VN Ren'Py Completed Sunshine Love [Ch. 3 v1.01i Extras] [MrDots Games]

[DA22]

That's the thing, he did want it. His dream job was to be a lawyer. He lost the job at his law firm and his girlfriends offered him one at theirs with the only problem being he couldn't start until after summer.

He's spent years at law school for that.

No it was not his dream job, it was the dream job of his father and of Nicole, which he then attempted to be great at to please them. Well at least that is what I took away from episode 1.

Yes to me when I played episode 1 it was clear the game was also about MC to become independent from the life his controlling father and his nicer extension in game Nicole wanted for him and overcome his trauma's from youth with help sister and other lifestyle and make better choices for himself besides having possibly a lot of sex and/or a new love in his life. Now that was my take on the way game was setup in episode 1, feels you have a different one.

 

[DA22]

I could totally see that. The way she reacted the last time the MC and her had sex kinda suggested she was having doubts but if that's thre case that's a damning little wee peak at how the developers are handling the game. I get it's Agile and all but that's a pretty big thing to suddenly feel the need to ram in.

As I think I said earlier, unless Nicole actually comes down to where the MC is, she's basically an anchor on the entire story as it becomes less a porn game and more a shitty hotel management game where you don't actually do any hotel management.

Well that Nicole was intended as an early anchor was quite clear from the start, just it seems they had not thought through how they wanted to remove that anchor when needed for game or like I said changed their opinion on her during development, leading to what we got in episode 3.

 

[DA22]

That's the thing, he did want it. His dream job was to be a lawyer. He lost the job at his law firm and his girlfriends offered him one at theirs with the only problem being he couldn't start until after summer.

He's spent years at law school for that.

Did you play all those early scenes in episode 1 that hinted at his trauma's and the part with the cousin of Sis at pagoda? Think if remember right that last explained that Nicole and his father were the motivation for law school and not an internal burning passion of MC. Also do you really think it was a coincidence it always rained in early part of game when he was in the city or that that might have been a hint.

Besides the job Nicole got him is a dead end. No renowned office would hire a failed candidate at another office for serious advancement, unless much later and that person would have proved himself in University world, big cases at smaller firm with lots of publicity or had gotten a very interesting network commercially speaking. In the rare and unlikely case they might consider him a real prospect despite him having failed at comparative firm, he would have come in at his experience level and not a starter position. Jeff knows that world so I am pretty sure that was on purpose he got that position and nothing better.

 

[kameohawk]

That's the thing, he did want it. His dream job was to be a lawyer. He lost the job at his law firm and his girlfriends offered him one at theirs with the only problem being he couldn't start until after summer.

He's spent years at law school for that.

Sorry, I understand he worked for the job he had but the whole point was to get senior partner or whatever it was called. When he didn't, those years of effort were wasted as he was then sacked. That will have quite an impact on a guy, to work for a goal only to have it ripped out from under you and then suckerpunched again by being told that it nothing you did, but it down to politics. Oh and you're being sacked. You would begin to question everything at that point. Do you want to continue to be in an industry which will discard you like that?

Also, he was not offered a job. To quote Nicole, "my boss may (my emphasis here) be able to give you some kind of work at my firm, most likely an entry-level position" So not only does he need to start at the bottom again, it's not even guaranteed he'll be given work after the summer. What even is an entry level position at a law firm? Make the tea? Make photocopies? Would he even want that?

Even if he did want that and did decide to simply start again, there's no guarantee that after working his way back up to the position he was in with his old company, that he wouldn't find himself in the same position as he is now. Only this time he's older with a few years of other, up and coming staff behind him jockeying for the same positions. Would you do it all over again in the hope it would work out the second time around?

Also, again to quote the MC "But once I met Nicole, and I saw exactly how enthusiastic she was about wanting to be a trial lawyer, I never looked back after that." So he wanted to be a trial lawyer because Nicole was. Wanting to do something because your partner at the time does it is not a great foundation for basing your entire life on. If Nicole was to suddenly not be in the picture, then priorities might shift, such as deciding to jump careers from a cutthroat job which treated you badly in a toxic city environment to instead living on a sunny beach running a hotel.

 

[kameohawk]

Well that Nicole was intended as an early anchor was quite clear from the start, just it seems they had not thought through how they wanted to remove that anchor when needed for game or like I said changed their opinion on her during development, leading to what we got in episode 3.

Playing episode 1 again, she comes off very toxic. She's very short, there's a lot of the MC wishing she was nicer or kinder in his internal monologue. I really think the act of moving to help out at the hotel was meant to be the break point but they kinda went "na fuck it".

Feels like they went to throw the anchor overboard only to then keep hold of the rope and be dragged over with it.

 

[DA22]

Playing episode 1 again, she comes off very toxic. She's very short, there's a lot of the MC wishing she was nicer or kinder in his internal monologue. I really think the act of moving to help out at the hotel was meant to be the break point but they kinda went "na fuck it".

Feels like they went to throw the anchor overboard only to then keep hold of the rope and be dragged over with it.

Well to be fair Nicole has loads of stresses as well and does seem to care but shows it in a kind of rotten way in episode 1 , but yeah the relation feels kinda toxic for MC especially in episode 1, partly due to his own past as much or more as of Nicole per se and like I said it almost looks like direction for Nicole changed after episode 1.

Just it did not work for many and in my opinion was not thought through well with how MC and game was setup in first place if that were the case.

 

[Real Kreten]

No it was not his dream job, it was the dream job of his father and of Nicole, which he then attempted to be great at to please them. Well at least that is what I took away from episode 1.

Yes to me when I played episode 1 it was clear the game was also about MC to become independent from the life his controlling father and his nicer extension in game Nicole wanted for him and overcome his trauma's from youth with help sister and other lifestyle and make better choices for himself besides having possibly a lot of sex and/or a new love in his life. Now that was my take on the way game was setup in episode 1, feels you have a different one.

No, it wasn't his father's dream job. MC's father planned his career in the Navy. MC was led practically according to his father's timetable, until he met Nicole. Nicole was the first to free him when she aroused an interest in him that had nothing to do with his father.
Nicole never forced an MC into a career as a lawyer. She can hardly be blame for the fact that MC has never had the opportunity to properly explore what he would like to do in life.

 

[DA22]

No, it wasn't his father's dream job. MC's father planned his career in the Navy. MC was led practically according to his father's timetable, until he met Nicole. Nicole was the first to free him when she aroused an interest in him that had nothing to do with his father.
Nicole never forced an MC into a career as a lawyer. She can hardly be blame for the fact that MC has never had the opportunity to properly explore what he would like to do in life.

No it is not her fault, if any rather MC's though he might have had no other real choice with his trauma's. So I prefer to blame Gerald and to a lesser extent Ashley for that actually. Still that does not mean she was not setup as more or less an anchor and dead end in episode 1 by the devs and that was not a really healthy relationship for MC anymore in my opinion, without attaching blame purely to Nicole or circumstances.

 

[Real Kreten]

MC now has the opportunity to find out what he wants from life and with which woman he wants to grow old.

He had a certain interest in a lawyer, just as everyone can think of many professions before choosing. The player can choose with him what his path should be in future.
I spoke because the goal could be the life of a lawyer with Nicole by his side as well as anything else.

 

[Maviarab]

That's the thing, he did want it. His dream job was to be a lawyer. He lost the job at his law firm and his girlfriends offered him one at theirs with the only problem being he couldn't start until after summer.

He's spent years at law school for that.

I would argue more that it was Nicole's dream job and she coerced him into...but we know Nicole can do no wrong in your eyes (the only person in this thread) so naturally she had NO influence whatsoever on him..at all...

 

[kameohawk]

I would argue more that it was Nicole's dream job and she coerced him into...but we know Nicole can do no wrong in your eyes (the only person in this thread) so naturally she had NO influence whatsoever on him..at all...

I don't think she coerced him. If anything he coerced himself because of her. He simply saw she was passionate about it and then decided it was something he was passionate about. To quote the MC

Well I studied law from the age of eighteen. I think my Dad really wanted me to follow in his footsteps by joining the navy. But once I met Nicole, and I saw exactly how enthusiastic she was about wanting to be a trial lawyer, I never looked back after that. We pretty much encouraged and supported each others career goals for nearly all that time.

He seems to suffer from some kind of self-esteem issues. Like a kind of reciprocal liking problem coming from his broken home. As he never had a successful female connection growing up, he has developed a mechanism of liking the same things that a woman he's interested in also likes and strives for simply as a way of making sure they like them back. If they do that then its unlikely they will leave them. Couple that with him being able to use this to rebel against his missing father figure and his plans for the MC then it's a perfect storm of transplanting someone elses goals and considering them his own.

Unfortunately he has invested so much into that fascade that when it finally crumbles, the connection the MC and the other person starts to show strain. I mean, to quote the MC again;

It’s been tough seeing her go to court everyday and then to come home to tell me all about it. I’m happy for Nicky sure, but I just want to have that experience and that position...so I can tell her about my day with the same enthusiasm…

He even admits to himself the reason he wants all this is because Nicole has it. He never states it's his goal, he just sees what Nicole has and wants it too. He simply wants to come home and do what she does, be enthusiastic about his day. Every time plans or goals are mentioned it's Nicole who mentions it.

"After you get this position today then we can travel and live anywhere we want".
...
"When we buy our dream house then you will never have to water the lawn

The cracks are being shown here because everything they have is what Nicole wants and the MC is suddenly becoming unsure if it's truly what he wants. He starts to dream of threesomes because it's different from what Nicole wants. He starts to worry they they haven't really been on holiday in an age. He is beginning to realise there may be more to life than what he initially thought and that's why getting away from Nicole is probably for the best as it means he can focus on himself (although to be honest he also seems to suffer from the same issue with his step sister as her passion is the hotel and that quickly becomes his too heh).

Also I fear I may have given this too much thought....

 

[Maviarab]

I don't think she coerced him. If anything he coerced himself because of her. He simply saw she was passionate about it and then decided it was something he was passionate about. To quote the MC



He seems to suffer from some kind of self-esteem issues. Like a kind of reciprocal liking problem coming from his broken home. As he never had a successful female connection growing up, he has developed a mechanism of liking the same things that a woman he's interested in also likes and strives for simply as a way of making sure they like them back. If they do that then its unlikely they will leave them. Couple that with him being able to use this to rebel against his missing father figure and his plans for the MC then it's a perfect storm of transplanting someone elses goals and considering them his own.

Unfortunately he has invested so much into that fascade that when it finally crumbles, the connection the MC and the other person starts to show strain. I mean, to quote the MC again;



He even admits to himself the reason he wants all this is because Nicole has it. He never states it's his goal, he just sees what Nicole has and wants it too. He simply wants to come home and do what she does, be enthusiastic about his day. Every time plans or goals are mentioned it's Nicole who mentions it.



The cracks are being shown here because everything they have is what Nicole wants and the MC is suddenly becoming unsure if it's truly what he wants. He starts to dream of threesomes because it's different from what Nicole wants. He starts to worry they they haven't really been on holiday in an age. He is beginning to realise there may be more to life than what he initially thought and that's why getting away from Nicole is probably for the best as it means he can focus on himself (although to be honest he also seems to suffer from the same issue with his step sister as her passion is the hotel and that quickly becomes his too heh).

Also I fear I may have given this too much thought....

Think you pretty much nailed it.

 

[Dragon59]

No it was not his dream job, it was the dream job of his father and of Nicole, which he then attempted to be great at to please them. Well at least that is what I took away from episode 1.

Yes to me when I played episode 1 it was clear the game was also about MC to become independent from the life his controlling father and his nicer extension in game Nicole wanted for him and overcome his trauma's from youth with help sister and other lifestyle and make better choices for himself besides having possibly a lot of sex and/or a new love in his life. Now that was my take on the way game was setup in episode 1, feels you have a different one.

I also see the MC's arc as finally finding his own strength. He went from a dominating father to a controlling girlfriend ("I'm not controlling, I'm just written that way."). His sister may be a bit coercive in that she needs him to rescue her, but I see it as a path for him to find his own strengths. He started by compromising to make her happy, but he's starting to become really interested in the success of this project, and not just to make his half sister happy.

MC now has the opportunity to find out what he wants from life and with which woman he wants to grow old.

He had a certain interest in a lawyer, just as everyone can think of many professions before choosing. The player can choose with him what his path should be in future.
I spoke because the goal could be the life of a lawyer with Nicole by his side as well as anything else.

I expect that's why Nichole was kept on as long as she was. It is about the MC making choices for himself. I think the devs wanted MC to have the illusion that returning back after the summer was still a viable choice. By breaking up, he will now be committed to the hotel for the long term and not just for the summer. It may be seen as a choice, but making the break-up inevitable after choosing the open means that one choice, one door will be closed. I would have preferred MC to realize this was his passion, to choose this path rather than it being forced on him once again.

 

[Dragon59]

Also I fear I may have given this too much thought....

You're not the only one...

Your assessment seems spot on. I see the underlying theme of SL as MC's discovery of his own passions and desires. Not only the obvious sexual ones, but for his life as well. Yes, Nichole probably did not start out seeking to dominate and manipulate MC, but perhaps she not only got used to his compliance, but perhaps even came to resent it. They had an unhealthy dynamic that kept him passive, yet punished him for it.

I see this game as a journey of discovery for the MC, not only seeing new relationship possibilities, seeing how these different women approach relationships differently, but also discovering himself. He's already started to make decisions for the hotel and telling his half-sister about them after rather than checking in for permission every time.

Yeah, if you've given this too much thought, join the club.

 

[yltohawk]

In this new setting that the MC has found himself in where he is finding out who he really is, this could spark a renewed interest from Nicole in the long run. As you say he had become passive in their relationship. But he is showing his dominant side now. He has gone from a sub male under the control of Nicole, to the dominant protector of his sister, and taking control of this project. I have found that an Alpha woman grows to resent a passive man. It goes against their internal wiring, (I'm sure I will be called out on this but here goes) A woman needs to be able to feel that she is protected, if you add a less than Alpha to the relationship she ends up controlling the relationship and it becomes stale quick, roles are reversed and she becomes the protector of the relationship. A woman at first enjoys this position but soon discovers that the responsibilities that fall upon her about the relationship soon tax her to a point where she want's to find a way to escape, not understanding that she secretly want's to be the submissive, and wants to feel protected, to which the MC in the past was not providing. This new found assertiveness of the MC could be the spark that draws Nicole back to the MC like a moth to a flame.

 

[Dragon59]

In this new setting that the MC has found himself in where he is finding out who he really is, this could spark a renewed interest from Nicole in the long run. As you say he had become passive in their relationship. But he is showing his dominant side now. He has gone from a sub male under the control of Nicole, to the dominant protector of his sister, and taking control of this project. I have found that an Alpha woman grows to resent a passive man. It goes against their internal wiring, (I'm sure I will be called out on this but here goes) A woman needs to be able to feel that she is protected, if you add a less than Alpha to the relationship she ends up controlling the relationship and it becomes stale quick, roles are reversed and she becomes the protector of the relationship. A woman at first enjoys this position but soon discovers that the responsibilities that fall upon her about the relationship soon tax her to a point where she want's to find a way to escape, not understanding that she secretly want's to be the submissive, and wants to feel protected, to which the MC in the past was not providing. This new found assertiveness of the MC could be the spark that draws Nicole back to the MC like a moth to a flame.

Exactly. That is what I feel I am seeing in this game.

I imagined that Nicole would see the new MC after the summer and would want him back. Presumably, in the faithful path, he'll still develop his strength, but I would imagine the dating route would accelerate/enhance that process.

 

[yltohawk]

Exactly. That is what I feel I am seeing in this game.

I imagined that Nicole would see the new MC after the summer and would want him back. Presumably, in the faithful path, he'll still develop his strength, but I would imagine the dating route would accelerate/enhance that process.

I also see him pitted against his old boss in a battle royal of sorts that will cause Nicole to look at the MC as something more that what she thought.

 

[RewindWorld]

Just wanted to say to dev/team... You guys make good stuff.

 

[Grimtown]

both known and already reportes issues - confirmed though
each way: thank you for mentioning

These two also known?


While running game code:
File "game/01_day_01.rpy", line 3257, in script
s"HOW ARE YOU DOING BACK THERE [y_name]?"
Exception: The displayable with id 'what' was not given the exact contents of the what variable given to the say screen.

&

While running game code:
File "game/01_day_01.rpy", line 3270, in script
s"WE’RE NEARLY THERE [y_name]!"
Exception: The displayable with id 'what' was not given the exact contents of the what variable given to the say screen.

On the scooter ride to town.

Just started playing, so in case I encounter any more bugs, is this a good place to post them?

 

[Hyperserver]

These two also known?


While running game code:
File "game/01_day_01.rpy", line 3257, in script
s"HOW ARE YOU DOING BACK THERE [y_name]?"
Exception: The displayable with id 'what' was not given the exact contents of the what variable given to the say screen.

&

While running game code:
File "game/01_day_01.rpy", line 3270, in script
s"WE’RE NEARLY THERE [y_name]!"
Exception: The displayable with id 'what' was not given the exact contents of the what variable given to the say screen.

On the scooter ride to town.

Just started playing, so in case I encounter any more bugs, is this a good place to post them?

best to report bugs/issues on our discord, as the devs rather read over there than over here. (based on previous shitstorms and senseless discussions, they mostly ignore f95 since then)