VN Ren'Py Being a DIK [v0.10.1] [DrPinkCake]

[rj677]

Maybe Quinn have a ending with MC, when he isnt in any relationship with any of the main girls.
I want also a ending with Nicole, but is more probably Quinn get it and she doesn't.

To give her such agency within the game, but not make her a love interest, tells me she's gonna die. Of course there will be less impact for players that have been actively avoiding her, she'll just be a casualty of the drug trade or something, but for players who are holding out for DPC to flick the LI switch, elevating her to that much desired status, it's gonna be a kick in the goolies.

Over the last week Ive seen this topic being heavily discussed in this thread, so I will share my opinions.

Like many people in here, I am also afraid that Quinn will have a bad ending (Dying being the worst of them all) just for the sake of drama because thats the DPC wrtting that is in full display in Acting Lessons. Shes the perfect character for this to happen given her circumstances and the fact that she isnt a full on LI (which would mean less backlash than the AL situation).

Having said this, I have a theory ever since ep5 that only got stronger in ep6. I think this game will have "Dynamic Endings" as I call them (I only have these for M&J and Quinn because those are the characters I have more evidence of how we could see this):

Quinn: I think Quinn can have 2 different endings depending on your choices:
-If the MC helps her in every way possible and does everything with her, she will have a good ending that can be with or without being in a Love relationship with the MC (for example, Quinn being the ending relationship for the MC if the MC fucked up with the so called LIs or The MC ends up with Sage and Quinn continues being their bitchy best friend).

-However, if the MC doesnt help her, he wont influence her current story, so she will just dig a bigger hole for herself and for that she gets a bad ending (Prostitution, Overdose, Prison etc)

M&J: I think that the relationship between M&J can also be like this: If the MC is in the relationship with them, I think their relationship (and the throuple) will work out, making the MC the "stability" of the relationship

-However if the MC isnt in their relationship, I can see it fail in the long term. Without the MC, Im thinking that they will be unable to handle the pressure that their relationship will bring them, either from Mayas Dad, the MC (if he fucked/fooled around with any of them), from their different personalities colliding (Josy being a DIK and Maya being CHICK), or from any other problem.

The good thing with these particular dynamic endings, is that they happen because of our choices and there is a way to stop the bad endings from happen (which is something that we didnt have the pleasure of having in Acting Lessons ). I dont mind a game having bad endings if I have a choice in them and if they make sense depending on those same choices. Its like the drama aspect: I dont mind drama when its justified AND when it isnt just one character having all the dramas.

PS: Sorry for the long post, I guess I was inspired to be back posting

 

[Malicre]

That says a lot about us

View attachment 1027828

It's funny, now that i think about it this totally mirrors the CHICK VS DIK paths.

 

[OFT]

Ok, maybe finger fucking Sally in a game of DnG

Dude, you reminded me of this gem...

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[shazba]

I have to agree with you there.
IN EP4 and 5 has more very much about the feelings of Josy to MC ehrfahren. It actually started with the dildo game scene and the subsequent kiss of Josy and MC. Then at the big decision whether poly relationship or not. First, Maya kissed the MC. The decision in the dormitory. Who wants the poly relationship could not make any other choice than sleeping on the floor.

In EP5 the choices were really hard. I saw both scenes logically and both were great. When I looked in the walkthrough, you could really only take the Josy path, because you get +2RP for Josy and on the Maya path only +1RP for Josy and none for Maya. There was also no RP deduction for Maya.
Furthermore, you learned a lot about Josy's feelings for the MC. With the two it has funkt. I mean the two just look at each other, both fall into longing for each other.

And I can imagine (hopefully), so that the red sweater of MC, which Josy brought, still plays an important role in EP7 with Maya's father.

Translated with DeepL

I have always found it a big anomaly in history the fact that MC can ask and get the trouple with very low scores with one of the two girls. is it forced behavior?

I would not say, a player could have arrived "genuinely" at the moment of the choice having in his mind pursued only one of the two girls, and at that point having to choose between both and nothing, choosing the first seems legitimate to me.

and at that point he chooses to sleep with his favorite, chases his favorite after the visit of Josy's father, at the picnic he jokes and relaxes only with his favorite etc ..

in theory it doesn't seem like this behavior has any consequences, but it's really hard to believe

The problem I saw from the walkthrough is that Maya had (or could) accumulate much more relationship points than Josy. I think MC has to balance that out to get a poly relationship. Maya and Josy probably need to have the relationship points level to MC.
Once it is not equal, the poly relationship will not work.

Translated with DeepL

that explanation (which is not very convincing to me, since in the next chapter Josy does not recover points against Maya) is valid only for the choice after the visit of Josy's father, while for example the one at the end of chapter 4 if you have not had sex with one of the two, you must "necessarily" choose who to sleep with.

so if the trouple starts out of balance it is actually very difficult (and forced) to balance it again.

is it a deliberate thing? I have no idea

While you may get relationship points with Josy for following her, and no points with Maya for following Maya, the game also keeps track of who you choose to follow (and who you told Derek you were still interested in).

Those flags will likely be relevant later , much more so than the RPs you received (or didn't receive) from your choice. However the RP distribution at this point only provides points to Josy because she is way behind Maya's tally at this time in the game (because she's been out of the game for so long and the scoreboard needs to be leveled).

So don't consider there to be no reward going with Maya, if you want to chose Maya, choose Maya (but seriously, who would choose Maya over Josy anyway?)

Don't get confused about the nature of relationship points. It's rare (so far) that the relationship points have been used for anything in the logic. It's typically subtle things that are changed if the relationship points are above an arbitrary threshold, but notice that the choice of the throuple had nothing to do with relationship points and everything to do with previous actions, same as the Jill shower scene. The same goes for most major branches, it's about actions and affinity, not relationship points.

Mostly the RPs are there to give a gauge as to how the relationship is going ("non existent", "lukewarn", "friendly", "very friendly", "something special" - those gauges are made up by me to illustrate the point, the game actually uses unique descriptions for each character in the end of each episode based on the relationship points and what happened in the episode).

Just to give you a further indication as to how unimportant relationship points are, the following are the only times where they are used for each character:

Bella

Spoiler

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Jill

Spoiler

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Josy

Spoiler

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Maya

Spoiler

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Sage

Spoiler

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[Holy Bacchus]

but seriously, who would choose Maya over Josy anyway?

I did.

It's a frustrating Sophie's Choice because you feel like a jerk letting Josy take her cases to the dorm all by herself, but Maya's really hurting at that moment having seen a warm, affectionate moment between a father and daughter and having it remind her of what she's lost. So it does feel that she needs someone in that moment, moreso than Josy who's riding high after patching things up with her Dad.

 

[Malicre]

(but seriously, who would choose Maya over Josy anyway?)

Maya was my favorite character in the game before Josy showed up on campus.

 

[felicemastronzo]

While you may get relationship points with Josy for following her, and no points with Maya for following Maya, the game also keeps track of who you choose to follow (and who you told Derek you were still interested in).

Those flags will likely be relevant later , much more so than the RPs you received (or didn't receive) from your choice. However the RP distribution at this point only provides points to Josy because she is way behind Maya's tally at this time in the game (because she's been out of the game for so long and the scoreboard needs to be leveled).

So don't consider there to be no reward going with Maya, if you want to chose Maya, choose Maya (but seriously, who would choose Maya over Josy anyway?)

Don't get confused about the nature of relationship points. It's rare (so far) that the relationship points have been used for anything in the logic. It's typically subtle things that are changed if the relationship points are above an arbitrary threshold, but notice that the choice of the throuple had nothing to do with relationship points and everything to do with previous actions, same as the Jill shower scene. The same goes for most major branches, it's about actions and affinity, not relationship points.

Mostly the RPs are there to give a gauge as to how the relationship is going ("non existent", "lukewarn", "friendly", "very friendly", "something special" - those gauges are made up by me to illustrate the point, the game actually uses unique descriptions for each character in the end of each episode based on the relationship points and what happened in the episode).

Just to give you a further indication as to how unimportant relationship points are, the following are the only times where they are used for each character:

Bella

Spoiler

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Jill

Spoiler

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Josy

Spoiler

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Maya

Spoiler

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Sage

Spoiler

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and was that extra single RP for Josy so necessary?

urgency that disappears completely in the next chapter, where at most you can get 2 RP with Josy and 3 with Maya...

since the RPs have the function of the thresholds, they must not reach the same values for each LI

 

[shazba]

I did.

It's a frustrating Sophie's Choice because you feel like a jerk letting Josy take her cases to the dorm all by herself, but Maya's really hurting at that moment having seen a warm, affectionate moment between a father and daughter and having it remind her of what she's lost. So it does feel that she needs someone in that moment, moreso than Josy who's riding high after patching things up with her Dad.

Josy was on a high at that moment so it's likely she wouldn't have minded, especially since Maya did seem distressed. Chasing after Maya was probably the right thing to do, unless you're looking further down the road to an inevitable split and you already starting to hedge your bets.

Maya was my favorite character in the game before Josy showed up on campus.

I can't help myself, almost every girlfriend in my life, even my wife, have been pocket-sized; Josy just does it for me.

and was that extra single RP for Josy so necessary?

urgency that disappears completely in the next chapter, where at most you can get 2 RP with Josy and 3 with Maya...

since the RPs have the function of the thresholds, they must not reach the same values for each LI

That single RP with Josy may have been the difference between getting an ass job (not a rim job unfortunately) with Josy or not in that very scene. So I'd say it was excruciatingly important!

And you're correct, the thresholds for each character are different.

 

[AchedCroissant]

wife

 

[felicemastronzo]

That single RP with Josy may have been the difference between getting an ass job (not a rim job unfortunately) with Josy or not in that very scene. So I'd say it was excruciatingly important!

And you're correct, the thresholds for each character are different.

it was enough to lower the threshold by a point ...

and not giving it to Maya for the same situation remains a choice that has no real explanation.

that situation is handled in an unbalanced way to give Josy an advantage in terms of RP, the next chapter returns to give more points and more scenes to Maya ...

 

[shazba]

it was enough to lower the threshold by a point ...

and not giving it to Maya for the same situation remains a choice that has no real explanation.

that situation is handled in an unbalanced way to give Josy an advantage in terms of RP, the next chapter returns to give more points and more scenes to Maya ...

But you're looking at it wrong. RP is not the goal. The choices you make dictate further options, whether there's any RP associated with it or not.

You could cheat and set all the RPs to 100 from the very beginning of the game and it would almost only influence the relationship description in the report at the end of the episodes.

This is the problem with people looking under the hood and arbitrarily deciding what components they need to service.

Consider it this way. Maya already really likes the MC. Like, she really likes him and they've been spending a lot of time together and talking a lot. Their relationship is already quite strong, so going to speak with her, while it might help her feel good, doesn't change the way she feels about the MC. She already really likes him. Now Josy and the MC have hardly had any time to bond, so going with her and helping her out gives them more bonding time and actually strengthens the relationship (maybe just a little).

But anyway, forget about RP. The player wasn't meant to see it nor fixate on it anyway. Your decisions matter, they drive the branches, the RP doesn't drive shit.

 

[Kellermann]

Exactly
View attachment 1027975
What a waste of butt not being able to spank him

Fucking hell, look at that ass! Gimme

 

[felicemastronzo]

But you're looking at it wrong. RP is not the goal. The choices you make dictate further options, whether there's any RP associated with it or not.

You could cheat and set all the RPs to 100 from the very beginning of the game and it would almost only influence the relationship description in the report at the end of the game.

This is the problem with people looking under the hood and arbitrarily deciding what components they need to service.

Consider it this way. Maya already really likes the MC. Like, she really likes him and they've been spending a lot of time together and talking a lot. Their relationship is already quite strong, so going to speak with her, while it might help her feel good, doesn't change the way she feels about the MC. She already really likes him. Now Josy and the MC have hardly had any time to bond, so going with her and helping her out gives them more bonding time and actually strengthens the relationship (maybe just a little).

But anyway, forget about RP. They player wasn't meant to see it nor fixate on it anyway. Your decisions matter, they drive the branches, not the RP.

but in fact I don't really look at RPs, and I've always said that the morally right choice is to follow Maya (if you are in the trouple, if you are not it is the ONLY choice to make not to hate Josy)

and then I repeat: ok, MC must have some time with Josy, because after that episode it all comes back to Maya's favor?

he must urgently make up for lost time that evening, the next day, everything as before. he does the Gender course with Maya, at lunch MC defends Maya, in the library MC has a dialogue with "action" with Maya

not every choice in the game is to be considered the wisest of all time, there are also questionable arbitrary choices

 

[shazba]

but in fact I don't really look at RPs, and I've always said that the morally right choice is to follow Maya (if you are in the trouple, if you are not it is the ONLY choice to make not to hate Josy)

and then I repeat: ok, MC must have some time with Josy, because after that episode it all comes back to Maya's favor?

he must urgently make up for lost time that evening, the next day, everything as before. he does the Gender course with Maya, at lunch MC defends Maya, in the library MC has a dialogue with "action" with Maya

not every choice in the game is to be considered the wisest of all time, there are also questionable arbitrary choices

And I think there isn't meant to be any "right way" to play the game. Just play it as you feel. DIK or Chick or anything in between.

In real life, if I was faced with that situation with which of the two girls to help and I really liked Josy, I'd help Josy and then tell her about my concerns with Maya and we'd go back together and talk with her like good friends. But this game can't cater for how everyone would like to handle every situation...

 

[Kuraii]

To me, the outfit seems more self-confident, no longer so teen-like.

With the hairstyle, the change when it comes is not very big. I would actually say that she has combed.

In my opinion, the change of clothes means more. As I said, she seems more adult with the clothes.

I personally like all the options including the two hair styles (with either one she still looks amazing). I agree that the outfit makes her look more self-confident and conservative.

I was honestly a bit concerned about the designs that the DPC might have shown in the polls, since, considering what was shown and chosen for Bella for episode 6, it might as well have been inappropriate and unfit for Maya's personality.

 

[Blades1138]

I always said that once Josy came into the picture all of Maya's character development got shot and she even regressed to a certain degree. A lot of people also seem to be a "closet" Bella lover waiting for her drama to happen before they full commit to that route, no one wants to have their heart broken and i think the majority of us expect that to actually happen with Bella.

Now that you mention Bella, her story so far is fine, but I suspect the big reveal will be a big letdown. If DPC keeps up the trend he'll probably trash her character as well, seeing as he seems to be struggling with character development since the whole 'confrontation' with Maya and Josy.

 

[lemonfreak]

Exactly
View attachment 1027975
What a waste of butt not being able to spank him

Him? It's like you want me to post a spoiler

 

[shazba]

Him? It's like you want me to post a spoiler

I've gotten so used to the "Jill spoiler" it doesn't affect me anymore. Please, I don't need to see a "Josy spoiler".

 

[Holy Bacchus]

But a poly relationship, in my opinion, can only work if MC gets the same number of relationship points for both.

The RP will likely count for very little in the end and what will count more are the various flags in the code for certain moments.

For example, choosing Maya or Josy in Ep 5 may count as 1 point in either direction and more choices like this will accumulate points for each girl. In fact, the walkthrough mentions that, for the Maya centric path, you have to stay with her in Ep 3 but if you skip that but stayed with Josy in Ep 2, then that couts towards the Josy centric route.

So these markers in the code could make it look like this:

• Ep 2, stayed with Josy = Josy centric +1
• Ep 3, stayed with Maya = Maya centric +1, Josy centric -1
• Ep 4, sleep with Maya = Maya centric +1
• Ep 4, sleep with Josy = Josy centric +1
• Ep 5, went with Maya = Maya centric +1
• Ep 5, went with Josy = Josy centric +1

If this were the case, my score would be Maya 2, Josy 0. But there could still be ways to balance it, like going to Quinn in Ep 3 to negate the loss of the Josy point, or there might be more decisions that give points to Josy to even it out.

I personally like all the options including the two hair styles (with either one she still looks amazing). I agree that the outfit makes her look more self-confident and conservative.

I was honestly a bit concerned about the designs that the DPC might have shown in the polls, since, considering what was shown and chosen for Bella for episode 6, it might as well have been inappropriate and unfit for Maya's personality.

Why must you be so cruel by just describing it and not showing it?

 

[mpa71]

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Previously for EP7