VN Ren'Py Completed Now & Then [v1.00.0] [ILSProductions]

[kameohawk]

While sydney wasn't an important part of the story her habit of keeping a distance to the MC and family worked better with the story. Alice i assume will be very annoying given what we know of her she will be like that annoying fly always buzzing around you that you can't kill. Julie would have been a much better choice but the dev knew that so saddled her with a baby which makes her constantly moving around with the group impossible. I really hope they know what they are doing with Alice otherwise people are gonna be annoyed they choose least likeable woman of the 3.

Sydney knowing that the group objective is the marchand house gives us a little hope that julie and sydney could catch up with the group when shit inevitably goes down in that feminazi camp.

How would Julie and Sydney know about the house? Hell the MC doesn't really know where it is. And they really hammered home the point about Alice being a bit.... not all there so is she really gonna tell anyone that would listen details directions to the safe house they were going for before her husband was turned into pink mist?

The MC was right, those characters are gone. I expect a release or two of flashbacks just to cement Alice as a character and her relationship to the MC. I just hope the devs use her and not just have her as a cock block for the MC and the other girls

 

[Hellkinglucifer]

Knowing what I do now, if I was to start at the beginning, I'd just skip all the character development with Sydney. Like, why does it matter? Why go to the trouble of getting her cigarettes or trying to 'woo' her (so to speak) knowing there's a hard block coming up where she will leave. I could understand her staying in the commune if things had worked out differently but knowing that doing everything "right" to make her feel accepting in your group still results in her dropping you like a hot tattie, so why even bother?

Completely agree with you why add the option to get close to her if regardless of what you do she leaves. Would have been much better if Sydney only stayed at the camp if we didn't choose to get close to her creating an escape door for players who don't want to add her to the group. But I have a knack that the stats for Sydney will determine if she comes with julie when the latter rejoins with the group later in the story.

 

[van321]

I found this AVN relatively interesting, if a bit repetitive, for a while. The dialogue branching was great! But holy hell this update jumped the shark.

The rush out of the school was far more rushed than the rush out of the apartment. MC knew about the gas leak, so where's the prep for a backup plan? Where's the payoff for the van? Nada, just clothes off the back and GTFO, and run into a fire to save someone who tells you to fuck off at the end of the chapter anyway. For being treated as a meticulous character, MC turned into a complete idiot because the plot said he had to. And don't get me started on Sydney having what amounts to an anti-arc. Talk about a waste of potential, especially to have a doctor in your party!

If it's just going to be brunette and blonde daddy issues and expendable side characters for now on, I think I'll bounce.

 

[Hellkinglucifer]

How would Julie and Sydney know about the house? Hell the MC doesn't really know where it is. And they really hammered home the point about Alice being a bit.... not all there so is she really gonna tell anyone that would listen details directions to the safe house they were going for before her husband was turned into pink mist?

The MC was right, those characters are gone. I expect a release or two of flashbacks just to cement Alice as a character and her relationship to the MC. I just hope the devs use her and not just have her as a cock block for the MC and the other girls

I would assume they would have at least told Sydney where they were headed when they left the school.

 

[kameohawk]

I would assume they would have at least told Sydney where they were headed when they left the school.

There was no talk about where they were going after leaving the school, only talk about getting out the city. The never acted like he had an end game in mind, instead talking in vague terms. I mean hell, he goes on about how they'll need to play it by ear, work out it as they go, not drive at night etc. So what could they tell Sydney? (not to mention assuming that's done "off camera" is really shitty story telling, and I'm trying to give the dev the benefit of the doubt here)

There was talk about a cabin up in the mountains but does anyone know how to get there? Logically, I assume the only person who does is Alice, and that's probably why she's joined the party, but it's already been stated not all her dogs are barking. So how logical is it that Alice would tell Julie or whoever precise directions to get to the place where she was hoping to get to back before the world went to shit?

This is a massive undertaking so what makes you think Sydney, who has forsaken reason for the baseless hope her family will magically rock up, will then decide to go trekking across country to a place she's never been, with someone who she barely knows, to find the lad who she's known for a few days who may or may not even make it to where they're trying to get to themselves? This is a post apocalyptic world, this isn't being out with your mates for a few drinks and going off with another group with the promise you'll find your friends later in the night.

"I kept driving, a voice in the back of my head whispering to me the truth that I was never going to see either again."

That's pretty final.

 

[SeveredRealms]

As my son in law (Ex military said last night when we talked about the game. Strategically the inner circle would know what each person in said circle was doing and what task they had set for them. Cassie most likely was the one chosen to take care of the unwanted men while other in the circle dealt with the women inside. He then said given that Julie and Sydney are now prime targets. His reasoning is because Cassie went to do what her role entailed and did not return that night yet the MC was seen at the gate with Julie and Syndey who in turn freely let him walk away and drive off with the girls. In that situation Sydney would be the first pulled behind the curtain so to speak grilled for info and then disposed of. AKA she would have been dead by the next morning.
Julie having already been known to have known the MC for years then not returning on the first night would have been noticed by the inner circle. That would have marked her. Then having her let them just walk away would have been the next mark against her. She has only known the rest for a few months and the inner circle would have others listening to everything she said and watching then reporting to them. Julie really has maybe a couple people at most she "may" be able to trust. With these events Julie is now a prime target and they will go for her son first. They will automatically think the MC is the reason Cassie did not return and Julie would make a serious mistake if she went to remove Cassie body. It would be her immediate death sentence.
So by the 2 girls staying the inner circle will target and remove them due to their connection to the MC as retribution for Cassies death. This is from a military view of how things may well happen. I also noticed one other "little" thing no one else mentioned yet. Who was that person that watched them walk into the hotel. It looked male to me yet am I the only one that saw him outside the window of the hotel lobby?
the MC's final words are right. they will never see them again as the inner circle will dispose of them for the loss of Cassie and it was a major mistake for them to stay knowing what they know.

 

[erkper]

I also noticed one other "little" thing no one else mentioned yet. Who was that person that watched them walk into the hotel. It looked male to me yet am I the only one that saw him outside the window of the hotel lobby?

Looked like Cassie to me. For sure, one of the female haven guards.

 

[dolfe67]

I found this AVN relatively interesting, if a bit repetitive, for a while. The dialogue branching was great! But holy hell this update jumped the shark.

The rush out of the school was far more rushed than the rush out of the apartment. MC knew about the gas leak, so where's the prep for a backup plan? Where's the payoff for the van? Nada, just clothes off the back and GTFO, and run into a fire to save someone who tells you to fuck off at the end of the chapter anyway. For being treated as a meticulous character, MC turned into a complete idiot because the plot said he had to. And don't get me started on Sydney having what amounts to an anti-arc. Talk about a waste of potential, especially to have a doctor in your party!

If it's just going to be brunette and blonde daddy issues and expendable side characters for now on, I think I'll bounce.

Yeah, no pay off to not having keep the tires of the van inflated. And I bet no "pay off" too if you reject Sydney and keep the interactions with her at a minimum, you always save her. This is a linear story, the choices are just for dialogues flavor and who/when/where to fuck.

As my son in law (Ex military said last night when we talked about the game. Strategically the inner circle would know what each person in said circle was doing and what task they had set for them. Cassie most likely was the one chosen to take care of the unwanted men while other in the circle dealt with the women inside. He then said given that Julie and Sydney are now prime targets. His reasoning is because Cassie went to do what her role entailed and did not return that night yet the MC was seen at the gate with Julie and Syndey who in turn freely let him walk away and drive off with the girls. In that situation Sydney would be the first pulled behind the curtain so to speak grilled for info and then disposed of. AKA she would have been dead by the next morning.
Julie having already been known to have known the MC for years then not returning on the first night would have been noticed by the inner circle. That would have marked her. Then having her let them just walk away would have been the next mark against her. She has only known the rest for a few months and the inner circle would have others listening to everything she said and watching then reporting to them. Julie really has maybe a couple people at most she "may" be able to trust. With these events Julie is now a prime target and they will go for her son first. They will automatically think the MC is the reason Cassie did not return and Julie would make a serious mistake if she went to remove Cassie body. It would be her immediate death sentence.
So by the 2 girls staying the inner circle will target and remove them due to their connection to the MC as retribution for Cassies death. This is from a military view of how things may well happen. I also noticed one other "little" thing no one else mentioned yet. Who was that person that watched them walk into the hotel. It looked male to me yet am I the only one that saw him outside the window of the hotel lobby?
the MC's final words are right. they will never see them again as the inner circle will dispose of them for the loss of Cassie and it was a major mistake for them to stay knowing what they know.

Yeah but they have no military background. Furthermore the "no kill woman" rule might save their lives. But if all the characters was making the right decisions all the time it would be a weirder story

 

[Jorund]

I glanced through most of the replies about the latest update and though i agree that some descisions made by certain female chars seem somewhat illogical/stupid/not fitting, i can't find anything in them that does absolutely not work. Exteme situations easily have ppl making questionable descisions, considering the near constant fear the characters might feel in this reality i can totally see any of the made descisions 'work out' for them even if its just for an illusion of some safety.
So while i have no major beef with any of the female chars' descisions, and things like choice of car and so on aside, i really have only ONE real problem with the update:
when MC kills Cassie. MC has done some stuff that will leave marks longterm on him (and the girls), he has done some things that could be seen as questionable, but so far (iirc) he has never (without choice) just killed someone who was not an immediate (or even mediate for that matter) threat in cold blood. It just didn't feel right, and though i really understand the idea and motivation, i think MC should and would have done this differently, or at least there should be a choice.

So, just to play out an alternative:
After knocking/chocking out Cassie, MC could have tied her up and send Naomi to get Carol. Instead of only Carol it could have been similar to how it played out in the game, with Alice, Julie and Sydney coming to the hotel too. Not sure if we know any more of that Allie-character (i can't recall, she is the one whom's husband MC finds 5th floor) but she should come too, maybe asked by Julie to accompany them, armed just as Julie just as precaution when moving with so many off the compound.
That way we could have the confrontation of Allie (whom's husband, as mentioned, lies slayn in 5th floor) with Cassie. Allie could kill (or not) Cassie later, the whole situation could be more discussed with the girls just as MC is trying to include them in making descisions and not just confront them with whatever descision he has made.
With Allie and Julie there, explaining the situation in the compound a bit more (powerplay, different groups and how possibly , vouching for making sure whoever stays with them is safe, it would maybe feel less of a bad descision of those who decide to stay.
The alternative of MC sending Naomi off to get Carol and then kill Cassie himself COULD also be in there, branching off to a path that possibly gets a bit darker in the future and takes a toll on the relationship of MC and the girls.


Other than that i still love the game, i like the now/then storytelling concept and the gameworld with decaying zombies is really nice.

 

[erkper]

the gameworld with decaying zombies is really nice.

Yeah, that part is what's got me a bit perplexed actually. I feel like Kinderfeld has painted himself into a corner honestly. He's gone into a pretty fair amount of detail about the zombies, world situation, collapse of society, and pointed out numerous times how the infected are dying off from starvation and exposure, but never once has he hinted at how the infection has or is spreading and has never given any detail of how the spread is ongoing. Jack, Carol, and Naomi have all gotten zombie blood all over themselves (Jack multiple times) without becoming infected, so it sure seems like the virus isn't spreading anymore. Using what he's stated about the infected not eating or protecting themselves, this outbreak should have ended long ago simply because the infected wouldn't survive this many months if they weren't still turning. He needs to expand on the "method" of the infected turning.

 

[Jorund]

...Jack, Carol, and Naomi have all gotten zombie blood all over themselves (Jack multiple times) without becoming infected, so it sure seems like the virus isn't spreading anymore. ...

Different viruses can have very different infectiosity, it might need to get directly into the bloodstream, so only open wounds and bites would cause new infection.
Could also be a weird co-exiting-thing, a symbiosis, maybe everyone is infected with the virus but its another virus or bacteria that makes the transformation, one that is harder to catch.
I think there is lots of leeway to get something together to explain everything ... don't think anyone really cares if its some degree of BS in reallife as long as it sounds at least somewhat possible.

 

[kameohawk]

Jack, Carol, and Naomi have all gotten zombie blood all over themselves (Jack multiple times) without becoming infected, s

I'm sure in a previous update it made a point that you can be covered in the blood withno issue so long as it doesn't get in your mouth/eyes

edit: and if you're bitten... naturally

 

[Raziel_8]

Yeah but they have no military background. Furthermore the "no kill woman" rule might save their lives. But if all the characters was making the right decisions all the time it would be a weirder story

I mean, u don't need to have military/police background to figure out that they would be in big trouble.

Julie mentioned that Cassie was close to the inner circle, so easy to assume they know/ordered what she was doing, know where she was and that they would prevent that secret from spreading is obvious...that they would questioning Julie/Sydney is only logical and they wouldn't use the soft approach i'd guess.

"no kill woman", no such rule there, Naomi would be just as dead as the MC and Julie is only optimistic cause she has friends, so they wouldn't go after her, well not in a public way at least.
But her friends will hardly protect her from a dagger in the back, an unfortunate accident on patrol, a visit from one of the inner circle, which holds her baby boy, if she wants pick him up after work etc.

Not saying that characters should be always act perfect, but damn, my first thought if i would be in Julies situation would be :
Grab my child, a backpack with essentials and gtfo of there before shit hits the fan, cause i will be in the center of that shitstorm. The safety and resources of the haven are of little use, if the leadership wants me gone, neither can i protect my child 24/7 in there...

 

[kameohawk]

I mean, u don't need to have military/police background to figure out that they would be in big trouble.

Julie mentioned that Cassie was close to the inner circle, so easy to assume they know/ordered what she was doing, know where she was and that they would prevent that secret from spreading is obvious...that they would questioning Julie/Sydney is only logical and they wouldn't use the soft approach i'd guess.

"no kill woman", no such rule there, Naomi would be just as dead as the MC and Julie is only optimistic cause she has friends, so they wouldn't go after her, well not in a public way at least.
But her friends will hardly protect her from a dagger in the back, an unfortunate accident on patrol, a visit from one of the inner circle, which holds her baby boy, if she wants pick him up after work etc.

Not saying that characters should be always act perfect, but damn, my first thought if i would be in Julies situation would be :
Grab my child, a backpack with essentials and gtfo of there before shit hits the fan, cause i will be in the center of that shitstorm. The safety and resources of the haven are of little use, if the leadership wants me gone, neither can i protect my child 24/7 in there...

There is nothing in the last update to suggest that what Cassie is doing isn't a founding principle of the base being run. The whole thing is a honey pot set to lure men in to off them, the fact the hotel is still stocked with alcohol suggests it's left in a state to entice men to stay long enough to be killed. That can't be done by some random lone wolf with a grudge against men. That's policy. Or rather it could be done, but it would lead to so many questions that the whole thing would fall to bits after even some basic enquiries, unless there was a structure in place to deflect such things. Which is a lot harder to do if it's one person.

Even the idea they're pushing that the men would just up and leave is absurd. Are you trying to tell me that there isn't some women in there who are adamant the male members of their family wouldn't leave? It's a flimsy, flimsy excuse and it doesn't hold water. For the first few, sure, you might be able to say "raiders got them, what you gonna do?" but over time are they suggesting that not ONE person in there is going to go "huh, where are all the men going after they're put up at the hotel nearby which is supposedly safe for them to stay at". Piss poor writing.

Now as to why they're being killed? I'm sure there's logic there but it's short term only. Eventually they will NEED men, if only for the obvious. And as I mentioned a while back, the fact there are male kids in there raises a WHOLE load of issues the game rather quickly bins otherwise the decisions some of the characters make turns out even more absurd.

It's funny/sad in its own way. The whole idea of a male MC and a female only compound is actually kinda interesting in terms of plot. There's a lot of scope there for really interesting conflict. But it was brought up, actioned and then binned in like half an update. Whereas we got.... what? 5 episodes of them sitting about an empty school fondling their balls? Feels very walking dead in that regard, we just got our farm house season 2 updates.

 

[erkper]

Different viruses can have very different infectiosity, it might need to get directly into the bloodstream, so only open wounds and bites would cause new infection.
Could also be a weird co-exiting-thing, a symbiosis, maybe everyone is infected with the virus but its another virus or bacteria that makes the transformation, one that is harder to catch.
I think there is lots of leeway to get something together to explain everything ... don't think anyone really cares if its some degree of BS in reallife as long as it sounds at least somewhat possible.

Sure, of course there are all kinds of legit, semi-legit, or at least legit-sounding directions to take an explanation, which is kind of why I'm confused by why Kinderfeld hasn't gone down SOME kind of explanation route since he's gone into so much detail in other aspects of the apocalypse they find themselves living in. I mean, I follow and enjoy VNs from this site about fairies and amnesiac magic dick'd incestuous family fuckers, I can take a pretty big stretch of imagination. I just appreciate when a writer lays down a rule and then sticks with it through the rest of the story instead of just skirting around it every time it comes up.

 

[SeveredRealms]

Ok I posed the question to my wife and also to two of my daughters who came to visit today. I asked them if in the situation these people where in and if they had a safe haven that only allowed them in but made us their husbands leave and stay separate from them it was a unanimous no fucking way.... both my daughters and my wife said where I and their husbands go they go they would not no matter how bad it is separate from us. If we are not allowed in they would not even care to enter and would tell them to go fuck themselves. So that is something to think about as a reality and it puts the decisions made even on the first day into doubt. They would not trust those inside because of this what my wife said was a very fucked up thing to force them to do.

 

[SeveredRealms]

Yeah but they have no military background. Furthermore the "no kill woman" rule might save their lives. But if all the characters was making the right decisions all the time it would be a weirder story

Yes they did go back and read it again... They are a mix of military and police women that are running the place in the inner circle.

 

[elle21]

Farewell Sidney ( don't really like left her behind)

 

[Raziel_8]

There is nothing in the last update to suggest that what Cassie is doing isn't a founding principle of the base being run. The whole thing is a honey pot set to lure men in to off them, the fact the hotel is still stocked with alcohol suggests it's left in a state to entice men to stay long enough to be killed. That can't be done by some random lone wolf with a grudge against men. That's policy. Or rather it could be done, but it would lead to so many questions that the whole thing would fall to bits after even some basic enquiries, unless there was a structure in place to deflect such things. Which is a lot harder to do if it's one person.

Even the idea they're pushing that the men would just up and leave is absurd. Are you trying to tell me that there isn't some women in there who are adamant the male members of their family wouldn't leave? It's a flimsy, flimsy excuse and it doesn't hold water. For the first few, sure, you might be able to say "raiders got them, what you gonna do?" but over time are they suggesting that not ONE person in there is going to go "huh, where are all the men going after they're put up at the hotel nearby which is supposedly safe for them to stay at". Piss poor writing.

I'm with u there, it is next to impossible for the leadership not knowing whats going in there and for a single person or even a few, it still would be near impossible to keep the disappearance of all the men a secret, especialy from the leadership.

Even if the whole inner circle is behind it, it makes no sense, that no one ever noticed that their lovers/family members are gone, that they never visited them, or that they would all believe they just left... alone into the zombie apocalypse, when they have a stocked and safe hotel next to their loved ones, that just makes no sense.
Of course it could also be, that everyone who got suspicius, also vanished or was silenced, thats honestly the only way that people would still believe that men live in the hotel.
Hell Julie is a guard and believes that there are currently several men living there, did she never wondered, why no one is visiting their family/lovers ? Hard to believe.

Now as to why they're being killed? I'm sure there's logic there but it's short term only. Eventually they will NEED men, if only for the obvious. And as I mentioned a while back, the fact there are male kids in there raises a WHOLE load of issues the game rather quickly bins otherwise the decisions some of the characters make turns out even more absurd.

The first thing i questioned was, where are the male military/police forces.
Women are a minority in these jobs, they don't split men/women when going into action...so where are all the men from the police/military ?
I mean they were their comrades, which they should have trusted with their lives when in action...or do u want to tell me that only all men died in action, that they all became rapists/bandits ? Did they kill them too ?

Why would they even split up with their male comrades in the middest of a crisis and try to do their own thing, doesn't really sounds like a good strategy, if i'm sourounded by zombies/bandits and everything wants me dead or worse.
If the outbreak was years ago, ok such camps could have formed, but thats not the case here.

As for their policy about men, sure there are male bandits, but so what ?
Should they be careful, sure.
But seperating familys, cause there are roaming bandits around, doesn't make a lot of sense imo.
Nor do i believe, that they would seriously think, that a father with his family is a rapist/bandit.
Or the MC, which is close to 2 members of the compound and in company of three armed women.

So, no idea what their agenda truly is, but it is hardly because they would think that all this men are likely bandits.
Either way, as u said, longterm their agenda is not sustainable and that should be obvious to everyone.

It's funny/sad in its own way. The whole idea of a male MC and a female only compound is actually kinda interesting in terms of plot. There's a lot of scope there for really interesting conflict. But it was brought up, actioned and then binned in like half an update. Whereas we got.... what? 5 episodes of them sitting about an empty school fondling their balls? Feels very walking dead in that regard, we just got our farm house season 2 updates.

Yeah i can only second that.

 

[Hellkinglucifer]

I'm with u there, it is next to impossible for the leadership not knowing whats going in there and for a single person or even a few, it still would be near impossible to keep the disappearance of all the men a secret, especialy from the leadership.

Even if the whole inner circle is behind it, it makes no sense, that no one ever noticed that their lovers/family members are gone, that they never visited them, or that they would all believe they just left... alone into the zombie apocalypse, when they have a stocked and safe hotel next to their loved ones, that just makes no sense.
Of course it could also be, that everyone who got suspicius, also vanished or was silenced, thats honestly the only way that people would still believe that men live in the hotel.
Hell Julie is a guard and believes that there are currently several men living there, did she never wondered, why no one is visiting their family/lovers ? Hard to believe.


The first thing i questioned was, where are the male military/police forces.
Women are a minority in these jobs, they don't split men/women when going into action...so where are all the men from the police/military ?
I mean they were their comrades, which they should have trusted with their lives when in action...or do u want to tell me that only all men died in action, that they all became rapists/bandits ? Did they kill them too ?

Why would they even split up with their male comrades in the middest of a crisis and try to do their own thing, doesn't really sounds like a good strategy, if i'm sourounded by zombies/bandits and everything wants me dead or worse.
If the outbreak was years ago, ok such camps could have formed, but thats not the case here.

As for their policy about men, sure there are male bandits, but so what ?
Should they be careful, sure.
But seperating familys, cause there are roaming bandits around, doesn't make a lot of sense imo.
Nor do i believe, that they would seriously think, that a father with his family is a rapist/bandit.
Or the MC, which is close to 2 members of the compound and in company of three armed women.

So, no idea what their agenda truly is, but it is hardly because they would think that all this men are likely bandits.
Either way, as u said, longterm their agenda is not sustainable and that should be obvious to everyone.


Yeah i can only second that.

Probably a group of feminazi lesbians military trying to make their own harem. Killed the males in their unit andcreate a safe haven where males are not allowed. Kill the males in the hotel, make it a situation where the women are dependent on them then reap the rewards