VN Ren'Py Completed Chasing Sunsets [v1.01] [Stone Fox Studios]

[ename144]

SFS recently said on steam, when someone questioned their "Jaye" only route to the throuple/polyamorous ending.

Think of it this way:An open relationship was never going to sit well with Jaye in particular. The only way a personality like that would accept one would be if it were her idea.

MC writes in his diary in Ch7 that he knows Mallory isn't as happy with the sharing situation as she let on, and he thinks a growing distance between himself and Jaye is probably because he's seeing other people.

This was pretty blatantly telegraphed and foreshadowed.

While the ending you're looking for may be the hardest one to obtain, that doesn't necessarily mean that it's the "best" ending.

Personally I think they have gotten lost in thinking of Jaye as a real person with her own feelings and emotions that override everything else. At the end of the day we know that she is not and while a certain amount of "realism" is required to build a good AVN character, I don't think that it should be the overriding consideration.
While I am fine with the solo endings and if that is the direction that the devs want to go, fair enough. I also think that there was alot of lost potential, some of which you listed above. I hope that the epilogues can deliver a worthy ending/endings to this journey, but I'm not going to hold my breath.

I'm going to disagree, at least in principle. This is a porn game, but I don't think it's necessarily wrong to limit the porn options available based on what would be 'realistic' for a given person. Strong characterization is one of the bedrocks that can make an AVN so compelling, and some characters really are going to struggle with an idea like sharing a lover with someone else. Riding roughshod over that sort of objection may titillate, but it also flattens the distinction between characters. IMHO, that's too high a price to pay, at least as a general rule. As much as I'm down on the developers for the way they handled the end of the game, I'll defend their right to insist that some fantasies are beyond the scope of a given game.

HOWEVER...

If you want to go that route, you have to make it abundantly clear WHY those fantasies are impossible. We're talking about something that goes against who that person is at their core; you can't just live in narrow edge cases where asking for the impossible would work if you use the right wording. You need to make a clear, compelling case for why a character couldn't go along with something, and the case needs to appeal to a broad swath of players over a very wide set of circumstances. Try to get too cute with it and it's going to feel like an unreasonably convoluted secret path, or worse, like a bait and switch.

And that's where I think the devs screwed up here. I can easily buy that Jaye is just too possessive to share 'her' MC. I cannot buy she'd suddenly reverse course on that because the MC made a point of sulking about a girl he had to give up for Jaye; if that trick worked, Jaye/Tara would be an easy thing. Nor do I buy that an MC who DID decide to cut things off with Mallory to focus on Jaye would suddenly want to start things back up with Mallory at the 11th hour. He abandoned Mal (sexually) weeks ago, so he's clearly comfortable with that idea at a basic level. What makes him think things would work smoothly if he hits Ctrl-Z now? Why risk something - something that was so precious he gave up on Mallory for it in the first place - on such a longshot? And why would Jaye take the MC's acquiescence as a sign of his love for her rather than buyer's remorse?

The answer, obviously, is that they wouldn't - if this weren't a porn game. Maybe you could make this twist work if you spent several chapter setting it up and seeing the characters struggle with the changes. Maybe. But trying to cram it into a single scene in the chapter that had lots of other loose ends to tie up? No way. It not only feels fake, it damages the integrity of the characters involved. It's the worst of both worlds: the characters are flattened into bland tropes, but we still don't get the extra titillation that should go along with that. Everyone loses.

Plus, it really grinds my gears the way the game promises us that we should "play our conscience" in the intro, then slams us with a folding chair at the end for daring to think that the proper way to start a polyamorous relationship is with a heaping helping of honesty. Evidently our 'conscience' should be a finely tuned propensity for gaslighting and deception. Fake it 'til you make it, MC!

 

[TheRealOne-]

There are different levels to these games, and Chasing Sunsets has always been at the top for me, closely behind Summer's Gone as my favorite. Although the ending of this chapter felt a little underwhelming, I trust that the developers will come up with something special for the final update.

If Chasing Sunsets is any indication of how good the next game will be, I'm looking forward to it. Bring on Firebreak (after an excellent last update for this game )

 

[BrNexon]

Well, Mallory s best girl in this Game...just chase her always after sunset

 

[Alfred the Fallen]

SFS recently said on steam, when someone questioned their "Jaye" only route to the throuple/polyamorous ending.

Think of it this way:An open relationship was never going to sit well with Jaye in particular. The only way a personality like that would accept one would be if it were her idea.

Wouldn't it make more sense the other way around? Starting with Mallory?

Jaye has been so desperate to get the MC (abandoning her studies to go chasing after a position in the company that she doesn't really want) that I could see her agreeing to play second fiddle to Mallory, just so that she wouldn't completely be without him. She also is clearly turned on by him fucking other women, as we see with the scene where she reads his stolen journal and masturbates to his account of fucking her best friend. She was also eager to hear about how he lost his virginity to Linda.

Mallory has that weird scene where she suddenly tries to get you to do body shots with Jaye if you are on the Mallory solo path, so that could count as a setup from her side. She also had that complete asspull of a throuple route with Amanda on Mallory's (up until then) solo path, so it shouldn't surprise anyone if Jaye got one too.

The only person in the game who seems really keen on monogomy was Bianca, who flat out told you that she didn't want to start anything with you if you were involved with someone else. Mind you, that was about her being a kind-hearted person who didn't want anyone else's heart broken, rather than jealousy on her part. Which is one of the many reason why Bianca is the best and should get a decent sized epilogue. I know that's a little off topic, but I don't care. Bianca is the only reason I'm sticking around for the end of this game and I am going to mention her in hopes of keeping her from being entirely forgotten (as she so unfairly was in the last update).

 

[Justaphase]

Wouldn't it make more sense the other way around? Starting with Mallory?

Jaye has been so desperate to get the MC (abandoning her studies to go chasing after a position in the company that she doesn't really want) that I could see her agreeing to play second fiddle to Mallory, just so that she wouldn't completely be without him. She also is clearly turned on by him fucking other women, as we see with the scene where she reads his stolen journal and masturbates to his account of fucking her best friend. She was also eager to hear about how he lost his virginity to Linda.

Mallory has that weird scene where she suddenly tries to get you to do body shots with Jaye if you are on the Mallory solo path, so that could count as a setup from her side. She also had that complete asspull of a throuple route with Amanda on Mallory's (up until then) solo path, so it shouldn't surprise anyone if Jaye got one too.

The only person in the game who seems really keen on monogomy was Bianca, who flat out told you that she didn't want to start anything with you if you were involved with someone else. Mind you, that was about her being a kind-hearted person who didn't want anyone else's heart broken, rather than jealousy on her part. Which is one of the many reason why Bianca is the best and should get a decent sized epilogue. I know that's a little off topic, but I don't care. Bianca is the only reason I'm sticking around for the end of this game and I am going to mention her in hopes of keeping her from being entirely forgotten (as she so unfairly was in the last update).

I just feel like if the throuple ending was even going to be a thing it should have happened more naturally, like I said before. What if when Jaye and Mallory pin each other to the bed they start kissing, almost surprising both of them. Then they fool around some more when they shower together after, which makes them aware that they have developed feelings for each other.
Maybe the MC even walks in on them and has the option to walk in and join them? I mean why not right?
This would have been hot IMO and a highlight of the episode, instead of the rinse and repeat lewd scenes that we've already seen.
They could then all three of them sit down and discuss perhaps exploring something together.

I also really like Bianca, in fact I think she may be the hottest character in the game. She has been wasted up until now IMO, I hope we see alot more of her in the future. But I doubt that a single epilogue with her will give her the justice that she deserves. If I'm being honest I think she deserves to be a main character of her own game.

 

[Alfred the Fallen]

What if when Jaye and Mallory pin each other to the bed they start kissing, almost surprising both of them. Then they fool around some more when they shower together after, which makes them aware that they have developed feelings for each other.

Maybe the MC even walks in on them and has the option to walk in and join them? I mean why not right?

Well, you'd have to be careful to place the requirements for Jay and Mallory to be sufficiently high enough that you aren't going to accidentally ruin a romantic monogamous path by having the one character you like make out with a character that you dislike. That's what turned me off of Mallory.

They could then all three of them sit down and discuss perhaps exploring something together.

I would hope that those discussions would include the option for us to talk about breaking things off entirely if we so choose. The worst thing about Mallory's path was that there was no option for us to back out of it once she admitted that she was in love with someone else. I had just told her that I was open to something more serious with her, and she turns around and makes out with her best friend in front of me, tells me that she want to open up the relationship to include her friend, and the only two options there were to agree or to say that we are only in love with Mallory. Where's the option to say that we are no longer interested? That we are happy to have helped her get over her fear of intimacy, but we aren't interested in someone who is in love with someone else?

I just don't trust the developers to write a decent setup for a polygamous relationship after that crap.

 

[BeingADikDik]

I just feel like if the throuple ending was even going to be a thing it should have happened more naturally, like I said before. What if when Jaye and Mallory pin each other to the bed they start kissing, almost surprising both of them. Then they fool around some more when they shower together after, which makes them aware that they have developed feelings for each other.
Maybe the MC even walks in on them and has the option to walk in and join them? I mean why not right?
This would have been hot IMO and a highlight of the episode, instead of the rinse and repeat lewd scenes that we've already seen.
They could then all three of them sit down and discuss perhaps exploring something together.

I also really like Bianca, in fact I think she may be the hottest character in the game. She has been wasted up until now IMO, I hope we see alot more of her in the future. But I doubt that a single epilogue with her will give her the justice that she deserves. If I'm being honest I think she deserves to be a main character of her own game.

NO. girls are unhappy with sharing. cannot learn to be happy. no lustful exploration allowed here. in fact, best ending reserved for no sex til marriage path. chasing sunsets re-Christened as "Live. Love. Yacht." characters become insufferable Karens hypocritically espousing morals. game ends with main solo LI demanding to see the manager, defeated Lisa emerges. MC hates life. should have gone with best girl Bianca.

 

[Cabin Fever]

I think the bottom line is this - no matter which path it followed, thrupling with Jaye & Mallory feels like a crudely shoehorned in fanservice. While the idea on its own is appealing, it is a square peg in a round hole. (Queue the 2 round holes joke.)

 

[Ancient Devil]

What a game, man!

 

[SonsOfLiberty]

You must be registered to see the links

Now that pach 1.01 is out (and still fails to account for one world state due to a Ch7 bug) and Kent and I are enjoying our traditional week off from development, I thought I'd take a moment and post about the future of our first title. (v1.01 is available at the pinned download links.)

Here is the planned release cycle and what to expect with each:

v1.02 - Sept 2024: This will include bug fixes for all chapters, including the one mentioned above from Chapter 7. If this update adds new content, it will only be to patch bugged paths, such as Mallory still thinking she's on the casual sex path after MC has rejected her every advance in Ch6.

v1.10 - Dec 2024-Mar 2025: This will be our Epilogue Chapter. It will begin a few days before the scene in Walter's bar at the end of Ch9, and take the player through the outcome of the lawsuit. (Yes, there will be a trial) and then take the MC through the immediate outcomes of his ending, followed by a glimpse of his future. We are evaluating a mechanic that would allow the MC to have an incomplete look at what his ending might have looked like had he made different choices as well.

This version (the final chapter update) will be titled "Chasing Sunsets" and will also endeavor to tie up any loose ends, such as what happened to Vince if you left him alive, how that ring ended up on Jaye's finger at the end of Ch9, and most importantly, what happened to Hank the Wolf.
The final content update will certainly offer the player an opportunity to see some faces that have been absent such as Rikki, Bianca, and others. Each will have individual content, depending on choices made up to this point.

The points system will go away in the final chapter, and while there will be choices, they can affect pathing within that ending.

v1.11 - TBD 2025: This will be our final version, after which we will only patch the game if bugs are discovered, and it will be considered a completely finished product. This will focus on bringing legacy animations and art up to our current standard, refining dialogue, and possibly adding additional choices or providing a smoother experience navigating the relationship realities.

v1.11 is not expected to maintain save compatibility with previous versions, because new variables will be introduced and some legacy variables removed.

That's it in a nutshell. After taking a few days off, Kent and I will be burning the midnight oil to get this entire project into a state we can call "a job adequately done." We'll let you know periodically how things are going, and of course, watch the Previews channel for a sneak peek of what lies ahead!

 

[TonyMurray]

how that ring ended up on Jaye's finger at the end of Ch9

Missed that one, sneaky text covering it (I didn't check, but it is probably out in the open in other renders...).

 

[alain8891]

Missed that one, sneaky text covering it (I didn't check, but it is probably out in the open in other renders...).
View attachment 3970852
View attachment 3970854

Actually no, that's the only render where we can see the ring, and I had missed it too...

 

[Matt2012021]

So the final update with break saves if that ain't a kick in the nuts

 

[SonsOfLiberty]

So the final update with break saves if that ain't a kick in the nuts

Not really, most people will be done with the game by then...

This will be our final version, after which we will only patch the game if bugs are discovered, and it will be considered a completely finished product. This will focus on bringing legacy animations and art up to our current standard, refining dialogue, and possibly adding additional choices or providing a smoother experience navigating the relationship realities.

The final update as you can see is art, and some refining of dialogue.

 

[siath70]

You must be registered to see the links

View attachment 3970841


Now that pach 1.01 is out (and still fails to account for one world state due to a Ch7 bug) and Kent and I are enjoying our traditional week off from development, I thought I'd take a moment and post about the future of our first title. (v1.01 is available at the pinned download links.)

Here is the planned release cycle and what to expect with each:

v1.02 - Sept 2024: This will include bug fixes for all chapters, including the one mentioned above from Chapter 7. If this update adds new content, it will only be to patch bugged paths, such as Mallory still thinking she's on the casual sex path after MC has rejected her every advance in Ch6.

v1.10 - Dec 2024-Mar 2025: This will be our Epilogue Chapter. It will begin a few days before the scene in Walter's bar at the end of Ch9, and take the player through the outcome of the lawsuit. (Yes, there will be a trial) and then take the MC through the immediate outcomes of his ending, followed by a glimpse of his future. We are evaluating a mechanic that would allow the MC to have an incomplete look at what his ending might have looked like had he made different choices as well.

This version (the final chapter update) will be titled "Chasing Sunsets" and will also endeavor to tie up any loose ends, such as what happened to Vince if you left him alive, how that ring ended up on Jaye's finger at the end of Ch9, and most importantly, what happened to Hank the Wolf.
The final content update will certainly offer the player an opportunity to see some faces that have been absent such as Rikki, Bianca, and others. Each will have individual content, depending on choices made up to this point.

The points system will go away in the final chapter, and while there will be choices, they can affect pathing within that ending.

v1.11 - TBD 2025: This will be our final version, after which we will only patch the game if bugs are discovered, and it will be considered a completely finished product. This will focus on bringing legacy animations and art up to our current standard, refining dialogue, and possibly adding additional choices or providing a smoother experience navigating the relationship realities.

v1.11 is not expected to maintain save compatibility with previous versions, because new variables will be introduced and some legacy variables removed.

That's it in a nutshell. After taking a few days off, Kent and I will be burning the midnight oil to get this entire project into a state we can call "a job adequately done." We'll let you know periodically how things are going, and of course, watch the Previews channel for a sneak peek of what lies ahead!

I do not see anything in here about Jaye's belly button jewelry, the MC made mention he was going to ask her about it... So, will that be wrapped up too?

 

[Anteron]

Can't wait to see the finale. Ended up with Jaye, luckily.

 

[dodgingnoir]

I do not see anything in here about Jaye's belly button jewelry, the MC made mention he was going to ask her about it... So, will that be wrapped up too?

I think on discord it was mentioned that they would address the story behind it on Jaye's path. There's still quite a bit of the story left for us to discover. The most recent update starts to wrap things up but there's some major events left like they mentioned for example the trial but there's probably a wedding with Jaye somewhere in there

Spoiler

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[ename144]

You must be registered to see the links

View attachment 3970841


Now that pach 1.01 is out (and still fails to account for one world state due to a Ch7 bug) and Kent and I are enjoying our traditional week off from development, I thought I'd take a moment and post about the future of our first title. (v1.01 is available at the pinned download links.)

Here is the planned release cycle and what to expect with each:

v1.02 - Sept 2024: This will include bug fixes for all chapters, including the one mentioned above from Chapter 7. If this update adds new content, it will only be to patch bugged paths, such as Mallory still thinking she's on the casual sex path after MC has rejected her every advance in Ch6.

v1.10 - Dec 2024-Mar 2025: This will be our Epilogue Chapter. It will begin a few days before the scene in Walter's bar at the end of Ch9, and take the player through the outcome of the lawsuit. (Yes, there will be a trial) and then take the MC through the immediate outcomes of his ending, followed by a glimpse of his future. We are evaluating a mechanic that would allow the MC to have an incomplete look at what his ending might have looked like had he made different choices as well.

This version (the final chapter update) will be titled "Chasing Sunsets" and will also endeavor to tie up any loose ends, such as what happened to Vince if you left him alive, how that ring ended up on Jaye's finger at the end of Ch9, and most importantly, what happened to Hank the Wolf.
The final content update will certainly offer the player an opportunity to see some faces that have been absent such as Rikki, Bianca, and others. Each will have individual content, depending on choices made up to this point.

The points system will go away in the final chapter, and while there will be choices, they can affect pathing within that ending.

v1.11 - TBD 2025: This will be our final version, after which we will only patch the game if bugs are discovered, and it will be considered a completely finished product. This will focus on bringing legacy animations and art up to our current standard, refining dialogue, and possibly adding additional choices or providing a smoother experience navigating the relationship realities.

v1.11 is not expected to maintain save compatibility with previous versions, because new variables will be introduced and some legacy variables removed.

That's it in a nutshell. After taking a few days off, Kent and I will be burning the midnight oil to get this entire project into a state we can call "a job adequately done." We'll let you know periodically how things are going, and of course, watch the Previews channel for a sneak peek of what lies ahead!

I'm honestly kind of fascinated to see what sort of epilogue my main run will get once they finally patch the Mallory sexless open relationship bug. Hopefully it will better than the MC pawning the ring his parents gave him so he can afford to party with Fiona.

 

[LizaS]

This game kind of fell off.

 

[bobbo69]

How come I don't have full love and trust for Jaye, I did everything right in my knowledge

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