We’re back to discussing semantics again? Alright then.
In the game, there are three main routes that, in the first version, were named “Loyal”, “NTR”, and “NTS”. Even though these abbreviations carry a deep cultural meaning that apparently we “have no right to touch,” for the vast majority of people they simply mean:
“Loyal” (where the
girl stays faithful),
“NTR” (where she cheats on the MC), and
“NTS” (“sharing,” meaning cheating with consent).
Initially, the game fully aligned with these definitions. But at this point, the routes have become much broader and deeper, offering a wider range of emotions and kinks within each branch. That’s why starting from version 1.4.5a the route naming has been changed – including in the current public version, if you didn’t notice. Here’s how they’re labeled now:
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The “Loyal” route, in the sense you’re talking about, is NOT being developed at the moment. That’s this one here:
View attachment 5005557
It’s the route where Paul and Mila deal with their routine, exhaustion, together with honesty and just the two of them.
The route with Kiki is the beginning of the Polyamorous Harem. This is part of the
loyal branch. Because Mila is loyal to Paul, Kiki is loyal to Paul, and Janet will be loyal to Paul too. From an emotional standpoint, a harem is essentially a sub-type of loyal kink in my view. Because the majority of the audience will be identifying with Paul in this route. He’s the one “cheating”, not her. The emotional vibe is completely different. But sure, if you really want, you can argue that a harem is a “subtype” of NTR kink.
And again, if we’re discussing semantics – the route is literally called “Polyamorous Harem”. It was "loyal harem" before. I get the point from both names, but “Polyamorous Harem” fits better. None strike me as a "NTR type" of plot.
But overall, this subroute can be seen as a cuckquean route, since the harem is shown from Mila’s perspective and she’s the main driver of these relationships. But she’s looking for love in these dynamics, not humiliation. Yet again, if someone wants to cherry-pick her lines out of context, they can see whatever they want to see.
Using a music analogy:
I’m saying I want to write a hip-hop track that really hits. Silken says that because there’s a saxophone in it, it’s jazz. And that I need to rewrite the whole thing to make it a perfect “jazz piece.” But I still want to write hip-hop.
Does refusing to rewrite it as jazz mean I’m abusive and untrusting? Apparently, yes.
As for interpretations – in my opinion, any well-written story is like a Rorschach test. I once spoke with someone who seriously argued that
Crime and Punishment is a detective novel about a serial killer.
Of course, there are times when something is written in such an “arthouse” style that every person who reads it will see something completely different. But I think me and my buddy ChatGPT manage to keep a balance where the majority understand both what the story is about and what kind of person Mila is – roughly as I intended.
In some cases we fail. But I hope you’ll find (or create) a game that perfectly captures all the nuances and semantics that are important to you.
