VN Ren'Py Friends in Need [Ch.10 v0.71] [NeonGhosts]

[PHIL101-YYouPPHard]

Unfortunately this has a side-effect of making Mason look like a pretty shitty person in scenario where MC is in a relationship that Mason appears to completely ignore despite being fully aware of it. Which, if this was actual intention, then fair enough, no one says the kid can't be a selfish little shit. But given zero reflection in this regard from the MC and the lack of options to establish boundaries it comes across like this context (or the idea that maybe the player doesn't actually want to fuck Mason and so maybe they don't need to be given some 5+ opportunities for that in span of a few hours) didn't even occur to the author.

(to be fair, there seems to be similar lack of reflection in scenario where the player chooses to fuck Risa which can also happen around the same time)

Well, you can explain it from a real world perspective or a character perspective I guess.

Real world: author spent a lot of time on many other things in the update, maybe decided he just didn't feel like making an nth route for people not into Mason. Alternatively, maybe he wanted to keep options open to players who might not want to miss out on scenes. Both understandable. And tbh, you can come up with an infinite number of personal preferences "why didn't author do this", but well, a line has to be drawn somewhere, right?

Character: as others have said, Mason is a sex worker, he's trans, he's autistic, and he's brain-damaged/has head trauma, and on top of all of that, he's young. Maybe he's quite clingy? Maybe he's been conditioned to use sex to survive? Maybe he's been conditioned to not take what appears to be honesty and kindness at face value? Maybe he's just falling for the MC? There's so many in-world explanations you could come up with.

Either way, you're never forced to fuck him. This was a big update that focused on Mason, so that's an important consideration. Coding wise, the next update will also change some things and force players to start over anyways, so that's another (things aren't finalized, basically). So, I'm sure after this update, the game will be coded to recognize that you're actually really not into Mason. But FYI, he's still a major character and Neon said he isn't going anywhere, so don't expect there to be a 'delete Mason from story' option.

 

[ffive]

But FYI, he's still a major character and Neon said he isn't going anywhere, so don't expect there to be a 'delete Mason from story' option.

I'm fairly sure it's going to turn out the assault Mason suffered is connected to Lucien and his little rape industry (what with Mason fitting the apparent visual type and all) so yeah, i don't really expect the character to disappear or anything like that. And that's fine, if anything i welcome all the non-sexual content it can provide to the game's plot.

I'd simply like an option to tell the kid i'm not interested in his advances, same way you can tell that e.g. Ashe. As it is, MC is quite insistently deprived of this option, and every time you choose to say no he is acting as if he is just not interested at that particular moment rather than firmly establishing lack of interest at all. After like, 5th time in one episode it can get slightly vexing.

 

[NeonGhosts]

Hope everyone had a Merry Christmas, and got some nice stuff from Santa (and his helpers).



I fully planned to put out a little micro-update for Christmas, and then I got sick with something that put me on the couch for a week in a NyQuil-fueld stupor. Booo.. But, since I already wrote it, I'm going to tweak it, and put it out for New Years. Cool? Cool!

Real world: author spent a lot of time on many other things in the update, maybe decided he just didn't feel like making an nth route for people not into Mason. Alternatively, maybe he wanted to keep options open to players who might not want to miss out on scenes. Both understandable. And tbh, you can come up with an infinite number of personal preferences "why didn't author do this", but well, a line has to be drawn somewhere, right?

This is a big part of it. I'll be honest: as the updates have grown, my attention to detail for these little possibilities has diminished. I have tried to be mindful of it -- if you're just friends with Mason/treating him like a guy, and haven't had sex with him, you get a special dialogue option in the dressing room scene when he comes out in underwear. This is meant to hint towards Guy taking more of a 'big brother' role towards Mason.



Also, a llllot of people reacted to Mason's first scene with, "Well, I like Mason, but I don't want to take advantage of him in this moment, so I won't get a BJ here, but I'd like the option later." So, those follow-up options exist for those people. I think Phil also explained Mason's character motivations pretty well. Being neurodivergent/disabled he's not always great at reading social cues. But, he's also preemptively trying to use sex as a way of avoiding trouble/aggression. So, when Guy wakes up panicked and breathless, Mason jumps to, "Okay, I can just suck his dick and calm him down." Depending on the relationship, that can be Mason genuinely just trying to do something nice for the guy who's been so nice to him, or just trying to de-escalate the tension he feels.

But, in the interest of pleasing everyone, I'll add a little dialogue there where the player can tell Mason to stop asking, locking him into the friend route. I'll also add a flag so that, if you do scold Mason in the dressing room scene, he won't ask you about sex anymore.

I think someone else up-thread had mentioned that the update was full of Mason sex/seemed to want the player to fuck Mason at every opportunity. To the point where it seemed a little much. That was intentional, for the arc of Guy and Mason's relationship. Let me explain: Mason's relationship with Guy is actually informed by own relationship with a younger non-binary partner I had. Said person was always up for sex at the beginning of the relationship, and into basically whatever kink I wanted to explore. To the point where I could just shove them to their knees, pull my dick out, and get a blowjob whenever I felt like it. Slap them around? Great! Choke them, spit on them, leash and collar them -- whatever! They were into it, I was into it, and all was well.

But, something interesting happened as we grew into an actual couple: they started drawing boundaries that weren't previously there. They didn't want me to essentially treat them like a free-use meat puppet, but like an actual romantic partner. That fundamentally changed the nature of our relationship, where I had to start acting like an actual boyfriend, as opposed to a guy who fucked them.

So, I wanted to build the beginning of Guy and Mason's relationship in a similar way, and watch it develop. Right now, Romance Path Guy can basically do whatever he wants to Mason, and Mason enjoys it. What happens if that changes? What if Guy visits Mason at Barron Books, and tries to drag him into the bathroom to fuck him, only to receive a firm, "No, I'm working and don't want to get fired!"

Is Guy still interested in a version of Mason who doesn't just do whatever he says, whenever he says it? Can they actually build a healthy relationship where they're more-or-less equals? Let's find ouuuut!

 

[Pixillin']

Hope everyone had a Merry Christmas, and got some nice stuff from Santa (and his helpers).

View attachment 4380189

I fully planned to put out a little micro-update for Christmas, and then I got sick with something that put me on the couch for a week in a NyQuil-fueld stupor. Booo.. But, since I already wrote it, I'm going to tweak it, and put it out for New Years. Cool? Cool!



This is a big part of it. I'll be honest: as the updates have grown, my attention to detail for these little possibilities has diminished. I have tried to be mindful of it -- if you're just friends with Mason/treating him like a guy, and haven't had sex with him, you get a special dialogue option in the dressing room scene when he comes out in underwear. This is meant to hint towards Guy taking more of a 'big brother' role towards Mason.

View attachment 4380208

Also, a llllot of people reacted to Mason's first scene with, "Well, I like Mason, but I don't want to take advantage of him in this moment, so I won't get a BJ here, but I'd like the option later." So, those follow-up options exist for those people. I think Phil also explained Mason's character motivations pretty well. Being neurodivergent/disabled he's not always great at reading social cues. But, he's also preemptively trying to use sex as a way of avoiding trouble/aggression. So, when Guy wakes up panicked and breathless, Mason jumps to, "Okay, I can just suck his dick and calm him down." Depending on the relationship, that can be Mason genuinely just trying to do something nice for the guy who's been so nice to him, or just trying to de-escalate the tension he feels.

But, in the interest of pleasing everyone, I'll add a little dialogue there where the player can tell Mason to stop asking, locking him into the friend route. I'll also add a flag so that, if you do scold Mason in the dressing room scene, he won't ask you about sex anymore.

I think someone else up-thread had mentioned that the update was full of Mason sex/seemed to want the player to fuck Mason at every opportunity. To the point where it seemed a little much. That was intentional, for the arc of Guy and Mason's relationship. Let me explain: Mason's relationship with Guy is actually informed by own relationship with a younger non-binary partner I had. Said person was always up for sex at the beginning of the relationship, and into basically whatever kink I wanted to explore. To the point where I could just shove them to their knees, pull my dick out, and get a blowjob whenever I felt like it. Slap them around? Great! Choke them, spit on them, leash and collar them -- whatever! They were into it, I was into it, and all was well.

But, something interesting happened as we grew into an actual couple: they started drawing boundaries that weren't previously there. They didn't want me to essentially treat them like a free-use meat puppet, but like an actual romantic partner. That fundamentally changed the nature of our relationship, where I had to start acting like an actual boyfriend, as opposed to a guy who fucked them.

So, I wanted to build the beginning of Guy and Mason's relationship in a similar way, and watch it develop. Right now, Romance Path Guy can basically do whatever he wants to Mason, and Mason enjoys it. What happens if that changes? What if Guy visits Mason at Barron Books, and tries to drag him into the bathroom to fuck him, only to receive a firm, "No, I'm working and don't want to get fired!"

Is Guy still interested in a version of Mason who doesn't just do whatever he says, whenever he says it? Can they actually build a healthy relationship where they're more-or-less equals? Let's find ouuuut!

All of this sounds fine - just a thought but I figured at some point (on my path at least) I'd have Nicki talk to him and say something like "No, if he says no strings he actually means it and he's not going to beat you up or throw you out" - Just because it might sink in better coming from someone who isn't Guy but has experience with him. Also would like to get Viola's mom better health care soon - I know Viola has her pride but at some point Guy should say "Fuck your pride, let's take care of your mom - we'll figure the rest out later." Edit: Maybe there can just be a really amazingly good health insurance plan that comes with her job as a maid?

 

[soprano31]

Hope everyone had a Merry Christmas, and got some nice stuff from Santa (and his helpers).

View attachment 4380189

I fully planned to put out a little micro-update for Christmas, and then I got sick with something that put me on the couch for a week in a NyQuil-fueld stupor. Booo.. But, since I already wrote it, I'm going to tweak it, and put it out for New Years. Cool? Cool!



This is a big part of it. I'll be honest: as the updates have grown, my attention to detail for these little possibilities has diminished. I have tried to be mindful of it -- if you're just friends with Mason/treating him like a guy, and haven't had sex with him, you get a special dialogue option in the dressing room scene when he comes out in underwear. This is meant to hint towards Guy taking more of a 'big brother' role towards Mason.

View attachment 4380208

Also, a llllot of people reacted to Mason's first scene with, "Well, I like Mason, but I don't want to take advantage of him in this moment, so I won't get a BJ here, but I'd like the option later." So, those follow-up options exist for those people. I think Phil also explained Mason's character motivations pretty well. Being neurodivergent/disabled he's not always great at reading social cues. But, he's also preemptively trying to use sex as a way of avoiding trouble/aggression. So, when Guy wakes up panicked and breathless, Mason jumps to, "Okay, I can just suck his dick and calm him down." Depending on the relationship, that can be Mason genuinely just trying to do something nice for the guy who's been so nice to him, or just trying to de-escalate the tension he feels.

But, in the interest of pleasing everyone, I'll add a little dialogue there where the player can tell Mason to stop asking, locking him into the friend route. I'll also add a flag so that, if you do scold Mason in the dressing room scene, he won't ask you about sex anymore.

I think someone else up-thread had mentioned that the update was full of Mason sex/seemed to want the player to fuck Mason at every opportunity. To the point where it seemed a little much. That was intentional, for the arc of Guy and Mason's relationship. Let me explain: Mason's relationship with Guy is actually informed by own relationship with a younger non-binary partner I had. Said person was always up for sex at the beginning of the relationship, and into basically whatever kink I wanted to explore. To the point where I could just shove them to their knees, pull my dick out, and get a blowjob whenever I felt like it. Slap them around? Great! Choke them, spit on them, leash and collar them -- whatever! They were into it, I was into it, and all was well.

But, something interesting happened as we grew into an actual couple: they started drawing boundaries that weren't previously there. They didn't want me to essentially treat them like a free-use meat puppet, but like an actual romantic partner. That fundamentally changed the nature of our relationship, where I had to start acting like an actual boyfriend, as opposed to a guy who fucked them.

So, I wanted to build the beginning of Guy and Mason's relationship in a similar way, and watch it develop. Right now, Romance Path Guy can basically do whatever he wants to Mason, and Mason enjoys it. What happens if that changes? What if Guy visits Mason at Barron Books, and tries to drag him into the bathroom to fuck him, only to receive a firm, "No, I'm working and don't want to get fired!"

Is Guy still interested in a version of Mason who doesn't just do whatever he says, whenever he says it? Can they actually build a healthy relationship where they're more-or-less equals? Let's find ouuuut!

A gorgeous artistic Christmas render,NeonGhosts !!
I really hope you get well soon,and a wonderful Merry Christmas to you too..

 

[GameRebel]

Dang good writing. Just wish it included animated scenes

 

[Joshy92]

Hope everyone had a Merry Christmas, and got some nice stuff from Santa (and his helpers).

View attachment 4380189

I fully planned to put out a little micro-update for Christmas, and then I got sick with something that put me on the couch for a week in a NyQuil-fueld stupor. Booo.. But, since I already wrote it, I'm going to tweak it, and put it out for New Years. Cool? Cool!



This is a big part of it. I'll be honest: as the updates have grown, my attention to detail for these little possibilities has diminished. I have tried to be mindful of it -- if you're just friends with Mason/treating him like a guy, and haven't had sex with him, you get a special dialogue option in the dressing room scene when he comes out in underwear. This is meant to hint towards Guy taking more of a 'big brother' role towards Mason.

View attachment 4380208

Also, a llllot of people reacted to Mason's first scene with, "Well, I like Mason, but I don't want to take advantage of him in this moment, so I won't get a BJ here, but I'd like the option later." So, those follow-up options exist for those people. I think Phil also explained Mason's character motivations pretty well. Being neurodivergent/disabled he's not always great at reading social cues. But, he's also preemptively trying to use sex as a way of avoiding trouble/aggression. So, when Guy wakes up panicked and breathless, Mason jumps to, "Okay, I can just suck his dick and calm him down." Depending on the relationship, that can be Mason genuinely just trying to do something nice for the guy who's been so nice to him, or just trying to de-escalate the tension he feels.

But, in the interest of pleasing everyone, I'll add a little dialogue there where the player can tell Mason to stop asking, locking him into the friend route. I'll also add a flag so that, if you do scold Mason in the dressing room scene, he won't ask you about sex anymore.

I think someone else up-thread had mentioned that the update was full of Mason sex/seemed to want the player to fuck Mason at every opportunity. To the point where it seemed a little much. That was intentional, for the arc of Guy and Mason's relationship. Let me explain: Mason's relationship with Guy is actually informed by own relationship with a younger non-binary partner I had. Said person was always up for sex at the beginning of the relationship, and into basically whatever kink I wanted to explore. To the point where I could just shove them to their knees, pull my dick out, and get a blowjob whenever I felt like it. Slap them around? Great! Choke them, spit on them, leash and collar them -- whatever! They were into it, I was into it, and all was well.

But, something interesting happened as we grew into an actual couple: they started drawing boundaries that weren't previously there. They didn't want me to essentially treat them like a free-use meat puppet, but like an actual romantic partner. That fundamentally changed the nature of our relationship, where I had to start acting like an actual boyfriend, as opposed to a guy who fucked them.

So, I wanted to build the beginning of Guy and Mason's relationship in a similar way, and watch it develop. Right now, Romance Path Guy can basically do whatever he wants to Mason, and Mason enjoys it. What happens if that changes? What if Guy visits Mason at Barron Books, and tries to drag him into the bathroom to fuck him, only to receive a firm, "No, I'm working and don't want to get fired!"

Is Guy still interested in a version of Mason who doesn't just do whatever he says, whenever he says it? Can they actually build a healthy relationship where they're more-or-less equals? Let's find ouuuut!

God yes that sounds awesome. I love Mason but he does whatever I want all the time and sometimes I want him to stand up for himself.

Oh, and sorry you were sick dude I hope you feel better.

 

[Dessolos]

Nicki looks so hot in this render can't wait for more Nicki sexy time

 

[RC-1138 Boss]

Thanks for explaining the reasoning behind the relationship dynamic between Guy and Mason NeonGhosts. Hopefully this will nip in the bud the complains.
But am i misremembering or did you said something along those lines before here? Or it was on discord?

Also can't help but smile at the annoyed face Nicki is making on that render.


Happy hollidays.