VN Ren'Py Our Red String [Ch.14.1.4 Beta] [Eva Kiss]

[Uaredead]

Anyone can give me a save file?

 

[ffive]

Anyone can give me a save file?

Game has like a million possible routes. If what you're actually asking for is the completed Gallery then start a new game, select Cheat mode and you'll get option for that.

 

[SteamedHamsInc.]

Just played this game for the first time and WOW, what an experience! This game is the complete package and some of the finest AVN material that I've ever played.

Question though, has anyone played a purely vanilla route where Ian and Lena are a couple but haven't had sex yet? My first and only playthrough so far I decided to give plenty of space and go at a slow pace and didn't jump into physical intimacy with Ian and Lena, and this apparently...made it so that Lena is wanting to actively withhold full on sex?

Not that there's anything wrong with that, she should take as much time as she feels is necessary, but it was kind of shocking after I played through to the end of the current version that if during Lena's POV in chapter 5 she didn't take Ian home, he apparently loses the chance to have sex with her even if he explicitly requests it later on, which he gets the chance to do and then get shut down (or if he presses the issue, breaks them up). This continues into Chapter 11 where Lena is consciously making Ian wait to go all the way. Interestingly, the relationship bar also never turns into a heart in this case despite the fact that they're official, exclusive, and do almost everything but penetrative sex.

Now, there are lots of variables and paths in this game and it's possible that I just picked the most virgin ones possible. If that is not the case though, the way I see it, there's two potential reasons for such a set up. The first being purely functional: if Ian or Lena's lust scores aren't high enough, then there's no full sex between them if she doesn't take him home in Chap. 5. That would make perfect sense to me since Lust is my dump stat, so to speak, and it's near as low as you can make it.

If, however, the reason is not solely mechanical/game system gated, but is a narrative thread concerning the couple's relationship development, then I am honestly kind of disquieted. At first, I thought she held back because she wasn't sure, or that she wasn't fully comfortable, and that's absolutely legit and should be entirely respected, no questions asked. However, Lena's internal thoughts reveal that this is no longer the case; she not only realizes that she enjoys withholding penetrative sex, but is now actively using it to satiate her need for a sense of control.

And I'm sure that Ian would be more than willing to play ball (or at least my Ian), if she had communicated this beforehand. Where I take issue with Lena's actions is her somewhat nebulous refusal to clearly explain to Ian why she is not having sex with him. There are common social expectations by which we all live and abide, rightly or wrongly, and that expectation plays a two-fold role in this situation: it is simultaneously expected that, if a couple is physically close, sex is a natural milestone and there's an active issue otherwise (I tend to disagree with this stance, but it is clear that the cast of the game believe so given their reactions to the couple's slow pace); it is also now an implicit understanding that if one party isn't comfortable, then the other partner should not pressure them and should be respectful of boundaries.

It is the latter part of that expectation that I am having gripes with because the reason why that expectation exists is to protect someone from feeling pressure to put out, from needing to do something they're not ok with, and not as a convenient means to gain the upper hand in a particular circumstance.

Specifically, Lena's reasons to not go all the way no longer concern the 100% justifiable reason of wanting more time to become comfortable, but is now instead the outlet for the powerlessness she feels in other aspects of her life. Like she says herself, "My life was quite a mess, but in that moment, I knew I was holding the reigns, and that made me feel great". Sex has an inherent power dynamic, and given the crappy situation that Lena lived in, it's unsurprising that she wants to find control somewhere that she is able to have the upper hand in the relationship, with the first decent guy to come along in quite a while.

However, I find it a failing in Lena's role as a respectful partner if she doesn't disclose this, even if that means admitting something very defeating and embarrassing. It also adds a layer of...moral ambiguity to Lena, which I find very well crafted and somewhat disturbing, that even on a path where she is about as good of a person as it was possible to be in her circumstances, unwavering in her principles and compassion, as soon as she feels truly safe and respected in a relationship, chooses to wield the power dynamic in her favour in a less than transparent way. Now, obviously if Ian was truly sexually frustrated, he should broach the subject with Lena in a respectful, understanding manner because no matter who feels unsatisfied, the worst you can do is to ignore it and try to forge on. I am not someone who feels a strong inclination to chase after sex, so I wouldn't care in this scenario, but Ian is not me; he is his own character and he does care, he's just kind of resigned himself to it as a necessary sacrifice to be with someone as beautiful as Lena. Again, that's not healthy and is only going to cause bigger issues down the line.

I wonder if this is a specifically dom/sub type route or fetish related route rather than a normal vanilla route for people that really want to take it slow, because from what I can tell so far, the progression has gone from "I need the slower pace to figure my self out" to "Ian's respect of my boundaries is refreshing and nice" to now "I can use this as a proxy to release my inability to take control of other facets of my life". This is not very far from an even worrying mindset of "how far can I take this/how much is Ian willing to hold back for me", because Lena clearly recognizes that Ian is starting to exhibit some sexual frustrations, but instead of addressing that or clearing the air, she's purposefully letting things simmer. Which, again, is perfectly fine, if Ian knew what was going on.

Anyways, all that overly long rambling to say, I am very curious to hear if anyone has experienced this particular path and how it compares to other variations of the Ian/Lena romance or even how Lena exhibits her comforts with romantic partners overall. What a great game this is to compel me to ponder so much about the characters' relationships!

 

[Reaurt]

Just played this game for the first time and WOW, what an experience! This game is the complete package and some of the finest AVN material that I've ever played.

Question though, has anyone played a purely vanilla route where Ian and Lena are a couple but haven't had sex yet? My first and only playthrough so far I decided to give plenty of space and go at a slow pace and didn't jump into physical intimacy with Ian and Lena, and this apparently...made it so that Lena is wanting to actively withhold full on sex?

Not that there's anything wrong with that, she should take as much time as she feels is necessary, but it was kind of shocking after I played through to the end of the current version that if during Lena's POV in chapter 5 she didn't take Ian home, he apparently loses the chance to have sex with her even if he explicitly requests it later on, which he gets the chance to do and then get shut down (or if he presses the issue, breaks them up). This continues into Chapter 11 where Lena is consciously making Ian wait to go all the way. Interestingly, the relationship bar also never turns into a heart in this case despite the fact that they're official, exclusive, and do almost everything but penetrative sex.

Now, there are lots of variables and paths in this game and it's possible that I just picked the most virgin ones possible. If that is not the case though, the way I see it, there's two potential reasons for such a set up. The first being purely functional: if Ian or Lena's lust scores aren't high enough, then there's no full sex between them if she doesn't take him home in Chap. 5. That would make perfect sense to me since Lust is my dump stat, so to speak, and it's near as low as you can make it.

If, however, the reason is not solely mechanical/game system gated, but is a narrative thread concerning the couple's relationship development, then I am honestly kind of disquieted. At first, I thought she held back because she wasn't sure, or that she wasn't fully comfortable, and that's absolutely legit and should be entirely respected, no questions asked. However, Lena's internal thoughts reveal that this is no longer the case; she not only realizes that she enjoys withholding penetrative sex, but is now actively using it to satiate her need for a sense of control.

And I'm sure that Ian would be more than willing to play ball (or at least my Ian), if she had communicated this beforehand. Where I take issue with Lena's actions is her somewhat nebulous refusal to clearly explain to Ian why she is not having sex with him. There are common social expectations by which we all live and abide, rightly or wrongly, and that expectation plays a two-fold role in this situation: it is simultaneously expected that, if a couple is physically close, sex is a natural milestone and there's an active issue otherwise (I tend to disagree with this stance, but it is clear that the cast of the game believe so given their reactions to the couple's slow pace); it is also now an implicit understanding that if one party isn't comfortable, then the other partner should not pressure them and should be respectful of boundaries.

It is the latter part of that expectation that I am having gripes with because the reason why that expectation exists is to protect someone from feeling pressure to put out, from needing to do something they're not ok with, and not as a convenient means to gain the upper hand in a particular circumstance.

Specifically, Lena's reasons to not go all the way no longer concern the 100% justifiable reason of wanting more time to become comfortable, but is now instead the outlet for the powerlessness she feels in other aspects of her life. Like she says herself, "My life was quite a mess, but in that moment, I knew I was holding the reigns, and that made me feel great". Sex has an inherent power dynamic, and given the crappy situation that Lena lived in, it's unsurprising that she wants to find control somewhere that she is able to have the upper hand in the relationship, with the first decent guy to come along in quite a while.

However, I find it a failing in Lena's role as a respectful partner if she doesn't disclose this, even if that means admitting something very defeating and embarrassing. It also adds a layer of...moral ambiguity to Lena, which I find very well crafted and somewhat disturbing, that even on a path where she is about as good of a person as it was possible to be in her circumstances, unwavering in her principles and compassion, as soon as she feels truly safe and respected in a relationship, chooses to wield the power dynamic in her favour in a less than transparent way. Now, obviously if Ian was truly sexually frustrated, he should broach the subject with Lena in a respectful, understanding manner because no matter who feels unsatisfied, the worst you can do is to ignore it and try to forge on. I am not someone who feels a strong inclination to chase after sex, so I wouldn't care in this scenario, but Ian is not me; he is his own character and he does care, he's just kind of resigned himself to it as a necessary sacrifice to be with someone as beautiful as Lena. Again, that's not healthy and is only going to cause bigger issues down the line.

I wonder if this is a specifically dom/sub type route or fetish related route rather than a normal vanilla route for people that really want to take it slow, because from what I can tell so far, the progression has gone from "I need the slower pace to figure my self out" to "Ian's respect of my boundaries is refreshing and nice" to now "I can use this as a proxy to release my inability to take control of other facets of my life". This is not very far from an even worrying mindset of "how far can I take this/how much is Ian willing to hold back for me", because Lena clearly recognizes that Ian is starting to exhibit some sexual frustrations, but instead of addressing that or clearing the air, she's purposefully letting things simmer. Which, again, is perfectly fine, if Ian knew what was going on.

Anyways, all that overly long rambling to say, I am very curious to hear if anyone has experienced this particular path and how it compares to other variations of the Ian/Lena romance or even how Lena exhibits her comforts with romantic partners overall. What a great game this is to compel me to ponder so much about the characters' relationships!

Nice thought process. I've never played the withholding path, which it seems you've accidentally triggered by trying to take it extra slow. When it comes to those two having a romantic relationship, I usually either have a hornier Lena that can initiate the physical part of the relationship by Chapter 4, or a less horny Lena that decides to do it by Chapter 6 or so. The inner dialogue Lena has by Chapter 6 suggests to me that she's ready (since her character isn't a prude by any means). Some other players that like looking at the code might have a better sense of what flags get triggered and when once you push it too far. Just skimming through the scene gallery, there looks like some scenes in Chapter 7 that might lead to this.

 

[SteamedHamsInc.]

Nice thought process. I've never played the withholding path, which it seems you've accidentally triggered by trying to take it extra slow. When it comes to those two having a romantic relationship, I usually either have a hornier Lena that can initiate the physical part of the relationship by Chapter 4, or a less horny Lena that decides to do it by Chapter 6 or so. The inner dialogue Lena has by Chapter 6 suggests to me that she's ready (since her character isn't a prude by any means). Some other players that like looking at the code might have a better sense of what flags get triggered and when once you push it too far. Just skimming through the scene gallery, there looks like some scenes in Chapter 7 that might lead to this.

Ah, so it is a path in and of itself? That makes sense, the decision to withhold seems too deliberate and specific to be a default, vanilla romance path. I did go back to play through the same route and have Ian and Lena consummate the relationship, and sure enough, there was just that extra bit of closeness and passion in their relationship, made it seem all the more...I don't know, ardent? infatuated? It felt a lot more natural and "normal", if you will.

 

[ffive]

Ah, so it is a path in and of itself?

Yes, there's three variants to how Lena/Ian relationship develops -- they can start having sex very early (if Lena chooses so), they can develop it at what you could say "regular" pace, going from kissing -> making out -> inviting Ian to spend the night together, or you can put off having sex, which causes Lena to develop a liking for this sort of dragging things out. That last version can develop into outright denial and --if Ian chooses to inquire about Lena's former partners-- further into a "cuck" path.

This kind of flexibility (i.e. having more than one opportunity to start a relationship and advance it, with varying results) isn't limited to Lena/Ian, other pairings offer more than one approach as well. Which is partly what makes this game so friggin' good.

 

[SerHawkes]

Ian-Ivy approach when?

And I'd disagree with it being a good game, and likely repeatedly argue about it but... too tired to do so.

 

[shinoda xseo]

Is there any prediction about when it will be complete?
I played too much Good Girl Gone Bad and I can't resist anymore

 

[bauman]

Is there any prediction about when it will be complete?
I played too much Good Girl Gone Bad and I can't resist anymore

The last time the dev commented on their plans, they said we can expect around 20 chapters. We're currently on unfinished Chapter 11, with one update per year being the current dev cycle. So... 2031.

 

[I-No]

So... 2031.

I would laugh but I am afraid you might be right. Honestly I don‘t expect EK to finish ORS at all.

 

[Doppelgang]

Is there any prediction about when it will be complete?
I played too much Good Girl Gone Bad and I can't resist anymore

For some reason this question always leads to someone claiming the dev cycle is one release per year, which isn’t and has never been the case. The last two updates took 8 and 7 months respectively. (You can check the release dates under the “Changelog” spoiler in the first post of this thread.) Most updates have been significantly quicker than that, but the complexity has also gradually increased. Either way, a long way to go before we’re anywhere close to the ending.

 

[gg0789]

I really hope for lena to use her 2 roommates as slaves lol

 

[JPhara]

Honestly I don‘t expect EK to finish ORS at all.

That would be such a waste. Theres a huge potential for even better content as the story continues.
Can you elaborate on why you say that, lack of Patrons? Or do you think maybe the story arc and amount of potential outcomes was a bit too ambitious?

 

[Marley300]

You must be registered to see the links

The popularity contest is over and the polls have spoken!

This time I presented you with two polls both for male and female NPCs: the first one was a public general vote in which you could choose as many characters as you wanted, and the second was reserved to patrons and you were allowed only one vote.

As you can see in the lineup above, the reigning trio

You must be registered to see the links

the same:

Cindy takes the leas again with a new record, 1570 votes. Holly and Ivy take the second and third place respectively, but Cindy has almost double the amount of votes. No one's dethroning the blonde queen anytime soon!

Alison and Emma continue to fight for the fourth and fifth place, and this time Alison edged her out by only 30 votes. They are closing in on Ivy though, should she be worried?

Surpringly, Gillian takes the sixth spot, leaving Minerva and Cherry behind. Seems like you really liked her character design, even though she hasn't played a major part in the story so far, she's integral to Ian's plot.

Speaking of Minerva, she's managed to climb quite a few positions: she used to be last in previous polls, but seems like her last scenes have earned her your appreciation! The same cannot be said for Cherry, who got only a few more votes than last time and only has Louise and Jessica behind. I was hoping for her to get some more love, since I tried to make her last scene in chapter 11 very special and I enjoy writing for her, even though she doesn't have as much screen time as other characters (but has more than Gillian, that's for sure!)

The status quo remains quite the same, but the best girl poll brings some surprising results:

While Cindy and Holly retain her top positions, when only being able to vote for one girl both Emma and Alison have dethroned Ivy! I'm glad to see that both girls have some fans, since I try to make their scenes really hot and make social interactions with them as fun to play as I can.

The other girls are competing for the remaining percentages, and Minerva gets the sixth place with 4% of the votes. Seems like the sexy MILF has finally caused an impact!

When it comes to the guys, the poll gives a very different vibe. While the rankings have shifted quite a bit since

You must be registered to see the links

, Jeremy still is number one, with 815 votes. Stan has stolen the second place from Seymour, who has fallen to fifth position, surpassed both by Axel and Marcel, which is a bit sad since I've put a ton of effort on Seymour's plot, character and scenes, trying to make them stand out and bring a different feel to the game.

I was considering if I should include Marcel in this poll or not, since he's basically a background character so far, and I'm surprised to see him take the fourth spot. Seeing both Jeremy's and Marcel's results, it's obvious most of you voted based on your favourite fetish, and I can see which one it is...
Perry sits at the middle, holding a solid sixth position, beating the sexy hunks Mike and Mark, and even Wade and Billy. And, of course, Robert is last, even though he has quite a lot of content in the game. Hopefully he's the type of character you love to hate; I find him entertaining at least!

The best guy poll didn't bring many changes, aside from restoring Seymour to a better looking third place, even though Stan still beats him. He's become a fan favourite despite not having as much content as other characters, but it seems you enjoy his scenes and I'll try to keep it that way. Hopefully the re-writes he went through made his character more interesting and tied him better to the overall narrative, even though I struggle to make him as relevant as his position in the ranking would suggest.

What do you think about the final lineup? Did your favourites win or do you feel some characters are underrated? Did anything surprise you? I'll read you in the comments.

 

[Ragnar]

For some reason this question always leads to someone claiming the dev cycle is one release per year, which isn’t and has never been the case. The last two updates took 8 and 7 months respectively. (You can check the release dates under the “Changelog” spoiler in the first post of this thread.) Most updates have been significantly quicker than that, but the complexity has also gradually increased. Either way, a long way to go before we’re anywhere close to the ending.

Compared to GGGB cycles the development pace is glacial. If ORS is planned for 20 chapters I don't expect the final version before 2027.

 

[| Vee |]

While Cindy and Holly retain her top positions, when only being able to vote for one girl both Emma and Alison have dethroned Ivy! I'm glad to see that both girls have some fans, since I try to make their scenes really hot and make social interactions with them as fun to play as I can.

That's expected after Keeping Ivy Virgin for the whole 11 CHAPTERS! No surprise there.
I'm just pissed EK bold the "dethroned" word. Rubbing salt over our wounds and trolling us

 

[Lorenz1]

So, no one has shit on Cindy. Expected, lol.

32% among the patrons with being only option, that's kinda damning.

 

[SerHawkes]

That's expected after Keeping Ivy Virgin for the whole 11 CHAPTERS! No surprise there.
I'm just pissed EK bold the "dethroned" word. Rubbing salt over our wounds and trolling us

No fucking shit. What a fucking joke to say 'dethroned'. Well go fucking figure EK considering your the one NOT GIVING HER ANY IAN CONTENT TO FUCKING SPEAK OF. She'd be 3rd overall if you gave her some actual fucking content instead the constant lesbian fan service.

What. A. Joke.

 

[bauman]

You must be registered to see the links

The popularity contest is over and the polls have spoken!

This time I presented you with two polls both for male and female NPCs: the first one was a public general vote in which you could choose as many characters as you wanted, and the second was reserved to patrons and you were allowed only one vote.

As you can see in the lineup above, the reigning trio

You must be registered to see the links

the same:

Cindy takes the leas again with a new record, 1570 votes. Holly and Ivy take the second and third place respectively, but Cindy has almost double the amount of votes. No one's dethroning the blonde queen anytime soon!

Alison and Emma continue to fight for the fourth and fifth place, and this time Alison edged her out by only 30 votes. They are closing in on Ivy though, should she be worried?

Surpringly, Gillian takes the sixth spot, leaving Minerva and Cherry behind. Seems like you really liked her character design, even though she hasn't played a major part in the story so far, she's integral to Ian's plot.

Speaking of Minerva, she's managed to climb quite a few positions: she used to be last in previous polls, but seems like her last scenes have earned her your appreciation! The same cannot be said for Cherry, who got only a few more votes than last time and only has Louise and Jessica behind. I was hoping for her to get some more love, since I tried to make her last scene in chapter 11 very special and I enjoy writing for her, even though she doesn't have as much screen time as other characters (but has more than Gillian, that's for sure!)

The status quo remains quite the same, but the best girl poll brings some surprising results:

While Cindy and Holly retain her top positions, when only being able to vote for one girl both Emma and Alison have dethroned Ivy! I'm glad to see that both girls have some fans, since I try to make their scenes really hot and make social interactions with them as fun to play as I can.

The other girls are competing for the remaining percentages, and Minerva gets the sixth place with 4% of the votes. Seems like the sexy MILF has finally caused an impact!

When it comes to the guys, the poll gives a very different vibe. While the rankings have shifted quite a bit since

You must be registered to see the links

, Jeremy still is number one, with 815 votes. Stan has stolen the second place from Seymour, who has fallen to fifth position, surpassed both by Axel and Marcel, which is a bit sad since I've put a ton of effort on Seymour's plot, character and scenes, trying to make them stand out and bring a different feel to the game.

I was considering if I should include Marcel in this poll or not, since he's basically a background character so far, and I'm surprised to see him take the fourth spot. Seeing both Jeremy's and Marcel's results, it's obvious most of you voted based on your favourite fetish, and I can see which one it is...
Perry sits at the middle, holding a solid sixth position, beating the sexy hunks Mike and Mark, and even Wade and Billy. And, of course, Robert is last, even though he has quite a lot of content in the game. Hopefully he's the type of character you love to hate; I find him entertaining at least!

The best guy poll didn't bring many changes, aside from restoring Seymour to a better looking third place, even though Stan still beats him. He's become a fan favourite despite not having as much content as other characters, but it seems you enjoy his scenes and I'll try to keep it that way. Hopefully the re-writes he went through made his character more interesting and tied him better to the overall narrative, even though I struggle to make him as relevant as his position in the ranking would suggest.

What do you think about the final lineup? Did your favourites win or do you feel some characters are underrated? Did anything surprise you? I'll read you in the comments.

It sounds like Eva Kiss is disappointed that some of her characters didn't score higher.

 

[Lorenz1]

It sounds like Eva Kiss is disappointed that some of her characters didn't score higher.

Stan has stolen the second place from Seymour, who has fallen to fifth position, surpassed both by Axel and Marcel, which is a bit sad since I've put a ton of effort on Seymour's plot, character and scenes, trying to make them stand out and bring a different feel to the game.

Well, duh.

Should have spent that time on Cindy.