VN Ren'Py Seeking Closure [v0.7.1] [Captain Crystallo]

[camube]

Elena haha I feel ya especially when you play lots of AVN's I started to make a spreadsheet for the characters and insert a screenshot of them so I know who is who. To damn easy to forget after a certain amount of time for me depending on the game

if i forget about main characters name of a game, then they are forgettable. They are forgettable probably because they don't feel like a real person. I don't remember everyone's name but at least 2 or 3 of the main casts. That's actually one of my yardstick to determine whether or not I continue playing the game.

 

[Ragnar]

I really detest forced relationships too, but killing her?

View attachment 4094666

I don't hate her, It's just a way to avoid the character without remaking the story. Think about it, there are some kidnappers out there so she can play a bigger role than the forced love interest almost nobody like.

 

[MiltonPowers]

I don't hate her, It's just a way to avoid the character without remaking the story. Think about it, there are some kidnappers out there so she can play a bigger role than the forced love interest almost nobody like.

As far as forced LI's go, she's one of the better ones, I don't dislike her, she seems nice. Maybe she could get a job offer in Japan she can't refuse and they part as friends??

 

[Ragnar]

As far as forced LI's go, she's one of the better ones, I don't dislike her, she seems nice. Maybe she could get a job offer in Japan she can't refuse and they part as friends??

Yeah, that works too. The thing about forced lis is that they feel like luggage imo. Players have to explore the options and play a bit, but if you put them in a commited relationship (3 years) from the beginning, the only way to do that is cheating or turning her into a cuckqueen.

 

[MiltonPowers]

Yeah, that works too. The thing about forced lis is that they feel like luggage imo. Players have to explore the options and play a bit, but if you put them in a commited relationship (3 years) from the beginning, the only way to do that is cheating or turning her into a cuckqueen.

Agree 100%, I don't know if you saw but the Dev was saying he regrets making her forced and is wondering about changing it. Was asking here the other day for thoughts. One of my comments was that a lot of forced LIs I really dislike and can't wait to break up with them, but Julia was actually a nice person and when it came to breaking up with her (which I would do, because of making connections with someone else), I was actually going to feel quite bad about it. So I hope if she stays as is, there will be a nice option to break up, rather than being an asshole about it.

 

[Ragnar]

Agree 100%, I don't know if you saw but the Dev was saying he regrets making her forced and is wondering about changing it. Was asking here the other day for thoughts. One of my comments was that a lot of forced LIs I really dislike and can't wait to break up with them, but Julia was actually a nice person and when it came to breaking up with her (which I would do, because of making connections with someone else), I was actually going to feel quite bad about it. So I hope if she stays as is, there will be a nice option to break up, rather than being an asshole about it.

He can just change the couple relationship to just work friend or whatever going together on vacation.

 

[MiltonPowers]

He can just change the couple relationship to just work friend or whatever going together on vacation.

That would work for me.

 

[Dessolos]

if i forget about main characters name of a game, then they are forgettable. They are forgettable probably because they don't feel like a real person. I don't remember everyone's name but at least 2 or 3 of the main casts. That's actually one of my yardstick to determine whether or not I continue playing the game.

I play to many AVN's for that work for me tbh as it's natural to forget names 20 + AVN's later unless I really loved one alot. If I did id probably would of only be following like 20 - 50 or so AVN max haha. There have been times I forget the names of the entire cast of a AVN I loved as well lol.

 

[Anteron]

I play a lot of them, too. Also, my memory isn't exactly the best and getting up there in age..

 

[AnonW123]

Good update (or updates for me) generally. The story in the past is finally progressing and the sex scenes were rather hot especially The two threesomes. Katy and Micaela was unexpected and hot. Anna and Elena was definitely expected but still hot..


What I didn't like was that multiple characters had to act like complete dumbasses in order to progress the story. That's never a good thing to do.


1. Susan not using her security system and leaving windows and doors open door the day and at night.
Who the fuck does that in this day and age? in any country or place in the world? Nowhere is that safe.
2. The Mc deciding to follow the secondary suspect into the creepy abandoned building as opposed to going back and telling the cops or getting backup.
3. Brianna being brain dead and doing the same stupid shit as the Mc.
4. Paul who keeps talking about his kidnapping business out in the open so people get suspicious and follow him.

 

[some01]

1. Keep everything as is. The laziest option, but one that a lot of existing fans and supporters will likely prefer since they’ve already played through all the problematic parts. However, I obviously would like to receive more supporters over time, so it’s not the optimal solution for me.
2. Only make minor tweaks throughout Part 1, changing and expanding some of the dialogue to be less confusing and/or committal, while also adding more options to abandon paths that you’re no longer interested in.
3. In addition to the above, rework the Julia-related content in Part 1 to make her an optional girlfriend and have a separate choice at the start of Part 2 (or in the end of Part 1) for players who will continue their old saves.
4. Remove all the “Present day” scenes outside of arriving at the hotel and having the “flashback”, while keeping (and adding more) scenes of meeting Julia to build up her character without making her MC’s girlfriend by default. As such, at the start of Part 2, it’ll be up to you if Julia comes with you as your friend or love interest. Another benefit of this approach is that when you start talking to the present-day versions of all the girls, you’ll have full information on how your relationship developed and if you’re still interested in them. The downside is – it makes the story more linear, removing most of the “What happened? How did it come to this?” intrigue from the present timeline. However, since it isn’t delivered in a compelling manner already, maybe it’s not that big of a loss. If you’re a returning player, another drawback is that you’ll have to replay most of the scenes from Chapters 1 and 4 in Part 2, which will feel wonky and immersion-breaking if you continue your old save(s).
5. Reframe the entire story and finish everything in the past, pretending the present timeline never existed, as the MC gets to ride into the sunset at the end of his vacation. This option completely abandons the premise of the story I wanted to tell, but I’m thinking about it for two reasons. Firstly, since there are no signs of the war ending anytime soon, I have no idea how long I’ll manage to avoid getting enlisted into the military against my will. As such, I can disappear any day without warning and you won’t get any closure for the game at all. Secondly, the current projections are that I’ll have electrical power for only about 6-8 hours out of 24 a day, starting from November, and if that happens, this will bring the development process to a near complete halt. I don’t want to choose this option, but if the consensus is “better an unplanned ending than no ending at all”, then maybe it’s the “right” thing to do.

My mind has been split between all these different options for months now and I still can’t commit to a single direction since all of them have significant drawbacks.

As such, if you have any thoughts on the matter, or if you would like to suggest a completely different option, I’m open to hearing you out (even if it’s related to something relatively small like the hairstyle dilemma). That doesn’t mean I’m going to do what someone else tells me to, but it might help me make a decision, while I continue to work on Chapter 8 since most of it is set in stone regardless of anything discussed above.

Kinda late, but I think the present time helps enlighten some aspects of the story, revealing facts and circumstances we weren't aware beforehand and having us better understand what happened in the past, as some users have said before. Essentially, if the present is scrapped in part 1, it simply becomes an afterthought, it kind of loses it’s importance, since the story wouldn’t need to progress past part 1.

One big issue about it is that in this case present characters may act unnatural or generic when interacting with the MC, so only specific (past) characters should interact with present MC in part 1 to avoid contradicting past events, as well as having more content in past than the present.

Regarding Julia, I think it would make more sense if MC and Julia were in fact friends, but with unexplored feelings for each other, with the trip being a way of MC getting closure on past events and considering entering a relationship with her, instead of proposing marriage. That way, Julia’s participation in the story would be more linear while still giving the player the option to pursue her or not. Besides, MC inviting Julia as a friend and leaving Sebastian behind would be kinda weird lol.

These are just my thoughts, though. Best of luck, Dev!

 

[Captain Crystallo]

Kinda late, but I think the present time helps enlighten some aspects of the story, revealing facts and circumstances we weren't aware beforehand and having us better understand what happened in the past, as some users have said before. Essentially, if the present is scrapped in part 1, it simply becomes an afterthought, it kind of loses it’s importance, since the story wouldn’t need to progress past part 1.

One big issue about it is that in this case present characters may act unnatural or generic when interacting with the MC, so only specific (past) characters should interact with present MC in part 1 to avoid contradicting past events, as well as having more content in past than the present.

Regarding Julia, I think it would make more sense if MC and Julia were in fact friends, but with unexplored feelings for each other, with the trip being a way of MC getting closure on past events and considering entering a relationship with her, instead of proposing marriage. That way, Julia’s participation in the story would be more linear while still giving the player the option to pursue her or not. Besides, MC inviting Julia as a friend and leaving Sebastian behind would be kinda weird lol.

These are just my thoughts, though. Best of luck, Dev!

It's been a while, but your input is still very much appreciated!
Generally agree with all your points and that's more-or-less the way I want to reshape things without going too crazy.

 

[Canto Forte]

Great game and a good community around here is the way to go! Wonderful!
There is a bit of a contradiction here about MC: After himself and Seb having such a rich experience with girls and a lot of intimate encounters that would seal the deal of them being safely out of the friend zone, as it is pointed out below, The whole introduction to this game would make no sense:
1-MC should not be a simp who does not know if the girl is friendzoning him or not before propposing marriage. It is a sure failure to ask a girl who is not interested and neither is showing intimacy towards you, to ask her into marriage just like that.
2-MC having a romantic getaway with his girlfriend who is used to intimacy and welcomes it makes total sense, especially if in the past Seb has been shown time and time and againg to be a real hindrance to MC with his stupid jokes and aggressive sexual banter. That is why all the girls know Seb as a whack perv and generally stay away from him even today.
3-Your girlsfriend knows about the whack Seb is known for and supports MC distancing himself when having his own girlfriend.
4-As a rule of thumb: bro time is to be held separate from GF/wife time - it is a running gag in TV and cinema that guys hanging out might turn into them seeking hook ups and being obnoxious to women, which is a huge red flag for a married man or one with a GF.

Regarding Julia, I think it would make more sense if MC and Julia were in fact friends, but with unexplored feelings for each other, with the trip being a way of MC getting closure on past events and considering entering a relationship with her, instead of proposing marriage. That way, Julia’s participation in the story would be more linear while still giving the player the option to pursue her or not. Besides, MC inviting Julia as a friend and leaving Sebastian behind would be kinda weird lol.

that's more-or-less the way I want to reshape things without going too crazy

 

[Dessolos]

1-MC should not be a simp who does not know if the girl is friendzoning him or not before propposing marriage. It is a sure failure to ask a girl who is not interested and neither is showing intimacy towards you, to ask her into marriage just like that.

I think it's more if the MC thinks she is the right girl for him not if she will say yes or not. As it seems to me the MC is indecisive if he wants to even ask her and is using the trip to come to a decision on his feelings. As im sure the MC knows if she will say yes or no.

 

[Captain Crystallo]

I think it's more if the MC thinks she is the right girl for him not if she will say yes or not. As it seems to me the MC is indecisive if he wants to even ask her and is using the trip to come to a decision on his feelings. As im sure the MC knows if she will say yes or no.

You're correct. In the current version of the story - he knows Julia will say yes. The MC just doesn't know if he should commit since he still has lingering feelings for *insert your LI of choice*. Maybe the way I've written it doesn't make it clear.

 

[byaaahh]

You're correct. In the current version of the story - he knows Julia will say yes. The MC just doesn't know if he should commit since he still has lingering feelings for *insert your LI of choice*. Maybe the way I've written it doesn't make it clear.

I always read it as Julia was basically just waiting to say yes, wasn't unclear at all.

 

[MiltonPowers]

You're correct. In the current version of the story - he knows Julia will say yes. The MC just doesn't know if he should commit since he still has lingering feelings for *insert your LI of choice*. Maybe the way I've written it doesn't make it clear.

It was clear enough for me, I understood it that way. (But in my mind not asking her is still a dick move from MC, as she is expecting it).

 

[byaaahh]

It was clear enough for me, I understood it that way. (But in my mind not asking her is still a dick move from MC, as she is expecting it).

Yeah, her patiently waiting for a proposal, only for her man to take her on a trip where he proceeds to cheat. Oof

 

[MiltonPowers]

Yeah, her patiently waiting for a proposal, only for her man to take her on a trip where he proceeds to cheat. Oof

Some girls I don't give a shit about cheating on to find an Li I like. But I actually feel bad for Julia, she's pretty, she seems like a really nice person, they have a good sex life and most importantly she was there for him and helped pull him back into a more normal life, putting her own life on hold to do it.

Unfortunately, I (the player) just don't know her and haven't made a connection with her. So I feel pretty awful about it.

 

[Dessolos]

Yeah, her patiently waiting for a proposal, only for her man to take her on a trip where he proceeds to cheat. Oof