Takkatakka

Engaged Member
Nov 11, 2022
3,144
10,516
good, good, soon you gonna shift toward Nova too, :devilish: :ROFLMAO:
I mean...I shifted from Alex to Luna pretty early and haven't budged an inch since, even after an update pretty much without content for her. :Kappa:

In BaDIK all of them are so close together that my preferences can shift enough, I guess. Like the date with Sage was just too cute and overall in Ep. 10 she was the best in my opinion. Which is ironic because I thought her path would become stale after Ep. 9 since all major problems seemed to be resolved.
 
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strangelandQQ

Newbie
Oct 21, 2023
85
179
After a few playthroughs of the game, to my surprise I found myself as Quinn fan.
On the very first playthrough, she did not appeal to me, for a number of reasons.

But the full DIK Playthrough revealed a completely different side of her.
And most of all I liked the difference between the very small details in her behavior towards MC
I'm sure a lot of people paid attention to it, after all, 13k pages in the thread.

No path
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On her path
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Another moment with a difference is Quinn's reaction when she and Riona find MC and Sage in the backyard
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Of course, each LI has its own scenes and interactions based on their path, but for some reason it's with Quinn that these moments look different

Maybe there's nothing special about these moments and it's a trivial tsundere-moment but something triggered inside me and now I'm a Quinn fan. I'm hoping for a proper ending with her in it.
 

dalli_x

Engaged Member
Jul 7, 2017
3,452
7,812
Yes, and this is the one who does not create problems, he solves them. :WeSmart: :ROFLMAO:
It's starting again. I think that is funny.:ROFLMAO:
I don't see any other reasons to put "chick" affinity checks into the code for the events with Quinn. It doesn't look like that he made a mistake, because the way he did it is intended to fuck up the Quinn scene and probably her path too (part of my assumption regarding importance of this particular MC response to Quinn is coming from this part of code). DPC likes to fuck with players and especially with those, who put their hands into saves or use mods / console.

Code:
qu "Yeah, I know!"
    if affinity == "CHICK":
        jump ep10_quinn_no_help_label
:HideThePain: :WeSmart:

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But seriously, it seems to be the same principle (not code) as the Jocks and Caleb. If the MC doesn't fight the Jocks in EP2, the MC can't fight Caleb at all in EP5.

DIK
mc "I'm not that scared. And it would have felt better to be prepared for it."

CHICK
mc "I'll help you out this time, but I won't take part in this again."

Don't you see where this is going?

DIK MC: Quinn asks the MC if he can help her with another problem and gives the MC background information. Maybe so that Tommy lied to him about Vinny's gun in EP9. Who were kidnapped? Riona.

CHICK MC: I'll go over the code first. If the CHICK MC is on the "Others" branch, Quinn won't even ask the MC or the corresponding option is blocked (just like the MC can't fight Caleb if the MC didn't beat up the jocks in EP2. ). The MC made it clear to Quinn that he wouldn't help her a second time. That's why Quinn will ask DIK Tommy. Tommy will probably more than defeat Vinny.

If the CHICK MC isn't on the "Others" branch, things could get very interesting. Why? mc mc "I'll help you out this time, but I won't take part in this again." He then didn't help Quinn in EP10. Either Quinn or Tommy could then ask the MC if he wants to help “Riona”. But there is a problem here, namely this: mc "I'm not that scared. And it would have felt better to be prepared for it." The MC is not prepared, so he could be missing important information. In that case, I'm excited to see where this could lead.
 
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Ray_D

Forum Fanatic
Nov 13, 2022
4,551
14,781
To be honest why even choose. We all know every single one of us banged each and every girl in this game at some point. :ROFLMAO:
you're right. Anyway I'm neutral on which girl is the right one or the best one. If I can summarize it would be the following:
 

ChipLecsap

Conversation Conqueror
Aug 4, 2019
7,404
26,491
If the CHICK MC isn't on the "Others" branch, things could get very interesting. Why? mc mc "I'll help you out this time, but I won't take part in this again." He then didn't help Quinn in EP10. Either Quinn or Tommy could then ask the MC if he wants to help “Riona”. But there is a problem here, namely this: mc "I'm not that scared. And it would have felt better to be prepared for it." The MC is not prepared, so he could be missing important information. In that case, I'm excited to see where this could lead.
let me just stop you right there. If you are not on the others paths regardless of affinity MC does not have a scene with quinn at all.

so everything you said, can't even exist :ROFLMAO:
 
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Kpyna

Active Member
Dec 16, 2022
668
2,364
But seriously, it seems to be the same principle (not code) as the Jocks and Caleb. If the MC doesn't fight the Jocks in EP2, the MC can't fight Caleb at all in EP5.

DIK
mc "I'm not that scared. And it would have felt better to be prepared for it."

CHICK
mc "I'll help you out this time, but I won't take part in this again."

Don't you see where this is going?

DIK MC: Quinn asks the MC if he can help her with another problem and gives the MC background information. Maybe so that Tommy lied to him about Vinny's gun in EP9. Who were kidnapped? Riona.

CHICK MC: I'll go over the code first. If the CHICK MC is on the "Others" branch, Quinn won't even ask the MC or the corresponding option is blocked (just like the MC can't fight Caleb if the MC didn't beat up the jocks in EP2. ). The MC made it clear to Quinn that he wouldn't help her a second time. That's why Quinn will ask DIK Tommy. Tommy will probably more than defeat Vinny.

If the CHICK MC isn't on the "Others" branch, things could get very interesting. Why? mc mc "I'll help you out this time, but I won't take part in this again." He then didn't help Quinn in EP10. Either Quinn or Tommy could then ask the MC if he wants to help “Riona”. But there is a problem here, namely this: mc "I'm not that scared. And it would have felt better to be prepared for it." The MC is not prepared, so he could be missing important information. In that case, I'm excited to see where this could lead.
I don't get the point or any connections between fights with jocks and this particular check for Quinn and Chick affinity.
With jocks you have to fight with them to be able to fight with Caleb later. And both of this is a major choices at first. And at second - it have NOTHING with MC affinity. You can fight with them being a Chick. Both is my usual choices for most of my Chick runs.

My point and attention was about the fact, that this check have no sense if you play the game w/o mods or doesn't put your hands in saves or console to fuck with variables/affinity, etc. Chick MC and Quinn path is impossible combination. And since this check literally abort the dialogue and any choice possibility, I suppose it was made intentionally to fuck up the Quinn path for such players.

You can response to Quinn that you won't have come while being with full DIK affinity. As well as you can agree to help her with Neutral affinity. It's her question and MC decision - would he protect her and step into her drug dealing shit or not. She is breaking the news to him w/o any warning where and what for they going. So it could be considered (and it's so, really) that she used him. So MC have to decide - he want to be used this way later or not.

The fact is that this particular path is not possible for Chick MC w/o mods or altering variables after S2 finale. DPC regularly puts traps and other shit for those who like to play in the ways that wasn't intended to. And the only thing I mentioned and talked about is that, if he wanted to fuck up such playthroughs, then this choice must have a lot of sense for Quinn path later. Otherwise there was no sense of placing such "trap" into the code.
 

ChipLecsap

Conversation Conqueror
Aug 4, 2019
7,404
26,491
Did you read correctly? In that case, Quinn and/or Tommy then ask MC if he wants to help Riona and not for him to help Quinn or Tommy. Even the CHICK MC can be very close to Riona.
yeah, and you make up a scenario based on conversations, you even quote them, what are not exist when mc is not on the others path.

"I'll help you out this time, but I won't take part in this again."

But there is a problem here, namely this: mc "I'm not that scared. And it would have felt better to be prepared for it."

this scenario does not exist, if you are not on other paths, these word these lines don't exist. and btw you also not go on a date with rio if you are NOT on others path , so MC is actualy not even that close to Rio.

you often do this btw, take out one branch's specific scenario, and apply it to an another that doesn't have any connection to it.

what you say not make sense because these are branch specific scenarios. Unlike for example Maya's loan story what is an Universal Storyline
 

Darkwen

Forum Fanatic
Nov 10, 2020
5,501
11,740
Did you read correctly? In that case, Quinn and/or Tommy then ask MC if he wants to help Riona and not for him to help Quinn or Tommy. Even the CHICK MC can be very close to Riona.
Dik or chick mc doesn't matter what matter is being on path
 
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ChipLecsap

Conversation Conqueror
Aug 4, 2019
7,404
26,491
I'll be more direct. You don't have to help me, but I blame myself for assuming certain things. Okay, I'll explain it to you.

The branches are there so that the MC player can enter into romantic and/or sexual relationships with girls. But Branch is independent of friendly relationships with the girls, there are no restrictions in the game.

Example. My MC has never had a romantic and/or sexual encounter with Sage and he is not on her branch. At Bailey Thanksgiving, Sage gives thanks for making true friends this year. A friendly relationship without being on the Sage branch.

My MC is not on the "Others" branch and has never had a romantic and/or sexual encounter with Riona. But Riona and the MC have a friendly relationship with each other.

Getting very close doesn't automatically mean fucking together. Elena has also become very close to the MC, as JB noted. I haven't seen Elena and the MC fuck together yet. They became very close as friends.

So that I have to explain something like that.:rolleyes:
This has like nothing to do with you original post :LOL: . and second, branching now does make a tiny bit of differences , so you as a player who has only one path, will not be as knowledgeable about the things if you not play different paths.

but hey, show me your bios of Rio , just out of curiosity, or Quinn for example, post their bios, form MC's phone, I'm curious about it
 
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The Krogan Dude

Active Member
Sep 26, 2023
973
5,658
Of course it has something to do with the original post you are referring to. The MC helps Riona because she's a friend and not because Quinn and/or Tommy asked for it. Friendship is the point you didn't understand.

You're welcome, you curious little devil. :devilish: :ROFLMAO:
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Again. Friend relationships are not tied to branches, they are cross-branch. RP = relationship points. A friendship is also a relationship. I have plenty of RPs with Jill, Sage, and Isabella without my MC being in a romantic or sexual relationship with them. But my MC helps Sage several times and that's what you do for Friends. He also helps Jill. Does the MC Riona help in my Riona biography? Yes he does.
But your comparison with Sage and Elena is flawed here. No matter what your choices were, you were meant to be friend witth Sage & Elena. The MC being Sage's confident is canon in all branches because they bonded in the Preps mansion no matter what your choices were. Sage teaming up with the MC and the other girls to help Maya is canon. That's absolutely not the same thing with Riona and Quinn. Helping Riona with money in EP4 isn't canon, it's a choice. And you need to make this choice to get closer to her. Fucking Riona at least once is required to be able to help her with her stalker in EP8. That's a choice required, not something canon, happening in all paths. Without that, the MC doesn't even know about Riona's anguish. In fact, he doesn't even understand that Riona is part of a prostitution circle if he doesn't accept Quinn's offer. It's the same thing with Quinn, the MC doesn't know shit about Quinn's activities if he's not closed to her. In fact, he didn't even get that Quinn was selling drugs to Tommy, he only got it when Quinn explicitely confessed him in EP10 that she was Tommy's former supplier before Vinny. Yes, the MC is that stupid and clueless. Everything the MC knows about Quinn, Riona and Vinny is not canon. Your choices matter here.



You write yourself so that the branching only makes small differences and you are right. You'll find out the important information about Quinn either way because it doesn't depend on Branch. Quinn likes to fuck people, be manipulative, deal drugs, promote prostitution and stab her supposed friends (Riona, Tommy) in the back. You can get this kind of information even if you don't play the Quinn Path. The branches largely determine how a sexual and/or romantic relationship develops and you can read about that here in your thread and you can also see screenshots from you.
And here, you're making another mistake. You're confusing what you, the player knows and what the MC knows. That's completely different. Unlike the MC, you're not completely clueless because you saw a lot of scene from Quinn, Riona, Tommy or even Vinny point of view. You've got a shitload of information that the MC doesn't have. The MC doesn't share your near omniscience. If the MC doesn't get closer to Quinn and Riona, he barely knows them and he doesn't know jack shit about what they're doing. You know almost the full extend of the drug and prostitution circle but the MC doesn't.


The strange thing is that many people play all branches and still don't see various information. You may remember that I wrote before EP10 that Vinny's assessment of the MC might be wrong. I mean this in reference to his saying about barking and not biting. I wrote to make it matter why a dog barks. Strangely, the DPC confirmed this in EP10 and the Quinn Path players didn't even notice. On the Quinn path, as I've seen and read from your screenshots, Vinny calls the MC a dog again as he waits for Quinn in front of the alley. Who would have thought, Quinn has a pet that makes her wait outside the alley. Dogs have to wait in front of the store. So why should I play the Quinn Path? I already had my realization before EP10 and the Quinn path only confirms it. The MC is made into a mangy bait by Quinn in the future. Why should I play the path where the MC becomes Bait Mick V2.
Because once again, you're making assumptions based on a limited part of information and only reads what you want to read. I've already told you that you're overthinking about the whole Dog insult. I've already told you that his interaction with the MC is the same no matter what is affinity is and how you chose to react. But for some reasons, you want to read that scene in three different ways. That the same thing with the way you chose to interpret Quinn and the MC relationship the way you see fit. The MC made a choice, he confronted Quinn, she finally opened up to him and told him the whole truth about who she is and what she's doing. Something that don't happen in any other path. And the MC made a choice to be with her and to accept this part of her. But you chose to ignore all of it and stay focused on the "Dog" part, a petty insult from jerk who is supposed to be one of the main antagonist, like it was some kind of Cassandra truth.

Do I need to remind you that everything you said about Quinn craving for the CHICK MC made even more less sense now ? We're coming to the point where Quinn later confess to the MC her plans for the future and that she's not planning to take the lead of the sorority and intends to leave B&R sooner than expected. Once again, something you'll never get in any other playthrough. And that's pretty funny that you only consider the possibility that everything will go wrong for the MC or Quinn. But never once, you've considered that the MC could improve her or that they could make it work or that they could find a way out. Why ? Because you've settled your mind, the same way you seem to think than Being a Chick is the best option in all possible scenarios with all character. You have no interest in Quinn or others path, ok that's your shot. But please stop making constant assumptions on things you don't even see or read. And not just for Quinn and Riona, for all the other characters. It's maybe not the impression you want to make but do you realise how arrogant you can sound sometimes ? Telling everyone how they should interpret and read the scene even when you haven't even seen those scenes yourself ?
 

Kpyna

Active Member
Dec 16, 2022
668
2,364
...so that this is just a trap from DPC. DPC knows exactly how to ensure that one or two players take a look at the programming. It's not a trap for the players, but for curious people like you. DPC doesn't like spoilers and if he prematurely writes detailed variables into the programming then it's like a spoiler. What you think is a trap is a variable placeholder that can be overwritten with an update.
curiosity of/for curiosity
what about his traps and checks for where game is played on - PC or not PC (Android, ports, etc)? That's also for people "like me" or for purposes to fuck with non-PC players?

What variables did you seen there? It's an affinity check and hard-jump to the next scene after the dialogue, while preventing player to make a choice, leaving the $ep10_quinn_help variable at it's default /False/ state. I bet he will make something similar for Jill path too (if not already did, I hadn't read all the code up to the moment), since some players mod their affinity to DIK for lulz.

Even a CHICK MC under the influence can fuck Quinn on the roof of the DIK Mansion in EP4. Who sees this? Jacob. Jacob is a chatterbox and has nothing better to do than tell the DIKs and who knows who else. If the MC has an LI, especially Jill, Josy and Maya, then the MC is vulnerable to blackmail. I wrote a long time ago to make the CHICK MC the least vulnerable to blackmail. Nevertheless it is possible. The really violent DIK MC is actually constantly open to blackmail. That's why this is probably a placeholder variable that will also annoy cheaters. But DPC doesn't give spoilers.
:KEK: :HideThePain:
wtf?

MOST or ALL of MC sexual adventures DOESN'T count before the commitment. Well, it doesn't mean zero consequences or awkward situations, but still - you're not obliged to be "honest" before you proclaimed relationships and exclusiveness with somebody. You may stay honest before that and it's great in some sense, but you not obliged to. The only girls who cares and ask you about it in details is J&M (same goes for MC ex - Zoey). The consequences is RP +/0/- so far. Blackmail with what? The scene you mentioning (EP4 roof scene after smoking weed) is happening even before clearing things with J&M - I could understand if it takes place after joining the Throuple. But game automatically cock-blocks you from Quinn after you deciding to try "something more" with J&M. I don't get where do you see here any grounds for blackmailing and what for. MC fucked Quinn, ok, and what? When it happened? Before they talked in the library and reconciled. All future sex with her is autoblocked - nothing to deal with. Same goes for most of teachers (Cathy, Nora, Jade) - the most massive autoblock than on any other path.

dalli_x_jm.jpg

:WeSmart:

What a sly guy, allowed Quinn to rape fuck him in order not to swallow a condom and talks here about morality and sex on the roof, Jacob the blackmailer and so on.

And with the latest update, DPC catched your tricky ass and deprived of +3RP for J&M :ROFLMAO:
You "afraid" of Jacob, but doesn't afraid some of the HOTs like Sarah and Melanie, who knows everything and gossips as hell. I bet you fucked Quinn to win the Hell week, since it was the only "safe" option to win it w/o fucking anybody else. So, Jacob just does MC a favor and gets him +1 point during evaluation by sharing what he had seen with DIK brothers. No Hell Week winning anymore if you want to "impress" J&M and stay "clean", deal with it.

I just remembered something and it's about Dwayne. Players who have turned off the mini-games will not be able to notice this. In EP2, the player can decide whether to fight the jocks or not. I wrote a long time ago that DPC might have given us a clue here. Which? The MC thinks to himself so he shouldn't show his fighting skill. I came up with this because it's never good to just show what you can do when it's not necessary. This takes away the element of surprise. That's why the MC can't fight Caleb if the MC doesn't fight the jocks in EP2. In EP10 this theory is even confirmed, again independently of Branch. Hahahaha.

Something is very obvious about Alex that confirms my old theory. The MC player can learn a special move in the first Brawler minigame round against Dwayne if he beats Dwayne. In the second Brawler mini-game round, Dwayne cheers when the MC uses his newly learned special punch. But when he uses it against Alex, Dwayne isn't happy. I wonder why? The MC shows Alex what he learned from Dwayne. The MC reveals his skill to Alex and so the jocks will find out about it and can prepare.
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The whole crowd reacts differently. I can't read the disappointment or unhappiness of Dwayne face. Something like concern - yeah.
Why only Alex? What about Chao or Tate? You may use this special attack even against Dwayne himself, lol.
 
Last edited:

LizaS

Active Member
Jan 20, 2022
827
22,638



Another year, another Q&A session. Thanks for your questions! I've read all of them but can't answer most questions due to spoilers.

If you're interested, you can read all past Q&As here. These Q&A events have already addressed many repeat questions.













I will answer your questions about my games in part 1, which you're reading.

In part 2, I will answer your questions about game development.

There might be some updated answers to repeat questions in the mix. Enjoy the reading!

If you haven't played episode 10 yet, this post has potential spoilers. I'm not spoiling future content. Read my answers at your own risk.

How many episodes total will DIK be? Has the count raised or lowered as you write the story?

The episode count has increased since the start of the project. Originally, I thought I'd need something close to 8-12 episodes to tell the story, with way shorter episodes. Today, I'm fairly sure that Season 4 will be the final season. I also suspect it won't be a traditional season, as it includes the endings. How many episodes Season 4 will have isn't decided yet, but I know the rough outline of the final season, and I will enjoy every moment of creating the conclusion to the story.

We are getting closer to the end as episodes start answering more questions than asking new ones. I believe my previous estimate was 15-17 episodes, and depending on how the episodes will be counted in the final season, I believe we're looking at something like 14-16 episodes total for the game. I know I need up until episode 14, for sure. At that point, it gets blurry, but I'm not stopping until the endings are what I want them to be. I don't want to rush the end of the game, but I don't intend to linger to extend it beyond what's needed.

How long do you plan to make BaDIK?

Until it's done. There's an end in sight, but I couldn't guess when that is. Going into the project, I estimated the game would take me five years to create. We're past that point now, and I'm happy the project grew even more ambitious than originally intended. I have no maximum number of years I allow myself to work on the project. I only intend to finish it, no matter how long it takes.

When first creating the different SGs, did you ever imagine that they would get such a big following?

I thought the nature of their roles would be more of a supporting role and that the story would focus on fewer characters. I quickly realized that this wasn't possible. It wouldn't make sense to have these hollow shells walking around campus, not having goals and motivations.

1727405974713.png

The first viewport render of Riona's completed model.
So, I expanded on many of them, and as their characters grew with time, so did their following. Many good things came out of it organically. Picture if only Sage, Quinn, Camila, and Riona were the HOT girls who got scenes and dialogue while all other HOTs were in the background, never contributing to the story. I doubt there would be such extensive discussion about the story and characters in the game if I had kept characters in background roles.

Being a Dik has achieved quite a lot of recognition and been rather well recieved. Was there ever a moment where it struck you just how big it had gotten?

I try not to think about it too much. The game doesn't define me as a person, and I've learned to separate work and my real life throughout these years. I get too many messages to read, and it becomes a blur. In those messages, I receive a lot of love and praise but also a lot of malice. I disconnect from all of it - good and bad - to cope with the recognition. I use jokes often to cope - I always had that defense mechanism, which works great for me.

When you start thinking about how many players are waiting for you to do something and do it well and fast... It adds pressure to every word you type and every render you make. Disconnecting from those thoughts helps me focus on the game and not let the pressure get to me and affect my work. I hope that when I'm done with game development, I will better appreciate my games' impact on this part of the industry. These games have changed my life in ways I couldn't have imagined going into this.

What other alternative names did you have before coming up with DIK?

I'm unsure whether you're referring to the frat name or the game title, so I'll answer both. I knew the frat name from when I made Acting Lessons, so I never considered other options. I planned to make Being a DIK a prequel to Acting Lessons and started flavoring the prequel in Acting Lessons. But I scrapped that idea and kept some ideas I liked a lot.

Regarding the game title, I know I played around with the DIK name a lot before settling on Being a DIK, but I remember it being a fast process. In August 2018, while I was working on the last episode of Acting Lessons, I came up with the name. I had started making the models for the main girls when I mentioned the full title for the first time to a close friend.

1727405986366.png

The first time I mentioned the game name to someone.
It appears that a lot of the groundwork for the remainder of the season has been laid. Do you foresee similar dev length cycles for the remaining episodes, and if so, will it be for the purpose of adding more content to the story, or is this still something you play by ear, and when you feel the episode is done, it's done?

Yes, the groundwork has been done for many big areas of the season - mini-games and the in-game phone. I can focus on the meat of the story for the remaining two episodes of Season 3 faster than Episodes 9 and 10.

I can't predict the length of development cycles, and I don't want to work that way with deadlines that get pushed and trust that gets affected as a result. I don't stand anything to gain from the stress of setting a fixed development cycle length. On the other hand, I'd lose a lot from doing it. I'd lose the freedom to feel inspired, and I want to be able to add more in areas I think need it. I have worked this way since the start of this project and will continue to work this way until it's completed. I always let my gut decide when the episode feels balanced enough and where to limit content.

When the final episode is finally published, do you think you would want to remaster the early episodes to bring them up to the current standards? Comparing season 1 to now shows a massive improvement in render quality, so I was curious if you'd want to try and make it more uniform.

A remaster can at least be considered when the game is complete. Remastering earlier than that is pointless, as I'd rob that remaster of any further improvements I make while developing the remaining episodes. There is a lack of consistency in art and coding, and you can see the journey of improvement throughout the game.

I'd be interested in remastering parts of the game, but I want to keep the same soul as the original renders. Since I have saved every .duf file (the art files for DAZ3D) I've ever produced, I could revisit them and update the lighting and settings for static renders to improve them. On the other hand, animations would require much more work as they would almost have to be remade from scratch to be properly remastered to my current standard.

Remastering the game is a big task, with a lot of manual work involved. We are not talking months; we are talking years. I would not jump on it before making plans on how to do it and where to limit it - e.g., Season 1 only or Season 2 as well. I will think about it later when it's relevant.

Any plans to update the old English class tests with new mechanics?

See my previous answer for my thoughts on remastering the game. When/if that happens, I'd update the English class in Seasons 1 and 2; I love how it came out in episode 10.

For episode 10, I improved the English mini-game because I felt it was easy and fast to do. It's not the first time I've done such an upgrade to an existing mini-game. Brawler is in its third version now. Not many remember or will ever have played the original version.

1727405998042.png

The original Brawler version from Episodes 1 and 2.
What has been the most pleasant surprise about the fandom/community that has grown around the game through the years?

I am blown away by the passion players have for the games I create. I didn't expect people to care this deeply about my stories, to the extent that they talk about every minute detail they find. Seeing this amount of passion from fans has been a very pleasant, overwhelming, and humbling surprise. It fuels me.

The relationships with the mains and others are very complex and thought out; when you planned their original backstories, did you plan on it being this complex and thoughtful, or has this been something you have done as you've created more episodes?

The complexity has certainly grown with time, but most backstories have been written since the early days. As episodes progress, more layers are added to the characters, and they will evolve in ways I couldn't have planned early.

I always keep their backstories and end goals in mind when writing. Still, they do get fleshed out more than originally intended because the project also has gotten bigger than I anticipated.

Why is there an uptick as of late to push seemingly unimportant elements in scenes a certain way? A perfect example is Anal being the only option in certain lewd scenes. If this was just with the "side" tracks, I get it, but not the mains, especially when other mains have almost every option under the sun.

Players like different things during lewd scenes, and anal sex is a popular fetish. With recent examples in mind, I wanted Sage and Bella to get dedicated anal sex scenes because the narrative fit, and it felt new and fresh for them. Some players have waited since episode 1 to have anal sex with those girls, and it was finally time to spoil them with those lewd scenes. I'm aware that players who don't like anal sex won't enjoy such lewd scenes, but that won't stop me from adding them when I see fit. Lewd scenes will be different occasionally to keep things fresh and exciting, and they won't be according to everyone's taste - that's impossible. I'm sure there will be scenes that you will enjoy in the future, too.

Something easy to lose track of is the bigger picture of the game. When the game is complete, I doubt you will feel like it's all about anal sex or whatever fetish you don't enjoy, but that there's an overall balance of scenes and variety. At least, that's what I aim for, which means there will be episodes where people enjoy lewd scenes to different degrees.

If the storylines of other characters and the MC are not concluded, would you consider incorporating additional chapters for the supporting characters once the MC's narrative is completed?

Rest assured, when I'm done with the game, the storylines will be concluded as I intended. I'm not planning on making a sequel to the game, and I'm not interested in making any spin-off games focusing on some of the characters. While I'm certain players will want more, and it will be a sad moment when everything ends, those are the feelings and memories I want to leave players with.

Do you enjoy seeing the theories people come up with for how the story will progress and seeing who followed the breadcrumbs well and who couldn't be more wrong?

I find reactions and discussions of theories fun. It's interesting to see if someone spots meticulously placed details and how players' theories change with time and as more story is revealed. It's also fun to see how players' perceptions of characters change with time. I view the characters in my way, and it's insightful to see others come at it from another angle.

I've seen all kinds of theories, correct and incorrect. I've seen the community agree on correct theories, and I've seen the community agree on incorrect theories and even shoot down correct theories that didn't get enough afterthought before being dismissed.

Theories make the reactions even better to me. People who've guessed it correctly get rewarded by revelations, and others get possibly mindfucked by the real answers. I enjoy mysteries in fiction, which makes it fun to create some of my own and watch others try to solve them. It is very entertaining and a privilege to experience this as a writer/developer.

Obviously, you have the overall story for the game and for each episode planned out, but how much do you change or add to it during development, for example, adding another scene for a character that has become popular with the players (or changing the girl), adding a scene to further character development or even just adding/changing a scene on a whim because you feel it might be better this way?

I add scenes during development based on what I know the overall story will be. Sometimes, scenes are added to give desired character development. So, there's a mix of what's already planned and creating scenes in the moment.

One in-the-moment scene I created for episode 10 was Sage's overnight stay in MC's room. Even though it's a minor scene, it does a lot for her character and their relationship, and I love how it came out. It also makes replays of the game more interesting, as that free-roam variation is unique to her branch.

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So far in Season 3, I've wanted to deepen the characters' relationships with the MC, so I've added scenes that fit that theme. I don't add scenes based on popularity among players; the overall balance often decides who gets another scene.

I'd like to know, does fan/Patreon feedback/response to a chapter impact your plans for future updates? If so, how much of an impact does it have, and are there any examples of this from past chapters you can talk about?

Story-related feedback/response does not affect planned content. With no intention of sounding rude, players' opinions about the story, who gets screen time, or lewd scenes don't matter to me. Players are in for the ride but not driving the car.

The only feedback I consider are QoL improvements to the game, bug reports, and typo reports. I make occasional surveys to see if I can improve in some area, but other than that, I don't want fans/players to have a say in what's being created. I don't like when developers change their ideas to cater to or in response to the audience - I don't think any true author does. Planning everything as much as possible in advance makes it easy to stay true to the original ideas. Among the QoL improvements from the community I have implemented, you can find typing in English class, color-blindness support, the fast travel system, the optional black text box behind dialogue, and middle-clicking to open/close apps on the phone.

Which of the paths was the most fun for you to work on in the last update? What were your favorite scenes to make in Episode 10?

Most of all, I enjoyed writing the canon story for episode 10, and that's almost always the case. There were some big reveals and plot developments that I'd been waiting a long time for, and I got all giddy and excited when I finally got to write them. And then I realized that this is what I will feel with every episode from now on, as we're approaching the end of the game. But to respect your question, I didn't have a favorite among the different branches.

My biggest issue with episode 10 was finding a good balance between them - especially the Josy and Maya branch. I knew that this episode was going to lean heavily into the canon story events of Maya and had to keep that in mind when writing content for the branches so as not to overwhelm the screen time of one girl. There could be similar issues in the future, too, for example, if another girl gets canon story focus and less content on their branch.

I loved working on Bella's lewd scene and everything before it. Her dialogue in the scene on the sofa and during beer pong made me laugh a lot while writing. I felt inspired while posing animations for her and developed new animation tricks because of it.

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I enjoyed the reveals that came with Jill's branch and the visit to her home. I also loved working on her lewd scene and creating new animation types for her model. Jill's lewd scene marks the point where I decided to go all in on 60 fps animations.

Sage's date scene was a lot of fun, and I loved working on the restaurant scene because of the beautiful environment. But her date also posed a great deal of issues with one animation. Her walking animation took me five tries until I was happy with it - sometimes, this happened when it had been rendered to completion. Every time I see it, I kick myself for the issues I let slide because I tend to be a perfectionist with details.

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A frame from one of the botched animations
While also canon scenes, I loved working on Josy's and Maya's solo scenes - pillow fort and movie night scenes. I can't decide which of the two scenes I like more, and that's what I aimed for when creating them.

The Others branch had several scenes I loved creating. I have difficulty deciding which scene is my favorite. I'm very happy about Quinn's car ride animation and its song choice.

The scenes I had the most fun making in the episode were the yoga scene and the long intro to the DIKs' BBQ. I love writing interactions between the DIKs, and this moment made me reminisce about the DIK scene in episode 6, where they celebrate MC's birthday.

Which character has evolved the most, in your opinion, since the start of the story? How much of that was preplanned or a natural part of the story growth?

It's a difficult question to answer because of the game's timeline. Some events happened before MC was born, and until now, the better part of the game has happened during a few months of his life. Just like in real life, time and events make you evolve as a person, and I would argue that most characters you see in the game haven't evolved much, but it's been revealed more and more who they are as persons - you've gotten to know them.

It would be a cop-out to say that Neil, MC, and Zoey have evolved the most because you see them at different stages of their lives. Some characters won't grow as much as others in a short period, just like in real life. To give somewhat of an answer, I'd say I like how Maya, Quinn, and Sage reveal more and more of their characters - they feel very dynamic and fleshed out by now. The growth you see comes naturally as the plot moves toward its destination.

What is the name of your MC? What name do you always use when you play?

For obvious reasons, as a developer, I name them "Pink," "Pink DIK," and "Pink CHICK." I always go with Miller as the default last name, too.

The music in BaD is so good that it deserves a soundtrack release. Is that something you can make happen? I am sure I am not the only one who would purchase it.

I love the soundtrack, too, but sadly, what you ask cannot happen because of the nature of the licenses. Most songs are licensed for one-time use within the game, and I cannot resell those songs - they aren't mine to sell. I can't upload them to YouTube or any other site; it would be illegal. And I cannot sell songs with a CC0 license, either. The only songs I can sell are the ones I produce myself, but you can get those for free on my Discord server.

If you weren't making BaD and were just a player, would you prefer to have discovered the game after it's been completed or be a part of the journey waiting for each episode?

To be a part of the journey, hands down. I love having things to look forward to. While playing everything at once can be nice, you'd miss out on fun things like theory-crafting, reflecting on content, and playing a new episode for the first time after waiting for it. With a game this long, I fear I'd rush through it because I had to see what happens next immediately and not savor the experience. I prefer to have many things to wait for and be excited about, whether it be games, movies, TV shows, albums, concerts, events, or activities. Life is much more enjoyable that way to me.

Without spoilers, is there any scene between episode 10 and the end of the game that you're more excited to make and/or see fan reactions for than any other scenes? What episode is it planned to appear in?

Without spoilers, the only way I can answer this one is "An emphatic yes. Holy fuck, yes. I've waited many years for this. Yes. Yes. Yes!".

Can we get the option to turn on and off individual mini-games? I kinda liked the science game and the party planner, but I'm sure others didn't so they could tailored to individual choices.

The short answer is no. Long answer: this is how the game was designed, and that's why it was prompted when you started the game to disable mini-games or not. I use many variables from the mini-games in the story, and how I handle those differs from mini-game to mini-game. For instance, in the party planner mini-game, I use individual happiness as a parameter to flavor the story. Turning on and off mini-games at a whim wouldn't work with that integration, and it would also mess with the balancing of the money system (perks, upgrades, wallet, free-roam money, money spent during choices, etc.). The seemingly simple task of turning on and off selected mini-games becomes less than trivial with all that and more in mind. It's easier to have a binary on or off switch for all of them at the start. I'd recommend having a healthy mix of saves with and without mini-games if you find them tedious while replaying. Also, nothing says you must get a "perfect score" every time you play mini-games. Go ahead and fail mini-games; maybe you will discover something new.

So. Dawearts and the whole arieth model thing. Is there some history between DPC and Dawe that see them and Arieth in the way they are? Curious is all, and if it's bad blood, kudos...

Haha, there's no bad blood there. Dawe is a friend of mine and an awesome person. There is a fun story behind it, but I'm unsure if I have shared it on Patreon before.

In 2018, I had a team of moderators/admins on Discord that I wanted to thank extra by letting them name a character in an upcoming game (Being a DIK). I asked Dawe something like, "Do you want to name a nerd or a jock?". He said he wanted his name for the character as long as he was straight in the game, and he wanted to be a jock. So, the Dawe character was named after him, but his role in the story was already planned and had no connection. IRL Dawe also makes 3D art as a hobby, and I asked him if he wanted his model Arieth in the game as Dawe's girlfriend - to make it extra special for him. And he was excited about that.

Now...the thing with me that you understand once you get to know me is that I can be a bit of a troll and dick with people I love, and I love making friends laugh. And Dawe sure got more than he asked for. Knowing he's this good, funny guy who can laugh at things, I surprised him with what Arieth and Dawe (in-game) would become. He found it hilarious, and writing jokes for Arieth is one of the best things I know because it's on such a different level of comedy than the rest of the game. There's no connection to IRL Dawe aside from their shared online name. And while Arieth's appearance in the game may taint the art IRL Dawe still makes for Arieth's model on his end, it should be treated as something separate. I have nothing but love and respect for the guy.

What has been your favorite part of each episode in season 3 so far?

It depends on what lens I'm looking at the episode through. The answers would differ from a developer's and a player's point of view, so I'll give you both.

Developer point of view:

My favorite part about the Interlude was writing new characters from scratch and condensing their stories into one episode. Replaying it and reading the dialogue, I genuinely feel it's some of my best work. It feels so different from the rest of the game, yet familiar. To me, it reaffirmed that I could create something new from scratch and still make it interesting and that a female MC was interesting to write.

In episode 9, I most enjoyed making the party planning mini-game. Especially how it added to the gameplay and shaped the party throughout the episode. I also loved making the three longer cutscene animations in the episode. They took a long time to create, and I'm very proud of them.

In episode 10, my favorite part to make was the BBQ party. I laughed a lot while creating the scenes where the MC eats shrooms and ended up creating this free-roam, which plays vastly differently depending on that major choice.

Player point of view:

I particularly love the scene where Zoey gets her tattoo and the scene after it when she talks to Bret on the roof. The music, the ambiance, the emotions, the dialogue - I love it!

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In episode 9, I loved seeing all the main girls interact. It took many episodes to reach that point, and finally, seeing those scenes felt so good. I think this answer is a bit biased from the developer's point of view.

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In episode 10, my favorite scenes are the yoga - Dick butt energy. Activate! - and BBQ scenes.

What was the most sentimental scene for you in episode 10?

The most sentimental scenes of episode 10 were the ones with Helen. Writing something so personal into the game was a weird kind of torture, and I struggled to read those scenes without crying. The living hell of auto-immune disease hits home for many, but past DrPinkCake was a cunt and said it should be in the game, yet present DrPinkCake wasn't prepared to write it.

What would you say was most fun about writing the dynamic between Maya and Derek's parents for episode 10?

I wouldn't describe their characters as fun to write. Helen's and Patrick's scenes were the most difficult parts to write in episode 10 as their story got me very emotional. Among the details I liked to create with those characters involved, I appreciate how their home goes from a homely environment with many plants and flowers to a much colder home as Helen's health deteriorates and Patrick can't keep up. That's a detail I like a lot.

Their scenes provided a good opportunity to show character growth as well. It allowed players to understand Patrick more. While a horrible revelation, it was satisfying to finally write the "Do you see?" moment that had been successfully hidden in the game from most players. That's a big payoff moment that gave me chills to create. A lot of subtle foreshadowing and planning went into that part of the story.

Episode 10 touched upon some very serious and potentially triggering topics also with major things happening in the story itself. My question is whether the player base reacted to all of that the way you expected it to, and if not, to what scene/topic did their reaction differ the most from the one you imagined?

I anticipated and hoped that the intro scene would cause an emotional response from invested players, and I'm happy that it did and that many could relate to the overall story of the Baileys. There's a comfort and togetherness to be found in knowing others deal with similar hardships. Just like writing about serious topics helps me vent and is highly therapeutic, scenes of that nature might help players process their emotions or open up to someone.

With my history in this business, I prepare mentally for the worst kind of response whenever I put an episode out. Today, the overall response is rather mild because players who know me expect me to pull on their heartstrings and surprise them. I'm writing a lot of comedy, but I'm also writing a lot of drama. And drama can get dark. I'm not a stranger to writing about serious topics, nor will I shy away from them. With Episode 10 released, I hope players who got triggered or sad reflect again on the multiple warnings the game comes with for their own sake.



Thanks for reading!

Part 2 of this year's Q&A will be published later this month.​
 
Last edited:

Joshy92

Message Maven
Mar 25, 2021
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28,276
No one asked him why Arieth isn't a romance option.
Even though she is like the perfect girl for me.

If I went to B&R I would ask her out straight away.
 
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