Well, IMHO that's because the game fundamentally isn't about the relationships with the girls. Much as I love this game, it's primarily about the MC juggling all those relationships to keep them hidden. The individual relationships are a necessary condition to produce the conflicting affairs, not the goal in and of themselves. I think that's why the game occasionally struggles when the MC turns down sex. Those situations are effectively edge cases that are more about covering loose ends (or assuaging mobs of unruly internet pirates...
) rather than advancing the underlying romance.
Fortunately our devs do a pretty good job covering those loose ends (probably because they're real gluttons for punishment). As a result, the bond with each girl is still sufficiently fleshed out that they work well enough in their own right. Which is good because I'm just not interested in the doomed non-harem route.
I think my list would be:
- Lily
- Jenna
- Angel
- Jolina
- Debbie
- Katie
- Wanda
- <This space intentionally left blank>
- Monica
- Natasha
- Elaine
- Bella
- Zarah
- Theresa
I didn't care for Wanda at all prior to Chapter 19, but her new subplot is sufficiently interesting that I was willing to modify my Angel run to see what happens if I play around with Wanda as well. It was definitely a big improvement in her presentation.
Monica is a good character (once she stops drinking like a fish), I just can't see the MC in a sexual relationship with her at all. Elaine and Bella are marginal characters undermined by how insanely suspicious they are. (To be fair, Jolina has some serious red flags too, but she herself is more appealing to me which helps compensate. Plus she's better integrated into Jenna's story.)
Zarah made a bad first impression and every time I've tried to give her another chance she instantly makes the situation uncomfortably sexual, long before I can get get any feel for what makes her tick; at this point she's burned her bridges pretty thoroughly. Theresa could be interesting if I thought there'd be an opportunity to make her a better person rather than indulge in her hypocrisy, but I see no sign of that.
Interesting you say that, because for me Katie is the one that feels forced.
I really want to like Katie; her mix of sincerity and sarcasm looks great on paper. But the problem is that she tends to mock what I find heartwarming, and all but demands the MC take seriously things I find snarkable. To me, it comes across less like a rough-and-tumble girl willing to show me her tender side, and more like an overbearing act meant to hide her profound insecurities.
There are moments where Katie feels genuine (the bathroom duet in Chapter 20, for example), and in those moments she's very appealing. The rest of the time, though... no thanks. Perhaps things will improve as we approach the end?
She'll still give you some snark about being sensitive if you turn down the three/four-some to be with her - even if you've been completely faithful to her alone the whole game. It's not a major problem, but it does subtly contribute to the impression that Katie is a barely controlled bundle of lust and jealousy who views the MC more as her toy rather than an equal partner.
