So.... I'm a bit... weird, with how I approach games.
Some games, I don't pursue anyone... sometimes to see if I can choose not to, and sometimes because of my own mindset, and as I take the role of the MC, I don't feel pursuing someone feels appropriate (to the story, to MC's mindset, etc).
I know. I'm fucking weird. I play "porn games" and, in some cases, choose to forgo the sexual aspect almost entirely.
I was happy that this game allows for my... unique play style, but what I didn't expect was to be called out by toasterman for it.
The problem is, in my mind as I play, I find the MC to be in a sort of dark place. Not, strictly, depression, but not where he feels he should be. And what more or less breaks him from that is the driving events of the story.
But, because of the seriousness of the story (something I quite appreciate, BTW! I like that, with all that is happening, the MC is NOT aimlessly pursuing the girls with the inner dialog of a hormonal 12 year old!) the MC, as I play him, basically feels like he needs to keep his head clear. And sleeping with everything around him could be a deadly distraction.
However, I still hoped, as I played, I'd feel the chemistry between at least one girl and the MC, and have it lead to me pursuing at least one LI.
The sad thing is, as absolutely beautiful as the renders are, and as much as I LIKE some characters, or at least how they're written, I'm not feeling that chemistry.
Emily is your ex who hurt you. She is also cold, and cruel. I genuinely like that, as the game progresses, she experiences more and more character development. And I'm very glad that MC is trying to do right by her, but I, putting myself back in MCs shoes, can't imagine hoping to rekindle things with her.
Leah.... I simply don't trust. Her behavior early in the game with following MC, tricking him to fix her computer, etc, feels much less like a sister trying to find out what's up with her brother, and much less like investigative journalism, and much more like a PI investigating someone. The fact that she never tried to really talk to MC, and instead acted like she did, shows, at worst, an absolute distrust in the MC, and at best shows that, in her burning desire to uncover secrets around her, she is utterly callous to the people around her, and doesn't have the capacity to CARE enough about them to question if she is doing the right thing, or to question how they would feel about her actions, should they find out.
The fact that she is still hiding things herself, while tacitly acknowledging her own hypocrisy while also handwaving it away, when MC and we, the player, know DAMN WELL she would never afford other people the same consideration, just speaks to how she expects trust without giving it herself, and feels herself beholden to different rules or morals than others around her, even her brother.
The fact that she is still hiding things about Valerie, things she has known since highschool, which have put her on the path of knowing Valerie was Silent1 before we figured it out, and she WILL NOT TELL US, and in the intervening time, never even warned us, have pushed me from not trusting her, as a character, to despising her, as a character.
I am expecting another major betrayal of the MC in the game, and I expect it to come from Leah.
Aside from Valerie, I consider her to be the most morally repugnant character in the game. The one whose actions were unjustified, and forgiven far, FAR too easily, by the MC, without explanation, real honesty going forward, or her getting her own comeuppance.
Valarie, even before the reveal, I never trusted. I find her the most attractive of the characters, but something about her set me off the first time she was onscreen. I never liked her, and I'm glad I never pursued her.
Halie and Maggie? Not only was my MC too busy trying to help them to consider them sexually, but after he had helped them, where would that leave him (from my perspective) beyond feeling like he was butting into an existing relationship. I genuinely like both characters, but with MC being their friend as they solved their issues, and then reuniting them, trying to pursue either doesn't make sense from a roleplaying perspective, as their roll in this mess has been (apparently) sorted out, so doing anything with them risks pulling them back in and putting them in danger. And considering what might develop between the two of them, my MC feels it is best to just stay off to the side, and be their friend.
Coffeeshop girl (shit, now i feel bad. I can't recall her name off the top of my head) has too many issues going on, so a relationship just can't happen... and pursuing her sexually is just a hookup, or at least that's how it is portrayed when given the option. As I, in life, don't find much appeal in casual hookups, neither does my MC.
Sandra's mother... pursuing her just feels wrong. Like you'd be taking advantage of what is going on as you try to find (and later, keep from her) Sandra. Going after her just feels out of character.
The cheerleader (also forget her name) is just disgustingly slutty. Hard pass.
Kristen is just awful, and the less time my MC has to spend around her, the better.
And, if my math is right, that just leaves Sam.
Sam, in highschool, became a good friend. In college, someone to help. However, I feel she also emotionally manipulates MC. And as MC says himself, every little thing that goes wrong, Sam collapses and MC has to pull her back up... which is reasonable to do for a friend, but gets mentally exhausting. Also, by keeping her at arms length, you are keeping her safer from events. Sleeping with her but not telling her what's going on violates the trust in their relationship. Better to turn her down, even hurt and disappoint her, short term, to ensure she is safe, long term.
And this... has left my MC utterly alone. Again, that is, to a degree, what I expected when i started the game, as I took the role of MC. But it also frustrates me, because I was hoping SOMEONE would appeal to me, in the right way, that I felt it appropriate to pull my MC out of the dark place he'd been, since Emily broke up with him.
And, yeah, I really didn't expect toasterman to call me out for that. He was not wrong.... I AM playing for the story. The story is the most important thing to me in these games. But I didn't have to play just for the story.
I intend to keep playing. I enjoy the game very much, and am fascinated to see where the story will go. But between people I do not trust (Leah, Valerie), people MC has a reason to avoid sexually(Emily), people who are awful (Kristen, cheerleader), people who would be flings (coffeshop owner), or people I feel like I'd be taking advantage of (Sam, Maggie, Halie, Sandra's mom), I feel like my MC is going to die without ever having sex again.....
