VN Ren'Py Halfway House [Ep.11 - Bonus 7-9] [Az]

[HornyyPussy]

just in case you forgot....

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Time share?

 

[Abhai]

Time share?

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[HornyyPussy]

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selfish.........

 

[crabsinthekitchen]

It does boggle the mind.......

I do think the MC could have been a little more.....assertive i guess but i understand why he was behaving the way he did. Besides, that bodyguard was one scary looking mothafucker, wouldn't wanna try to go up against him.

Ash said she knew the bodyguard longer than Ashlynn, so MC would've been fine unless he managed to piss off both sisters

 

[HornyyPussy]

Ash said she knew the bodyguard longer than Ashlynn, so MC would've been fine unless he managed to piss off both sisters

Since I meant assertive against Lynn i doubt the bodyguard would have let it pass

 

[crabsinthekitchen]

Since I meant assertive against Lynn i doubt the bodyguard would have let it pass

I trust in Ash, she won't leave me alone with this dude

 

[TiffanyMonroe]

Yes, I'm sure that would have worked out well for you.

View attachment 1058532



It makes perfect sense because aside from the fact that, in life, it's sometimes best to keep your mouth shut and not make an awkward and/or difficult situation worse, the MC acting impulsively and being someone who doesn't "take bullshit quietly" is precisely what landed him in trouble in the first place and he's trying to reform and not be like that anymore. He would have achieved nothing from being snarky, dismissive, or trying to talk back to either Ashley or Ashlyn because it doesn't serve anyone any good for him to be like this.



I think we all know what you wanted the focus to be on, but this, as has been said numerous times, is a story and character-driven game. It's not a game where the female characters are one-note, one-dimensional fuckdolls. They have deep backstories and unique personalities that are going to be explored and this was an episode clearly designed to give more exposition to Ashley's character and it succeeded very well in doing just that.

I honestly do not understand what some people think the MC was supposed to do in this situation other than be supportive of his friend. Was he supposed to tell Ashlyn to "shut the fuck up", or call her a "bitch", or tell her to "get you own fucking bag" when they were in the shop? Because none of that would have been helpful, nor would it have stood the MC in good with stead with anybody. Now, maybe some people think that's exactly what he should have done, but I just think it would have made the MC out to be a brainless and insensitive jerk, and anyone who thinks that would have been fine clearly hasn't been paying attention to this game if they think that sort of behaviour would be in-line with how the MC's character has been established.



What I don't get is why people keep coming back in to a thread to spew the same bile over and over. We get it, you don't like the game, but why they feel the need to keep coming back and recycle the same old tired, childish, and triggered insults is as strange as it is sad.

There's a difference between being kind and being a walking doormat. It's hilarious you making excuses for shitty writing. Lemme get yo bags massa mc this update
Also we know Ashley is a whore and she fucked half the city for money. Can we please move on?

 

[Havik79]

I already said what I want, simple, tell ash to go fuck herself for being nothing but a cunt to the MC, then go wait for Emily and talk her into a makeout on the train ride back, and talk about how the day went, you know, like a normal couple would do, maybe try to find out more about her friend who was picked on.

Emily fits me like a glove, I love that shy sweet girl, admittedly maybe a little less feisty, but I wouldn't kick her out of bed for it.

I mean, in my first playthrough I took every green option the mod showed, and for example had ash prove my point about her and try to crush the MC cock, the second time I just picked Emily and Shiho, and told Emily a lie, what happened, the next morning came and you bump into her in the hallway in her panties, no cock crushing.

So if you can pick options and skip stuff in other chapters, why not this time.

I do not care what anyone says, ash is NOT a friend to the MC.

Let's face it, if the shoe was on the other foot, we all know ash would fuck off and leave us.

 

[Ariostebaldo]

Some comments here almost made me wonder if I'm crazy for not liking Ashley. I mean, she was never nice to the Sean, not even when he was hurt and some still see her behavior as strength rather than rudeness and find any excuse for her selfshness.

At least I'm not the only one that think that way...

 

[Havik79]

Some comments here almost made me wonder if I'm crazy for not liking Ashley. I mean, she was never nice to the Sean, not even when he was hurt and some still see her behavior as strength rather than rudeness and find any excuse for her selfshness.

At least I'm not the only one that think that way...

And when in a game beside a woman who was almost raped and still was more concerned with the MC, and being "mum" for the others than herself, actual strength.

 

[MLS61]

This game ruined 3D games for me. The models are made too well compared to most of the stuff you can see on this website, so now I'm always comparing the models of other games to this one...

 

[Smarmint]

I already said what I want, simple, tell ash to go fuck herself for being nothing but a cunt to the MC...
etc.
I do not care what anyone says, ash is NOT a friend to the MC.

Well, to each his own. That is why most VNs here have several types of characters, to appeal to everyone's different preferences. I know Ashley is quite abrasive, especially at the beginning, but to me at least it is clear that her rough exterior is just an act. Imagining myself in a similar situation as the MC, I think I would try to get to know her better. Dr. Kunieda, Emily, and several other characters are more appealing to me personally, though this latest update has me giving Ashley more consideration, but Ashley has never done anything to actually harm the MC, really, and her rude comments, at least after the first few updates, read to me as not really serious. Kind of like Katie in Where The Heart Is, if you've played that before.

I have a feeling, that if we asked Ashley for help in anything, no matter how inconvenient, she would give a few snide comments about having to rescue me, or something similar, but she would absolutely do it. To me, that is the sign of a true friend.

Episode 8....I have to agree with some posts related to MC; he became so passive. Is it because he had 2 head injuries or what ? The interactions with Ashlyn just got me mad....he was so unresponsive; no snarky come backs, no putting her back in her place (even politely), no nothing !!
And Emily....sweet Emily. I don't mind slow burning relationships but it's getting annoyingly long.
Everyone is entitled to their own perceptions or expectations in how the story should/would/could progress, but I'm slowly drifting away from the game and losing interest.

I see that that is a popular opinion around here, but really, if a friend asked me go with her for moral support because she has to visit her difficult sister and grandfather who kicked her out of the house, me getting into a verbal fight with her sister over a few mildly rude comments is not going to help anything, and is likely to make everything worse for Ashley. It is a sign of maturity to know when to hold your tongue. I have to deal with difficult people all the time, and 90% of the time, the best course of action is to just rise above it and be the bigger person. If Ashlyn was around me all the time, and wouldn't let up, sure, eventually I would say something. But I can hold it together for a day or two, especially when I am in her house.

 

[Holy Bacchus]

Well, to each his own. That is why most VNs here have several types of characters, to appeal to everyone's different preferences. I know Ashley is quite abrasive, especially at the beginning, but to me at least it is clear that her rough exterior is just an act. Imagining myself in a similar situation as the MC, I think I would try to get to know her better. Dr. Kunieda, Emily, and several other characters are more appealing to me personally, but Ashley has never done anything to actually harm the MC, really, and her rude comments, at least after the first few updates, read to me as not really serious. Kind of like Katie in Where The Heart Is, if you've played that before.

I have a feeling, that if we asked Ashley for help in anything, no matter how inconvenient, she would give a few snide comments about having to rescue me, or something similar, but she would absolutely do it. To me, that is the sign of a true friend.

Ashley is playful, but to a few sensitive souls that's apparently being a "cunt".

Seems some people don't know the difference.

 

[Kellermann]

That is why most VNs here have several types of characters, to appeal to everyone's different preferences.

Yes, but the problem here is being shackled to Emily as your sole LI. That's not really my biggest complaint though. It's the fact that she gets so painfully few scenes of alone time with MC over the past 8 episodes as compared to the other non-LIs (and even side girls). It's time to start increasing Emily's interactions. Next episode needs to be Emily-focused. Eight episodes in and the game has given me very little reason or opportunity to fall in love with my only LI.
--
Regarding the MC being a softy in ep. 8, that wouldn't bother me if he hadn't already been established as a character who has a problem with anger management. In earlier episodes, the dev goes out of his way to produce a physical manifestation of MC's anger on the screen. So are we to believe he has completely conquered his inner demons by this point in the story? Is that plot point dead? And how did this miracle happen? By him just having brief "talk it out" session with Samantha? I have to agree with the others who have said he should have at least had dialogue with more of a choice to either suppress the rage or unleash it. Or the story should have been more clear that MC no longer has aggression issues.

 

[Holy Bacchus]

Are you describing Emily? Are you sure you really played the game?

Other than Emily being childish, your description of her is completely wrong!

Emily reacts to things in very strong ways, but the MC seems very adept at being able to talk her down and make her somewhat submissive. Just look at the last episode, she's pissed at him but all he has to do is bring her a burger and the next thing you know he's groping her boobs.

She also hasn't had as much life experience as Ashley has had because Emily got into trouble when she was still at school and it was one violent incident defending her friend that got her sent down. Ashley was forced to fend for herself for a while, doing many things that probably amounted to a decent-sized rap sheet before eventually getting sent down, and during that time before prison she learned a lot of harsh truths about life and the way the world works.

Regarding the MC being a softy in ep. 8, that wouldn't bother me if he hadn't already been established as a character who has a problem with anger management. In earlier episodes, the dev goes out of his way to produce a physical manifestation of MC's anger on the screen. So are we to believe he has completely conquered his inner demons by this point in the story? Is that plot point dead? And how did this miracle happen? By him just having brief "talk it out" session with Samantha? I have to agree with the others who have said he should have at least had dialogue with more of a choice to either suppress the rage or unleash it. Or the story should have been more clear that MC no longer has aggression issues.

Maybe the dev could have given players the option to be diplomatic or fight fire with fire, but therein also probably lies the reason why they didn't do it that way. Doing so would probably create more variables, more branching for being more on one side than the other, and they probably didn't want to do that because they wanted this event to be more linear as it will serve the story and the game better if everybody is on the the same track.

 

[bauman]

Regarding the MC being a softy in ep. 8, that wouldn't bother me if he hadn't already been established as a character who has a problem with anger management. In earlier episodes, the dev goes out of his way to produce a physical manifestation of MC's anger on the screen. So are we to believe he has completely conquered his inner demons by this point in the story? Is that plot point dead? And how did this miracle happen? By him just having brief "talk it out" session with Samantha? I have to agree with the others who have said he should have at least had dialogue with more of a choice to either suppress the rage or unleash it. Or the story should have been more clear that MC no longer has aggression issues.

I guess with the protagonist's goofy, overly passive behavior the dev wants to show how his anger is turned inward for the time being and he doesn't know how to react properly. He has some emotional problems like the rest of the halfway house's residents. The problem is that he gets bent like a beach chair almost every time somebody challenges him, which I find very confusing story-wise. After all, he spent a significant amount of time in the JDC, and most often than not these places are no better than prison. You even have convicted murderers there, so he should be more assertive because of that. Based on the time he said he spent there, there's a level of institutionalization that affects everybody, and there are certain traits that become prevalent even in the most meek people.

 

[Ghator111819]

depends on the route... its a "one girl" story in fact... you want sex? Go with ash.

I have two saves one with emily and the other with ashley but what i got was teasing with walkthrough, but i think i'm missing something

 

[Ariostebaldo]

Emily reacts to things in very strong ways, but the MC seems very adept at being able to talk her down and make her somewhat submissive. Just look at the last episode, she's pissed at him but all he has to do is bring her a burger and the next thing you know he's groping her boobs.

Sorry, I still don't think she fits as submissive. Just because the MC convince her of doing something, this don't mean she is submissive. To reach an agreement, someone always need to be convinced. If anything, the fact that she needs convincing show that she isn't submissive. At least that is my opinion, I can be wrong, I don't know what you see as submissive...

 

[Deleted member 573924]

Alright, here's the way I see it. I don't consider Ashley to be a mean cunt and I don't consider the MC to be some submissive "beta cuck". Anyone with any degree of emotional maturity can see that Ashley is all bark and no bite. Yeah, she says the stuff she does but it's such an obvious front that I don't see how anyone can take any of it seriously. If there was a more westernized version of the whole "Tsundere" character archetype it would basically be Ashley. It blows my mind that there are people so insecure that the stuff Ashley says would actually get them butthurt. Don't get me wrong though; there are certain instances in the most recent update where I did think that the MC was too passive, especially when it came to dealing with Ashley's sister Ashlyn. I do wish he had called her out on her bullshit immediately. If not in the tattoo place, at least when they got to the clothing store. But I guess you could argue that he didn't want to make the situation more difficult for Ashley, since his main reason for being there was to support her.

When it comes to Emily, she also puts up a front, although it is different from Ashley's due to Emily being way more innocent. Emily is still dealing with how to process her lack of control over situations. Her default response has always been anger and violence, which she does realize and has been trying to take steps towards addressing. The way she was able to process this and apologize after you and Ashley finally made it home was actually a big step for her. Emily tends to wear her heart on her sleeve when it comes to the people she is actually close to, which she has demonstrated multiple times. Knowing this, I just don't get how people can't recognize that her "getting mad at you" is basically just her weird way of expressing affection to some extent.

It's very important to remember that Ashely, Emily and the MC are all in a HALFWAY HOUSE. If they had their shit together emotionally and psychologically, they wouldn't have been there in the first place! All three of them are working on their character defects, and all three are fallible (as humans tend to be). The vast majority of the "beta cuck behavior" some people keep having a problem with, is nothing more than the MC having the emotional intelligence to understand what Ashley and Emily are actually trying to communicate with their behavior. Ashley gives you shit because "that's just Ashley", it's how she interacts with those she cares about. She constantly teases Emily as well, but at the end of the day, both of them understand that the other cares for them deeply. Emily can be sensitive but is also fiercely loyal, the only time she really gets angry at either Ashley or the MC is when she feels like she is being left out, or that they are pushing her away.

Both Emily and Ashley hate being vulnerable. The majority of Emily's punching/kicking/complaining comes as a result of her being put in situations where she feels vulnerable and she tends to lash out in order to attempt to regain some sort of control. But, as Emily and the MC have gotten closer, more and more of that front falls away and she starts being progressively more vulnerable. Despite the fact that she finds it highly highly embarrassing (which is awesome and the cutest thing ever).
When it comes to sex stuff, both of them have their own unique reaction to the vulnerability such actions make them feel. Emily's is to either resist doing sexual stuff and/or get extremely embarrassed by it. Despite the fact that deep down she really likes it and wants to do it. It could be argued that some of the more tomboyish aspects of her personality are a result of the embarrassment she feels when expressing her femininity. Ashley's response to sex is basically the opposite of Emily's. Instead of avoidance and embarrassment, she instead leans into it. Embracing her sexuality, and attempting to control the sexual encounters that she is in. She likes to be one in control, she wants to be the one doing the "fucking" instead of the one being fucked. By making herself look "slutty" and sexually provocative, she is even able to feel like she has control over the male gaze that she feels is constantly on her. Through these behaviors and others, she is able to avoid the vulnerability associated with intimacy. That is why she has fallen so hard for the MC. Over time he has been able to break through that facade and force her into a state of emotional vulnerability, both in their conversations as well as eventually in their sexual encounters (aka the train scene). Due to this, she has ended up falling for him, despite the fact that the MC doesn't seem to realize it. Because of this, Ashley is still somewhat able to keep up her whole teasing facade, at least to some extent. It could also be argued that her attempting to help the MC get with Emily is her way of feeling a sense of control over the situation since I think she knows that the MC is going to choose Emily over her. So, by pushing the MC towards getting with Emily she is able to avoid some of the sting of rejection since she can tell herself "he didn't choose her over me. I was just making sure he was good enough for her/I wanted them to get together". Anyways, this is the way I see all of this. Where most of what some people perceive as negative reactions by Em and Ash are just the result of preexisting character traits they have, and at the end of the day it is very clear that they both care about the MC much more than they let on.

So, all of that being said, AZ certainly could put in the dialogue choices to allow some of you to behave like the immature insecure assholes you apparently want to be. But, I don't think it would play out the way that you think it would. And I'd imagine that if it were to play out the way you want it to, in order for it do to that, AZ would have to fundamentally compromise the nature of characters that he has obviously spent a very long time crafting, writing, and building up over the course of this VN.

Just my two cents.

 

[Holy Bacchus]

Alright, here's the way I see it. I don't consider Ashley to be a mean cunt and I don't consider the MC to be some submissive "beta cuck". Anyone with any degree of emotional maturity can see that Ashley is all bark and no bite. Yeah, she says the stuff she does but it's such an obvious front that I don't see how anyone can take any of it seriously. If there was a more westernized version of the whole "Tsundere" character archetype it would basically be Ashley. It blows my mind that there are people so insecure that the stuff Ashley says would actually get them butthurt. Don't get me wrong though; there are certain instances in the most recent update where I did think that the MC was too passive, especially when it came to dealing with Ashley's sister Ashlyn. I do wish he had called her out on her bullshit immediately. If not in the tattoo place, at least when they got to the clothing store. But I guess you could argue that he didn't want to make the situation more difficult for Ashley, since his main reason for being there was to support her.

When it comes to Emily, she also puts up a front, although it is different from Ashley's due to Emily being way more innocent. Emily is still dealing with how to process her lack of control over situations. Her default response has always been anger and violence, which she does realize and has been trying to take steps towards addressing. The way she was able to process this and apologize after you and Ashley finally made it home was actually a big step for her. Emily tends to wear her heart on her sleeve when it comes to the people she is actually close to, which she has demonstrated multiple times. Knowing this, I just don't get how people can't recognize that her "getting mad at you" is basically just her weird way of expressing affection to some extent.

It's very important to remember that Ashely, Emily and the MC are all in a HALFWAY HOUSE. If they had their shit together emotionally and psychologically, they wouldn't have been there in the first place! All three of them are working on their character defects, and all three are fallible (as humans tend to be). The vast majority of the "beta cuck behavior" some people keep having a problem with, is nothing more than the MC having the emotional intelligence to understand what Ashley and Emily are actually trying to communicate with their behavior. Ashley gives you shit because "that's just Ashley", it's how she interacts with those she cares about. She constantly teases Emily as well, but at the end of the day, both of them understand that the other cares for them deeply. Emily can be sensitive but is also fiercely loyal, the only time she really gets angry at either Ashley or the MC is when she feels like she is being left out, or that they are pushing her away.

Both Emily and Ashley hate being vulnerable. The majority of Emily's punching/kicking/complaining comes as a result of her being put in situations where she feels vulnerable and she tends to lash out in order to attempt to regain some sort of control. But, as Emily and the MC have gotten closer, more and more of that front falls away and she starts being progressively more vulnerable. Despite the fact that she finds it highly highly embarrassing (which is awesome and the cutest thing ever).
When it comes to sex stuff, both of them have their own unique reaction to the vulnerability such actions make them feel. Emily's is to either resist doing sexual stuff and/or get extremely embarrassed by it. Despite the fact that deep down she really likes it and wants to do it. It could be argued that some of the more tomboyish aspects of her personality are a result of the embarrassment she feels when expressing her femininity. Ashley's response to sex is basically the opposite of Emily's. Instead of avoidance and embarrassment, she instead leans into it. Embracing her sexuality, and attempting to control the sexual encounters that she is in. She likes to be one in control, she wants to be the one doing the "fucking" instead of the one being fucked. By making herself look "slutty" and sexually provocative, she is even able to feel like she has control over the male gaze that she feels is constantly on her. Through these behaviors and others, she is able to avoid the vulnerability associated with intimacy. That is why she has fallen so hard for the MC. Over time he has been able to break through that facade and force her into a state of emotional vulnerability, both in their conversations as well as eventually in their sexual encounters (aka the train scene). Due to this, she has ended up falling for him, despite the fact that the MC doesn't seem to realize it. Because of this, Ashley is still somewhat able to keep up her whole teasing facade, at least to some extent. It could also be argued that her attempting to help the MC get with Emily is her way of feeling a sense of control over the situation since I think she knows that the MC is going to choose Emily over her. So, by pushing the MC towards getting with Emily she is able to avoid some of the sting of rejection since she can tell herself "he didn't choose her over me. I was just making sure he was good enough for her/I wanted them to get together". Anyways, this is the way I see all of this. Where most of what some people perceive as negative reactions by Em and Ash are just the result of preexisting character traits they have, and at the end of the day it is very clear that they both care about the MC much more than they let on.

So, all of that being said, AZ certainly could put in the dialogue choices to allow some of you to behave like the immature insecure assholes you apparently want to be. But, I don't think it would play out the way that you think it would. And I'd imagine that if it were to play out the way you want it to, in order for it do to that, AZ would have to fundamentally compromise the nature of characters that he has obviously spent a very long time crafting, writing, and building up over the course of this VN.

Just my two cents.

Brilliant. Quite honestly, brilliant.

A couple of points I particularly want to address:

It blows my mind that there are people so insecure that the stuff Ashley says would actually get them butthurt.

This, 110%. I look at what Ashley says as nothing more than a bit of playful banter because that's what it is, yet some people look at it as though she's just being "a cunt" and it makes them feel small, which is why they lash out with immature, name-calling epithets.

So, all of that being said, AZ certainly could put in the dialogue choices to allow some of you to behave like the immature insecure assholes you apparently want to be. But, I don't think it would play out the way that you think it would. And I'd imagine that if it were to play out the way you want it to, in order for it do to that, AZ would have to fundamentally compromise the nature of characters that he has obviously spent a very long time crafting, writing, and building up over the course of this VN.

This 1000%. For the MC to be all "alpha", like some people are suggesting, it would not only go against the MC's established character but it would also ruin the clear intentions that AZ has in crafting the event to unfold the way that it did. Being as aggressive and confrontational as some people seem to want him to be is not the MC we've come to know and it would also likely cause more problems than it solves, so by taking it on the chin and choosing the path of least reistance, this will serve both him and Ashley better as the story continues to unfold.