Recommending Story-first games

[bacienvu88]

I have no trouble with wish fulfilling story. When the children go to Narnia and it is revealed that they have magic abilities, that's clearly a wish fulfilling. We just crave to have our wishes fulfilled. It's not bad writing to grant it.

I agree with you that it would have been great to put Cassie in the context of co-workers and a workplace structure. But you are asking for a lot of resources from a developer who is working on this novel all by himself. The overwhelming majority of visual novels are basically stage plays, just like the movie "Dogville" with Nicole Kidman most set pieces are caricatures of what the real world would look like. Look the movie up on google, it's literally a stage in a theater and all buildings and structures are only depicted as chalk drawing on the ground. Still, the entire thing is extremely impactful.

What I don't think is reasonable is to expect that an aspect of the story that is only of marginal importance is fleshed out to the same degree as the actual core plot. Artemis is clearly NOT a story about corporate structure, it is about an individual or a group of individuals who manage to break away from it, by having unique abilities, personalities and resources available to them. I said that I think it's a dig at corporate structures and how they abandon people once they have served their purpose. You say that's not how it works in corporate structures. I've read an article a year ago where exactly this was described by someone who left it all behind. How people with a good idea get swallowed up in Silicon Valley and find themselves out of it within a year after their arrival, unless they constantly produce results. You say Cassie should have been out then... yes. That's true. It's kind of a plot hole.

Cassie's co-workers add nothing to this overarching plot though. This is why her interactions with co-workers (like the secretary) are only a caricature (or chalk drawing) interaction. Her relationship with her fiancé shows signs that she treats every relationship like a calculated enterprise and that is what we need to know about her as a human being, because that's defining her. Now you might say, this is not what a real person would be like, she is too one dimensional. A lot of people are one dimensional on the surface. That is why I appreciate that she is a black box. There is a lot going on that we don't know about Cassie. That doesn't excuse her deplorable character, but it gives her room to become more nuanced as the story progresses. It's possible that I will be disappointed by her character arc but right now a lot of it is speculation.

She just played the "game" to the best of her abilities with the ruleset that she was taught. I honestly believe you misunderstand her purpose in this respect. We don't know much about her interactions with others beyond her job description. During her interaction with that girl, she was disillusioned but benevolent. During her confrontation with the MC, she showed signs of a breaking facade. There is no real reason to expect that she will stay one dimensional. There is a risk for her to fall into convenient genre traps. But it hasn't happened yet.

You are reading too much into what I wrote. I only said that the game reads like wish fulfillment fantasy, not that it necessarily is bad (as basically every plot it depends on the execution). I didn't say that big tech aren't a soulless drain on human capital (in a lot of ways they are), I just say the way this corporation does things doesn't make sense. I didn't say that Cassie should have lots of screen time with her co-workers, just that they should exist. It is enough for her to refer to them sometimes (e.g. "My team came up with this idea that we could try" and so on).

But all of that is more or less beside the point. They just serve as examples. And that is my basic problem with the game: to me, there is a lot of small things I find not making sense, which in turn makes the whole plot fall into pieces.

I think I'll leave it at that, since it was too long ago I played the game so I don't remember all the details. And I am in no particular hurry to play it again.

 

[Éama]

I think I'll leave it at that, since it was too long ago I played the game so I don't remember all the details. And I am in no particular hurry to play it again.

I think I got your point though. I noticed when you talk about other VNs that you have very specific expectations when it comes to good VNs. I guess I'm just not as picky and as an anime fan I also don't mind tropes, unless they are toxic in nature. It wasn't really my intention to convince you, I just wanted to make my point clearer.

 

[bacienvu88]

I think I got your point though. I noticed when you talk about other VNs that you have very specific expectations when it comes to good VNs. I guess I'm just not as picky and as an anime fan I also don't mind tropes, unless they are toxic in nature. It wasn't really my intention to convince you, I just wanted to make my point clearer.

Yeah, I think you are right that expectations are a big part of it. The game starting with a huge betrayal I expected a game where the relationship between those two would play a central role. How they came to that point. How they interact from now on. Cassie could have easily been the most interesting character in the game. For example, one thing I speculated on in the early game is that her betrayal was a retaliation for something he had done to her to begin with (cheating or something else) and we have an unreliable narrator which would have made things much more interesting to me. But now the betrayal is mostly just back story and Cassie an evil antagonist.

I can be rather lenient with tropes etc. as well. But when games start to set expectations and lets them down I can be really picky.

 

[Regularus]

Some additional recommendations (i mean some titles not listed in the OP) for some story driven AVN that i really liked , with some description while trying to avoid spoilers :

A.O.A. Academy (abandonned)
I found the story of this AVN very interesting with a tension that increase progressively and engage the reader with many characters that have all have some depth that is explored as the plot move on.
additionally it has many paths depending on the LI that the MC focus on that unfold even more of the specific LI and allies backstory.
I still think this was a masterpiece in the AVN production in the making, a tragedy it was abandonned.

After the Inferno (completed)
While i had at first some difficulty to move past the design of the women faces with their exaggerated eye size, this AVN had a very good story in a medieval fantasy setting in which the MC is an actually likeable mercenary company leader stuck in the middle of a war between kingdoms. Many characters with their own motives , some hidden and some obvious that integrate very well in the storytelling.

Bare Witness (ongoing but soon completed)
While the story from the start attracted me with its interesting pitch with the MC being in a witness protection program and trying to make a living under his new identity (while still being under the threat of being discovered and killed), i really liked this one because of the characters that were all likeable and develop through the story some very well wrote relationship with the MC.

Between Two Worlds (ongoing)
It starts with a slice-of-life type of story telling the daily life of a MC with his girlfriend and their group of friends interacting in believable way with each other and regularly having some tabletop roleplaying sessions, during the story you start to notice some oddity here and there, that at some point will cease to be oddity but throw the group of friend life into something else.
Characters are nicely wrote and are believable in the way they interact.

City Of Broken Dreamers (ongoing)
A very good near future story mix with some inspiration from Blade Runner and other cyberpunk books.
With a cast of very interesting characters that join, antagonise or just try to do their own thing and survive the dystopian society, the MC is stuck with a mission that will turn into something else entirely and give him a chance of redemption for an ancient failure that haunted him all his life.

The DeLuca Family (ongoing)
A very engaging story that start with the MC getting basically forced due to some circumstances into a fictional world of mafia families that coexist/ignore or plot against each other with a cast of characters that integrate very well in the story as it progress. Characters are very likeable with their flaws and qualities and quickly you'll find yourself rooting for the MC and the friends he made within the DeLuca family
It suffers a bit from some characters that are shown as important early (especially one that is even presented as if he was going to be the "rival" of the MC in the family) and several of the family key-member through the town but for some reason are completely forgotten by the dev rather quickly and never even talked about after you meet them in the beginning.

Leaving DNA (ongoing)
This one really surprised me as i stumbled on it by luck, and was really amazed by the level of quality of dialogue and storytelling.
It's the story of an attorney that went through foster homes as a child, and start to investigate a crime that progressively reveal that it's connected to the family he never knew, making him trying to reconnect with a past that was lost to him in order to bring justice despite all the conspiracy that surround the crime.
The characters, his friend and interests are very well wrote and you're getting quickly immersed into the story.

The Neverwhere Tales (ongoing)
A MC with a normal corporate job progressively discover that there is a lot more to his own life, family and even to the world than he knew, another very engaging story that move the MC into a strange situation along lots of interesting characters that progressively reveal their true colors.

Projekt Passion (ongoing)
Truly good, very well wrote scifi story that mix nicely emotion, serious and humour .
The characters and the MC are all likeable individuals that will throw themselves into a story (that reminded me a bit of the tv series Firefly) that gets progressively more engaging as it progresses, with the MC and his group of misfits friends travelling through the galaxy with more problems going their way.

Zero End (ongoing)
Another one i ran into by luck, and another one that is a very good surprise.
Zero End is very inspired by those old Hellblazer comics with the MC being basically a young John Constantine-style of character that end into a strange academy surrounded by an interesting cast of characters that are all belonging to "All is not what it seems" with some having a strange past, hidden motives and various mental or physical issues .
All mixed with a conspiracy and enemies factions fighting around.

 

[Slick Bean]

Lets talk plain story here: Artemis is one engineering wonder that her owner, Kindra, uses multiple times as a sex doll.
That is a fact very well depicted in the game, graphic and hilariously. There is no point denying that before MC
gets his AI CODE in order, MC can impregnate Artemis while Kink remote controlls her, as is already depicted
as a major funny/sexy/kinky guilty pleasure for DJ Kink.
That is plain to see for me right now, as everyone havnig plaid the game can attest.

Artemis is kinda all over the place like that. I mean, it's also obviously building up to the player getting to impregnate the newly awakened/born android virgin girl.

This is no end game, is is perfectly feasible today, DJ KinK investing in making pregnancy alterations for Artemis.
They can sell Artemis as a IMPREGNATABLE SEX DOLL YOU GF CAN REMOTELY CONTROL FROM ACROSS THE GLOBE.

This would be A MAJOR SELLOUT TO EVERY ONE OF THE TOP 1% FILTHY RICH THAT ARE WEEKS OR MONTHS APART
WHEN GOING OFF ON THEIR BUSINESS BONERS.

Not to mention a real crutch to every cellebrity bimbo SEPARATED FROM HER BASKETBALL/FOOTBALL/RUGBY
MULTI-MILLIONAIRE HUBBY TODAY!

How about returning the favour by trying to be clear and concise?

You know this stuff drove a woman into suicide? Nice try being cute, though. You're a regular Goethe, I guess.

They just serve as examples. And that is my basic problem with the game: to me, there is a lot of small things I find not making sense, which in turn makes the whole plot fall into pieces.

as an anime fan I also don't mind tropes, unless they are toxic in nature.

Cassie could have easily been the most interesting character in the game. For example, one thing I speculated on in the early game is that her betrayal was a retaliation for something he had done to her to begin with (cheating or something else) and we have an unreliable narrator which would have made things much more interesting to me. But now the betrayal is mostly just back story and Cassie an evil antagonist.

Thjis is a really feasible business wildly exclusive and MOST ADVANCED ROBOTICS EVER SEEN TO DATE.

 

[bacienvu88]

Couple of games I played recently that I find interesting at least.

Cyberheart A Interesting premise with girl who has been experimented (think augmentations) on but fled. MC try to help her together with others (girls) who live there (it is an orphanage so no actual incest but has incest vibes). Story hasn't really taken off yet. What I like most about the game is the cosy atmosphere. Slow burn so very little lewd content. Harem, so usual caveats about that.

A Foreign World I think it has been mentioned here before. Also an interesting premise with women coming from a parallel Earth seeking refuge from horrible man (their Earth has very few men who are all powerful and rule the world). The women have powers too, but weaker than men in general. Unfortunately it is the MC who gets very strong to defeat the man from the other world, it would be much more interesting if it was the women who had to fight. Also harem (with too many women).

 

[Slick Bean]

Well .. play harder next time you dare shit on the fiery red head who is on par with the antagonist.

Unfortunately it is the MC who gets very strong to defeat the man from the other world, it would be much more interesting if it was the women who had to fight. Also harem (with too many women).

She just refuses to fight him because she was offered up as a slave to him by her king.
She also is afraid that by loosing to her ”owner”, he would then torture and kill her peers.
That guy is their king slayer. KILL jAIMIE ALREADY FFS!
The actual lore on that alternate EaRth is pretty messed up:
Old Testament Dads exchanghing their little girls to have them in their harems.

 

[realjitter]

Did read the latest Summer's gone chapter

To be honest, I don't know what i'm actually doing in this game anymore. I vaguely remembered that I played the Victoria route back then, but there was no content for her. That in itself isn't a problem, but the developer chose to casually introduce another 10 or so women. Like how is all of this supposed to work later down the line?. Sure, it's a 30+ year project, but still.. It's not only that, they also, from my perspective, start to blend in together. I'm really under the impression that the developer just has a thing for creating hundreds of pixel ladys... Because, lets face it, they're gonna keep coming, there'll be more and more....

This game needs more focus, imo. There are already 15+ characters, even some so called main LI's, who could've been used for new content, but nope.

As I mentioned, I felt pretty lost in this update. Like, am I supposed to be fazed about pornstar bookworm lady or the whole"cougar" bunch?. I just don't understand it. I'm sure if you're playing the Bella or Nami route the game feels more fluid, more sensical up to this point, but i'm not playing said routes..

 

[jufot]

This game needs more focus, imo. There are already 15+ characters, even some so called main LI's, who could've been used for new content, but nope.

It's one of many, many reasons why neither Summer's Gone nor Where It All Began will ever be finished.

 

[bacienvu88]

Did read the latest Summer's gone chapter

To be honest, I don't know what i'm actually doing in this game anymore. I vaguely remembered that I played the Victoria route back then, but there was no content for her. That in itself isn't a problem, but the developer chose to casually introduce another 10 or so women. Like how is all of this supposed to work later down the line?. Sure, it's a 30+ year project, but still.. It's not only that, they also, from my perspective, start to blend in together. I'm really under the impression that the developer just has a thing for creating hundreds of pixel ladys... Because, lets face it, they're gonna keep coming, there'll be more and more....

This game needs more focus, imo. There are already 15+ characters, even some so called main LI's, who could've been used for new content, but nope.

As I mentioned, I felt pretty lost in this update. Like, am I supposed to be fazed about pornstar bookworm lady or the whole"cougar" bunch?. I just don't understand it. I'm sure if you're playing the Bella or Nami route the game feels more fluid, more sensical up to this point, but i'm not playing said routes..

I think it has been clear that there is no focus since the introduction of the basketball stuff and then the RPG session. Thing is, Ocean is one of the best scene writers doing AVNs. Each individual scene is really well made. When all scenes are put together it just feels like a mess with just lots of stuff piled onto each other. Haven't played the latest update yet (or the one before). I'll probably play at some point for the individual scenes. I would love to see a standalone game of the RPG for example, but I don't think it really adds much to Summer's Gone. Personally I think Ocean's style would work better with short stories within the same universe. Then it wouldn't matter with all those disparate things.

 

[yossa999]

Did read the latest Summer's gone chapter

To be honest, I don't know what i'm actually doing in this game anymore. I vaguely remembered that I played the Victoria route back then, but there was no content for her. That in itself isn't a problem, but the developer chose to casually introduce another 10 or so women. Like how is all of this supposed to work later down the line?. Sure, it's a 30+ year project, but still.. It's not only that, they also, from my perspective, start to blend in together. I'm really under the impression that the developer just has a thing for creating hundreds of pixel ladys... Because, lets face it, they're gonna keep coming, there'll be more and more....

This game needs more focus, imo. There are already 15+ characters, even some so called main LI's, who could've been used for new content, but nope.

As I mentioned, I felt pretty lost in this update. Like, am I supposed to be fazed about pornstar bookworm lady or the whole"cougar" bunch?. I just don't understand it. I'm sure if you're playing the Bella or Nami route the game feels more fluid, more sensical up to this point, but i'm not playing said routes..

The scene in the reading club is the most confusing and crowded, that's for sure. It seems, my fears are coming true that the author will keep his long-standing promise and will really begin to scatter pieces of the puzzle, which will have to come together into a complete picture only at the end of the game. And given the large-scale plan of the game, this will not happen soon.

On the other hand, I'm glad he started crossing over storylines and characters from his other game, Where It All Began, which is also in development. I really hope this brings fans of each game together and makes them equally anticipate for updates for both games.

Before the book club scene, there are several major mysteries or challenges of the main story, such as what really happened to Summer, what is Nika and Nami's real origins, how did Nami and Sasha have the same halves of the earrings, and most importantly, will the MC manage to heal and leave the past behind.

But now so many more questions have been added by this only reading club scene that even a season of ten chapters will not be enough to answer them.

Spoiler

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Now Summer's Gone reminds me "Lost" TV show after the first season. There are so many characters, subplots, mysteries that I can't wait for the next season. Will Ocean be able to handle his own creation, that's the question.

 

[realjitter]

The scene in the reading club is the most confusing and crowded, that's for sure. It seems, my fears are coming true that the author will keep his long-standing promise and will really begin to scatter pieces of the puzzle, which will have to come together into a complete picture only at the end of the game. And given the large-scale plan of the game, this will not happen soon.

On the other hand, I'm glad he started crossing over storylines and characters from his other game, Where It All Began, which is also in development. I really hope this brings fans of each game together and makes them equally anticipate for updates for both games.

Before the book club scene, there are several major mysteries or challenges of the main story, such as what really happened to Summer, what is Nika and Nami's real origins, how did Nami and Sasha have the same halves of the earrings, and most importantly, will the MC manage to heal and leave the past behind.

But now so many more questions have been added by this only reading club scene that even a season of ten chapters will not be enough to answer them.

Spoiler

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Now Summer's Gone reminds me "Lost" TV show after the first season. There are so many characters, subplots, mysteries that I can't wait for the next season. Will Ocean be able to handle his own creation, that's the question.

I know that you're more active in the SG thread so maybe you can enlighten me a little . I gotta be honest by saying that I have no clue about the story since I don't follow WIAB. But what's so special about people from the other game appearing in SG?. What does it matter if some people are related or whatever?. Where's the mystery in all of that?. Are they part of some secret organisation?, a cult?, are they planning....something?.

I just don't get it. All I know is that summer's gone and unless, well, unless that particular part leads to some unexpected plot twists later down the line, maybe even some darker plot twists, I don't even know whats the story supposed to be outside of it being a dating sim. Which would be enough for me personally.., but appearently there's a
terrific story going on somewhere...

Again, I just don't see it at the moment. At the moment I just see the developer overburden himself by adding 1000000 "hotties" for no real reason, which I find a bit discouraging for what lies ahead.... I mean, it's no big secret that "the fucking" (lol) is gonna start soon and when you just look at how many women there are, this should turn into one big orgy in like 8 chapters from now...

I know that people bitch about the no sex stuff in this game , but c'mon, you have to be very blind not to see what's going to happen here at some point....

 

[yossa999]

I know that you're more active in the SG thread so maybe you can enlighten me a little . I gotta be honest by saying that I have no clue about the story since I don't follow WIAB. But what's so special about people from the other game appearing in SG?. What does it matter if some people are related or whatever?. Where's the mystery in all of that?. Are they part of some secret organisation?, a cult?, are they planning....something?.

I just don't get it. All I know is that summer's gone and unless, well, unless that particular part leads to some unexpected plot twists later down the line, maybe even some darker plot twists, I don't even know whats the story supposed to be outside of it being dating sim. Which would be enough for me personally.., but appearently there's a
terrific story going on somewhere...

Again, I just don't see it at the moment. At the moment I just see the developer overburden himself by adding 1000000 "hotties" for no real reason, which I find a bit discouraging for what lies ahead.... I mean, it's no big secret that "the fucking" (lol) is gonna start soon and when you just look at how many women there are, this should turn into one big orgy in like 8 chapters from now...

I know that people bitch about the no sex stuff in this game , but c'mon, you have to be very blind not to see what's going to happen here at some point....

I can't speak for others. I guess I'm thrilled to observe the big picture in dynamics, how different characters and events influence each other, how their storylines are intertwined, you know that butterfly's wings flapping thing. Why do people like it when their favorite heroes team up, why is it so popular? Of course you should be invested in these characters and their adventures, otherwise it doesn't make sense. And Ocean is good at making emotional connection between the reader and his characters.

It seems that several plots are developing in parallel. Competition for leadership in the ZPR college between athletes, rivalry between teachers, rivalry between colleges (ZPR vs MOR), something is brewing between the rich families of the city, Zanes vs Petrovs, but this is very vague now. Vic's storyline seems to go beyond the wheelchair kink. So the new "hotties" are parts of these plot lines. And if we take into account the dev's words that many events in the game take place behind the scenes and the MC perceives them through overheard conversations or evedropped scenes, then everything becomes even more confusing. Although so far I don’t see much of this game mechanic, perhaps he is just planning to add it.

But I think treating the game as a dating sim is one way to play it. And the problem along this way is exactly what you mentioned: “no sex.” If we are talking only about dating, then a romantic relationship must develop or they become boring. After all when I play Defending Lydia Collier just for the sake of lewds, the whole detective investigation side of the game becomes an annoying hindrance

 

[Regularus]

I appreciated the many additional small scenes that were added in the Summer's Gone rewrote parts but in all honesty i think the parts that were rewrote between 4.5 and 5.0 additionally removed a lot of what gave the characters emotions and removed important situations and setup that were rather crucial for the various characters psyche.

I didn't care at all if Ocean removed some of the renders of penis or vagina to try to sell some more in steam, but what mattered to me is that overall the rewrote parts are made for the worse unfortunately and some renders turned rather ridiculous in some of the scenes.

 

[idontdreamwhenisleep69]

The update was excellent. It always impresses me that I can be playing through and at no point am I sitting there wishing a scene or interaction would end. The vibes are immaculate. There are definitely some parts that don't make a ton of sense (like Bella randomly going topless for a few minutes) but they are easy to overlook because everything else hits just right.

I've played through a few newer updates of highly regarded games and haven't been able to keep that level of immersion, and often times skipping through dialogue that I find tedious. The new Hillside update for instance, I thought was a huge waste of my time.

 

[jufot]

Short Sad Stories chapter 7 is out on

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and chapter 6 should be out later today on

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[Sidartha_6]

Short Sad Stories chapter 7 is out on

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and chapter 6 should be out later today on

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Time to give that dev some more patreons then.
I love the atmosphere and dialogues in this game. In addition, the developer knowledge of how people normally react psychologically in similar situations.

 

[vneotpolemus]

Late to the party, but I have played Corporate Culture's latest update at last. Only wish it could be longer.

And our boy Edward is growing up.

 

[jufot]

Be a little... unpredictable! Right now you are like a murder mystery with two characters, and the dead guy didn't do it!

Thoughts on Pecker PI: The Curse of the Pearl Necklace? I'm really enjoying it so far.

MC is a pervy veteran turned private investigator, currently on his first job. He is eager, but not very good, which he decides to resolve by... reading Sherlock Holmes. He smokes and drinks a lot. Fairly standard noir comedy protagonist, really. His best friend Mike is a draft-dodging lawyer with a hot sister, who is also a lawyer. MC has minor PTSD and hallucinates his former sergeant, much to his chagrin. Very similar to The Unbroken's Davis.

It's a fairly horny game with ogling camera angles, sultry looks and such, but that fits well with the mood. The humour is more hits than misses, and it has a few gems like:

Ringo: Fuck! Ok, you know, checking out the ladies. 'Gus' wasn’t too interested, but there was a lot of beauties present. Shit was going to be like shooting fish in a barrel.
Ringo: Me and Gus dove right into it.
Detective Turis: "Gus and I"
Ringo: No, I’m pretty sure it was me and Gus, I was there, remember?

What's notable is that all the major characters are just so much fun. MC, Mike, various LIs, and a few suspects are all witty, intelligent and charming. The actual investigation is interesting on its own, but it's used more as a backdrop for all the lively character interaction.

Give it a shot, maybe?

 

[bacienvu88]

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

Just caught up on The Bite: The Revenant and I must say that I get more and more impressed by the game with every update. Characters are generally great. Choices are relevant as is the consequences. Not to mention that the overall plot and conflicts are interesting.

I agree with you on Hanna von Rauss. After that I was convinced I'll go with her. But then I remember the club incident. What was her objective there really? And though I think what she said was true, I don't think her plan is so simple to implement in pratice.

As for Carver, he seems like he is content with what he has achieved and mostly has lost his drive.

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.

I don't think there will be a "big baddie who just needs a hug". Her being unhinged I think is an act to a large degree. Not completely, because she does seem to enjoy it as well. But her act is there so that others will underestimate her while she is biding her time to do whatever it is she wants to accomplish.

And then we have Tea. Such a great little episode.