Zoey as a character is fine. Given the Interlude, her resolution to her feelings is figured out; her existence is for the MC. She's helped out Emma and Bret, and we can determine her DIK/Chick status for some reason. Essentially, she's an MC...but we already have one. We also have a best friend in Derek, but her behaviour doesn't really cause any real conflict or contrast with Derek. Rejecting her is great, (especially the instant reject coded option); she'll have other avenues and challenges to face; she just won't be his romantic interest. And can still play her role. This is good, as it's shown our MC has grown past her, with the dozens of options with other women, and the enjoyed drama and intimacy we've all enjoyed.
Choosing her is bad, as it defeats the entire purpose of the game to this point.
Our MC goes around campus helping people out with their personal issues. And gets into his own. So when Ms. Trope comes walking in to cause chaos, she does; which is fine, as that's the point of her role, of the ex still carrying a torch. But instead of teasing and getting drama to unfold, a) Sage paints it like she's the enemy, which she hilariously becomes, b) she can kill all built up romance of whatever path you're on.
It's like DPC is giving you a wrench.
By virtue of the MC being nice to Zoey's return, he/we can have the option to love her again. Despite literal years of us playing on romantic routes with dozens of other girls. You can just say "Oh, right, I should be with this girl." Which sadly, does fit into the maturity of our MC.
Being a DIK was a slice of life where you get to choose who to end up with. This hits the reset button, and now we've: a) ruined our existing relationships (imagine if you dumped Bella/Jill to choose Bella/Jill, just to be with Zoey), and b) Zoey needs to play catch-up in the intimacy department. As well as forcing her into the narrative.
Which means we have yet another forced, massive, dangling plot thread to add to the pile.
What's the aftermath of this? What will happen to all the girls stories (like the canon MGs + Quinn), and how will that impact MC and his involvement?
Along with:
- Bella, James, and the what's in the room
- Sage, and her family
- Jill and her foundation for Lana
- MC finding out about his maternal heritage
- The rift between the dorm girls and the DIKs still needs to be resolved
- The fracturing of the DIKs, Nick, and the cluck
- Quinn ratting out Buddy to the cops
- Tied to that is Vinny vs Lily and the PR Strippers
- The Frat Wars.
- Magnar's plot which causes the Jocks plot, the Preps plot, and whatever the Betas are up to.
- The biggest one, the prostitution ring, Mona/restaurant/Stephen, which hasn't begun to be resolved.
Then there's the bloat that made one chapter a year+ longer, just to give us a pointless Interlude to play, when only two options are there, all for Zoey's DIK/Chick status to be determined. Who's the MC again?
It's the Bloated Milk Machine, again. Combine this with a 2 year chapter release schedule, and DPCs intentions are as clear as Zoey's trope. Let's not forget her $240k cost/2 year running animation. Keep the machine going another 5 years.
Whereas Josy can detonate her own relationship, Zoey can
destroy them all. All for the player being
too nice/Chick.
Now, if a rejected Zoey becomes the Old Flame trope to cause chaos again, that would be some interesting drama, knowing she can never get her old love back, but still hoping for it. It's an elaborate way just to have more Others, and DPC to keep making more scenes, but this time at the expense of years and years of story.
