Aug 14, 2019
61
431
Was on the Lena/Ian loyalty path and somehow managed to get the StalkFap jerk off scene with Stan, making that by far the hottest moment of my canon playthrough. Sheesh.
 

_Zebra_

Member
Jun 24, 2017
188
776
If changing the display on all scenes inolving a phone call/text messge (and there are quite a lot), it wastes additional time. I'm baffled how Eva sees it necessary to fix what isn't broken. " since the display method that I had been using so far felt really lackluster " It is text, there is no need to have it displayed special.
It doesn't pay off for you because you've already seen this context, but that's very self-centered approach to a game which is played by many more people, quite a few of them brand new.
The changes are so miniscule that they wouldn't lead for a new player to have a better experience of the game.
Well, Eva evidently disagrees or they wouldn't have bothered. So, you know, opinions etc :v
I agree that the changes are not too great. First of all there is no background separation, which will make the text harder to read. There are also elements which are not needed - the characters heads. I play as Ian, I don't need to see his head every time he sends a message. If the chat was not good enough, at least go all the way with the implementation and do it like this:
1684428307376.png
Use the existing phone mask and add the chat in there. Keep the phone centered, to make it easier to read, keep the text direction consistent with real life apps (sent msg on the right, received msg on the left) and use character heads only when you really need it.
 
Dec 8, 2018
90
185
So, here we go. Hi all, this my first post in this forum.


I've been playing this game for a while now and it really is well done. I especially love how you can help Perry to get a shot with Emma, also I'm a fan of the Alison path. That being said, I have some gripes. I totally understand that each choice one makes in this game exists in its own parallel universe, the thing is, some of them seem to inherently spoil certain characters as a whole, especially Lena.


Let me explain. Fetishes are optional in this game, but the way they are introduced seems to indicate that they always exist below the surface, regardless of the path you choose. Now, both as Ian and Lena you have the choice to cheat or to remain faithful, but if you, as Lena, cheat on Ian with Axel, it is made abundantly clear that Lena cannot get over Axel, sexually speaking, because of a certain fetish she has. In a way that makes her whole character unsuitable as a real love interest for Ian, even if you never made any of the choices leading to this point, which is a shame, she is one of the protagonists after all.


This has to be dealt with in some way. I don't know what Eva Kiss has planned, but this needs to be something beyond mere lip service (no pun intended).
The personalities and motivations of the characters are not set in stone. Based on your decisions, they will morph accordingly. This can lead to some retroactive changes - for example, if Lena sleeps with Axel it is established that she is not over him. If she does not sleep with him then she has moved on. There is no single 'canon' answer on how she feels about Axel.

You can agree or disagree with this approach to storytelling and character development.

Also:

Chapter 10 took around 7 months to complete.

It is too early to say for sure, since work on the next chapter has not started yet, but assuming the final version of ch. 10 is released in December I would optimistically estimate May or June for a ch. 11 update. It could easily come in early July or later.

While chapter 11 might be slightly lighter in content, I don't see any reason to believe the complexity of the game is ramping down. I suspect a longer development cycle (2/year) will become the norm from now on.
Looks like my prediction has aged well, so far.
 

fatpussy123

Active Member
May 9, 2020
780
2,324
The personalities and motivations of the characters are not set in stone. Based on your decisions, they will morph accordingly. This can lead to some retroactive changes - for example, if Lena sleeps with Axel it is established that she is not over him. If she does not sleep with him then she has moved on. There is no single 'canon' answer on how she feels about Axel.

You can agree or disagree with this approach to storytelling and character development.

Also:



Looks like my prediction has aged well, so far.
To be fair about the development time, there was the prologue that released between chapters and for me it definitely has made the wait for the new chapter feel shorter. I hope Eva Kiss fully adopts the approach of having a prologue release before the main chapter release. I also remember a previous chapter Eva Kiss wanted to release Ians part first and then Lena's later, but her patrons voted against that, so doubt that will ever happen.
 
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Doppelgang

Member
Jul 5, 2022
149
839
Fetishes are optional in this game, but the way they are introduced seems to indicate that they always exist below the surface, regardless of the path you choose. […] This has to be dealt with in some way.
But that's the exact point. In Eva Kiss' previous game, the protagonist was basically a blank slate, almost without any character traits before our choices defined them. In ORS, the protagonists are instead a few years older, with more life experience and clearer personalities. And then we meet them at a defining moment of their lives, as they look for ways to move on after their breakups—letting us choose which of their instincts and/or rational sides they want to follow. We can't undo Lena's submissive side and how great she found some parts of her relationship with Axel, but we can have her decide that other things are more important for her from now on, like the qualities she finds in Ian.

It's obviously subjective if you prefer the protagonist type from GGGB or from ORS—but saying it is something that has to be dealt with, is more or less saying that a fundamental and very deliberate part of the whole game has to change.
 

dd82

Member
Jun 24, 2020
147
268
But that's the exact point. In Eva Kiss' previous game, the protagonist was basically a blank slate, almost without any character traits before our choices defined them. In ORS, the protagonists are instead a few years older, with more life experience and clearer personalities. And then we meet them at a defining moment of their lives, as they look for ways to move on after their breakups—letting us choose which of their instincts and/or rational sides they want to follow.
That's fair.

We can't undo Lena's submissive side and how great she found some parts of her relationship with Axel, but we can have her decide that other things are more important for her from now on, like the qualities she finds in Ian.
I don't fully agree here. We can see those characters in a way they can never see themselves, because we can witness them across a multitude of actions they can make. There are things that doom a relationship from the get go, no matter how much two people like each other, if those things are just left unadressed or avoided.

It's obviously subjective if you prefer the protagonist type from GGGB or from ORS—but saying it is something that has to be dealt with, is more or less saying that a fundamental and very deliberate part of the whole game has to change.
Please note my intentionally vague phrasing when I wrote "This has to be dealt with in some way." I don't mean have Lena become indifferent to this, that's just plain unrealistic and probably impossible, psychologically speaking. But it possibly will need to be adressed sooner or later, whether or not those options have been chosen in a particular playthrough.
 

BloodyMares

Well-Known Member
Dec 4, 2017
1,460
7,023
The changes are so miniscule that they wouldn't lead for a new player to have a better experience of the game.
If the changes are miniscule they were likely implemented by me or Lara to fix typos or grammar or just for better presentation (avoid repeated words, etc). They don't distract Eva from focusing on the latest chapter whatsoever.
 

Gicoo

Active Member
Feb 18, 2018
992
2,561
If the changes are miniscule they were likely implemented by me or Lara to fix typos or grammar or just for better presentation (avoid repeated words, etc). They don't distract Eva from focusing on the latest chapter whatsoever.
Good to know.

Still, who here considers it good that Eva spends time on revamping the UI for chapter 1-10 instead of working on chapter 11?
What would be the best:

1. All released chapters are ignored completely (unless there is a significant flaw e.g. a bug, wrong flags) and work is exclusively focused on the new chapter. The text message UI is fluff and can be implementes after the final chapter is done.
2. Old and new chapters are worked on at the same time/alternating, depending on the specifics. If chapter 11 takes the story in a direction that neccessitates to rewrite older chapters, so be it. The text message UI is worked on alongside chapter 11.
3. The completed chapters are combed over regularly and are the priority. Chapter 11 can wait, the text message UI has to be properly implemented first.

Ideally I would go for #2, but due to the specific circumstances of the slow, derailed workong process, I'd advise for #1.
 

fatpussy123

Active Member
May 9, 2020
780
2,324
Good to know.

Still, who here considers it good that Eva spends time on revamping the UI for chapter 1-10 instead of working on chapter 11?
What would be the best:

1. All released chapters are ignored completely (unless there is a significant flaw e.g. a bug, wrong flags) and work is exclusively focused on the new chapter. The text message UI is fluff and can be implementes after the final chapter is done.
2. Old and new chapters are worked on at the same time/alternating, depending on the specifics. If chapter 11 takes the story in a direction that neccessitates to rewrite older chapters, so be it. The text message UI is worked on alongside chapter 11.
3. The completed chapters are combed over regularly and are the priority. Chapter 11 can wait, the text message UI has to be properly implemented first.

Ideally I would go for #2, but due to the specific circumstances of the slow, derailed workong process, I'd advise for #1.
Hard to say how good or bad the game would be without updates to prior releases. Sometimes they can take too long and sometimes they can reduce workload later down the line. It's hard to have a concrete opinion on what small details are important and what isn't. I'm sure there are a lot of small things in chapter 11 Eva Kiss could have skipped out on adding and we wouldn't notice, like the text message UI. But it's not about nitpicking every single detail and feature, the game is a sum of its parts and trying to dissect every feature that isn't crucial will inevitably lead to a bare bones games.
 

BloodyMares

Well-Known Member
Dec 4, 2017
1,460
7,023
Good to know.

Still, who here considers it good that Eva spends time on revamping the UI for chapter 1-10 instead of working on chapter 11?
What would be the best:

1. All released chapters are ignored completely (unless there is a significant flaw e.g. a bug, wrong flags) and work is exclusively focused on the new chapter. The text message UI is fluff and can be implementes after the final chapter is done.
2. Old and new chapters are worked on at the same time/alternating, depending on the specifics. If chapter 11 takes the story in a direction that neccessitates to rewrite older chapters, so be it. The text message UI is worked on alongside chapter 11.
3. The completed chapters are combed over regularly and are the priority. Chapter 11 can wait, the text message UI has to be properly implemented first.

Ideally I would go for #2, but due to the specific circumstances of the slow, derailed workong process, I'd advise for #1.
2) is exactly what's happening. Eva is not the only person working on the scripts, especially when it comes to technical stuff. Chapter 11 is the primary focus of Eva while the rest of the team can add new features to the old scripts or polish them. Eva only needs to manage the team and explain what needs to be done. From then the implementation is delegated to a freelance coder and Eva can then test it in the game to make sure everything works well. If it turns out that implementation gets in the way of the speedy Ch 11 release, then it could be held off until the Beta or Final. In the worst case scenario it could even release as a patch.
 

89898hh

Well-Known Member
Sep 4, 2017
1,484
1,081
Seems like the dev keeps getting stuck with the writing.. I wouldn't be against wrapping this game up and starting a new game with 1 protagonist maybe that would help with the writing problems ?
 

Gato21

Active Member
Oct 16, 2021
926
2,497
Seems like the dev keeps getting stuck with the writing.. I wouldn't be against wrapping this game up and starting a new game with 1 protagonist maybe that would help with the writing problems ?
There are too many loose ends that she's a long way from wrapping it up without it feeling rushed. What she needs to do, in my opinion, is change her writing method because clearly the gardener method isn't working, or should I say, isn't providing expedient results. Maybe if she switched to a more architect method approach, clear roadmaps of development would be in place, and she wouldn't keep banging her head against a wall every time there is a new chapter to write. It would make less sense the further you are along, but considering we are probably halfway to 3/4 in development, it might still be worth it. Also, not caving into the whims to rewriting would probably help as well.
 
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mommysboiii

Well-Known Member
Oct 17, 2019
1,978
3,887
Seems like the dev keeps getting stuck with the writing.. I wouldn't be against wrapping this game up and starting a new game with 1 protagonist maybe that would help with the writing problems ?
There are too many loose ends that she's a long way from wrapping it up without it feeling rushed. What she needs to do, in my opinion, is change her writing method because clearly the gardener method isn't working, or should I say, isn't providing expedient results. Maybe if she switched to a more architect method approach, clear roadmaps of development would be in place, and she wouldn't keep banging her head against a wall every time there is a new chapter to write. It would make less sense the further you are along, but considering we are probably halfway to 3/4 in development, it might still be worth it. Also, not caving into the whims to rewriting would probably help as well.
you guys clearly never have been creative if its evas wirtting style or if she has the most fun writting this way than the end resulte is the best this way keep in mind we talk about a CREATIVE JOB you cant bring logic or working as fast as possible to get the maximum money per hour it dosent work this way in a creative job the best result are if the artist has the most fun and is passionate about their work so if evas writting style is like that and she has the most fun this way this will be the best resulte you can get
 

Gato21

Active Member
Oct 16, 2021
926
2,497
you guys clearly never have been creative if its evas wirtting style or if she has the most fun writting this way than the end resulte is the best this way keep in mind we talk about a CREATIVE JOB you cant bring logic or working as fast as possible to get the maximum money per hour it dosent work this way in a creative job the best result are if the artist has the most fun and is passionate about their work so if evas writting style is like that and she has the most fun this way this will be the best resulte you can get
It's definitely a balance with tradeoffs; with a little initial work at the front end, she could speed up work and potentially limit writer's block. This could come at the expense of that initial investment, possibly creativity, and flexibility in storytelling. It is still a valid approach, and many writers do use it. Also, your current avatar just isn't doing it for me; I miss the old one.
 

UrbanWarlock

New Member
Aug 15, 2020
3
1
Anyone knows why my phone is telling me that the APK is a trojan? Do the apps on the forum get verified? I just want to be sure that it is safe
 

dontcarewhateverno

Engaged Member
Jan 25, 2021
2,046
5,000
you guys clearly never have been creative if its evas wirtting style or if she has the most fun writting this way than the end resulte is the best this way keep in mind we talk about a CREATIVE JOB you cant bring logic or working as fast as possible to get the maximum money per hour it dosent work this way in a creative job the best result are if the artist has the most fun and is passionate about their work so if evas writting style is like that and she has the most fun this way this will be the best resulte you can get
Those are the best results. And I have been creative. But from a broad-picture stand-point, creating a massively multi-path game - or any game, really - is very, very different from writing a novel or a screenplay (though even in a screenplay, you need to know your limitations both time and budget-wise). Especially as an indie dev with a small staff at best. There are just so many more moving parts in this sort of project that you need to perform a balancing act between optimum creative quality and practical utility. At least if you want to avoid a 3/4 decade-long development time, which runs the risk of a creator burning out and losing passion for the project along the way.

I prefer quality, but I understand the criticism of the gardener approach, which is very difficult for this sort of project.


It's definitely a balance with tradeoffs; with a little initial work at the front end, she could speed up work and potentially limit writer's block. This could come at the expense of that initial investment, possibly creativity, and flexibility in storytelling. It is still a valid approach, and many writers do use it.

Also, your current avatar just isn't doing it for me; I miss the old one.
Agreed on both points. The second more critically important. :unsure:
 
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