VN Ren'Py Abandoned Mad World [Release 4.1.0 WIP] [Smoke Mob Games]

[allanl9020142]

Wow, you basically took all my chaotically wandering thoughts in my mind and somehow forged it into text I would never be able to write on my own as a response, despite fact that I tried couple of times lol. This is the best "exactly what I wanted to say" I ever experienced

Haha idk, man. Like I stated. I don't necessarily subscribe to all of those points. I've just browsed this forum enough and played enough really shitty ones to get a general feel of what might cause people to have lower standards. It doesn't mean I don't like VNs. It's the opposite, really. It's just recognizable patterns for most of these VNs. I go in hoping for the best but expecting something mid. If it meets the current standard of VNs then I don't lose. If it exceeds them then it feels like I just hit gold. Mad World is for sure gold.

Now you got my interest too, what's wrong with that phrase? Polish, although not sure it really matters here... I think I have seen/heard it so many times that I just used that.

Hmm, well. I'm not sure how to explain this succinctly. I'm already pretty long-winded so this might turn out to be long.

"What a scums"

- Scum means "a worthless or contemptible person or group of people" within the context you used it." I get that you're referring to multiple people so logically you'd be thinking the plural form of the word is "scums". It's just that I don't think there is a plural form for scum. Tried Googling it to check. Couldn't find anything.
- It just reads really awkwardly.
- I think it's almost like thinking the plural form for "deer" is "deers". Nope, it's just "deer". "Deer" is both the singular and plural form. It just depends on how it's worded.
- Also, the article "a" denotes a singular person or group. So actually taking out the "a" could imply you're talking about multiple people instead of one person.
- So it could maybe work like "What scum." instead of "What a scum".
- Alternatively, you could say "What scumbags." Pretty much the same meaning.
- So basically it's just all sorts of jarring to read lol.

I asked what your native language was because I always find things that get translated awkwardly to make perfect sense in one's native language or it's just that original language simply has different grammar rules. This exact phrase in particular I've seen a lot so I always wondered if there was a pattern to it like it was just being translated from a language that a large enough group of people all collectively speak for it to be so common.

For example in Chinese.
- It's common to see "Although ... but ..." like "Although we have the equipment, but we don't have the time" (not a good example, just couldn't think of anything on the spot lol)
- In English, although and but are redundant. You don't need both and it also sounds super weird.
- It's simply just how grammar works in Chinese but not in English.

Anyways, thanks for listening (reading). It was just a curiosity. Also, I can sympathize with your sentiment of lowered expectations but I really feel like there's something special about VNs that you can't get anywhere else. Plus there are a good amount that really do exceed those expectations. It doesn't really matter how you want to see them in general, I just hope if you do find ones that break away those points that you help get the word out because those are the ones that could definitely take VNs to a new standard.

 

[Impurity2937]

Hmm, well. I'm not sure how to explain this succinctly. I'm already pretty long-winded so this might turn out to be long.

"What a scums"

- Scum means "a worthless or contemptible person or group of people" within the context you used it." I get that you're referring to multiple people so logically you'd be thinking the plural form of the word is "scums". It's just that I don't think there is a plural form for scum. Tried Googling it to check. Couldn't find anything.
- It just reads really awkwardly.
- I think it's almost like thinking the plural form for "deer" is "deers". Nope, it's just "deer". "Deer" is both the singular and plural form. It just depends on how it's worded.
- Also, the article "a" denotes a singular person or group. So actually taking out the "a" could imply you're talking about multiple people instead of one person.
- So it could maybe work like "What scum." instead of "What a scum".
- Alternatively, you could say "What scumbags." Pretty much the same meaning.
- So basically it's just all sorts of jarring to read lol.

I asked what your native language was because I always find things that get translated awkwardly to make perfect sense in one's native language or it's just that original language simply has different grammar rules. This exact phrase in particular I've seen a lot so I always wondered if there was a pattern to it like it was just being translated from a language that a large enough group of people all collectively speak for it to be so common.

For example in Chinese.
- It's common to see "Although ... but ..." like "Although we have the equipment, but we don't have the time" (not a good example, just couldn't think of anything on the spot lol)
- In English, although and but are redundant. You don't need both and it also sounds super weird.
- It's simply just how grammar works in Chinese but not in English.

Wow, you nailed it I was not expecting such a long screed, now I'm afraid to write anything knowing how imperfect my English is but yeah, it is great to learn new things.

I have nothing for my defense tho, despite the obvious which is my lack of knowledge ofc. I put "a" and "the" when and where I feel like (to highlight, make it sound bigger or something lol) and in Polish there is not only just plural form but

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so I guess typing "scums" was something natural for me. "What scum", "What scumbags" sounds little hmm... weird, "boring", like there is something missing so yeah, probably my native language thing after all lol.

To not spam thread any further, lets continue in DM if needed.

 

[BTungsteno]

Yeah, I know what she said at the hospital but it is still out of my mind how easily they just gave a fuck about him...

I get that they sent him "unprepared" etc but no one even mentioned him, like was never there, drinking and laughing, what a scums. Beside that, the whole game they create some "big thing" around him, like he is Neo in Matrix and his Relic is super important to them and what? All they wanted from him was to do some easy computer shit (it is not rocket science as they said) to save people they didn't even save? There was just a little girl and based on Fiona's reaction she wasn't even someone important or something, they expected more people there. And all this talk about how they want to save him and how important his Relic is but he was almost stopped by three people and they potentially lost the relic and no one cares?

They basically just betrayed him, used him, let him die and went for a drink, laughing about how fun the evening was. So yeah, that just does not add, weird as fuck imo and I still don't understand that. I hope there will be any path of being hostile and mistrust to them in the next episodes...

Don't forget the part where the doctor ask him to stop make them waste medical supplies needed for their members on him, even if he's technically one of the new members...

 

[allanl9020142]

Wow, you nailed it I was not expecting such a long screed, now I'm afraid to write anything knowing how imperfect my English is but yeah, it is great to learn new things.

I have nothing for my defense tho, despite the obvious which is my lack of knowledge ofc. I put "a" and "the" when and where I feel like (to highlight, make it sound bigger or something lol) and in Polish there is not only just plural form but

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so I guess typing "scums" was something natural for me. "What scum", "What scumbags" sounds little hmm... weird, "boring", like there is something missing so yeah, probably my native language thing after all lol.

To not spam thread any further, lets continue in DM if needed.

One last reply and I'm done. Promise.

Spoiler

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MORE IMPORTANTLY. BACK TO MAD WORLD.
I'm really hoping we see an update by the end of the year but that was before his PC got that BSOD.

Also, about one of your points from earlier. Admittedly, I didn't really think too deeply about the others just chilling out after the battle without even giving him a second thought. I just kind of figured that they thought his job was supposed to be really simple. So they just assumed he got in, did the thing, got out, and went home.

The way you explained it made it take on a really dark lens lol. Interesting food for thought. It's like I knew how their relationships were established but I figured they cared more about him. Especially because it seems like he's too important to let die, personal feelings aside. There was also that scene where Fiona beats the shit out of that one lady for attempting to uh ... make unwanted advances towards the MC. So I just never even considered that possibility.

I'm sure Capella will elaborate on what happened back there in future updates. Maybe not. All I know is that I just want Paeonia to be an active love interest lol. That character is what caught my attention in the first place.

 

[S1nsational]

I think, and hope, that a lot of the malice is actual partly ignorance or perhaps apathy. The doctor being hostile makes sense to me, because we're aren't actually part of The Tombkeepers (or whatever the org is called I can't remember), so her being pissed at using expensive and rare medicines etc on us, an outsider makes sense.

The team we're working with seem to be made up of people who are used to mostly working solo, and are all pretty experienced and skilled. I think their forgetting about us after the mission was more ignorance than malice, and I'm not 100% convinced they did in fact forget about us, assuming it was always the plan to regroup back at the base where we walk in on everyone. Saying that, I'm not so sure peoples reactions would have been all that different had it been one of the other characters to walk in so beaten up after not being seen during a mission.

At the end of the day they're using us and we're using them.

 

[Regularus]

On a playthrough i decided to get the MC to try to follow the Fiona route (as she was the only member of the group that had dialogues hinting at a possible path), and several actions seemed to hint at Fiona (very slowly) mellowing to the idea of a possible romance with the MC.

That's why it rather surprised me to see how the group party went after the battle after following Fiona's route with none (including Fiona), cared to check if the MC was at least alive.
So basically it meant all of them really considered him as only an asset to further their goal and ditch him once he wouldn't be useful anymore.
Though it was odd with all the talk about how powerful the power granted to him by Tobias is, would have made even more sense at that point for the group to use the opportunity to try to take his artifact if he was dead (or have the doctor using the opportunity of the MC getting comatose to extract it)

 

[allanl9020142]

That was my first thought too. But... Vincent was struggling with making decision about taking MC aboard but he had no other choice/no more time, Fiona was little confused by that too saying it may be too early. So they knew it may be tough task for him, Fiona herself admitted that when MC was lying at the hospital and was sorry for sending him "unprepared" intentionally so... Was the task easy or hard after all? Seems they didn't figure it out yet lol.

Man, I'm just not sure. There are so many things that could be inferred here. I feel like I need to replay it and read it more carefully. Maybe Capella will touch on that subject again as well at some point.

She reminds me Ashe in a way, from Projekt: Passion and yeah, I hope for that too. As I said, in the intro (which takes place one year after acquiring the power I guess) she speaks freely so there will be for sure some relation development with her.

Someone just recommended that to me. I guess there's another reason to try it out haha. Wasn't it 3 years or something? It's at intro and it's never referred to again for obvious reasons so I'm pretty foggy on it. Either way, yea I like the characters in the MC's normal life but it'd be great to see the same amount of development for the others as well. Still, I really like how I enjoy both sides of the story.

 

[Regularus]

I always wondered what was the true intention of Tobias.
For the information he gives away Tobias needs the artifact filled with memories/words to keep himself immortal and that's supposedly why he gifted it to the MC.

But in the same time, when Tobias came to the MC, said MC was feeling completely stuck in his life going nowhere (though i guess the MC real age is +/- 30 years old, not 20 like the game tells you because at 20 years old you don't get to reflect in a bar on your life, your mistakes etc..., you're way too young to do that because your adult life just started).

And after Tobias "gift", the MC suddenly find his life really fullfilled with a life of adventure, wonders, new people, and even finding love(s).
So is Tobias really the problem or is he the only one that actually help the MC while the other guys are just using him ?

 

[allanl9020142]

My understanding is that after a year of using relic, Tobias will take it back but taking relic from someone causes brain/mind/memory problems and person will never be the same so the intro takes place year after gaining relic, just after MC lost it and they are trying to put his mind together, make it as it was but since it is not an easy task and I guess they need to act fast, Paeonia is able only to put it together up to 3 years back.

Yeah, that is fucking great storytelling with awesome characters, no doubts about that. That's why I hope it will not be abandoned...

edit: Tobias mentioned it couple times that after a year he will take the relic back along with every word MC spoke or something like that. Shady as fuck but since MC thought he is weirdo anyway, I guess he didn't pay much attention to it and it may be this memory thing maybe? All he said so basically all what happen in last year? But since he worked out so much with his relic and got more power it messed up his mind more than just a year? Just thinking loud lol

Wait, hold on ... you've got me questioning some things lol.

So I know that Tobias will take it back after a year and that it'll basically make the MC a vegetable at best and kill him at worst. It's just that I assumed the intro intro took place 3 years into the future and not 1 year. I thought that because if Paeonia said she can put his mind back together up to 3 years back, I'd logically assume that's what we're being shown for the main story. That we're being shown what started 3 years ago, not 1 year ago.

I just assumed they somehow get through whatever happens when Tobias comes to collect the relic. Even when the MC looks into his future while on the lake (?), it seems like his future self one year from now is doing just fine. So it almost just seemed like MC somehow managed to both avoid losing the relic and is maybe a member in an official capacity.

So then what I'm thinking is something unexpected happens in a year and the MC gets more involved with the magic world. And then something huge happens (like a big conflict) 2 years after that, 3 years from when he got the relic, for him to end up in the state we see him in at the intro.

Granted, it hasn't been too long since I found this game but I already don't remember the name of the secret magic society. So I could just be remembering wrong but that's at least how I understood the timeline so far. Honestly, probably just remembering wrong. I need to play it again but I'm waiting for the update because I plan on starting from the beginning when it updates.

 

[Impurity2937]

Wait, hold on ... you've got me questioning some things lol.

So I know that Tobias will take it back after a year and that it'll basically make the MC a vegetable at best and kill him at worst. It's just that I assumed the intro intro took place 3 years into the future and not 1 year. I thought that because if Paeonia said she can put his mind back together up to 3 years back, I'd logically assume that's what we're being shown for the main story. That we're being shown what started 3 years ago, not 1 year ago.

I just assumed they somehow get through whatever happens when Tobias comes to collect the relic. Even when the MC looks into his future while on the lake (?), it seems like his future self one year from now is doing just fine. So it almost just seemed like MC somehow managed to both avoid losing the relic and is maybe a member in an official capacity.

So then what I'm thinking is something unexpected happens in a year and the MC gets more involved with the magic world. And then something huge happens (like a big conflict) 2 years after that, 3 years from when he got the relic, for him to end up in the state we see him in at the intro.

Granted, it hasn't been too long since I found this game but I already don't remember the name of the secret magic society. So I could just be remembering wrong but that's at least how I understood the timeline so far. Honestly, probably just remembering wrong. I need to play it again but I'm waiting for the update because I plan on starting from the beginning when it updates.

Oh, interesting point with this lake thing. I didn't think about it, there is barely anything to analyze here, he was calm about it and that's all... I really have no idea what to think about that.

Your intro understanding could also be possible, I guess my understanding comes from the fact that it is VN and I don't think any dev would even consider mentioning such an important event in intro 3 years from the game beginning. One year in-game will take like ages to be done, three years is either impossible or done with some time-lapse which would look really bad imo... On the other hand one year of game plus additional two from pre-game period would work considering we already got some of his memories flashbacks and knowing he went through some tough stuff. At the end we could have like one year of gameplay, getting together all his memories except last 3 years, him being depressed and feel shit again but this time having all these friends and stuff that will help him go through this or something like that.

And being honest to you, some things I put in here are foggy as fuck too, so I may messing facts and writing shit (hope I'm not lol)

 

[allanl9020142]

Oh, interesting point with this lake thing. I didn't think about it, there is barely anything to analyze here, he was calm about it and that's all... I really have no idea what to think about that.

Your intro understanding could also be possible, I guess my understanding comes from the fact that it is VN and I don't think any dev would even consider mentioning such an important event in intro 3 years from the game beginning. One year in-game will take like ages to be done, three years is either impossible or done with some time-lapse which would look really bad imo... On the other hand one year of game plus additional two from pre-game period would work considering we already got some of his memories flashbacks and knowing he went through some tough stuff. At the end we could have like one year of gameplay, getting together all his memories except last 3 years, him being depressed and feel shit again but this time having all these friends and stuff that will help him go through this or something like that.

And being honest to you, some things I put in here are foggy as fuck too, so I may messing facts and writing shit (hope I'm not lol)

Yea, I really don't know for sure. You're right, what we've gotten is mostly foreshadowing and everything else is just the MC kind of being plunged into the moment. It's a pretty gripping way of storytelling if I didn't even stop to think twice what happens in the future. I'm too caught up with what's happening in the "present"

I'm not too sure about what the plans are for the timeline either. Although, it seems like Capella has some big plans for this game that he eventually wants to implement so I wouldn't put it past him to plan that far out.

 

[allanl9020142]

I think, and hope, that a lot of the malice is actual partly ignorance or perhaps apathy. The doctor being hostile makes sense to me, because we're aren't actually part of The Tombkeepers (or whatever the org is called I can't remember), so her being pissed at using expensive and rare medicines etc on us, an outsider makes sense.

The team we're working with seem to be made up of people who are used to mostly working solo, and are all pretty experienced and skilled. I think their forgetting about us after the mission was more ignorance than malice, and I'm not 100% convinced they did in fact forget about us, assuming it was always the plan to regroup back at the base where we walk in on everyone. Saying that, I'm not so sure peoples reactions would have been all that different had it been one of the other characters to walk in so beaten up after not being seen during a mission.

At the end of the day they're using us and we're using them.

I read the scene with the doctor as not the MC being treated as an outsider. It seemed more like, she's saying he sustained those severe injuries when he should've just ran at the first sign of trouble. It seemed like she was saying he was too busy trying to be a hero instead of being smart about it and taking care of himself first.

I think the reason she was pissed is because she had to use the rare medicine, etc. on life-threatening injuries because of someone who willingly put himself in that situation when he should've just bolted whereas the medicine could've been used on the same kind of critical injuries for someone who couldn't help it.

I think the reason why she brings up the other agents is because I think she's just using them as an example of people who are actually sent out on life-threatening missions but have no choice because someone has to do it. Whereas the MC's mission was just infiltration and sabotage. No one was expecting combat and no one was expecting him to stay behind and fight because he didn't need to. They did catch him right after but he had just completed the mission in time. There was a part during the long fight sequence where he could've ran but he didn't. I'm not arguing whether that was right or wrong. From his perspective, he believes he did the right thing. From the doctor's perspective who needs to be a little more cold-hearted when considering how many lives can be hanging on by a thread at any time, I'd understand why she'd be pissed. So basically it wasn't exactly morally wrong but it was incredibly stupid.

At least that's how I interpreted it. Could be wrong.

Also, I agree with your second paragraph. I'm not convinced it's malice. Possibly apathy but they at least care about him to some extent. Also about your statement that it's more of like a mutually-beneficial relationship than something like comrades-in-arms. Although, I guess after that incident it looked like things were starting to turn toward that direction.

 

[Impurity2937]

I read the scene with the doctor as not the MC being treated as an outsider. It seemed more like, she's saying he sustained those severe injuries when he should've just ran at the first sign of trouble. It seemed like she was saying he was too busy trying to be a hero instead of being smart about it and taking care of himself first.

I think the reason she was pissed is because she had to use the rare medicine, etc. on life-threatening injuries because of someone who willingly put himself in that situation when he should've just bolted whereas the medicine could've been used on the same kind of critical injuries for someone who couldn't help it.
[...]
From the doctor's perspective who needs to be a little more cold-hearted when considering how many lives can be hanging on by a thread at any time, I'd understand why she'd be pissed. So basically it wasn't exactly morally wrong but it was incredibly stupid.

Then I do not understand what is the purpose of this organization in the first place. They organized this big gig on the ship to rescue people/stop human trafficking and they only found one girl right? They expected more yet they called it a win. MC on the other hand saved kidnapped kiddo and this mean shit to them? To doctor too? Because basically that is what MC has done, saved him which would not be possible if he just ran away. They were not there so without details all they know he got back with a kiddo and got serious fight, especially doctor couldn't know if he could run away at the right moment (as far as I remember he only told it to Fiona) so she is just being hostile to MC because she likes bitching... Another reason to turn away from them

Your understanding is correct from player perspective, as you experienced it all and thinking about it she may be right, he could just run away (especially that he was not aware of kidnapped kiddo is there) but yeah, she is not player here and knows shit about what happen.

Whereas the MC's mission was just infiltration and sabotage. No one was expecting combat and no one was expecting him to stay behind and fight because he didn't need to.

In perfect scenario they didn't expect combat yet things are not always perfect and if combat was not an option, they would not be thinking if sending him there is either good or bad idea, they knew combat may happen.

 

[allanl9020142]

Then I do not understand what is the purpose of this organization in the first place. They organized this big gig on the ship to rescue people/stop human trafficking and they only found one girl right? They expected more yet they called it a win. MC on the other hand saved kidnapped kiddo and this mean shit to them? To doctor too? Because basically that is what MC has done, saved him which would not be possible if he just ran away. They were not there so without details all they know he got back with a kiddo and got serious fight, especially doctor couldn't know if he could run away at the right moment (as far as I remember he only told it to Fiona) so she is just being hostile to MC because she likes bitching... Another reason to turn away from them

Your understanding is correct from player perspective, as you experienced it all and thinking about it she may be right, he could just run away (especially that he was not aware of kidnapped kiddo is there) but yeah, she is not player here and knows shit about what happen.


In perfect scenario they didn't expect combat yet things are not always perfect and if combat was not an option, they would not be thinking if sending him there is either good or bad idea, they knew combat may happen.

Haha yea, I don't know. There are definitely some things that I wish could be elaborated on more. More specifically, who knows what amount of information, etc. That way, it'd be a lot more clear about their intentions.

I hope the next update comes before the end of this year. That'd be great.

 

[kingmountvic]

Maybe someone know when the next update out？

 

[xizaaR]

Dev lost his HDD, but his last update (in august) said he got most of it back. No new update since then though.

 

[vidyasagar]

compressed please

 

[Bob69]

Mad World [Release 4.1.0 WIP] [Smoke Mob Games] - Compressed

Use at your own risk.

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Mad World [Release 4.1.0 WIP] [Smoke Mob Games] - Update only

The patch may break your game, use at your own risk.

Win/Linux: Release 4.0.1 -> Release 4.1.0 WIP [648 MB]

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Please @ me or quote this post if there is a new version that doesn't show up on the "Latest Updates" page.

 

[mandudeman]

My God Has Posted

 

[burbero]

My English is not good and the changelog confused me. How many renders are in the new content?