VN Ren'Py Our Red String [Ch. 13.1 Full] [Eva Kiss]

[Ragnar]

Nah, depression is a real issue, you need to build tools/experience to be able to cope with different problems in life. One can have tools to deal with depression, like a therapist... but there is no therapist who specializes in writers block - unless you count me With that said literally anything else would explain a long update cycle, delays in art, burnout, family emergencies, or health problem - including physical or mental (ie back to burnout or even depression)... writers block? yeah sure that accounts for 1-2 weeks of lost time... delays... but not months, if you have a writers block for every scene you need to write, then a bigger problem is at play here... i'm trying to get across the point that with proper planning writers block is less likely to occur or last as long because there would be less mental pressure too.

Or maybe now that she has a steady Patreon income she doesn't have the need to work that hard like during GGGB days. Now it's writer's block but she has been working slower since the beginning of ORS. I can't blame her if that's the case, most devs take +3 months to deliver any update these days.

 

[BigTyson]

Nah, depression is a real issue, you need to build tools/experience to be able to cope with different problems in life. One can have tools to deal with depression, like a therapist... but there is no therapist who specializes in writers block - unless you count me With that said literally anything else would explain a long update cycle, delays in art, burnout, family emergencies, or health problem - including physical or mental (ie back to burnout or even depression)... writers block? yeah sure that accounts for 1-2 weeks of lost time... delays... but not months, if you have a writers block for every scene you need to write, then a bigger problem is at play here... i'm trying to get across the point that with proper planning writers block is less likely to occur or last as long because there would be less mental pressure too.

If writers block was easy to get over, GRRM would have finished the A Song of Ice and Fire series already. Planning is fine but I do not think it would have saved EVA from any of the issues she is having. Plans can change and taking what you have written and putting it into a game is its own separate skill.

 

[fortuna95]

My boy Marcel clearly only has eyes for best girl Holly.

Holly 50kg, Marcel 150kg

 

[Doppelgang]

Take a chill pill for 1-3 days and it goes away, and find some inspiration in something else for awhile, and it goes away relatively quickly. Usually it never lasts more than one night.

You're acting as if writer's block is something identical from case to case, irrespective of what's being written, who's writing it, and its complexity. If you're just a bit stuck or have lost the flow, taking a break is often enough. But if the problem is something like "sort[ing] out all the complex variations in any given scene", like Eva mentions, the issue is most likely just as complex when you get back to the writing board. That's not primarily about flow, but about hundreds of pieces needing to be assembled, finding the right way to make everything work together.

Most of these game devs promote themselves as good writers, nobody can write like they can, can make great games like them and yet every time there is a delay it's on the writing end.

This is just a straw man. I'm sure Eva's never claimed anything remotely similar to this—and if some completely different developer did, it shouldn't be necessary to explain why Eva shouldn't be held accountable for it.

Likewise there are ways to forge ahead through a writers block, by doing baby steps, focusing on other tasks, writing what you can/the aspects that are not blocked, and slowly your block begins to clear as you do the small things that you can do....

Which is more or less exactly what Eva has explained over and over that she does in these situations. In this status update as well, but even clearer in the previous one: "Since I couldn't get my head to properly work, I focused on art tasks". You'll see the same if you check the status updates from the previous chapters.

I don't know for you guys but what's frustating for me is that I have never ever experienced the writer's block and I know exactly what I would write at this stage of the story and for all paths. So it's frustrating as a player to have all these clear ideas and see the author not having them. I almost want to reach out to EK and offer my services for free.

It's pretty clear from Eva's communication throughout the development that the issues aren't about lacking ideas. E.g., there's been several times Eva's mentioned scenes she's finally implemented after having planned to include them for several chapters, but couldn't fit them in. She likely has way more ideas lined up at all times than can fit into an upcoming chapter.

And yeah, all of us probably have clear ideas about what could happen next. But the reason for that is that the story—written by Eva!—has set up a bunch of story beats and character interactions that open up the story and point forward to the next development between the characters. The ideas that appear to us at this stage, are served to us on a plate by Eva. So to assume that you have "all these clear ideas" yourself while Eva doesn't, is at best a very naive way to look at where those ideas appear from.

 

[BloodyMares]

I don't know for you guys but what's frustating for me is that I have never ever experienced the writer's block and I know exactly what I would write at this stage of the story and for all paths. So it's frustrating as a player to have all these clear ideas and see the author not having them. I almost want to reach out to EK and offer my services for free.

Would you like to write the character bios? Eva doesn't have the time to update them, and we could use someone who'd keep track of the game paths and update the bios accordingly to describe important developments in short sentences.

 

[BlackIsBetter]

If writers block

Would you like to write the character bios? Eva doesn't have the time to update them, and we could use someone who'd keep track of the game paths and update the bios accordingly to describe important developments in short sentences.

How much is the pay?

 

[jamdan]

Or maybe now that she has a steady Patreon income she doesn't have the need to work that hard like during GGGB days. Now it's writer's block but she has been working slower since the beginning of ORS. I can't blame her if that's the case, most devs take +3 months to deliver any update these days.

It's almost like creating a higher quality and probably overly complicated games (number of characters, branching etc.) is hard.

On writers block. It isn't just not having ideas. It's having a lot of ideas you have to sort through to figure out which one makes the most sense, if they're viable or not and all sorts of other things.

 

[IDoAThing]

It's almost like creating a higher quality and probably overly complicated games (number of characters, branching etc.) is hard.

On writers block. It isn't just not having ideas. It's having a lot of ideas you have to sort through to figure out which one makes the most sense, if they're viable or not and all sorts of other things.

100% agree, there is so much speculation in here I feel like I am reading conspiracy theories on 4chan or reddit. Maybe it is simply that she is trying to make the work she is doing the best quality she can, like she said. Maybe she is passionate about her games because they are an artistic outlet? Lord of the rings took 12 years to write.

Who knows, maybe I am the crazy person here.

 

[Nikko_]

For this "genre"/type of game there is a very easy solution to the writer´s block... lean on the community for "inspiration". And that doesn't mean to take what the people write literally, anything can be tweaked heavily as you see fit.
Aside from that it seems as if Eva doesn't know where she wants to end up with every character. If she could define something like 2 endings for every character(maybe 3 for a few) then it gets easier. You just start "filling in the blanks" to get there.

 

[Arata20]

For this "genre"/type of game there is a very easy solution to the writer´s block... lean on the community for "inspiration". And that doesn't mean to take what the people write literally, anything can be tweaked heavily as you see fit.
Aside from that it seems as if Eva doesn't know where she wants to end up with every character. If she could define something like 2 endings for every character(maybe 3 for a few) then it gets easier. You just start "filling in the blanks" to get there.

Apparently, EK doesn't want to turn ors into late trashy gggb with all resulting perversions. But if do not increase the degree from chapter to chapter, then game will simply mark time (as it is now) and will be boring (as it is now imho).

 

[BloodyMares]

How much is the pay?

Volunteers only

 

[mommysboiii]

what does this mean boiss?? is this alision and ian in a relationship?? about what is alison talking about at the end what do you think????and alision seems different to jeremy or maybe this is if ian is not in a relationship

 

[Gicoo]

what does this mean boiss?? is this alision and ian in a relationship?? about what is alison talking about at the end what do you think????and alision seems different to jeremy or maybe this is if ian is not in a relationship

The scene is from an earlier chapter when the boys hung out.

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.

Every time a new update is released I play through the first chapters on skip-mode. And it often halts, because there is a line or two that got changed slightly. Do they change or improve the dialogue? No, the effort involved in it doesn't pay off.

I'd prefer it if the current chapters are left alone and should be regarded as finished and finalized temporarily. They can be revamped after the game is completed. But if Eva keeps polishing the old chapters, it isn't surprising that the new ones take even longer.

 

[bauman]

what does this mean boiss?? is this alision and ian in a relationship?? about what is alison talking about at the end what do you think????and alision seems different to jeremy or maybe this is if ian is not in a relationship

It's from Chapter 2. It happens if Ian goes to lunch with Alison instead of Holly. The dev just shows off the new UI changes with the screenshot.

 

[mommysboiii]

The scene is from an earlier chapter when the boys hung out.

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.

Every time a new update is released I play through the first chapters on skip-mode. And it often halts, because there is a line or two that got changed slightly. Do they change or improve the dialogue? No, the effort involved in it doesn't pay off.

I'd prefer it if the current chapters are left alone and should be regarded as finished and finalized temporarily. They can be revamped after the game is completed. But if Eva keeps polishing the old chapters, it isn't surprising that the new ones take even longer.

It's from Chapter 2. It happens if Ian goes to lunch with Alison instead of Holly. The dev just shows off the new UI changes with the screenshot.

ohh I remember ohh no my small pipi got all exited eva jebaited me I was already speculating

 

[dd82]

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).

 

[Gicoo]

also I'm a fan of the Alison path.

Why?

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.

Is this the mindset that your girlfriend is never allowed to have thoughts for someone else and that she needs to be pure?

Your frustration to never have a wholesome Lena because of the potential Axel corruption is something you have to accept. This is a game of choices and branches, unlike straightforward RL, in which a theoretical Lena would either discard Axel for good or relapse, but not both at once. They are still consistent: Faithfull Lena agrees with corrupted Lena that the sex was good, but simply prioritizes her livestyle differently and doesn't give it as much weight as other things.

Sticking to multiverse theory, maybe there is a version of your girlfriend who is happily engaged to your worst enemy. Should that possibility hamper your relationship with her in your reality and should you accuse her of potentially cheating you? Do you only have a glorified, romanticized mindset that you two are destined to be together forever? That would be an insecure envious behaviour.

 

[ffive]

Every time a new update is released I play through the first chapters on skip-mode. And it often halts, because there is a line or two that got changed slightly. Do they change or improve the dialogue? No, the effort involved in it doesn't pay off.

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.

 

[Gicoo]

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.

 

[dietmountaindew]

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.