VN Ren'Py Completed Leap of Faith [Ch. 8 v1.0.3] [DriftyGames]

[Balpheron]

Hey guys. Trying to get fix a variable bug with unren dev console. My XPLexi is stuck at 16 even though I followed both a WT and a WT mod to a T while trying to garner points with her.
Does anyone know what type in the dev console to change XPLexi = 20?

 

[theScumbag]

Fantastic update. Really made my weekend!

 

[Faptime]

I'm really scratching my head here trying to decide if you're serious about this suggestion or if you're trolling?

A little of column A and a little of column B, lol.

Seriously, think about it. Steph just ghosting MC after 3 years has GOT to have a good reason. Given that we don't know who MC's father is besides "Middle Eastern" and "rich", given the fact that MC received 200k on his 17th birthday and (I assume) that's when Steph came along, given the the fact that Swole is probably Melvin and their "breakup" Nuke message says "nice working together" and it all paints a POSSIBLE picture:

Steph works for the US govt and was spying on MC to see what, if any connection he had to MC's father. When none was found, Steph was reassigned as Melvin's "wife" for another mission. After seeing MC again, Steph is overcome with the feelings of love and loss and gets reassigned/retires in the hopes of maybe seeing MC again and setting things right.

Farfetched? Maybe. But it all fits the facts as we know them.

 

[DriftyGames]

Hey guys. Trying to get fix a variable bug with unren dev console. My XPLexi is stuck at 16 even though I followed both a WT and a WT mod to a T while trying to garner points with her.
Does anyone know what type in the dev console to change XPLexi = 20?

Zoey has done a very good job with her Chapter 1 and 2 WT. Though at first glance I could see a lot of small path guide errors for chapter 3. I'm quite certain she will update it whenever she has a spare moment, but if you go with a slightly less flirty approach when texting her, you might get the last few rep points by a none console cheat way.

 

[Faptime]

Well considering she was likely a minor when she met MC that becomes kinda unlikely. Remember they were still at school when that dream in chapter 3 played, not university or such. That was where I went wrong in first instance, thinking they were mid twenties or bit older, while it seems they are early 20.

Actually in high school? Or "Hollywood Actress in high school"? She could have been mid-twenties/fresh out of the academy type thing. Shadowing the son of a person of interest certainly sounds like a low-level operative kind of mission.

 

[DA22]

Actually in high school? Or "Hollywood Actress in high school"? She could have been mid-twenties/fresh out of the academy type thing. Shadowing the son of a person of interest certainly sounds like a low-level operative kind of mission.

Without more backstory hard to say, but likely real in high school, since Linda knew her and Linda moved away during last years of it, so we are not talking senior year only either but earlier as well.

 

[Glooskabe]

A little of column A and a little of column B, lol.

Seriously, think about it. Steph just ghosting MC after 3 years has GOT to have a good reason. Given that we don't know who MC's father is besides "Middle Eastern" and "rich", given the fact that MC received 200k on his 17th birthday and (I assume) that's when Steph came along, given the the fact that Swole is probably Melvin and their "breakup" Nuke message says "nice working together" and it all paints a POSSIBLE picture:

Steph works for the US govt and was spying on MC to see what, if any connection he had to MC's father. When none was found, Steph was reassigned as Melvin's "wife" for another mission. After seeing MC again, Steph is overcome with the feelings of love and loss and gets reassigned/retires in the hopes of maybe seeing MC again and setting things right.

Farfetched? Maybe. But it all fits the facts as we know them.

It doesn't explain why MC had to fear for his life if Melvin found them in delicto flagrante though. If it was a "show" marriage for work, that shouldn't have been an issue especially if the mission was wrapped.

 

[E.l.l.0]

Well... It's difficult to have a good opinion of Stephanie since all we had when we first met her was the dream, her lack of explanation as to why she left, and the obvious devastation she left the MC in. If there had been a prologue where we could interact with her or see an extended scene of the two of them together it would have gone a long way toward giving a more favorable impression of her and their relationship. Perhaps, for example, if the flashback in chapter 3 was the dream the MC had in the beginning of chapter 1. Right now you are back filling the narrative and that makes it difficult to change the course of public opinion.

On top of that is the fact that she gives the impression that she moved on from the MC in the intervening years by getting married (to murderous Melvin). Yes, she supposedly has a completely reasonable and justifying explanation for why she left, ghosted the MC, got married, and is only now back in town. But someone who has had their heart broken shouldn't be expected to be calm, rational, and patient with the person who broke them. Especially when, upon first seeing each other after 2 years without any communication, there is no explanation forthcoming no matter how much one asks for it.

Having a good time with someone isn't the same as showing us the depth of their love for each other. One afternoon at the beach in a flashback in chapter 3 doesn't counter the player's knowledge of the MC's 2 years of depression, his becoming a shell of his former self, that he was essentially a hermit because of the pain he suffered from her betrayal. Essentially we are not given a compelling reason for accepting her back into his life. The memory of a past love they shared doesn't automatically allow her back in, not with the way they broke up.

As of chapter 3 the MC is once again surrounded by people who care about him, something that hasn't happened in a long time. He has women who care about him as more than a sex object, one of which was a past flame (his first flame). There is a superstar who may actually see him as a worthwhile partner in life. Why should he stop everything that is going on right now and go back to someone who has hurt him more than anyone else has ever hurt him?

Also... I would really like it if you filled in more of the MC's life history. Right now we don't know if he has siblings, what happened (if anything) to his mom, if he has any family whatsoever. I am sure some of that reticence is because, often, when you introduce female relatives, the pervs on this site immediately want to be able to fuck them. However, it would be nice to be able to understand more about him and the life he had B.S.S (Before Steph Split).

There's reasoning behind your words. But Steph has her role to play in the story and I believe Drifty's objective was to make the players have a very negative initial opinion of her. (Maybe not as much as it turned out, tho. When they're angry and frustrated, some people tend to quickly search for a target where they can throw all their hate at, in order to feel some relief and contentment, in a cathartic way.) Which means that there'll come a time where we'll get to know her side of the story and what was behind her motivations. Maybe some people will try to avoid it anyway, but I'm sure we'll get to know some measure of information of what had happened and why, and we'll get a better idea of what was behind it. And who knows, maybe we'd even end up understanding it, even if we've already made our choice and threw her aside, as a love interest, opting for, say, Cece or Lexi, instead.

One of the most interesting things about a character, for me, is witnessing a character's arc. Their transformation or inner journey over the course of the story. Usually, they start being depicted in some specific way, and we'll progressively witness how they change into something else, which could be an antithesis of what they were before. Something along the lines of Anakin Skywalker becoming Darth Vader; Daenarys Targaryen, the breaker of chains, becoming the Mad Queen; or Jaime Lannister, the Kingslayer, and hateful villain, slowly winning some of our hearts with some redeeming actions in the course of the books/series. You get the idea.

Of these examples, Steph would have to be more akin to Jaime's arc, as she started like a hateful villain too. But what ever could possibly be redeeming enough for such a creature, capable of delivering such cruel treatment and indifference towards another human being, one who particularly loved her dearly? Well, only Drifty knows for sure! But I believe there's already hints in the game, and if you pay close attention to every little detail (and there's many, many ones; I'm sure I missed many and I've played the game many times now) you are at least able to spot some hints and clues to her actions and motivations. If you care to look at these three pieces of evidence I found, and to my consequent conjecture, maybe you'll be more keen to keep an open mind and only deliver your final verdict and sentence after the court session ends.

Evidence #1: Chris's "testimony" to Cece. He basically only has positive things to say about Steph and tells her how compassionate, friendly, lovingly, nice and wonderful she was. He clearly regarded her as a dear friend of his and MC's and thought they would be a couple that would last forever, and how they were supposed to grow old together. This tells us not only that they loved each other dearly, but, more importantly for her case, that she was a wonderful person. Not someone you'd hate; quite the contrary.

Spoiler: The "testimony"

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Evidence #2: Finally, in this episode, we get some major hint of what may have been on Steph's mind, when she decides to abandon MC, in the form of a letter. I highlighted the more relevant parts for your convenience. It's pretty easy to understand that there's supposedly a third party involved, which she seemed to have been forced to obey.

Spoiler: The letter

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Evidence #3: Finally, the remaining piece of the puzzle that was actually shown in the previous episode, in the form of a "nuke". In it we see Steph subtly pointing towards her back, to the bookcase on the wall, where the book closest to her finger has the title "Pentagon" in it. As a caption, she wrote "I love you <5" with an enigmatic <5 as opposed to the usual <3 which represents a heart. This unusual display could have been not a typo, but a form of reinforcing the idea of the pentagon, as this geometrical shape has 5 sides.

Spoiler: The nuke

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Conclusions: So, if all this is plausible, why would she resort to abruptly leave her dear lover in such a fashion, showing such a cold behavior by abandoning him and ghosting him for two whole years, when she's supposed to be a compassionate human being? Possibly, it could have been for the well being of MC, and for her own safety, as well, and... for the sake of her "mission". Imagine, even if it apparently looks too far-fetched, if she's actually some kind of secret agent with a very secretive, delicate, important, and dangerous operation. Why would she keep all this away from him is easier to understand, because if she'd have been expressively forbidden to tell anyone, as she explains in the letter, she could be charged for a serious felony, as well as lose her job and risk imprisonment and her own safety and that of her close ones.

Sacrifice: This is the name of her actions, for she chose to risk losing the love of her life over forsaking her duty. In this scenario, she probably knew she'd always lose MC anyway because of her actions, but she still kept a semblance of hope, we can see in the form of the letter; a desperate attempt to undo all that she'd have to do, or to, at least, leave a piece of evidence indicative of her honest feelings, as a testament of what he represented to her and how significant he actually is, despite what she'd be forced to do. As she says on the letter, maybe she hoped that she'd only be gone for a few months and she wanted to return to him at some point.

Why did she not at least give him any explanation face to face? She could not do this because, if she had told him some lie, he eventually would find it out, sooner or later. And if she had told him she'd be gone for a few months and not being able to explain why and to where she'd go, given how MC felt about her too, this would probably make him go after her, attempting to pursue her wherever she'd go, jeopardizing the whole operation and putting both their lives at risk in the process. So why didn't she just break up with him and put some closure and let MC be free of all the pain he'd have to endure? To have to break her lover's heart, and being forced to witness the resulting suffering she would unleash by doing this, would be truly agonizing and devastating and she wouldn't be able to go through with it, as she loved him dearly, and she would probably couldn't stand it and would end up crying too, revealing her true feelings, betraying her lies, and MC wouldn't accept them, as he'd witness she'd clearly still loved him. Plus, she wouldn't want to actually break up with him because she was still holding onto her hopes of being together again.

The truth is she ended up disappearing for, at least, close to two years, and she never ended up returning nor telling the cause of her sudden disappearance. As if this was not enough alone, to add to the humiliation, upon their reunion, at last, she ends up having to reveal she's actually married now, to the natural "dafuq"prompt reaction of MC... and ours. The ultimate betrayal. If she really loved him, she'd never do this... Except if it was the last resort and had become the most crucial phase of the operation, after hypothetical previous failures: To be allowed onto the midst of the very person being the main target of the undercover investigation, or the organization he worked with/for: her husband, Melvin.

This is just a theory, a possible explanation for the almost inexplicable and despicable act of our Hateful Steph, according to my imagination, but based on those clues found already in the game, so take this with a grain of salt.

 

[Faptime]

Either way, DA22 and Glooskabe, I can't wait for the next update to see just how far off the mark I am!

 

[Faptime]

There's reasoning behind your words. But Steph has her role to play in the story and I believe Drifty's objective was to make the players have a very negative initial opinion of her. (Maybe not as much as it turned out, tho. When they're angry and frustrated, some people tend to quickly search for a target where they can throw all their hate at, in order to feel some relief and contentment, in a cathartic way.) Which means that there'll come a time where we'll get to know her side of the story and what was behind her motivations. Maybe some people will try to avoid it anyway, but I'm sure we'll get to know some measure of information of what had happened and why, and we'll get a better idea of what was behind it. And who knows, maybe we'd even end up understanding it, even if we've already made our choice and threw her aside, as a love interest, opting for, say, Cece or Lexi, instead.

One of the most interesting things about a character, for me, is witnessing a character's arc. Their transformation or inner journey over the course of the story. Usually, they start being depicted in some specific way, and we'll progressively witness how they change into something else, which could be an antithesis of what they were before. Something along the lines of Anakin Skywalker becoming Darth Vader; Daenarys Targaryen, the breaker of chains, becoming the Mad Queen; or Jaime Lannister, the Kingslayer, and hateful villain, slowly winning some our hearts with some redeeming actions in the course of the books/series. You get the idea.

Of these examples, Steph would have to be more akin to Jaime's arc, as she started like a hateful villain too. But what ever could possibly be redeeming enough for such a creature, capable of delivering such cruel treatment and indifference towards another human being, one who particularly loved her dearly? Well, only Drifty knows for sure! But I believe there's already hints in the game, and if you pay close attention to every little detail (and there's many, many ones; I'm sure I missed many and I've played the game many times now) you are at least able to spot some hints and clues to her actions and motivations. If you care to look at these three pieces of evidence I found, and to my consequent conjecture, maybe you'll be more keen to keep an open mind and only deliver your verdict and sentence after the court session ends.

Evidence #1: Chris's "testimony" to Cece. He basically only has positive things to say about Steph and tells her how compassionate, friendly, lovingly, nice and wonderful she was. He clearly regarded her as a dear friend of his and MC's and thought they would be a couple that would last forever, and how they were supposed to grow old together. This tells us not only that they loved each other dearly, but, more importantly for her case, that she was a wonderful person. Not someone you'd hate; quite the contrary.

Spoiler: The "testimony"

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Evidence #2: Finally, in this episode, we get some major hint of what may have been on Steph's mind, when she decides to abandon MC, in the form of a letter. I highlighted the more relevant parts for your convenience. It's pretty easy to understand that there's supposedly a third party involved, which she seemed to have been forced to obey.

Spoiler: The letter

You don't have permission to view the spoiler content. Log in or register now.

Evidence #3 Finally, the remaining piece of the puzzle that was actually shown in the previous episode, in the form of a "nuke". In it we see Steph subtly pointing towards her back, to the bookcase on the wall, where the book closest to her finger has the title "Pentagon" in it. As a caption, she wrote "I love you <5" with an enigmatic <5 as opposed to the usual <3 which represents a heart. This unusual display could have been not a typo, but a form of reinforcing the idea of the pentagon, as this geometrical shape has 5 sides.

Spoiler: The nuke

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Conclusions: So, if all this is plausible, why would she resort to abruptly leave her dear lover in such a fashion, showing such a cold behavior by abandoning him and ghosting him for two whole years, when she's supposed to be a compassionate human being? Possibly, it could have been for the well being of MC, and for her own safety, as well, and... for the sake of her "mission". Imagine, even if it apparently looks too far-fetched, if she's actually some kind of secret agent with a very secretive, delicate, important, and dangerous operation. Why would she keep all this away from him is easier to understand, because if she'd have been expressively forbidden to tell anyone, as she explains in the letter, she could be charged for a serious felony, as well as lose her job and risk imprisonment and her own safety and that of her close ones.

Sacrifice: This is the name of her actions, for she chose to risk losing the love of her life over forsaking her duty. In this scenario, she probably knew she'd always lose MC anyway because of her actions, but she still kept a semblance of hope, we can see in the form of the letter; a desperate attempt to undo all that she'd have to do, or to, at least, leave a piece of evidence indicative of her honest feelings, as a testament of what he represented to her and how significant he actually is, despite what she'd be forced to do. As she says on the letter, maybe she hoped that she'd only be gone for a few months and she wanted to return to him at some point.

Why did she not at least give him any explanation face to face? She could not this because, if she had told him some lie, he eventually would find it out, sooner or later. And if she had told him she'd be gone for a few months and not being able to explain why and to where she'd go, given how MC felt about her too, this would probably make him go after her, attempting to pursue her wherever she'd go, jeopardizing the whole operation and putting both their lives at risk in the process. So why didn't she just break up with him and put some closure and let MC be free of all the pain he'd have to endure? To have to brake her lover's heart, and being forced to witness the resulting suffering she would unleash by doing this, would be truly agonizing and devastating and she wouldn't be go through with it, as she loved him dearly, and she would probably couldn't stand it and would end up crying too, revealing her true feelings, betraying her lies, and MC wouldn't accept them, as he'd witness she'd clearly still loved him. Plus, she wouldn't want to actually break up with him because she was still holding onto her hopes of being together again.

The truth is she ended up disappearing for, at least, close to two years, and she never ended up returning nor telling the cause of her sudden disappearance. As if this was not enough alone, and to add to the humiliation, upon their reunion, at least, she ends up having to reveal she's actually married now, to the natural "dafuq"prompt reaction of MC... and ours. The ultimate betrayal. If she really loved him, she'd never do this... Except if it was the last resort and had become the most crucial phase of the operation, after hypothetical previous failures: To be allowed onto the midst of the very person being the main target of the investigation, or the organization he worked with/for: her husband, Melvin.

This is just a theory, a possible explanation for the almost inexplicable and despicable act of our Hateful Steph, according to my imagination, but based on those clues found already in the game, so take this with a grain of salt.

See?! This guy knows how to embrace a good conspiracy theory! I'm glad I'm not alone!

 

[Raziel_8]

Seriously, think about it. Steph just ghosting MC after 3 years has GOT to have a good reason.

I'm sure she has a good reason at least in her opinion. That doesn't mean the Mc or players will find these reasons sufficient thought.
Also the fact remains, she could have talkt with Mc before vanishing, i know she said 'not allowed to talk' but who would have ever found out ?

Actually in high school? Or "Hollywood Actress in high school"?

Ok asuming she can look like a teenager for her mission.
Wouldn't that kind of make it worse ? I mean it would mean the complete relation was based on lies and deception from the get to go.

Steph works for the US govt and was spying on MC to see what, if any connection he had to MC's father. When none was found, Steph was reassigned as Melvin's "wife" for another mission. After seeing MC again, Steph is overcome with the feelings of love and loss and gets reassigned/retires in the hopes of maybe seeing MC again and setting things right

Dude if that is her reason my MC will kick her arse hard time.
I mean she could have 'simply' quit her fucking job instead of fucking up Mc's life and marrying some criminal.

 

[DA22]

Either way, DA22 and Glooskabe, I can't wait for the next update to see just how far off the mark I am!

That goes for all of us, guess we all hope that marriage was forceful arranged somehow and not a love relation at the very least if Steph wants to be redeemed. If it is a valid and loving marriage best remaining option will be see you in 5 to 10 years when MC has seriously moved on and forgotten about her besides a sweet memory of past. Unless you want revenge, break up her marriage and then dump her of course.

 

[Glooskabe]

This is just a theory, a possible explanation for the almost inexplicable and despicable act of our Hateful Steph, according to my imagination, but based on those clues found already in the game, so take this with a grain of salt.

I'm with you pretty much every step of the way. It's a plausible, although fucking ridiculously improbable, scenario. I, and I think even MrFriendly, have said we are open to hearing a convincing explanation. In fact, I think we require it, and this version or something like could work for story purposes. It only goes part way though because to me the most damning thing she has done is her behavior toward MC when they ran into each other unexpectedly. I would have totally been on board with a crazy tearful make out session at first, but damn, they need to talk about what happened and she has no right to delay that if MC asks for it! Not mentioning the murderous husband is just extra sauce for the shit sandwich.

It isn't just about how she walked out of his life. It's also, and maybe even more importantly, about how she came back into it.

 

[MrFriendly]

There's reasoning behind your words. But Steph has her role to play in the story and I believe Drifty's objective was to make the players have a very negative initial opinion of her. (Maybe not as much as it turned out, tho. When they're angry and frustrated, some people tend to quickly search for a target where they can throw all their hate at, in order to feel some relief and contentment, in a cathartic way.) Which means that there'll come a time where we'll get to know her side of the story and what was behind her motivations. Maybe some people will try to avoid it anyway, but I'm sure we'll get to know some measure of information of what had happened and why, and we'll get a better idea of what was behind it. And who knows, maybe we'd even end up understanding it, even if we've already made our choice and threw her aside, as a love interest, opting for, say, Cece or Lexi, instead.

One of the most interesting things about a character, for me, is witnessing a character's arc. Their transformation or inner journey over the course of the story. Usually, they start being depicted in some specific way, and we'll progressively witness how they change into something else, which could be an antithesis of what they were before. Something along the lines of Anakin Skywalker becoming Darth Vader; Daenarys Targaryen, the breaker of chains, becoming the Mad Queen; or Jaime Lannister, the Kingslayer, and hateful villain, slowly winning some our hearts with some redeeming actions in the course of the books/series. You get the idea.

Of these examples, Steph would have to be more akin to Jaime's arc, as she started like a hateful villain too. But what ever could possibly be redeeming enough for such a creature, capable of delivering such cruel treatment and indifference towards another human being, one who particularly loved her dearly? Well, only Drifty knows for sure! But I believe there's already hints in the game, and if you pay close attention to every little detail (and there's many, many ones; I'm sure I missed many and I've played the game many times now) you are at least able to spot some hints and clues to her actions and motivations. If you care to look at these three pieces of evidence I found, and to my consequent conjecture, maybe you'll be more keen to keep an open mind and only deliver your verdict and sentence after the court session ends.

Evidence #1: Chris's "testimony" to Cece. He basically only has positive things to say about Steph and tells her how compassionate, friendly, lovingly, nice and wonderful she was. He clearly regarded her as a dear friend of his and MC's and thought they would be a couple that would last forever, and how they were supposed to grow old together. This tells us not only that they loved each other dearly, but, more importantly for her case, that she was a wonderful person. Not someone you'd hate; quite the contrary.

Spoiler: The "testimony"

You don't have permission to view the spoiler content. Log in or register now.

Evidence #2: Finally, in this episode, we get some major hint of what may have been on Steph's mind, when she decides to abandon MC, in the form of a letter. I highlighted the more relevant parts for your convenience. It's pretty easy to understand that there's supposedly a third party involved, which she seemed to have been forced to obey.

Spoiler: The letter

You don't have permission to view the spoiler content. Log in or register now.

Evidence #3 Finally, the remaining piece of the puzzle that was actually shown in the previous episode, in the form of a "nuke". In it we see Steph subtly pointing towards her back, to the bookcase on the wall, where the book closest to her finger has the title "Pentagon" in it. As a caption, she wrote "I love you <5" with an enigmatic <5 as opposed to the usual <3 which represents a heart. This unusual display could have been not a typo, but a form of reinforcing the idea of the pentagon, as this geometrical shape has 5 sides.

Spoiler: The nuke

You don't have permission to view the spoiler content. Log in or register now.

Conclusions: So, if all this is plausible, why would she resort to abruptly leave her dear lover in such a fashion, showing such a cold behavior by abandoning him and ghosting him for two whole years, when she's supposed to be a compassionate human being? Possibly, it could have been for the well being of MC, and for her own safety, as well, and... for the sake of her "mission". Imagine, even if it apparently looks too far-fetched, if she's actually some kind of secret agent with a very secretive, delicate, important, and dangerous operation. Why would she keep all this away from him is easier to understand, because if she'd have been expressively forbidden to tell anyone, as she explains in the letter, she could be charged for a serious felony, as well as lose her job and risk imprisonment and her own safety and that of her close ones.

Sacrifice: This is the name of her actions, for she chose to risk losing the love of her life over forsaking her duty. In this scenario, she probably knew she'd always lose MC anyway because of her actions, but she still kept a semblance of hope, we can see in the form of the letter; a desperate attempt to undo all that she'd have to do, or to, at least, leave a piece of evidence indicative of her honest feelings, as a testament of what he represented to her and how significant he actually is, despite what she'd be forced to do. As she says on the letter, maybe she hoped that she'd only be gone for a few months and she wanted to return to him at some point.

Why did she not at least give him any explanation face to face? She could not this because, if she had told him some lie, he eventually would find it out, sooner or later. And if she had told him she'd be gone for a few months and not being able to explain why and to where she'd go, given how MC felt about her too, this would probably make him go after her, attempting to pursue her wherever she'd go, jeopardizing the whole operation and putting both their lives at risk in the process. So why didn't she just break up with him and put some closure and let MC be free of all the pain he'd have to endure? To have to brake her lover's heart, and being forced to witness the resulting suffering she would unleash by doing this, would be truly agonizing and devastating and she wouldn't be go through with it, as she loved him dearly, and she would probably couldn't stand it and would end up crying too, revealing her true feelings, betraying her lies, and MC wouldn't accept them, as he'd witness she'd clearly still loved him. Plus, she wouldn't want to actually break up with him because she was still holding onto her hopes of being together again.

The truth is she ended up disappearing for, at least, close to two years, and she never ended up returning nor telling the cause of her sudden disappearance. As if this was not enough alone, and to add to the humiliation, upon their reunion, at least, she ends up having to reveal she's actually married now, to the natural "dafuq"prompt reaction of MC... and ours. The ultimate betrayal. If she really loved him, she'd never do this... Except if it was the last resort and had become the most crucial phase of the operation, after hypothetical previous failures: To be allowed onto the midst of the very person being the main target of the investigation, or the organization he worked with/for: her husband, Melvin.

This is just a theory, a possible explanation for the almost inexplicable and despicable act of our Hateful Steph, according to my imagination, but based on those clues found already in the game, so take this with a grain of salt.

That all sounds great, a reasonable perhaps even plausible theory that is well thought out using the evidence we have at hand... Except I don't really care what reason the evil hag has for the shit she pulled. (I hope ya'll realize I am joking, I just don't see Drifty being able to convince me that she had a good reason for it).

If she's a "spook" who subsequently "ghosted" the MC for the "greater good" then she can go snuggle up to that "greater good" along with her husband Melvin and live happily ever after. I'd rather play through the game where the MC ends up with no one than have him end up with her. Everyone talks about the emotional baggage of Cece but Steph has kilotons worth of emotional baggage that is all directly related to the MC. With Cece we will, hopefully, feel empathy towards her over what happened and want to comfort her. But Steph accumulated all of her emotional baggage within her relationship with the MC. She did all of the emotional damage to the MC. Cece has inflicted nothing besides a bit of a painful pinky upon the MC. I don't see how anyone could really trust Steph again after what she's done.

 

[Ayhsel]

There's reasoning behind your words. But Steph has her role to play in the story and I believe Drifty's objective was to make the players have a very negative initial opinion of her. (Maybe not as much as it turned out, tho. When they're angry and frustrated, some people tend to quickly search for a target where they can throw all their hate at, in order to feel some relief and contentment, in a cathartic way.) Which means that there'll come a time where we'll get to know her side of the story and what was behind her motivations. Maybe some people will try to avoid it anyway, but I'm sure we'll get to know some measure of information of what had happened and why, and we'll get a better idea of what was behind it. And who knows, maybe we'd even end up understanding it, even if we've already made our choice and threw her aside, as a love interest, opting for, say, Cece or Lexi, instead.

One of the most interesting things about a character, for me, is witnessing a character's arc. Their transformation or inner journey over the course of the story. Usually, they start being depicted in some specific way, and we'll progressively witness how they change into something else, which could be an antithesis of what they were before. Something along the lines of Anakin Skywalker becoming Darth Vader; Daenarys Targaryen, the breaker of chains, becoming the Mad Queen; or Jaime Lannister, the Kingslayer, and hateful villain, slowly winning some our hearts with some redeeming actions in the course of the books/series. You get the idea.

Of these examples, Steph would have to be more akin to Jaime's arc, as she started like a hateful villain too. But what ever could possibly be redeeming enough for such a creature, capable of delivering such cruel treatment and indifference towards another human being, one who particularly loved her dearly? Well, only Drifty knows for sure! But I believe there's already hints in the game, and if you pay close attention to every little detail (and there's many, many ones; I'm sure I missed many and I've played the game many times now) you are at least able to spot some hints and clues to her actions and motivations. If you care to look at these three pieces of evidence I found, and to my consequent conjecture, maybe you'll be more keen to keep an open mind and only deliver your verdict and sentence after the court session ends.

Evidence #1: Chris's "testimony" to Cece. He basically only has positive things to say about Steph and tells her how compassionate, friendly, lovingly, nice and wonderful she was. He clearly regarded her as a dear friend of his and MC's and thought they would be a couple that would last forever, and how they were supposed to grow old together. This tells us not only that they loved each other dearly, but, more importantly for her case, that she was a wonderful person. Not someone you'd hate; quite the contrary.

Spoiler: The "testimony"

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Evidence #2: Finally, in this episode, we get some major hint of what may have been on Steph's mind, when she decides to abandon MC, in the form of a letter. I highlighted the more relevant parts for your convenience. It's pretty easy to understand that there's supposedly a third party involved, which she seemed to have been forced to obey.

Spoiler: The letter

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Evidence #3 Finally, the remaining piece of the puzzle that was actually shown in the previous episode, in the form of a "nuke". In it we see Steph subtly pointing towards her back, to the bookcase on the wall, where the book closest to her finger has the title "Pentagon" in it. As a caption, she wrote "I love you <5" with an enigmatic <5 as opposed to the usual <3 which represents a heart. This unusual display could have been not a typo, but a form of reinforcing the idea of the pentagon, as this geometrical shape has 5 sides.

Spoiler: The nuke

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Conclusions: So, if all this is plausible, why would she resort to abruptly leave her dear lover in such a fashion, showing such a cold behavior by abandoning him and ghosting him for two whole years, when she's supposed to be a compassionate human being? Possibly, it could have been for the well being of MC, and for her own safety, as well, and... for the sake of her "mission". Imagine, even if it apparently looks too far-fetched, if she's actually some kind of secret agent with a very secretive, delicate, important, and dangerous operation. Why would she keep all this away from him is easier to understand, because if she'd have been expressively forbidden to tell anyone, as she explains in the letter, she could be charged for a serious felony, as well as lose her job and risk imprisonment and her own safety and that of her close ones.

Sacrifice: This is the name of her actions, for she chose to risk losing the love of her life over forsaking her duty. In this scenario, she probably knew she'd always lose MC anyway because of her actions, but she still kept a semblance of hope, we can see in the form of the letter; a desperate attempt to undo all that she'd have to do, or to, at least, leave a piece of evidence indicative of her honest feelings, as a testament of what he represented to her and how significant he actually is, despite what she'd be forced to do. As she says on the letter, maybe she hoped that she'd only be gone for a few months and she wanted to return to him at some point.

Why did she not at least give him any explanation face to face? She could not this because, if she had told him some lie, he eventually would find it out, sooner or later. And if she had told him she'd be gone for a few months and not being able to explain why and to where she'd go, given how MC felt about her too, this would probably make him go after her, attempting to pursue her wherever she'd go, jeopardizing the whole operation and putting both their lives at risk in the process. So why didn't she just break up with him and put some closure and let MC be free of all the pain he'd have to endure? To have to brake her lover's heart, and being forced to witness the resulting suffering she would unleash by doing this, would be truly agonizing and devastating and she wouldn't be go through with it, as she loved him dearly, and she would probably couldn't stand it and would end up crying too, revealing her true feelings, betraying her lies, and MC wouldn't accept them, as he'd witness she'd clearly still loved him. Plus, she wouldn't want to actually break up with him because she was still holding onto her hopes of being together again.

The truth is she ended up disappearing for, at least, close to two years, and she never ended up returning nor telling the cause of her sudden disappearance. As if this was not enough alone, and to add to the humiliation, upon their reunion, at least, she ends up having to reveal she's actually married now, to the natural "dafuq"prompt reaction of MC... and ours. The ultimate betrayal. If she really loved him, she'd never do this... Except if it was the last resort and had become the most crucial phase of the operation, after hypothetical previous failures: To be allowed onto the midst of the very person being the main target of the investigation, or the organization he worked with/for: her husband, Melvin.

This is just a theory, a possible explanation for the almost inexplicable and despicable act of our Hateful Steph, according to my imagination, but based on those clues found already in the game, so take this with a grain of salt.

Wow.. I did not notice the details in the picture. I would love to say because they were very subtle. But truth is this kind of thing always escapes me.

Objectively speaking, it is kind of far fetched. But I don't mind that. I am willing to believe anything in a story if it is logically consistent. And I do mean ANYTHING (hello aliens!). And would make for a big bomb.

My only problem with such a story is that if she is working for the Pentagon and she did leave such an evidence as the picture to MC, she is still shooting herself in the foot as much as she were just telling MC. I mean, if MC can figure out the secret message without him knowing anything, anyone from the pentagon that surely controls her action will know she revealed information in that way.

But I will not deny that, letting the hypothesis to be truth, I like your explanation. It is very consistent with the image I have of Steph.

In the end you don't even need the story she tell us to be true. Only that MC is willing to accept it. She could have just decided to leave MC and had not the guts to break up. MC only needs to believe some ridiculous story when presented, which is something people in love does. I am after all, playing a guy in love trying to be happy, not Sherlock Holmes trying to figure out a mystery.

I am giving her the benefit of doubt no matter whether the hypothesis is true or not and will hear her out. It is what I would want as MC and what I think I would want as Steph. All else, we will see how the story develops.

 

[Faptime]

I'm sure she has a good reason at least in her opinion. That doesn't mean the Mc or players will find these reasons sufficient thought.
Also the fact remains, she could have talkt with Mc before vanishing, i know she said 'not allowed to talk' but who would have ever found out ?



Ok asuming she can look like a teenager for her mission.
Wouldn't that kind of make it worse ? I mean it would mean the complete relation was based on lies and deception from the get to go.



Dude if that is her reason my MC will kick her arse hard time.
I mean she could have 'simply' quit her fucking job instead of fucking up Mc's life and marrying some criminal.

I mean, if she was working for some spy organization, it stands to reason that they would know if she talked.

And having a spy fall in love with their target is a freaking *staple* of storytelling. It's shown all the time. "Yes, my background was a lie, but my feelings for you weren't! "

I'm contending that Melvin/Swole is another agent and not a criminal. Their marriage was for the purpose of fulfilling a mission. We'll see how wrong I am soon.

And I hope that MC has an option to try to kick her ass if she turns out to be a spy just so she can kick the shit out of him for being a dick about things. Yeah, he's fit but we have no reason to think he can actually fight.

 

[Deleted member 1567504]

I'm contending that Melvin/Swole is another agent and not a criminal. Their marriage was for the purpose of fulfilling a mission. We'll see how wrong I am soon.

That doesn't explain why they would be having sex though. Just a thought.

 

[Faptime]

That doesn't explain why they would be having sex though. Just a thought.

All we know is that Steph was naked and she tried to get Melvin out of his clothes.

For all we know, after MC jumped out the window, Melvin turned to her and said "Bitch, you know I'm actually gay and our marriage is a cover story! Cover your cooter!"

....

Ok, that one is a bit of a stretch, but it's possible! It's like the movies where you don't see the body so you know the bad guy isn't dead, right?!

 

[Raziel_8]

I mean, if she was working for some spy organization, it stands to reason that they would know if she talked.

I'm sure as the Spy herself she would have found a opertunity to talk in secret (like at the beach) and a whole comando for observation for an obvious harmless Mc over several years would be a bit much.

And again if she was so in love with Mc, what would have stopt her from quiting her job ?
Even FBI, CIA and other agents can actually quit their job (thought i'm sure with signing some documents for secrecy)

And having a spy fall in love with their target is a freaking *staple* of storytelling. It's shown all the time. "Yes, my background was a lie, but my feelings for you weren't

Yes her feelings could be true, still everything Mc knows about her would be a lie, not an impossible odd to overcome but a hard blow for sure.

I'm contending that Melvin/Swole is another agent and not a criminal

Why would she have sex with a other agent and why would she say her 'husband' would kill him then ?

And I hope that MC has an option to try to kick her ass if she turns out to be a spy just so she can kick the shit out of him for being a dick about things. Yeah, he's fit but we have no reason to think he can actually fight.

Ok just to be clear...
so she is a spy, she lied and deceived the Mc for the whole time. Then she simply vanished which resulted in depression and a life crisis for the Mc. She comes back with a husband/criminal/other agent which she has a sexual relationship with....and the MC is the dick if he can't accept this reason ?

 

[MrFriendly]

I'm sure as the Spy herself she would have found a opertunity to talk in secret (like at the beach) and a whole comando for observation for an obvious harmless Mc over several years would be a bit much.

And again if she was so in love with Mc, what would have stopt her from quiting her job ?
Even FBI, CIA and other agents can actually quit their job (thought i'm sure with signing some documents for secrecy)



Yes her feelings could be true, still everything Mc knows about her would be a lie, not an impossible odd to overcome but a hard blow for sure.



Why would she have sex with a other agent and why would she say her 'husband' would kill him then ?



Ok just to be clear...
so she is a spy, she lied and deceived the Mc for the whole time. Then she simply vanished which resulted in depression and a life crisis for the Mc. She comes back with a husband/criminal/other agent which she has a sexual relationship with....and the MC is the dick if he can't accept this reason ?

Hmmm... Yeah, I actually dread the entire explanation that she will give because it will be ridiculous, far fetched, and unbelievable (no offense to Drifty) because every scenario we've thought of has giant holes in it. The only way that she could explain anything with it making an ounce of sense as to why she didn't tell the MC is if they kidnapped her family or his family or something along those lines. Not explaining something and leaving "for his own safety" (that just grinds my gears) is not a forgivable act on its own. There has to be something more to it, someone else she loves or is connected to being potentially harmed. Because right now the "I love you desperately but have to leave for an indefinite amount of time to solve a problem kinda related to you" is bullshit.