VN Ren'Py Friends in Need [S1 v0.85c] [NeonGhosts]

[Bollagus]

So, one should play v0.73 from the start now? What was the v0.25? Are there two different versions,
both says reworked?

 

[Deleted member 9257078]

So, one should play v0.73 from the start now? What was the v0.25? Are there two different versions,
both says reworked?

Just download and play v0.73 (Subscribestar version).

The graphics were trash, and the writing was no where near as good as the later chapters.

Got to start somewhere.

For a porn game the writing was okay, but yeah the remake comes with a much improved story, and dialogue.

trolling? no. the story has not progressed since v .70 which was last fall.

But it has progressed, maybe not in the current timeline but it definitely progressed in terms of backstory and additional insight to the current story up until this point.

The visuals are quite normal, most people playing this genre of games don't really care about grammar.

Yeah for real, I've played some games that I know were written up in a call center. But if a story is good, a story is good.

Doesn't have to be proofread by an Oxford graduate.

Depends what sort of sex we're talking about. Consensual one? Sure, Nicki makes it pretty clear she's into it. The rape approach is, obv. not for the good path.

 

[Hans98]

I am missing anal in the good path - so i stay with the dark path

 

[SomeoneX22]

I am missing anal in the good path - so i stay with the dark path

Every path with anal is a good path!

Btw what the point of this rework if Nicki still keeps her ugly crack whore tats? What's new?
I understand why we can't have her from the start, because plot tries to make players truly despise and hate her for later gratification, but at least make her less ugly.

 

[Joshy92]

Now I really want Nicki to keep her tattoos all game

 

[ffive]

I understand why we can't have her from the start, because plot tries to make players truly despise and hate her for later gratification

Uhh, no. That's really not the plot is doing at all.

 

[ghostuser1077]

This is, without a doubt, one of the best-written games I've played.

While I wish there were some big overarching villain or mystery, so I can feel when the game will end and believe the dev isn't milking it (but that's a whole other discussion), the characters and dialogue simply feel amazing. Characters have realistic responses to what you say or do, and the game respects their preferences and personalities. This is SO SATISFYING to read. I can't begin to go into how many games feel like they were translated from another language, which is fine, but reading rare phrases or things that no one says in real life (in English) can really pull you out of the experience. Here, even the MC interacting with non-English speakers was really well-written. I felt like I knew or had seen these characters as real-life people. I was smiling, laughing, and empathizing throughout the whole game.

Only played up to Chapter 7, and I do have criticisms, but I want to reserve a full review until the story moves along a bit more (still feels early). I just wanted to express how much I'm enjoying it so far.

 

[Maviarab]

While I wish there were some big overarching villain or mystery,

And many of us wish for the opposite. It's the single worst part of the VN. Damn trope in and of itself lately in the AVN sphere...ohh I need to add some drama (it usually isn't needed btw) so I'll add some pointless crime shit to spice it up.

Every other VN these days. The VN was good, solid, well written, good LI's and interesting without any of that shit being added in. Not every story need some villian/mystery crap being forced in.

 

[Deleted member 9257078]

While I wish there were some big overarching villain

Technically Lucien is the villain, most likely inspired by Luciean Greaves.

 

[banqwert]

i must have missed something. Why did the remake of Chap 1 suddenly become remaking everything? what a pointless exercise. Should we be expecting a 2nd or 3rd or 4th remake in the future, everytime NG becomes dissatisfied with an earlier section of the story?

 

[jadepaladin]

i must have missed something. Why did the remake of Chap 1 suddenly become remaking everything? what a pointless exercise. Should we be expecting a 2nd or 3rd or 4th remake in the future, everytime NG becomes dissatisfied with an earlier section of the story?

No, because you're not gonna play the remake and thus have no reason to keep checking.

 

[ghostuser1077]

And many of us wish for the opposite. It's the single worst part of the VN. Damn trope in and of itself lately in the AVN sphere...ohh I need to add some drama (it usually isn't needed btw) so I'll add some pointless crime shit to spice it up.

Every other VN these days. The VN was good, solid, well written, good LI's and interesting without any of that shit being added in. Not every story need some villian/mystery crap being forced in.

Oh yeah, sure. Just my opinion. The game doesn't need it.

I just meant some way of ensuring the story is going somewhere. I feel like just as many AVNs just have the MC dick around with 10~20 female characters, and then the story comes to an end with nothing changing besides you having sex with the girls. And some devs just milk that for as long as they can. Not saying that's happening here or that NG would, but is what I see.

Doesn't have to be a villain/mystery. Giving each character some kind of arc works too, which NG is doing well. Something besides the girls just being a notch under your belt. Development, progress, etc.

What is here, with the drugs, Nicki's ex, and such, I am invested in. It's part of the characters. It's not taking away from anything and doesn't have to become some big conspiracy either.

But there are definitely AVNs where the mystery isn't woven in for a natural flow or takes time away from the LIs.

 

[NeonGhosts]

Technically Lucien is the villain, most likely inspired by Luciean Greaves.

View attachment 5036402

Just a weird coincidence, actually.

 

[NeonGhosts]

Oh yeah, sure. Just my opinion. The game doesn't need it.

I just meant some way of ensuring the story is going somewhere. I feel like just as many AVNs just have the MC dick around with 10~20 female characters, and then the story comes to an end with nothing changing besides you having sex with the girls. And some devs just milk that for as long as they can. Not saying that's happening here or that NG would, but is what I see.

Doesn't have to be a villain/mystery. Giving each character some kind of arc works too, which NG is doing well. Something besides the girls just being a notch under your belt. Development, progress, etc.

What is here, with the drugs, Nicki's ex, and such, I am invested in. It's part of the characters. It's not taking away from anything and doesn't have to become some big conspiracy either.

But there are definitely AVNs where the mystery isn't woven in for a natural flow or takes time away from the LIs.

If you play the "legacy" version that has the rest of Season One, you'll see the introduction of a new plotline, including a villain, which kind of annoyed some people who were enjoying the more slice-of-life nature of the story.

I get the complaints, but at the same time A) the game gives you the option of going, "Nope! I don't want to deal with this, I'm staying out of it." This will have ripple effects, but if you're truly just not interested in going down that path, you don't have to. B) The idea that there are malevolent forces at work in this world is there from the beginning, with Nicki and Brent being indebted to a shady person.

 

[Dessolos]

Now I really want Nicki to keep her tattoos all game

I don't want her to get rid of them tbh I like them on her and got too used to them.

 

[Vidal the king of Pervert]

If you play the "legacy" version that has the rest of Season One, you'll see the introduction of a new plotline, including a villain, which kind of annoyed some people who were enjoying the more slice-of-life nature of the story.

I get the complaints, but at the same time A) the game gives you the option of going, "Nope! I don't want to deal with this, I'm staying out of it." This will have ripple effects, but if you're truly just not interested in going down that path, you don't have to. B) The idea that there are malevolent forces at work in this world is there from the beginning, with Nicki and Brent being indebted to a shady person.

I haven't played that part of the story yet because that's when I started saving it up

But I love the idea of a villain or an evil version of the MC that he has to stop, and gives him his own personal story

especially if you're playing the good guy like me, who likes monogamy, seeing an evil version of the MC

it could even be like this is what I could have become if I went down the wrong path

or a different path

 

[ename144]

If you play the "legacy" version that has the rest of Season One, you'll see the introduction of a new plotline, including a villain, which kind of annoyed some people who were enjoying the more slice-of-life nature of the story.

I get the complaints, but at the same time A) the game gives you the option of going, "Nope! I don't want to deal with this, I'm staying out of it." This will have ripple effects, but if you're truly just not interested in going down that path, you don't have to. B) The idea that there are malevolent forces at work in this world is there from the beginning, with Nicki and Brent being indebted to a shady person.

Sorry, I disagree. The game gives you the option of saying "I'm not going to do anything about him [and Risa]," but that's something of a joke after it has thoroughly rubbed your nose in how evil and powerful the villain is. And indeed the next chapter goes out of its way to keep rubbing with the bookends establishing what a sweet, sympathetic girl Lucien's latest victim is. There's absolutely no option to avoid the villain no matter how hard you try (save dropping the game).

Also, I think you have a fundamental misunderstanding of how narratives work if you think the early interaction with Brett foreshadows Lucien's eventual appearance as an arch-nemesis to the MC. The mere fact that crime exists in-story does not imply that all crime is directed by a single overlord, much less that said overlord will be the focus of the game.

 

[fr45]

If you play the "legacy" version that has the rest of Season One, you'll see the introduction of a new plotline, including a villain, which kind of annoyed some people who were enjoying the more slice-of-life nature of the story.

I actually liked that part. The only annoyance was Risa and insufficiently flowery and colorful expressions when you tell her dad you ain't gonna play his game.

Liking the rebuild - shame that it is a restart of sorts, but am really welcoming the changes and additions.
There are a few scenes where old images are present - i.e. alley with Ashe, you can see old dress once.

This will have ripple effects, but if you're truly just not interested in going down that path, you don't have to.

Also, it would be nice if player could change his mind at some point.
Refuse to help at first, but then still start to look into things maybe.
Although if it requires moderately good relations with police, my playthrough is doomed anyway XD

 

[Vidal the king of Pervert]

I actually liked that part. The only annoyance was Risa and insufficiently flowery and colorful expressions when you tell her dad you ain't gonna play his game.

Liking the rebuild - shame that it is a restart of sorts, but am really welcoming the changes and additions.
There are a few scenes where old images are present - i.e. alley with Ashe, you can see old dress once.


Also, it would be nice if player could change his mind at some point.
Refuse to help at first, but then still start to look into things maybe.
Although if it requires moderately good relations with police, my playthrough is doomed anyway XD

I stopped playing before the villain was introduced so I haven't met him yet

I hope he's interesting and not one dimensional it would be cool if he started as a good guy at first but life was so hard

and he ended up choosing the wrong path so he's like an evil version of the MC that chose the wrong route

in fact I think it would be kind of cool if he and the MC like the same anime TV show

 

[Kuolemanlaakso]

Anyone who thinks NeonGhosts is trying to finagle money is just dead wrong. I'm Guy irl (sans the charity and most of the dark routes), and want to keep my anonimity by paying in BTC, and he absolutely won't take my money. I literally offered to just manually send him a years worth of top level donations last week and he declined. It's clearly not his motivation.

The remake is absolutely top quality, thanks NeonGhosts! I've replayed the old game many times, it has definitely been my favorite. I liked it before, and I like it now, it's even kind of a new game with the remake. Nikki is my fav though, so it makes sense I'd love new Nikki content.

Yeah, sure.