VN Ren'Py The Neverwhere Tales [v0.7.0] [Ceolag]

[falconhawk223]

-She belongs to a kingdom that distances itself from the other kingdoms, particularly the MC's.
-Her faction is at war with the faction to which the MC's family belongs.
-She is currently mourning the death of her daughter.

That's not really what I meant. I meant why wasn't she written in a way that allows for her route to start earlier. The last two points are true now but werent true at the start of the game. It just seems like a waste to me. The dev intentionally choose an exteremly long build up for whatever reason and I just don't feel like it works. At the moment the only reason why I even know shes a love interest is because she has a point system and she's on the banner. Honestly it really feels like this game only has 3 LI instead of 4

cause you don't rush with old people

I mean that didn't stop Fiona

 

[Rehwyn]

I don't agree with this it makes sense narratively, when the dev is the one who wrote it that way. The dev could of easily written her in a better way and gave more content to her.(Not sex, just relationship progression)

Let's be real 99% of people only play these games cause of romance and sex. The Stories are good, but you can get stories anywhere, romance is why we play these games.

So when a LI is treated like less and will really only get a very small amount of content, and a ending, that just feels bad. Just make her a side girl in that case. The dev has just completely and utterly dropped the ball on Medb in my opinion.

It's actually incredibly common in romance novels for the "will they/won't they" tension to last well into the late acts before they get together. That said, I do agree that it usually would start earlier - but that's the case for novels with a sole love interest.

Keep in mind that Ceolag anticipated 10-12 Chapters total for this Book in the Q&A earlier this year, so there's up to potentially 5 Chapters left still for development. And I suspect that if you go with the Alfar, you will have a lot of time with her next Chapter.

That's not really what I meant. I meant why wasn't she written in a way that allows for her route to start earlier.

Probably because Ceolag is a story-first writer, in general. And honestly it would take some extreme narrative back bending to try to justify Medb starting to thaw much earlier.

 

[falconhawk223]

It's actually incredibly common in romance novels for the "will they/won't they" tension to last well into the late acts before they get together. That said, I do agree that it usually would start earlier - but that's the case for novels with a sole love interest.

The problem I have is that it doesn't even feel like a will they won't they. I know Medb is a love interest only because I've been told she is. Otherwise I would have viewed all her interactions with Alex as completely platonic, especially after befriending Finnabar

 

[Dr.TSoni]

That's not really what I meant. I meant why wasn't she written in a way that allows for her route to start earlier. The last two points are true now but werent true at the start of the game. It just seems like a waste to me. The dev intentionally choose an exteremly long build up for whatever reason and I just don't feel like it works. At the moment the only reason why I even know shes a love interest is because she has a point system and she's on the banner. Honestly it really feels like this game only has 3 LI instead of 4

Diversify the LIs, each one brings something different even if similar to another LI

 

[MagicMan753]

It's actually incredibly common in romance novels for the "will they/won't they" tension to last well into the final Act. That said, I do agree that it usually would start earlier - but that's the case for novels with a sole love interest.

Keep in mind that Ceolag anticipates 10-12 Chapters total for this Book, so there's up to potentially 4 Chapters left still for development. And I suspect that if you go with the Alfar, you will have a lot of time with her next Chapter.

Yeah, maybe, but 4 chapters is still way, way too little time in the grand scope of things. Its just not enough time to actually get much of value in my opinion.

I don't know, dev should of just made her a side girl, with how late development is starting with her. People want to see the the relationship of the chosen girl, not just a ending.

I guess it also sucks cause it feels like this has been happening a lot lately with many games I like. I just feel like my number 1 or 2 girl in these games lately have been treated like side girls, while every other girl is getting content except the one I like. Its just exhausting and starts to wear on you. I just wish these devs would treat their LI's a little more equally.

 

[falconhawk223]

Diversify the LIs, each one brings something different even if similar to another LI

I don't really get how diversifying justifies the unnaturally long build up. She was already plenty diverse just because of her faction. There wasn't any real reason why her route couldn't have started in chapter 5.

Probably because Ceolag is a story-first writer, in general. And honestly it would take some extreme narrative back bending to try to justify Medb starting to thaw much earlier.

I disagree. I think chapter 5 could have been rewritten in away that allows for more romantic development. It would be way to early for them too have sex I agree, but as I said before all of her interacts seem platonic and not romantic. If she had more of a focus in chapter 5 it could work a lot better, but for the most part all she really does in chapter five is exposition.

 

[Rehwyn]

I disagree. I think chapter 5 could have been rewritten in away that allows for more romantic development. It would be way to early for them too have sex I agree, but as I said before all of her interacts seem platonic and not romantic. If she had more of a focus in chapter 5 it could work a lot better, but for the most part all she really does in chapter five is exposition.

It could have, though I'd personal think a few weeks is still quite fast for someone like Medb who's hated the Templars for something like 800 years.

Finn also had a hatred for a long time, but it was still not nearly as long and was borne from propaganda rather than a deeply personal reason. And given her younger age as well, I can see her shift as being more believable.

But most significantly, more romantic developments in Chapter 5 with Medb probably would mean MC likely wouldn't have had the same connection to Finn, and clearly Ceolag wanted there to be a strong emotional impact there if a reader is on a pro-Alfar path.

 

[falconhawk223]

I'd personal think a few weeks is still quite fast for someone like Medb who's hated the Templars for something like 800 years.

Then make it longer than a few weeks

But then MC likely wouldn't have had the same connection to Finn, and clearly Ceolag wanted there to be a strong emotional impact there if a reader is on a pro-Alfar path.

I agree that the connection wouldn't have been as strong but I feel like you can still build a strong connection with Medb taking more focus in that chapter

 

[Raziel_8]

cause you don't rush with old people

Fiona is way older

It's just that she doesn't even live on earth, neither on good terms with humans, add some hate for templars and that her time with the MC is already very limited.
The pacing of their relationship building isn't slow, they just had barely any time together...i really hope this changes, as is she can barely called a LI.

 

[Rehwyn]

It's just that she doesn't even live on earth, neither on good terms with humans, add some hate for templars and that her time with the MC is already very limited.
The pacing of their relationship building isn't slow, they just had barely any time together...i really hope this changes, as is she can barely called a LI.

Yeah, that's really what it's boils down to. I suspect that will drastically change next Chapter though if you go with the Alfar.

Some relationships have had the advantage of being able to grown in small increments because they live in the same world as MC (Fiona, for example). Medb, by nature of where she lives, basically has to develop in spurts.

 

[motseer]

I don't really understand why Medb has so little content

Time moves at a completely different rate where she lives. In fact, Medb and MC have been fucking for weeks now. We just don't know it yet...

 

[Knightcvel]

The problem with Madb is that it's very difficult meeting her. The opportunities will happen only once in a long while. If we followed Fiona's or Kaija's path we won't see Madb even in the next chapter.