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.
but anyways feel free to use these signatures.
