Since everyone is talking about the story, I'd just like to say that considering the way the first arc is structured, it's obvious we are playing a specific story with elements of freedom in it. Based on what everyone is saying, obviously those alternatives were not options, so the story has been decided and we are just visualizing the events in that story with elements of freedom that allow specific alterations, to create a story we can replay and see a slightly different outcome.
Rowan should've been able to escape with Alexia? Perhaps, but obviously that didn't happen and we are just seeing the results of that decision. It seems pretty clear the story has been decided to some extent.
I think the reason some people see Rowan as a cuck, is that the game does seem to encourage NTR content, which I'm personally ok with, but I can see the Non-NTR crowd having an issue with.How so?
While Rowan does have some encounters with Alexia throughout the game for example, they don't actually seem to have content to last the entire story. What do I mean by that?
You have sex with her a time here, a time there, as mandated by specific events and the level of her corruption (which is tough to raise unless she out there NTR'ing to some extent), but other than that, you can't really interact with her on a daily basis.
She has more interactions every day with every other character than she does with Rowan and that's her husband. Up until you decide to expand your harem, you see her every day but can't have repeatable interactions with her than just a small talk option. You have access to goblin action every turn though lol.
Once Alexia can get a job around the castle, she out there doing her thing, but with the exception of a few events here and there, Alexia and Rowan hardly have the option to see each other regularly. Why can't you swing by and have a round or two with the person who is supposed to be your wife?
Depending on your choices, she wants to have a baby, she may have decided to explore the world of being a futa, and whooping you to submission to fix your marriage and create a stronger bond between you two, but you don't necessarily get to see the outcome any of those decisions regularly with the person who is supposed to be your wife. They are one time experiences and then you move on. Why can't I keep having femdom action with my wife in privacy, perhaps invite our friend over? Why can't I keep having futa-fun alone or invite others? Why can't we try making a baby as normal straight people that are not submitting entirely to corruption? Why can't I enjoy my wife slowly being turned into a breeding bimbo again? Unless you agree to let her fall into corruption, Alexia can't tolerate other females around Rowan. If you DO let her fall into corruption, while she may be able to tolerate it, you can't enjoy your decision to allow it after the scenes are over unless you go view them in the gallery lol.
For the rest of the game though, depending on how you play, Alexia can keep having interactions with other characters. You finish one, you can move to the next and keep the content going until late game, when your only options for content are limited to goblin, etc etc, and you can't enjoy any of the previous decision making.
I think that's why the story has already been chosen, and everything between is just hints of freedom but not really. Once you finish the Grayhide content, does it affect either Rowan and Alexia? How so? After the scenes are over, the content is over and your decision didn't really seem to matter. Maybe that makes Rowan seem weak? I'd hope your decisions here will have clear consequences in act 2 at least.