VN Ren'Py Eternum [v0.7.5 Public] [Caribdis]

[Dorfnutter]

[...]I do think Once in a Lifetime does humor and horror a lot better than eternum. Once in a Lifetime is overall a much funnier game - there are more humorous situations, more wacky characters etc. And I liked the horror segments in Once in a Lifetime a lot more than the Red Herring server - I was not as invested in the eternum horror segments because it was all in game and it was just a video game session to Orion, Luna and Annie. Same can be said about the Andromeda date with Annie. The MC could lose the gem but nobody's life was at risk because its all just a game. The MC's dreams are nice but they are too short and so not as scary.

OIAL horror works because the danger is a lot more real compared to Eternum, where much of the horror stuff happens inside the "game" (or, assuming that the twist about it is real, deludes you into thinking that it's all just a game until the inevitable reveal, meaning the horror is more of the "fridge" type variety where you realize how scary it actually is much later in the story). However, given the longer nature of the narrative, I'm sure that the horror elements and the "danger" factor will continually ramp up as time goes on (and that's what worries me tbh).

Also I disagree with the humor comment. I feel that Eternum is just as humorous as OIAL, but IMO the reason OIAL's humor seems to land a lot more to people is because of 2 factors:

a) HS1 being able to pull the "humorous" face gags a lot better than HS2 because the more realistic art style of the latter engine dilutes rather than enhances the gag factor (which is also my argument as to why I think slapstick doesn't really work in Daz3D unless the models themselves look exaggerated...that, or act in an exaggerated fashion...which could look cringe instead of funny depending on how the scene plays out)

b) the tone of OIAL is a lot lighter compared to Eternum, which helps make the gags in the former land better compared to the latter, where the gag might not land or feel out of place at times despite the scene still being funny overall (i.e. the Dark Arts test gags, the Chop Chop gag at Red Herring, Nova's comment on Orion's wang size in the Egyptian server)

 

[Jehuty206]

OIAL horror works because the danger is a lot more real compared to Eternum, where much of the horror stuff happens inside the "game" (or, assuming that the twist about it is real, deludes you into thinking that it's all just a game until the inevitable reveal, meaning the horror is more of the "fridge" type variety where you realize how scary it actually is much later in the story). However, given the longer nature of the narrative, I'm sure that the horror elements and the "danger" factor will continually ramp up as time goes on (and that's what worries me tbh).

Also I disagree with the humor comment. I feel that Eternum is just as humorous as OIAL, but IMO the reason OIAL's humor seems to land a lot more to people is because of 2 factors:

a) HS1 being able to pull the "humorous" face gags a lot better than HS2 because the more realistic art style of the latter engine dilutes rather than enhances the gag factor (which is also my argument as to why I think slapstick doesn't really work in Daz3D unless the models themselves look exaggerated...that, or act in an exaggerated fashion...which could look cringe instead of funny depending on how the scene plays out)

b) the tone of OIAL is a lot lighter compared to Eternum, which helps make the gags in the former land better compared to the latter, where the gag might not land or feel out of place at times despite the scene still being funny overall (i.e. the Dark Arts test gags, the Chop Chop gag at Red Herring, Nova's comment on Orion's wang size in the Egyptian server)

This.

 

[ju1zzed]

View attachment 2758672

Cant wait....hype hype hype <B

 

[gargamel44]

I don't know why you would say OIALT was "scarier" only because it happened in real life. It was just the persecution zombie plot here and there; in Eternum it's improved and done in a more gracious way. The clever use of the camera to portray the claustrophobic and schizophrenic-inducing situation in the Red Herring server, the audio to build up the tension in Annie's date combined with the ambiguity of the origin of the singularity, or even the different bits of the story that construct the plot of both worlds colliding. No scene in OIALT made me feel more sick to the stomach than the final scene in 0.5. No disrespect to his first game, it's just that Eternum is a couple miles better in every aspect, unless you like repetitive, silly, cartoonish comedy (and that's not an insult, it's about preference).

 

[dolfe67]

Humor in OIAL was too much for my tastes, too much silliness. There are supernatural elements, but stabby mike being everywhere and serving as deus ex machina is detrimental to the story imo.

In Eternum it was toned down for the better, the game is more serious and believable.

 

[Dorfnutter]

I don't know why you would say OIALT was "scarier" only because it happened in real life.

I mean Eternum has the production values and the atmosphere, but OIAL's got the ick and shock factor due to how unnerving the models and locations looked and how it all had that low-budget horror look that still managed to punch above its weight and surprise folks that didn't thought such stuff would be possible in such an engine. Think "Dead Space" vs "Five Nights at Freddy's." The latter has a tighter budget than the former, but the scares still work just as fine.

That said, Eternum has the advantage of being a longer game, so the "horror" factor is likely going to escalate further than OIAL...and as a scaredy-cat, I am honestly not looking forward to that. DX

No scene in OIALT made me feel more sick to the stomach than the final scene in 0.5.

As one of the folks in this thread who has been theorizing that NPCs are dead people and that excommunication is somehow part of said process, my feelings were a lot different when that final bombshell dropped:

View attachment -jgrSEMc2V9f93nIsqbSzAQtkIaskBpv2jNnscZTaE8.mp4

 

[gargamel44]

I mean Eternum has the production values and the atmosphere, but OIAL's got the ick and shock factor due to how unnerving the models and locations looked and how it all had that low-budget horror look that still managed to punch above its weight and surprise folks that didn't thought such stuff would be possible in such an engine. Think "Dead Space" vs "Five Nights at Freddy's." The latter has a tighter budget than the former, but the scares still work just as fine.

That said, Eternum has the advantage of being a longer game, so the "horror" factor is likely going to escalate further than OIAL...and as a scaredy-cat, I am honestly not looking forward to that. DX



As one of the folks in this thread who has been theorizing that NPCs are dead people and that excommunication is somehow part of said process, my feelings were a lot different when that final bombshell dropped:

View attachment 2761055

I already knew they were dead players since the party in 0.4, it was obvious. It doesn't make the moment less disturbing.

 

[KamakaziPython]

Hi, just a quick question. How long is this game in terms of hours?

 

[Dorfnutter]

I already knew they were dead players since the party in 0.4, it was obvious.

You'd be surprised at how many people in this thread and beyond who managed to reach 0.5 were going "wait what" when some eagle-eyed folks were pointing the proof out to them.

It doesn't make the moment less disturbing.

Didn't say it wasn't. Just saying that what may be disturbing to you might be "meh" to some folks or even "whoa, wait what really? Holy crap this changes EVERYTHING!" to others (which seems to be the majority reaction from here to Itch.io to Cari's Patreon).

It's the same with OIAL's scare factor. Some people just find the combination of dated renders and unnerving lower grade models and trope-y horror scenarios at lot scarier than a high-production, higher quality, extra scary horror scenario. /shrugs "Different strokes for different folks," as the saying goes.

 

[bolenart]

Hi, just a quick question. How long is this game in terms of hours?

Probably 10-15 hours depending on your reading speed.

 

[KamakaziPython]

Probably 10-15 hours depending on your reading speed.

Thankyou

 

[Deleted member 5730975]

I don't know why you would say OIALT was "scarier" only because it happened in real life. It was just the persecution zombie plot here and there; in Eternum it's improved and done in a more gracious way. The clever use of the camera to portray the claustrophobic and schizophrenic-inducing situation in the Red Herring server, the audio to build up the tension in Annie's date combined with the ambiguity of the origin of the singularity, or even the different bits of the story that construct the plot of both worlds colliding. No scene in OIALT made me feel more sick to the stomach than the final scene in 0.5. No disrespect to his first game, it's just that Eternum is a couple miles better in every aspect, unless you like repetitive, silly, cartoonish comedy (and that's not an insult, it's about preference).

Lack of consequence is what makes me think the OIALT scenes are scarier. Yeah the scenes are set up better in Eternum's red herring server but nothing is going to happen to the MC if the Mrs Fink gets to you which is why it did not work for me. Same with the annie date. If the monsters get to you no big deal. At least for me for horror scenes to work there needs to be consequences and a scene with praetorians chasing after Orion would be a lot more scary than Mrs Fink or the Xenomorphs because unlike them the praetorians can excommunicate/kill you. The only horror scenes in eternum that worked for me were the smaller dream sequences.

And the final scene of 0.5 was not scary/disturbing to me at all. Mostly because a lot of people had already theorized here the NPCs were dead people. Personally I found it more interesting than scary - it made me want to learn more about the plot and what comes next as opposed to disturbing me. It was not a scary scene to me but a scene that hyped me up for the next update.

 

[HardcoreCuddler]

View attachment 2759897
Facts XD

What the actual fuck

 

[Lordcasquenoir]

I heard a rumor that the Church of Nova own a pet dino. But that's just a rumor...right ?

 

[rudy007]

I heard a rumor that the Church of Nova own a pet dino. But that's just a rumor...right ?

View attachment 2761172

Yeah... kinda... Actually they have few of them... But you didn't hear that from me...

 

[gargamel44]

So what I'm seeing here is that the arguments are more about the theme or style of the game than its quality. It's pretty subjective; after all, it's an opinion, but in no way is OIALT better than Eternum if we analyze it with a more solid criterion. I do get why someone would enjoy OIALT more, but it's not for me, and that fact combined with the obvious superiority of Eternum in the technical aspects makes the game just unreachable for OIALT (in my most honest opinion).

 

[hitmebaby]

"Treatises." More like the ramblings of a raving lunatic who has severe withdrawals thanks to the 6-month dev time.

...Also you forgot the part about me theorizing Eternum being another name for the Astral Plane, and that the entire "game" (which in reality is just a fancy means for one to Astrally Project his/her consciousness into the Astral Plane) is one giant scheme concocted by the Founder in order to "recruit" millions of unknowing individuals in order to hunt down the Gems of Doom for some selfish purpose, and in the process causing the natural order of the Plane to change so much that the living and the dead are now trapped in a cycle of death and rebirth...and the latter have been searching for someone to free them ever since.

madude, it is highly unlikely that reality is dualistic. stick to rational philosophical materialism that you will probably do better. nonetheless, if advice was a good thing... do what will. in regards to the game i don't think the setting is dualistic either considering the theme is cyberpunk in which the universe is usually materialistic with futurism and dystopia. i could be wrong ...some weebs love spiritualism.

 

[Dorfnutter]

in regards to the game i don't think the setting is dualistic either considering the theme is cyberpunk in which the universe is usually materialistic with futurism and dystopia.

...Except this game takes place in the same universe as "Once in a Lifetime" (with this VN

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) and that game already established that stuff like demons and magic and the supernatural exist in the setting. So I'm not so sure if we can dismiss said "spiritualist" ideas just yet.

 

[Dorfnutter]

I heard a rumor that the Church of Nova own a pet dino. But that's just a rumor...right ?

View attachment 2761172

Spoiler: I'm afraid the rumors are true...

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[hitmebaby]

...Except this game takes place in the same universe as "Once in a Lifetime" (with this VN taking place a decade or so after that game) and that game already established that stuff like demons and magic and the supernatural exist in the setting. So I'm not so sure if we can dismiss said "spiritualist" ideas just yet.

i haven't played 'once in a lifetime'... you could be right. the deus ex machina overused with spiritualism is boring af.