VN Ren'Py STWA: Unbroken [Book 1 Steam] [STWAdev]

[Anus Mundi]

Does anyone else have the issue where you are invested in the overall story but you honestly can't remember who you are romancing? Every update I am at a loss as to which of these women I am trying to go after, if at all.

Yeah, especially games with a shitton of possible routes and - for that matter - saves. For those cases i have excel files with routes, points and stuff.

 

[hampsure]

Eh, I'm wound too tight. I have issues with a coach being in a relationship with his student, or a client being in a relationship with his lawyer, or a "big brother figure" being in a relationship with his "kid sister figure"

Interesting... not quite as tightly wound but definitely occasionally come across relationships/routes that would just feel wrong to me because of the situation. While the student/teacher thing doesn't bother me, the student in this one was written a bit too overly childish for me which was my tipping point into being a no-go.

I am so glad that STWAdev writes visual novellas that I can actually see the end of before I keel over.

As someone else with increasingly limited time these days for games (in general but including AVNs) the proliferation of more and more AVNs being released in some variation of "seasons" is something I understand but am also driven nuts by.

 

[TimHawk]

Yeah, but if it takes long enough then, at some point (if not multiple times), the dev will feel compelled to "update" all the models and animations. I am so glad that STWAdev writes visual novellas that I can actually see the end of before I keel over.

That's the best thing about DPC, the past doesn't bother him and I can't even tell you how much I wish that would be a common attitude among all developers. He developes his models on the fly, constantly improves on his skills and quality level and let's the past be the past.

Maybe to rake in the dough once BaD is fully completed he will release a "remastered" version on steam where everything gets an overhaul. But imo that's exactly how it should be, FINISH a game and THEN update/remaster/remake/whatever it, just like this dev does with "the author", I can totally respect that, but all those others who can't even get 25% of a game out before their own ego and greed kicks in and they have to "remaster" a fraction of a game is soooo scammy.

 

[Walter Victor]

Jeez that's dedication, J. Edgar would've been proud .

Out of curiosity, how big is that file for BaD ? 75MB ? .

Nah, a mere 7MB. The whole folder only takes a mere 64.1MB, but a lot of that is old (back to 2014: Jungle Call, Whakawai Under the Spotlights, etc.) and could be deleted, if I wanted to take the time.

J. Edgar was an amateur.

 

[TimHawk]

Nah, a mere 7MB. The whole folder only takes a mere 64.1MB, but a lot of that is old (back to 2014: Jungle Call, Whakawai Under the Spotlights, etc.) and could be deleted, if I wanted to take the time.

J. Edgar was an amateur.

Compared to you ? YES

But holy moly 7MB for a single game is ... crazy, but then again it's a 55GB game so it does make sense. If I would somehow lose my savefiles, I don't think I could be bothered to play through all of it AGAIN.

It really is unbelieveable that as an "Industry" we have gotten to a point where 6 Months update cycles are the norm. I really hope that I'm still around when the next huge change happens, like away from Renpy to a new engine that can fully utilise the ever growing AI assisted rendering. Just imagine what that would do for our little world, when things like lighting, backgrounds, foregrounds and poses are done by an AI in a fraction of the time it takes a human.

 

[cxx]

Does anyone else have the issue where you are invested in the overall story but you honestly can't remember who you are romancing?

check who has most love points?

 

[MrFriendly]

check who has most love points?

Whoa... You have to be all logical and stuff (I never thought of that, <sigh>, LOL).

 

[hampsure]

Whoa... You have to be all logical and stuff

Yeah, if it weren't for the sense of humor I might be convinced by now that cxx could be an advanced bot/AI powered by some pretty messed up version of ChatGPT or something.

 

[ename144]

Does anyone else have the issue where you are invested in the overall story but you honestly can't remember who you are romancing? Every update I am at a loss as to which of these women I am trying to go after, if at all. I have to use process of elimination to come up with a list of possible suspects but even then I can't rule out the idea that I may have done a "pervemon" and tried to collect them all.

That hasn't been a problem in this game since very few of the girls interest me romantically. It was down to Elspeth and Kana - then Kana jumped the rails with that bizarre sex in Part 5. Now I'm not sure any of them are going to make it to the finish line. Very disappointing, but it does at least make the logistics simple.

I take notes for every game I play; I store those notes in separate files for each game in a dedicated folder. These notes contain the descriptions of characters, as well as choices made, and for some games a whole lot more.

Sure makes it a lot easier when you play a bunch of them, even if the creation of those notes takes some time.

I really should start doing that. The problem is that it seems like a waste to start on new games, but by the time I know I like a game enough to keep a log I'm well into it and need to reconstruct everything I've done.

Guess I just need to bite the bullet and make it a habit.

 

[hampsure]

That hasn't been a problem in this game since very few of the girls interest me romantically. It was down to Elspeth and Kana - then Kana jumped the rails with that bizarre sex in Part 5. Now I'm not sure any of them are going to make it to the finish line. Very disappointing, but it does at least make the logistics simple.

Yeah, it can be a blessing and a curse. It's disappointing and yet saves so much time/thought when you've narrowed it down to one LI by virtue of losing (or never gaining) interest in the others. In a way, I envy you that. I often feel like I need to see almost all the content a game has to offer that I'm at all interested in (not sure if it's my OCD or I am just a "pervemon" lol) and usually have less hangups about what doesn't work for me in potential LIs. Personally, I'm at the stage of feeling like it could be a tough decision between Elspeth and Vi for me (though that could change) but I'll still want to "do" most of the other routes (save one) at this point still. I'm still even curious to see if Ines becomes a contender at all or if she'll be a side/additional character in someone else's route.

 

[DirtyMario]

That hasn't been a problem in this game since very few of the girls interest me romantically. It was down to Elspeth and Kana - then Kana jumped the rails with that bizarre sex in Part 5. Now I'm not sure any of them are going to make it to the finish line. Very disappointing, but it does at least make the logistics simple.



I really should start doing that. The problem is that it seems like a waste to start on new games, but by the time I know I like a game enough to keep a log I'm well into it and need to reconstruct everything I've done.

Guess I just need to bite the bullet and make it a habit.

Same boat. It's just Elspeth and maybe Ines I'm interested in. Keeps things nice and streamlined. But is a bit telling about the dev's ability to design and write captivating LIs. There are other games where I keep juggling 5+ saves.

In a way, I envy you that. I often feel like I need to see almost all the content a game has to offer that I'm at all interested in (not sure if it's my OCD or I am just a "pervemon" lol) and usually have less hangups about what doesn't work for me in potential LIs.

Well, that's what gallery mods are for. So many AVNs, so little time.

 

[TimHawk]

That hasn't been a problem in this game since very few of the girls interest me romantically. It was down to Elspeth and Kana - then Kana jumped the rails with that bizarre sex in Part 5. Now I'm not sure any of them are going to make it to the finish line. Very disappointing, but it does at least make the logistics simple.

LI's in this game really are strange, I don't think I've ever played a game where, when I was done playing I was like "yea, decent game" but didnt know if I would want the MC to end up with any of the LI's.

Els is obnoxious, weird and everything has to happen on her terms. And on top of that, that pool blue-balling was uncalled for and a total bitch move.

Really liked Kana a lot but you are right, that sex scene was creepy as fuck. It felt like she was using the MC like a sextoy, and the entire thing was super one-sided for a sex scene. She may be salvageable, but it doesn't look good.

Vi and Amrith are better suited as little sister/friends for life to the MC, he depends way too much on them to get better.

Leaves Serena and Ines. Age difference would make Ines a bit iffy, but manageable, she seems to be a really cool girl. Obviously its entirely possible that she also has some demons buried in her past and turns out to be unsuiteable as a gf aswell.

For Serena however it's just lack of content that isn't fucking that's holding her back. She takes care of Vi, seems to be loyal with a good heart and a great friend. I hope we get that date soon that you can agree to waaaaaay back, would love some content other than sex. Right now she seems like the only ( maybe Ines ) viable option I could see the MC end up with.

 

[Elduriel]

LI's in this game really are strange, I don't think I've ever played a game where, when I was done playing I was like "yea, decent game" but didnt know if I would want the MC to end up with any of the LI's.

Els is obnoxious, weird and everything has to happen on her terms. And on top of that, that pool blue-balling was uncalled for and a total bitch move.

Really liked Kana a lot but you are right, that sex scene was creepy as fuck. It felt like she was using the MC like a sextoy, and the entire thing was super one-sided for a sex scene. She may be salvageable, but it doesn't look good.

Vi and Amrith are better suited as little sister/friends for life to the MC, he depends way too much on them to get better.

Leaves Serena and Ines. Age difference would make Ines a bit iffy, but manageable, she seems to be a really cool girl. Obviously its entirely possible that she also has some demons buried in her past and turns out to be unsuiteable as a gf aswell.

For Serena however it's just lack of content that isn't fucking that's holding her back. She takes care of Vi, seems to be loyal with a good heart and a great friend. I hope we get that date soon that you can agree to waaaaaay back, would love some content other than sex. Right now she seems like the only ( maybe Ines ) viable option I could see the MC end up with.

plus there isn't a point system in place for Serena so she's probably not a real LI either way

 

[ktunga]

i dont know any game where gad an Li so perfect that was impossiible to say no ,the good thing about swta ladys is that any of them are the perfect doll or the perfect housewife ,in the end even is a game is like real life situations ,no complain from me so far

 

[TimHawk]

plus there isn't a point system in place for Serena so she's probably not a real LI either way

$ serenafriend = 0
$ serenalover = 0
$ serenafwb = 0
$ serenainterestingirls = 0

It's in there alright, just hasn't been used yet, which makes sense given the total lack of content other than sex. But im hopefull, she could be a late start.

 

[Elduriel]

$ serenafriend = 0
$ serenalover = 0
$ serenafwb = 0
$ serenainterestingirls = 0

It's in there alright, just hasn't been used yet, which makes sense given the total lack of content other than sex. But im hopefull, she could be a late start.

gotcha, I just went with how in the WT there aren't any choices/points for Serena... we'll see but so far I'm not that optimistic... if those parameters are recent addition that could be a plus, but they could also be a legacy sort of thing that just wasn't used in the end

 

[MrFriendly]

That hasn't been a problem in this game since very few of the girls interest me romantically. It was down to Elspeth and Kana - then Kana jumped the rails with that bizarre sex in Part 5. Now I'm not sure any of them are going to make it to the finish line. Very disappointing, but it does at least make the logistics simple.

Yeah, I forgot about that... I also can't go Elspeth, the MC will spend his entire life with an inferiority complex if he were to have a relationship with her. She is better at everything except (maybe) MMA. Maybe the cute baker girl who is flirting with the MC is where I will go...

I really should start doing that. The problem is that it seems like a waste to start on new games, but by the time I know I like a game enough to keep a log I'm well into it and need to reconstruct everything I've done.

Guess I just need to bite the bullet and make it a habit.

Maybe I need to start a log on Google Keep when I start a new game, but only new games by developers I actually trust to finish their games... Like STWAdev and... So umm, I guess for these games. I don't really play any other games by established developers anymore.

 

[hampsure]

Well, that's what gallery mods are for. So many AVNs, so little time.

If only that did the trick for me.

LI's in this game really are strange, I don't think I've ever played a game where, when I was done playing I was like "yea, decent game" but didnt know if I would want the MC to end up with any of the LI's.

Do you think in this game it's how the LI's are portrayed or more the MC himself? He comes across as extremely passive in a lot of the situations. I mean, I get that it's part of what he's going through but it's to the point where other parts of the story are trying to progress regardless of that and it affects the perception of those he's involved with. Seems like you blame Els for not jumping him and Kana for doing so too enthusiastically. I'm kidding, but do want to recognize that he's not been blameless himself.

Serena... we'll see but so far I'm not that optimistic

She also did lose a bit of cred now that we don't have to visit her to see the real best girl.

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[misfolk]

Maybe the cute baker girl who is flirting with the MC is where I will go...

Imagine listening to her dirty talk every time you have sex.

 

[TimHawk]

Do you think in this game it's how the LI's are portrayed or more the MC himself? He comes across as extremely passive in a lot of the situations. I mean, I get that it's part of what he's going through but it's to the point where other parts of the story are trying to progress regardless of that and it affects the perception of those he's involved with. Seems like you blame Els for not jumping him and Kana for doing so too enthusiastically. I'm kidding, but do want to recognize that he's not been blameless himself.

That's a very fair question and probably hard to answer for any game thats still being developed with us knowing only parts of the story, but I'll try.

As far as Els goes, it gets worse every episode. The first real 1on1 Interaction we get is at her new apartment and tell me how often has it happened in your life that you needed to tell a friend that you wanna hang out more one on one for it to happen ? I mean that's supposed to happen naturaly/organicaly but for Els it feels like she just fliped a switch in her head and now all of the sudden she wants more 1 on 1 friend time and opens up, its eerie and a bit creepy.

Then the tit for tat question thingy, I get that it's most likely a tool (imo very poorly) used to enhance the story, but man it's the opposite of friendship. Friendship is about doing/sharing things without expecting anything but friendship in return and now those 2 are caught in a loop of "Yea okay, but only if you do it too." I was very pleased that we had the option as the MC to put an end to it, in the car ride back from the garage and I hope that really does end that disaster of a friendship dependency.

Then how she treated her dad. Dude gets out of the car, greets them, says ONE sentence about MC's car and she goes bitch mode. They go inside, he asked about MC living with Allister and she goes bitch mode again. MC and her dad talk about the military and she gives him the stare of death. Not even all of those combined justify her reactions to each of those by themselves. It's like she goes nuclear at the slightest chance of losing even the tiniest bit of control and I HATE control freaks.

The pool scene - everything that happens is her doing : she goes to the pool, undresses and jumps in and then says something along the lines of "happy ? its rare to get me naked!", but the MC didn't get shit, it was all her from A to Z and now she expects a fanfare and a firework display ? That scene felt like the MC is supposed to feel grateful that she graces him with her almighty knockers, almost as if she has that entire scene backwards.

Completely breaks the MC's trust by using her old intelligence contacts to get the MC's file, now I get she wants to help, but the ends doesn't justify the means, this constant theme of her believing she knows better than anyone else is triggering. If she wants the MC to come clean and share, earn it - the hard way, the RIGHT way, but you don't go behind your supposed friends back against his wishes, that was again a total bitch move.

And finally the constant switch between hot and cold. "I'm very fond of you" vs "...under the delusion that I'm interessted in you.", "care deeply about you" vs "I'm immune to your flirting" at the garage she gets mad for the MC flirting and then when they go christmas shopping she gets all hand holding in the cinema and on the street. She has to make up her mind and either not hold back because she's afraid the MC will say "no" or just be the best friend she can be, the back and forth is super anoying.

Like right now, she is at the very bottom of the pile for me, I wouldn't even trust her to heat up Lasagne for the MC.

As for Kana, it's really only the sex scene that was super bad, and I can understand that one can blame the MC for being passive as soon as anything gets real, but we have ample confirmation that the dude knows how to fuck, he literally makes every woman he touches have her eyes roll back into her head, but here he acts like a blow-up doll. As I said, I believe Kana is salvageable, and there is nothing wrong on principle with having a girl thats aggressive in the sack, but I sure hope they have a more balanced sex life moving forward, because that scene just lacked any and all intimacy or balance.

As for the MC, he's clearly still hung-up on Zaina on top of his myriad of other problems, in particular blaming himself for literally everything, which admittingly is getting really old too, but I guess that's part of the main arc and we just have to live with it untill the game offeres a solution to it.

Vi or Amrith would, in many ways, be perfect, but I just can't see them as viable GF's because they are 2 very important pillars that hold the MC upright and allow him to heal. Plus the whole big brother angle makes it feel just not right.

So here's hoping for Kana 2.0, Serena or Ines to turn into women that could give the MC what he needs and deserves.