These are all common-route events that could, and in my opinion very much should, be segregated out into each girls path. Doing so would allow each event to focus more on the LI in question instead of having to account for every MC with some minor dialogue changes that occasionally lead to sex scenes if he's on their path, as each listed event currently does.
First thing, thank you for the dinner lecture.
I agree with a lot of points you stated in your post. But this one sits not so well with me.
I understand your point of view but for me it is not entirely like that.
I'm gonna speak from the perspective of a cookie jar DIK MC because that's the route I'm most familar with.
The thing that strikes me a lot is the fact how those kinds of scenes are made and it really shows, just how you said, that no matter how talented you are there're ambitions you can't undertake as one person.
That whole, you can say random, choice of "now I'm gonna create similar scene for everyone but with bonus if some MC is on a route with a girl" and "I'm gonna do exclusive scene only if you're on a route with a girl" mixed with Affinity system is really starting to hurt story all together.
So you're gonna tell me that MC was the person that truly felt connection with Josy and she even told him how he was her crush.
Then you're gonna come and tell me that MC was the person that truly felt connection with Maya and as a lesbian she truly felt for him.
And after all that in episode 4 because MC is a DIK girls with reject him as a romance candidate and decide to have him only a as a friend - OK, I'm totally cool with that story decision
But why for the love of God almighty, after all this time and connection the time they spent is completely cut in half?
Yeah sure they shouldn't have this amazing sex experiences (would be weird being only friends) but through giving CHICK MC exclusive scenes or hangouts (which I assume is the way you want things to go in season 3, wonder how you felt about it in seasons 1-2) my DIK MC didn't get nothing.
It breaks immersion and reminds me that this is only a game. Because in a real world scenario (yeah, I know I don't have elephant in my pants) if I truly went with the notion that those girls I had AMAZING connection with will only be my friends from now on I would still want to hang out with them a lot.
And from the perspective of a DIK player Maya & Josy are so Episode 1-4 because from my perspective, aside from Maya's problems, they got completely sidetracked to the background, and that is only because I'm not on route to fuck them in the ass.
Other issue it creates is the fact that DPC doesn't take into consideration what scenes are exclusive and which aren't.
My DIK MC went on a picnic date with Jill. She jumped out of the car on the side of a road, crying, wanting to hug him, telling him she cares about him. Then they had romantic date and at its end they kissed and DIK MC said that no matter Tybalt he won't stop seeing her.
This scene maybe has some exclusive content for CHICK but from DIK perspective it sets certain narrative. That even DIK is on a route with her. If not for the stupid fucking guide, just from story observation I wouldn't know any better.
And after all that you gonna tell me that Jill will only go for a stupid run with CHICK because...? She gonna invite him to eat something because...?
There're lots of moments like that one. And even tho I understand and respect your opinion, from my point of view there're upsides and downsides to both 100% exclusive scenes and to scenes that exist for everybody with some exclusivity in it.
And I also wouldn't hope for super non-linear take in episode 9. RPG games get most non-linear towards their endings because you don't need to deal with fallout of all those choices player can make.
And even tho giving us such option in the middle point of a story is daring it can prove to be too challenging even for old good DPC
One thing I didn't really like about ep. 8 is the fact that MC gets a haircut. I liked his old hairstyle better. This new one makes him look even more like Tommy, in my opinion.
I don't mind the new haircut but I was not surprised when I found that most of the people see MC as nothing more than a cheap version of Tommy.
Would be dope if the haircut depended on Affinity but that would double the render count.
We know Jill wants to do something to honor her memory. I thought of a foundation or a scholarship in memory of Lana intended to help young people abandoned/rejected by their families. So something to save the day for Maya if the Burkes can't / won't help.
I didn't connect the dots like that. It makes perfect sense for it to be the ideal resolution. Maybe that's what DPC wanted to allude to when MC said that even if this plan with Sage fails we will always find another way.