Hi everyone,
For those of you who don't know me, I'm the writer for the game.
I just wanted to make a short announcement regarding Caroline.
*There are some minor spoilers for 0.4 included within this post, so I would urge you to read at your own caution.*
I've been given some leeway to write scenes as I see fit based upon the images provided. In some instances, this has allowed me to develop characters' backstories beyond what ICSTOR had originally designed or envisioned.
In this instance I chose for Caroline to have several ex-boyfriends given that she's a young woman in her mid-twenties. It only seemed natural that she would have had some previous relationships by that age. I didn't anticipate that it would lead to a backlash in any way. I strongly disagree with some individuals' claims that she is "the town bicycle" or a "slut," but I'm not here to start an argument.
One of the purposes of Caroline's exes was to provide a sharp contrast of how they treated her, compared with how the player treats her. The nightclub scene served as an example of such. Gradually, as Caroline and the player do more together she realises that nothing is the same as it was with her exes. She gets butterflies in her belly with every kiss, she experiences pleasure that past partners never gave to her, and she learns that she might be able to have a healthy romantic relationship with the player.
Another reason I chose this is because I felt it fitted well with her character. Caroline is a character who strives for maturity and independence (Granted, she can't always achieve her goals on her own). It made sense for her to be proactive in her social life, as well as her work life. This is why I wrote her character as having multiple previous relationships.
The final reason is that Caroline is a character who enjoys sex. She's more than happy to use it as a reward for the player when they assist her in her shop. Why would such a character who is both fiercely independent and
positive about sex choose NOT to date and try to find a boyfriend?
I do apologise if you are unhappy with how Caroline's backstory has developed. Any blame for that lies entirely with myself, and not with ICSTOR. At present, I am working with ICSTOR to make small alterations, including editing away references to multiple previous partners. Thankfully, in this medium of art, nothing is set in stone and adjustments can quickly and easily be made to resolve potential issues.
The most productive conversation that can probably be had regarding this is: Are you happy with any of the women having former partners? (Obviously some like Linda require at least one former partner for logic's sake.)
If the answer is a resolute 'no', then I know I can irk away from it during future versions of this game.
I'll remain around for the next hour or so to answer questions - but it's an extremely active thread, so if I don't get back to you I'm probably swamped replying to other users.
