VN Ren'Py Race of Life [Act 1 v1.02 Steam] [Underground Studio]

[xXwankerXx]

I'm Alexa and Natalya hater because they are both fucking nuts (too far on crazy territory on the hot/crazy scale).

That's a valid reason to be wary of them, but those two would make for a crazy good 3some too, if you into that.

This is something I don't like about visual novels, that we have to "fail" for the plot to work.

Well, that's porn 'logic' for you. I'm personally more triggered by the boring, skinny ass beta dork MC, who's broke, socially awkward and wimpy asf, but somehow manages to score the hottest bitches in the game for the same 'plot' you mentioned. It's ridiculous and practically a meme at this point, cuz IRL an idiot like that wouldn't even get a look in his way from an attractive woman without her doing it to troll or berate him for being a pathetic creep.

Only thing that I can think of that comes close to her threatening to prevent the MC from seeing his daughter was when he asked about taking her to the park on her day with Lilly and she said something if she allows him.

That's the part where she said it, IIRC, yes. This is one of the things that annoyed me about her character. Had the accident not happened, she'd prolly do that just to spite the MC and make herself feel a lil better about being cheated on a few years prior to the beginning of the story, even tho she knew and admitted herself he was a great father for Lily.

It's beyond baffling and too fucked up for me to understand why a supposedly caring, loving mother would even joke about separating her daughter from her own father, a father who isn't a junkie, a drunk, verbally or physically abusive idiot, or anything like that one could call a negative influence on her. It's shit that sadly happens IRL too, and maybe that's why I got a lil too emotional about it, but still something that makes her a shitty character, IMO.

Even Lily started noticing shit's pretty bad between her parents, and darling, "sweet, perfect" Allison, instead of at least trying to make the whole co-parenting with the MC thing work, she only makes it worse every time they talk to each other. That's not a healthy environment to raise a kid in, and honestly, if I was the judge, I would've bluntly told her to go fuck herself and given the full custody to the MC, if she didn't drop the off-putting attitude toward him and stop victimizing herself.

Her bitchiness and butthurt comments are exaggerated, and as usual, the player can mostly sit pretty and just put up with it, instead of having choices to actually call her out on her hypocrisy, stupidity and how badly her "model momma" façade affects her daughter, cuz bitch is in desperate need of a good reality check AND a big dick to fuck that bitchiness out of her, smfh.

 

[Steuan]

There's no way we can keep our guard up with Natalya, right? She will join the project, no matter what we players want, we only have options regarding our possible love/sexual interest with her.

This is something I don't like about visual novels, that we have to "fail" for the plot to work.

Obviously there is something wrong with Natalya, she seems too dumb to be a spy, but smart enough to be part of the project, I believe she is from some company that is interested in his technology, and infiltrated to get it.
And based on the name of the game, I think she will get what she is looking for, the MC loses the technology/patent, and will have to get the money he needs in the race.

Hmm... I don't think we will have to fail our battery project for the plot. It may be an option, but won't be canon. At this point the things we can do are not letting her come to the ball and to the conference.

Like you said Nat will join the project, no matter what the players want. Because after the conference there will be another 3D printer in the lab and Jake needs Nat for that device. I mean, of course, Jazzy can handle both of them but Nat's joining the project is necessary for the plot y'know.

I'm not as pessimistic as you are. I guess Nat will fall in love with Jake in time, and becomes a double agent or something. I really don't think she is an evil person. Nat knows that Jake needs money for his daughter... and this may even be one of the most important reasons for her change of heart, even though she won't fall for Jake.

 

[MiltonPowers]

even though she won't fall for Jake.

Gotta disagree with the last part. Nat will definitely fall for Jake if you choose her path. Not sure how or when, but as a confirmed LI, she kind of has to if you make the right choices.

 

[Steuan]

Nat will definitely fall for Jake if you choose her path. Not sure how or when, but as a confirmed LI, she kind of has to if you make the right choices.

You're right. I was trying to say that she'll fall for Jake if MC follows her path. Otherwise, she will not.

 

[Dessolos]

That's the part where she said it, IIRC, yes. This is one of the things that annoyed me about her character. Had the accident not happened, she'd prolly do that just to spite the MC and make herself feel a lil better about being cheated on a few years prior to the beginning of the story, even tho she knew and admitted herself he was a great father for Lily.

It's beyond baffling and too fucked up for me to understand why a supposedly caring, loving mother would even joke about separating her daughter from her own father, a father who isn't a junkie, a drunk, verbally or physically abusive idiot, or anything like that one could call a negative influence on her. It's shit that sadly happens IRL too, and maybe that's why I got a lil too emotional about it, but still something that makes her a shitty character, IMO.

Even Lily started noticing shit's pretty bad between her parents, and darling, "sweet, perfect" Allison, instead of at least trying to make the whole co-parenting with the MC thing work, she only makes it worse every time they talk to each other. That's not a healthy environment to raise a kid in, and honestly, if I was the judge, I would've bluntly told her to go fuck herself and given the full custody to the MC, if she didn't drop the off-putting attitude toward him and stop victimizing herself.

Her bitchiness and butthurt comments are exaggerated, and as usual, the player can mostly sit pretty and just put up with it, instead of having choices to actually call her out on her hypocrisy, stupidity and how badly her "model momma" façade affects her daughter, cuz bitch is in desperate need of a good reality check AND a big dick to fuck that bitchiness out of her, smfh.

ah I thought there was another scene I missed I replayed it cause initially I did disagree with this take from that scene. But after replaying that scene it I can see what you mean cause there is one line that does reinforce this. However I never took it as a serious threat she would act on just heat of the moment. Since Jake made plans with lilly to go to the park on her day and doesn't want to come across worse for not allowing it. While I don't see it as a big deal I at least can understand her anger right there. So cause of that I never saw it as a big deal but that's cause I also play disconnected from a MC in these games if I I played in the MC's shoes then yeah I 100% agree with it making her a shitty character and all that too. Cause as the MC he probably would take it as a serious threat.

I do mostly agree with the rest of this since without therapy or the accident no way Allie would be a good mother cause her anger issues towards the MC. But I do think on a nice path Allie she is changed enough where they can have a healthy relationship with the daughter be it with them getting back together or co-parenting.

 

[ImSenjou]

I'm not as pessimistic as you are. I guess Nat will fall in love with Jake in time, and becomes a double agent or something. I really don't think she is an evil person. Nat knows that Jake needs money for his daughter... and this may even be one of the most important reasons for her change of heart, even though she won't fall for Jake.

It's a cliché often used in AVNs, the girl approaches the protagonist to get something from him, she succeeds, but later regrets it when it's too late. In a KN, the protagonist typically accepts the girl's regret and forgives her, but still has to deal with the consequences of her actions.
It's so predictable that I imagine that's exactly what will happen. However, I believe we'll have the opportunity not to forgive her and let her truly feel guilty for what she's done.

Natalya already knows everything about him; she's let it slip several times. She knows what happened to his daughter, knows he desperately needs money, but so far, she doesn't seem to care. She's continuing with her plan to get close to him and his project.

 

[MiltonPowers]

It's a cliché often used in AVNs, the girl approaches the protagonist to get something from him, she succeeds, but later regrets it when it's too late. In a KN, the protagonist typically accepts the girl's regret and forgives her, but still has to deal with the consequences of her actions.
It's so predictable that I imagine that's exactly what will happen. However, I believe we'll have the opportunity not to forgive her and let her truly feel guilty for what she's done.

Natalya already knows everything about him; she's let it slip several times. She knows what happened to his daughter, knows he desperately needs money, but so far, she doesn't seem to care. She's continuing with her plan to get close to him and his project.

Or possibly,

"Natalya already knows everything about him; she's let it slip several times. She knows what happened to his daughter, knows he desperately needs money,"

and she has started to care for him and is trying to assist in his battery and funding to help him and his daughter.

 

[SnakeInTheGrass]

That's the part where she said it, IIRC, yes. This is one of the things that annoyed me about her character. Had the accident not happened, she'd prolly do that just to spite the MC and make herself feel a lil better about being cheated on a few years prior to the beginning of the story, even tho she knew and admitted herself he was a great father for Lily.

I might be wrong here (it's been a few days and I tend to mix up AVNs ), but in the beginning of the game, everything that is said about the MC - even in his own thoughts - point to him as not being a "great father" up until the start of the game. He refers to himself as a self-absorbed asshole who only cares for his own stuff and getting laid. His first reflections of Veronica are that he just uses her, for example. When you offer to take the daughter to the park, it's treated as an out-of-character choice.

So, I got the feeling that Allison's initial treatment of the MC is in fact well-deserved, and not just due to the cheating a few years ago, but also because of what happened since. From the point of view of Allison as a character, I don't find it hard to see why she would be suspicious of the MC's behaviour and lifestyle on the basis of the backstory.

It's obvious that her path was written to be a story of redemption and I don't think I've seen it that often in AVNs (I mean *real* redemption and not just manipulation ). For that story to be meaningful, you have to start at the lowest point in their relationship, so I guess that's why they wrote it that way.

I found her path to be very rewarding so far, especially when you get these small moments where her facial expression and demeanour changes for just a small moment and you can see that she's slowly but steadily building trust again.

 

[TonyMurray]

I might be wrong here (it's been a few days and I tend to mix up AVNs ), but in the beginning of the game, everything that is said about the MC - even in his own thoughts - point to him as not being a "great father" up until the start of the game. He refers to himself as a self-absorbed asshole who only cares for his own stuff and getting laid. His first reflections of Veronica are that he just uses her, for example. When you offer to take the daughter to the park, it's treated as an out-of-character choice.

So, I got the feeling that Allison's initial treatment of the MC is in fact well-deserved, and not just due to the cheating a few years ago, but also because of what happened since. From the point of view of Allison as a character, I don't find it hard to see why she would be suspicious of the MC's behaviour and lifestyle on the basis of the backstory.

It's obvious that her path was written to be a story of redemption and I don't think I've seen it that often in AVNs (I mean *real* redemption and not just manipulation ). For that story to be meaningful, you have to start at the lowest point in their relationship, so I guess that's why they wrote it that way.

I found her path to be very rewarding so far, especially when you get these small moments where her facial expression and demeanour changes for just a small moment and you can see that she's slowly but steadily building trust again.

Yep. He's trying to be a better father, because he hasn't been a great one up to this point. I'm also loving this dynamic - it will probably be my "main" playthrough path (though I'll also do the hate path for the lewds, of course).

 

[SnakeInTheGrass]

The only thing that really bugs me about this game is its lengthy "educational" content. I play AVNs for the interpersonal drama (yes, and for the kinky stuff), not to learn about healthcare or advancements in science. I can see that the author has spent a lot of time researching these subjects and can form coherent ideas based on them, but I'd really just like to get the gist when it's a plot hook, not the full scientific paper.

(Edit: Oh, and add the whole car lingo to that. It makes total sense for the story, but it's a bit too in-depth for me when to me it reads like the technobabble from Star Trek. And the ingame codex is not much of a help there.)

 

[oosinoots]

The only thing that really bugs me about this game is its lengthy "educational" content. I play AVNs for the interpersonal drama (yes, and for the kinky stuff), not to learn about healthcare or advancements in science. I can see that the author has spent a lot of time researching these subjects and can form coherent ideas based on them, but I'd really just like to get the gist when it's a plot hook, not the full scientific paper.

(Edit: Oh, and add the whole car lingo to that. It makes total sense for the story, but it's a bit too in-depth for me when to me it reads like the technobabble from Star Trek. And the ingame codex is not much of a help there.)

Personally I love it. Adds depth to the story. The good part about it is that if you're not interested you can always skim and click through. However if it were not there, no world-building and no amount of clicking will add it.

 

[SlapE]

The only thing that really bugs me about this game is its lengthy "educational" content. I play AVNs for the interpersonal drama (yes, and for the kinky stuff), not to learn about healthcare or advancements in science. I can see that the author has spent a lot of time researching these subjects and can form coherent ideas based on them, but I'd really just like to get the gist when it's a plot hook, not the full scientific paper.

(Edit: Oh, and add the whole car lingo to that. It makes total sense for the story, but it's a bit too in-depth for me when to me it reads like the technobabble from Star Trek. And the ingame codex is not much of a help there.)

Hard disagree, just skip over those sections, no one forces you to read every line of dialogue. There are plenty of basic games out there with no depth in story and writing.

 

[Steuan]

Natalya already knows everything about him; she's let it slip several times. She knows what happened to his daughter, knows he desperately needs money, but so far, she doesn't seem to care. She's continuing with her plan to get close to him and his project.

Whatever, man. I'm not a big fan of Natalya, but she doesn't give me the evil woman vibes.

Huh, y' know I'm not even sure she is a spy, an agent or something. Like you said she is too dumb to be a spy. They're just using her to get infos about Jake's battery project. She is smokin' hot, and only that kind of woman can get what she wants from a man if y'know what I mean.

Besides the queen Jasmine will still be working with Nat in the lab all the time. I don't think she will let Nat do something stupid like sabotaging the project or leaking test results. Don't you worry, Jasmine always watches Jake's back.

 

[SnakeInTheGrass]

There are plenty of basic games out there with no depth in story and writing.

That's an odd remark. I didn't say that I seek "basic games [...] with no depth in story and writing." It's quite the opposite. And I'd argue that said depth in AVNs is mainly achieved by strong characters and their interpersonal relationships and conflicts, not by elongated exposition containing scientific minutiae.

Luckily, this game does have great characters and interactions and that's what keeps me playing and eagerly waiting for updates. As I wrote, the technobabble merely "bugs" me, it's not a showstopper for me.

The good part about it is that if you're not interested you can always skim and click through.

I do that, it just robs me a little of the immersion and the flow of the game. I get that I'm playing a competent character who knows his stuff, but I'd rather he didn't have to explain it in detail along the way. Maybe a "skip" button? A "give me the gist" button? I don't know.

I get that you two (and certainly a lot of others) see that differently, and it's cool that you enjoy the game that way.

 

[Dessolos]

The only thing that really bugs me about this game is its lengthy "educational" content. I play AVNs for the interpersonal drama (yes, and for the kinky stuff), not to learn about healthcare or advancements in science. I can see that the author has spent a lot of time researching these subjects and can form coherent ideas based on them, but I'd really just like to get the gist when it's a plot hook, not the full scientific paper.

(Edit: Oh, and add the whole car lingo to that. It makes total sense for the story, but it's a bit too in-depth for me when to me it reads like the technobabble from Star Trek. And the ingame codex is not much of a help there.)

same those parts bored me especially cause the car stuff cause I don't know jack about cars so I didn't understand very much of it but I don't skip dialogue I dislike. At the same time I see why it's needed could maybe simplified the medical stuff but I do think not so much about the car talk , as it makes it more immersive and gives off the impression the characters actually know what they are doing and talking about.

 

[oosinoots]

I do that, it just robs me a little of the immersion and the flow of the game.

I understand what you mean. I guess I'd feel the same if I was not passionate or curious about the subject matter but seeing that I am, my opinion is obviously biased. While a skip button seems a bit disingenuous to the dev's efforts, it's possible someone mods it in. I still maintain that it's better to have it than not because if I don't like it, I can set 'skip through unseen text' and hold ctrl through exposition segments.

 

[SnakeInTheGrass]

I understand what you mean. I guess I'd feel the same if I was not passionate or curious about the subject matter but seeing that I am, my opinion is obviously biased. While a skip button seems a bit disingenuous to the dev's efforts, it's possible someone mods it in. I still maintain that it's better to have it than not because if I don't like it, I can set 'skip through unseen text' and hold ctrl through exposition segments.

I'm not a fan of that either. Ideally, this whole thing would be wrapped up in more of a "show don't tell" way. Like, instead of having the doctor explain her whole method in an exposition, she could show the MC around the hospital to where the patients are treated and drop some info here and there. That would make it more engaging at least. But I understand that that means additional renders, so it's cheaper to resolve the info dump in an exposition.

 

[MiltonPowers]

Whatever, man. I'm not a big fan of Natalya, but she doesn't give me the evil woman vibes.

Huh, y' know I'm not even sure she is a spy, an agent or something. Like you said she is too dumb to be a spy. They're just using her to get infos about Jake's battery project. She is smokin' hot, and only that kind of woman can get what she wants from a man if y'know what I mean.

Besides the queen Jasmine will still be working with Nat in the lab all the time. I don't think she will let Nat do something stupid like sabotaging the project or leaking test results. Don't you worry, Jasmine always watches Jake's back.

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If this were a Hollywood script or a novel and the writer was trying to tell an engaging story and keep the audience interested to the final page/screen, 99% chance the spy/bad guy is Jasmine. No way it's the obvious Nat or possibilities like Maggie or Alexa. It's the one you're not expecting.

Are these Devs creating mystery and suspense?

Or are they just putting the story out there?

 

[Dessolos]

If this were a Hollywood script or a novel and the writer was trying to tell an engaging story and keep the audience interested to the final page/screen, 99% chance the spy/bad guy is Jasmine. No way it's the obvious Nat or possibilities like Maggie or Alexa. It's the one you're not expecting.

Are these Devs creating mystery and suspense?

Or are they just putting the story out there?

this made me think of something interesting for a what if scenario as I know it won't be the case. But what if it was Allie that was pulling strings behind the scenes to get back at her Ex and after the accident she was in to deep to stop what she set into motion. Now I know this won't be true at all or anything close to it but thought could also be an interesting scenario if Allie was the mastermind behind whoever the spy is working for haha.

 

[MiltonPowers]

this made me think of something interesting for a what if scenario as I know it won't be the case. But what if it was Allie that was pulling strings behind the scenes to get back at her Ex and after the accident she was in to deep to stop what she set into motion. Now I know this won't be true at all or anything close to it but thought could also be an interesting scenario if Allie was the mastermind behind whoever the spy is working for haha.

Most Devs can't write a plot, so in most cases the bad guy will be Nat, or maybe they'll try a 'clever' switch to Maggie or Alexa that just about everyone saw coming.

But what if these guys can write a intricate plot. While we're watching the obvious, Allie is pulling the strings in the background, or Jasmine has used sex to cleverly work her way into his trust, or V has been the spy from the start.

I've just been thinking about where it was going and the detail that has already been put into it, they just might not be going the obvious route.