- Sep 20, 2018
- 3,208
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My apologies if I came across as overly dismissive, but I still disagree. If a customer purchases a product based on the seller's description, they have every right to complain if it does not live up to their expectations. I don't feel any differently just because the product was still in development when it was bought; the seller was confident enough to offer it for sale, so it's on them to accurately describe it.
I don't see how that is inherently childish. A bad reputation is just about the only way to hold a seller accountable for a poor (but non-fraudulent) product. When a customer is dissatisfied - even if we disagree with their rationale - complaining about it *is* the appropriate response. Sure, any given customer could voice their displeasure in a childish manner, but that would be just as true if they were complaining about a finished product. I have precious little good to say about Mass Effect 3, for example, but I read a couple rants about it that still made me embarrassed to be on their 'side.'
I can't dispute that art by committee is an invitation to mediocrity. On the other hand, The Phantom Menace is a pretty clear example of the risks of an insular creator trusting overmuch in his own vision. Does anyone think rest of the prequels would have been better if Lucas refused to dial down Jar Jar? Good art isn't about doing or avoiding specific things, it's about doing a lot of different things enough but not too much. If that were easy we'd all be doing it, I suppose.
So while I feel DPC should stick to his script even if the fans yell vociferously, he shouldn't just ignore what they are saying. He needs to figure out what they are actually complaining about and decide if that's because his story isn't for them, or if it's because he isn't conveying his story properly.
As an example of the latter, I think Episode 5's heavy change in emphasis on the infamous Maya & Josy library scene is (possibly) a good example of that. M&J came across as more dismissive of a 'friend' MC than was probably intended, so DPC took pains to show that both girls still had feelings for him even if they didn't express them in that moment. I think that was DPC's intent all along, but I don't think he expected to revisit the matter so quickly or explicitly until he saw lots of players worried about it. Just my opinion, of course.
On the specific topic of whether Bella meeting a tragic end is fair game, I'm inclined to say no. The warning at the start of the game is an indication that dark topics will be explored in the game. But that darkness does have to fit within the apparent context of the game. I do not think it's carte blanche for misery and suffering.
BaDIK presents itself as a relatively lighthearted comedy. What that means in practice is always going to be a judgement call, but for me it means that while dark things may happen, they will not get in the way of a happy ending (at least not for our heroes). Bella being a main LI should means she should be guaranteed a potential happy ending. What might be an acceptable fate for a side character like, say, Quinn or Camila or Neil, is a trauma too far for Bella.
Again, just my opinion.
