren't able to be honest with each other. Thus the player is left with the uncomfortable impression that they view the poly relationship with the MC as LESS CERTAIN than their own, extremely unhealthy relationship. I don't think this was the intent, but it still comes across that way.
That said, there is reason for hope. The picnic scene may have been late in coming, but it is a much needed step in the right direction. Likewise the fact that both Maya and Josy will express concern about how having sex with the MC might have affected the other (and the option to have the MC echo that concern) is a good sign. And even the fact that the MC told Derek the truth is a small indication that he is trying to take this relationship seriously (even if it's not as serious as I would like).
Still, these are minor steps that will only matter if they are reinforced and expanded upon in the future. For now, we're still very reliant on blind faith to trust that the trio won't keep repeating the same mistakes all over again. I'm willing to do so because I like the characters and I chalk most of the problems up to bad writing, but I can't blame anyone for refusing to trust the girls when this is how their commitment is portrayed.
EDIT:
tl;dr - The game may or may not intend for the M&J triangle to be viable, and the way the characters have been portrayed could go either way. I prefer to think it can be made to work, but I understand why people might think otherwise.