VN Ren'Py Karlsson's Gambit [v0.8.2B Final] [Grym Gudinna Games]

[Jacowboy]

I would encourage you to do a speed run, but pay attention to a few things:
1) Is Veronica's claims matching her actions?
2) Is Veronica transparent on how she's running the Gambit (where she's getting instructions, timetable)?
3) With Veronica running the Gambit, is she enforcing fairness: ensuring that everyone has an equal playing field, equal information, and is she disciplining cheating? Is one candidate/team receiving favorable treatment due to Veronica's actions/inaction?
4) Does she have a favored candidate, and possibly rigging the game to ensure only her desired candidate has a chance of winning?
5) Is this candidate completely independent of Veronica, or has she been directly and indirectly influencing/maneuvering her candidate's direction
6) Would this "influence" disappear once the candidate wins, or will she be an effective puppet for Veronica?
7) If Alessandra kills Veronica during the Gameshow, will Veronica's candidate become the most powerful? Will she keep the power/advantages she had while Veronica was alive, or will those evaporate?
8) Veronica claims that she doesn't want the power, but who inside KG is more powerful than her, and would she become more or less powerful if her chosen candidate wins?
9) Is Veronica truly capable of allowing anything to go outside or contrary to her will? If not, what does she do to ensure it bends so, and how does she react when it doesn't?
10) Who does everyone fear (both within and without KG), and why would all of these people fear such an "honest" person?
11) Despite departments and loyalties, how many of the staff never report to Veronica, or otherwise never fall under her chain-of-command?

Oh man, you have a hate boner for Vernoica huh??

Okay, so keeping in mind I only played the dom/good MC path, let me try to answer...

I was gonna answer point by point, but forget about that because you are looking at the whole thing from a distorted perspective and asking a lot of weird and irrelevant questions, so let's get to the heart of it: What is going on in the story?

Well, there are two basic "problems" in the story, the first and direct one is the power struggle for succession of the Karlsson Group's leadership. The second one, that has been revealed little by little, is that the world is basically fucked, and they need to find a solution for the survival of the human race at this point.

Veronica is basically trying to either fix the world (which she calculates is pointless) or save humanity with her secret island project... she's playing for MUCH bigger stakes than just the fate of the KG (Karlsson Group). Is she manipulative?? Well, yeah, of course she fucking is, she needs to be if she's gonna have a chance of pulling off her true goals, specially when she has to basically fight against a bunch of power hungry evil people.

We're still not a 100% sure of what the Gambit really is or how it was stipulated or how "honestly" is it being run to really question what Veronica's role is and how well she's behaving I guess... but like I said, she obviously has ulterior motives, everyone in the board does, and they are ALL involved in the Gambit... EVERYONE is trying to manipulate the outcome in their favor, so trying to paint Veronica as an evil manipulator honestly rings hollow in light of the circumstances.

Yes, there seems to be a desired outcome that is shared by many players/factions in which either Olivia, Kane or both take over, and Veronica seems to want Olivia to take over at the very least, Kane's role is a bit more complicated.

But anyways, the point is, while everyone else is playing Game of Thrones, Veronica is basically trying to save humanity, and so of course yeah, she will do whatever it takes to achieve her goals... does that make her evil though?

 

[Sharpshooter890]

However, she's the only one (besides Olivia) who had the courage and desire to kiss Kane and open up to him, rather than just using each other as fuck buddies... Even with the good Dominique you won't see anything like that (although I like her good and evil ways)... So it's still a question of who in this environment is a soulless sadist and who is a person capable of having warm feelings for another person..

Idk man, I feel like there is a meaningful connection between myself and Juliette. We really bonded after 'shopping' for goods and then feeding said goods into the Sarlacc Pit. She even went as far as drop on her knees to suck my dick. Talk about opening up to another person.

 

[MilesEdgeworth]

Idk man, I feel like there is a meaningful connection between myself and Juliette. We really bonded after 'shopping' for goods and then feeding said goods into the Sarlacc Pit. She even went as far as drop on her knees to suck my dick. Talk about opening up to another person.

and doesn't even bitch if you don't kill the other girl. Juliette has made quite the turnaround in my eyes

 

[Jacowboy]

For Sub Kane’s path I do wonder what Veronica means when she said this?.

Spoiler: Spoiler

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Ticket to what exactly? And Nadia said she’ll see us again soon…tho she and Cynthia are most likely watching the show then participating in it ( tho I could be wrong!) Tho Tess has teased that the Decocks might have something else for him (if he is not k7)… Delilah has a route with sub Kane so maybe it has to do something with that! (It’s in my sub tree that I made!)

Well it seems Nadia hacked into Veronica's system and found out about her plans, so it is obvious that Veronica is bribing her to keep quiet about it all with a "ticket".

The ticket is obviously for a place at Island 4, which is clearly a habitat/arc for humanity, basically a huge-ass spaceship Veronica is building as a backup plan in case they don't manage to save what's left of the world, and it seems that the situation is unsalvageable at this point... it's literally a ticket for salvation, so yeah...

 

[Stan5851]

Oh yes...our girls will always come first.

and yes...always send Jake to Eloise hahaha

And that makes sense. We definitely shouldn't (managing Olivia) send ourselves as lab rats to sexy Eloise. After all, we're fucking Eloise on our own terms, hehe. That's why I always send Jake to her in all my playthrough..In the end, if anyone is looking for a reason to do this, always remember that Jake was the one trying to get his hands on our beloved Olivia, as well as telling us his depraved fantasies about having sex with her...We can't have some guy talking about our girl like that, right?

 

[Maviarab]

I can't agree with that. I remember exactly how she could be. And I don't remember anything like that from any of the other Karlsson sisters. Olivia I'm leaving out, since we were close to her from the beginning.

Spoiler: Vi

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Another thing is that in Ep8 (if we give up the show), we will have a not very romantic scene, in this aspect much inferior to the previous one, although from the carnal point of view and much more frank...On the other hand, it is worth remembering that with a high probability, we will have another scene in the same secret place V.
V: But I will say this Kane...if I bring you here again, I have a feeling the experience will be much more...carnal.
And that's one more reason not to give up the role of co-host in the game show. As for the cold logic and calculation.. For such work, which Veronica does, you need a person with a technical mind, who can, when necessary, put aside emotions and be guided by precise mathematical calculations and logic (while the rest indulge in debauchery and doing nothing). And in that sense Veronica is perfect, no one else could have done it. Nevertheless, as you can see, she is not always so scientifically detached and cold. Aand to her too can find an approach and make her open up..

Whoever says what, but a truly serious and deep relationship should only be expected from Olivia and Veronica. I don't know what other skeletons V. has in her closet (I think it will become clear when Kane and Olivia become more involved in the flora and fauna restoration project (where Veronica and Dominique invited them) and get access to even more secret closed underground levels), but in any case, V. is a living person with not the worst ideas, not a soulless machine, as some people try to convince themselves. You may disagree, but that's what I think at the moment.

That being said, I don't deny that Veronica has her flaws (like any of the sisters), and in her case it's the very pretentiousness that was mentioned earlier in this thread. However, she's the only one (besides Olivia) who had the courage and desire to kiss Kane and open up to him, rather than just using each other as fuck buddies... Even with the good Dominique you won't see anything like that (although I like her good and evil ways)... So it's still a question of who in this environment is a soulless sadist and who is a person capable of having warm feelings for another person..

I'd have to say though, the first screenshot sums up everything Miles has been saying. Doesn't just not tell you something, she blatantly tells you she keeping stuff from you. Yeah...whatever lol.

Just a quick question I just played this game recently and just finished version 0.8. Doesn't Elena have any romantic content in the Dom path? Is she an optional LI in the Dom path?

Yes..and no. She will only have a Secret Sub route going forward, not implemented yet.

Idk man, I feel like there is a meaningful connection between myself and Juliette. We really bonded after 'shopping' for goods and then feeding said goods into the Sarlacc Pit. She even went as far as drop on her knees to suck my dick. Talk about opening up to another person.

True...true....

and doesn't even bitch if you don't kill the other girl. Juliette has made quite the turnaround in my eyes

Also...very true...

And that makes sense. We definitely shouldn't (managing Olivia) send ourselves as lab rats to sexy Eloise. After all, we're fucking Eloise on our own terms, hehe. That's why I always send Jake to her in all my playthrough..In the end, if anyone is looking for a reason to do this, always remember that Jake was the one trying to get his hands on our beloved Olivia, as well as telling us his depraved fantasies about having sex with her...We can't have some guy talking about our girl like that, right?

I sent Kane on my GoodSubKane/EvilDomOlivia save haha (Gotta love being doted over by my sexy girl Eloise).

Also yes, screw Jake. I think Tess may have intentionally left out any backstory between them to make it easier to decide. Besides, even if we don't demote him, he screwed anyway...he ain;t ever getting out of there, so we don't have to feel too bad for making his life even worse. As you say, he should have stayed away from our quean queen.

We're still not a 100% sure of what the Gambit really is

Yes...we are...

 

[Jacowboy]

Island 4. While Veronica's conversation with Astrid states 50k people...and Astrid thinks it should be more, I'm going to go out on a limb and say it will be much...much...much less. A ticket will guarantee you a spot. Think back to the disaster film 2012...

2012?? Nah... think more Interstellar... In fact, it's literally Interstellar, except Veronica already solved the whole anti-gravity problem they were having in that movie

 

[Maviarab]

2012?? Nah... think more Interstellar... In fact, it's literally Interstellar, except Veronica already solved the whole anti-gravity problem they were having in that movie

*sighs*

In that film...there were very limited spots available on the arks...and those spots were cherry-picked by the elite.

 

[Jacowboy]

You know what I meant tho, it's not a boat they're building... Also, we don't know how the selection process went in that other film, but probably the same... as it does in every other fuckin film

 

[MilesEdgeworth]

Also what's Olivia's beef with Jake. She all of a sudden just seemed to have really disliked that poor fella apparently even prior to the events of this game

 

[Maviarab]

Also what's Olivia's beef with Jake. She all of a sudden just seemed to have really disliked that poor fella apparently even prior to the events of this game

Because he hassled her for how many godamn years wanting to get into her pants.

On the sub path..oh she really reminds him of that and rubs his face in it...as does...Scarlett iirc...could be wrong..at how embarrassingly small his cock his and that why would he ever think Olivia would be interested in something so small

 

[Stan5851]

I'd have to say though, the first screenshot sums up everything Miles has been saying. Doesn't just not tell you something, she blatantly tells you she keeping stuff from you. Yeah...whatever lol.

Well, at least she asks to be patient and promises to tell everything later, showing her feelings and opening up a bit herself, while others just don't say anything to Kane, and some also try to secretly impregnate themselves with his sperm, finding out if it can be done... So, you know, I'd rather have someone who wouldn't do things like that behind my back. Also, my response wasn't that she's withholding information from Kane (which absolutely every important character in the game does), but that Veronica can't be compared to a soulless machine, and may have a lot more feelings than her sisters.

 

[Jacowboy]

Btw, that whole thing with Island 4 really puts the entire "prison special program" or whatever it's called into another very different light, when you think about it, and it suddenly makes more sense why they're basically putting some people in prison under false charges... kind of interesting, tbh.

 

[Maviarab]

Well, at least she asks to be patient and promises to tell everything later, showing her feelings and opening up a bit herself, while others just don't say anything to Kane

But she isn't...and yes they do. Pretty much every senior member of the facility tell him...be patient...when the time is right...have to find out for yourself...

Why we (I assume) finally get the pissed off scene with Elena. It's pretty much every single board member who does this shit to Kane.

 

[MilesEdgeworth]

But she isn't...and yes they do. Pretty much every senior member of the facility tell him...be patient...when the time is right...have to find out for yourself...

Why we (I assume) finally get the pissed off scene with Elena. It's pretty much every single board member who does this shit to Kane.

Honestly, they'd just be better off not telling him anything. All these hints about his father and letting family members visit him is pissing off Kane. Elena of all people should know how that shit feels yet she has to rub it in for some reason.

 

[Stan5851]

Folks, I'm as annoyed as you are that nothing is being said to Kane. But either it's some kind of Tess' considerations (like smoothly revealing the intrigue for those players who are not much immersed in analyzing the game events), or there's something behind it that we can't understand yet...and it makes us angry...

Yes, of course, someone can always assume that Veronica planned everything and gagged everyone, but I don't think it's that simple...There's something else going on here that even DeKocks (the same Cynthia) is keeping quiet about.. Did Veronica shut her up too? I don't think so...Anyway, I'm in favor of Kane being told the whole truth (and preferably in the next part of ch8), but we'll see how it plays out.

 

[Stan5851]

But for now, I have only one guess - Veronica is simply fulfilling Gambit's terms, trying not to give either side a clear advantage. She may have her own goals, but they're too broad and have to do with entirely different things, most of which are the survival of the people and the mainland... Veronica has no need for power. What would have happened if Cynthia had told Kane (Dom) about his father and everything else... It's not hard to understand - for one thing, Kane could have joined the DeKocks by then, having taken offence at what the Alexander did to Cole. (and Kallista)..

Disclosure by either of the Karlsson sisters could (theoretically) encourage KaneDom to side with the sister who first shared the revelations with him, but remembering that neither side should have an advantage over the other, their silence could also make sense. It can be a kind of unspoken agreement between the sisters that they will be honest with each other and follow some rules...For example, an agreement that each of the sisters has the right to sponsor Kane.

However, we are already seeing some attempts to disrupt the Gambit and break the established rules.Dominique is trying to impregnate herself with Kane's sperm (unsuccessfully), Alessandra wants to organise the murder of the sisters, Juliette makes an alliance with Dominique, preparing for direct conflict with Veronica (and Olivia). In any case, there is still a semblance of order for now, but very soon everything will collapse (I think so) and many rules (including the prohibition on disclosure of information) will go to hell.

 

[Maviarab]

Folks, I'm as annoyed as you are that nothing is being said to Kane. But either it's some kind of Tess' considerations (like smoothly revealing the intrigue for those players who are not much immersed in analyzing the game events), or there's something behind it that we can't understand yet...and it makes us angry...

Yes, of course, someone can always assume that Veronica planned everything and gagged everyone, but I don't think it's that simple...There's something else going on here that even DeKocks (the same Cynthia) is keeping quiet about.. Did Veronica shut her up too? I don't think so...Anyway, I'm in favor of Kane being told the whole truth (and preferably in the next part of ch8), but we'll see how it plays out.

The Karlsson's (I say as a group) obviously have something on the Dekoks for sure. Like the meeting with Cynthia, was organised by Elena and Elena made sure Cynthia only said the 'right things' etc. You can't even say they are using Cole against them (a threat) as most people think he is dead (confirmed by Tess)...including most of the board. So it has to be something else that makes the likes of Cynthia (who remember, according to Phoebe in the crpyt, Elena and Yvette are no match for her) go along with what they want. The Gambit in reality is no one elses concern outside the Karlsson's. Why would they care?

So why would they go along with all the riddles and being crpyptic? What is so obviously serious (other than it's Tess' story) to stop Cynthia say...hey Nephew Kane..my brother is yo daddy! Ooops...sorry Elena...what you going to do about it bitch?

However, we are already seeing some attempts to disrupt the Gambit and break the established rules.Dominique is trying to impregnate herself with Kane's sperm (unsuccessfully), Alessandra wants to organise the murder of the sisters, Juliette makes an alliance with Dominique, preparing for direct conflict with Veronica (and Olivia). In any case, there is still a semblance of order for now, but very soon everything will collapse (I think so) and many rules (including the prohibition on disclosure of information) will go to hell.

Yup...all hell is going to break loose!

 

[fgc1411]

Hi, really loving the game! Without spoiling is there:

a) an opportunity to shrink the MCs penis size?
b) anything I should be keeping an eye out for to make sure this happens?

 

[Stan5851]

The Gambit in reality is no one elses concern outside the Karlsson's. Why would they care?

So why would they go along with all the riddles and being crpyptic? What is so obviously serious (other than it's Tess' story) to stop Cynthia say...hey Nephew Kane..my brother is yo daddy! Ooops...sorry Elena...what you going to do about it bitch?

I think it's the most obvious thing in the world - gaining power over the Karlsson Group through his relative protégé Kane.

It's just that this cold war used to be fought on an equal footing and, as they say, nothing was going to go wrong, but with Alexander's death, the DeKocks had a real opportunity to take on their main competitor, the Karlsson Group. And Cynthia would be a fool if she didn't try to do it the legal way (by winning the Gambit). The same can be said for New Paris. I'm sure they didn't just come here to torture and kill slaves either...These guys will also be looking for allies in the coming war for power over the grand prize and it's just a question of who they'll join in this lion fight.