VN Ren'Py Eternum [v0.8.0] [Caribdis]

[Dorfnutter]

I am just arguing because I get the feeling that Dorfnutter is arguing that the game is something that it isn't.

If by "something that it isn't" you mean I'm arguing that the game is a complex story with antagonists that have complex agendas and a plot that is confusing unless you pay close attention to the moving parts, no I'm not.

I'm arguing that a lot (note: not all of em) of the events that look like "one fun event to another fun event" on the surface level serve a narrative purpose other than just that. Not to mention that there's various hints and clues peppered in both the dialogue and lore reveals (i.e. NPCs being controlled by a chip which feels needless if they're supposed to be a full virtual construct) that eventually lead to even bigger reveals in the story (the 0.5 ending sequence is a testament to that).

Does that make Eternum's story complex? Not really. The entire thing is already building up to the fact that Orion and co will eventually switch from playing the game to stopping whatever bad thing is happening in Eternum (and I don't just mean the excommunications). Anything beyond that is just extra.

But the way the story is told beyond the surface level - from the deliberate peppering of information that Cari is doing to nonchalantly revealing certain things that eagle-eyed observers would freak out at - makes me believe that there's a lot more thought put into the storytelling and making the entire thing feel like you're uncovering a mystery instead of just being stringed along one random event to another like in OIAL (which is fine for that game since the entire thing played more like an Indy-style adventure with porn once Asmodeus was introduced to the story).

 

[Dogorti]

Hopefully never because it goes against what the developer has envisioned for the game. This game is not designed to be an incest game where the MC fucks his mom/sisters/whatever - you can see this on the dev's profile page where someone asked him about creating an incest mod. There might be a threesome/foursome with a milf and her 2 daughters but no incest involving the MC. And I think it should stay that way.

what the other guy told you. I asked for a mod, not a patch, I know this game doesn't have incest.

 

[Dogorti]

It just doesn't fit the story, maybe that's why there isn't one.
Which of the girls would you want to (somehow) be related to MC?
Are you asking for a mod that lets you choose if you want familial relationships with each of them?

nah, that wouldn't work, by mod I mean something that changes several lines of dialogue to add the incest in a kinda organic way (a lot of work) anyway it's not necessary I enjoy the game without the incest, but still it would be fun.

 

[Dogorti]

& if someone did create one, but it's not the girl you wanted incest with, what then?
Or do you not care which girl it is, you just want any incest content, with any of the girls?

all girls are goated so idc

 

[Dogorti]

There are so many games which do have that content, I really don't understand why you'd want to get it introduced, by a 3rd party, to a story which it doesn't fit with.

Because i'm sick and the more incest the better.

and again it would be a mod, something like putting porn on the sims or skyrim. there's nothing wrong with it, it's for fun

 

[Phase_01]

There are so many games which do have that content, I really don't understand why you'd want to get it introduced, by a 3rd party, to a story which it doesn't fit with.

I mean that is by definition, what a mod is. Plenty of games have mods that completely change it up. Look at Skyrim and Minecraft.
Having mods doesn't take away from the fact that the base game is amazing, just adds different experiences to it.

Not saying I want an incest mod, just don't think its that confusing why some people would want mods that give you different experiences in a game. It wouldn't be Eternum of course, but would be an overhaul mod that changes the story for people that would want to experience it. Same way people put Lord of the Rings in Minecraft to experience Lord of the Rings and not Minecraft.

Personally I don't feel like needing a mod cuz I like the base story, but I won't judge people that want it

As long as they still like the base story of course, if they don't then I've got words and fists for them

 

[Dorfnutter]

I feel like any discussion about modding incest into Eternum is still premature at this point given that there's still a lot of story to cover and Caribdis could still throw some curveballs that could potentially compromise said mod (like, for instance, showing off Orion's biological mother in a flashback or two, or revealing info about Orion's nature that would make any biological connection between him and the Carters mess up the entire story and necessitate a major story rewrite for the mod to work).

 

[Deleted member 5730975]

First of all, I'm 100% with you that this game doesn't need incest, but the developer vision is irrelevant for mods. I played Skyrim with Thomas the train being the dragons and using the Kamehameha instead the Fus Ro Dah, and I'm pretty sure that it wasn't the creative vision of Bethesda, but it was funny for a replay.
If someone prefer incest because the tabboo even imposted turn him on then cool, and you are free to play with or without mods, but we can't talk about the correct form to play a game because that doesn't exist, is a cyclical topic without real answer.

And about an incest mod in this game, it can be really difficult because is not changing one or two words, you need to change the story and it gonna have a lot of plotholes, like Dalia and the MC having the same age but not being twins, the father only taking Orion and totally ignoring the other two daughters, Nancy searching a new job when Orion is still with her, the cold reunion between Orion and his "sisters" at the beginning, etc.
Is practically another version.

It is not irrelevant because the story is being developed. Modding what you want in a completed game is not the same as modding something that is ongoing. What if Caribdis introduces the MC's mother next update? Not only does the story need to be altered to fit the current game but if from the developer's perspective incest does not fit, it will also have to be altered in the future. If a mod is going to be made it should happen after the plot points are resolved. It is a massive waste of time and energy otherwise and it is a lot to ask of any modder in my opinion.

But I guess my initial reply of 'hopefully never' was a bit uncalled for. You are right people like what they like.

 

[Yvier the Duck]

It is not irrelevant because the story is being developed. Modding what you want in a completed game is not the same as modding something that is ongoing. What if Caribdis introduces the MC's mother next update? Not only does the story need to be altered to fit the current game but if from the developer's perspective incest does not fit, it will also have to be altered in the future. If a mod is going to be made it should happen after the plot points are resolved. It is a massive waste of time and energy otherwise and it is a lot to ask of any modder in my opinion.

A what if is not a good reason to not make something. If the real mother appears in the game then yes, the mod is irrelevant, but that's every mod in every game, you can't predict what the author is gonna make. We stop making walkthought mods because the author could make one in the future? Gallery mods? Translation mods? No, because is useful now, change the game now, and the future well, who knows.

But I guess my initial reply of 'hopefully never' was a bit uncalled for. You are right people like what they like.

Oh, don't worry, It wasn't a bad take and I understand you, I just wanna tell my opinion. We all love the game, no need to apologize, and sorry if my reply felt a little agressive, it wasn't my intention.

 

[Jeycii_]

(copy pasting my review on the game to show how awesome i view this game to random ppl in the forum)

Euhh...
i came here after seeing the tv ad from My Bully is my Lover and after finishing Once A Lifetime. I was really hooked in OAL and was kinda sad, that the game ended so early. (I love Carla <3 )
At first I was really hesitant on Eternum because from the pictures it looked like sci fi shooting bla bla which i wasnt too much interested on, but... HOLY *** MACARONY I HAD NO IDEA ETERNUM WOULD BE SO *** GOOD!!!
I love EVERYTHING.
The designs, the characters, world building, story, animations, renders, jokes, dialogues, pacing, music, art... OH MY GOD, ITS SO GOOD. This easily reached my top favorite games, if not even #1... oh damn. I cant go into any details because im a noob for creating games and etc, but damn... this game is a masterpiece and im positive that it will s tay this way. Hell. 11/10. I cant praise this more, its really freaking good.

Thanks for this game dear Caribdis and team (im just assuming there is a team lul)

 

[Alandir]

If by "something that it isn't" you mean I'm arguing that the game is a complex story with antagonists that have complex agendas and a plot that is confusing unless you pay close attention to the moving parts, no I'm not.

We are in agreement then.

I read, but your tone suggested you really didn't get it. Maybe you do, but if you get it, why bring it up? Why make it something if it's nothing? And if you think the game isn't "something", then figure out what you think is "something" and go enjoy that. Let those of us that enjoy this game - and consider it something more than you do - enjoy the game.

Adios.

You are being fairly hostile and keep twisting my words to interpret my words in a way to assume that I said something bad about Eternum, when I didn't.
So I won't argue any further.

 

[Dorfnutter]

We are in agreement then.

Agreement in regards to how straightforward the plot seemingly is for now, sure. Cari could still throw a curveball though as the story is not even halfway done yet (one of his volunteer staffers said we're about 25-30% done with the main story as of 0.5).

Agreement that Cari is stringing events along with no underlying plan underneath (despite the plan not being as complex as, say, a DARK-tier plot) and everything is just a means to show off a "fun and chill" harem story? No.

 

[Alandir]

Agreement that Cari is stringing events along with no underlying plan underneath (despite the plan not being as complex as, say, a DARK-tier plot) and everything is just a means to show off a "fun and chill" harem story? No.

I never said that though. I never said that there was no plan. I said that the plan of the 'Eternum mystery' serves as a framing device in order to easily connect the various events. It's clear that there is a definite plan, cari has been very consistent in ending each update with some kind of cliffhanger after all.

 

[Dorfnutter]

I never said that though. I never said that there was no plan. I said that the plan of the 'Eternum mystery' serves as a framing device in order to easily connect the various events. It's clear that there is a definite plan, cari has been very consistent in ending each update with some kind of cliffhanger after all.

Is this not what you implied in these quotes?

Warthogs doesn't move the story forward, neither does andromeda, or egypt, or red herring or ekabar or semper invicta. They are there to be fun events with the gang, with some plot sprinkled in at some points.

That's what these games are good at, to have a more relaxed, chill story. The purpose of the game isn't to string you from story beat to story beat. The purpose of the game is to get you from one fun event to another fun event, which may or may not progress the story.

Because your earlier remarks make it sound like you're saying this VN is just OIAL 2.0 where - if you scrutinize them well enough - majority of the events that happen never really contribute to the advancement of the story, that they're simply fun events that contribute to relationship and harem building. And when story does happen, everything goes "REALLY SERIOUS, NOT REALLY FUN STUFF HAPPENING" and where inclusion of some characters leave much to be desired (like randomly having Iris just tag along in the Grimoire of Magnus hunt without any sort of buildup or whatnot, or Stabby Mike becoming absolutely crucial to a lot of stuff moving forward despite just being a random ex-con whom the MC frees out of momentary kindness).

Cari learned from that. It's fairly obvious based on how he's telling the story this time around (weaving SoL and plot advancement) and on how he's making sure every member of Orion's harem gets equal amount of screentime and a more natural inclusion to the overall story, instead of just being sidegirls that're elevated to the plot if needed but then discarded right after (looking at you, Aiko). You can say that Nancy's and Penny's inclusion is just two individuals getting stringed along into playing a VRMMO just to get close to the guy that they like, but you have to be naïve in thinking that the experience and stuff that they've gained from their respective first-time playthroughs won't contribute to the story in any way later on (especially Nancy's).

 

[Alandir]

Is this not what you implied in these quotes?

Because your earlier remarks make it sound like you're saying this VN is just OIAL 2.0 where - if you scrutinize them well enough - majority of the events that happen never really contribute to the story.

It is not. At least it's not what I meant to say with them. I'm not saying there's 0 story in those worlds.
I'm saying that the meat of those worlds is to provide the fun event. They may have some story-seasoning sprinkled in, sometimes they have quite a lot of story in there.
But the big main purpose of those scenes is the fun event. Warthogs happens because it's a fun event in a magical world, not because of a small story hint that you can get if you make a specific choice .
Also it seems that you have a lot stronger opinions on OIALT than I do. I can see how my somewhat vague arguments could lead to misunderstandings, especially if they hit a sore spot like that.

 

[Dorfnutter]

But the big main purpose of those scenes is the fun event. Warthogs happens because it's a fun event in a magical world, not because of a small story hint that you can get if you make a specific choice .

You and I see things differently so we'll just have to agree to disagree. You see these events for the fun stuff that they bring, I look close at these events and see how they move things forward. It's the reason why I think - going back to the topic that started this whole exchange - certain people didn't like 0.5: because they have that kind of mindset while playing through the story. However, I appreciate 0.5 more so than they do because some downtime is definitely needed after the major stuff that the gang went through (while also providing some hints that despite the much-needed break Orion didn't come out unscathed from his experiences in the game). And I'm of the opinion that, given that Caribdis is planning to go further in terms of story length, we will be seeing more of such updates in the future.

Also it seems that you have a lot stronger opinions on OIALT than I do. I can see how my somewhat vague arguments could lead to misunderstandings, especially if they hit a sore spot like that.

Don't get me wrong, I like OIAL and I think it's a diamond in the rough. But the rough parts (i.e. lack of music for the most part of the story, entire narrative feeling like a slog in the first 3 updates, certain characters feeling underutilized (i.e. Aiko, Iris, Asmodeus) while certain characters feel overutilized (i.e. Stabby Mike)) were DEFINITELY rough for me. Would probably rate it a solid 3-3.5/5 if I give it a review but I'm holding off until Cari either posts the long-awaited Epilogue (so I can add it to the review if need be) or announces its cancellation or something.

 

[PervyParadox]

It is not. At least it's not what I meant to say with them. I'm not saying there's 0 story in those worlds.
I'm saying that the meat of those worlds is to provide the fun event. They may have some story-seasoning sprinkled in, sometimes they have quite a lot of story in there.
But the big main purpose of those scenes is the fun event.

I think you're under the misconception that what you prefer in Eternum is the main purpose of it. However, the way Caribdis tells the story and the "fun events" make the two intertwine in a way that neither of them "serves" the other, but each of them complete each other instead. The story serves its own "main purpose", while the "fun events" also serve their own main purpose. It's just so happens that Caribdis is good enough to mix the two in a way that neither is "more important" than the other. Instead, both the story and the fun events follow their own "main purpose" while completing each other in a satisfying way : the story allows the fun events to happen, and the fun events allow the story to be told. You can prefer one or the other, but neither is there just to "provide" the other with content. They're both independantly great and they're also nicely mixed together.

To use your own words, the "meat" of those worlds is to provide both the fun events AND the story. The big main purpose of story scenes is to tell the story and to allow the fun events to happen, while the big main purpose of the "fun events" is to have fun and allow the story to breathe. What you pay more attention to is just what you prefer, not what is actually the most important within the game.

 

[limo89671]

Someone know the HS mods for this game?

 

[seniorboop]

Im down horrendous checking Patreon everyday for the release window post

Break the chains of this cursed loop, free me please Caribdis!!

 

[ArDZer]

Im down horrendous checking Patreon everyday for the release window post

Break the chains of this cursed loop, free me please Caribdis!!

Just hang in there partner. The dreaded Eternum withdrawal symptom should be over by July at the latest.