VN Ren'Py Not Going Back [Ch.4] [Cicada]

[cicadaNGB]

Yes, marketing it on the site, a lot of people ask for clear distinctions and want defined boxes.

I do respect and really like your original idea of making it ambiguous with no clear lines between what is Main Girl and Side Girl.

The whole main girl/side girl categorization boxes can limit creativity, stifle changes that could happen with natural flow of the story, and make things more predictable.

The mystery of not knowing intrigues me, personally, but I understand needing to work with your audience so they are not alienated.



For my chaos runs in games, there is a part of me that always has fun causing as much drama as possible.

Yeah for me Alice was the big loss of officially having to name main girls. I had liked the idea of her waiting in the background for a while before her path actually starts, and for people to realize when it happens that she's actually a main LI. I've still got the fun of it actually happening, and her path starting etc. but I would've enjoyed the debate (like people asking why she's on the banner etc. if she's not a main LI, others saying she's barely in the game so she can't be, stuff like that)

edit to add It was the same about clarifying whether NTR and whatever was in the game or not. I wanted to not say, because that would make some storylines more interesting (think Mia, Imogen) if there might have been credible threats from other guys. But I didn't realize it was such a hot button topic, and so had to make clear how the game would go else drive people away unnecessarily. It marginally impacts the experience, I feel, knowing there's no actual 'threat' from other guys, but I'd always rather be transparent with people, especially on something that's so important for some.

 

[Maxwell D]

Yeah for me Alice was the big loss of officially having to name main girls. I had liked the idea of her waiting in the background for a while before her path actually starts, and for people to realize when it happens that she's actually a main LI. I've still got the fun of it actually happening, and her path starting etc. but I would've enjoyed the debate (like people asking why she's on the banner etc. if she's not a main LI, others saying she's barely in the game so she can't be, stuff like that)

edit to add It was the same about clarifying whether NTR and whatever was in the game or not. I wanted to not say, because that would make some storylines more interesting (think Mia, Imogen) if there might have been credible threats from other guys. But I didn't realize it was such a hot button topic, and so had to make clear how the game would go else drive people away unnecessarily. It marginally impacts the experience, I feel, knowing there's no actual 'threat' from other guys, but I'd always rather be transparent with people, especially on something that's so important for some.

The Anti-NTR and NTR movements on this site are very extreme.
Good call making it clear, since it could also negatively impact reviews.
I personally don't like NTR, so I'm pleased.

For Alice, with the breadcrumbs given, I'm still intrigued in seeing how her path will unfold.
I look forward to the next update, the prelude was a nice teaser for what is to come. Best of luck.

 

[PickerLewd]

As is often the case, all of the potential love interests are gorgeous, so it doesn't matter who you choose .

 

[OleJackRipper]

From the look of tags and dev message. No harem end planned?

 

[Skylaroo]

From the look of tags and dev message. No harem end planned?

No harem for this game.

 

[GodlessPhantom]

So will hooking up with side li's also have consequences or is being a partial man whore out of the question lol?

 

[cicadaNGB]

So will hooking up with side li's also have consequences or is being a partial man whore out of the question lol?

It depends, some might cause conflicts, some won't. There's only so much you can account for with regard to branching, so some LIs you'll have able to get with fairly inconsequentially, others might have bigger impacts. There will be a 'solo' version of the ending, for what it's worth, so you can just play around with side girls the whole game if you're so inclined.

For the most part I've designed the world of the game to feel alive, and part of that is characters feeling like they have memory and are aware of what's happening around them. So say if you get a scene with a girl, you can reasonably assume that at least her closer friends will be aware of it. Again there's limits to how far you can take this when you're making a game (only so much you can account for) but I guess the point is I'm trying to make it feel like there's weight to most choices. Though not every consequences will necessarily be bad, either. Some might benefit you.

 

[cicadaNGB]

Also I've just put up a free member post over on

You must be registered to see the links

Normally I do dev logs on Sundays, but after the last release I did a Q&A, and I am doing the same this time. So if you've got any questions feel free to head on over to the post and ask, I'm planning on answering them later this week and releasing the post Friday. I got a fair few questions last time which was nice to see, so if you've got any questions about the game itself, the development process, me in particular, whatever, feel free to head on over and ask. I'm going to be answering them later in the week, and releasing the post Friday - I'll copy it over here too if no-one else gets to it before me

 

[Joshy92]

Having a dev here interacting with the community is a very nice bonus that I'm glad about. Cicada my friend, I'm sitting here reading about your game and I can feel the passion you have for it in your posts.

 

[cicadaNGB]

Having a dev here interacting with the community is a very nice bonus that I'm glad about. Cicada my friend, I'm sitting here reading about your game and I can feel the passion you have for it in your posts.

Thank you so much. I don't say this lightly but I've genuinely never been more passionate about something in my life. I am really, really excited for the future of the game, I just wish I could work faster to get it out there quicker

 

[Joshy92]

Just booted the game back up and love when I see my sweetheart straight away

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[Zorro#34]

Played the game up to the latest content.
Some very good job done on Ch. 2 and 3 and the early part of Ch. 4, but Ch. 1 is weak. Like, really weak. I'd drop the game right there if some guys I trust didn't tell me many times how awesome this game was. Considering the dev doesn't repeat the same mistakes in the newer parts of the game, he's perfectly capable of fixing Ch. 1, and I'd suggest doing it sooner rather than later. And least do the rewrites so as not to waste time on remaking all the renders. After all, Ch. 1 is the first thing new players deal with when starting the game.

 

[cicadaNGB]

Played the game up to the latest content.
Some very good job done on Ch. 2 and 3 and the early part of Ch. 4, but Ch. 1 is weak. Like, really weak. I'd drop the game right there if some guys I trust didn't tell me many times how awesome this game was. Considering the dev doesn't repeat the same mistakes in the newer parts of the game, he's perfectly capable of fixing Ch. 1, and I'd suggest doing it sooner rather than later. And least do the rewrites so as not to waste time on remaking all the renders. After all, Ch. 1 is the first thing new players deal with when starting the game.

Please elaborate if you don't mind. I agree in theory with what you've said, ch1 is definitely the weakest part of the game in pretty much all aspects, but I'd be curious as to what specifically you'd want to see changed, visuals notwithstanding.

I am glad you found the later chapters more enjoyable, though!

 

[Justaphase]

Played the game up to the latest content.
Some very good job done on Ch. 2 and 3 and the early part of Ch. 4, but Ch. 1 is weak. Like, really weak. I'd drop the game right there if some guys I trust didn't tell me many times how awesome this game was. Considering the dev doesn't repeat the same mistakes in the newer parts of the game, he's perfectly capable of fixing Ch. 1, and I'd suggest doing it sooner rather than later. And least do the rewrites so as not to waste time on remaking all the renders. After all, Ch. 1 is the first thing new players deal with when starting the game.

I actually like chapter 1 and getting to know the various characters plus a little look into the MC's troubled past. I think it's a solid start, I especially like the early connection you can develop with Mia, like the teasing in the shower. Shame that she seems to have put her walls/guard up a bit in chapter 3 and 4. I do hope that things can get back to how they were between them.

 

[Zorro#34]

Please elaborate if you don't mind. I agree in theory with what you've said, ch1 is definitely the weakest part of the game in pretty much all aspects, but I'd be curious as to what specifically you'd want to see changed, visuals notwithstanding.

I am glad you found the later chapters more enjoyable, though!

The scenes and dialogues are too short, I was barely registering what was going on. I even totally forgot Rachael and didn't understand who she was when she reappeared later in the Chapter (or was it early Ch. 2? ), she just blurred together with Alice into a single character in my mind.
Transitions between scenes are too abrupt, as if you used dissolve everywhere instead of fade.
MC very rarely gives us any reflection on what happens to him, be it in his thoughts or talking with his friends, further decreasing the events' weight and not helping immerse into him.

All of these flaws are already partly fixed in Ch. 2 and completely fixed from Ch. 3 onwards, so I trust your judgement on what I said.

 

[cicadaNGB]

The scenes and dialogues are too short, I was barely registering what was going on. I even totally forgot Rachael and didn't understand who she was when she reappeared later in the Chapter (or was it early Ch. 2? ), she just blurred together with Alice into a single character in my mind.
Transitions between scenes are too abrupt, as if you used dissolve everywhere instead of fade.
MC very rarely gives us any reflection on what happens to him, be it in his thoughts or talking with his friends, further decreasing the events' weight and not helping immerse into him.

All of these flaws are already partly fixed in Ch. 2 and completely fixed from Ch. 3 onwards, so I trust your judgement on what I said.

Thanks for the extra info, appreciate it. Agree on transitions, I try to fix them when I notice them being particularly abrupt when I replay the game for testing etc. But that's always been a criticism of the early game, and I'll probably make a more concerted effort to fix them all up for the next update. I've now got an way of setting up and ending scenes that works for me, so I should be able to go back and smooth out the ends of scenes a little better.

On the first bit, I recalled someone saying similar previously that they struggled to remember who was who so I went back to basically copy my reply to them, as it is a deliberate decision: "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." This extends to the quicker nature of the early game, I'm deliberately slowing things down now we're getting into the actual story. Granted I have also just gotten better at things, I could probably rewrite some of ch1 and improve it, while still keeping the disorienting feeling I was aiming for.

The last point is valid. I find it somewhat hard to write the MCs thoughts without it feeling to me like it's becoming too expositional. I also don't necessarily want to tell the player how to feel at certain points, so I leave the MCs feelings open-ended to allow the player to interpret things as they wish. I don't always do this, of course, because the MC isn't a complete blank slate, but I tend to lean more often than not away from exploring what his thoughts may be unless directly relevant to a storyline which might necessitate him thinking a certain way even if it conflicts with how a player may feel about a situation. But especially early on you are right that there's not a lot of, if any, moments where the MCs thoughts are explored, be it internally or through conversation. I hadn't really seen this as a critique previously, but it is true. I could perhaps make the argument it's linked to the above point of the desire to make the opening feel somewhat scattered, but I think that'd be tenuous at best.

I will say I'm glad you think this has all been improved on in future updates, that's really nice to hear. And I do understand your point that the first chapter is obviously the most important, as it's the first impression, and many may drop the game (for various reasons) and not get to the improved updates. I'll for sure take your advice into consideration, because ultimately I want as many people to play and enjoy the whole game as possible. Thank you for playing, and for taking the time to comment!

 

[Dessolos]

I playing some more before I do some PC stuff I need to fix later

Man picking the no option right here just to see the content before going back and saying Yes it tough.

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