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

[felicemastronzo]

I see the same thing you do. The problem I have is that the people who will suffer the most from this conflict are not the people I care about. Quinn? Who cares what that pos drug dealing/pimp suffers? Not me. Tommy? Let that asshole burn. Everyone else may suffer some collateral damage but its not life altering. Sure it may cause the some minor ripples in the college but it shouldn't affect the innocent people lives all that much. Minor temporary hiccups but life will still go on.

Maya would lose the free tuition

Sage would seriously risk being involved in the scandal

 

[felicemastronzo]

And thus we come back full circle to the pre-defined story again. We either roll with it or don't play. There's no other option really is there. I'd never join the Dik's in real life (if was in the States)....none of it interestes me. Dumb games by dumb people in my own personal opinion. But if I want to play this game, I have to join the diks. That's the story heh.

the problem are not the choices that are not proposed to you (no one pretends to be able to decide anything), but the choices you make and which are then ignored

 

[Pewdiepie9966]

this scene makes it clear that Melanie is the girl screwing Chad, and that they plan to use MC to take Sage down

How is it making clear that Melanie is the girl Chad cheats on Sage? Maybe I missed a key line in that scene but I didn't get it so it would be nice if you can elaborate this please

 

[der123fer]

I don't think that entirely makes sense: you have the option of opting out of the 'storyline' relationship in Episode 5. And no, the quinn scenario has nothing to do with helping Quinn. I think you are not seeing how this game is setting up it's plot crescendo very well, so I guess I'll explain what I see (which appears to be what others in this thread see as well)

Tommy and Quinn have been buying and distributing drugs. Quinn started her little 'restaurant' to in part pay for that, and in part because the girls are her dealers (note a comment to Tommy about Riona using her own stock instead of selling it). Maya has been very clear that she doesn't think she can afford school without this 'HOT free tuition' thing which is a rumor resulting from some of the girls making money via Quinn's scheme - it's clear she believes her family will not support her or pay for her to attend after her conversation with Derek. This has been getting set up for a while, including via a dialogue option of letting the MC warn Maya about it, but his warning is quite vague and she clearly did not pay attention.

What is pretty clearly going to happen in the future is that Maya, because she is desperate, is going to be Quinn's target as their desperation increases. She will try to rope her into this scheme to replace Camila (who we find out at the end of Ep 5 wants out, because Mona chose not to participate). If she's antagonistic with the MC, there's also a spite element there. This will put Maya in a position where is pressured and possibly agrees to participate, which may cause her to get embroiled as the scheme falls apart - possibly even set up or allowed to take the fall (with drugs in her possession, or even the prostitution element). This situation will be bad for a bunch of characters: Maya obviously, and consequently Derek and Josy (all of whom are MC's friends even if he's not in the throuple), as well as Sage (who is facing some sort of potential internal coup from Melanie, Heather and Sarah, which you can see if you do the final Ep 5 scene with Sage and make out with her; this scene makes it clear that Melanie is the girl screwing Chad, and that they plan to use MC to take Sage down; Sarah's involved with Quinn's scheme, whereas Sage is oblivious to it). Really the only major characters in the game who ARENT potentially involved in that scheme are Jill and Isabella, and if MCs friends are getting caught up in bad news, that could easily introduce a major friction point between Jill and MC (eg that she can't associate with people who might do that kind of thing).

That axis of conflict is going to be how the game eventually resolves. MC will be drawn into it because all his friends are (MC would have to turn his back on all of Maya, Josy and Derek, to say nothing of Sage, which is just exceptionally unlikely), and further is clearly going to at least have the option of becoming a leadership figure within the DIKs (given the speech at the end of Ep 5). It's not even unrealistic that Rusty could resign or quit (or be forced to resign) and a DIK power struggle between Tommy and MC emerges around the same axis of the drug deal (with which frat members are supportive varying depending on the MC's decisions and hell-week performances, for example).

I'm sure there will be some surprises and twists, but major plot lines like this are plotted well in advance, and I think it's pretty clear what the setting is going to be for the next several episodes at the very least. Depending on what the creator wants, that could be the central plot of the remaining 3 episodes of Season 2, or Season 2 could end with the cliffhanger that makes it all obvious (eg Maya getting in trouble, just like the Maya/Josy was the end of season 1 cliffhanger reveal), and Ep 3 be focused on helping extract or save her from the situation.


Quinn is the -antagonist- in this game. I doubt there will be a path where you can 'save' her from anything. And her scheme is a threat in some way to basically every named character in the game who isn't part of it and isn't Jill/Isabella, but especially and most acutely, Maya, who is very clearly the central non-player character in this game, having been involved with basically every element of the storyline to this point.

Currently Quinn is, but she will 100% get a redemption arc in the following episodes and more interactions with the MC. Remember her texting the MC in Episode 5? Yeah, everything points towards more Quinn in the future

 

[Cndyrvr4lf]

And thus we come back full circle to the pre-defined story again. We either roll with it or don't play. There's no other option really is there. I'd never join the Dik's in real life (if was in the States)....none of it interestes me. Dumb games by dumb people in my own personal opinion. But if I want to play this game, I have to join the diks. That's the story heh.

That's a stepping stone not the story. If it was the story we would be done already.

Maya would lose the free tuition

Sage would seriously risk being involved in the scandal

She doesn't have the free tuition she want's the free tuition. She must have had funds/loans to get in otherwise she wouldn't be there.

Sage as far as the story has shown us has no involvement in either. So why would she suffer lasting harm? Like I said minor, temporary hiccups.

 

[zoyle]

I see the same thing you do. The problem I have is that the people who will suffer the most from this conflict are not the people I care about. Quinn? Who cares what that pos drug dealing/pimp suffers? Not me. Tommy? Let that asshole burn. Everyone else may suffer some collateral damage but its not life altering. Sure it may cause the some minor ripples in the college but it shouldn't affect the innocent people lives all that much. Minor temporary hiccups but life will still go on.

I think it isn't very hard to imagine how particularly Maya and Sage could end up with some very serious problems as a result of this. Sage is the president of the HOTs and responsible for what her members do; a drug ring being run out of her sorority house could easily implicate her, and that sort of big fiasco in the news could follow her for some time, impact her job prospects, or straight up bring her criminal liability.

Maya is exactly set up for Quinn to be able to ruin her life, being desperate and (mostly or totally) obvious to what's going on, and a situation where she's set up to take the fall legally or disciplinarily is very likely, and she is extremely isolated, lacks a family to support her or fund defense, etc.

Both of those characters personally have a lot at stake. Further, because those characters (mostly Maya) have relationships with most of the other characters, MCs actions in regards to Maya's situation are going to reflect on MC with those people; a path where you let Maya go down because you want to be with Josy isn't very realistic, is it?

As I mentioned, the biggest challenge with that scenario is tying in Jill and Isabella in a meaningful way, but having it be as simple as whether MC is doing the right thing and/or whether MC is friends with the right people (given Jill's rather naive background, Isabella's overprotective instincts, and Jill being from an environment where reputation and image are extremely important) is probably enough to introduce some significant tension in that relationship as well. Jill is, if anything, the LI most consistently set up on a moral axis where a MC who does the right thing does well in her eyes and one that does not loses out.

You don't seem like you have a very good grasp of the real life consequences of some of this stuff.

 

[Holy Bacchus]

Ah and see this detracts from the emotional investment we were talking about. Again its being forced to do things that we as players may not even give a fuck about. From a logical pov it makes no sense. The world doesn't work that way. If my friend, lover, acquaintance, etc. etc. deals drugs or pimps out people doesn't make me guilty of the same shit. Could it impact my life? Yes but not to the same extent that it would impact the dealer/pimp. Sure some of the HOT's/DIK's might go to jail for their involvement but they aren't LI's either. So again what's the point? They knowingly/willingly involved themselves in that situation.

You've watched movies, yes? TV shows too, I'd suspect. Well, this sort of thing happen all the time in fiction; something from outside the protagonist's sphere enters it causing chaos and forcing the character into having to deal with it whether they like it or not. It's much like the "Hero's Journey", a storytelling concept written about by Joseph Campbell and has been used as the basis for many stories, most notably Star Wars. At some point there will be a "call to adventure/action" and the protagonist can either refuse it or accept it, but they will generally always accept even if they initially refuse because it's necessary for the story progression that they answer the call.

So really, it's not about what we want, it's about what the story dictates, and if the story dictates that the MC will be drawn into helping Quinn in order to help others, then that's what's going to happen.

 

[Dashxp4k]

Let the fun Begin.

Spoiler: D&G

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[zoyle]

Currently Quinn is, but she will 100% get a redemption arc in the following episodes and more interactions with the MC. Remember her texting the MC in Episode 5? Yeah, everything points towards more Quinn in the future

I don't think that text from Quinn (the congratulatory one) is aimed at setting up a Quinn redemption plot so much as it is Quinn acknowledging that she has to treat the MC differently because he's now a (respected) member of the DIKs and his antagonism is potentially a bigger problem for her than it was when he was a maggot. It could also reflect a change in Tommy's attitude, since they're in cahoots. Or it could be Quinn trying to settle things outwardly so that MC is not suspicious of her further conniving. Likely, its all 3 of those things, and to which degree depends on MC's choices previously.

 

[felicemastronzo]

That's a stepping stone not the story. If it was the story we would be done already.

She doesn't have the free tuition she want's the free tuition. She must have had funds/loans to get in otherwise she wouldn't be there.

Sage as far as the story has shown us has no involvement in either. So why would she suffer lasting harm? Like I said minor, temporary hiccups.

for now it seems that if Maya does not obtain the free tuition she will be forced to return under the control of her father (all quite smoky)

a drug scandal would hardly not touch the president of the sorority involved, at least as a charge, but an expulsion / suspension wouldn't be strange

 

[Cndyrvr4lf]

I think it isn't very hard to imagine how particularly Maya and Sage could end up with some very serious problems as a result of this. Sage is the president of the HOTs and responsible for what her members do; a drug ring being run out of her sorority house could easily implicate her, and that sort of big fiasco in the news could follow her for some time, impact her job prospects, or straight up bring her criminal liability.

Maya is exactly set up for Quinn to be able to ruin her life, being desperate and (mostly or totally) obvious to what's going on, and a situation where she's set up to take the fall legally or disciplinarily is very likely, and she is extremely isolated, lacks a family to support her or fund defense, etc.

Both of those characters personally have a lot at stake. Further, because those characters (mostly Maya) have relationships with most of the other characters, MCs actions in regards to Maya's situation are going to reflect on MC with those people; a path where you let Maya go down because you want to be with Josy isn't very realistic, is it?

As I mentioned, the biggest challenge with that scenario is tying in Jill and Isabella in a meaningful way, but having it be as simple as whether MC is doing the right thing and/or whether MC is friends with the right people (given Jill's rather naive background, Isabella's overprotective instincts, and Jill being from an environment where reputation and image are extremely important) is probably enough to introduce some significant tension in that relationship as well. Jill is, if anything, the LI most consistently set up on a moral axis where a MC who does the right thing does well in her eyes and one that does not loses out.

You don't seem like you have a very good grasp of the real life consequences of some of this stuff.

I actually do. Look at all big crimes. The person responsible goes to jail/prison not the innocent people dragged in. Unless Quinn lies to involve Sage she wouldn't be held legally responsible. The President of a frat/sorority isn't really responsible for the actions of everyone in the organization. Look at all the cases involving members that don't involve everyone getting punished.

You've watched movies, yes? TV shows too, I'd suspect. Well, this sort of thing happen all the time in fiction; something from outside the protagonist's sphere enters it causing chaos and forcing the character into having to deal with it whether they like it or not. It's much like the "Hero's Journey", a storytelling concept written about by Joseph Campbell and has been used as the basis for many stories, most notably Star Wars. At some point there will be a "call to adventure/action" and the protagonist can either refuse it or accept it, but they will generally always accept even if they initially refuse because its necessary for the story progression that they answer the call.

So really, it's not about what we want, it's about what the story dictates, and if the story dictates that the MC will be drawn into helping Quinn in order to help others, then that's what's going to happen.

I actually don't watch a lot of either because the bs drama forced stuff drives me nuts.

 

[Carnagie]

I thought Chad was just coming out of the closet (gay), huh.

No, wait, gotta think college-story narrative. Big brain thought, the girl Chad has fallen for is the cute nerd girl that's dating the head of the Triple Betas!

 

[Cndyrvr4lf]

for now it seems that if Maya does not obtain the free tuition she will be forced to return under the control of her father (all quite smoky)

a drug scandal would hardly not touch the president of the sorority involved, at least as a charge, but an expulsion / suspension wouldn't be strange

Touch yes but result in actual punishment if she wasnt actually involved? Thats to use your words "smoky".

 

[Phynix]

a path where you let Maya go down because you want to be with Josy isn't very realistic, is it?

It may not be realistic but in theory the path for it is there. Don't warn her about Quinn, choose to be friends with M&J and then pick Josy over her. Add that to your points of her being isolated and not exactly a strong-willed person and the stage is set.

 

[felicemastronzo]

Touch yes but result in actual punishment if she wasnt actually involved? Thats to use your words "smoky".

sorry

I meant not very clear, the relationship between Maya and her father, although important for the consequences it had, has never been clarified in my opinion


If Quinn did not confess that she was the sole trafficker, Sage would certainly be involved in the circle of suspects.
the drug is probably in the HOTs dorm, not necessarily in Quinn's room, and was peddled at events where the HOTs were present
It is not clear where the money from the sale goes, but it would also seem in the free tuition
it would be up to Sage to prove that she was a stranger to the matter

 

[Cndyrvr4lf]

So what's the difference? All the dik crap with the Apha's is forced on us. It's telling a story. No having a go there btw or being condescending, but that's what it is. You have no choice but to do it because that is the story being told. every single story out there is like this.

The only alternative, is to write something yourself so completely free-form you will never finish it. A story has to have end somewhere, at some point in sight right?

Yet it's something I agree with. The AAA's are set up as antagonists that I can see why I should feel that way. They are bullies as the MC gets bullied by them so I FEEL that. Invested? Yes. A logical/emotional assumption that works. Quinn selling drugs and pimping out her fellow sisters is not something that I can become invested in because I feel Quinn is a pos. The difference is that parts of it work and parts of it don't and I know I'm not the only one who feels this way.

 

[zoyle]

How is it making clear that Melanie is the girl Chad cheats on Sage? Maybe I missed a key line in that scene but I didn't get it so it would be nice if you can elaborate this please

After the Sage/MC makeout scene is over:

Sarah: No, you hide a side bitch, you don't kiss them passionately out in the open
Sarah: Not when you're in a relationship
Melanie:...
Sarah: This will make it easier when Chad breaks up with her.
Melanie: I'm gonna go call him.
Sarah: Easier..but Sage will still be furious.
Melanie, with hand on her neck and changed expression: If things every go south..you'll have my back, right?
Sarah: Don't I always?
Melanie: I'll always have yours, too.
(scene ends)

I don't know how you read that and don't think it's implying Melanie is the one (pretty strongly, really).

 

[zoyle]

Yet it's something I agree with. The AAA's are set up as antagonists that I can see why I should feel that way. They are bullies as the MC gets bullied by them so I FEEL that. Invested? Yes. A logical/emotional assumption that works. Quinn selling drugs and pimping out her fellow sisters is not something that I can become invested in because I feel Quinn is a pos. The difference is that parts of it work and parts of it don't and I know I'm not the only one who feels this way.

You're supposed to care about what Quinn is doing because her victims are going to be the MCs closest friends and/or girlfriends, depending on your previous choices, both of whom (but particularly Maya, the one at the most risk) have done a lot of shit to save your own ass. The call to action will be for MC to protect the people he cares about from being damaged by the fallout of Quinn's operation, and protect the relationship he wants in the process.

I don't think you have the foggiest idea of what the life consequences of, say, being charged with drug possession or accessory to drug distribution, have on a person (at least in the United States).

 

[Cndyrvr4lf]

You're supposed to care about what Quinn is doing because her victims are going to be the MCs closest friends and/or girlfriends, depending on your previous choices, both of whom (but particularly Maya, the one at the most risk) have done a lot of shit to save your own ass. The call to action will be for MC to protect the people he cares about from being damaged by the fallout of Quinn's operation, and protect the relationship he wants in the process.

I don't think you have the foggiest idea of what the life consequences of, say, being charged with drug possession or accessory to drug distribution, have on a person (at least in the United States).

I bet I have a pretty realistic idea of what the above means for someone. Without knowing your life I don't know if you do.

Accessory means you have actual involvement with the above listed crimes. Being the president of the house doesnt make you an accessory

 

[Pewdiepie9966]

If things every go south..you'll have my back, right?

As in, Sage finds out Melanie was the one contacting Chad and telling him about her relationship with MC, she'll get furious. Maybe Melanie and Sarah are plotting something against Sage, she showed in the past that she don't condone Quinn's action, so they try to get rid of her, maybe? Chad's side chick could be anyone really