Call me overly optimistic, but I feel like this Dorm Wars will end up being pretty fun. Sure, there probably won't be any huge strides lore-wise, but the interactions themselves can still be interesting.
Take the Date War contest with Rin VS Io for example. We're coming off an
insane setup in Rin's story. She was actually gonna go through with having sex with Akira after
so long of holding back, but was unlucky enough for her mom to find out. Akira and Rin haven't spoken to one another since before that incident even took place, so now we get to see where that leads. Let's not forget Haruka also told Akira about it, so that makes things extra interesting.
And with Io, maybe she'll finally get that long awaited amusement park date she's always wanted. Sure, she went with Uta recently, but it was cut short and she didn't get to experience it fully. This could be the perfect opportunity for it to happen.
And that's just the contest I look forward to the most. I'm also curious what this lawyer competition will wind up being... All I know is Makoto and Uta look amazing in those suits, hot dayum.
On another note, I find it amusing that Yumi is actively participating in her contest with seemingly no resistance at all. It's almost like she
wants to show off for Akira in her swimsuit or something, but just won't admit it.
I see you, Yumi... We all know how your last event ended...
Last Dorm Wars (0.39) kicked rocks due to its chaotic and random nature, the constant barrage of Good Kid songs distracting many players from reading, and the fact that Akira wasn't even directly part of the event itself. That was the peak of his depression arc and, while necessary in the long term, it only made the update a slog to get through rather than an enjoyable experience.
With all that said, though, I'm willing to give this Dorm Wars a chance at redemption.
There were rumors circulating that the contests for this upcoming Dorm Wars were decided by the LiLcord via polls, but I can confirm that's 100% not true. There was a channel for Dorm Wars ideas during the Fanfest where members could toss ideas
around, but it never reached the point where actual polls were made for voting on each individual contest. The update's writing is all on Sel like normal.