Ren'Py On Distant Shores [v0.17] [Professor Amethyst Games]

[damnmalic]

I'm not bothered by Tiens or when the MC is acting like a dom or a sadist. On the contrary, I enjoy power dynamic. The MC is often uncomfortable with what he does to the girls and by the fact he enjoys it but the thing is, he always plays to THEIR fetishes. Tiens is a masochist and wants the MC to be rough with her and hurt her. Zella likes to be treated like a whore. Deema wants to be objectified and used.

But Breanna? She's not a cuckquean by choice and certainly don't want to be humiliated by a jealous stranger. What's even worst is that she feels all what the MC feel, so she knows he's aroused by the fact she's hurting. But she's a slave to her feelings for him so she's ready to be miserable for him. That's why that scene is even harder to read.

And I want to reiterate that it was the only time in the entire VN that the MC acted against his persona by letting Breanna suffer the humiliation.

I really hated that scene too.

 

[ahxjosu]

can someone make wt mod for it plz

 

[Ozygator]

You can't feel jealous about someone you don't love (yet).
This game is just trying to tell that the girls had a normal, healthy life like any other person before getting to know the mc. This is both to improve the immersion and to give the game a more profound backstory.

I feel like it's repeating what already happened with another game, Long Road Home, where the dev basically was forced by the ntr butt-hurts to remove a scene depicting a LI's rape that happened even before the start point of the story. That scene was very crude and horrible, and that only served the player to feel more emotionally attached to the girl, certainly not jealous. But people didn't catch its real meaning, and thanks to them we ended up with a permanently removed scene.

I wouldn't say that scene was needlessly removed. A harem game, or any game not catering to violent & rape focused sex does not need to show a rape to have said rape have impact. The LI can describe it, the dev can show how emotional and devastating it was to her, but the player doesn't need to see it. Any person, player or not, who would need to see someone they are interested in get raped, like actual watch the scene to be emotionally impacted I would say lacked empathy, and they have a fairly strong sadist streak.

This doesn't have anything with NTR or hating NTR*, it's about why would anyone need to see a rape of someone else to have a story have impact? It's like the lame anime fans who think a character has to die in the story for the story to have any sort of impact.

*Having been on the forum a bit I would say NTR fans would be more inclined to appreciate showing a rape scene, simply because they seem to enjoy treating the female characters as nothing more than cock-sleeves and objects to use/abuse than anything humane or moralistic.

 

[JaszMan]

The Cover art for this game looks very cool, One part Angel wing other part Demon wing. It does give off a corruption vibe though. Is there any corruption within the story?.

 

["CJ"]

On Distant Shores [v0.10] [Professor Amethyst Games] crunched

Original / Compressed Size PC*: 2,31 GB / 866 MB - OnDistantShores-0.10-pc-crunched.zip
Original / Compressed Size Mac: 2,28 GB / 832 MB - OnDistantShores-0.10-mac-crunched.zip
= ~37,5% of the original size, image/video quality 80% (png 90%)/60%

Download (PC*/Mac):

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My compressious likeses! Give them to us you filthy little pervertses!

This compression is unofficial and untested, use it at your own risk.
The compressing process reduces the quality and can break the game.

*PC = Win+Linux

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[darlic]

I wouldn't say that scene was needlessly removed. A harem game, or any game not catering to violent & rape focused sex does not need to show a rape to have said rape have impact. The LI can describe it, the dev can show how emotional and devastating it was to her, but the player doesn't need to see it. Any person, player or not, who would need to see someone they are interested in get raped, like actual watch the scene to be emotionally impacted I would say lacked empathy, and they have a fairly strong sadist streak.

I accepted that scene for what it was, as a visual description of the facts. Certainly, I didn't feel aroused or pleased to see it in any way. I'm saying that users shouldn't force an artist to diverge from their original view. All they had to do in this case was to request a choice to skip seeing that scene.
I don't see how the lack of empathy or sadism discussion fits at all in this case.

This doesn't have anything with NTR or hating NTR*, it's about why would anyone need to see a rape of someone else to have a story have impact? It's like the lame anime fans who think a character has to die in the story for the story to have any sort of impact.

I'm pretty sure a lot of story/movie writers and filmmakers would have something to say about that

*Having been on the forum a bit I would say NTR fans would be more inclined to appreciate showing a rape scene, simply because they seem to enjoy treating the female characters as nothing more than cock-sleeves and objects to use/abuse than anything humane or moralistic.

100% agree with that

 

[Canto Forte]

Sadistic is a choice and you need to be able to deal with the loss it brings.
You make something so sadistic it steals the show, people getting up and leaving
is something any artist has to deal with. If it is just a scrap, you scrap it.
This game has actual wanton murder, wanton maming, wanton torture.
Those themes tho, are not intrinsic of the victims and they can overcome and rise again.

 

[gadu2121]

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[Canto Forte]

Debates on this game are so welcome.

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MC needs all the reasons to live and adventure more.

 

[Saint Blackmoor]

I know from reading the Patreon post that professor amethyst has put a lot of thought into his game.
It's a very interwoven plot, and not all players are going to be happy right now.
We have to remember that the game is not finished, stay with it even though you're not happy now, you never know how a story ends till the end.
Professor Amethyst has kept to his release schedule with small bumps in the road, which is to be expected, That's pretty good for a one-man show.

 

[WuzzyFuzzy]

This game, presented as a graduate level course in psychology and/or philosophy would engender lively discourse on situational ethics and post-modernism. Superficially, the story seems to espouse some degree of altruism on the part of the MC. If he doesn't love these women then they are lost. It is a monumental effort to attempt to convince the player that a harem is actually a moral and necessary state of being. But the arguments given to support this thesis are seriously twisted and prone to cause a lot of eye rolls.

For example, in this release we have the topic of dollification. The definition of this...some will call it a kink, some a fetish, others a disorder...very much includes dominance, submission and objectification. But in the script the characters refute this notion and go even further by attempting to whack us with a guilt trip by stating if we don't follow this line of thinking we doom the woman to never knowing true love. Seriously? It is generally accepted that if one must depend on another for their sense of self-worth, identity, purpose, etc, then the potential for dysfunction is very high. Dependent personality disorder relegates a person to a prison of excessive fear and anxiety. As humans, we all need and desire attention. In some, however, negative attention is what they come to know, expect and crave. But by doing so they are defined by others and have little hope of ever becoming something greater. It would be as if they were nothing more than a pet. I wouldn't wish it upon anyone. And to treat such a disorder, one would most certainly not reinforce the behavior by continuing the practice.

As the story progresses there are several such attempts to re-define questionable and dysfunctional behaviors into a more palatable form, as many games on this site do. It's just that this one attempts to persuade in a more grandiloquent fashion.

 

[Mommysbuttslut]

But in the script the characters refute this notion and go even further by attempting to whack us with a guilt trip by stating if we don't follow this line of thinking we doom the woman to never knowing true love. Seriously? It is generally accepted that if one must depend on another for their sense of self-worth, identity, purpose, etc, then the potential for dysfunction is very high.

It would be as if they were nothing more than a pet.

And to treat such a disorder, one would most certainly not reinforce the behavior by continuing the practice.

Someone hasn't been paying attention. They're under such a powerful glamour that they are his pets. Their entire limbic systems have been reprogrammed around serving the MC, that's the only thing that gives them a proper sense of fulfillment anymore. It's not about reinforcing or de-enforcing various behaviours, it's about providing a sense of fulfillment to people who are going to be forever dependent on him regardless of how he treats them. Once again, very similar to a pet.

 

[WuzzyFuzzy]

Someone hasn't been paying attention.

I very much have been paying attention and yes, this is how the story unfolds...for the females. But the author, via his surrogate the MC, projects the MC as having choice in the matter. He's not been reprogrammed. Although the self-loathing and self-pity (which drones on ad nauseum) aren't entirely his fault (at least in part blamed on Chaos and Hollow), he nevertheless attempts to assuage the questionable ethics and morality of his decisions by using false binaries. (And no, I don't mean as the story presents itself; rather, the logic behind twisting the psychological dysfunctions into acceptable, palatable behaviors.) So similar to many other games, but using language and terms slightly more pretentious than most.

 

[Canto Forte]

What is this life but a long wake of uncaring possibilities.



You got so hit prone face, dear, hits is what your get.



You don”t like me looking from up close.
Fine.
I will go sit and look from afar.

 

[Mommysbuttslut]

I very much have been paying attention and yes, this is how the story unfolds...for the females. But the author, via his surrogate the MC, projects the MC as having choice in the matter. He's not been reprogrammed. Although the self-loathing and self-pity (which drones on ad nauseum) aren't entirely his fault (at least in part blamed on Chaos and Hollow), he nevertheless attempts to assuage the questionable ethics and morality of his decisions by using false binaries. (And no, I don't mean as the story presents itself; rather, the logic behind twisting the psychological dysfunctions into acceptable, palatable behaviors.) So similar to many other games, but using language and terms slightly more pretentious than most.

The MC does have a choice in the matter, it's just that there's rather severe consequences to some of those choices. The MC can reject a girl and the glamour, but the consequences that the girl will experience will be potentially catastrophic. This perpetuates the self loathing as the MC needs to either constantly leave his comfort zone and insert himself into everyone else's lives or live with the knowledge that he's destroyed another person's life.
Since he's still on some level convinced anyone who gets involved with is gonna have a bad end, countering the negativities of his glamour by spending time with these girls reinforces his negative self esteem. He can spend time with these girls and try not to destroy their lives, or he can avoid them and do it for certain, that plays up on his anxiety. No matter what he does he feels as if it's the wrong choice and he has trouble considering things outside of his own selfish perspective.
Imo you did the same thing reducing the girl's experiences from the perspective of a psychological dysfunction. The psychological disfunction is the function of the glamour, we can't approach these girls under the pretext of behavioural therapy as would be required by a functioning person. Behavioural therapy isn't usually the solution for a limbic disorder, which is essentially what the glamour is. Modifying undesirable behaviours won't have the effect we'd expect from normal CBT.

 

[Raboobie]

For example, in this release we have the topic of dollification.

Hold up are you saying what I think you're saying? In this update you have to dollify or bimbofy a LI and if we don't the ramification is rather negative and severe for her?

The MC does have a choice in the matter, it's just that there's rather severe consequences to some of those choices. The MC can reject a girl and the glamour, but the consequences that the girl will experience will be potentially catastrophic.

That makes it a bit a of false choice really. That's like someone sticking a gun to your head and giving you a choice to do x or die. It's not much of a choice really. There is a good word for that. Forced, no that's not it, coerced, yes that's it.

Having read through this thread rather extensively I fail to understand why anyone would play this, let alone enjoy it. From all appearances, the MC has zero redeeming qualities. Every relationship comes across as abusive and negative and many of the choices appear to between doing something despicable or abhorrent for each LI. Not to mention several LI's borderline crossing into kinks or characteristics that no harem player enjoys. E.g. Lilly being a slut (even with the weak excuses it was before they were together, even though by the dev's own admission the MC was jealous about it) or sharing stuff. That aside though it sounds like the lesser "evil" of the negatives piled up against this.

Maybe the MC will be redeemed and become a hero like the dev says but at what point? A few slides before the end credits while he steps over the broken and strewn remains of so called LI's?

Don't misunderstand, I'm in no way trashing the game or criticizing it, but I'm trying to understand what makes it appealing and playable when page after page is littered with negative reactions to the MC and his actions and choices or the lack there of?

 

[InTheWoods]

Strategy is everything when naming the MC:

 

[Mommysbuttslut]

Having read through this thread rather extensively I fail to understand why anyone would play this, let alone enjoy it. From all appearances, the MC has zero redeeming qualities.

This thread focuses way too much on some of the early game negatives. The MC starts off in a state of extreme depression, anxiety and with basically no self esteem. He develops, grows and heals quite a bit through the story so far, his self esteem has improved, he finds a lot of fulfillment in helping people and he falls into dark thoughts much less. The MC at the start of the game is probably intentionally unlikeable, but given everything he's been through it makes sense why he is the way he is. He lost his family, he has major survivors guilt, his mind is literally being torn apart by agents of chaos and order, and he's got a devil destined to consume all of creation trapped inside his head threatening him and everything important to him for his entire life. He's gonna be fucked up, but he's already a better character than how he started.

Every relationship comes across as abusive and negative and many of the choices appear to between doing something despicable or abhorrent for each LI. Not to mention several LI's borderline crossing into kinks or characteristics that no harem player enjoys.

I think that's more players projecting their feelings about some LI's kinks. If it's what they want then it isn't abusive despicable or abhorrent.
Now don't get me wrong, I get really uncomfortable with some of it myself, I really wish the LI's weren't all or nothing on the kinks and sex content. Especially given the nature of the glamour if the MC just explained that he didn't want to do something then there's no way they'd reject him for it. Would probably be fairly easily cut out the kink CGs and just leave in the sex ones, I can't imagine it'd be that much work, but then again I'm not the one who'd need to do it.

Maybe the MC will be redeemed and become a hero like the dev says but at what point? A few slides before the end credits while he steps over the broken and strewn remains of so called LI's?

Every LI who's been confronted about this has emphatically confirmed that their lives are better with the MC in them. Even if it's cost them a bit of their autonomy the amount of enjoyment and fulfillment they get out of being in his life outweighs that for them. I don't think we're going to be leaving a pile of broken people, I think our MC not existing would leave many more people much more broken. Haven't played the new update yet but there are 2 fallen who'd have disappeared right off the face of the earth if not for the MC remembering them and integrating them with his people. If he rejects even the prospect of friendship with his LIs then presumably the same thing will eventually happen to them. Who's to say he's not the only thing holding all of those people together and had he not been there they'd have already fallen apart?

Don't misunderstand, I'm in no way trashing the game or criticizing it, but I'm trying to understand what makes it appealing and playable when page after page is littered with negative reactions to the MC and his actions and choices or the lack there of?

Because this game has the harem tag, isn't a perfectly comfortable and bubbly safe space, and harem fans, especially on this site, are whiny af about safe spaces.
Also worth noting many of the critics are repeat offenders, myself included. You only repeatedly criticize something if you like it, otherwise you'd just move on. So this game to some extent suffers from its own success on this site. Tbh I think this game gets it way too bad from this crowd though. It has issues, I'm not afraid to air them out, but this whole post is way more negative than the content deserves imo. I hesitated on downloading this game for quite a few updates just because of how everyone talks about it on this thread. I love the game though, I'm glad I played it and I'm glad I didn't keep listening to the mob.

 

[Raboobie]

This thread focuses way too much on some of the early game negatives. The MC starts off in a state of extreme depression, anxiety and with basically no self esteem. He develops, grows and heals quite a bit through the story so far, his self esteem has improved, he finds a lot of fulfillment in helping people and he falls into dark thoughts much less. The MC at the start of the game is probably intentionally unlikeable, but given everything he's been through it makes sense why he is the way he is. He lost his family, he has major survivors guilt, his mind is literally being torn apart by agents of chaos and order, and he's got a devil destined to consume all of creation trapped inside his head threatening him and everything important to him for his entire life. He's gonna be fucked up, but he's already a better character than how he started.

Thank you for the detailed reply. Honestly I can't say if it made me more or less inclined to trying it. The positive I take away from your replay is that the MC seems to be a lot better now than he was at the start, something the comments haven't reflected at all.

The negative is it seems like it's an all or nothing regarding the kinks, regardless how the LI's feel about it, I'm not comfortable treating LI's in ways I dislike even if they want it. Dev work aside it does seem ludicrous that these LI's would not be open to alternatives if they are so addicted to the MC because of the glamour. Just thumb sucking ideas here, if a LI says she wants to be slapped, spit on and beaten and the MC's not comfortable with that, there is zero justification for her to not accept that is she is so crazy about him because of the glamour. Which is pretty much what you said. If the glamour is that strong they are willing to give up their autonomy to be with him and they are willing to do almost anything for him by the sounds of it, there is zero reason at all they would not be willing to accept less controversial kinks and a more wholesome loving aspect from the MC.

It was the harem and romance tags and the lack of others, that drew me to this but it seems like it's anything but romance. I don't really know what fallen are, but kinda have an idea.

Would this be an accurate assessment of the LI options thought? That there are at least options. 1. accept her and kinks as is without any other choice, 2. reject her kinks and therefore her as a LI, but keep as a friend. 3. outright reject her in every way and have bad stuff happen to her?

 

[Mommysbuttslut]

Would this be an accurate assessment of the LI options thought? That there are at least options. 1. accept her and kinks as is without any other choice, 2. reject her kinks and therefore her as a LI, but keep as a friend. 3. outright reject her in every way and have bad stuff happen to her?

Ya pretty much. I think part of the reason that kinks aren't avoidable is because the MC is his own person and really not a good self insert. These are probably things that on some level he wants to try in a safe environment with someone who knows they're safe with him.

For what it's worth though it usually ends up being kink scene, then immediate sex scene. They do mix a bit every now and then but the way it's paced at least helps me disassociate the parts I don't like.