Ren'Py Lessons in Love [v0.47.0] [Selebus]

[LessonsInDissonance]

USER4 the Concealed

 

[aramaug]

We haven't delved into Noriko enough now that I think about it. Cause if we look at her history, she's put in Akira's school to have him recover his memories, then, presumably, the same forces have Maya give into her feelings - and that ends up leading to her death (which seems unintended by Himawari, and could be related to her interfering by saving Ayane).

So, Noriko + Maya have been manipulated by Himawari + Pareidolia. But seemingly Pareidolia is ok with Maya getting wrecked and Himawari considers it an unintended effect (could even be aware of it happening due to narrator Maya telling her). That's already a lot, but hold that thought.

Is there evidence that Himawari didn't know what would happen to Maya? I haven't wanted to play through those events a second time yet, so my memory is pretty fuzzy, but I thought that it could be intentional, to solidify Ayane's role in the RAS and potentially protect her from Maya. After all, Maya didn't seem very concerned with the idea that Ayane could be reset again. Of course it would be nice for us if they were on the same side, though.

Then we also have Nao-chan being sent by "them", as a help that they think Akira needs. That same Nao-chan is the one that leads Noriko to the replica of heaven where Maya Prime is being held. (btw she's TEMPLATE9, and AmIOKay says "why settle for 3, when with another 3 you have 9"? - maybe that's who she meant)

Ooh, I really like the idea that the "nine" refers to TEMPLATE9, i.e. Nao. Here's some wild speculation: what if the "three more" that "makes nine" refer to "three halves" of USER4? I've written before about how USER4 might be composed of two halves (the stuff with "two of us return to form", Ami talks about herself as half of a whole, Nao's two eyes could from different halves, etc.). On the other hand, we're told in the title of one of Maya's festival events that "Three Halves Make a Whole". That's almost certainly referring to the city, but maybe it also applies to USER4.

Now we just need someone to do a detailed analysis of how "CHAIR GOD, FLARE GOD, MEET ME IN THE AIR GOD. STARE GOD, BEAR GOD, DO YOU HAVE A SPARE GOD?!" refers to six different specific gods/characters. I mean, they're probably just random rhyming words... unless?

Theory time. What if Noriko has been used from the start as an agent of USER4 (or whoever group is behind Himawari/narrator Maya/Nao-chan), and as Pareidolia took control, they've now actively dropped the pretend game of working with USER3, and are using her to recover Maya (and other things as well given what's in the pot)?

this isn't a necessary part of said theory: But what would be really funny would be the possibility that somehow Narrator Maya is using Noriko to save Maya Prime in this timeline - which would understandably result in them becoming friends. What a plottwist.

I don't really have any evidence for it, but I like the idea that Maya narrates "Rivals (Taco Tuesday)", in which the narrator is pretty critical of Maya's attitude towards Noriko. If that's right, narrator Maya at least wants a reconciliation (or maybe remembers one from the future, idk, narrator Maya is confusing). Of course the best reason to believe that Maya narrates the event is that it would mean she calls herself Mayonnaise Macaroni.

 

[PhiloPhilo]

Sure, why not

In all seriousness, even if there is something to the theory, there are additional layers that we don't know about. Ayane for some reason doesn't make it through her first reset on the roof, and Tsuneyo and Yumi don't make it to the roof the first time after being told (because Tsuneyo's father intervenes and it seems like something killed Yumi) and aren't involved at all in the next reset.

Also, in 0.41 Noriko somehow remembers Maya Prime and I don't think there's any connection between Noriko and the roof. Unless her scene on the hotel roof with Niki's letters somehow counts? Not sure why it would.

The rooftop is clearly extremely important and special in some way, I think it makes sense that it could have influence over people. What I think is most likely is that it's simply the site something has influence over, or it being the site of an event like the one you mentioned is why it was deemed special. It could also simply be something like a spawn/dev room in a game, possibly for those reasons. I'd like to posit that the entire school is somehow "different," it seems to be a safe zone during resets. Ayane pretty much lives in the school for a month while the entire rest of the city is fucked. The rooftop is likely the most stable/safest, though. Rooftops and other places seem to be 'important' in general, likely because they're the highest places, where one would be closest to 'god(s)', possibly closest to the sky. Off the top of my head, in The Color White, Yasu mentions she can hear someone waiting for Akira on the roof, and that the sound reaches her "all the way down here." Places like the Shrine, ferris wheel, hill where Akira and Maya watched the fireworks, etc come to mind immediately. This could just be pure waffling though.

 

[somepersonoutofnowhere]

Ooh, I really like the idea that the "nine" refers to TEMPLATE9, i.e. Nao. Here's some wild speculation: what if the "three more" that "makes nine" refer to "three halves" of USER4? I've written before about how USER4 might be composed of two halves (the stuff with "two of us return to form", Ami talks about herself as half of a whole, Nao's two eyes could from different halves, etc.). On the other hand, we're told in the title of one of Maya's festival events that "Three Halves Make a Whole". That's almost certainly referring to the city, but maybe it also applies to USER4.

Now we just need someone to do a detailed analysis of how "CHAIR GOD, FLARE GOD, MEET ME IN THE AIR GOD. STARE GOD, BEAR GOD, DO YOU HAVE A SPARE GOD?!" refers to six different specific gods/characters. I mean, they're probably just random rhyming words... unless?

I don't really have any evidence for it, but I like the idea that Maya narrates "Rivals (Taco Tuesday)", in which the narrator is pretty critical of Maya's attitude towards Noriko. If that's right, narrator Maya at least wants a reconciliation (or maybe remembers one from the future, idk, narrator Maya is confusing). Of course the best reason to believe that Maya narrates the event is that it would mean she calls herself Mayonnaise Macaroni.

Three halves make a whole while three requirements met make a girl apart of RAS.
Coincidence? Pretty weird if it was, so I think not.

Also she better be a Mayo Macaroni with salad because that stuff is goooodd.

Spoiler: If there are many gods for different things

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[AzureVolt]

https://f95zone.to/threads/lessons-in-love-linear-mode-mod-v0-1-crustlord12.215252/

I've started a linear-mode mod (only up to Chapter 3 because I haven't worked out the order of Chapter 4 yet) because I want to see all the events in order from the start.

At the moment it's (probably?) Green Path only, rollback is prevented between events because of how it sorts through them, all girls have +100 love and lust from the start.

I only worked on this yesterday on my day off, so I'm certain it's buggy as hell and janky as shit. If people want to try it and do some testing to tell me what I need to fix, that would be stellar! I'll get around to sorting the Chapter 4 events soon.

Edit: also I only added girl events up to end of C1, will add those too.

you goddamn beautiful bastard, you're attempting to remove one of the game's worst long running problems. I can kill some time for bug testing for this

 

[DyonisXX]

Anyone got context for it? What game was it?

 

[AzureVolt]

View attachment 3803119

Anyone got context for it? What game was it?

This is more trying to target/mention all the games that took inspiration from lessons in love, not a singular game

 

[Moonflare]

Is there evidence that Himawari didn't know what would happen to Maya? I haven't wanted to play through those events a second time yet, so my memory is pretty fuzzy, but I thought that it could be intentional, to solidify Ayane's role in the RAS and potentially protect her from Maya. After all, Maya didn't seem very concerned with the idea that Ayane could be reset again. Of course it would be nice for us if they were on the same side, though.

Ooh, I really like the idea that the "nine" refers to TEMPLATE9, i.e. Nao. Here's some wild speculation: what if the "three more" that "makes nine" refer to "three halves" of USER4? I've written before about how USER4 might be composed of two halves (the stuff with "two of us return to form", Ami talks about herself as half of a whole, Nao's two eyes could from different halves, etc.). On the other hand, we're told in the title of one of Maya's festival events that "Three Halves Make a Whole". That's almost certainly referring to the city, but maybe it also applies to USER4.

Now we just need someone to do a detailed analysis of how "CHAIR GOD, FLARE GOD, MEET ME IN THE AIR GOD. STARE GOD, BEAR GOD, DO YOU HAVE A SPARE GOD?!" refers to six different specific gods/characters. I mean, they're probably just random rhyming words... unless?

I don't really have any evidence for it, but I like the idea that Maya narrates "Rivals (Taco Tuesday)", in which the narrator is pretty critical of Maya's attitude towards Noriko. If that's right, narrator Maya at least wants a reconciliation (or maybe remembers one from the future, idk, narrator Maya is confusing). Of course the best reason to believe that Maya narrates the event is that it would mean she calls herself Mayonnaise Macaroni.

The evidence that we have is rather that Narrator Maya told her Maya Prime was going to be factory reset.

Spoiler: hyzenthlay

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Or it could be interpreted as Ayane having been lost, and Himawari interfering to save her this time. But if she was lost, then how would Himawari come to be in the first place? So it was probably Maya. As to Himawari wanting to erase Maya, I don't think so - based on the fact that she's probably in contact with Narrator Maya. And then that she's probably part of the team that wants to rescue Maya Prime by sending Nao-chan to guide Noriko there. I mean, it could be different teams... but I just assume that Himawari is there too.

As for the gods, there have been many notable chairs. There is a chair when Akira meets teenager Sara (if I recall correctly, it could be when meeting Sekai at an old school rather), when Ami rides the backwards bus and has Akira sit on a chair that was meant for HOPE, and the chair from the interview with Long Maya. Flare god is me obviously. And from then on it's just rubbish. However, she does "name" 6 gods, and then adds three which would make nine.

The way I took it in regards to Nao-chan would be something like "why settle for 3 gods, when if we have the 3 gods in the way they're meant to be (part of something greater) - we'd get TEMPLATE9. Which would make Nao-chan USER4 (or the vessel for its coming). You could also interpret it as "why settle for USER3 when USER3 the way he's meant to be makes TEMPLATE9", but that one seems even more unlikely.

If we interpret it another way, and take the god part as rubbish... then it becomes

Spoiler: mole rat

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Regardless, just who is narrating this event? Cause it seems very relevant. Is it Maya Prime? Who'd think that heaven is a classroom, and that would have hands bigger than Akira's but that are shrinking? What I took from this is that it's metaphorical, and that it means the amount of memories she has started out much bigger, but as her mind keeps being consumed, it's shrinking.

Also, if this is a replica of heaven, and Maya's the only one there - then it would stand to reason that this is her heaven, which would make her the narrator. Which would mean that this is Maya Prime's reveal as a narrator.

Spoiler: mole rat narration

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[DyonisXX]

This is more trying to target/mention all the games that took inspiration from lessons in love, not a singular game

Idk with how long that section was it felt like it was targeting one specific game that stole the logo style, the naming convention the characters the plot all in one, instead of just copycats in general

 

[Moonflare]

View attachment 3803119

Anyone got context for it? What game was it?

Lost in You. But it's also true to a lesser degree of some others.

The rooftop is clearly extremely important and special in some way, I think it makes sense that it could have influence over people. What I think is most likely is that it's simply the site something has influence over, or it being the site of an event like the one you mentioned is why it was deemed special. It could also simply be something like a spawn/dev room in a game, possibly for those reasons. I'd like to posit that the entire school is somehow "different," it seems to be a safe zone during resets. Ayane pretty much lives in the school for a month while the entire rest of the city is fucked. The rooftop is likely the most stable/safest, though. Rooftops and other places seem to be 'important' in general, likely because they're the highest places, where one would be closest to 'god(s)', possibly closest to the sky. Off the top of my head, in The Color White, Yasu mentions she can hear someone waiting for Akira on the roof, and that the sound reaches her "all the way down here." Places like the Shrine, ferris wheel, hill where Akira and Maya watched the fireworks, etc come to mind immediately. This could just be pure waffling though.

Could also be that the resets started at the roof. Possibly by Akira jumping and Maya entering into a covenant with supernatural forces. That'd make it the place to repeat the resets cause it was there that it was done the first time.

 

[AzureVolt]

Lost in You. But it's also true to a lesser degree of some others.

Never really understood the hatred for atrX like that, he seems like a fine dude

 

[DyonisXX]

Lost in You. But it's also true to a lesser degree of some others.



Could also be that the resets started at the roof. Possibly by Akira jumping and Maya entering into a covenant with supernatural forces. That'd make it the place to repeat the resets cause it was there that it was done the first time.

Holy shit, what the fuck

 

[Moonflare]

Never really understood the hatred for atrX like that, he seems like a fine dude

Selebus has many issues. Enough that he feels he has to stop the entire narrative of his game to throw shade at other developers.

 

[DyonisXX]

Selebus has many issues. Enough that he feels he has to stop the entire narrative of his game to throw shade at other developers.

Idk about Selebus as a person but he built a game where he can actually get away with doing it and it's fine, just like the random Raid: Shadow Legends parts

 

[ratmanirl]

Where is my Yumi/Chika threesome

 

[Yarazin]

Spoiler: Io event

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I often wonder if the purity paths will be similar scenes but without choices where Akira will do what is healthier for the girl.

*Edited wording

 

[JelF547]

Never really understood the hatred for atrX like that, he seems like a fine dude

It's kinda funny, isn't it? I mean, Selebus kinda admitted, that generic game menus of LiL are the most original part of it, so copying them would make other game essentianaly a clone

 

[PhiloPhilo]

Could also be that the resets started at the roof. Possibly by Akira jumping and Maya entering into a covenant with supernatural forces. That'd make it the place to repeat the resets cause it was there that it was done the first time.

Something along those lines is mainly what I was thinking with something happening there causing the roof and the school to be 'designated' in a sense. It's like the school is the epicenter, or the eye of the storm and everything around it is wiped. Still, the fact that seemingly the whole school is technically safe makes me wonder what this zone is. Although more oddities occur inside than on the roof, with only big boy showing up and performing a reset breaking that trend recently off the top of my head.

I do think elevation has some significance in general, even if it's not the cause here specifically. There seems to be a voice coming from within the Earth or 'below' that's hard to pick up, source is a line from Yasu I'd have to search for IIRC, and being higher up bringing you closer to others and possibly more vulnerable(?) Again this might be unrelated though, and I'd have to go back and reread a lot to get my thoughts down. So for now I'd say that's a side tangent on my end

 

[PhiloPhilo]

I often wonder if the purity paths will be similar scenes but we now pick the best option for the girl.

I feel like the paths can easily(ish) converge in some cases, but one path will always be the long way around and different in the present. To be seen* though I suppose, I think I might be in the minority too.

 

[Yarazin]

https://f95zone.to/threads/lessons-in-love-linear-mode-mod-v0-1-crustlord12.215252/

I've started a linear-mode mod (only up to Chapter 3 because I haven't worked out the order of Chapter 4 yet) because I want to see all the events in order from the start.

At the moment it's (probably?) Green Path only, rollback is prevented between events because of how it sorts through them, all girls have +100 love and lust from the start.

I only worked on this yesterday on my day off, so I'm certain it's buggy as hell and janky as shit. If people want to try it and do some testing to tell me what I need to fix, that would be stellar! I'll get around to sorting the Chapter 4 events soon.

Edit: also I only added girl events up to end of C1, will add those too.

Do you plan on adding in each generic/animation as it makes sense in the story? I love the linear mode for Dissonance but I sure wish it went through the generics one time so that I didn't miss them.

Regardless of what you decide, thanks so much for doing this. When I start another replay I will give it a go.