VN Ren'Py Eternum [v0.9.5 Public] [Caribdis]

[Takkatakka]

Nova, Alex, and Dalia showing up in Eternum with their real bodies isn't considered a very real danger? Calypso draining her powers to the point of exhaustion and possibly near death by the end of the update isn't considered a real danger?

Just because the girls end up being fine afterwards, that doesn't mean the danger isn't real. In fact I'd argue that the danger is a lot more real in this update for the girls as a wrong move on their end could've effectively killed them for realsies and turned them into one of them brainwashed NPCs.

Honestly the danger Nova was in not being more of a thing in the episode was probably one of its weaker points. They really should've talked about that a bit more.

Also I'm pretty sure Cari is building up the game to some form of grueling battle at some point and to make that more of a hit for the player we have to see the crew being really op for a time so the contrast to a fight they hardly pull through is so much larger and more shocking.

At least that would be my guess.

 

[Dorfnutter]

Honestly the danger Nova was in not being more of a thing in the episode was probably one of its weaker points. They really should've talked about that a bit more.

Nova being in danger and her realizing that after the fact was meant to be some sort of fridge horror event, so a deeper conversation about that would dilute the "joke" and feels something best left offscreen or touched upon for later (which Cari did for a bit with Dalia).

 

[Daermon420]

Nova, Alex, and Dalia showing up in Eternum with their real bodies isn't considered a very real danger? Calypso draining her powers to the point of exhaustion and possibly near death by the end of the update isn't considered a real danger?

Just because the girls end up being fine afterwards, that doesn't mean the danger isn't real. In fact I'd argue that the danger is a lot more real in this update for the girls as a wrong move on their end could've effectively killed them for realsies and turned them into one of them brainwashed NPCs.

I started to sweat a bit every time Orion brought one of the girls into Eternum in the flesh. I don't think Cari would kill off any of them without there being some choice to get them through that scenario alive. But that doesn't mean one couldn't end up injured and out of commission for a while. Which I would hate to have happen to any of em.

 

[DETROIT123_io]

I started to sweat a bit every time Orion brought one of the girls into Eternum in the flesh. I don't think Cari would kill off any of them without there being some choice to get them through that scenario alive. But that doesn't mean one couldn't end up injured and out of commission for a while. Which I would hate to have happen to any of em.

Exactly My point , I wanna feel the stakes like I felt when thanatos first fought with orion . Nova was almost killed , calypso was baadly beaten and MC got messed up . Also If cari is brave enough to add a scene where players wrong choice can lead to a death of a girl , that would be so great . But I think he wont do it and I understand , that it will give people trauma . But I agree with your point that Cari might be making the girls OP for the final battle against thanatos where stakes would be very high

 

[DETROIT123_io]

Honestly the danger Nova was in not being more of a thing in the episode was probably one of its weaker points. They really should've talked about that a bit more.

Also I'm pretty sure Cari is building up the game to some form of grueling battle at some point and to make that more of a hit for the player we have to see the crew being really op for a time so the contrast to a fight they hardly pull through is so much larger and more shocking.

At least that would be my guess.

Infinity war vibes

 

[Dorfnutter]

I don't think Cari would kill off any of them

Been bracing for it since the "sacrifice" talk with the Founder at the beginning of 0.5, which then got reinforced by the Syndicate Member in the Valley of Kings mentioning something about the death of Orion's loved ones. Either it's going to be some sort of fucked up vision in the future, or the girls die for realsies but then get revived thanks to Orion making the right choices in the end.

 

[DETROIT123_io]

Been bracing for it since the "sacrifice" talk with the Founder at the beginning of 0.5, which then got reinforced by the Syndicate Member in the Valley of Kings mentioning something about the death of Orion's loved ones. Either it's going to be some sort of fucked up vision in the future, or the girls die for realsies but then get revived thanks to Orion making the right choices in the end.

Dude this looks like peak fiction , If it happened

 

[Krytax123]

Been bracing for it since the "sacrifice" talk with the Founder at the beginning of 0.5, which then got reinforced by the Syndicate Member in the Valley of Kings mentioning something about the death of Orion's loved ones. Either it's going to be some sort of fucked up vision in the future, or the girls die for realsies but then get revived thanks to Orion making the right choices in the end.

Noooo ... the founder was surely talking about ... uhh .. orions dad?

 

[LusterDemon]

What?? IMPOSSIBLE, NO ONE SAW THIS COMING (literally everyone saw this coming) Gotta admit this was set up pretty well since the scary server

 

[LusterDemon]

yea i knew he would say that shit

 

[e6mill]

View attachment 5054694 View attachment 5054695 yea i knew he would say that shit

Famous (among nerds) quote.

 

[Hakkai]

Just reached the latest update, what a ride.. Its one of the best AVN i ever read... hoping a dalia and alex 3some scene next update

 

[Skyangel007]

Just reached the latest update, what a ride.. Its one of the best AVN i ever read... hoping a dalia and alex 3some scene next update

Same, I only recently came upon this one (lit played at this version 0.8.5) and played it in one go. It was amazing! Cant wait for the next update. Waiting patiently!

 

[Mutation8888]

It feels kind of strange to me, but Calypso really doesn't do anything for me. Sure, she's hot af (but really, who isn't?), but she just doesn't feel real to me, more like an NPC. She's obviously very helpful, both in terms of her powers and in terms of her lore. And it's becoming increasingly clear that her understanding of Eternum is closer to the truth than what Ulysses says, and very likely she isn't really a NPC (i.e., she isn't something just "coded in" to the game, nor is she a disembodied spirit, even though she definitely isn't a "player" in the normal sense). But still, just not feeling it with her.

Maybe it's that the elf thing doesn't really do anything for me (which is kind of odd given that Harem Hotel was my introduction to AVNs).

I get you on that. Calypso does "feel" kind of fake, but it is likely due to her trying to remain aloof as a highbrow aristocrat and hide her real emotions. She has very few moments of disclosure or deep conversations of friendship with anyone. We saw a bit of that with Alex as well until the MC got past her shell. I have no doubt after getting past Calypso's shell we will begin to see more of the real her. We know a little about her, just not enough to really get her deeper personality completely yet. So far as physical qualities... yeah, she does not strike me as being a prototypical elf (though that varies across culture and time as well).

 

[danb35]

Calypso does "feel" kind of fake, but it is likely due to her trying to remain aloof as a highbrow aristocrat and hide her real emotions.

Interesting thought; I might have to chew on it a bit. I don't recall feeling the same way about Alex, but then Alex didn't spend nearly as long in the "aloof" category.

I certainly don't dislike Calypso, but I just don't feel much of a connection there. But after her insight/revelation at the beginning of this update, maybe that will change.

 

[Mutation8888]

Interesting thought; I might have to chew on it a bit. I don't recall feeling the same way about Alex, but then Alex didn't spend nearly as long in the "aloof" category.

I certainly don't dislike Calypso, but I just don't feel much of a connection there. But after her insight/revelation at the beginning of this update, maybe that will change.

Same.

 

[BTungsteno]

It feels kind of strange to me, but Calypso really doesn't do anything for me. Sure, she's hot af (but really, who isn't?), but she just doesn't feel real to me, more like an NPC. She's obviously very helpful, both in terms of her powers and in terms of her lore. And it's becoming increasingly clear that her understanding of Eternum is closer to the truth than what Ulysses says, and very likely she isn't really a NPC (i.e., she isn't something just "coded in" to the game, nor is she a disembodied spirit, even though she definitely isn't a "player" in the normal sense). But still, just not feeling it with her.

Maybe it's that the elf thing doesn't really do anything for me (which is kind of odd given that Harem Hotel was my introduction to AVNs).

It probably doesn't help that Orion barely being able to get pass His "Princess of the Elves" and have more intimate conversation with Her and enjoying time together, add to the fact the game is 4-6 updates from ending, She feels like a side-dish at moments.

Edit,pd: don't take me wrong , i like Her character and the potential dynamic for a Aragorn-Arwen with Orion, but dunno if we're gonna have enough time for that with the story reaching mid-end phase

 

[KanyeT]

I certainly don't dislike Calypso, but I just don't feel much of a connection there. But after her insight/revelation at the beginning of this update, maybe that will change.

This is another reason why I don't want to see a scene with Lorelei. I feel like starting unnecessary connections with some random elf at this point in the game is not worth our time when it could be spent better getting to know Calypso. I hope this next update focuses heavily on her (and her alone) so we can finally kickstart that romantic relationship instead of everything being so, as you put it, aloof.

 

[Ungawa]

Interesting thought; I might have to chew on it a bit. I don't recall feeling the same way about Alex, but then Alex didn't spend nearly as long in the "aloof" category.

I certainly don't dislike Calypso, but I just don't feel much of a connection there. But after her insight/revelation at the beginning of this update, maybe that will change.

The big thing about Alex is that she comes off as an ice queen because her family is well known about town. As a Bardot, she's already high society. The big thing for her is to be understood as someone beyond the family name. The "aloof" was there, but Orion melted it.

For Calypso, she's a fish out of water since she was in the box. The point is that she's relying on Orion and the crew and adapting to them. The next update is about a reverse of that role and her part in the story. The connection was built over time and mainly it's about trying to fit in with people outside her own race.

I THINK the next update is going to show that connections to others defies connections based on merely being an elf. With the story tie in, and Orion having similar powers, there's a LOT that Calypso has actually done to help Orion such as saving him from the bullet wound and the protection in the bath.

 

[walker188]

Been bracing for it since the "sacrifice" talk with the Founder at the beginning of 0.5, which then got reinforced by the Syndicate Member in the Valley of Kings mentioning something about the death of Orion's loved ones. Either it's going to be some sort of fucked up vision in the future, or the girls die for realsies but then get revived thanks to Orion making the right choices in the end.

I don't think Caribdis has the stones to kill off any girl either (or even the MC)*, but man I would respect the hell out of him if he did.

The thing is, a 'sacrifice' in a game hits very, very differently from a sacrifice in any other media.

In a film/novel/comic you are watching the MC go about his journey. In the game, you ARE the MC. His choices are yours, and thus it becomes very easy to make the player feel forced or railroaded. While a sacrifice ending can make sense and be rather authentic in other media, in a game many players often end up feeling unfulfilled (I personally believe this tendency to self insert is why so many players are so sensitive toward any sort of male competition in their games).

For instance, in the game Mass Effect 3 which- quality issues aside -had a notoriously downer ending, many players were immensely disappointed for the lack of a simple 'happy' ending. Contrast that with Game of Thrones, which had a similar lack of polish, but was also critiqued for the lack of protagonists death and/or causalities.

I'm not sure how to resolve this issue. Frankly the best way I've seen it done would be Dragon Age 1 and Fallout 3 WITH the expansion pack that modifies the game to allow player choice in their sacrifice scenes. Players must feel the weight of their choices, but also be given real, meaningful options either way.

*Of course, that may be out of the scope of the AVN genre. Let's be honest, porn is the Hallmark channel level depth in terms of character and story. Even stories with the potential for more depth, such as this one typically avoid it (as seen here in the latest episode, where there absolutely NO consequences for Orion's choices or actions).