- Jun 2, 2017
- 1,145
- 3,046
Vtv,
I’m not lamenting the romantic depth - my worry is that we will end with a storybook ending, which is home and hearth (maybe a wedding), but still have left on the table some great character development. My lament is, being married, that ending is only the beginning, and we will miss some of that. There’s a lot of relationship growth after “marriage” (and, imo, the most important growth). Chapter 2 was always set (as far as I can tell) to end with “tying the knot” - either figuratively or literally. Chapter 3would explore things sexually, which I understand, but would also explore the F/D relationship now they are an open (if being secretive about the incest aspect) couple. The risk of skipping that relationship exploration is what I lament. I am advocating alternate ways to cover it if there is no Chapter 3 - such as single episode releases.
Things have been sped up in Chapter 2 - when comparing pre/post Patreon crackdown. I’m not against that for four reasons.
1 - Repetition: There are some scenes where character development or sexual content is (for me) too close to the previous release. Take out those moments and DMD would be @ 1/6th shorter than it is today. I think you can find my reasoning for avoiding repetition in a sexual VN over on my tumblr account.
2 - The Break between F’s Country and Doughnutstan: I’m usually pushing for a more angst and dark storyline - and that makes the moments of brightness that much more brilliant. The angst F & D went trouble on their break was good (I pushed for MC to be more of a total mess, with his apartment in tatters with old fast food trash). However, their break did put them imo on a different state of mind when they reconnected.
3 - D had an Orgasm: This is something I pounded for as a must before the end of Chapter 1. Imo, this was a huge moment that did two things. (1) it opened up D to a whole new experience; and (2) it added a physical element that could overwhelm her inner monologues of doubts. This then speeds up the sexual path. (Btw, this “sexual excitement overwhelms social mores” is, imo, the only way you get to fmf by then end of Chapter 12. I am a firm advocate that D enters into any sexual act willingly and lovingly. imo, that is either due to flow of a sexual romantic moment (carried along by the river of the sexual moment, so to speak) OR due to a learning the excitement it brings to one’s partner, and, over time and reflection, embracing it for oneself (this, imo, would require post Chapter 2 scripting).
4 - Reality Bites: As we all recall, there was discussion whether or not DMD would shut down. This came closer to happening than I would like to admit, but I was 90% sure at all times there would be something to close out DMD satisfactorily. Added to that, the work of closing out one chapter and transitioning to another chapter - that requires extra work and calculation that it creates incentive to complete the project by Chapter 2. So an increased pace aids this.
Conclusion: The faster pace fits in with my personal preference as to how the pacing should have been in order to avoid the appearance of repetion. The orgasm and break are two story moments that aid the characters to transition into a faster pace. And the Patreon/chapter break realities add to an non-story incentive to get to the “storybook ending” by the end of Chapter 2.
