VN Ren'Py Not Going Back [Ch.3.1] [Cicada]

[Anteron]

I always skip past blowjob/handjob scenes anyway. In actual porn, too.

 

[Dessolos]

I always skip past blowjob/handjob scenes anyway. In actual porn, too.

same well in porn but not in AVN's since im not trying to fap in AVN's

 

[jadepaladin]

same well in porn but not in AVN's since im not trying to fap in AVN's

Ugh, now I imagine someone sitting there, ready to fap, and then Mia goes "oh I don't do blowjobs" and instant boner loss.

Then she turns around and shows her ass, and we're back in business.

 

[Marvoch]

I have to say I liked it, even though I was skeptical at first. I admit I struggled a bit at times to remember who was who, since there’s really a sea of characters in the story (I’d really appreciate a page with a list of the people you meet in game), but in the end I enjoyed the flow of the narrative. A slice of life that knows its limits and just wants to tell an interesting story in its simplicity.

The game is a bit rough around the edges – and you can see that in various aspects, including the character models; the sex scenes*; the writing of some interactions, especially in the first chapter; and the transitions between scenes – but I really appreciated the way the protagonist’s story is told through dialogue with others and through very short, confusing flashbacks (I also found it brilliant that if you open up to others, you learn something about yourself, otherwise you remain a mystery both to yourself and to the others) and in general the genuineness of the characters, very straightforward for the most part, yet very real at the same time.

I’m a bit worried about the sheer number of characters, but so far the dev has done a great job managing the load. I’m curious to see where he’s going with the ex’s storyline.

*In my opinion, the developer absolutely did the right thing avoiding animations if he’s not confident in handling them. Time and again, great games get ruined by awful animations thrown in just because they’ve become a staple. In these cases, it’s much better to use a series of static images to tell the scene, which also allows for much more expressive freedom. But here the scene direction is really poor, with a rather short sequence of random shots that don’t convey what’s actually happening. I think this is the aspect he should work on the most. Especially because it ruins the build-up, which is otherwise done pretty well.

 

[OneEyedBenson]

I have to say I liked it, even though I was skeptical at first. I admit I struggled a bit at times to remember who was who, since there’s really a sea of characters in the story (I’d really appreciate a page with a list of the people you meet in game), but in the end I enjoyed the flow of the narrative. A slice of life that knows its limits and just wants to tell an interesting story in its simplicity.

The game is a bit rough around the edges – and you can see that in various aspects, including the character models; the sex scenes*; the writing of some interactions, especially in the first chapter; and the transitions between scenes – but I really appreciated the way the protagonist’s story is told through dialogue with others and through very short, confusing flashbacks (I also found it brilliant that if you open up to others, you learn something about yourself, otherwise you remain a mystery both to yourself and to the others) and in general the genuineness of the characters, very straightforward for the most part, yet very real at the same time.

I’m a bit worried about the sheer number of characters, but so far the dev has done a great job managing the load. I’m curious to see where he’s going with the ex’s storyline.

*In my opinion, the developer absolutely did the right thing avoiding animations if he’s not confident in handling them. Time and again, great games get ruined by awful animations thrown in just because they’ve become a staple. In these cases, it’s much better to use a series of static images to tell the scene, which also allows for much more expressive freedom. But here the scene direction is really poor, with a rather short sequence of random shots that don’t convey what’s actually happening. I think this is the aspect he should work on the most. Especially because it ruins the build-up, which is otherwise done pretty well.

If you are struggling to remember who is who, then you can download my Stats mod on Page 54 that might help.

 

[NotYourStepDad]

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This one?
If it is then that's Rachel, she's a side girl. According to the dev side girls will also get plenty of content, just not necessarily an ending.

Yes that one!

 

[cicadaNGB]

Finally got the chance to play this game and was very suprised by it! In a positive way obviously! I enjoyed the overall story and the MC, as well as most of the characters and their interactions. And feeling like that in a game with so many characters is QUITE the accomplishment in my view. I especially liked the dynamic between the MC and his male friends. I think it was very grounded in reality and made this game stand out, since it doesn't focus solely on the girls.

However, I still think there should me more with the MC and his male friends for us to feel more attached to them and understand who they are. This way, some story bits will be more impactful. For example, Alex saying that he started dating Taylor was a good surprise to me and I felt very happy for my boy, because we interacted a lot with Alex and we know quite a lot about him. The same can't be said for somone like Cam and his important scene at the end of Chapter 3. I think I would be more schocked and worried about him if we, the players, had gotten the chance to interact more with him throughout the 3 chapters. In fact, if it was Sam instead of Cam I would be furious and not a bit indifferent towards his situation.

Anyway, I don't know if this is something that Cicada does deliberately, as I know he has limited time and renders and putting more effort into scenes with the boys could mean less time with the girls, but if not, I would like to spend more time the people the MC lives with, as that is part of his college life. More events like the one we had on the first day of the frat challenges would be awesome! If this is not possible (which is understandable given how many renders per update there already are), perhaps he could do one or two renders showcasing what the guys got up to in the last couple of days, such as playing a sport, watching a movie, going to karaoke, etc. The MC could also share his thoughts on these events, adding more depth to him and the guys. This way, the writing is the thing that needs to shine and, given what we've seen from the dev, this is something he excels at.

Regardless, this is just a thought of mine and others here could say that what we have is fine, but I still wanted to share this suggestion, as I think it would add a lot to the overall experience. The girls should still continue to be the priority though.
Regarding them, I also wanted to say two things surrounding the girls, so I will put two spoiler comments as to not make this post super bloated for anyone skimming through.

Spoiler: Addding flaws to the girls?

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Spoiler: Not Main LIs

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Well. you are finally at the end. I would like to thank you for reading this long ass comment or a part of it! I hope it wasn't a chore to read through and that I said something that others haven't talked about and that you found useful or gave you another perspective on the characters and what this VN could do better. The more feedback the better, I think.

Lastly I'll say that this has become one of my favourite games on this website and I am looking forward to what Cicada is cooking for future updates and get to know what caused MC's trauma and who the girl he constantly thinks about is.
Currently, I'd give this game a 8.5/10, but I think that with the coming chapters it will become a 10/10 game to me.

Thank you for reading and I hope you have a nice day/ afternoon/ evening/ night.

(Also, would absolutely love to get animations for the twerk competition even if Cicada only adds them when he finishes the game. I feel like it would demonstrate better what the girls are doing in order to help you choose who should win every round and make the scene even more epic than it already is)

A couple points to reply to here. Firstly, thanks so much for the comment, I always enjoy reading through stuff like this, it's very interesting to me when people have detailed thoughts on the game.

Glad you enjoyed the interactions with the other male characters. I remember back when ch1 launched a big criticism from some people was too many male characters, because of the implication. But I always wanted the game to be more than just about the girls - not that they aren't also a massive part. More so that I always found the games I played that were more engaging and interesting had a wider cast of characters making the world feel alive. So it's always nice to when people say that works for them.
On a tangential note, Cam being the one at the end of ch3 has a purpose, don't worry. Sure, it being Sam or someone currently with more of a presence in the game might've had more immediate impact - but I'm not always going for immediacy here.
Further, I would've liked to do as you say and add in more day-to-day stuff, but it's does ultimately come down to utilizing my time appropriately. We're still in the beginning. Very much so, in fact, despite being 3 chapters in, and I didn't want to drag on the introduction on indefinitely. Within the realms of the story, I've got certain dates I've got to get to in each chapter, so I did need to expedite the process a little, and make the reader assume the day-to-day stuff at times.

This kinda links in to the next bit, too. So far the girls are fairly surface level. In this thread people have mentioned the Mia bit as the beginnings of her underlying narrative, and you already identified the root of Tegan's story moving forward, but other girls have/will have things like that too. Not all necessarily in the same vein as Mia's, but there are more to most of them than meets the eye. Not all, though. Some are as simple as they seem, because sometimes the best way to subvert expectations is to actually give the audience exactly what they're expecting. It's like music. Some of the most beautiful pieces work exactly because you give the listener exactly the progression their ears are expecting, as it's satisfying. But there can be equal beauty in diverging to a different place, as long as there's enough consistency for it to be a viable change. what the fuck am i even talking about

Anyway, yeah, Rachael, Rainn, Lucy and Melody so far seem to be the four horseman of the could've been main girls. Ultimately you have to cut things off somewhere. I still worry that having 8 main girls is too many, that I won't be able to do them all justice in the end, so if there were even more it'd possibly be overwhelming. But as I think others have mentioned, not being a main girl doesn't mean lesser importance. Just different importance.

Thank you so much again for your comment, I'm really glad you enjoyed the game so much! I sure hope I don't disappoint with future updates.

 

[cicadaNGB]

I have to say I liked it, even though I was skeptical at first. I admit I struggled a bit at times to remember who was who, since there’s really a sea of characters in the story (I’d really appreciate a page with a list of the people you meet in game), but in the end I enjoyed the flow of the narrative. A slice of life that knows its limits and just wants to tell an interesting story in its simplicity.

The game is a bit rough around the edges – and you can see that in various aspects, including the character models; the sex scenes*; the writing of some interactions, especially in the first chapter; and the transitions between scenes – but I really appreciated the way the protagonist’s story is told through dialogue with others and through very short, confusing flashbacks (I also found it brilliant that if you open up to others, you learn something about yourself, otherwise you remain a mystery both to yourself and to the others) and in general the genuineness of the characters, very straightforward for the most part, yet very real at the same time.

I’m a bit worried about the sheer number of characters, but so far the dev has done a great job managing the load. I’m curious to see where he’s going with the ex’s storyline.

*In my opinion, the developer absolutely did the right thing avoiding animations if he’s not confident in handling them. Time and again, great games get ruined by awful animations thrown in just because they’ve become a staple. In these cases, it’s much better to use a series of static images to tell the scene, which also allows for much more expressive freedom. But here the scene direction is really poor, with a rather short sequence of random shots that don’t convey what’s actually happening. I think this is the aspect he should work on the most. Especially because it ruins the build-up, which is otherwise done pretty well.

Yeah so overwhelming the player with so many characters at once was by design, really. I wanted it to be a slightly disorientating experience early on, trying to remember so many things being thrown at you at once, because (to me at least) that's kinda what the first week of college is like. But I'm glad that it didn't put you off and that you enjoyed the game!

Agree on the rough edges, particularly with ch1, it's one of those things where I'm just trying to keep improving at it all. Then maybe once I've finished the story I can go back and polish the early parts up and make a 'definitive version' or whatever.

Very glad you liked the way the narrative is being told. And also that you appreciated the that if you as the player want to learn more about the mc, you've also got to expose him to opening up about his experience. Which I'm sure won't go wrong in any way!

And on the animations, yeah, that was exactly my thinking. Bad animation worse than no animation. (and to be honest with you the sex scenes are the bits I find most difficult to do as a result, because I generally find them quite difficult to work through as they're way more complex to pose and set up than normal scenes). So hopefully I'll be able to get animations added at some point which will make them a lot better.

Thanks for playing and for the comment! I appreciate it

 

[lisol4125]

A couple points to reply to here. Firstly, thanks so much for the comment, I always enjoy reading through stuff like this, it's very interesting to me when people have detailed thoughts on the game.

Glad you enjoyed the interactions with the other male characters. I remember back when ch1 launched a big criticism from some people was too many male characters, because of the implication. But I always wanted the game to be more than just about the girls - not that they aren't also a massive part. More so that I always found the games I played that were more engaging and interesting had a wider cast of characters making the world feel alive. So it's always nice to when people say that works for them.
On a tangential note, Cam being the one at the end of ch3 has a purpose, don't worry. Sure, it being Sam or someone currently with more of a presence in the game might've had more immediate impact - but I'm not always going for immediacy here.
Further, I would've liked to do as you say and add in more day-to-day stuff, but it's does ultimately come down to utilizing my time appropriately. We're still in the beginning. Very much so, in fact, despite being 3 chapters in, and I didn't want to drag on the introduction on indefinitely. Within the realms of the story, I've got certain dates I've got to get to in each chapter, so I did need to expedite the process a little, and make the reader assume the day-to-day stuff at times.

This kinda links in to the next bit, too. So far the girls are fairly surface level. In this thread people have mentioned the Mia bit as the beginnings of her underlying narrative, and you already identified the root of Tegan's story moving forward, but other girls have/will have things like that too. Not all necessarily in the same vein as Mia's, but there are more to most of them than meets the eye. Not all, though. Some are as simple as they seem, because sometimes the best way to subvert expectations is to actually give the audience exactly what they're expecting. It's like music. Some of the most beautiful pieces work exactly because you give the listener exactly the progression their ears are expecting, as it's satisfying. But there can be equal beauty in diverging to a different place, as long as there's enough consistency for it to be a viable change. what the fuck am i even talking about

Anyway, yeah, Rachael, Rainn, Lucy and Melody so far seem to be the four horseman of the could've been main girls. Ultimately you have to cut things off somewhere. I still worry that having 8 main girls is too many, that I won't be able to do them all justice in the end, so if there were even more it'd possibly be overwhelming. But as I think others have mentioned, not being a main girl doesn't mean lesser importance. Just different importance.

Thank you so much again for your comment, I'm really glad you enjoyed the game so much! I sure hope I don't disappoint with future updates.

Thank you very much for the reply and the kind words!

I understand why people may not like having other guys being a focus of the story in an AVN. However, like you said, having interactions with guys makes the cast more wide and the world feel alive. Girls should always be the focus, but I think interactions with the boys make this AVN special and more interesting. So keep doing what you are doing! And if your intention with Cam's scene wasn't it to be a very impactful scene to the player, but rather to move the story forward, then I find it to be a nice surprise to the plot.

And DAMN! We are still at the beginning!? Wow! I thought we were way past the introduction! And I understand having to cut some interactions with the boys to have time to develop other scenes with the girls. Being a solo dev isn't easy, so some things have to be left out or not be as developed as one would like in order to push updates out. Thus, I'll do as you say and just assume that the MC hangs out with the guys between each girls events.

The way you explained your intentions with the girls comparing them to music was quite profound. And I guess I see your point. If most of them are still at surface level, then I will take back my critique and wait to see what you have in store for us.

Regarding the "side girls", JustaPhase made me realize that it overall doesn't matter that much. There are so many girls that obviously some would never have the same screen time as others or wouldn't be as important to the overall plot (not that screen time matters that much at the end of the day). If almost every girl is important in some way to the narrative, that is all I can ask for.
And like I stated in a previous comment, I just wanted to see an ending with some of the "side girls" as a sort of reward. I mean, I would be happy if the ending where you don't date one of the main girls just said "You and X (Rainn, Lucy, etc) started dating" and you just do a render of the MC and the girl holding hands while walking. However, I don't wanna force my vision onto you and I know this is not as easy as I'm saying, since it would be way too much work for something so insignificant. Anyway, don't mind me and my selfish dream of getting a Lucy and Rainn ending.

Also, don't be afraid to disappoint us! You have done an amazing job with all of the updates! If you do something not as good, we'll give you feedback and you can do a better job next time. That's why this forum is so cool in my opinion. Just continue to write your vision for this game, as I believe it was that and your dedication that led you this far in the first place!

 

[hoffd2177]

Just some random thoughts on our MGs:

Mia:She's cool. I mean she's the one we're supposed to like right? Introduced early, kind, curvy. She's possibly the most "typical college freshman" of the LIs but what we get of her backstory and the hinted at trauma with BJs there's some stuff to dig into beyond a very approachable surface.

Alice: I really like her look, but obviously there's just not a ton to talk about here. She'll definitely be a change of pace from the other MGs and I suppose that's her role. Also, while I'm not complaining, I do find it curious the shy nerdy girl has some of the best abs in the game. Like does she spend all day in the library and all night at the gym? I hope MC points that out at an appropriate time.

Teagan:She's cool I guess. Not as crazy about her as some but she's the most clearly smitten with MC so far and that's cool.

Bobbie: Honestly the best looking MG for me. Just curvy enough, and I do enjoy visible abs. Plus she's a lot of fun. I really enjoyed her screen time this update and she's currently in first place for me. (Among MGs, Lucy is still the GOAT)

Bonnie: Not much to say here. She seems nice, but for now she's the less hot twin

Imogen: A nice twist on the rich girl LI you usually get in these sorts of games. I Like her also her arc of trying to be a regular person could be a nice parallel to what MC has going on.

Elie: She's a cutie, and a nice middle ground between someone like Mia/Bobbie and Alice. I also like that she seems really interested in MC as a person and at least for now is less interested in him physically. I'm really looking forward to more talks with her and seeing where her arc goes (hopefully it goes into a throuple with Lucy, I mean they're already roomates its perfect, just think about it author-man that's all I'm saying)

Ava: Still a mystery. I do like what little we've gotten so far. She has a nice look and its cool she actually gives a shit about running the sorority. Just gotta wait for more screen time.

Overall this is a great cast

 

[Justaphase]

4K Character Render: Tegan!

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[MiltonPowers]

4K Character Render: Tegan!

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Someone check if AlexMpog is ok. I have a feeling he's passed out in front of his computer. Or drooling all over the keyboard.

 

[AlexMpog]

4K Character Render: Tegan!

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Someone check if AlexMpog is ok. I have a feeling he's passed out in front of his computer. Or drooling all over the keyboard.

The true winner of butt competition .
Almost got a stroke when I saw that peachy ass. What can I say - I’m just a simple man .

 

[user9276294]

4K Character Render: Tegan!

Spoiler

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Could you also attach (or share it through a file hosting site preferably) the 4K version of the Lucy render?

 

[Meiri]

Could you also attach (or share it through a file hosting site preferably) the 4K version of the Lucy render?

This one? https://f95zone.to/threads/not-going-back-ch-3-1-cicada.166812/post-17891795

 

[user9276294]

This one? https://f95zone.to/threads/not-going-back-ch-3-1-cicada.166812/post-17891795

Yes, but in 4K.

 

[Demon_Emperor]

graphics looks decent but girls are smoking

 

[Luciferine]

First playthrough here, and as of writing, I’m right at the part where Tegan approaches MC during the pool party at PSY house. Had to force my morals not to two-time her and Mia, good girl !.


My favorite main girls so far, in order: Imogen, Mia, Tegan.

• Imogen, feels the most fleshed out at this point. Every convo between her and the MC has this natural rhythm where they both open up, and honestly, their chemistry feels the strongest of any pairing so far. Plus, she’s gorgeous.
• Mia, seems like the most obvious “main girl” of the game right from the start. There’s a hint of some trauma so that might be something.
• Tegan, is probably the least developed when compared to Mia and Imogen. At first, I misjudged her as just the “slutty” type, but to my surprise, she’s not. Her personality comes across as genuinely likable. That said, the chemistry build-up with her pretty much only sex driven up until this point in my saves.

 

[Maviarab]

Well...just finsihed, have to say pretty impressed.

I'm the opposite when it comes to hidden depth and complicated LI's...far too many devs do it now...a trope in and of itself. Sometimes it's nice to just have a simple, uncomplicated, no issues LI. Just a nice simple romance. Not everyone has issues, trauma, is fucked up (in fact, the vast majority of people don't)....it's tiring dealing with all this shit, especially if you have to in RL, in an AVN...just a few girls who have no issues. Simple can also be extremely interesting and satisfying....

Thankfully...(so far at least)...there's no dumb mob/crime/murder/mystery/drugs plots....another trope of modern AVN's and devs insterting X drama for the sake of it. As this proves, you can have a very good story without all that crap being shoehorned in to cover up a lack of interesting story and writing skill and still be interesting to play. So good job there.

I would say my only complaint so far (other than the usual side girls can be more interesting than mains syndrome lol) is the overall pacing of the main 8 LI's. Difficult to make decisions on some when you literally barely have any interaction with them at all. Like I love Alice, love her model...but at this point, why should I not be commiting to say Mia or T over her? We literally know nothing about her. Same with Ava....how do I know I will like her more than any others when...well...there really is nothing with her? Two conversations, one you can completely miss anyway? I get it's by design but doesn't really help really for me.

Other than that...decent guys around (the PED's aside lol)...they actually feel like real people and not just comedy acts or antagonists 'for the sake of it'...they are not just cardboard background characters, so excellent job there too.

Look forward to seeing more, keep up the great work cicadaNGB

 

[Justaphase]

Mia was the winner of this week's poll!

Next week, I'm going to be away from my computer, so as a result there won't be a character poll. Don't fear, however, and instead I'm going to upload a special 4K side girls render in place of the poll on Monday, and a special 4K main girls render on Wednesday in place of a post like this! Regular character voting will resume the week after.

Thank you all for your support!

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