Recommending Story-first games

[EndlessNights]

so about NCC, just to make sure, the "old version" you refer to is Season 1 DL link on f95?
did you play Follower and can I skip Follower and just go straight to Season 1?

Season 2 is the remake?

That's right -- season 1 (version 1.55) is the one to get. The season nomenclature is really confusing because it suggests the new game is a continuation of the old one. It isn't at all; it's actually a complete remake which significantly changes events from the previous game.

I personally recommend skipping Follower. I just don't think it's particularly good and it doesn't have many of the elements (like lots of branching and the ability to roleplay the MC as something other than a complete asshole) that make NCC great. I've never been able to finish it myself. When you start playing New Coral City, you'll have the option to see a recap of Follower that will give you the background information you need...but don't judge the game too harshly based on the recap alone. (Believe it or not, I actually quit NCC immediately after seeing the recap the first time I played it!) There are also a couple of flashback scenes from Follower later in the game.

By the way, the remake is apparently still being worked on. The dev posted an update here last month. He's a real colorful character -- it's very much like him to let his Patreon page get covered in cobwebs while giving the pirates of F95zone the inside scoop on what's going on. How many devs come right out and say they don't need more patrons? HoneyGames is basically the complete opposite of noping when it comes to how he treats his supporters. Is it weird that I can't help but like them both?

 

[bacienvu88]

The third and final entry of Love of Magic has just been released on Steam. A modern fantasy that I fully recommend. It can be a bit porny a few times due to harem and the MC is much too whiny, but overall I think it is an excellent series with really good writing (I haven't played the last book yet, so it may defy my expectations ).

 

[jufot]

Chapter 3 of OP-listed Zia is out on

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[camube]

That's right -- season 1 (version 1.55) is the one to get. The season nomenclature is really confusing because it suggests the new game is a continuation of the old one. It isn't at all; it's actually a complete remake which significantly changes events from the previous game.

I personally recommend skipping Follower. I just don't think it's particularly good and it doesn't have many of the elements (like lots of branching and the ability to roleplay the MC as something other than a complete asshole) that make NCC great. I've never been able to finish it myself. When you start playing New Coral City, you'll have the option to see a recap of Follower that will give you the background information you need...but don't judge the game too harshly based on the recap alone. (Believe it or not, I actually quit NCC immediately after seeing the recap the first time I played it!) There are also a couple of flashback scenes from Follower later in the game.

By the way, the remake is apparently still being worked on. The dev posted an update here last month. He's a real colorful character -- it's very much like him to let his Patreon page get covered in cobwebs while giving the pirates of F95zone the inside scoop on what's going on. How many devs come right out and say they don't need more patrons? HoneyGames is basically the complete opposite of noping when it comes to how he treats his supporters. Is it weird that I can't help but like them both?

i just read the "i'm developing and i'm okay with having not many patrons" post, and the sense i get from reading it is that the rebuild is gonna be a 2025 game.

We'll get a release in 2024, but same with Race of Life or u4ia, it will take a long time from today for the game to reach the state of "long-enough to be played"

I don't really like playing Chapter 1 tbh. Starting from Chapter 2 or preferably Chapter 3 is better for me

Speaking of long development time, i can't believe how long BaDIK chapter 10 takes to develop. Chapter 9 kinda suck in the sense that it doesn't progress the story almost at all. And it looks like Chapter 10 will not come out in October either.

 

[dsgouh]

I also did the list of my favourite games with good story or/and gameplay, check it.

 

[kotte]

I also did the list of my favourite games with good story or/and gameplay, check it.

Thanks for sharing!

Fun thing I noted was that while your list of likes and don't likes are almost exactly the same as mine, the actual list of favourite games are very much different from mine...
But still there are som titles there that I'd like to try, nice!

 

[dsgouh]

Thanks for sharing!

Fun thing I noted was that while your list of likes and don't likes are almost exactly the same as mine, the actual list of favourite games are very much different from mine...
But still there are som titles there that I'd like to try, nice!

No problem. Was going to do it for some time.
And what is your list? Would like to see.)

 

[jufot]

The Bite: Revenant's new chapter is out

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[jufot]

Quick thoughts on a few games.

Chapter 3 of OP-listed Zia is out on

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!

Nice chapter. I liked the trip into Conner's mind. Reminded me of Charles Augustus Magnussen's mind palace room in Sherlock. If memory serves, that guy at the café is another LI, right? I'm also vaguely suspicious of Elly. She must be involved in all this somehow. She looks far too innocent to be *actually* innocent

The Bite: Revenant's new chapter is out

You must be registered to see the links

!

This was a great episode with two important quests, and what I assume was a filler.

First, Hanna von Rauss. She's the brains to Moghila's brawn. I loved her scene. She speaks eloquently about the nature of power, those who seek it, and those who have it. Her monologue is dispassionate, and yet makes so much sense. How can a creature, a beast really, that is both reliant on and must hide from humans can acquire power, keep it, and stay relevant over centuries? The opportunities that question presents, especially pre-Y2K, makes an alliance with her a very interesting proposition.

On the other hand, Carver's proposal is comparatively pedestrian. It seems rooted in short-term thinking. I was... unimpressed. His backstory does a lot to humanize him and makes his loyalty to the Duke understandable, but he doesn't seem interested in the bigger picture. I assume we'll get to choose whom to side with in a future update and, barring new information to the contrary, I think I'll go with the von Rauss.

The wildcard here is Emilia. Her childhood story explains her violent nature and distaste of authority. With that sort of background, I don't see her willingly being subordinate to anyone, even to her creator. So her real intentions and allegiances are unclear as yet. The obvious answer is regicide, but perhaps it's something more clever.

I'm excited to see where we go from here, especially with that cliffhanger

 

[yossa999]

[...]
The wildcard here is Emilia. Her childhood story explains her violent nature and distaste of authority. With that sort of background, I don't see her willingly being subordinate to anyone, even to her creator. So her real intentions and allegiances are unclear as yet. The obvious answer is regicide, but perhaps it's something more clever.

I'm excited to see where we go from here, especially with that cliffhanger

I like your review.
In fact, this wildcard looks very recognizable and typical of vampire movies and TV shows. Look at Damon fuckin' Salvatore from The Vampire Diaries. After being introduced into the story as a badass evil vampire, he ended up becoming the biggest pussy in town. And it turns out that his generally positive brother was the bad guy in their shared past, and all the grief and pain Damon had to suffer took its toll on him. And so he started out as an anti-hero and then turned into a decent creature. Of course, for a vampire. It seems to me that Emilia will turn out to be a similar character. Although it isn't a bad thing.
And no, you guys aren't kink-shaming me for watching The Vampire Diaries, I was after covid when I watched it. Covid causes temporary damage to the brain

 

[jufot]

And no, you guys aren't kink-shaming me for watching The Vampire Diaries

While I won't shame you for watching any particular show, I will do so for watching The CW

I hope Emilia's arc won't be that of the "big baddie who just needs a hug" trope because I really like her as a proper villain. I'd rather just have her have an honest conversation with MC and acknowledge that, while she was a nice little girl back then, circumstances have forced her to improvise, adapt, and overcome, and that she quite likes who she is now, with no intentions of changing.

 

[Deleted member 2577953]

If memory serves, that guy at the café is another LI, right?

Yes, he is one of the potential love interests.

---

Also, on a kind of (un)related note,

And no, you guys aren't kink-shaming me for watching The Vampire Diaries

Spoiler

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[Hildegardt]

How can a creature, a beast really, that is both reliant on and must hide from humans can acquire power, keep it, and stay relevant over centuries?

I wonder if this will be the "Camarilla vs. Anarchs" again we get in pretty much every VTM inspired story. Well, in the good ones at least (another point to The Bite over Rebirth )... As someone who's never played a table top looking in from the outside, VTM always seemed like the most juvenile and edgy to me and the anarchs are really the only interesting concept.
I mean, a fantasy creature that's traditionally depicted as an apex predator rejects hierarchies? That's kinda fun. But it seems like this is more Zoey's role, unless the "von Rauss information age money making scheme" turns out to be really about hacking the planet. Either way, more factions just make it more interesting.

 

[realjitter]

I actually had to look up The Vampire Diaries, but I couldn't figure out what the CW is

 

[yossa999]

I actually had to look up The Vampire Diaries, but I couldn't figure out what the CW is

"The series premiered on The CW on September 10, 2009, and concluded on March 10, 2017, having aired 171 episodes over eight seasons."

 

[camube]

between Shards of the Past and Beyond Tomorrow which one is the more engaging of the two?

looking for next game to play

 

[bacienvu88]

between Shards of the Past and Beyond Tomorrow which one is the more engaging of the two?

looking for next game to play

I haven't gotten around to playing it myself yet, but Shards of the Past has received lots of praise in this thread recently. Don't know anything about Beyond Tomorrow.

 

[realjitter]

Did read a couple of AVN's

- Simple beginnings

Hard to talk about this one. It seems to be a story first game, but you can't really tell what the story's actually going to be about. Her sister went missing... aaaaand that's basically it. You get some small story snippets here and there, but it's weird. It's supposed to have supernatural and horror elements somewhere down the line, but... we'll see I guess. Maybe?, Eventually?

Maybe this is a case for inspector Jufot to take over


- Dreamland

I mean, if you have a weird sense of humor, this is a pure goldmine. Right from the beginning up until the very end it's.., it's something else . Here are some of my personal highlights...

- Alex sitting on the shitter
- The MC getting caught by his grandma, jerking off
- The northern lights
- The oversized, unmissable collectables
- Mei wanting to buy condoms
- Summer reminiscing over the MC's cock
- Summer wanting to do a lingerie shoot in the middle of the woods..
- All the conversations about chili.... (including chili related branching)
- Lea threatening the MC to cut his dick off if he'd ever betray her....
- And a million things more

Alright look, if this game would turn into a classic "teen" slasher/horror AVN, all of this would make sense. The characters, the dialogue, just everything. I mean, c'mon now, Summer getting beheaded or something during her lingerie shoot would be a perfect way to kick things off imo. You could even make some cheap summer's gone joke along the way.. But it's an AVN and that's all there is to say about this.... No fun ever!

Well, other than that, I suppose it works out fine as a pure porn game since it has good animations and all that, but...


- The intoxicating flavour

Game gave me some strong ** vibes so I pussed out after like 15 minutes....

 

[Drankz]

between Shards of the Past and Beyond Tomorrow which one is the more engaging of the two?

looking for next game to play

Beyond Tomorrow could be a good first story game in the future. But right now there are few choices and you don't have any choices that change the story. The relationships are already formed and for now you have no choice to change that.

It's also strange to me that incest is in the avoided tags. There is a clear interest/passion between the sister and her brother, mentioned in a memory. Why did the author put something like that? Maybe to “justify” why the sister is currently dating another woman? Because of that forbidden love? Using this is wrong in my opinion, even for me who doesn't really like games with female/lesbian protagonists.

 

[jufot]

[Simple Beginnings] Maybe this is a case for inspector Jufot to take over

I'll give it a go!

Alright look, if this game would turn into a classic "teen" slasher/horror AVN, all of this would make sense. The characters, the dialogue, just everything. I mean, c'mon now, Summer getting beheaded or something during her lingerie shoot would be a perfect way to kick things off imo. You could even make some cheap summer's gone joke along the way..

Damn, now I want to play an AVN in the Scream universe

There is a clear interest/passion between the sister and her brother, mentioned in a memory. Why did the author put something like that? Maybe to “justify” why the sister is currently dating another woman? Because of that forbidden love? Using this is wrong in my opinion

It sucks so fucking much that developers are asked to justify why they don't want to do incest. The brother and sister get along well, sure, but how is that sexual passion? Like seriously, wtf? How is it "wrong" to write a close sibling relationship without it being sexual?