VN Ren'Py Where the Heart Is [S1 v2024-07-10 BETA] [CheekyGimp]

[NotNeeded!]

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[acewinz]

I don't think the game encourages us to cheat on everyone with everyone, at least not directly. The MC's internal dialog aside, the game is pretty even handed about the many opportunities we face: we know we can try it, but it's also made clear there are reasons trying it might end badly. It's definitely up to us how much trouble we're willing to court.

That said, I do think the game tends to assume we have been sleeping around. There's rarely alternate dialog (much less an alternate scene) to handle situations where a would-be trap is entirely harmless. For example, even if the MC never had anything to do with Katie, Lily or Debbie - even if he left in the middle of the beach house sleepover - he'll still **Gulp** (and monologue about needing OJ's defense team) when Katie asks to talk with him the next morning.

In the grand scheme this sort of thing isn't really a big deal, but when it happens consistently it does contribute to the sense that a solo run is playing the game 'wrong.' It's rare that the game acknowledges an MC who has been entirely above board; avoiding the big orgy by declaring love for Debbie or Lily alone is the only major occurrence I can think of so far. Otherwise, things tend to play out as if the MC has something to hide regardless of what his actual situation is. Even seemingly loyal actions, like declaring his commitment to Katie in Episode 20, are undermined by the way the MC will behave exactly the same when he intends to talk Debbie and Lily into continuing their respective affairs in private. Sure, our choices can technically prove our words true, but how important is that when the game will still react as though we had our fingers crossed?

I'd love it if the game had more chances for the MC to commit proactively to his chosen path. Imagine how different the game would feel if an MC who was only dating Lily called her to set up the date in Episode 22 rather than the scene everyone else gets where she reminds him of his promise. Even if the rest of the conversation and subsequent date played out the same either way, it would instantly make the solo path feel distinct and meaningful.

Now the reality is that would require a whole bunch of additional code to handle extra branches; it's arguably a poor use of resources given how few players are likely to play solo routes. So I'm willing to pick my battles. As long as the game will ultimately let us play a loyal solo path through our actions, I can live with the fact that the MC will adopt the sketchiest possible portrayal of loyalty he can find.

But if the devs happen to encounter a low cost opportunity to highlight when an MC has taken a path less traveled, I hope they'll seize it.


All praise the quick start system!

That said, I have noticed one awkward thing about it: when the game asks us additional questions after setting the basic quick start parameters, those questions are specific to the episode being started. There's no sense of continuity. For example, Episode 22 asks us if we did anything with Mabel at the carnival in Episode 18, because Mabel appears in Episode 22. But if you started Episode 21 instead, the game won't ask because the information wasn't relevant then. This means that if you continue that quick start into Episode 22, you'll never get to choose what happened with Mabel because the game never asks you.

Instead of coding each episode with specific list of questions, it would be nice if each question was flagged with the episode in which it first becomes relevant. That way the game could run through a single list of all the questions and ask the ones that matter. From the above example, the question about Mabel would be asked when starting any episode after 18. For bonus points you could also list an episode where the question stops being relevant (so that if, say, Mabel was dropped from the game after Episode 22, you wouldn't need to ask about her in subsequent episodes).

Then again, I have no idea how much programming time that would take. Maybe it's not worth worrying about when we're closing in on the end?


I think you do a good job handling the vast amount of choices in the game. The cast is too large to add alternative content for every rejected opportunity. Even if you somehow did, people who also skipped the alternative would be right back in same boat. Less eventful episodes is an unavoidable consequence of rejecting opportunities. The question is how to make the choice feel relevant despite the lowered runtime. As I said above, I think the best way to compensate is to add a few small tweaks to normal dialog/art that acknowledges the difference when such alternatives are feasible.

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[acewinz]

Did eek! games copy a character; Click the link and scroll and look at the bottom left character.

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Probably not, a lot of Daz models have some default settings that can look alike unless you tweak them. IIRC Intertwined also used Katie's base model for one char. Just something you get used to with Daz. Just like you can find Jolina's base in other games, and especially the "Mom/Landlady" from Dreams of Desire (she is everywhere!) Haha, and Perv's Tales from the Unending Void had their Purple Futa Alien (a side villian, not the one that joins you) come out looking like Elaine (at least above the waist), and as far as I am aware it was just a fluke.

We try to do a lot to make our models unique, but there is only so many assets and variations you can combine if your putting them together like a Mr. Potato Head.

Thankfully we have Cell now and he is one of the best character creators out there IMHO.

 

[DeathIsImminent]

"Reused" Daz characters have never bothered me much. I've always found it fun to try and remember which models I've seen in other games and then pretend it's like an actor in a movie.

Though I will say that games that try to go the extra mile in creating more uniquely shaped characters are really appreciated. Inceton's games are nice but the models end up feeling very repetive, almost like they're cannabalizing their own designs. (And don't even get me started on honey select games.) Vns like this one, power vacuum, and sexbot are off-the-top-of-my-head examples of creating more unique facial and body designs from daz models. With more and more games doing so increasingly.

Like I said, overall it doesn't bother me, but the extra work is noticed, appreciated, and I think, adds something unique to the overall feel of the game.

 

[Night Hacker]

"Reused" Daz characters have never bothered me much. I've always found it fun to try and remember which models I've seen in other games and then pretend it's like an actor in a movie.

Though I will say that games that try to go the extra mile in creating more uniquely shaped characters are really appreciated. Inceton's games are nice but the models end up feeling very repetive, almost like they're cannabalizing their own designs. (And don't even get me started on honey select games.) Vns like this one, power vacuum, and sexbot are off-the-top-of-my-head examples of creating more unique facial and body designs from daz models. With more and more games doing so increasingly.

Like I said, overall it doesn't bother me, but the extra work is noticed, appreciated, and I think, adds something unique to the overall feel of the game.

Same here. To me, it's like having movie stars who play different roles in different movies. I always thought it could be fun to have a credits section that had "Starring MODEL_ASSET_NAME as CHARACTER_NAME" or whatever...

 

[snakeplisskin]

Probably not, a lot of Daz models have some default settings that can look alike unless you tweak them. IIRC Intertwined also used Katie's base model for one char. Just something you get used to with Daz. Just like you can find Jolina's base in other games, and especially the "Mom/Landlady" from Dreams of Desire (she is everywhere!) Haha, and Perv's Tales from the Unending Void had their Purple Futa Alien (a side villian, not the one that joins you) come out looking like Elaine (at least above the waist), and as far as I am aware it was just a fluke.

We try to do a lot to make our models unique, but there is only so many assets and variations you can combine if your putting them together like a Mr. Potato Head.

Thankfully we have Cell now and he is one of the best character creators out there IMHO.

No wonder i wanted that evil side character to do whatever she wanted with me.

 

[Geralt_R]

"Reused" Daz characters have never bothered me much. I've always found it fun to try and remember which models I've seen in other games and then pretend it's like an actor in a movie.

I feel exactly the same. If I like one character model a lot, say the digital equivalent of seeing someone like Scarlett Johansson in the Avengers or in Ghost in the Shell etc, I am happy when I see her in a different game. People are ok with actors appearing in various movies. VNs aren't that much different? So why do people always call for 100% unique characters? Unique characters are certainly also very welcome of course. Things shouldn't get too samey where you only have a small roster of ever returning DAZ models.

I also don't mind reused set pieces like that one park, the supermarket etc. One can always pretend all these DAZ models live in the same town.

While we talk about the models... is there a list that tells you what character models are used in the games? Like some kind of VN IMDB That could be fun. But I guess the scope of that list and the amount of work required would be stupendous.

 

[acewinz]

Scarlett Johansson

ScarJo you say huh? We sorta have a thing for her too...

 

[HornyyPussy]

ScarJo you say huh? We sorta have a thing for her too...

Well, you have a pulse so...........

 

[indio68]

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but i would be very happy to be with Mom and the 2 daughters that welkomed me at their hoiuse..a path with the 3 of them would bee cool if possible.. i can easily give up on the inerithance for them. any new about the update? i loove this game

 

[DeathIsImminent]

Same here. To me, it's like having movie stars who play different roles in different movies. I always thought it could be fun to have a credits section that had "Starring MODEL_ASSET_NAME as CHARACTER_NAME" or whatever...

Man, I'd love that. You can generally ask for the model number/morphs directly from the dev either here or Patreon but I feel as though having it included would be cool. Or devs going through the behind-the-scenes process of creating their models. I realize I'm probably in the minority but that sounds neat.

I feel exactly the same. If I like one character model a lot, say the digital equivalent of seeing someone like Scarlett Johansson in the Avengers or in Ghost in the Shell etc, I am happy when I see her in a different game. People are ok with actors appearing in various movies. VNs aren't that much different? So why do people always call for 100% unique characters? Unique characters are certainly also very welcome of course. Things shouldn't get too samey where you only have a small roster of ever returning DAZ models.

I also don't mind reused set pieces like that one park, the supermarket etc. One can always pretend all these DAZ models live in the same town.

While we talk about the models... is there a list that tells you what character models are used in the games? Like some kind of VN IMDB That could be fun. But I guess the scope of that list and the amount of work required would be stupendous.

Oh yeah. Or that clothing shop with the change rooms every game lets you peak in while *insert family member here* is trying out underwear. lol

The list thing would be great. But, although neat, it sounds like it would be too extensive for such a niche part of the internet. Maybe an off-topic thread may be a good place to start? With a focus on the most popular of games?

 

[blobbo66]

I don't normally post on these kinds of things because majority of the time if I have a question or concern I read through posts from others and my queries have been answered. However I've been reading through the recent posts and I don't think I've came across what I'm about to ask.

Please can we have a polyamorous relationship with Katie and Jenna?!? Whenever there is a new update I have to start from the beginning, I've done that for the past 8 or so updates and every time i have the intention of choosing a different path but i always seem to get drawn to Katie and Jenna. I'll progress with other characters but i always seem to go back with them two vixens. I have loved Katie's attitude since the start, she's more foul mouthed than a drunken sailor, she protects what's hers and when she says she was in love with the mc you know she meant it, her character was just so well done and her attitude matched her design. Now Jenna.....that once shy cute little introvert nerd that turned into a kinky, sexy goddess. her character progression was just fantastic. she reminds me of my own fiancee (she also loves Jenna's character). So with how the relations with them progress I'm finding it increasingly difficult to choose between them so I've been keeping both of them going in hopes that i wont have to choose haha and with what happened in the gym between them I'm keeping my fingers crossed that that's the start of it. We know that cheeky little vixen Jenna is all up for it so please get Katie on board because I don't want to break either of their pixelated hearts and I don't think they would want me to do it to the other either (winkyface)

Anyways I've been a fan for a long time. Both me and my partner enjoy WTHI and I hope it never ends, the dev team have done a fantastic job so far!!

 

[DaimonFey]

I don't normally post on these kinds of things because majority of the time if I have a question or concern I read through posts from others and my queries have been answered. However I've been reading through the recent posts and I don't think I've came across what I'm about to ask.

Please can we have a polyamorous relationship with Katie and Jenna?!? Whenever there is a new update I have to start from the beginning, I've done that for the past 8 or so updates and every time i have the intention of choosing a different path but i always seem to get drawn to Katie and Jenna. I'll progress with other characters but i always seem to go back with them two vixens. I have loved Katie's attitude since the start, she's more foul mouthed than a drunken sailor, she protects what's hers and when she says she was in love with the mc you know she meant it, her character was just so well done and her attitude matched her design. Now Jenna.....that once shy cute little introvert nerd that turned into a kinky, sexy goddess. her character progression was just fantastic. she reminds me of my own fiancee (she also loves Jenna's character). So with how the relations with them progress I'm finding it increasingly difficult to choose between them so I've been keeping both of them going in hopes that i wont have to choose haha and with what happened in the gym between them I'm keeping my fingers crossed that that's the start of it. We know that cheeky little vixen Jenna is all up for it so please get Katie on board because I don't want to break either of their pixelated hearts and I don't think they would want me to do it to the other either (winkyface)

Anyways I've been a fan for a long time. Both me and my partner enjoy WTHI and I hope it never ends, the dev team have done a fantastic job so far!!

I don't think that KatiexJenna or KatiexJennaxMonica ending is possible. Either would be nice but at this point neither seems likely. KatiexDebiexLily or JennaxJolina sure but that's it.

 

[HornyyPussy]

I don't think that KatiexJenna or KatiexJennaxMonica ending is possible. Either would be nice but at this point neither seems likely. KatiexDebiexLily or JennaxJolina sure but that's it.

Katie and Jenna seems very possible after ep 22, they're not gonna do anything together since there is no incest but them sharing the MC seems possible.



........unless Cheeky and Ace is fucking with us again

 

[blobbo66]

I don't think that KatiexJenna or KatiexJennaxMonica ending is possible. Either would be nice but at this point neither seems likely. KatiexDebiexLily or JennaxJolina sure but that's it.

I just hope it would be because going back to previous conversations with them they've both said that they didn't want the mc to hurt the other and Jenna has stated that she wouldn't have a problem with the mc being in a relationship with both so I'm just really hoping that it is going in that direction. I'm not to fussed about Monica, my missis wants her involved because she's into the milfs with mommy milkers (her quote not mine haha) but i just really want a poly with Katie and Jenna. i did do the orgy with Katie, lily and Debbie but i don't know if its just the way i played through it or not but i just didn't seem to get too attached to them 2, same with jolina....however i did like the scene where the mc was bumping uglies with Jenna in front of jolina while she was rubbing one out. Like i said in my previous post, i always seem to get drawn to katie and jenna no matter what so im just gonna remain hopeful haha.

 

[blobbo66]

Katie and Jenna seems very possible after ep 22, they're not gonna do anything together since there is no incest but them sharing the MC seems possible.



........unless Cheeky and Ace is fucking with us again

YES!! That's what i was referring to in my first post when they in the gym. They may get up to some cheeky stuff together because they both seemed to enjoy the spanking but as long as it isn't to heavy because as much as i don't have a problem incest it don't really belong in WTHI although i wouldn't be opposed to it but seriously i do hope they will at least share the mc.

 

[acewinz]

I don't normally post on these kinds of things because majority of the time if I have a question or concern I read through posts from others and my queries have been answered. However I've been reading through the recent posts and I don't think I've came across what I'm about to ask.

Please can we have a polyamorous relationship with Katie and Jenna?!? Whenever there is a new update I have to start from the beginning, I've done that for the past 8 or so updates and every time i have the intention of choosing a different path but i always seem to get drawn to Katie and Jenna. I'll progress with other characters but i always seem to go back with them two vixens. I have loved Katie's attitude since the start, she's more foul mouthed than a drunken sailor, she protects what's hers and when she says she was in love with the mc you know she meant it, her character was just so well done and her attitude matched her design. Now Jenna.....that once shy cute little introvert nerd that turned into a kinky, sexy goddess. her character progression was just fantastic. she reminds me of my own fiancee (she also loves Jenna's character). So with how the relations with them progress I'm finding it increasingly difficult to choose between them so I've been keeping both of them going in hopes that i wont have to choose haha and with what happened in the gym between them I'm keeping my fingers crossed that that's the start of it. We know that cheeky little vixen Jenna is all up for it so please get Katie on board because I don't want to break either of their pixelated hearts and I don't think they would want me to do it to the other either (winkyface)

Anyways I've been a fan for a long time. Both me and my partner enjoy WTHI and I hope it never ends, the dev team have done a fantastic job so far!!

Ask me again after EP 23.

 

[Geralt_R]

I don't think that KatiexJenna ... ending is possible.

I got completely different vibes after episode 22. It would surprise me a lot if that wasn't an option. Not meaning there are any threesomes with action between them (certainly not), but both will almost most likely be ok with sharing the MC. The MC can even tell Jenna he's not ok with her watching him and Katie and she accepts it. She will be happy as long as the MC spends time with her, I guess Katie will eventually be the same and will accept that Jenna is a part of their romantic relationship.

 

[blobbo66]

Ask me again after EP 23.

Oh i definitely will haha really looking forward EP 23, as much as i cant wait to see how the relationships develop, I'm really intrigued with how the story is gonna progress. I've got a few theories regarding the will so i wanna see if any of them play out.

 

[Geralt_R]

I've got a few theories regarding the will so i wanna see if any of them play out.

I will eat my hat if Elaine is the villain... much too obvious, CCTV footage or not. The MC discounting Theresa as the religious nutjob the dad had a fling with is entirely stupid on his part. Even Bella may be too obvious as the conniving "Dizzy". Katie, Jenna, Debbie and Lily are certainly not involved with any of that. If it's Monica I will also eat my hat! I hope Theresa is the third person in the will. I kind of like Bella (and even Elaine, I think it's all misdirection and she really has a plan to share some money with the MC).