Let´s see if I can explain it properly (If I have problems expresing in spanish what is complex on my mind, in english is a pain in the ass). The first modelling happens in chapter one, which is sort of a prologue for setting the characters, their contexts and personalities. That happens cause that´s what Lena does and the way Eva Kiss wants to strength the link between Lena, Ian and other characters, besides the café. I would understand better the critique if the second nude modelling event was unavoidable but the first one belongs to the own story context. It´s like asking if Ian can be a bank worker instead of a writer/worker of a book agency.
You do know I'm not complaining, right? I'm just saying I can see
Limited20's POV.
But I think it's wrong to say that the characters, their contexts and their personalities aren't malleable. Later, you get the choice for Lena to decide whether modelling is the important to her, or you can chose her music. You can also chose something shallow like 'money'. And earlier in Chapter 1 you have a choice for Ian between choosing to focus on his writing or jerking off. How invested the characters get in these activities is something that the game offers already. For the modeling gig, it probably wouldn't be difficult to just make it non-nude to begin with and lock a later nude promotion in the life art class behind higher lust. (Note, I'm not actually recommending this, I like the game as is, and the nude version as it appears in the first chapter is more titillating. I'm just pointing out that what
Limited20 is asking for isn't impossible and doesn't have to diminish the characters themselves.)
The difference is, Ashley wasn't a model at the start. In fact, she didn't have any job. She was just a blank slate student without a care in the world. Lena is completely different. So yes, it is unreasonable to ask for a choice not to model. Because Lena already IS a model. And a waitress. And an amateur songwriter. Those are her character traits, you can't retcon or rewrite them. You can't make Lena quit her waitressing jobs to do something else, because she needs to earn money somehow. She can be fired from the restaurant and the cafe is about to close, but those are external events that determine her future, not something she does willingly. And, she can't NOT be a model, because that's another of her outlets that gives her money that she desperately needs to send to her father. She could quit modeling and focus on her songwriting more, but she won't have enough money then in a forseeable future. In Lena's case, modeling is a necessity, Ashley didn't have money problems (except for tuition) and could work as a bookstore helper or a waiter at McDonalds if she wanted to. Lena doesn't have that luxury.
Like I said above though, you do get to determine her investment in how much she cares about those paths. It's all about player control. So it's not impossible because Eva could write a path where Lena does quit modelling, doesn't have enough money, and has to either beg Stan or Louise to cover her rent, putting her at their mercy. Literally anything is possible if Eva wanted to write those paths and give the player that level of control. Now, I don't blame Eva for not wanting to write those paths. The game is already huge and expansive as it is on top of being well written. But these things aren't impossible. It's all just a matter of how much control Eva wants to give the player. As much as the story here is better there is less control than GGGB, and that's both a pro and a con.
I get that the nude modelling event is a meet cute for the pair. Like they've only seen each other at the coffee shop and the first time he sees her outside of that she's modelling and she's nude. It's supposed to be a surprise. But I don't blame anyone who plays the game, gets to that point and drops the game because they realized they won't be able to affect that part of the character's story.
