VN Ren'Py Cosy Cafe [v0.11] [Cosy Creator]

[Mark Loring]

Maybe don't play harem games....

Typical answer I would expect in these forms.

I happened to wander across this game one day about six weeks ago, by the time I realized there were no choices on who to accept or not into said harem, I was already hooked.

Keep the "maybe you shouldn't play such and such" level of comments to yourself. (Probably the same level of people that say "git gud")

 

[shitass1001]

I think there are quite a few of us that want to see how this game ends already. The apartment over the cafe is only so big, and Cosy's going to give the MC 11 girls? I mean, Lucy, Vicky and the Kitten already sleep in the same bed as he does, and I'm expecting Sarah to do so too, probably on Lucy's side.

There are what, 3 or 4 other rooms (minus Vicky's) that are unfurnished. I guess each room could hold two girls (depending on their relationship with each other) and I know from the looks of the planned content, there is going to be lesbians at some point, but that's always going to include the MC (the thought of Lucy and Sarah or the Kitten and Misaki or the Kitten and Akari & Misaki?) yum yum sign me up) but to get back on track, is every girlfriend he gets going to move in with him?

If I was Lucy, I'd be a little upset to be honest. I wouldn't want my first boyfriend being shared to 10 other girls. It's one of the main reasons why I stopped playing Harem Hotel. I LOVE Lin, but it got to be too much, and replace the hotel with a cafe and that's what this game is basically.

In every VN I've ever played, minus a few "ahem* family-based ones *ahem* I always was loyal and stuck with one girl and was PAINFULLY loyal to them throughout the entire game (Katie, CeCe, Jill, etc.) and kinetic harem games I don't know, very little user input. I would LOVE to be able to pick and choose who I want, but I guess if it makes sense in the end, then great. I know he wants a drama free home and all, but you don't need 11 girls to make and keep your carrot hard.

Just my two cents. I love the game, don't get me wrong and can't wait to see what happens with the next update regarding several of the girls. I guess we'll wait and see.

I dont think every girl with move in with them, and I dont think every girl in the "main characters" tab will even be in the harem.
this is sorta how I think it will shake out, the "main" harem in blue, the people I cant make any solid prediction on in green, and the dedicated "side" girls in red


as for the lucy stuff, I think it sorta fits with her character to be ok with this.
S1nsational said it best with this ""look at how many girls want to date my boyfriend and he is still my boyfriend and wants to date me". The higher MC gets put on a pedestal the higher she gets put as well". Mc made her the head waitress as well, which I think kinda translates into their relationship a bit, she is sorta the "head" girlfriend as well. We also have to keep in mind that Polygamy is commonplace in the founding family shit, so maybe that trickles down making it not as taboo in this fictional world.

I can empathize with your other point about being faithful, maybe I am too emotional or something but I hate when games making cheating on your girl a plot point, and it shows them hurting afterwards. Another one of the reasons this VN stands above many others is that the harem really doesn't feel that forced, and its clear none of the characters are really opposed to it.

 

[TigerWolfe]

Typical answer I would expect in these forms.

I happened to wander across this game one day about six weeks ago, by the time I realized there were no choices on who to accept or not into said harem, I was already hooked.

Keep the "maybe you shouldn't play such and such" level of comments to yourself. (Probably the same level of people that say "git gud")

I mean I'm definitely not... But the game has always been tagged as a harem, and it's annoying playing the genre of game I enjoy and perpetually having to read takes like, "this game has too many women!"

You know what I don't do, play non harem games, you know what I also don't do, go into choose your waifu game threads and complain about the lack of a harem path.

Your desire is inherently at odds with the genre convention, that's a you issue, not an issue with the game.

I can empathize with your other point about being faithful, maybe I am too emotional or something but I hate when games making cheating on your girl a plot point, and it shows them hurting afterwards. Another one of the reasons this VN stands above many others is that the harem really doesn't feel that forced, and its clear none of the characters are really opposed to it.

And this is why I play harem games, cause a lot of the choose your waifu games make the girls sad when you reject them, even if it's like immediately. I don't consider games where MC is cheating to be real Harems personally... That's just being a fuck head.

 

[Mark Loring]

I dont think every girl with move in with them, and I dont think every girl in the "main characters" tab will even be in the harem.
this is sorta how I think it will shake out, the "main" harem in blue, the people I cant make any solid prediction on in green, and the dedicated "side" girls in red
View attachment 3953217

as for the lucy stuff, I think it sorta fits with her character to be ok with this.
S1nsational said it best with this ""look at how many girls want to date my boyfriend and he is still my boyfriend and wants to date me". The higher MC gets put on a pedestal the higher she gets put as well". Mc made her the head waitress as well, which I think kinda translates into their relationship a bit, she is sorta the "head" girlfriend as well. We also have to keep in mind that Polygamy is commonplace in the founding family shit, so maybe that trickles down making it not as taboo in this fictional world.

I can empathize with your other point about being faithful, maybe I am too emotional or something but I hate when games making cheating on your girl a plot point, and it shows them hurting afterwards. Another one of the reasons this VN stands above many others is that the harem really doesn't feel that forced, and its clear none of the characters are really opposed to it.

Yeah that seems to be the right prediction on things although his place probably is big enough for all of them since most of the rooms are empty. Hannah makes sense since she's been "wagered on" between the MC/Allison and their father. Would love to have Akari there but since there aren't any familial relations, that would be right I guess.

 

[rogue886]

I dont think every girl with move in with them, and I dont think every girl in the "main characters" tab will even be in the harem.
this is sorta how I think it will shake out, the "main" harem in blue, the people I cant make any solid prediction on in green, and the dedicated "side" girls in red
View attachment 3953217

ALL Main cast are in the Harem, no exceptions.
Cosy has said there will be an inner & outer circle to it but has not said much about who will be in what circle.

 

[Mark Loring]

ALL Main cast are in the Harem, no exceptions.
Cosy has said there will be an inner & outer circle to it but has not said much about who will be in what circle.

The main 5 girls (including Hannah) would be in the inner circle I would think, then Misaki, Akari and Allison, then the third circle that include Catherine, Rachel, and Elizabeth

That's just how I see it

 

[netcov]

That makes sense. Neither Vicky or the Kitten ask her to move from her spot in bed. She does that seniority even though Vicky gets told she's not the second best. I'm sure there's some kind of unspoken hierarchy among them.

Pretty much my understanding the harem having an unspoken hierarchy with Lucy as head. Imagine it being Lucy having the "legal wife" position where the others fill in either second/third/... wife position or concubine position, speaking in medieval(?) terms.

MC had and has same doubts about too many girls in this setting and asking Lucy about it as well. I think he recognizes the hierarchy but does not interject unless the power dynamics go out of their initial scope or the harmony of the group is at risk. You can even further interpret Victoria's and Sarah's room as something where Lucy has unilateral dips on sleeping on the bed, with Akatsuki being an exception on how she's kinda being explicit about having the master/pet dynamic and assuming the pet role. MC going to either room for alone time at night portraits the MC's bedroom and bed as Lucy's turf.
There are many layers of communication on how the dynamics of the group works and it's so far a quite smooth development, I believe.

Maybe Cosy can put in his two cents on this topic.

 

[Mark Loring]

Pretty much my understanding the harem having an unspoken hierarchy with Lucy as head. Imagine it being Lucy having the "legal wife" position where the others fill in either second/third/... wife position or concubine position, speaking in medieval(?) terms.

MC had and has same doubts about too many girls in this setting and asking Lucy about it as well. I think he recognizes the hierarchy but does not interject unless the power dynamics go out of their initial scope or the harmony of the group is at risk. You can even further interpret Victoria's and Sarah's room as something where Lucy has unilateral dips on sleeping on the bed, with Akatsuki being an exception on how she's kinda being explicit about having the master/pet dynamic and assuming the pet role. MC going to either room for alone time at night portraits the MC's bedroom and bed as Lucy's turf.
There are many layers of communication on how the dynamics of the group works and it's so far a quite smooth development, I believe.

Maybe Cosy can put in his two cents on this topic.

I think that's what also makes the game so good is the understanding between the girls and the MC does what he can to not make the girls feel left out when he sleeps with such and such girl. (Falling asleep with the Kitten or nodding off with Vicky, where Lucy most likely shut the light, or even with Sarah in that last update)

Hannah herself said that you all really seem to love each other, and that's what's so good. There's no real tinge of jealousy. Lucy and Vicky had a little bit, but the more and more girls that get collars, the less issue jealousy would be. When the Kitten got hers, the other three, according to the dialogue, were all taking note of it. Sarah being inducted is going to be a very heartfelt moment I think.

 

[S1nsational]

Pretty much my understanding the harem having an unspoken hierarchy with Lucy as head. Imagine it being Lucy having the "legal wife" position where the others fill in either second/third/... wife position or concubine position, speaking in medieval(?) terms.

MC had and has same doubts about too many girls in this setting and asking Lucy about it as well. I think he recognizes the hierarchy but does not interject unless the power dynamics go out of their initial scope or the harmony of the group is at risk. You can even further interpret Victoria's and Sarah's room as something where Lucy has unilateral dips on sleeping on the bed, with Akatsuki being an exception on how she's kinda being explicit about having the master/pet dynamic and assuming the pet role. MC going to either room for alone time at night portraits the MC's bedroom and bed as Lucy's turf.
There are many layers of communication on how the dynamics of the group works and it's so far a quite smooth development, I believe.

Maybe Cosy can put in his two cents on this topic.

I will say, one of the tings I really love about this game is it is explicitly said that multiple wives is a common thing, at least among The Families. So Lucy will indeed be the first wife, but the others will be MCs legal wives too.

Lucy being First Wife is going to be so funny. Like yes it's what she deserves, she was the first girlfriend, but she'll also passively be a middle finger to the other Houses, a commoner as First Wife (and wives 2 and 3). And imagine getting to rub this in her abusive mothers face. Far from ever having been "worthless", she will be one of the most powerful women in the city. it wouldn't have to be done personally, a House wedding would not be small news, the bitch is going to find out one way or another.

 

[shitass1001]

ALL Main cast are in the Harem, no exceptions.
Cosy has said there will be an inner & outer circle to it but has not said much about who will be in what circle.

I should have worded it better, I didn't really mean actual side girls, more like the outer harem

 

[Mark Loring]

Inner Circle, Middle Circle, Outer (On the Fringe) Circle

 

[PaxHadrian17]

As for me, I'm just looking forward to letting Cosy tell us his story and the next anticipated release on Sept 1 (based on the last dev log).

I think it is great that the MC has a woman associated with each of the other families either seated with him or in the first row behind him.



Who is in what part of his harem will get sorted out in time.

Having 4 women from the other families (five, once Hannah comes over from being a betrothed to the dark side) will make a big difference in time + we get to watch those relationships grow and flourish.

I am all for more Cosy goodness in less than 2 weeks!

Cheers!!

 

[AcuteAppleAngle]

As for me, I'm just looking forward to letting Cosy tell us his story and the next anticipated release on Sept 1 (based on the last dev log).

I think it is great that the MC has a woman associated with each of the other families either seated with him or in the first row behind him.

View attachment 3954233

Who is in what part of his harem will get sorted out in time.

Having 4 women from the other families (five, once Hannah comes over from being a betrothed to the dark side) will make a big difference in time + we get to watch those relationships grow and flourish.

I am all for more Cosy goodness in less than 2 weeks!

Cheers!!

I think it will be quite fun to see how the MC responds to being pulled in 4 different directions. The harem either has or soon will have girls from each house, and they will all want their family to be treated nicely.

In my mind, the MC must establish that they are part of our family now, and our family comes first.

 

[Cosy Creator]

Avoidable?

Unequivocal girl on girl sex acts will always be avoidable. Slight line blurring, a girl touching another girl in a threesome etc will not - it would become impossible to make group content if that were the case.

Pretty much my understanding the harem having an unspoken hierarchy with Lucy as head. Imagine it being Lucy having the "legal wife" position where the others fill in either second/third/... wife position or concubine position, speaking in medieval(?) terms.

MC had and has same doubts about too many girls in this setting and asking Lucy about it as well. I think he recognizes the hierarchy but does not interject unless the power dynamics go out of their initial scope or the harmony of the group is at risk. You can even further interpret Victoria's and Sarah's room as something where Lucy has unilateral dips on sleeping on the bed, with Akatsuki being an exception on how she's kinda being explicit about having the master/pet dynamic and assuming the pet role. MC going to either room for alone time at night portraits the MC's bedroom and bed as Lucy's turf.
There are many layers of communication on how the dynamics of the group works and it's so far a quite smooth development, I believe.

Maybe Cosy can put in his two cents on this topic.

I think your summary is pretty much spot on with the current state of the dynamic between the girls. It will, of course, evolve over time, and I try to do it in a way that shows they're working it out between themselves and that the MC doesn't necessarily always get to see/know the inner workings of their dynamic with each other - rather, he sets the ground rules and then lets them figure it out among themselves.

Just to address the "which girls will be in the harem" question that has come up more generally: everyone in the main tab on the character bios I consider to be in the harem (eventually) to one extent or another. There is very clearly an inner circle (for a long time this was obviously just Lucy/Vicky/Akatsuki/Sarah), that the others will gradually be drawn into, but they won't all necessarily land in the same place at the same time: meaning, don't expect all of them to be moving in and living with the MC while he's still in school.

 

[jvbatman]

Well we haven't seen the full hallway. There could be hundreds of rooms in there.

 

[HiHaHo]

Well we haven't seen the full hallway. There could be hundreds of rooms in there.

you're talking about the school hallway right? ... right?

 

[shitass1001]

you're talking about the school hallway right? ... right?

there is another hallway in the cafe that only shows up if you look hard enough, House of Leaves style

 

[HiHaHo]

there is another hallway in the cafe that only shows up if you look hard enough, House of Leaves style
View attachment 3956964

well mystery hallway's aside, im sure sleep arangements will get sorted out along the way, be it girls sharing room's or getting a 2nd house/apartment.
allison will probably stay at her apartment while the MC is still a student to keep up a professional facade.
as for the other girls i only actually see Cathrine moving in next and not sarah or one off the other main love interests.

 

[ILoveSucuk]

Good evening Cosy Creator

As I have the File "AppData\Roaming\RenPy\tokens\security_keys.txt" marked as write protected, I have a nasty Side Effect AKA Bug to Report. I am not sure if you can or even want to waste time trying to work-around this, as I do not know into which File the Character Screen Infos get written. I guess that one possible Solution would be to write the Character Screen Data directly into the Save File itself.

Here is how to reproduce the Issue:

1: Start a fresh run with all Saves deleted manually OR without deleting them - does not matter
2: Run into new the Characters and forward enough for the Infos to be populated
3: Save manually and exit the AVN
4: Start the AVN and load the manually saved state
5: Have a completely empty Character Screen
6: Now at Day 5 (Example, Day does not matter as it happens after every load), where you run into Sarah the first time: Move forward enough for the Screen update to happen: Only Sarah's Infos are there.
7: Save manually and exit the AVN
8: Start the AVN and load the manually saved state
9: Have a completely empty Character Screen again

This is repeatable endlessly.

For those who do not know:
If you do not set this File to write-protected, all VN's using Ren'Py 8.1 or later, overwriting the same Value and you are unable to load your saves from other VN's without massive Issues or not at all in some cases. The Ren'Py Devs have implemented a good Idea in a completely idiotic way.

Another nasty side effect is, that you have to set up all Preferences every time you start an VN which using that Feature. But I prefer this over forced to restart in 9 out of 10 times. Anyway, this Part is only mentioned for the general "FYI" and does not matter here.

Greetings through the Night!
#StaySafeStayHealthyEveryone

EDIT01: I totally missed this Thread from 2023: https://f95zone.to/threads/new-renpy-token-check-when-creating-a-save.168169/

Literally found this after posting this and only by using an external Search Engine. It seems to work so far (only tested with this AVN) by overwriting some Files to completely disable this Security Feature. This is bad for People using Malware infected Save Files from other People or Online Save Editors which can inject Malware at will. Who knows, maybe the Ren'Py Devs learn to think things through in the Future and stop adding Features literally half-assed. Or fix this broken Implementation Finally in 8.3

 

[Cosy Creator]

Good evening Cosy Creator

As I have the File "AppData\Roaming\RenPy\tokens\security_keys.txt" marked as write protected, I have a nasty Side Effect AKA Bug to Report. I am not sure if you can or even want to waste time trying to work-around this, as I do not know into which File the Character Screen Infos get written. I guess that one possible Solution would be to write the Character Screen Data directly into the Save File itself.

Here is how to reproduce the Issue:

1: Start a fresh run with all Saves deleted manually OR without deleting them - does not matter
2: Run into new the Characters and forward enough for the Infos to be populated
3: Save manually and exit the AVN
4: Start the AVN and load the manually saved state
5: Have a completely empty Character Screen
6: Now at Day 5 (Example, Day does not matter as it happens after every load), where you run into Sarah the first time: Move forward enough for the Screen update to happen: Only Sarah's Infos are there.
7: Save manually and exit the AVN
8: Start the AVN and load the manually saved state
9: Have a completely empty Character Screen again

This is repeatable endlessly.

For those who do not know:
If you do not set this File to write-protected, all VN's using Ren'Py 8.1 or later, overwriting the same Value and you are unable to load your saves from other VN's without massive Issues or not at all. The Ren'Py Devs have implemented a good Idea in a completely idiotic way.

Another nasty side effect is, that you have to set up all Preferences every time you start an VN which using that Feature. But I prefer this over forced to restart in 9 out of 10 times. Anyway, this Part is only mentioned for the general "FYI" and does not matter here.

Greetings through the Night!
#StaySafeStayHealthyEveryone

Ren'Py persistent date (such as the character and gallery unlocks) saves in AppData\Roaming\RenPy\gamename\persistent, with each game getting its own file, so afaik there shouldn't be any conflict issues. As long as you don't have the whole thing or the CosyCafe file write protected you should be fine.

Also, I just tested write protecting security_keys.txt and it screwed up my entire ren'py dev launcher - so that may be the source of your issues in and of itself?