Player choice is fine, but it should be limited. With this game, you have full control over what happens to either party with no pushback whatsoever. Basically, you get to choose your consequences. That takes all conflict out of the narrative, which is already mediocre by its writing quality a lone. Either play as Alexia, or Rowan, and make a proper choice and consequence game where its not clear where your choice will lead. This design has led to many critically acclaimed games, such as Wolf Among Us.
I don't see why I or the dev should care that people here get mad. That's their own problem. The Rance series makes a tonne of people mad by its existence alone, but it has a strong and devoted fanbase. As a writer, you should focus on them, not try and make a game that pleases a wide margin of people.
Then again, he's been plenty profitable doing so.
What limits? I didn't see any.
My critique is valid for what is there right now, which is a lot - the game has been out and updated for a while. Nobody can say what happens later, but too little too late as far as I'm concerned. The dude who made Four Elements Trainer didn't need this excuse because he released good content from the jump.
Well... For a start very importantly, the narrative need for Rowan goes dumb inside Bloodmeen to search for his Wife without knowing shit of what's happening in the surrounding nor inside the castle, for a person who's signaled as a Mastermind Tactician it doesn't make sense, there's no way to have full control when the narrative demands Rowan face The Twins at sight believing he had a chance forgetting complete about his wife, there's no way that between all places Rowan explored inside Bloodmeen he encounter The Portal Room but never the stairs that goes to the dungeons, that is the place that every common normal person would guess a kidnapped person would be... Another thing could be, why Rowan must wait for one of the three contestants for the Orc Village Warchief achieved successfully when he could mobilized a group of his best orcs during this event to challenge for the Warchief Tittle?... Why during Rastedel whereabouts looking for allies Rowan doesn't seek for more options?, if you look for the Maud you can't go to the barracks, the same happens if you goes otherwise... Why Rowan looks so young? he was a peasant from a Hunter Family, abandoned when he was a child of don't know 8~10 years old, raised by an Elder Village who is another peasant, so how he could manage to do excel better than any other in nobility during a war of just ten years?.
No... The game isn't in full control of the player decisions, that is a well done illusion made Venus Noire Team, there are things that could be done different or in a better shape if they are inspired more in reality than literature, Rowan instead of a peasant could have been from a noble house in disgraced, obligated to live between the commoners and doing work and marrying between commoners because they have no other choice, when the war began, Rowan seek an opportunity but moreover, as a true believer he thought it was his called and his house to the cause, but the reality of how the Kingdom manage after their family being disgraced and how the nobility their maintain their prestige and status just slap in his face, his family never ever forget the other houses that betray them, the responsibles of their disgrace (near disbarred condition) and preserved well all of their knowledge until Rowan's Generation, which explains why Rowan did so good during the War and have manners... But instead... Rowan is a peasant... Well, it can be saved is the narrative tells me that he's part of a race of men that live too much and Rowan spend years beyond most men in touch of doing works as a mercenary (which is taking more from fantasy literature than reality to save this argument), but it isn't stated that as far as i remember... But there's another option of course, he's a fucking Gary Stu, the chosen one (facepalm myself).
Yes, you are right when you stated that Venus Noire can do whatever they want, like
Rein who is resposible of player's suffering (lol), but it doesn't mean that this criticize is doing with malice, is because the game is good and have very potential, we just want it's success, but it doesn't mean that it is perfect or that there are things that could be worked better to add more drama or have a sensation of more reality.
