VN Ren'Py Being a DIK [v0.11.1] [DrPinkCake]

[Akamari]

I just recently started playing Heavy Five, the dev in that game is shooting for 200 endings, with dozens of branching paths for every LI. So it can be done.

I'll believe it can be done when I see it, but when someone's throwing those kinds of numbers around I'm going to get worried about implementation. I mean, one could argue that Pillars of Eternity has hundreds of endings, but that would be a terrible misrepresentation. Technically correct, but just not how one should ever phrase it.

I'mma be blunt, this sounds like a marketing ploy and it shouldn't convince anyone of anything, it should raise alarms. Now, I'm not trying to suggest the dev of Heavy Five is intentionally trying to mislead, I've never spoken to him/her, but I've seen this thing I described before, so I feel justified in my skepticism.

I've played Heavy Five and I will say this: even if that game is ever finished and it lives up to Notty's ambition, I would be surprised if the endings will offer more meaningful variations that BaDIK will.

Even if we assume there will be possible endings for ALL of the HF cast, that's still well short of 200 endings. Notty must be planning on some sort of combinatoric factor to get to 200. In that case, BaDIK has a much larger cast and plenty of side-quests of its own, so my money would be on BaDIK.

Just to clarify, Heavy Five has over 200 paths plotted, not endings. Paths diverge and converge. There's no marketing ploy, it just has to be understood for what it is. The number of significantly different endings will of course be a lot smaller.

(That IMHO, is the big flaw with HF thus far: the MC hasn't done a damn thing 3 episodes in because all the focus has been on cursory interactions and D&G-esque mini-games).

That's my take, anyway. Then again, until both games are finished, all we're doing is arguing over who we'd trust more to deliver a good ending. I've no quarrel with anyone who prefers Notty's style or can't forgive DPC for that damn fire, but nothing I've seen from HF suggests it can offer a roadmap for a story-driven game like BaDIK.

It's not a flaw. The first three chapters are mostly introductory. They do the worldbuilding - introducing the setting, the plot, the characters, etc. There's huge emphasis on logic and details. I'd argue it's actually many other games' flaws that they ignore this aspect and don't do it properly, ending up with a bland, generic, uninteresting universe. They don't give you enough opportunity to get comfortable in the MC's shoes, to get bearings and to get to care about things, before going full on with the main plot.

Tbh I've only played BaDIK up to 0.3 I believe (Acting Lessons was my top fav VN of 2018, but I found BaDIK mostly disappointing, despite some obvious qualities. Huge increase in production values (graphics/music), but the story or characters didn't grasp me this time (that I'm tired to death of school settings in VNs and that American fraternity/sorority thing being totally weird and alien concept to me didn't help). Plus I hate the lewds being forced upon the player, like they did with imagination/dream scenes ruining any desire buildup. Nor did I like the DIK/CHICK system illogically railroading/limiting player choices. Nor did I felt like I have enough player agency to influence what the MC will do).

So, I can only compare both games after three episodes, but as far as choices and consequences go, and in extension potential for meaningful endings reflecting player's actions, my money is on Heavy Five. Still, as you say, it's early to say, and we're comparing two games with vastly different settings, so the more quality story-focused adult games there are to cover different genres, the better for the player.

 

[Canto Forte]

I dunno where is this place of high and mighty y”all retreat to outside of this forum, but man these ideas are all over the place.

1st off, Josy never said in a relationship nor engaged. She said she has a friend. MC has a friend too, she is called Josy!

2nd off .. Maya bit the bullet and stranded her friend in a lusy job in her small town ... guess what, Josy found solace in MC!

3rd off ... this game is eons ahead of heavy 1,2,3,4 or the possible not yer released, 5.
Why, you ask? Because MC in HF is a powder keg of resentment and jealousy, of being trash talked and ignored.
In the f***king 1st episode 2 other crew members havre at it in his face like there was nothing, despite MC
having been strung on to beleive he could stand a chance with either or them. NTR much? The whole of it!

Then in episode 2, the damn alpha jerk just outright tells MC some other babe he is yet to meet ...
HAS ALREADY BEEN FELT UP, SHAGGED AND PERVERTED BY THAT ASS***LE TO KINGDOM COME ALREADY.

So, you see, this game is so mmuch better and t0ons more rewording than that sorry ass bad breath game
where Mc is just some simp starry eyed into the horrid machinations of everybody else on that ship having
a normal life / work relationship, all but him, the guy they all come to thrash on like he does not exist.

BADIK rules in many departments over some games that are so remotely resembling AAA gaming around here.

ok, until April we will have to talk about something ...

for me that scene is very realistic and represents in a credible way what three guys would do in front of a big surprise, unexpected for all of them. speaking of course from the perspective of an MC who isn't stunned by the threesome with Riona and Quinn yet (because in that case it's just a bad scene in a bad storyline). Josy escapes to the bathroom avoiding any confrontation right from the start, Maya applies her opossum strategy while waiting for the storm to pass, a distraught MC gossiping with both of them and rather than saying or doing something he might regret he leaves. none of the 3 know how to deal with the situation.


but let's pretend MC was a cold-blooded reptilian, or even better an emotionless cyborg. what was he supposed to do?

if he had revealed "the betrayals" between the two girls before they had had time to clarify a minimum between them, the only consequence would have been a traumatic break between all 3. the two girls in the next 24 hours, practically lived in symbiosis, they don't talk about the elephant in the room, and should MC have done so without warning?
"Maya, she is the girl I was with when I stopped by my house a few days ago, she told me she was engaged, but it was not a problem at all, think about the coincidences ... we order a pizza and let's talk?"
"Josy, what a pleasure to see you again, don't worry I forgive you for interrupting me while I was about to unlock this repentant lesbian, and anyway you fuck better !! at least for now"




that we all actually know what MC should have done:
- avoid Josy once he knew she was engaged, no kisses and no dinner
- avoid any relationship with a strange guy who goes around shirtless
- maturely deal with problems with Troy and stay in the room assigned to him and for which his father paid
- never join the DIKs
- don't get involved in Sage's relationship problems
- study seriously, graduate in the shortest possible time
-always have safe sex as his father told him
- no drugs and no alcohol
- if there really should be a sentimental involvement, bet everything on Jill, the only free girl, and thus settle down economically

this would have been fair behavior and would have made the game realistic and very, very boring

Just to clarify, Heavy Five has over 200 paths plotted, not endings. Paths diverge and converge. There's no marketing ploy, it just has to be understood for what it is. The number of significantly different endings will of course be a lot smaller.


It's not a flaw. The first three chapters are mostly introductory. They do the worldbuilding - introducing the setting, the plot, the characters, etc. There's huge emphasis on logic and details. I'd argue it's actually many other games' flaws that they ignore this aspect and don't do it properly, ending up with a bland, generic, uninteresting universe. They don't give you enough opportunity to get comfortable in the MC's shoes, to get bearings and to get to care about things, before going full on with the main plot.

Tbh I've only played BaDIK up to 0.3 I believe (Acting Lessons was my top fav VN of 2018, but I found BaDIK mostly disappointing, despite some obvious qualities. Huge increase in production values (graphics/music), but the story or characters didn't grasp me this time (that I'm tired to death of school settings in VNs and that American fraternity/sorority thing being totally weird and alien concept to me didn't help). Plus I hate the lewds being forced upon the player, like they did with imagination/dream scenes ruining any desire buildup. Nor did I like the DIK/CHICK system illogically railroading/limiting player choices. Nor did I felt like I have enough player agency to influence what the MC will do).

So, I can only compare both games after three episodes, but as far as choices and consequences go, and in extension potential for meaningful endings reflecting player's actions, my money is on Heavy Five. Still, as you say, it's early to say, and we're comparing two games with vastly different settings, so the more quality story-focused adult games there are to cover different genres, the better for the player.

 

[MoarDakka123]

I dunno where is this place of high and mighty y”all retreat to outside of this forum, but man these ideas are all over the place.

1st off, Josy never said in a relationship nor engaged. She said she has a friend. MC has a friend too, she is called Josy!

2nd off .. Maya bit the bullet and stranded her friend in a lusy job in her small town ... guess what, Josy found solace in MC!

3rd off ... this game is eons ahead of heavy 1,2,3,4 or the possible not yer released, 5.
Why, you ask? Because MC in HF is a powder keg of resentment and jealousy, of being trash talked and ignored.
In the f***king 1st episode 2 other crew members havre at it in his face like there was nothing, despite MC
having been strung on to beleive he could stand a chance with either or them. NTR much? The whole of it!

Then in episode 2, the damn alpha jerk just outright tells MC some other babe he is yet to meet ...
HAS ALREADY BEEN FELT UP, SHAGGED AND PERVERTED BY THAT ASS***LE TO KINGDOM COME ALREADY.

So, you see, this game is so mmuch better and t0ons more rewording than that sorry ass bad breath game
where Mc is just some simp starry eyed into the horrid machinations of everybody else on that ship having
a normal life / work relationship, all but him, the guy they all come to thrash on like he does not exist.

BADIK rules in many departments over some games that are so remotely resembling AAA gaming around here.

Not a soul trash-talked my character when playing Heavy Six.

 

[Gladheim]

I dunno where is this place of high and mighty y”all retreat to outside of this forum, but man these ideas are all over the place.

1st off, Josy never said in a relationship nor engaged. She said she has a friend. MC has a friend too, she is called Josy!

2nd off .. Maya bit the bullet and stranded her friend in a lusy job in her small town ... guess what, Josy found solace in MC!

3rd off ... this game is eons ahead of heavy 1,2,3,4 or the possible not yer released, 5.
Why, you ask? Because MC in HF is a powder keg of resentment and jealousy, of being trash talked and ignored.
In the f***king 1st episode 2 other crew members havre at it in his face like there was nothing, despite MC
having been strung on to beleive he could stand a chance with either or them. NTR much? The whole of it!

Then in episode 2, the damn alpha jerk just outright tells MC some other babe he is yet to meet ...
HAS ALREADY BEEN FELT UP, SHAGGED AND PERVERTED BY THAT ASS***LE TO KINGDOM COME ALREADY.

So, you see, this game is so mmuch better and t0ons more rewording than that sorry ass bad breath game
where Mc is just some simp starry eyed into the horrid machinations of everybody else on that ship having
a normal life / work relationship, all but him, the guy they all come to thrash on like he does not exist.

BADIK rules in many departments over some games that are so remotely resembling AAA gaming around here.

Hey Canto, for once I read something coherent from you, I mean, don't be angry, I mean that the other times I hardly ever understand what you say XD. And in this I agree with you

 

[moskyx]

Hey Canto, for once I read something coherent from you, I mean, don't be angry, I mean that the other times I hardly ever understand what you say XD. And in this I agree with you

Except that Josy does say she is in a relationship right after kissing the MC in the bench

 

[Gladheim]

Except that Josy does say she is in a relationship right after kissing the MC in the bench

And what? being in a relationship does not prevent you from liking another person more or from being able to kiss them. I think Josy was honest in telling him, better there than ever. If Josy hadn't said anything, when you found out it would have been much worse

 

[moskyx]

And what? being in a relationship does not prevent you from liking another person more or from being able to kiss them. I think Josy was honest in telling him, better there than ever. If Josy hadn't said anything, when you found out it would have been much worse

I'm not arguing that, but Canto says that Josy only said she had a friend, and that's not true. She clearly said she was in a relationship.

 

[Canto Forte]

Would that stop you IRL from kissing a drop dead gorgeous diner server?
4 reals!?!

Except that Josy does say she is in a relationship right after kissing the MC in the bench

 

[Canto Forte]

Right after they kissed and after they had a date where they told heart felt things one another.

I'm not arguing that, but Canto says that Josy only said she had a friend, and that's not true. She clearly said she was in a relationship.

 

[moskyx]

Would that stop you IRL from kissing a drop dead gorgeous diner server?
4 reals!?!

I'm just saying things didn't play out as you say. She didn't say she had a friend, she did say she was in a relationship. I'm out of this

 

[Canto Forte]

Remember he fantasized about her?
He showered thinking of her!
His old man talked about his ma like this gurl he was going on a date with was the one?

Remember that?

 

[Canto Forte]

Let us see the wonderful 1st episode awesomeness BADIK is!!!!


Say wha ?!?!?!?!?!



Should this be not romantic, sweet, lovable, all bubbly inside kind of babe flowery power statement of attatchment,
I dunno what is !

 

[moskyx]

Let us see the wonderful 1st episode awesomeness BADIK is!!!!
View attachment 978062

Say wha ?!?!?!?!?!

View attachment 978063

Should this be not romantic, sweet, lovable, all bubbly inside kind of babe flowery power statement of attatchment,
I dunno what is !

It is, and then in the next pic she says she is in a relationship.

So this you say here

1st off, Josy never said in a relationship nor engaged. She said she has a friend. MC has a friend too, she is called Josy!

is not true, is not that hard to understand

 

[Canto Forte]

Not debating that, my gamer friend, but after that show of appreciation and making out loike that was the
end of the world, ANYTHINGSHE SAID AFTER DID NOT MATTER!
She said nothing to stop the passionate kissing, nor did she say she was unavailable
She kissed him with the passion of 1-0000000000000 suns !

Look at how she coils around him like the branches of Igdrasyl,
like the world serpent, latching on to him like the love of his life!
She straps him propper and lands the most romantic heart felt pure love GF kiss in the game!

Then she tries tpo get that anulled based on some bitch Maya who left 4 college and
stranded her in the middle of jerk boss territory?
Seriously?
How much of a horrible person can she become?

But guess what!
MC loves her still ... get a load of that humongous love in his heart, like she did not just thrash him and gutwrenchingly destroyed him.

 

[Canto Forte]

Do I have to mention Maya is having all kinds of kinky in the college even before Mc gets there?

Would any of you game Maya to go on a binge of shagging and doing all sort a kinky stuff with many college students,
while realistically thinking your sweetheart at home should be faithful, a nun perhaps, locked in some gloomy tower?

While Maya was kissing d**k, p**y, bum, bossom and who knows what at the whims of Quinn,
Josy is kissing Mc ... do we have a problem there?
I do not think so!

 

[shazba]

ok, until April we will have to talk about something ...

for me that scene is very realistic and represents in a credible way what three guys would do in front of a big surprise, unexpected for all of them. speaking of course from the perspective of an MC who isn't stunned by the threesome with Riona and Quinn yet / because in that case it's just a bad scene in a bad storyline). Josy escapes to the bathroom avoiding any confrontation right from the start, Maya applies her opossum strategy while waiting for the storm to pass, a distraught MC gossiping with both of them and rather than saying or doing something she might regret she leaves. none of the 3 know how to deal with the situation.

but let's pretend MC was a cold-blooded reptilian, or even better an emotionless cyborg. what was he supposed to do?

if he had revealed "the betrayals" between the two girls before they had had time to clarify a minimum between them, the only consequence would have been a traumatic break between all 3. the two girls in the next 24 hours, practically lived in symbiosis, they don't confront the elephant in the room, and should MC have done so without warning?
"Maya, she is the girl I was with when I stopped by my house a few days ago, she told me she was engaged, but it was not a problem at all, think about the coincidences ... we order a pizza and let's talk?"
"Josy, what a pleasure to see you again, don't worry I forgive you for interrupting me while I was about to unlock this repentant lesbian, and anyway you fuck better !! at least for now"

that we all actually know what MC should have done:
- avoid Josy once he knew she was engaged, no kisses and no dinner
- avoid any relationship with a strange guy who goes around shirtless
- maturely deal with problems with Troy and stay in the room assigned to him and for which his father paid
- never join the DIKs
- don't get involved in Sage's relationship problems
- study seriously, graduate in the shortest possible time
-always have safe sex as his father told him
- no drugs and no alcohol
- if there really should be a sentimental involvement, bet everything on Jill, the only free girl, and thus settle down economically

this would have been fair behavior and would have made the game realistic and very, very boring

Even up to the end episode 6, the MC isn't in an exclusive relationship (unless you've chosen to have the picnic with Jill - the MC suddenly takes that very seriously and starts questioning all of his other flings), he wouldn't even class any of the girls as his "girlfriend".

Depending on your culture, it's pretty typical (except perhaps the extreme amount of sex) for a guy to have casual dates with a number of women at the same time (obviously not exactly the same time), looking for the right one, or simply just looking for a good time. Some of the girls (Mel, Sarah, Quinn, Sage, Camila, Riona, Jade, Rose, Lily, Nicole, Mona, Sandy and Nora, just to name a few) are quite happy with meaningless sex and are not looking for an attachment and the MC is quite happy to oblige them.

Now definitely Josy and Maya have a stronger connection with the mc than the side chicks, but none of them have declared themselves exclusive. So I'd argue there was no betrayal at all. If I was the mc in that situation, I would have laid down on my bed and chatted with the girls. Maybe not blurt out immediately that I'd had sex with either or both of them just at that point, but just take it easy. I would definitely not have stormed out in a huff. I've never stormed out in a huff over anything in my life - it just seems like a weird tantrum throwing way to go.

1st off, Josy never said in a relationship nor engaged. She said she has a friend. MC has a friend too, she is called Josy!

Here's an excerpt from the very beginning when Josy and the MC are drinking on the park bench and kiss for the first time:

mc "I've been wanting to do that for so long, Josy..."​

js ".. I'm sorry..."​

js "I shouldn't have done that..."​

mc "What? Why?"​

js "I'm already in a relationship..."​

mc "You're what?"​

js "I'm so sorry..."​

js "It's complicated..."​

js "I didn't mean for this to happen..."​

So Josy is definitely in a relationship and told the MC outright, so he really has no reason to get all worked up about it later.

P.S. Canto Forte is that really you or has someone hijacked your laptop?

Should this be not romantic, sweet, lovable, all bubbly inside kind of babe flowery power statement of attatchment,
I dunno what is !

OK, this is more like your old self, everything is right in the world once more...

moskyx, I would suggest you don't even try to debate this one with logic.

 

[felicemastronzo]

Even up to the end episode 6, the MC isn't in an exclusive relationship (unless you've chosen to have the picnic with Jill - the MC suddenly takes that very seriously and starts questioning all of his other flings), he wouldn't even class any of the girls as his "girlfriend".

Depending on your culture, it's pretty typical (except perhaps the extreme amount of sex) for a guy to have casual dates with a number of women at the same time (obviously not exactly the same time), looking for the right one, or simply just looking for a good time. Some of the girls (Mel, Sarah, Quinn, Sage, Camila, Riona, Jade, Rose, Lily, Nicole, Mona, Sandy and Nora, just to name a few) are quite happy with meaningless sex and are not looking for an attachment and the MC is quite happy to oblige them.

Now definitely Josy and Maya have a stronger connection with the mc than the side chicks, but none of them have declared themselves exclusive. So I'd argue there was no betrayal at all. If I was the mc in that situation, I would have laid down on my bed and chatted with the girls. Maybe not blurt out immediately that I'd had sex with either or both of them just at that point, but just take it easy. I would definitely not have stormed out in a huff. I've never stormed out in a huff over anything in my life - it just seems like a weird tantrum throwing way to go.


Here's an excerpt from the very beginning when Josy and the MC are drinking on the park bench and kiss for the first time:

mc "I've been wanting to do that for so long, Josy..."​

js ".. I'm sorry..."​

js "I shouldn't have done that..."​

mc "What? Why?"​

js "I'm already in a relationship..."​

mc "You're what?"​

js "I'm so sorry..."​

js "It's complicated..."​

js "I didn't mean for this to happen..."​

So Josy is definitely in a relationship and told the MC outright, so he really has no reason to get all worked up about it later.

P.S. Canto Forte is that really you or has someone hijacked your laptop?


OK, this is more like your old self, everything is right in the world once more...

moskyx, I would suggest you don't even try to debate this one with logic.

but I agree with you. I didn't make myself clear

the only real betrayal is that of Josy towards Maya. of the three, Josy is the only one who feels she is already in a relationship. Maya believes the relationship is over, so she is more or less in the MC situation.

for this reason it would not have been up to MC to talk about it, and certainly not hot as soon as he understood the situation, but the two girls would have continued until graduation pretending nothing happened.

if Maya and Josy are still together it's all about MC's escape and his speech the following evening.

 

[shazba]

but I agree with you. I didn't make myself clear

the only real betrayal is that of Josy towards Maya. of the three, Josy is the only one who feels she is already in a relationship. Maya believes the relationship is over, so she is more or less in the MC situation.

for this reason it would not have been up to MC to talk about it, and certainly not hot as soon as he understood the situation, but the two girls would have continued until graduation pretending nothing happened.

if Maya and Josy are still together it's all about MC's escape and his speech the following evening.

I guess if he didn't storm out and then the girls asked him to leave, that could have been awkward, being he was there as Maya's guest and it wasn't strictly his dorm room he'd have to oblige, so maybe he did everyone a favor.

 

[shazba]

Look at how she coils around him like the branches of Igdrasyl,
like the world serpent, latching on to him like the love of his life!
She straps him propper and lands the most romantic heart felt pure love GF kiss in the game!

Josy sure puts everything in to her kisses:

 

[Canto Forte]

He was always in the right .. MAya was coming on to him hard, her bro was all nekkid ramping up the sex to 11 ...
Josy was all about he loves me ... she loves me not .. but I will get her once I storm back in luggage included
down her throat and into her life .. oh .. Mc is here all of a sudden .. Dun dun Ddududududud nnn!!!!!