I do think some aspects of the story have been rushed, though. It's less about plot and more about establishing details. I feel like the game sometimes skips a step or two when laying out how the MC interacts with other characters.
Thank you very much for that feedback. I'm always interrested in hearing where I could have been done better, and where some elements of the story are lacking, or you feel it could be improved.
The way Kira will all but break up with Robin the instant we learn about their relationship is one example. It's very confusing at first, and even on reflection it gives the impression that the Kira/Robin relationship is extremely shallow. Perhaps the idea was to give the player an extradiegetic option to pursue them independently without having to break them up 'in character;' if so, I think that needed to be conveyed to the player explicitly. Otherwise, the situation would have benefited from a little more time to flesh Kira and Robin out as a pair before we get to choose how the MC might change things.
I used more time making that morning coffee on the bench conversation than it probably seems I have. And by you mentioning this, I probably should have taken even longer time on it, polishing it further.
Kira is getting feelings for the MC quite early, or feels she might be - maybe even questioning her relationship with Robin without even knowing it. Though, there's nothing shallow about their relationship. In fact, it's rock solid. Which I've tried portraying by them being close in other scenes. Also by them seeking 'outside help', to spice things up, suggesting they are very confident in each other, and their own relationship.
Kira's threesome question is meant to be for her own interest. 'What if MC is ok with both me (Kira) and Robin', and by MC saying no, she's dismissing it, deciding to go for the 'fun adventurous path', as she and Robin intended instead - not realizing that she might actually get to the point where she will have to make the choice herself further down the line, and it will not be a fun choice.
Of course, the Threesome question is put in there to allow a wider range of choice for the player. But of course, I might have failed at implement it properly. Or at least will have to look it over when I put the finishing touches on the final version of the story.
Linda is another example. I'm sure you will fill in some of the gaps when we get her path in Chapter 4, but it would have been nice if we learned that she was out looking for work in Chapter 3 BEFORE she got back and reported she hadn't found any. Obviously we can work out that she must have mentioned her plans offscreen, but doing it that way makes us feel more distant from the MC (and Linda). The two are reconnecting after years apart, so seeing first hand how they discuss simple things like Linda's fruitless job search can actually do a lot to inform us about both characters. As an added bonus, it would give the reveal that Linda was actually meeting Steph that much more impact.
I was sure I had mentioned that she had to go look for a job at some point in Chapter 2, but you are probably right. I haven't replayed the earlier chapters yet, due to the cringe-factor I think I (and most devs) will feel when seeing the earlier renders. I probably should though.
I'm putting the finishing touches on the Linda path in the game right now, and it's mostly about finally getting the chance to sit down and talk with her, which will also fill in her backstory.
We'll have to see how this game ends before we can judge it properly. For now I think it's impressive for a first effort. So just consider these suggestions to improve on in the future.
I definitely will.
