I tend to agree that a lot of criticism on this site can be of the unhelpful variety. I personally don't think that the wife's aversion to giving oral sex isn't necessarily mutually exclusive from her having given three consecutive ones in the past. In fact, it may be a contributing factor. When we are teens we are given to doing things under the pressure of our peers we normally wouldn't, and what may be enjoyable in the moment may be a source of shame upon reflection. So I don't think that it is bad storytelling.
When giving thoughtful storytelling critiques it is useful to decide upon a critical lens to look at the story through that is discrete from your personal inclination. The surface level is "it didn't work for me" while the critical analysis is "It didn't work and this storytelling strategy might fix it." I think that the objections raised, while valid, could be entertained with extrapolation and corrected with very few lines of dialogue.
If I may quote from Mambrol "The concept of trauma, itself a source of critique, is generally understood as a severely disruptive experience that profoundly impacts the self’s emotional organization and perception of the external world." In other words, trauma can be anything that prevents us from reconciling what has happened to us with our identity or sense of self. So when we are young even a consensual sexual encounter can be a source of trauma if the individual in question can't square their actions with their self-image. We don't have to navel-gaze too much to understand that performing an action will have a tendency to make us recall previous iterations of ourselves where we performed that action. It is clear that there are things in her past, perhaps beyond what we have seen, that she would rather forget.
So this story seems to be one of a woman who has overcorrected in perhaps an unhealthy way due to some degree of trauma in her past. The story going forward could be her efforts to move past her hang-ups or it could be one of her falling inter previous unhealthy patterns in an effort to reclaim an identity that was taken from her in some way. Either way, it is an interesting wrinkle to the story and cannot be characterized as bad storytelling. At least from where I am standing.
I think many peeps judge things (such as this game) from their own perspective and either approve or disapprove - and that's their prerogative. However, what I don't understand is the necessity to damn others based on their personal views. We all have preferences, in all things, and we can all add comments. But why do it in an insulting and derogatory fashion. Surely, the most basic way of expressing personal choice is to choose whether to play a game or not to play it. I don't mind if peeps don't play this game - in fact I don't know how many have rejected this game as being not for them. But it's not written for them, to convert them. It's for people like me - who think like me.
If peeps hate the game, or the premise of it, just don't play it. It deals with an emotive issue which some find difficult but I see no value in assaulting it. Being aggressive will have little reward. I won't change because of it, nor will it change those who like it - regardless of any vitriol poured on it. What genuinely beguiles me is those who fairly obviously don't like the game, and yet play it, and then feel the need to tell the board about it. A few likes are obtained from similarly minded people who also play a game which they will dislike - and then agree that they don't like it. It doesn't make sense to me, and tbh it seems like a waste of time too. Is it worth getting angry about? It won't change a thing, really, it won't. If you just don't like it - delete it and move on, and be secure in the knowledge that others agree with you and also don't play it. Why tell me? Perhaps we need to accept people's differences and accept that we might not agree with them.
What is different is if peeps are disappointed that it doesn't live up to their expectations - that they had hopes which weren't fulfilled. In which case, say so. However, it would seem more constructive to say 'I like the game - but I think this bit could be better - and this is how.' This game is my first - it will inevitably have technical and literary issues. So if there are bugs, tell me. If you feel that the writing / balance could be tweaked, tell me. If you feel let down - tell me. I will listen - but only if you're nice about it.
