I think, he is refering to the Kaija love path.
Oh another point to consider, and not meant as an attack to anyone, we all talk about Kaijas dishonesty, but not about ours (MC) i want to know how much of the players here did a Kaija Monogamous path, or do the same for the other girls (meaning not getting the Hot scenes spread trough out this chapter)
I have three save paths for the game, all monogamous. My "main" path went for Kaija since I generally try to accept it when an AVN sticks us with a starting SO. There's obviously a lot of work that needs to be done, but I'm willing to give Kaija a second chance since she was caught in something of a no-win scenario (on the love path, anyway). The other paths are for Fiona (my favorite thus far) and Elea (likeable, but just not clicking for me).
While their paths have been slow, they're deliberate and 'emotional' enough that it feels natural to focus on only one girl at a time. Medb is interesting as a frenemy, but not someone I have any desire to romance, and none of the side-girls have been particularly appealing, either. So this is one of the easier AVNs to maintain monogamous paths in.
Yeah, I think one thing this game does well is create groups that aren't monolithically good or evil. The Templars arguably do some good things, but they also essentially indoctrinate people from when they are children. I think that's another reason I'm okay with forgiving Kaija; I know how hard it can be to break free of that indoctrination. And as you said, on the love path there's early signs that she's gaining some clarity there.
My ideal route I think with Kaija would be a neutral MC that eventually convinces Kaija to join him there, and the two of them get the Templars and Elves to collectively pull their heads out of their ass to address the third-party threat.
Eh, I'm less keen on the presentation so far. Neither group is monolithically good or evil, but that's because both are pretty monolithically neutral. The Templars talk a big game about protecting humanity, but they provide zero details and seem hopelessly incompetent. The Alfar, meanwhile, are litigious xenophobes with a chip on their shoulder who do everything Kari assured us they wouldn't.
Both groups seem to be entirely focused on protecting their own nebulous interests to the exclusion of all else. Any action they take, individually or as a group, is either tied up with those interests, or is a whim by one of the members that costs them nothing. The closest we've seen to a "moral" decisions from any of them is Kaija helping Medb's group fight off the hellspawn - and even that is potentially part of her job! If we had a better understanding of their goals (or the threats they face), we could potentially have an "ends vs means" debate about their actions, but we do not.
We have seen a variety of attitudes and temperaments from the members of each group, so in that sense I agree they aren't monolithic. But as far as their "alignment," they've been pretty one-note.
I generally take the perspective that alternate paths aren't canon unless you're on that path, since motives and whatnot can be so different. In my mind, the Kaija that saves you because she's ordered to is a different person than the one that abandons her mission to save you. They are "alternate universe" versions of each other.
So yeah, my perspective is from a Kaija love path. It's the path on which the decision of whether or not to forgive her matters the most.
Kaija is a reflection of the player's attitude towards her. By wanting to forgive her, Kaija is retroactively made worthy of that forgiveness. By wanting to reject her, Kaija is retroactively made deserving of that castigation.
It's a neat trick, but it does make debates about her motivations somewhat circular.
2. I concede to your word soup point in that she may have obeyed the letter of the law, but she certainly didn't obey the spirit of the law. Jumping in to that relationship was only going to end one way for the MC emotionally.
Very true, but like most emotionally-charged matters, logic wasn't involved.
We know Kaija was a genuine childhood friend to the MC so it's not hard to see how she could resolve to keep things platonic while protecting him, only to get caught up in a growing mutual romantic attraction as the two spent more and more time together. It wasn't a single conscious decision, it was a string of intuitive decisions that eventually led to a crisis - one that didn't have an acceptable solution. She can't explain her reservations without spilling the beans (which still might not solve the problem since the MC's family ARE the Templars), and given the Council's attitude previously it's not like they'd change her duties she asked them for a reprieve. Even trying to bury her feelings would be difficult since the MC would want to know why she was suddenly so guarded around him.
Frankly, it's no wonder Kaija was sending mixed signals to the MC at the start of the game. (On the love path, anyway. On the hate path it's still not surprising, but it's more a case of Kaija being unable keep her personal disinterest from bleeding into her role as loving girlfriend.)
