- Thread starter NeonGhosts
- Start date
- Jul 25, 2017
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kind of. It was just a beta / early access build this is the full release now of the update.
Thanks. That's nice. I hope the photo shoot girl and her mom get more scenes. My absolute favorite
- Mar 25, 2021
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I will correct one thing. We weren't fucking we were making love. And that's what I would tell her dad if he asked what we were up to.
- Aug 5, 2016
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We were just making love duh.
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- Mar 22, 2020
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Should put it in spoilers
But I and others have the same theory!
- Apr 9, 2018
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Thank you for that in-depth opinion. Once finished, I felt I might have done it wrong somewhere with my approach to not take advantage of someone in need right off the bat. Like not even a tiny bit of indulgence, and thus me coming out empty handed was either just the game telling me that I missed out or simply that I've locked myself in for the long haul with the reward reaping happening far down the road when the perspective LIs aren't at the mercy of my goodwill and we have a more positive and well balanced relationship.
But, it does seem that is not the case and I might have to take another swing at the play after some more content is added into it
While I have your attention, could I offer a penny for your design thoughts on Mason? With him going through some pretty brutal tough times, I was especially careful handling this one. Starting off, I just wanted to help him get back on his feet and cultivate faith in the idea that there is good in humanity still. As he clearly depicted heterosexual tendencies, my intent was to be a good friend and be there for him. But then as the story progressed, I started getting the feeling that he might be bisexual. And so, I decided to go down the rabbit hole a bit and in one of the engagements, the MC has the opportunity to refer to him as a "her".
So my ultimate question is: how do you plan to handle Mason's character growth? If pursued in a romantic way, will he have a gay/bisexual route with the MC? Or perhaps a threesome love angle with a female LI? Or perhaps the player can pick choices based on meaningful and well meaning interactions that can feminize his character in both personality and looks to be a more "her"? Please note, my intentions are to not invoke a woke based discussion, as that is the last Pandora's box I want to open here. I'm however very curious as to what is in the realm of positive relationship when it'd come to this character without pushing it too far. As far as sexual orientation preferences go, I've none when it comes to games so long as I'm in for a good story.
PS: Apologies if you have already explained your opinion on the matter in the past. But browsing through nearly 658 pages of thread is a bit of harrowing task.
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- Oct 24, 2019
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he doesnt care as long as you are paying for his shit
I don't think Mason likes confrontation. I seem to remember he kept asking MC "no, really, it's ok, let's just go". Just my personal opinion, I don't think it will have much, if any, impact on Mason and MC's relationship with him, though. So you're probably good either way. I assume it's moreso going to affect public perception of the MC. There's a subplot there that's building, first with the homeless guy incident and people recording, and now with the obnoxious social media couple. I have a feeling that's going to directly impact your success against Lucien.
- Mar 20, 2019
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Yeahhh, this was kind of my thought process. It's a pretty standard, "Fuck off and leave my daughter alone," speech, tailored to Guy's specific circumstances. One person in the playtesting phase of Chapter 9 said that they felt like that scene flowed weird. A couple more said the same thing post-release. I don't entirely see it, but it's been brought up by a few people, so I'm willing to believe there's something there. Or rather, something missing.
The supporter who critiqued the scene basically said some things that others here have said -- why didn't Guy push back? He could point out all he's done for the community. He could try to explain to Carl that he has Risa's best interests at heart. He could criticize Carl's 'self-made man' image.
Originally, there was actually a bit where Guy could point out that Carl's real estate empire benefited from an entirely different market, that he grew up in a time when wages were more commensurate to productivity, and so on. But, it just felt off. Like Guy's response was a little too, "Haha, suck it boomer!" So, I ultimately decided that what made the most sense was for Carl to sit there and recite a little treatise, and for Guy to endure it until he finally either tried to smooth things over, or respond aggressively.
Ultimately, their first meeting was a little bit of table-setting: "Back off, or I'll make life uncomfortable for you." So, that hopefully sets up a more interesting second meeting.
I'd say Mason is pansexual. I think the mention of him having a girlfriend in his youth kinda threw people. It was just intended to represent that he went through a period of figuring himself out, before he arrived where he is now.
As for ultimate plans: that's a big question. :'D Mason really has three basic routes lined out.
- Love/Corruption - you're nice to Mason, have sex with him, and refer to him by the masculine pronouns he prefers, but you can still refer to him as a girl during sex.
- Friends - you're nice to Mason, and have no sexual interest in him.
- Dark/Corruption - you refer to Mason by feminine pronouns both during and outside of sex. You can be nice, or kind of a dick.
Mason's kind of distinct from some of the other love interests, because he is uniquely vulnerable, but also has a uniquely high tolerance for bullshit. Like, another love interest may not be down to be Guy's secret friend-with-benefits, while Guy's in a relationship. Mason has fewer compunctions, because by this point he's slept with a few guys who took their weddings rings off before they fucked him. Likewise, with your question re: threesomes -- it's nothing he hasn't done before, so why be overly precious about it now?
The love route is probably the main exception. I see that one as being just as much about Mason giving, as Guy teaching himself it's okay not to.
As for the question about changing outfits, looks, etc.. Unfortunately, that's just a llllot of extra work (and double images), for every scene Mason appears in. I'd expect something similar to what we've seen so far -- Mason presenting fairly masculine/neutral, with special events based around genderplay.
He doesn't care much, though he does seem pretty freaked out by violence, and eager to avoid it. In that scene, a Good Guy is basically well-intentioned. He's trying to do the right thing. But, he's not looking at the whole picture. He's focused on being the righteous hero and booting a foul-mouthed moron in the balls. But, then he gets to go home to his penthouse. Mason has to continue living in this area, where he could be at the mercy of a guy who's now angry, humiliated, and looking for revenge.
One thing I try to drive home in FiN, is that violence often causes just as many problems as it solves.
she is still under the influence of the drugs. her hug and thanks could be overly friendly and warm because of the drugs.
she is not really in a conscious state when MC makes the choice to help Cherry or not, so i don't think it affects what she thinks of him.
i think she does want to have sex. she can differentiate sex and love, i'm pretty sure she even separates them forcefully. for her, sex is just a very fun time.
she is very flirty, she finds MC attractive enough, and he is a good guy (first by the rumours and his charity, then confirmed when he decides to help her even after the stunt she pulls), and she asks for it when she is sober.
in the hotel, she is numb from the drugs, so she would not enjoy it as much, it's also seen as payment further decreasing the enjoyment of it. but she does want it.
if she didn't see MC with Ashe on their date, she probably would have fucked MC when he came to visit her that night.
it's not a big deal to her. you probably put too much thoughts into it
"it's just sex, daddy" in Ashe's date, the sheer number of possibilities, branches, and bridges on all the branches, is absolutely staggering for a single event. even more so knowing you are alone working on it. you schooled most AVN devs with that single update
she sobered up at that point. she remembers you turned her down, but things have changed.
and sex is not a big deal to her. you could think of it like "hey let's play some cards" in the hotel, then "hey, you're cool! let's play some mario kart" in her room. in the hotel, she offers it more for MC, and in her room she offers it for herself too after getting 15 more minutes to enjoy his company.
it was not a real deal, i think. at least, MC doesn't really take it seriously if he is a good guy. when he doesn't want to go in the drug den with her, she says she will fuck him if he comes, but he immediately sees it as something said out of desperation because of drug withdrawal.
that's also why I think she does want to have sex in the hotel too. she knows it was not a serious promise, but it can be ambiguous. but it's taking advantage of guys' usual horniness. while the offer in her room is more about rewarding a good guy, even if she really wants to do it anyway.
doing it in her room and not holding back her voice was weird though. because she told MC to keep his voice down or Owen would come thinking MC is assaulting her...
yeah you get more relationship points for Risa if you "perfectly" fuck her in the hotel. even more than being a good guy and turning her down. I asked Neon about it and he said he will change the points there as he agreed it didn't make sense.
I think Mason just takes it as a pet name or roleplay in the bedroom if you accept to keep his gender identity outside.
it was very obvious. but we live in an era of overly explicit consent.
some girls are complaining about it because it does kill the mood for them too.you don't need to tell him. Risa didn't hold back at all, she screamed your name. everybody in the house knows.
MC will never have a balanced relationship, even if the girls have their lives back on track: he is a multimillionaire with tons of influence.
only Brittani could reach or exceed MC's power if her career explodes.
Risa has to inherit her family's money. Viola and Gabby could have some money if they embrace their art and MC push for them.
but when their life is back on track, they will still be indebted to him anyway.
you can argue that Nicki has the most balanced relationship with MC. she was there and supported him when he had nothing. that's invaluable. literally priceless. and that's why she has a big headstart on the LI race
you can choose to limit that to the bedroom and switch back to him outside of bed.
you don't get the bag back either way. Mason hates violence, so he is upset at first. MC tells him that he has to stand up to bullies because they will never stop bullying.
so he could be disappointed but still appreciate your help and why you did it.
- Jul 25, 2017
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While I agree with some of this not all of it but hey we just have different interpretations. It's still unclear to me if she was still high during the hug. I'm still gonna assume she was sober cause I recall the MC waited / let her sleep it off but that's due to my inexperience with drugs. As I don't know if you still feel the effects a little bit after you come down from being high.she is still under the influence of the drugs. her hug and thanks could be overly friendly and warm because of the drugs.
she is not really in a conscious state when MC makes the choice to help Cherry or not, so i don't think it affects what she thinks of him.
i think she does want to have sex. she can differentiate sex and love, i'm pretty sure she even separates them forcefully. for her, sex is just a very fun time.
she is very flirty, she finds MC attractive enough, and he is a good guy (first by the rumours and his charity, then confirmed when he decides to help her even after the stunt she pulls), and she asks for it when she is sober.
in the hotel, she is numb from the drugs, so she would not enjoy it as much, it's also seen as payment further decreasing the enjoyment of it. but she does want it.
if she didn't see MC with Ashe on their date, she probably would have fucked MC when he came to visit her that night.
it's not a big deal to her. you probably put too much thoughts into it
from what I recall, Risa mentions she was still numb from the drugs if you have sex in the hotel. i forgot if it was during sex or if it was after when she offers it again.
but i don't doubt her appreciation of MC turning her down for not wanting to take advantage is deeply genuine.
- Sep 20, 2018
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I think the issue is that the scene works if taken as you intended, but it doesn't really explain WHY the scene winds up happening that way. For example, if Mr. Rhodenbarr has such a dim opinion of the MC and wants to keep Risa on a tight leash, why does Owen let the MC into the house at all? Why doesn't Owen lead the MC aside as Risa is shown to her room, only for Carl to berate the MC and then kick him out? You can't just handwave it by saying the MC's arrival caught them by surprise when Carl himself makes such a big deal about intimately they've studied the MC, nor can you say Carl was playing it cool to observe the MC's response when he comes on so strong with his "fuck off and leave my daughter alone" speech right out of the gate.
Basically, I think the interaction should have been much shorter to emphasize Mr. Rhodenbarr's stubborn disdain for the MC and/or Risa, or started out more amicably only to have Carl drop the hammer at the end (either automatically as a rhetorical flourish if he wanted to leave an impression on the MC, or as a response to some of the MC's dialog if you want to make it branching). That would still have established the character dynamics you were aiming for without making Carl's speech feel quite as... staged, maybe? You'd have to tweak Risa's path a bit to make sure we get the interactions we need with her before the MC takes her home, but I don't think would have been too hard.
the night before, Risa already tells MC that he is known in the old money circles and they all have a low opinion of him, even with the charity he does, because he is new money and got his wealth through pure luck.
it is also easy to guess that her father allows her the bare minimum of freedom at least. inviting friends home is allowed, as long as the rules are respected (no drugs, limited time inside alone and such), she is still his daughter, and not a prisoner, at least in his mind. (she is still a caged bird for sure). also, it is expected minimum hospitality for his kind of people.
but then "having a talk" with the visitors when they exit is his way of preventing further visits from unwanted guests. he wants to choose her friends. and with Risa's history, it's clearly a routine by now.
I didn't have an issue of how the scene came to be, rather in the flow of the conversation. Sure, Carl is more powerful and is the owner of MC's home, but there is no reason for MC to take it as a pushover. even the "confrontational" choice is very tame. contrasting Carl's claims that he care about her to what he is actually doing to her, and how he actually is to blame for some her flaws and missteps, and mostly that he doesn't know his daughter at all beyond what he expects her to be and how he wants to mold her. linking the fact that he is barely a father to her with how he thinks he is special... closer to a low character man than he thinks he is
- Mar 25, 2021
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I think if Risa's dad knew me a bit better, he wouldn't mind that I want to date his daughter.
- Apr 9, 2018
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Thank you for that detailed explanation. For now, I'll stick with the Friends route as I really need a good dude friend to counter the heavy feminine energy my MC is surrounded in. Maybe later on I'll explore his other routes for the story as I am still curious how he will develop in a situation where he isn't being exploited on the streets on a daily basis.
Foremost, thank you for your weighted opinion. Regrettably however, it seems you might have taken my preference for a "balanced relationship", too literally. While I agree with your assessment that MC will almost always have an edge thanks to his extreme financial prowess and doubly so if you support LIs positively, making them heavily indebted to his goodwill but, there is still a valid emotional argument to be made here.MC will never have a balanced relationship, even if the girls have their lives back on track: he is a multimillionaire with tons of influence.
only Brittani could reach or exceed MC's power if her career explodes.
Risa has to inherit her family's money. Viola and Gabby could have some money if they embrace their art and MC push for them.
but when their life is back on track, they will still be indebted to him anyway.
you can argue that Nicki has the most balanced relationship with MC. she was there and supported him when he had nothing. that's invaluable. literally priceless. and that's why she has a big headstart on the LI race
Let's say if someone is in dire need of your aid and offers you sex in that moment, would you interpret the motivation behind it as genuine love? Or simply a desperate attempt to sweeten the deal so they can secure what they need from you? Of-course it could be the former, but in that moment, the situation isn't exactly easy to analyze.
Now the same thing happens, but this time no favors are in the air. Personally, I'd struggle less with this one as the only thing weighing more on my mind would be, "Do I even like this person?" "Will this work out?" and all that exciting pizzaz, instead of dissecting and doubting their thought process.
Of-course, I understand that not all LIs did this here so I'm not doing a mass projection. But the idea is somewhat universal. Every LI here is vulnerable and the game has them leaning on you for aid, one time or the other. But, honestly, whatever is offered, taking advantage of someone right off the bat, just doesn't sit right with me- even if they were the ones who offered it. Because I feel that if I take up on their offer in their weakened emotional state, I'd be reducing them to some sort of a prostitute. And you don't exactly treat real friends like that. At least not if you are playing a Lawful Good role. Either you help them in their need, or you do not. And I'd rather help them now without strings attached, and later once they are on their feet and emotionally stable, we could explore a more romantic angle.
Of-course that is just my POV. I do not mean to dis anyone on their choices and styles of dealing with the LIs, nor lecture the dev to change anything. In-fact, I'm here for the ride and the story as it's envisioned to be.
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