- Jul 28, 2020
- 44
- 428
That's precisely what I was saying would be a mistake.Which is why I said an easy way around this is if you are not on Sages path, then Mel and Sarah just lie to chad. In a later episode, you find out Chad received information. Whether it's true or not is moot, Chad still believes it. Both paths result in the same end point. Chad was told something...
the third point would not be forced.That's precisely what I was saying would be a mistake.
If the game is going to treat you as having an affair with Sage regardless of whether you have an affair with Sage, what does the "choice" not to start an affair with Sage really mean?
I mean, if we play out your scenario, what are the possible end points?
Rather than offer a branching path only to force you back onto the rails at the first opportunity, I think it would be better to say the MC is young and horny and thus DOES fool around with all the LIs. Keep the narrative unified until we get to a point in the story where the choices we make can actually be reflected by the game around us.
- Everyone believes MC/Sage is a thing: This makes those trying to avoid Sage feel railroaded. As I mentioned before, it's Maya/Josy 2: Redhead Boogaloo.
- No one believes MC/Sage is a thing: The much foreshadowed confrontation with Chad becomes a nothing burger, despite all the blatant actions by MCs on the Sage path.
- Non-Sage-path MCs easily prove their innocence, Sage-path MC have to deal with a major crisis: This avoids railroading the players, but then again, what was the point of accusing non-Sage-path MCs in the first place? It's also a major branch, making it extremely resource intensive.
- Both paths face major crisis relating to Chad for other reasons, Sage-path MCs get additional scenes dealing with their affair: This seems like the best case by far, and you'll note that it gets nothing out of having Mel/Sarah lie about the MC and Sage.
Or just accept the branch and only have the MC accused of cheating with Sage when he did.
Well, I will quote you on that and say that you don't need the Quinn/Riona threesome. The requirements are as chronomate has detailed.You need to confront her and to have previously used Quinn's restaurant. I think accepting Quinn's invitation at the end of episode 3 might also be one of the requirements, but don't quote me on that.
The one thing I can think of that might create this conflct between Chad and the MC, even if it is just for appearances on Chad's side, could be if the MC and Sage start hanging out a bit more as it seems like they might after the conversation in ep 5 if you're not FWB with Sage. Perhaps the MC and Sage will hang out a couple of times very publicly, and then during one of these times Chad will appear to confront the MC and accuse him of trying to "steal his girl". This could also happen on the FWB path as well, with the MC and Sage spending more time together in public places, and each version would have some variations in dialogue and renders, i.e. a kiss on the FWB path, but not on the friend path.DPC has the power to make more or less anything happen, but that does not mean he can make it happen well.
The problem is that Sage and the MC passionately kissing is a legitimately big deal to Chad (either because he does have genuine feelings for Sage buried deep down, or because letting such a public challenge go unanswered would undermine the useful fiction that he cares about Sage). It would be a very natural spark to ignite a new conflict between Chad and the MC... if it happens.
If DPC wants that conflict either way, he will need a backup spark that can start the conflict for non-Sage-path MCs, or suppliment the conflict for Sage-path MCs. But that creates a new problem. If the backup spark is a minor issue, it will make the subsequent conflict feel utterly overblown - much like the MC angrily storming out on Maya and Josy felt hollow when players had declined to interact with them much. On the other hand, if the backup spark IS a big deal, it will run the risk of overwhelming the original spark. Those on the Sage-path could feel that their connection with Sage is being trivialized, because the overall story won't have anything to do with their actual relationship.
In short, I think trying to force both paths through the same events risks satisfying neither side. Better to either unify the path leading up to those events, or customize the events for each path.
After M&J, it's hard to see how anyone other than Bella is going to have drama that could even get close to their level. Sage has a boyfriend who doesn't seem interested in her, and Jill doesn't seem to have much in the way of personal problems, so both are relatively tame by comparison. Only Bella seems to be suffering from some kind of deep emotional trauma that could be very dramatic for her story and greatly affect her relationship with the MC.I've long felt that Maya and Josy have had a much larger impact on the MC that the other girls. I'm not sure if that was a conscious choice on DPCs part, or that all the girls will wind up sucking the MC into a vortex of drama and they just happened to be the first in the queue.
As with many other topics, I'm hopeful Episode 6 will finally point us towards some answers.
I understand your point, but I don't quite agree. I think there are three scenarios.That's precisely what I was saying would be a mistake.
If the game is going to treat you as having an affair with Sage regardless of whether you have an affair with Sage, what does the "choice" not to start an affair with Sage really mean?
I mean, if we play out your scenario, what are the possible end points?
Rather than offer a branching path only to force you back onto the rails at the first opportunity, I think it would be better to say the MC is young and horny and thus DOES fool around with all the LIs. Keep the narrative unified until we get to a point in the story where the choices we make can actually be reflected by the game around us.
- Everyone believes MC/Sage is a thing: This makes those trying to avoid Sage feel railroaded. As I mentioned before, it's Maya/Josy 2: Redhead Boogaloo.
- No one believes MC/Sage is a thing: The much foreshadowed confrontation with Chad becomes a nothing burger, despite all the blatant actions by MCs on the Sage path.
- Non-Sage-path MCs easily prove their innocence, Sage-path MC have to deal with a major crisis: This avoids railroading the players, but then again, what was the point of accusing non-Sage-path MCs in the first place? It's also a major branch, making it extremely resource intensive.
- Both paths face major crisis relating to Chad for other reasons, Sage-path MCs get additional scenes dealing with their affair: This seems like the best case by far, and you'll note that it gets nothing out of having Mel/Sarah lie about the MC and Sage.
Or just accept the branch and only have the MC accused of cheating with Sage when he did.
I think the middle is the right time. Not locking until the end is pointless, and if you can't cheat (or there are no consecuences for it) there's also no good reason to play a faithful route.I think it is too early for "jealousy" / "betrayal" problems with LIs
in the middle of the game it would be counterproductive to push a player towards a monogamous relationship, a little freedom must be guaranteed.
it is in everyone's interest, including DPC, that MC has interactions with the other LIs
Most people who play these games/VNs will likely be pursuing all the girls they can, not just one, because that's how most guys are; they want many different women without (much) consequence and these games let them live out that fantasy. So, to keep interest in the game for as long as possible, it can be very beneficial to allow players to continue having multiple relationships right up until the end, or near the end.I think it is too early for "jealousy" / "betrayal" problems with LIs
in the middle of the game it would be counterproductive to push a player towards a monogamous relationship, a little freedom must be guaranteed.
it is in everyone's interest, including DPC, that MC has interactions with the other LIs
It's something Chad has never thought out properly like when he receives the note and pictures Chad right away assumes it's the MC doing I mean come on Chad the MC is pretty much just in the door and he thinks he is behind this big grand schemeIt is credible that Chad still has some suspicions about MC, regardless of whether it is true or not.
I believe that what we will do next, and also what we have already done, could have important consequences in the end of the game, but not immediately.Most people who play these games/VNs will likely be pursuing all the girls they can, not just one, because that's how most guys are; they want many different women without (much) consequence and these games let them live out that fantasy. So, to keep interest in the game for as long as possible, it can be very beneficial to allow players to continue having multiple relationships right up until the end, or near the end.
DPC can very easily keep all these relationships going until the last few episodes, even if the players have to make choices between certain girls that unlock different scenes, but there's no reason why we couldn't still be dating/seeing Maya, Josy, Sage, Jill, and Bella, with the occasional side pieces like Camila, Riona, Lily, Jade, etc.
Except for the fact that if you don't give her guitar lessons and go down the FWB route, then the last interaction he had with Sage was the sparring session in ep 2, which means that it's been a whole week since they've been seen together in any capacity. Right now, if you're only friends, they haven't been seen together enough to warrant Chad's suspicion, so if he's going to become suspicious of the MC and Sage, or at least appear to be, it needs to be built up on the friend path and DPC could easily do that with the 2 of them hanging out in public on both the FWB and friend path.the third point would not be forced.
It is credible that Chad still has some suspicions about MC, regardless of whether it is true or not.
Exactly. Allowing players to sustain relationships with as many girls as possible for as long as possible makes the game feel that much fuller than if you're just pursuing one LI, and hopefully this game won't force that kind of choice upon us too early.I believe that what we will do next, and also what we have already done, could have important consequences in the end of the game, but not immediately.
in this phase the more relationships we keep open and the more we can appreciate the work of DPC, the more we focus (with our choices) on a girl and the more we will see an "incomplete" storyline and limit our gaming experience.
unfortunately I think that's inevitable.Also, I hope that we won't have to go too far back in the game to make different choices for certain LI endings. It was fine with AL because that was only 8 chapters, but if you have to go all the back to ep 3 to get a certain ending in ep 16, then that will be rather frustrating.
If the goal is to appreciate the work, of DPA, then playing each route would be a better idea instead of having more relationships. And despite what Holy Bacchus had said, I think most will be aiming at best for only two different girls because there is a bigger better playing experience when you get the full story of your choices (you can learn more about the character you like). DPA himself said that this game is not centered around sex. It just happens to have sex in it. So going for all girls is not the route you wanna take.I believe that what we will do next, and also what we have already done, could have important consequences in the end of the game, but not immediately.
in this phase the more relationships we keep open and the more we can appreciate the work of DPC, the more we focus (with our choices) on a girl and the more we will see an "incomplete" storyline and limit our gaming experience.
I've never done it in any path. You don't really need money in this game and it's just antagonizing someone for no reason. If she deserved it at least...I finally did it. I mustered up the strength to do it, and I went full psycho this latest run through; I stole the money in Jill's room!![]()
I don’t think we are supposed to of chosen yet. The game is designed with the expectation that you see lots of sex scenes. The MC is working out what/ who he wants in life and he’s pretty open with all of the girls about it. In fact the only LI who doesn’t know he is dating others is Sage and technically she’s the one who suggested they be fuck buddies.I believe that what we will do next, and also what we have already done, could have important consequences in the end of the game, but not immediately.
in this phase the more relationships we keep open and the more we can appreciate the work of DPC, the more we focus (with our choices) on a girl and the more we will see an "incomplete" storyline and limit our gaming experience.