My hope is as you said above - that Acting Lessons was essentially an outlier and this one won't go as dark. If this one goes as dark as AL and I have to start picking people who live and die, etc. this will likely be the last DPC game I play. This game has been absolutely fantastic through this point though, so I'm trying to stay optimistic that it won't go as crazy dark as the previous game. Time will tell.
Carmila, Heather and Jade are the 3 id like to see a route for mainly because each of them have unique circumstances surrounding them.
I can agree with that, I usually don't think about the affinity system in verall character view because it's something I don't care for (same with free roam and minigames). When forced I make Chik or Dik decisions for a path, but I think the system artificially removes an amount of free choice. I don't expect any of that to change in this game and usually don't mention it, but if the developer asks for feedback at some point I would be happy to suggest not using it in a future game (although, going back to an earlier comment I know there are other people that really like the minigames, free roam, and Chik/Dik or depravity scores - so my tastes aren't universal).
I am totally in agreement with you. I know DPC has said he doesn't like the RP system because its "to easy to manipulate" but his Affinity system is as well. So I fail to see why he even bothered. I have never liked the affinity system because you can literally go straight DIK/Chick Affinity but do the totally opposite as far as status and yet those Major Choices totally set you role in the game and the minor have 0 impact (other than dialogue pretty much). The reason so many games use RP is because it works, plain and simple.
That's why i always said they should of made one of the routes require neutral alignment. Maybe they can do something were if you end the game at neutral allignment you get a secret ending route. It's WAY harder to stay neutral then it is to go full DIK/CHICK.
He could, but what Cndyrvr4lf was pointing out a player can go in and change their affinity points to be Dik/Neutral/Chik just like changing RP points in other games. Even without cheating it would encourage someone to disengage from the story and just focus on points. I'm not sure there is a solution for a game that offers different ends since there will always be players than want to see them all.
That's because very few people in reality are truly neutral. How hard would it be to walk through life and not give a shit about anything? That's neutral, neither positive or negative just a simple I don't care either way.
What I'm really afraid of is that I think DPC has the ending already planned and the only real difference is who is going to be standing beside you. That's why I think this is so forced.
Yeah, Acting Lessons had 22 endings, but they were all basically the same except for who you were with and who your friend was with (or if either of you were single).
I can understand wanting more choice, but sandbox porn games are almost always worse off. I find the increased number of choices available means WILDLY less time spent developing character and writing an engaging story. Renders and character models are suddenly lower quality and the development takes far longer for something that ultimately has less content. They can work, but games like this where the focus is on one story with minor character choices often end up having a high quality. I guess that's what it all comes down to though, quality vs quantity.
One could argue that the scene in Episode 5 were she admits she was mad when the MC turned her down but says the two of them should hang out more is meant to be such a turning point. But like with a lot of things, we'll have to wait for Episode 6 to see if anything comes of it for those not on Sage's path.
I don't know. The MC can decide he asked Jill out just to spite Tybalt, and the game does remember that. Similarly, if you decline to kiss her during the date, even Jill will be unconvinced there's much between them.
I think you are going to the extreme on this. No one is saying we want a million branches or a sandbox/open world game. We just want our choices to actually matter otherwise why even give me a choice?
It's a common problem with morality meters. With good and evil you know where you stand. But with these filthy neutrals...
I agree in principal, but I do think DPC has been inconsistent in how he handles the idea of choices. Most of the time, we get relatively minor decisions that have a small but recognizable effect on the story, and all is well. But not always.
It's a problem with game rules vs reality. Absolutes don't work. Good/Evil might work for a general tendency but it isn't a guarantee in reference to everything. Good can still do evil and Evil can still do good. Example - Churches in the dark ages and their actions. Hitler (before he went totally crazy) - Turned Germany into a 1st world nation and really turned them around after WWI (and then he lost it and went crazy and went back to evil). I in know way think Hitler was a good person so please don't go there.
Sure, naming characters can help flesh out the world. But it is interesting that Monica is referenced by name so often when other, more significant background characters are not. Maya's dad, for example, has had a much larger impact on the story and even a brief appearance on screen, but no one has ever mentioned his name.
In one scene, Jade Says MC "My career and children" And no husband will tolerate a photo of someone else's boyfriend in the bedroom. Tybalt has the same hair as Jade (Eyebrows like a husband). Heredity.
Aside from this being a sex game.
