We don't need explanations like what exactly were his thoughts. You can imagine, like you just did; I can imagine.
My main worry with that, is that my imagination won't line up with the dev's vision. It wouldn't be the first time that my assumptions cause a disconnect between what I'm thinking and feeling and the story a dev is trying to tell, and it ends up being frustrating.
No need. I just fill the gaps with my own preferences.
This is also what I do when there isn't enough information to roleplay. Then it's either self-insertion or throwing a die.
TMP does invite self-insertion more than roleplay, I think. Exactly because the MC is a relatively blank slate MC. With so little opinions or initiative, it's almost entirely up to the player to make choices based on their own preferences. In a way, it makes this game a "create your own story"- instead of a "choose your own adventure"- game.
But that's the point, right?
The lewd is why I'm playing this. The story is just there to make me really engaged.
The point of playing these games isn't unlocking the lewd and getting off for me. It's the journey.
In my head canon, my MC is tepid about Sarah pressuring him to get tested for CHD. He also doesn't drunkenly stumble into her bed (which I thought was a weird choice to make consciously). That this closes the route to her lewd doesn't bother me, I even applaud the game for providing these options. I think it makes for a better (personal) story.
His inner journey must be just believable enough, I don't need details.
But when you're authoring his inner journey based on the events the MC is exposed to and the choices you make... Isn't that entirely in your hands? Can you easily rewrite what you thought was his journey in your head, when events or choices aren't matching the
inner journey you're building for him? (Never mind, you answered this below.
)
Now, to be fair, I don't think there's a scenario like this yet... Maybe there's a "pick the least bad option" once or twice, but in the grand scheme of things, I don't take offense to those. I do worry that as the game grows and choices accumulate, that there will be cases of the
personal story not matching up with the game's direction. Either by the player misinterpreting things, or the dev not accounting for certain interpretations.
That said, from a narrative perspective, I see some signs that the dev will create "reset points" and will allow 2nd or even 3rd jump-on points. I'm confident that after being intimate with Sarah, the MC will have the "That was fun, but I don't want a relationship (yet)"-talk. Both to allow players to engage with other LI without feeling guilty about cheating, and to allow reluctant MCs/players to have a slower buildup.
It does require some brain work, and it might at times differ from what the author had in mind, so what?
You just accept that correction and move on - or not, if it's too much.
This is difficult for me.
In cases like these, I'd first try to default to the least bad option, but if even that one is entirely disconnected from what I built up in my head, then a break is needed.
We don't even know ourselves that clearly, as e.g. when I think about my life, my ex's etc., every time I give myself basically a different explanation.
It's not a catastrophe if you have to reevaluate and change opinions about yourself and your actions.
A wise man once told me that we're constantly evolving. In 10 years we'll think we were an idiot 10 years ago, and 10 years later we'll still think the same.
I think reevaluating myself is a given, but I'm also a product of infinite possibilities and infinite choices. I can't change my past, but I can rationalize it, or change/reinterpret my memories.
This all makes a basis for a very strong emotional connection, and it doesn't need much time to develop when you just click, like a lock and its key.
That's the thing... I didn't feel that click. I can rationalize it, but I didn't feel it. Their relationship, to me, feels utilitarian. Maybe every relationship is utilitarian in some way, and I'm just being too much of a romantic. Or maybe I'm just not picking up on the MC's love language.
When Sarah asked to cuddle, I rejected it at first. Her remark of
"I need to get you drunk first, got it.", which I thought was her hiding her disappointment with a joke, I still found tasteless. If jokes contain a kernel of truth, then she betrayed an intent there.
Later she'll kiss the MC while he sleeps, and say
"Next time we'll find you a more comfortable spot next to me." regardless if they cuddled or not, which biased me further against her. This, in addition to the regular namecalling just put me off of her entirely.
For instance, when they meet at the lake, she calls him a baby. I don't understand why she needs to insult (even jokingly) when she could've said "You're funny!" instead. They are strangers, she has no idea what his boundaries are... And part of me feels that the MC just lets it all slide because he's only there for the distraction. I also find it difficult to match these words to her otherwise kind and caring nature. I would expect her to use more positive language instead, building people up.
And, sure... She's lonely and probably oversteps because she's kind of
desperate. Maybe she thinks she needs to put the prospect of sex in front of the MC to entice him to make time for her... But I don't think that's an attractive quality, despite the possibility of her having genuine feelings for him.
For me, her seeming overbearing also conflicts with the MC's history with his mother. I don't think he wants to be mothered, he could very well have a disdain for it.
I would feel I want to process things first. Some people are extraverts, liking to express their feelings and such. Some prefer to let their shit settle down inside. Only then it becomes kinda tolerable to talk about it.
I'd say at the hospital I was too charged (so I chose to brush it off), and at the apartment I really didn't feel like switching this healing cuddling to a serious and sad talk.
Maybe it was a choice in an older version, but in the current version there's no choice to talk to the old man or not.
Or am I misunderstanding the event you're referencing?
Yeah, the MC is certainly more on the introverted side, I think. But this in turn says something about how he perceives Sarah. Maybe he doesn't feel safe enough with her yet, or considers she is in no condition to actually support him. His talk with Charlotte proves that he is able to open up and talk about it if the situation is right.
If retracting his hand from her breast would lead to a sad talk, that would be up to the dev to decide. Sarah deals with rejection by joking about it, she could've had a similar reaction as when the MC refuses the cuddle outright.
Yeah, OK, but you didn't object about talking to that old man in the hospital. I would imagine this the other way around: telling the old man to leave me be, but accepting the cuddling because it's nice and healing.
I might not be super thrilled with Sara as a sex partner, but I definitely like her a lot as a person and feel much sympathy to her.
When the man approached the MC, I wanted to turn him down. But after the conversation, I was glad we had it.
I thought the MC looking at all the empty seats was a nice touch, betraying him considering telling the guy to fuck off.
It indicated to me that the MC is someone who prefers to suffer in silence, but I think he was also grateful for the distraction, and likely considered that the man approached because he needed it.
Despite what I wrote above, I do agree that Sarah is a good person. She is driven to do good, she's kind, caring, and conscientious. But most of these qualities aren't necessarily witnessed by the MC. Her caring quality becomes (almost ?) overbearing toward the MC. And her drive and kindness caused her to burn out after Maddy's death. While I don't like these effects, I do recognize they come from a positive attitude. But with the MC never witnessing her at her best, is he in the right mental state to look deeper than how she portrays herself? If he's just there to be distracted, does he even care?
I also think she's too affectionate and overly familiar with the MC for the short time they've known each other, though this is likely informed by my own bias. For me, hugs and cuddling are intimate acts. Culturally, we only hug our loved ones occasionally, it isn't used as a greeting. Cuddling is reserved for children or an intimate partner.
