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

[Julius Kingsley]

SAGE BEST GIRL.

 

[Kodek]

I don't think the affinity system is really well thought out or at least executed because of how the story ends up being. It would've made a lot more sense if the MC actually get to choose which house he'd aligned himself with but I guess that's too much work for a game in this format.

Plus, the game wouldn't be called Being a DIK.

 

[jackofshadows]

since I've screenshots posted here that show people are still able to Massive DIK status despite having lost all those nodules.

You're probably referring to screen with 3 missing points, not 4. After losing 4 cap applies to opposite status's side. It's just confusing due to manual where it says "permanent penalty" whilst it doesn't apply right away how it should. It also the reason for some weird examples like you and others have listed (before getting the cap). System should be work better later on.

But this is the problem with the affinity system. You can make all the major DIK choices by fighting Troy, accepting Quinn's phone number, not being nice to Steve, fighting the Jocks, partying without limits at the Pink Rose, allowing Jade's advances, and smoking weed with Quinn, but you can also do absolutely everything with Maya (say you like her, say you'll help her in ep 2, go back to her after the party, say you'll help her again in ep 3, and have half-sex with her), and do everything with Josy including almost have sex with her, and be super nice to both of them all the time, but then they reject you because you have DIK affinity.

So why, if you do everything with them and are super nice to them, would they reject you? It doesn't seem in any way reasonable that they should reject the MC because he has been nothing but good to them. None of those other choices should really have any bearing on how they view him.

It's not a great system, and while I understand DPC wanting to implement a system where choices have consequences, this is far froma a prefect one that they have in this game and it's quite deeply flawed in many respects.

Yeah, it's a big downside, however a) it's arguable even here (something like "their guts telling them that MC is not actually sincere when saying all thouse nice things") and b) I might be wrong but pretty sure that most players are tending to one line of behaviour or the other which is making narrative more consistant for them to a degree.

Although sometimes consistency is definitely far from perfect, my favorite example is when after literally fucking Sage's face MC few lines later tells her something like "I'm here for you" (w/o any choice) - I had a laugh.

If your theory holds true then my take is that it has to be Riona, for impact reasons. I mean, does anybody really care if Tommy bites the dust?

I, for one. Despite my utter dissapointment regarding him in a recent episode I think there's still hope for Tommy in the future. Similiar to Sage, it's possible to unfold hidden depth, something like he's helping Quinn later discarding what he said to her "don't worth shit to me" or, more likely, something Josy-related - accepting some significant choice of her, or fixing some stuff he already did somehow. It highly unllikely though, he'd be rather brainless cheap drama/overall mess generator on par with Quinn and then plot will dispose of them .

 

[DrunkLuka]

My MC won all fights(except after he got suckerpunched at the locker room) And no I'm not a fighter but ya can't just hide all the time either

Don't understand why he had to turn it into a physical alteration from the get-go, making the non-fighting options feel like jokes.

 

[DrunkLuka]

Plus, the game wouldn't be called Being a DIK.

Right, so the system makes even less sense.

 

[Kodek]

You're probably referring to screen with 3 missing points, not 4. After losing 4 cap applies to opposite status's side. It's just confusing due to manual where it says "permanent penalty" whilst it doesn't apply right away how it should. It also the reason for some weird examples like you and others have listed (before getting the cap). System should be work better later on.

Yeah, it's a big downside, however a) it's arguable even here (something like "their guts telling them that MC is not actually sincere when saying all thouse nice things") and b) I might be wrong but pretty sure that most players are tending to one line of behaviour or the other which is making narrative more consistant for them to a degree.

Although sometimes consistency is definitely far from perfect, my favorite example is when after literally fucking Sage's face MC few lines later tells her something like "I'm here for you" (w/o any choice) - I had a laugh.

I, for one. Despite my utter dissapointment regarding him in a recent episode I think there's still hope for Tommy in the future. Similiar to Sage, it's possible to unfold hidden depth, something like he's helping Quinn later discarding what he said to her "don't worth shit to me" or, more likely, something Josy-related - accepting some significant choice of her, or fixing some stuff he already did somehow. It highly unllikely though, he'd be rather brainless cheap drama/overall mess generator on par with Quinn and then plot will dispose of them .

I really like Tommy's character, he holds a lot of potential.

But he didn't mature in any way since joining the DIKs different from Rusty, as was show in the flashback. He acts pretty much the same: short fuse, hasty decisions, bad personality, jealous and childsh. Add drugs to that and we got a time bomb waiting to send everything to Hell.

So yeah, unless he calm down or someone makes him see reason, his future is pretty grim.

 

[Cndyrvr4lf]

You're probably referring to screen with 3 missing points, not 4. After losing 4 cap applies to opposite status's side. It's just confusing due to manual where it says "permanent penalty" whilst it doesn't apply right away how it should. It also the reason for some weird examples like you and others have listed (before getting the cap). System should be work better later on.

Yeah, it's a big downside, however a) it's arguable even here (something like "their guts telling them that MC is not actually sincere when saying all thouse nice things") and b) I might be wrong but pretty sure that most players are tending to one line of behaviour or the other which is making narrative more consistant for them to a degree.

I still disagree with this. According to you a Full DIK run has to be insincere when he says nice things, right? So assholes can't ever be nice and Nice guys can't ever be assholes? Or if they do their lying? To black and white. It doesn't work that way, the world has never worked that way

 

[Cndyrvr4lf]

You seem to be implying that the MC's character is like a light switch. On or off no in between

 

[Holy Bacchus]

I, for one. Despite my utter dissapointment regarding him in a recent episode I think there's still hope for Tommy in the future.

Nah, some people are just assholes and they are that way for their entire lives, never changing or getting better. Tommy seems like one of those people.

 

[lemonfreak]

I still disagree with this. According to you a Full DIK run has to be insincere when he says nice things, right? So assholes can't ever be nice and Nice guys can't ever be assholes? Or if they do their lying? To black and white. It doesn't work that way, the world has never worked that way

Arseholes can be nice and nice guys can be arseholes, congratulations, you have identified a different problem from the one being discussed. The real issue is that the LI's who favour the Chick version of the MC will hear about his Dik choices. The fact that he is a Chick in his heart and mind is of no consequence since they aren't psychic; they are forced to judge him by his actions and they're right to do so.

 

[Kodek]

You're probably referring to screen with 3 missing points, not 4. After losing 4 cap applies to opposite status's side. It's just confusing due to manual where it says "permanent penalty" whilst it doesn't apply right away how it should. It also the reason for some weird examples like you and others have listed (before getting the cap). System should be work better later on.

A prime example of how this system is surreal:
I have 12 points in DIK and have DIK affinity by choosing to smoke. I get rejected by Maya&Josy.

I still have 12 points in DIK and have NEUTRAL affinity by choosing not to smoke. Maya&Josy accept me.

If you can't see how this is too surreal, them i don't know how to explain.

 

[Ilhares]

Hey again guys,
Here are the signatures that i made in the past 3 days.

Sweet jebus, I'm still over 10 pages behind. I dare to hope you've got more of these around with the other characters. Riona, Camila, etc. These are outstanding.

 

[Cndyrvr4lf]

See this is what I'm referring to. This is my Pure chick run and at the rate I'm going I am literally going to be unable to perform a single DIK action by the end of EP6 I'm going to have to start making DIK choices just to keep the flex open

 

[Cndyrvr4lf]

Arseholes can be nice and nice guys can be arseholes, congratulations, you have identified a different problem from the one being discussed. The real issue is that the LI's who favour the Chick version of the MC will hear about his Dik choices. The fact that he is a Chick in his heart and mind is of no consequence since they aren't psychic; they are forced to judge him by his actions and they're right to do so.

So according to you I could treat a girl nice, do everything right as far as she is concerned. But because I beat up one guy and smoke weed one time I'm garbage?

 

[lemonfreak]

A prime example of how this system is surreal:
I have 20 points in DIK and have DIK affinity by choosing to smoke. I get rejected by Maya&Josy.

I still have 20 points in DIK and have NEUTRAL affinity by choosing not to smoke. Maya&Josy accept me.

If you can't how this is too surreal, them i don't know how to explain.

The Dik/Chick bar represent the MC's actions, the Dik/Chick points represent his thoughts. Only the player of the game can know what the MC's thoughts are, the NPC's are forced to judge him by his actions.

You are free to have an MC with severe cognitive dissonance, just don't expect the NPCs to recognise and forgive it.

So according to you I could treat a girl nice, do everything right as far as she is concerned. But because I beat up one guy and smoke weed one time I'm garbage?

Well, yes, obviously. The actions the hypothetical version of you (I say that to ensure you do not think I am accusing you of anything) take when not in her company should absolutely inform her decision making. If you are the sort of person who loses his temper and gets into fights all the time then she would be an idiot to get in a relationship with you since there is a non-zero chance that your violent tendancies (again, I'm decribing a hypothetical version of you) would be turned towards her.

 

[ename144]

Same here. It is to black and white. The implication is that, sooner or later, DIK's cant say/do nice things and Chicks cant occasionally be an asshole. The world doesn't work that way

The system is very badly implemented. I think the idea is that status is supposed to represent the MC's style, while affinity is supposed to represent the MC's goals and philosophy.

You can see the idea in the way the MC's dialog changes from DIK to CHICK. When he offers to help Maya, for example, an MC with CHICK status will merely assure her they have some shared tasks, while a DIK MC will list the specific activities. Similarly when trying to calm Cathy after the Rooster cluck, a CHICK will tell her she has nothing to be ashamed of even if the picture was involuntary, and a DIK will say it doesn't matter because the picture didn't show her naughty bits.

Meanwhile the affinity system reflects what the MC considers important and what he will do to achieve those goals. So a DIK would be more willing to pay Quinn for sex or hold a grudge against someone like Steve, while CHICK would generally choose the opposite.

In reality, there are a bunch of problems. First, the status systems has seven different gradations (Massive DIK, Huge DIK, DIK, Neutral, CHICK, Huge CHICK, Massive CHICK), even though the changes to dialog are mostly limited to 2 (DIK, everyone else). Worse, access to those gradations is lost over time as the affinity choices mount, which makes very little sense if the two systems are supposed to measure different attributes.

Second, the game really muddles the difference between normal actions and Major Choices. Deciding to fool around with Jade in class is a Major Choice, but agreeing to fuck Sage on Tybalt's bed is not only neutral, it isn't even a choice at all! Deciding to go wild in the Pink Rose is a Major Choice, but the decision to fool around with Camila and Mona (or Melanie and Sarah, twice) is just a minor choice gated by status. It's hard to find a coherent explanation for why some of those are affinity choices, some are status choices, and some are just mundane decisions.

Third, the affinity system is trying to do too many different things at once. It measures not only sexual appetite, but also willingness to use violence AND drugs. That means it's less about the MC's goals than it is a crude morality meter: nice boys don't like sex, fight or do drugs. But even then we run into problems, because CHICKs are willing to sleep with girls in relationships and DIKs will do nice things like comfort Maya after being rejected or paint Bella's fence.

Fourth, characters will sometimes react to the MC based on affinity and the MC will act based on status, when it would be the other way around. If status is the MC's style, that would be a much more natural thing for people to judge him on. If the MC was a crass kid constantly whistling at girls, it would make sense that Jill would refuse to shower with him. Instead it's based entirely on affinity.

(You could say affinity represents the MC's reputation, but that seems to be at odds with how non-public some of the Major Choices are: Jill certainly doesn't know if the MC frequents Quinn's restaurant, or started a secret affair with Jade.)

Fifth, the decision to make both them DIK/CHICK options was needlessly confusing. At least make affinity NAUGHTY/NICE, or something different!

In short, the combined system is a real mess, but I think we're stuck with it at this point.

 

[Naxer]

Hey again guys,
Here are the signatures that i made in the past 3 days.
I had lot of fun making them
My personal favorite is Jill.......
I feel like some of them are crap but anyways feel free to use these signatures.
EDIT: if anybody wants a custom signature then message me (for free of course)
View attachment 690530 View attachment 690531 View attachment 690532 View attachment 690533 View attachment 690545 View attachment 690546 View attachment 690547 View attachment 690548 View attachment 690549 View attachment 690550 View attachment 690551 View attachment 690552 View attachment 690553 View attachment 690554 View attachment 690555
Links:
https://attachments.f95zone.to/2020/06/704611_Isabella.gif
https://attachments.f95zone.to/2020/06/704612_Jade.gif
https://attachments.f95zone.to/2020/06/704613_Jillv1.gif
https://attachments.f95zone.to/2020/06/704614_Jillv2.gif
https://attachments.f95zone.to/2020/06/704626_Josy.gif
https://attachments.f95zone.to/2020/06/704627_Maya.gif
https://attachments.f95zone.to/2020/06/704628_MCv1.gif
https://attachments.f95zone.to/2020/06/704629_MCv2.gif
https://attachments.f95zone.to/2020/06/704630_MCv3.gif
https://attachments.f95zone.to/2020/06/704631_Quinn.gif
https://attachments.f95zone.to/2020/06/704632_Rustyv1.gif
https://attachments.f95zone.to/2020/06/704633_Rustyv2.gif
https://attachments.f95zone.to/2020/06/704634_Sage.gif
https://attachments.f95zone.to/2020/06/704635_Tommyv1.gif
https://attachments.f95zone.to/2020/06/704636_Tommyv2.gif

Amazing work, man. Simply amazing.

I can't even decide which one should I use hahaha

 

[Cndyrvr4lf]

The system is very badly implemented. I think the idea is that status is supposed to represent the MC's style, while affinity is supposed to represent the MC's goals and philosophy.

You can see the idea in the way the MC's dialog changes from DIK to CHICK. When he offers to help Maya, for example, an MC with CHICK status will merely assure her they have some shared tasks, while a DIK MC will list the specific activities. Similarly when trying to calm Cathy after the Rooster cluck, a CHICK will tell her she has nothing to be ashamed of even if the picture was involuntary, and a DIK will say it doesn't matter because the picture didn't show her naughty bits.

Meanwhile the affinity system reflects what the MC considers important and what he will do to achieve those goals. So a DIK would be more willing to pay Quinn for sex or hold a grudge against someone like Steve, while CHICK would generally choose the opposite.

In reality, there are a bunch of problems. First, the status systems has seven different gradations (Massive DIK, Huge DIK, DIK, Neutral, CHICK, Huge CHICK, Massive CHICK), even though the changes to dialog are mostly limited to 2 (DIK, everyone else). Worse, access to those gradations is lost over time as the affinity choices mount, which makes very little sense if the two systems are supposed to measure different attributes.

Second, the game really muddles the difference between normal actions and Major Choices. Deciding to fool around with Jade in class is a Major Choice, but agreeing to fuck Sage on Tybalt's bed is not only neutral, it isn't even a choice at all! Deciding to go wild in the Pink Rose is a Major Choice, but the decision to fool around with Camila and Mona (or Melanie and Sarah, twice) is just a minor choice gated by status. It's hard to find a coherent explanation for why some of those are affinity choices, some are status choices, and some are just mundane decisions.

Third, the affinity system is trying to do too many different things at once. It measures not only sexual appetite, but also willingness to use violence AND drugs. That means it's less about the MC's goals than it is a crude morality meter: nice boys don't like sex, fight or do drugs. But even then we run into problems, because CHICKs are willing to sleep with girls in relationships and DIKs will do nice things like comfort Maya after being rejected or paint Bella's fence.

Fourth, characters will sometimes react to the MC based on affinity and the MC will act based on status, when it would be the other way around. If status is the MC's style, that would be a much more natural thing for people to judge him on. If the MC was a crass kid constantly whistling at girls, it would make sense that Jill would refuse to shower with him. Instead it's based entirely on affinity.

(You could say affinity represents the MC's reputation, but that seems to be at odds with how non-public some of the Major Choices are: Jill certainly doesn't know if the MC frequent's Quinn's restaurant, or started a secret affair with Jade.)

Fifth, the decision to make both them DIK/CHICK options was needlessly confusing. At least use different make affinity NAUGHTY/NICE, or something different!

In short, the combined system is a real mess, but I think we're stuck with it at this point.

I know were stuck with it but that's the whole point of talking about here. Like everything else were just wasting time overthinking the game. Like someone said earlier "That's what we do"

 

[JeefZ]

So according to you I could treat a girl nice, do everything right as far as she is concerned. But because I beat up one guy and smoke weed one time I'm garbage?

My point in a nutshell!!

 

[Cndyrvr4lf]

The Dik/Chick bar represent the MC's actions, the Dik/Chick points represent his thoughts. Only the player of the game can know what the MC's thoughts are, the NPC's are forced to judge him by his actions.

You are free to have an MC with severe cognitive dissonance, just don't expect the NPCs to recognise and forgive it.

That's not how it works. Most of those DIK/CHCK points your talking about is what I say to people, whether I go to them or not, etc. etc. Almost none of them are purely internal thoughts