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

[Joshy92]

you think too much about Quinn, Maya would not be happy. do you want to make her cry?

Damn you're right I don't want to make the equal best girl cry

 

[ProxyGist]

I Have thought of some more things a massive chick mc could do to impress Quinn
How about some romantic walks, while holding hands of course
Writing her some love letters & poems
The mc could also tell her she is his soulmate & that he will love her forever.
Buy her some expensive jewellery.
And finally listen to and try to help her with her problems.

All this would surely impress her.
Come on DPC give us massive chicks a chance with that angel.

That would be such an interesting path imo.

I agree. The most interesting couples are those made up of different people. The bad guy and the decent girl from a rich family and the bad girl and the good guy are pretty common romantic stamps.

 

[Joshy92]

I agree. The most interesting couples are those made up of different people. The bad guy and the decent girl from a rich family and the bad girl and the good guy are pretty common romantic stamps.

Yeah I'm a big fan of bad girl good guy stories.

 

[lipe2410]

Confirmed, we will all most likely be dead by the time this game is completed.

Wrong just because this game will never be completed

 

[Geralt From Rivia]

]


No. That's not correct. This is called inconsistent writing (we'll come back to this). Maya, KRJ and Derek's roommate are introverts. There is such thing as being an 'introvert at heart', becuase your disposition towards social interaction, (intro vs extro) doesn't just affect your ABILITY to interact, it affects your desire to. Simply put, an introvert would need time alone or among only very close individuals to recharge their mental batteries, and whereas an extrovert would find being alone frustrating, boring or lonely. This doesn't mean that all introverts don't party, or that extroverts don't want some time to themselves now and then, but someone with Sage's goals and accomplishments would never qualify. She's outgoing and social, eager to meet new people, takes a leadership role in almost all situations, enjoys loud chaotic situations, do I need to continue?

While I agree that Sage has layers (and that's awesome), the way they have been developed is falling to shit. First she was this cool, party girl, a little wild, a little superficial, fun as hell though. Basically a perfect foil to Maya in the early game (which was by design).

T hen throughout the end of season 1 and through most of season 2 she gets... I don't want to say character growth, becuase she hasn't learned any lessons, more like we've seen more beneath the surface.*. The point is we see more of her other side, her empathy, her strength of will, her sweetness and vulnerability.

The problem with all this is a long form media and we are at best half way through. So is this her arc? Does she have an arc? Cause her character being 'done' or regressing at the midpoint feels weird, it's counter to our (western) notion of how stories work. The ending is where the character finishes growing, not the middle.

I posit, however, that this is NOT her arc or her geoth, but as I said, just her character in full. The problem is that the way it's written FELT like it was meant to be growth, AND these two sides of her personality don't gel as well as they should. Her character feels like a yo yo, bouncing back and forth from one extreme to the other.

It's not growth or layering, it's just disjointed writing. Hopefully DOC shores things up in the future episodes, with scenes that combine both aspects of her character, such as some of her scenes at the hits party which manage to showcase both sides of her beautifully.

*An example of someone with ongoing character development on the exact same track as Sage, but slower would be Riona. She's unhappy, but she's learning a lesson, and as of ep9 is determined to make changes to her lifestyle (positive character growth) in order to get more of what she wants (a loving relationship with someone worthy of her).

It is once again the lack of coherence speaking louder. The Sage in Ep.9 is true to her character IF the MC has never romanced her, as she is still a party girl. However, perhaps due to laziness or difficulty in the game's code, the DPC "created" a Sage in Ep.9 and tried to make this version of Sage compatible with all possible routes. As a result we had a flirtatious and slutty version of Sage at the Halloween party.

I believe that a personality oscillation in the girls between scenes will be more explicit in the next episodes. Like I said, girls need to behave in a way that fits every possible scenario. It will be easier to notice this with Bella, I'm sure there will be several moments where Bella behaves like "grumpy Bella" even though the MC is having a romance with her because this scene needs to be present in other routes.

Okay, let's see what's missing here and why Sage's writing isn't inconsistent writing. About the introvert Sage. She is indeed a very versatile person. Sage is very closed in matters of her personal life and family - we see that even for Tremolo she opens up gradually, giving him information bit by bit. We also notice that she pays attention to her studies well, which we didn't notice until Episode 6, and the answer was given in the dialogues in the library, when MC remarks that he "didn't know this side of her", to which Sage replied about the importance of finding a balance. Also at the end of Episode 7, Sage herself admits to being an introvert, but keeps her shield up when Maya says she's so fun and open.

> Sage has layers, and in Season 2 we see more of her empathy, willpower, tenderness, vulnerability.

And the full discovery this part of Sage's personality comes in Ep.6 and culminates in Ep.7 - True Colors. But why didn't you notice that we see this part of Sage's personality in Season 1? How could this be missed ?

-In Ep.2, when MC got into a fight with jocks, Sage shows care and concern for him, which immediately goes against the image of a spoiled cheerleader who uses MC for personal interests, then we see another Sage during sparring - a nice girl with her to have a good time together and it doesn't have to lead to something sexual.

- There's this cute moment in Ep 3 that tells us straight out that Sage isn't just a wild thing. There's no dialogue here, it's a bunch of overview renders, but the body language says it all, Sage has a romantic side.


- In Ep.4, Sage helps when MC needs a place to live again.
- Also in Ep.5, Sage shows her sensitivity when MC jokes about his dead mother. For me, it was a very important moment, emphasizing her personality, that very sensitive and caring. Another good moment was when she showed her dislike for the preps and her rich dad. "Everyone here is so fake"
That is, we see that Sage's true identity is visible in Season 1. This is done in the form of small hints that an inattentive player can miss. It's not inconsistent writing, it's DPCs style of hiding the characters true colors until certain climaxes, leaving hints along the way, breadcrumbs.

As for Episode 9, here we see the typical party side of Sage chilling out and having fun, but we also see the caring Sage during her meeting with Burke and her desperation when Steven refused to help. Somehow people miss it too. Sage flirts with MC on any route because she likes him, but she keeps to herself if MC doesn't choose her. I don't see anything abnormal here.

Sage story arc. It's in development and trust me it will be the most dramatic and doomed arc under the circumstances. What awaits us in the future? -
First, the situation with Quinn's restaurant. Her vice president uses the girls of her sorority as prostitutes. When it floats out, a storm will rise. Moreover, her father is directly tied into the ring of prostitution - perhaps he is the organizer. Imagine what a blow for Sage.
- Second. Jade and Steven's marital problems. Her family is in danger of breaking up due to Steven's infidelities and Jade's jealousy. Yes, and this is not the worst thing, the family may fall apart because Stephen is waiting for a prison for what I indicated above. Scholarship through sex with a college administrator, it's just a Harvey Wahnstein moment.
-Third, the most interesting. If you've had fun with Jade, I don't envy your Sage route. Especially if you leaked a video. Because:

 

[JETracktor]

When I thought I saw everything, I stumbled upon this gem xD

Spoiler

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[saynotoNTR]

[!] For the funny ones out there:

○ STOP DM/tagging me in NTR content involving Isabella. I'm still around, though I don't post often, which means I'm aware of all yours shenanigans. I'll admit, it was funny the first few times, but... enough is enough.

• Seriously guys I can't afford another psychological treatment right now let alone explain to my psychologist that I'm having trouble sleeping at night because I'm being haunted by images of my favorite waifu being fucked by black guys.

 

[Deleted member 1044901]

Okay, let's see what's missing here and why Sage's writing isn't inconsistent writing.

Is Sage like that movie "Split"? Each episode is a different Sage, is that it? I don't like that kind of character, a well-made character has to have coherence. If Sage keeps switching personalities from one episode to the next, what can players expect from her? Also, Sage complained about Chad being unfaithful, but I don't think she's the faithful type either. What was that scene with her and Maya in the room where people were watching movies? Sage was flirting heavily with Maya, if it was the MC instead of Sage I'm sure that same flirting would count TC points. Maya has already proven herself to be unfaithful so I won't call her out. Do you really think Sage's writing was done well in Ep.9?

 

[ImSenjou]

When I thought I saw everything, I stumbled upon this gem xD

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I think Jamie has already figured out that Leon likes him a little too much, but since Leon doesn't say anything, he doesn't say anything either, leave it at that.

 

[Crusader of Romance]

I think Jamie has already figured out that Leon likes him a little too much, but since Leon doesn't say anything, he doesn't say anything either, leave it at that.

There are a lot of hints that he's gay, yeah. Like planning the Halloween party, he was the only one who wanted more guys at the party.

 

[Deleted member 1044901]

There are a lot of hints that he's gay, yeah. Like planning the Halloween party, he was the only one who wanted more guys at the party.

Since he brings girls to spend the night with him at the mansion it is most likely that he is bisexual. However, I don't think the DPC will explore that... it's probably just comic relief, like Dawe being jealous of Anthony with Ashley.

 

[Crusader of Romance]

Since he brings girls to spend the night with him at the mansion it is most likely that he is bisexual. However, I don't think the DPC will explore that... it's probably just comic relief, like Dawe being jealous of Anthony with Ashley.

Most likely, yeah. Maybe at the end of the game? I'm hoping for a flash forward at the end where we get to see where everybody ends up a few years later.

 

[Deleted member 1044901]

Most likely, yeah. Maybe at the end of the game? I'm hoping for a flash forward at the end where we get to see where everybody ends up a few years later.

Shit, is this how DPC games end? I don't think there will be a happy ending for everyone, so I'd rather not see how the other characters ended up.

 

[buggs]

It won't happen. Any increase in speed/time he get he will use to make the episodes bigger in quantity and "quality".

Exactly. I said the same thing a couple updates ago to people thinking the new hardware will speed up the release of this episode. Now we're 6 months in and he says he's 70% done, which means the development will have taken over 8 months since release to get to 100% content. And then he still has to do weeks of testing and debugging. This is gonna take just as long as last episode, as will every episode after it. No more than 2 weeks shorter than the last.

In the first devlog of ep. 10 he said he will make the episode shorter. Now he say the episode will be the biggest episode yet. Again.

Man, you're right on the money. The past 3 episodes he's said he tried to make it shorter than the last one, and then we get 4 months into development and he's bragging about how many 10 minute long animations he's made lol (obvious exaggeration). More power to him, it's his game, if that's what he likes to do then that's what's gonna happen, but he's always gonna push the envelope on how much he can stuff into a single episode and waste time on.

 

[Deleted member 1044901]

More power to him, it's his game, if that's what he likes to do then that's what's gonna happen, but he's always gonna push the envelope on how much he can stuff into a single episode and waste time on.

Since DPC dedicated an entire episode to Zoey and an entire episode just to a Halloween party, we can safely say that he's in no rush to finish the game. He's targeting 16 episodes apparently, but he threw an entire episode in the trash (Ep.9). I have doubts if this game will only have 16 episodes. If he doesn't create insanely long episodes, the plot won't fit into 16 episodes, neither in this life nor in another.

 

[Crusader of Romance]

Shit, is this how DPC games end? I don't think there will be a happy ending for everyone, so I'd rather not see how the other characters ended up.

"So tragic that everybody but us two died in that horrible fire at the DIKs Summer Party."

 

[Deleted member 1044901]

"So tragic that everybody but us two died in that horrible fire at the DIKs Summer Party."

Since the game is from the MC's perspective I thought the game would only show what happened to him - it's going to be sad to see Tommy die of an overdose or Quinn commit suicide in jail. If I can't help Quinn or Tommy I would rather not even know what happens to them.

 

[The Glorious LIME]

[!] For the funny ones out there:

○ STOP DM/tagging me in NTR content involving Isabella. I'm still around, though I don't post often, which means I'm aware of all yours shenanigans. I'll admit, it was funny the first few times, but... enough is enough.

• Seriously guys I can't afford another psychological treatment right now let alone explain to my psychologist that I'm having trouble sleeping at night because I'm being haunted by images of my favorite waifu being fucked by black guys.

Love the avatar

 

[Kpyna]

It won't happen. Any increase in speed/time he get he will use to make the episodes bigger in quantity and "quality". I don't know why people keep deluding themselfs with that expectation of the return to the 2 eps per year/6 months cycle. In the first devlog of ep. 10 he said he will make the episode shorter. Now he say the episode will be the biggest episode yet. Again.

The only possibility of him at least think in decrease development time for real is IF season 3 perform really bad when release on Steam exactly because took to much time to got release there that steam costumers simply forget/stop care about the game.

We can't get into his head. There are the reasons preventing this to happen and dev cycle staying at the current 8-9 months per ep then. And there are the reasons that it would happen. IF next episode (11) would be the same in size as 10, then it could out faster. It may happen or may not. He may make the EP12 much bigger after that, etc, just to please fans with a quicker release of EP11.

He can't consider anything about how season performed until releasing it on Steam.

I suppose he clearly understand that primary audience of his game is a young people 16-25yo. It's the time when young man turns into a mature one, it's a college/university, it's a first job, probably marriage and first family, etc.
The rest of audience maybe even as large as half, and this one is much more patient one as well. We don't have a statistics of donations per age, etc, but more mature audience implies more generous donations and a long subscription plans. Steam gives less $ per game copy, but much wider access to the game, marketing, etc.

For some reason, it seems to me that he himself did not expect that the development of the game could take so much time. He mentioned that he had the whole idea and the whole plot of the new game when he was just finishing the development of Acting Lessons. But having a script or the whole idea of the game on hand does not mean the routine implementation of this whole idea into game code, dialogues, scenes and branching of the plot. Certain subtleties of the plot, the elaboration of details, including the smallest ones, incredibly increase the volume of the originally planned project. There can be no other way, otherwise he would automatically follow the goal. But his desire to constantly add something, improve, and the growing hardware capabilities further stretch the development. I think that he will eventually define a framework for himself and keep himself in it, otherwise his dream of releasing the game and implementing the idea in a finished product may not come true.

Spoiler: UE5 offtopic

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He wants to embody and realize his idea, he wants to tell us his invented story, but if he drag it out too long, it will be like invitation to a concert taking place in a hall for 10,000 people, in which only 100 are came to. Imagine the content creator performer feelings and emotions after this. Even if the music is wonderful, and the performer's voice is magical it can't help if the tickets have no date on them or it barely visible.

The joy from realisation and seeing of people listening/viewing/playing your performance/music/game/etc are very important thing. Money part is not actual for him anymore. He got enough already to never work again and live his life how he want to it. But he continues to spend time and working on his project. It's a huge bummer and blow for creator to realise nobody want it or interested in it anymore. That's my point.

No matter how wonderful BADIK is, no matter how much we love it, it's an indie game and a one-man project. The more time (years) pass, the more difficult it will be to come to terms with this and the more challenges there will be for the developer.

He can't help but understand that. Better than anyone.

 

[Crusader of Romance]

he threw an entire episode in the trash (Ep.9)

You mean the best episode in the game so far? The one that escalated the storyline and gave the MC his first encounter with Vinny? That Episode 9?