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

[BlandChili]

I'm comparing the first two nights of the beach trip to the first two nights at the pool party. This update was also supposed to be equivalent to 2/3s of the full event. So, yes, it's not a complete comparison I'll admit, I still think it's a fair comparison.

Fair enough. I think this update managed to do some interesting things with a very small base, keep in mind that all we were told was that we were going to do a gimmick with Billy but besides that we got character progression with Mike and Ivy, new characters to interact towards with interest as Lena for both sexes as well as new moresome options involving characters that hasn't been featured together directly before.

I didn't play a super slutty Lena, but I think a lot was covered even so. Maybe not as much of the cetral plot compared to the beach chapter, but I never expected it to either. Before the beach chapter was out we knew Perry, Wade, Emma, Holly and Lena would go there with Ian and that all their routes would feature majorly. Before this one we only knew that Ivy would come along.

Here you have 3 brand new characters, one of which looks like she spreads glue on her toasts, 2 characters pre-established as pure fuckboys with nearly no depth. Then you have Billy and... Danny. Jess hasn't had nearly enough interaction with Lena to have anything meaningful with her imo. Ivy is the only one with something cool potentially happening.

So it features characters outside of your interest, that doesn't make it nothing.
Fair enough, like i already said, I can recognise that these characters aren't central to events like Wade, Perry, Cindy and Emma can be, but you can choose to ignore or not care for any of them sexually too. More plot relevance may become apparent when the final day is out is my hope. I think there are interesting elements to look forward to here.

 

[Yellowie The Goldie]

I'm not sure if the plethora of newer characters that are introduced will even be possible to have an ending with. Like, they feel like secondary characters just to add more flavour and variety and not much else.

Does anyone know of any character that is a side character in GGGB that actually alters the ending and gives a whole new one? I genuinely don't remember.

 

[Saerwen]

I wonder who's the sneaky little shit that didn't like my post about lesbian haters and reported it.

 

[IlikebeingaDIK]

So it features characters outside of your interest, that doesn't make it nothing.

That's beside the point. I already admitted that for Anthony whom I don't like as a character but I still acknowledge that he can be a good prospect for Lena.

Fair enough, like i already said, these characters aren't central to events like Wade, Perry, Cindy and Emma can be but you can choose to ignore or not care for any of them sexually too and more plot relevance may become apparent when the final day is out. I think there are interesting elements to look forward to here too.

That's the thing though: if we are comparing the beach chapter to this one, no amount of details can give enough plot relevance to any of those characters by final day.

They are FRESH. We know fuck all about them outside of minor personality traits and life situations. I could fully ignore Zarina or Anthony and neither of them will likely have any impact. Jeremy is still a glorified dildo with no depth. Mike at best will have some interactions with Gil to tighten a loose and failing relationship, and at worst maintain a status quo which opens up further a Gillian/Ian reconciliation arc which seemingly already started before this was even brought up.

As I said, Ivy so far is the only character whose outcome by final day will be relevant to the plot. And that's weak as hell.

The final day will basically expand our list of what ifs in a game that's closing in on its end. We were supposed to be getting answers, not more questions.

 

[BlandChili]

I'm not sure if the plethora of newer characters that are introduced will even be possible to have an ending with. Like, they feel like secondary characters just to add more flavour and variety and not much else.

I'm not sure that should be expected either. I'm kinda hopeful with Zarina, at least as a sexual interest, if for not other reason than letting Lena have more female options. But it wouldn't surprised if she was just a temporary love interest too. I didn't get the full Anthony experience so unsure about him and I think Sonia is pretty clearly just a secondary character in the same way as the producer lady from GGGB. Maybe she features in a scene or two, but she won't be a love interest even temporarily.

Does anyone know of any character that is a side character in GGGB that actually alters the ending and gives a whole new one? I genuinely don't remember.

Depends on what you mean by side character. No one really alters the game totally by themselves. The boss guy Ash can date is introduced somewhat late and is a full love interest to Ash, he's only important to the story if Ash is educated enough and good enough to land the job with his company in the first place I think.

That's the thing though: if we are comparing the beach chapter to this one, no amount of details can give enough plot relevance to any of those characters by final day.

They are FRESH. We know fuck all about them outside of minor personality traits and life situations. I could fully ignore Zarina or Anthony and neither of them will likely have any impact. Jeremy is still a glorified dildo with no depth. Mike at best will have some interactions with Gil to tighten a loose and failing relationship, and at worst maintain a status quo which opens up further a Gillian/Ian reconciliation arc which seemingly already started before this was even brought up.

As I said, Ivy so far is the only character whose outcome by final day will be relevant to the plot. And that's weak as hell.

The final day will basically expand our list of what ifs in a game that's closing in on its end. We were supposed to be getting answers, not more questions.

Why do you feel that's the case? We knew Billy was going to be opening a can of worms even before the chapter came out, I guess now we're waiting to see what fish we might catch with these worms.

 

[Elduriel]

I wonder who's the sneaky little shit that didn't like my post about lesbian haters and reported it.

someone with a really small penis. Feels like deja-vu somehow

 

[manscout]

Does anyone know of any character that is a side character in GGGB that actually alters the ending and gives a whole new one? I genuinely don't remember.

The older boss guy on the advertising company that Ash can work on if she stays on the good girl path (I think his name was Ryan?). Guy gets introduced past the halfway point in the story and is only relevant if Ash can get the job against the landwhale (which Ash can only get if she's still a "good girl" by the time she first meets him in the gym before the interview).

IIRC he was a possible endgame romantic option and one of the few characters that could actually impregnate Ash for the ending (the others being her own dad and Arthur, older men fetish much?).

Jasmin was also mostly a side-character with her own ending but she was there mostly as a bonus for the trans fetish.

 

[BlandChili]

(the others being her own dad and Arthur, older men fetish much?).

Not too surprising Anthony pops up right when Lena gets served up for breeding season I suppose...

 

[Bushy]

Damn Lena could be pregnated by anyone of 4 dudes plus Ivy after her shagathon. Don't forget your toothbrush and pills

Tried another playthrough where she turned down the threesome with Ivy and The Winker and she started knocking one out to the thought of Jack in the bathroom

 

[Blurpee69]

Fair enough. I think this update managed to do some interesting things with a very small base, keep in mind that all we were told was that we were going to do a gimmick with Billy but besides that we got character progression with Mike and Ivy, new characters to interact towards with interest as Lena for both sexes as well as new moresome options involving characters that hasn't been featured together directly before.

I admitted as much. I think some interesting setups have been established, and I enjoyed some of the flavor conversations that Lena could have, again emphasizing Jess and Mike here, as well has bonding with Zarina. But that's just it, the big event for Lena we've been setting up for half of the game is a setup for more plot points. By comparison, at the beach house we knew that some combination (turns out all three) of Perry / Emma, Wade / Cindy, the throuple / Ian's LI was going to be resolved. However, I'm struggling to envision the payoffs to any of Lena's storylines here. I guess we had some development as far as her BBC fetish; but that's a fetish, not a character arc.

As IlikebeingaDIK pointed out, we have three new characters we've never seen before. Zarina and Anthony did a good job of quickly establishing themselves, but even still they're lacking that history. Mike disappeared from the story for several chapters (12 and 13) and Jeremy has spent more time with Allison. Both men have only really had sex with Lena and few other bonding moments with her. Which is why I feel like Lena "laying claim" to either of them doesn't pay off as well as Ian sending that picture of the moon to any of his love interests.

Oh! Danny is there too. But he's gay. It turns out. Hopefully, he can turn Billy into a lovely twink, that would be fun.

I also admitted that day 3 hasn't happened yet, and that could change things. And I do think some of my concerns can still be addressed in day 3 or the ride home. But other things like Holly's gloryhole being leaked, the QoS tattoo reveal (it will be hilarious for Ian / Axel / Holly / literally anyone not Jeremy really, to see and react to it ESPECIALLY if she doesn't have a BBC fetish) where Lena's role with Nymphs goes... are all to be resolved in the future.

To further expound on Nymphs, and this is a lot of my own personal biased distaste for drugs, it seems entirely fueled by hope and drugs right now. Billy and Ivy are riding high the entire episode. Sonia, also high, is clear foreshadowing for where they (and maybe Lena) are going to end up if that way of life continues. Jess and Zarina both express a lot of doubt, and boy howdy do I not enjoy the idea of drugging up Jess to get her on board. Perhaps Anthony can be some sort of guiding force to make it successful, but it's feeling like this whole Nymph thing is a similar setup to Ash's pornstar ending from GGGB.

Editing in some further thoughts: I think a missed opportunity is getting Ivy under some degree of control and having her "come to Jesus" moment similar to Jess' arch from GGGB. Zarina, Jess, Lena, and even Jeremy and Mike to a degree, can all potentially call her behavior out or see through her facade. Having Ivy express any degree of interest in Ian besides the obvious backstab on the way to the party. I'm not as fixated on this as SerHawkes, but if EK is going to open the doors to Ian / Ivy we might as well get on with it. I also would have liked for Lena to be able to send her selfie to both Holly and Ian on the throuple path. Lena making some comment or other regarding Allison or Emma if Jeremy has been sleeping with them, especially if Allison is deep down her bimbo path.

 

[BlandChili]

I admitted as much. I think some interesting setups have been established, and I enjoyed some of the flavor conversations that Lena could have, again emphasizing Jess and Mike here, as well has bonding with Zarina. But that's just it, the big event for Lena we've been setting up for half of the game is a setup for more plot points. By comparison, at the beach house we knew that some combination (turns out all three) of Perry / Emma, Wade / Cindy, the throuple / Ian's LI was going to be resolved. However, I'm struggling to envision the payoffs to any of Lena's storylines here. I guess we had some development as far as her BBC fetish; but that's a fetish, not a character arc.

I think you're making it up to be too big a deal though, recall that this was initially a throw-away invitation made by Billy and Ivy kinda make randomly. It was always going to have to build itself up first before it could deliver any payoff.

As IlikebeingaDIK pointed out, we have three new characters we've never seen before. Zarina and Anthony did a good job of quickly establishing themselves, but even still they're lacking that history. Mike disappeared from the story for several chapters (12 and 13) and Jeremy has spent more time with Allison. Both men have only really had sex with Lena and few other bonding moments with her. Which is why I feel like Lena "laying claim" to either of them doesn't pay off as well as Ian sending that picture of the moon to any of his love interests.

Right, but this has always been the case with Lena, besides Ian and Holly she hasn't really been allowed to build connections that you can really build proper drama off of. Her options have been more sexual than romantic the whole way through and her starting cast, consisting of Louise, Ivy and Stan, was always smaller than Ian's consisting of Wade, Perry, Cindy, Alison, Emma and Jeremy. Lena is running on a deficit and to make content of equal amounts she'll need new supporting characters, right?

Oh! Danny is there too. But he's gay. It turns out. Hopefully, he can turn Billy into a lovely twink, that would be fun.

But we already kinda knew he was. The photographer called Danny in GGGB was gay too

I also admitted that day 3 hasn't happened yet, and that could change things. And I do think some of my concerns can still be addressed in day 3 or the ride home. But other things like Holly's gloryhole being leaked, the QoS tattoo reveal (it will be hilarious for Ian / Axel / Holly / literally anyone not Jeremy really, to see and react to it ESPECIALLY if she doesn't have a BBC fetish) where Lena's role with Nymphs goes... are all to be resolved in the future.

Is that a problem though? Why does Billy's mansion party have to answer all the questions, there are chapters to go after all.

To further expound on Nymphs, and this is a lot of my own personal biased distaste for drugs, it seems entirely fueled by hope and drugs right now. Billy and Ivy are riding high the entire episode. Sonia, also high, is clear foreshadowing for where they (and maybe Lena) are going to end up if that way of life continues. Jess and Zarina both express a lot of doubt, and boy howdy do I not enjoy the idea of drugging up Jess to get her on board. Perhaps Anthony can be some sort of guiding force to make it successful, but it's feeling like this whole Nymph thing is a similar setup to Ash's pornstar ending from GGGB.

Hope, sure. Drugs, optionally, at least so far. My Lena was not even given any options to do drugs at all, I was acually surprised that the offer never came. I could still play up the slut factor and make that snake Ivy go nuts with need to be the center of attention.

She was basically going "Billy-senpai, notice meeeee!" all of day 2.

 

[link18]

What a blast! ( literally ) took me 12 hours to replay most routes. I’m happy that I’ve been patient and didn’t play it since the end of Chapter 11.

Eva always delivers and never disappoints


Ashira13 Where u at great update for your needs

 

[ffive]

I see your point. I guess there's a niche that can be fond of him. My main concern is, like with Zarina, how are you gonna get that relationship going without isolating Lena from the Baluart crew afterward. Unless we going down the fully independent paths and make Ian and Lena's POVs never cross and show the 2 sides of the story.

Since Anthony is some sort of mentor for Billy and Billy is Jeremy's friend, it wouldn't surprise me if it turned out he lives in Baluart or close enough, just simply didn't cross paths with Lena etc until now.

He wouldn't be all that different from Robert (and Cherry or Minerva on Ian's side) who also don't really interact/overleap with most of the scooby gang, but are still more or less full paths for people who are into this sort of thing.

 

[Empiq]

Every update confirms my belief that for a long time there will be not any game close to this masterpiece. Again great update.

 

[Blurpee69]

I think you're making it up to be too big a deal though, recall that this was initially a throw-away invitation made by Billy and Ivy kinda make randomly. It was always going to have to build itself up first before it could deliver any payoff.

Perhaps, but the general vibe I've been getting from the early game was that: the MMA tournament was to be Ian's big solo event, Billy's was to be Lena's, and there was going to be a shared conclusion to the beach house, and now with the mayoral race that would also tie to both characters. Beach house ended up being almost entirely Ian focused. So my expectation was something similar for Lena. So I misread the room I guess.

Right, but this has always been the case with Lena, besides Ian and Holly she hasn't really been allowed to build connections that you can really build proper drama off of. Her options have been more sexual than romantic the whole way through and her starting cast, consisting of Louise, Ivy and Stan, was always smaller than Ian's consisting of Wade, Perry, Cindy, Alison, Emma and Jeremy. Lena is running on a deficit and to make content of equal amounts she'll need new supporting characters, right?

Lena also had Axel, Robert, Cherry, Molly, and Ed as part of her starting cast / history. Seymour, while both Ian and Lena, has spent far more time and energy on Lena. EK just choose not to develop Lena's cast as much as Ian's. There could just as easily been romance on her side of the story as there has been on Ian's. Because Ian has also had his fair share of just sex without romance. But this is starting to deviate from this update.

But we already kinda knew he was. The photographer called Danny in GGGB was gay too

Then I missed that from GGGB. I know this is the same Danny, just didn't pick up he was gay back then.

Is that a problem though? Why does Billy's mansion party have to answer all the questions, there are chapters to go after all.

Yes and no. It doesn't have to answer everything, in fact most of what I listed in your quote cannot be answered now and are things I'm excited to see. But thats my point, more is being introduced and little resolved. It doesn't all have to be, resolved, but again, my expectation was for this to be a capstone event for Lena similar to what the beach house ended up being for Ian.

 

[lorkdubo]

Perhaps, but the general vibe I've been getting from the early game was that: the MMA tournament was to be Ian's big solo event, Billy's was to be Lena's, and there was going to be a shared conclusion to the beach house, and now with the mayoral race that would also tie to both characters. Beach house ended up being almost entirely Ian focused. So my expectation was something similar for Lena. So I misread the room I guess.



Lena also had Axel, Robert, Cherry, Molly, and Ed as part of her starting cast / history. Seymour, while both Ian and Lena, has spent far more time and energy on Lena. EK just choose not to develop Lena's cast as much as Ian's. There could just as easily been romance on her side of the story as there has been on Ian's. Because Ian has also had his fair share of just sex without romance. But this is starting to deviate from this update.


Then I missed that from GGGB. I know this is the same Danny, just didn't pick up he was gay back then.



Yes and no. It doesn't have to answer everything, in fact most of what I listed in your quote cannot be answered now and are things I'm excited to see. But thats my point, more is being introduced and little resolved. It doesn't all have to be, resolved, but again, my expectation was for this to be a capstone event for Lena similar to what the beach house ended up being for Ian.

But this even is so shit if you are playing a Lena that has more than two neurons and wants something in her life. The problem is that this is not an exclusive path and is unavoidable. If this event was the result of a Lena submerged in depravity, then that's okay. But, its not.
On the other side, Ivy is so hyped for this crap? EK just really want to re-structure the character that was smart, and cunning into an idiot. Billy plan is just, at least for the girls, use and dump them without a cent.

 

[BlandChili]

Perhaps, but the general vibe I've been getting from the early game was that: the MMA tournament was to be Ian's big solo event, Billy's was to be Lena's, and there was going to be a shared conclusion to the beach house, and now with the mayoral race that would also tie to both characters. Beach house ended up being almost entirely Ian focused. So my expectation was something similar for Lena. So I misread the room I guess.

Well I suppose rather than reading the room wrong that perhaps the room was remodelled? Billy's route did go from being optional to a main route while Ian's MMA route is still entirely optional.

Lena also had Axel, Robert, Cherry, Molly, and Ed as part of her starting cast / history. Seymour, while both Ian and Lena, has spent far more time and energy on Lena. EK just choose not to develop Lena's cast as much as Ian's. There could just as easily been romance on her side of the story as there has been on Ian's. Because Ian has also had his fair share of just sex without romance. But this is starting to deviate from this update.

I was mainly thinking of their respective friend groups, if you can call them that.

Then I missed that from GGGB. I know this is the same Danny, just didn't pick up he was gay back then.

It's not the same Danny. The Danny in GGGB tells Eric that he's batting for the other team to reassure him if you get the Ash/Eric ending and Ash is working with Danny as a model.

Yes and no. It doesn't have to answer everything, in fact most of what I listed in your quote cannot be answered now and are things I'm excited to see. But thats my point, more is being introduced and little resolved. It doesn't all have to be, resolved, but again, my expectation was for this to be a capstone event for Lena similar to what the beach house ended up being for Ian.

Fair enough, but I think you might want to try and not place too many expectations into any one chapter then, Eva is by and large winging a lot of her writing so seeing timely payoff for all introduced elements isn't guaranteed to be timely I don't think.

On the other side, Ivy is so hyped for this crap? EK just really want to re-structure the character that was smart, and cunning into an idiot. Billy plan is just, at least for the girls, use and dump them without a cent.

This is Ivy you're talking about? The person who placed all her Wildcats hopes in the independent photographer who she knows is a manipulator?
Ivy has been portrayed as daring and competitive, not as cunning.

 

[rolinga69]

Great update for Lena slut path/Jeremy path!! I hope next update is about Cindy path, i need that blondie with chad Ian!!

 

[SerHawkes]

I'm not as fixated on this as @SerHawkes, but if EK is going to open the doors to Ian / Ivy we might as well get on with it.

 

[Blurpee69]

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