VN Ren'Py Summer's Gone [S1 Steam + DLC] [Oceanlab]

[Ilhares]

The story is complicated as hell already without her popping back up. "Summer's Gone" turns into "Summer Returns" and I'm out. Nami and I will go live on and island somewhere.

I guess for me it largely depends on the 'how' factor. Since we really know very little, there are plenty of scenarios that might fit. Hell, the best reason for Nami to be sorry about things could be because she told Summer's father where she and MC were at. Maybe even suggested they were being "inappropriate" with each other. I suspect most folks would understand a father losing his shit if he thought his little girl were in trouble, and that sort of rage and aggression would certainly explain the injuries sustained.

Maybe she(Summer) will come up again when someone reads about her father being released from prison.

See, we just don't have enough info of any sort to make conclusion or even halfass assumption about events surrounding her absence.

As such, despite Nami clearly being best girl, I am open to a return, if only for story closure as regards the trauma.

 

[Turret]

I mostly just REALLY hope Summer doesn't show up again. Bringing back characters after you've already built a life without them is a deal killer for me. The story is complicated as hell already without her popping back up. "Summer's Gone" turns into "Summer Returns" and I'm out.

I truly doubt that you will have to face this scenario. Ocean surely knows that when you use the trauma of a missing person in your story, as a vehicle to bring the MC to personal, hard growth, a return of the missing person would diminiss that development. That is a possibility in less severe situations, but in the scenario we see in SG, this is not really an option without devaluing some of Nika´s growth throughout the game. as said, I doubt Ocean will do this.

My current personal main theory on what happened is the Summer fell victim to the same criminal who was responsible for what happened to Bella´s Sis (I think Bella blames her innocent Dad for not stopping it, even if he had no chance to do so in the first place) and Sasha. Remember, Sasha´s scar is NOT a "Schmiss", such a scar would be elsewhere, where Sasha has her scar, a Mensur googlemask covers the face. While a a bit of her cheek could be from a Schmiss wound, the nose is full covered during a Mensur, so this scar cannot be from such an occasion.
So Sasha must have gotten this major scar during an attack on her.

 

[Crusader of Romance]

Play the old version if you can find it so you can see the good beginning and a stronger, darker MC.

Which version do you recommend?

 

[Vopeco]

I heard it was recommended to play an older version of the game the first time because he was forced to remove some music in later updates, what is your opinion on that?

I would recommend playing the Chapter 4 or maybe even the Chapter 4.5 beta, the 4.5 beta still has a lot of the old music I think. If you play the chapter 4 version your save should load right into chapter 4.5 full. However there is also new music that's been added you don't get with the Chapter 4 and I don't think it's in the Chapter 4.5 beta either but I'd still start with the older versions of the game then replay if you want with the Chapter 4.5 full. Chapter 4.5 full(latest download) also adds part of the Chapter 2 rework(way better renders and part story rewrite), so with the older versions mentioned you won't get that keep in mind, your choice.

 

[Crusader of Romance]

I would recommend playing the Chapter 4 or maybe even the Chapter 4.5 beta, the 4.5 beta still has a lot of the old music I think. If you play the chapter 4 version your save should load right into chapter 4.5 full. However there is also new music that's been added you don't get with the Chapter 4 and I don't think it's in the Chapter 4.5 beta either but I'd still start with the older versions of the game then replay if you want with the Chapter 4.5 full. Chapter 4.5 full(latest download) also adds part of the Chapter 2 rework(way better renders and part story rewrite), so with the older versions mentioned you won't get that keep in mind, your choice.

Thanks, I'll try Chapter 4 and then replay the reworked version.

 

[HogRocket]

Which version do you recommend?

It would have to be when Chapter 2 came out or before if I remember correctly. I have a version on my computer that was Chapter 3.5 and it already had the little kids and the spider. No teenagers making out in the shack and the police carting Summer off in the night. I wish I'd kept one of the older versions

 

[HogRocket]

I guess for me it largely depends on the 'how' factor. Since we really know very little, there are plenty of scenarios that might fit. Hell, the best reason foe Nami to be sorry abiut things could be because she told Summer's father where she and MC were at. Maybe even suggested they were being "inappropriate" with each other. I suspect most folks would understand a father losing his shit if he thought his little girl were in trouble, and that sort od rage and aggression would certainly explain the injuries sustained.

Maybe she(Summer) will come up again when someone reads about her father being released from prison.

See, we just don't have enough info of any sort to make conclusion or even halfass assumption about events surrounding her absence.

As such, despite Nami clearly being best girl, I am open to a return, if only for story closure as regards the trauma.

Yeah, I don't try and second-guess the devs much. It amazes me how much time and effort people put into trying to figure out all the tin-foil-hat-wearing level of conspiracy and intertwined story arcs they imagine. I pretty much just play and see what happens.

I do love wandering into a thread, dropping a plot grenade or two then running off laughing maniacally

 

[funkymonkeyjedi]

Play the old version if you can find it so you can see the good beginning and a stronger, darker MC.

I couldn't agree with you more if I tried.

I still have the original version, not sure I'll ever get rid of it. The remade scenes so far are disappointing. Making some models look more 'fake' than they already did by making them more fat as if they were all on a diet, and I don't mean for losing weight, more like for adding weight... If the next update brings more disappointments, that'll be it for this title as far as I'm concerned.

I'd have been less disappointed if this VN simply had ended up with an "Abandoned" tag to it, instead of watching it get butchered (I realise that's a pretty strong sentiment and I'm sure it's not indicative of Ocean's worth, but the title had such an amazing kick-off). Sure the renders may look nicer, but the flavor has been lost imho. SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO much time wasted redoing shit that never even needed to be redone, what a horrendous decision that was.

Kinda pointless to even mention any of this now...
I can only hope Ocean has some amazingly sexy rabbit to pull out of his hat to make up for the time wasted.
*shrugs*

 

[Deleted member 5644832]

I couldn't agree with you more if I tried.

I still have the original version, not sure I'll ever get rid of it. The remade scenes so far are disappointing. Making some models look more 'fake' than they already did by making them more fat as if they were all on a diet, and I don't mean for losing weight, more like for adding weight... If the next update brings more disappointments, that'll be it for this title as far as I'm concerned.

I'd have been less disappointed if this VN simply had ended up with an "Abandoned" tag to it, instead of watching it get butchered (I realise that's a pretty strong sentiment and I'm sure it's not indicative of Ocean's worth, but the title had such an amazing kick-off). Sure the renders may look nicer, but the flavor has been lost imho. SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO much time wasted redoing shit that never even needed to be redone, what a horrendous decision that was.

Kinda pointless to even mention any of this now...
I can only hope Ocean has some amazingly sexy rabbit to pull out of his hat to make up for the time wasted.
*shrugs*

disagree , i think the new version so far have a better story where the dev explains the plot better , and flows way better than the previous ones , also the renders are better as well , the only downside is the removed cutscenes , just that , because storywise is flowing better than the previous version so far.

 

[legend_shon]

isnt this game was about vampires and has freeroam?

 

[rudy007]

isnt this game was about vampires and has freeroam?

no... and no...

 

[legend_shon]

no... and no...

found just now, this was another

 

[Don Sucio]

I truly doubt even a "dark Nami" teenager could do this to her friend and the brother she adores and loves. Hiding Summer´s body so well she is never found and keeping the act up with Nika for years.
For that she would have to be a total psychopath, for which we have no evidence and even then it is a stretch. Nami is many things but that is not the Nami we know so far.

That's right... it's very hard for a girl like Nami to do all those things and still be free... but maybe she blackmails Summer into leaving, but this doesn't explain Nika's injuries, I'm very interested to know the truth about all this.

 

[Don Sucio]

Nami was already in love with Nika when they were kids/teenagers. With Summer gone, she has no rival vying for Nika's attention and I guess she could find some horrible relief about that, making her more conflicted in her role in Nika's life.

About this, Nami could bring out her darker side again if Nika start dating Bella, Nami would has a rival again... this could be dangerous. It would be interesting to see a fight between Nami and Bella, both of them are conflictive

 

[rudy007]

About this, Nami could bring out her darker side again if Nika start dating Bella, Nami would has a rival again... this could be dangerous. It would be interesting to see a fight between Nami and Bella, both of them are conflictive

We (and all scientist) could finally find out what happens when an irresistible force meets an immovable object...

 

[RNasc4444]

Which version do you recommend?

Personally, I find that the earlier versions without the reworks were the better ones. Anything you can find from chapters 1 and 2 should be great. From chapter 3 onwards it started going downhill for me. That said, taking into account you have less content in the earlier versions, the best of all worlds in my opinion would be chapter 4.5 (not the full version, the previous one) with original music and animations (like Nami's attempt to punch Bella) all restored.

Chapter 4.5 Full and all the changes that the rework introduced knocked SG out of my top 10 for now. A mighty fall from a game that was my #1 for almost 2 years...

 

[funkymonkeyjedi]

disagree

We can agree to disagree.

i think the new version so far have a better story where the dev explains the plot better , and flows way better than the previous ones also the renders are better as well

That's subjective, very subjective. Having more recent models/assets doesn't mean 'better' by any stretch of the imagination. Nicer isn't always better. Let's look at a title like "Now and Then" for example, some of crappiest assets were used, but the story is brilliantly written.

because storywise is flowing better than the previous version so far.

Story had zero issues before being rewritten (again this is a very subjective take on it, as literary appreciation is unique to each reader/player). I followed it just fine. In fact I relished it's initial complexity and darkness. Dumbing it down, once again, does not mean better.

And let me be clear, I'm by no means trying to take a dump on Ocean here. I know he's a competent creator. I know how complex a VN can get in it's story planning stages and how tedious playing with Blender can be. Ocean is not an idiot which begs my next 2 questions. Why even get hung up on forcing yourself to redo so many characters after they'd had already been established? Why the fuck would you paint yourself into a corner inside a round room, Ocean?

Meh, perhaps I'm not expressing myself properly, but either way, this has already been discussed to hell and back.
So, I'll go grab me some Tylenol and coffee, and try to wake up. Hangovers never agreed with me either....

 

[rudy007]

That's subjective, very subjective. Having more recent models/assets doesn't mean 'better' by any stretch of the imagination. Nicer isn't always better. Let's look at a title like "Now and Then" for example, some of crappiest assets were used, but the story is brilliantly written.

Agree. Good renders are not equal good story.
But you mentioned Now and Then and bad assets. I disagree. N&T was made with Honey Select, not DAZ. Autor of N&T was trimmed for speed, not pretty renders. He made 20-30 new minutes of gameplay per month and you could set a clock how exact he was. Today you can't find a game with so much content per month. (I speak about visual novels, not sandbox, in VN you have to make every new scene, sandbox is usually just grind between few scenes, you get longer play, but without any real progress in game) And his renders are good for HS. Sound could be called weakness, But HS is in my eyes a good choice. It's a completely different style, HS is like manga, DAZ has more real characters, but I like both styles.

 

[funkymonkeyjedi]

But HS is in my eyes a good choice. It's a completely different style, HS is like manga, DAZ has more real characters, but I like both styles.

I can't disagree on that.
HS certainly has it's place. And that style of renders was a perfect fit for that VN. N&T wasn't meant to be 'pretty' anyhow given the darkness of the story being told. It kinda made Walking dead look childish in comparison. So HS assets was a perfect fit.

Not only that, you can also tell that creator has some form of artistic background just by how some scenes were framed and presented. A LOT of creativity went into that VN.

But I digress.
Back on topic.

I really want SG to be a great story and adventure. I got attached to many of the earlier characters before they got turned into a cartoon-ish result with the girls and the stupid 100, 8, 100 body dimensions. What's next? giving the MC a 16 inch long dick with a 9 inch girth and a bulge like he's walking around with one of the twin towers in his pants? I'm just so sick of seeing such a stupid style be overused by every other fucking VN, who the fuck is deranged enough to even find that appealing? So I'm hoping the story turns out to be fucking spectacular.

 

[rjmm]

About this, Nami could bring out her darker side again if Nika start dating Bella, Nami would has a rival again... this could be dangerous. It would be interesting to see a fight between Nami and Bella, both of them are conflictive

Yeah. And this also could happen with others LIs too. I don't see Nami dong well with the older ladies or having conflicting thoughts with someone she likes, like Vic, when her jealousy starts to bare its teeth. I think in the end, I see Nami as more possessive character who will have degrees of problems with any LI that isn't her.