I dunno, that final scene on the train, perhaps it was intentionally left as ambiguous, but I always read it that it was the mc that brought that smile on her face:
That's all well and good, and perhaps i myself just ought take into account what DCP wanted this character to be rather than what he somewhat failed to convey, but if you look purely at her actions and the context of them i don't see how you could say she cares about the guy in any meaningful way, much less love him.
I mean, sure, maybe they hanged out all the time and fucked a lot, but she also dropped him as soon as she had the chance to, cut all contacts at the first coming of new besties, and finally was only spurred into reflecting about what she'd left behind after wasting all her money and getting backstabbed. And for the sake of brevety i'm not going into deep diver stuff like how Tremolo and his dad can't even afford a tv or a car, or a decent house really, yet Zoey still spent 0.0$ of her inheritance into getting something for her dirt poor best bud.
Like, again, maybe i ought just analyze this with a different gear, but dunno. I understood Sage had layers all the way back in E1 when she gave up the guitar, her leverage for getting MC to help with Chad, as soon he mentioned it being a gift from his dad. The interlude had likely more Zoey than there was Sage in the first season combined, and i can't say there was one scene that sold me on the character - or her layers, or her friendship with the MC - half as well.
Right, in other words he didn't take the decision seriously. If he had, he'd have realized it implied a commitment lasting longer than "until something better comes along." One of the points Elena made was that he should stop leading the girls on when he wasn't serious about a relationship. If he was only settling for these LIs because Zoey was off the table (or because Maya/Josy were off the table individually, for that matter), he wasn't listening. As I said, the MC should pick Others in that case.
He shouldn't necessarily be looking for a long term relationship anyway, that doesn't mean it's not bad form to be leading a bunch of girls on.
Of course even if he was in a relationship with just one girl, the expectations shouldn't be towards marriage at that age, the expectations should be, "Let's get to know each other a little more seriously and not fuck other people behind each other's back".
I always say the mc is a nice guy, even down the DIK path, but in reality, I would never be trying to convince girls that I wanted "something more" while fucking other girls at the same time.
In that sense, the mc has been a prick.
Girls like Mel, Riona and even Sage initially aren't a problem. It was pretty obvious it was meant to be sex with no strings attached. Shit got more serious with Sage but that came later.
But with Maya, Josy, Jill and Bella, he was definitely playing with their heart strings, and he fucking knew it (hence his pangs of guilt from time-to-time). And even with Sage, he kept pushing that he wanted more, all the while he's still fucking other girls.
It's quite possible he actually panicked into making his decision because they were all getting to know each other (4 out of 5 of the LIs were at Jill's recital all congratulating her). Shit was about to get real awkward if he didn't do something soon.
So at that age, it's actually good to keep your options open, while still being respectful to the girl you're with.
But if you do realise you've made a mistake, you shouldn't be bound by it.
For fuck's sake, sorry Bella fans, but it would be madness to end up with Bella, an unhinged, angry, scary looking, (potentially literal) skeletons in the closet, weighed down with baggage psycho, whom the mc actually knows pretty much fuck all about, over Zoey, his childhood friend that he gets on with like a house on fire (ok, bad use of phrase given the dev).
All in all, I think the Interlude did what it was meant to do. Give players a chance to like Zoey. Sure, not everyone has been won over, but not everyone likes Jill, Bella, Sage, Maya or Josy (whom am I kidding, everyone likes Josy!).
So the only mistake DPC can make going forward is assuming that everyone has been taken in by Zoey. She will have an impact, but as long as she doesn't completely derail everyone (especially those who have no interest in her), then no harm.
I'm not worried Zoey is going to permanently derail my preferred LI. I'm worried she's going to kill my interest in Season 3 because instead of seeing the MC build upon a well-established relationship I care about, I'm going to be stuck watching him agonize over a non-existent relationship I don't care about. 4 episodes would be a long time to pad out the game with obvious filler.
This is where you and I significantly differ. I don't really care for the relationships to be strengthened. I'm just happy for the story to proceed an the mc can be with one girl or the other.
I don't really have an investment in any of the girls, and that's not something I care about in these games.
Of course this game has captivated me like no other, but that's because I just find it so entertaining. And if Zoey ends up being a new LI, I'll definitely give that path a go.
True... just the little thing was missing... telling these feeling to Fuckface when it was time ( departure ) ... now it's a missed opportunity and a late realization of a possibility... dependent on every player must be decided how to handle this situation I already said mine buncha folks did too theirs...
Shaz... not even mentioning Quinn with the other LIs? Extremely unbased post, downvoted + unsubscribed + reported
I agree with your overall conclusion about Zoey's inclusion being drama bait, but people seem to be under some misapprehensions about Zoey and the MC's relationship. Maybe they misread the Interlude or are reading past the text and into the context deeper than I am, but Zoey didn't think they were in a relationship at all, like literally the MC was just a best friend to her.
And in fact, as you can see from the last shot there, her pussy totally dried up at the MC "being a bit of a softie" i.e. acting like a boyfriend at all Zoey is literally the most DIK girl in this game so far, I mean even Quinn and Lily appreciate some affection in private.
So we don't actually know whether she wants to be in a relationship with the MC, she is definitely looking to reconnect with her 'best friend' but does she want to be boyfriend/girlfriend? In addition to her aversion to expressing affection, in one of the final shots of the Interlude she doesn't actually say she wants to be with the MC in the end, only that she loves her hometown and the "people" there:
I honestly don't know what Zoey's motives are or where she's gonna go in the story, only that it seems to me that this isn't some kind of Jill-type romance plot where she's returning to win the MC's heart. The actual truth is she didn't think she was in a relationship with the MC and was even uncomfortable with him acting like they were, went to another city and wasted all her inheritance on a dumb dream, got her naked tits and ass posted all over the internet and then decided home isn't actually that bad My DIK MC is probably gonna give her the walk of shame treatment but that's about it for her.
Once again, you only read what you wanted to read and blanked out the rest. That can also be called home blindness.
Yes at her first tattoo session Zoey said that to Bret. But we have a decision there about what Zoey can say back to Bret. Was it just that Zoey and the MC started fucking each other or the two started exploring their bodies together.
As time goes by, Zoey realizes that she was missing something, but she hasn't yet realized what it is or who it is.
Zoey: "But ultimately...the feeling that l was missing something I couldn’t put my finger on."
black-haired badass=Emma: Zoey learned from Emma what home blindness is and that you shouldn't hide your feelings for someone. (Neil also said that to the MC in EP1).
shaven teddy bear=Jonah: Jonah has led Zoey down the right path as far as high school and college are concerned. The conclusion of this should be so that standing still is actually going backwards. Zoey is graduating from high school and has applied, albeit unsuccessfully, to a college nearby.
red-haired, tight-pants-wearing goofball=Bret: Not only did he tell Zoey that the MC might have had more feelings for her than she realized, but at the end of the Interlude, he also told her that her grandma just wanted Zoey to be happy.
These three friends messed her up at the beginning of her journey, but also set her straight at the same time.
The image may also have another meaning that just occurred to me. There is an expression "arguing over the emperor's beard". So two people argue about the MC. He's wearing the beard in this picture. But Zoey didn't draw the beard and neither did the MC. Who was it? Emily is either Josy or Maya and Trevor actually means the MC. Josy and Maya don't have a car and take the train.
The MC also tried to draw something with blue and then rather writes that T-bone was here. Tremolo-bone. It was Maya. The MC replies in EP8 to Maya if he had a bony ass.
Once again, you only read what you wanted to read and blanked out the rest. That can also be called home blindness.
Yes at her first tattoo session Zoey said that to Bret. But we have a decision there about what Zoey can say back to Bret. Was it just that Zoey and the MC started fucking each other or the two started exploring their bodies together.
As time goes by, Zoey realizes that she was missing something, but she hasn't yet realized what it is or who it is.
Zoey: "But ultimately...the feeling that l was missing something I couldn’t put my finger on."
black-haired badass=Emma: Zoey learned from Emma what home blindness is and that you shouldn't hide your feelings for someone. (Neil also said that to the MC in EP1).
shaven teddy bear=Jonah: Jonah has led Zoey down the right path as far as high school and college are concerned. The conclusion of this should be so that standing still is actually going backwards. Zoey is graduating from high school and has applied, albeit unsuccessfully, to a college nearby.
red-haired, tight-pants-wearing goofball=Bret: Not only did he tell Zoey that the MC might have had more feelings for her than she realized, but at the end of the Interlude, he also told her that her grandma just wanted Zoey to be happy.
These three friends messed her up at the beginning of her journey, but also set her straight at the same time.
The image may also have another meaning that just occurred to me. There is an expression "arguing over the emperor's beard". So two people argue about the MC. He's wearing the beard in this picture. But Zoey didn't draw the beard and neither did the MC. Who was it? Emily is either Josy or Maya and Trevor actually means the MC. Josy and Maya don't have a car and take the train.
The MC also tried to draw something with blue and then rather writes that T-bone was here. Tremolo-bone. It was Maya. The MC replies in EP8 to Maya if he had a bony ass.
Dude, you started off like a champion, and it kept going, and I was like, "Wow Dalli, totally comprehensive!", and then just before the end, in the last two paragraphs, you went off the rails!
Random kids riding the train defaced the drawing 'cause that's what random kids riding trains do. It was just meant to be funny.
It's not related to Maya, Josy or any other character we're likely to ever know, ever.
If you choose to have feelings for Zoey then both of you fucked up actually ( departure ) and this comes storywise nothing the player can do about it...
If you choose to pursue your current life ( like you did in the past 8 episodes ) then Fuckface made his choice... true that it hurts but it's life man some things aren't meant to be In this version Zoey fucked up... and has to cope... HOW she will do that pends on you playing interLUBE
I don't think it's gonna go down like that but I have no doubt she will get her greetings... as a friend ! OUCH there... start of another shitstorm And yeah let's stay positive on that the choices aren't made fully by DPC...
That's how life works... thing is it's up to you to decipher the whole mess into something that works for you Best learning way is via others mistakes !
Dude, you started off like a champion, and it kept going, and I was like, "Wow Dalli, totally comprehensive!", and then just before the end, in the last two paragraphs, you went off the rails!
I dunno, that final scene on the train, perhaps it was intentionally left as ambiguous, but I always read it that it was the mc that brought that smile on her face:
Why did I think I could challenge you of all people to a screenshot contest? I gotta say though, I appreciate your work, but I remain unconvinced.
I've always agreed that the things Zoey does and says from the start of the Interlude to the very end - including drawing the MCs face all over her journal with hearts and shit - is consistent with being in love with someone. But it doesn't matter what you or I would call that kind of relationship, we're talking about what Zoey thinks and what her motivations are. At the end of the Interlude, Zoey says and does nothing different from the start of the Interlude. Instead of saying that she's returning because she loves the MC, she says she's returning because she loves her hometown and the people in it - including her mom and Neil, who she hugs when she gets back - and also obviously the MC, but we don't know if it's love for her best friend or love for something more. We just don't. There isn't a single piece of evidence that Zoey feels any differently about the MC at the end of the Interlude than she does at the start. Does she still 'love' him as a best friend, or has she discovered she 'loves' him as something more?
That's the ambiguity problem, which as you say could be intentional, though why that needs to be done is a mystery. Every piece of evidence we have for Zoey loving the MC comes from the period when she's leaving him - drawing him in her journal, on the train, fucking him - all of that happens when she still thinks they're best friends (which she explicitly says to multiple people when she has no reason to lie). Zoey could be in complete denial and cope about wanting to be in a relationship with the MC, but there's literally no evidence for that. All we have evidence of is that Zoey has the same feelings for the MC at the end of the Interlude as she does at the start, and we can fill in the gaps with theories but that's all they are unfortunately.
Once again, you only read what you wanted to read and blanked out the rest. That can also be called home blindness.
Yes at her first tattoo session Zoey said that to Bret. But we have a decision there about what Zoey can say back to Bret. Was it just that Zoey and the MC started fucking each other or the two started exploring their bodies together.
As time goes by, Zoey realizes that she was missing something, but she hasn't yet realized what it is or who it is.
Zoey: "But ultimately...the feeling that l was missing something I couldn’t put my finger on."
black-haired badass=Emma: Zoey learned from Emma what home blindness is and that you shouldn't hide your feelings for someone. (Neil also said that to the MC in EP1).
shaven teddy bear=Jonah: Jonah has led Zoey down the right path as far as high school and college are concerned. The conclusion of this should be so that standing still is actually going backwards. Zoey is graduating from high school and has applied, albeit unsuccessfully, to a college nearby.
red-haired, tight-pants-wearing goofball=Bret: Not only did he tell Zoey that the MC might have had more feelings for her than she realized, but at the end of the Interlude, he also told her that her grandma just wanted Zoey to be happy.
These three friends messed her up at the beginning of her journey, but also set her straight at the same time.
The image may also have another meaning that just occurred to me. There is an expression "arguing over the emperor's beard". So two people argue about the MC. He's wearing the beard in this picture. But Zoey didn't draw the beard and neither did the MC. Who was it? Emily is either Josy or Maya and Trevor actually means the MC. Josy and Maya don't have a car and take the train.
The MC also tried to draw something with blue and then rather writes that T-bone was here. Tremolo-bone. It was Maya. The MC replies in EP8 to Maya if he had a bony ass.
I'm not sure what to say to this and I'm not sure what kind of response I'll spawn by replying but here we go Zoey doesn't only call the MC her friend to Bret, she does it when showing her journal to the other chick too, so that's wrong. The choice to say to Bret 'fuck' or 'discovering our bodies' only modifies the language in the following text and not the meaning (whether it's romance or meaningless), but either way it's not evidence that Zoey thought or thinks of the MC as more than her best friend or not. The feelings that Zoey was trying to ignore does refer to the MC but there's absolutely no evidence that these feelings are more than the feelings she had for her 'best friend' at the start of the Interlude. Home blindness refers to her love of her hometown and the people in it, like the screenshot says, not exclusively whatever "new" or "discovered" feelings she has for the MC which is never explicitly stated when it easily could have been - which I guess is why you then go off on some kind of classic dalli theory train (pun intended)
Why do you always leave half of it out? As players, we have the decision of whether Zoey shows Emma her diary more or less voluntarily or if Zoey says beforehand that it is completely private. Also, at this point Zoey hasn't realized that the MC is or was more than her best friend in the whole world.
Major decision. Bret "Know what?"
Bummer: +1 DIK point.
Discover our bodies: -1 DIK point. As you can see, not only the output of the text changes.
In the screenshot, you can clearly see Zoey looking at the image of the MC. What does home blindness stand for? That you were blind to what was right in front of you the whole time. Again. She's looking at the picture of the MC. I wonder what someone can misinterpret about that? Nothing.
I don't understand how Zoey showing the diary voluntarily or not, or her gaining DIK points or not changes what we're talking about Are you trying to say that the DIK version of Zoey doesn't have feelings for the MC or does or what? I'm not as big brained as you
Zoey looks at the image of the MC because that's what she drew when she was leaving, yeah - she's reminded of the exact same feelings she had before she left. The feelings she tried to suppress, just like her love for her hometown, mom, etc. and those feelings are the exact same feelings she had when she thought they were still best friends. Can you show me that Zoey thinks of the MC as more than a best friend? Can you show me that Zoey wants to be in a relationship with the MC? Or does she just want to go back to her hometown with her best friend where she can fuck him, draw his picture everywhere etc. without being in a relationship?
He shouldn't necessarily be looking for a long term relationship anyway, that doesn't mean it's not bad form to be leading a bunch of girls on.
Of course even if he was in a relationship with just one girl, the expectations shouldn't be towards marriage at that age, the expectations should be, "Let's get to know each other a little more seriously and not fuck other people behind each other's back".
I always say the mc is a nice guy, even down the DIK path, but in reality, I would never be trying to convince girls that I wanted "something more" while fucking other girls at the same time.
In that sense, the mc has been a prick.
Girls like Mel, Riona and even Sage initially aren't a problem. It was pretty obvious it was meant to be sex with no strings attached. Shit got more serious with Sage but that came later.
But with Maya, Josy, Jill and Bella, he was definitely playing with their heart strings, and he fucking knew it (hence his pangs of guilt from time-to-time). And even with Sage, he kept pushing that he wanted more, all the while he's still fucking other girls.
I agree, but we're not the ones who forced the crossroads. DPC insisted the MC make a more mature decision there so I can't just go back to the 'he's a horny 19 year old" well after that.
If the MC was concerned things were getting too serious with multiple girls (assuming he *was* actually courting multiple girls, obviously), he should very rapidly become concerned about reconnecting with Zoey, too. And in that case the two options just aren't equal.
It's quite possible he actually panicked into making his decision because they were all getting to know each other (4 out of 5 of the LIs were at Jill's recital all congratulating her). Shit was about to get real awkward if he didn't do something soon.
So at that age, it's actually good to keep your options open, while still being respectful to the girl you're with.
But if you do realise you've made a mistake, you shouldn't be bound by it.
For fuck's sake, sorry Bella fans, but it would be madness to end up with Bella, an unhinged, angry, scary looking, (potentially literal) skeletons in the closet, weighed down with baggage psycho, whom the mc actually knows pretty much fuck all about, over Zoey, his childhood friend that he gets on with like a house on fire (ok, bad use of phrase given the dev).
All in all, I think the Interlude did what it was meant to do. Give players a chance to like Zoey. Sure, not everyone has been won over, but not everyone likes Jill, Bella, Sage, Maya or Josy (whom am I kidding, everyone likes Josy!).
So the only mistake DPC can make going forward is assuming that everyone has been taken in by Zoey. She will have an impact, but as long as she doesn't completely derail everyone (especially those who have no interest in her), then no harm.
Fair, but it would help if the game did a good job of conveying how Zoey manages to reveal if the MC made a mistake. As I said, her relationship with the MC is pretty superficial compared to the other girls (again, assuming the MC pursued more than one path). The only thing she has going for her is the fact she's canonical on all paths. Which is why DPC leaving their relationship so nebulous is a big failure of the Interlude.
If the MC is unable to friendzone Zoey in the wake of the crossroad, it suggests his decision was motivated less by concern for the other girls and much more by the fear of getting caught with his hand in the cookie jar (as Tommy put it). I'd prefer to avoid that implication.
There's also the problem that most players will have a favorite that isn't Zoey, so watching the MC struggle with a slam dunk choice is going to make for extremely weak drama. That's the harm; these episodes already take a long time to make, so devoting a huge swath of time to a plotline with limited appeal ain't a good idea IMHO. I get that Zoey will be a favorite to some people and I'm not trying to minimize their stake in this. But DPC has to draw the line somewhere and I think the marginal benefit of adding Zoey (at least in the manner he did) is very low.
Still, what's done is done. If DPC is willing to let Zoey stand or fall as another LI after her flashy intro, I'll be okay with that. But I also won't believe that until we've seen it happen.
I dunno, that final scene on the train, perhaps it was intentionally left as ambiguous, but I always read it that it was the mc that brought that smile on her face:
I think you hit it spot on Shaz. I got the same feeling when we saw the ride home in the train.
Zoey has come to realise she loves MC and is missing home and MC especially.
Also the reason why she goes to MC's home as fast as she can. Zoey tried to be a DIK but deep inside she's a CHICK as to keep it with the known affinities.
All the points you made, hang out, fuck often, mention in the diary and alot in her mind, are for me the reason i believe she is in love with the MC and allthough trying to be though she truly comes to realisation in those months away.
Finally tried this out after seeing the reviews and number of thread views. Very disappointed.... no idea how a text heavy "game" get so much praise but other games where you actually have to interact score lower.
In any case to each their own but if anyone comes across my post and is wondering about the hype - its a wall of text game.
Finally tried this out after seeing the reviews and number of thread views. Very disappointed.... no idea how a text heavy "game" get so much praise but other games where you actually have to interact score lower.
In any case to each their own but if anyone comes across my post and is wondering about the hype - its a wall of text game.
Might be coz it's a VN and not a " game " If you are not mature enough to make this out on your own then you will have one or two things coming to you in the future ! Grow up just not too fast
Overall this game is awesome... but surely everybody got something to complain, same with me.
Artwork is the most beautiful and Animation are also perfect.. except for one scene here legs for 90degree and impossible for my view of a human body.. lol.. technical it is flawless for me
- I don't need any of those interactive parts... for me those are more annoying. For me those are visual novels and therefore I expect just to read a story and not really "play"...
At the end... I always choose none of the girls... I feel like an ass and they don't deserve a guy who made out with all the girls the same time... hence I let all girls go and find someone better...
Interlude:
Same, awesome art work and animations, masterpiece.
I was afraid it will be a multiple Protagonist game in future or complete female only, because then I stop, I don't play such games. But I believe/hope it will be the MC and this is really only for the interlude, which is fine. multiple protagonist makes for me in general no sense, what's the good to know the thoughts of everybody and can even control them...
I'm not worried Zoey is going to permanently derail my preferred LI. I'm worried she's going to kill my interest in Season 3 because instead of seeing the MC build upon a well-established relationship I care about, I'm going to be stuck watching him agonize over a non-existent relationship I don't care about. 4 episodes would be a long time to pad out the game with obvious filler.
I just hope Zoey is not intended as the key to the entire story girl. Similar to how DPC has a waifu in AL (Meghan) whom he wants you forces you to care about as much as he does, I worry that Zoey will be the Meghan of BaDIK. If I can tell Zoey to jog on after a few obligatory scenes or at least friendzone her, then I will consider it a victory. If she becomes like a tag-along little sibling that you can never be rid of because parents (DPC) command it, then season 3 might be a real grind. Forced relationships (especially for the sake of drama) are the bane of choice-based AVNs.
With any luck, Neil and Zoey will find love together and everyone is happy. Neil finally gets laid after 20 years. Zoey finds resolution to her daddy issues, and MC is freeeee
Perhaps she will attend WVM instead of B&R. These duck lips will be in good company there. Buck-toothed and duck lips is an unsettling combo DPC.
But this is no match for my two favourite DUURRrrrrrrrrrr faces from Interlude. My fishface avatar gives this masterpiece two fins up!
Finally tried this out after seeing the reviews and number of thread views. Very disappointed.... no idea how a text heavy "game" get so much praise but other games where you actually have to interact score lower.
In any case to each their own but if anyone comes across my post and is wondering about the hype - its a wall of text game.
If you consider BaDik a "wall of text game" i'm seriously curious as to what game around here you compare it to. It's a visual novel, a mix between visuals and a book... And what do you mean with games where you actually need to interact?
You seriously saying there's no interaction in BaDik? Come on, it may not be your thing and that's okay but your comment just screams "it's too much words, it needs more fap! who cares about a story i give points for lewd scenes only!"
Well, there's enough of those games around here, one more generic then the next but to each it's own...
edit : nevermind.... you're looking for simulator tag games.... use the functions available to exclude tags like story based, vn, etc
