VN Ren'Py Where the Heart Is [S1 v2024-09-06 BETA] [CheekyGimp]

[ename144]

Why would she discuss his punishment with him?

She wants to punish him just as much as Jenna but Jenna slightly more since she was the one behind the hacking. She's also on the verge of a complete breakdown and isn't thinking clearly.

While the MC is the main character, obviously, he isn't the be all and end all. All the other characters don't revolve around him, they have their own things going on.

Jolina isn't going to discuss what she is going to do with the MC because it's her business. She doesn't need nor want his permission to do what she wants.

Like she says if you try to object to how harsh she's being, it basically boils down to she gives zero fucks what your opinion is, you invaded her privacy and hurt her now deal with it.

Because she really cares about him and wants to make this work? I'm talking specifically about the situation where the MC and Jolina are trying to be in a relationship and he never fooled around with Jenna. In that case it seems... unwise for Jolina to demand the MC make out with her in front of a friend who has feelings for him that he's never reciprocated. Remember, as far as Jolina knows, the MC didn't know Jenna was watching them until after the sex was over.

The MC's (known) transgression had nothing to do with sex, so having Jolina make his participation sexual is dicey. However mad she is (justifiably so), she shouldn't expect the MC to be in lock-step with her on this, and she shouldn't push it if it turns out he isn't. I'm hardly an expert on relationships, but even I know that sometimes being right is not the important thing in a disagreement.

But besides that, Jolina makes it clear she's forgiven the MC, so this is a strange hill to die on. Having her insist on his participation (rather than expressing her anger/disappointment at his refusal and then discussing it with him afterwards) makes her seem unnecessarily short-sighted and petty, IMHO.

And that's completely ignoring situations where Jenna never spied on Jolina having sex. In those cases, Jolina deliberately sexualizing things feels really skeevy. As I said, the scene works when the MC has already fooled around with both girls, because the punishment fits the crime. I just think it needed more work to fit into situations where the underlying crime was less blatant.

 

[Bailz]

Because she really cares about him and wants to make this work? I'm talking specifically about the situation where the MC and Jolina are trying to be in a relationship and he never fooled around with Jenna. In that case it seems... unwise for Jolina to demand the MC make out with her in front of a friend who has feelings for him that he's never reciprocated. Remember, as far as Jolina knows, the MC didn't know Jenna was watching them until after the sex was over.

The MC's (known) transgression had nothing to do with sex, so having Jolina make his participation sexual is dicey. However mad she is (justifiably so), she shouldn't expect the MC to be in lock-step with her on this, and she shouldn't push it if it turns out he isn't. I'm hardly an expert on relationships, but even I know that sometimes being right is not the important thing in a disagreement.

But besides that, Jolina makes it clear she's forgiven the MC, so this is a strange hill to die on. Having her insist on his participation (rather than expressing her anger/disappointment at his refusal and then discussing it with him afterwards) makes her seem unnecessarily short-sighted and petty, IMHO.

And that's completely ignoring situations where Jenna never spied on Jolina having sex. In those cases, Jolina deliberately sexualizing things feels really skeevy. As I said, the scene works when the MC has already fooled around with both girls, because the punishment fits the crime. I just think it needed more work to fit into situations where the underlying crime was less blatant.

in what ever relationship status you are in with both, Jenna still hacks her and invades her privacy in her own home, spying on her while she is naked and even gets the MC to look aswell

 

[MrFriendly]

in what ever relationship status you are in with both, Jenna still hacks her and invades her privacy in her own home, spying on her while she is naked and even gets the MC to look aswell

True, but turning it into a sexual thing is still weird. "You invaded my privacy so now I want you to watch me make out with 1) guy I am angry with or 2) your boyfriend or 3) my boyfriend or 4) our boyfriend."

Also, if she feels so violated and that the MC and Jenna aren't trustworthy why would she then trust them with her business (failing or otherwise)? Does Jolina have no one else in her life she trusts? I thought it was speculated that Bella and Jolina knew each other? Anyway, not a huge concern just wondering if I missed something.

 

[Rinbael]

Yeah, I'd really like to be able to say no without the game asking, "are you sure?", "are you really sure you're sure?", "last chance to change your mind! So are you super sure you're sure you're sure?"...

Yeah it ended up kind of ridiculous especially with Bella it reminded me of this scene from it's Always Sunny.
Hey Ace next time Bella tries to sleep with my MC can we have the choice to throw salt at her till she goes away.

 

[Avaron1974]

Because she really cares about him and wants to make this work?

She's on the verge of a nervous breakdown.

Everything she's ever worked for is gone, everything she's done has been for nothing and she's having to apply for a job where the only thing that matters are her tits.

Do you really think she's putting any thought into anything else right now?

She breaks down twice during that conversation.

 

[Bailz]

She's on the verge of a nervous breakdown.

Everything she's ever worked for is gone, everything she's done has been for nothing and she's having to apply for a job where the only thing that matters are her tits.

Do you really think she's putting any thought into anything else right now?

She breaks down twice during that conversation.

we finally on the same side for once i agree with everything you said so far

 

[ename144]

She's on the verge of a nervous breakdown.

Everything she's ever worked for is gone, everything she's done has been for nothing and she's having to apply for a job where the only thing that matters are her tits.

Do you really think she's putting any thought into anything else right now?

She breaks down twice during that conversation.

But not when the MC refuses. That's when she's calm and matter of fact, pointing out her rationale and willing to carry on with Jenna alone if the MC storms off. It's only when discussing her business that she seems overwhelmed (in which case she's very willing to let the MC comfort her).

That's why I can't really see her as being on the verge of a breakdown. She's obviously stressed about her life and is angry at the MC/Jenna for what they did. But she seems quite capable of segregating the two problems in my view.

So perhaps we'll just have to agree to disagree.

 

[acewinz]

I see what you mean, though I don't agree 100%.

I've liked Jolina for a while and I still like her, but her scene with Jenna is really problematic. Fundamentally, it only works in the case where the MC is pursuing both her and Jenna. In cases where the MC never showed any interest in Jolina she just comes across as a borderline sex offender. In cases where the MC has never shown interest in Jenna, Jolina's method makes sense but it feels a little over the top - and Jo really should have discussed it with the MC first.

It's only in the case where the MC was fooling around with both of them that the punishment fits, and thus makes it to the relatively lighthearted zone it really needs to be in. I realize that's probably the most likely scenario for a porn game, but it's not the only scenario and quite frankly the scene needed some other variations to handle those scenarios.

This is particularly disappointing because it's the exact same problem we had in Episode 19 where the big orgy was treated as a one-size-fits-all scene regardless of how much sense it made; the only way for the MC that wasn't dating one of the girls to avoid a threesome was to storm off and hope things worked themselves out without him. [Which, BTW, is still unclear even after this update: are Lily and Debbie a thing now if the MC didn't pursue any girls on team Katie? Beats me.]

In an effort to organize the rest of my (numerous) thoughts on Episode 20, I'm going to break it down into sub-categories. Proceed at your own peril!

Spoiler: Episode 20: Girls

You don't have permission to view the spoiler content. Log in or register now.

Spoiler: Episode 20: Sex Scenes

You don't have permission to view the spoiler content. Log in or register now.

Spoiler: Episode 20: Story

You don't have permission to view the spoiler content. Log in or register now.

My, that was quite the treatise. Since I had a lot of criticisms, let me sum up by saying I still liked the episode and do want to see this through to the end. I'm just disappointed because I feel like this game isn't living up to its full potential.

That may not be an entirely fair way to judge it, effectively asking it to live up to my own ambitions rather than accepting it for what it is. But I'd hate for WTHI to sell itself short, so I hope you'll take this as sincere advice, even if you ultimately disagree with it.

Spoiler: spoils ep 20

You don't have permission to view the spoiler content. Log in or register now.

 

[felicemastronzo]

Yeah, I'd really like to be able to say no without the game asking, "are you sure?", "are you really sure you're sure?", "last chance to change your mind! So are you super sure you're sure you're sure?"...

Anyway, I suppose it's better than being forced to fuck someone, at least we've not had that scenario happen in this game.

Bella, Jolina and Jenna have clear difficulties in accepting rejection...

so far I've only completed my main run, the one with Debbie and Lily, so I'm still shaken up...

considering the situation the whole apology scene with Jolina seems more like a trap than something sincere, she shows up dressed like a porn cheerleader (she had the interview... ok, it doesn't take much to change, of course when she changes she manages to dress even less), despite the fact that it's all about regaining trust she tries to kiss MC repeatedly and to go further, then apparently she forgives him, Jenna arrives and the circus starts again, she keeps pressuring him to kiss in front of a third person a guy who has already rejected her three times only in the afternoon...

let's say there's a certain will not to make us trust the blonde too much

 

[X2Z]

the sex scenes get better and better. love this game

 

[MrFriendly]

Bella, Jolina and Jenna have clear difficulties in accepting rejection...

so far I've only completed my main run, the one with Debbie and Lily, so I'm still shaken up...

considering the situation the whole apology scene with Jolina seems more like a trap than something sincere, she shows up dressed like a porn cheerleader (she had the interview... ok, it doesn't take much to change, of course when she changes she manages to dress even less), despite the fact that it's all about regaining trust she tries to kiss MC repeatedly and to go further, then apparently she forgives him, Jenna arrives and the circus starts again, she keeps pressuring him to kiss in front of a third person a guy who has already rejected her three times only in the afternoon...

let's say there's a certain will not to make us trust the blonde too much

Yeah, she "hates" that she has to dress like a slutty cheerleader for this new job... Yet, you usually only wear the uniform AFTER you get hired and she could easily have changed clothes. I've never been a Jolina fan and the fact that the MC is required to communicate with her is obviously for the sex scenes.

Logically the MC could have asked around the area to see if anyone else had security cameras that they would let him look at the footage, he could have even paid them. But the MC puts minimal effort into finding out about the will, the lawyer provides him with more information than he ever finds out himself... He's been in Monica's house for awhile now, if he suspected her he could look around, he could ask Angel if she ever saw Don there, he could look around at Zarah's house since he's been there multiple times, he could look around at Elaine's to see if there's a copy of the will out, etc.

 

[felicemastronzo]

Yeah, she "hates" that she has to dress like a slutty cheerleader for this new job... Yet, you usually only wear the uniform AFTER you get hired and she could easily have changed clothes. I've never been a Jolina fan and the fact that the MC is required to communicate with her is obviously for the sex scenes.

Logically the MC could have asked around the area to see if anyone else had security cameras that they would let him look at the footage, he could have even paid them. But the MC puts minimal effort into finding out about the will, the lawyer provides him with more information than he ever finds out himself... He's been in Monica's house for awhile now, if he suspected her he could look around, he could ask Angel if she ever saw Don there, he could look around at Zarah's house since he's been there multiple times, he could look around at Elaine's to see if there's a copy of the will out, etc.

it is unusual but we can also believe that they have asked her for a costume fitting. then of course the premise is that we are in a porn game, but talking to someone who has invaded your privacy, with someone who would have spied on you for days, dressed for naughty halloween is not a good business card

To suspect that it was Monica who had sent the false e-mail with MC's telephone number to herself has always seemed to me to be too convoluted a version, should Monica have done all this in order to have an alibi for a suspicion that only she generated by telling about the e-mail?

I don't know why, but it is always difficult to give alibis to the MC, but we are talking about a little more than an adolescent, an orphan, who has lived the last years in a toxic environment after being torn away from a happy environment for him at the time of his mother's death. and now he finds himself having to suspect everyone and glimpse a millionaire future.

Not exactly a situation that leads you to act with lucidity

 

[Azazeal]

No plans at the moment to update the gallery. Not sure we'll continue with this feature at all as it takes a lot of work. We're putting the effort into stuff like the jump-to-any-episode feature instead.

FWIW, I really enjoy this feature. It is nice to be able to replay a specific scene without having to go through other parts of the episode that the scene is in. Would be a shame if the feature was no longer updated.

 

[bsr2]

We need an updated gallery mod ASAP

 

[richtosser]

why the newest part does not start for me

Probably because, after 19 episodes, the Dev has updates to the latest Renpy which won't run on older machines or older video cards. You will either need to get a new laptop or new video card.

 

[MrFriendly]

it is unusual but we can also believe that they have asked her for a costume fitting. then of course the premise is that we are in a porn game, but talking to someone who has invaded your privacy, with someone who would have spied on you for days, dressed for naughty halloween is not a good business card

To suspect that it was Monica who had sent the false e-mail with MC's telephone number to herself has always seemed to me to be too convoluted a version, should Monica have done all this in order to have an alibi for a suspicion that only she generated by telling about the e-mail?

I don't know why, but it is always difficult to give alibis to the MC, but we are talking about a little more than an adolescent, an orphan, who has lived the last years in a toxic environment after being torn away from a happy environment for him at the time of his mother's death. and now he finds himself having to suspect everyone and glimpse a millionaire future.

Not exactly a situation that leads you to act with lucidity

Yeah, I was more giving examples. I don't see Monica as the emailer but she could be the third gold digger. Many felt that they'd be one and the same but obviously are wrong. I also find it unlikely that Monica is the third gold digger considering how much she hated (or says she hated) Don. To me the most logical answer is Bella, Don fucking Elaine's sister in the house he was sharing with her seems far more likely than Monica. But then maybe Elaine was telling the truth about the affair and is intentionally sabotaging the MC's chances of getting anything. We'll have to wait and see.

And just because he is 19 doesn't mean he can't make a decision that doesn't involve his dick being inserted into as many holes as possible. Most people at 19 have jobs, some have apartments with roommates, and are going to college. He should be able to think about ways of discovering more information about his dad's will. Of course maybe he's been fucking everyone as a way to lull them into a false sense of security before he springs his masterful trap!

 

[HornyyPussy]

Probably because, after 19 episodes, the Dev has updates to the latest Renpy which won't run on older machines or older video cards. You will either need to get a new laptop or new video card.

or he's just using an outdated mod or got a bad download maybe we should hold of on getting him to buy a new PC before we explored other options

 

[felicemastronzo]

Yeah, I was more giving examples. I don't see Monica as the emailer but she could be the third gold digger. Many felt that they'd be one and the same but obviously are wrong. I also find it unlikely that Monica is the third gold digger considering how much she hated (or says she hated) Don. To me the most logical answer is Bella, Don fucking Elaine's sister in the house he was sharing with her seems far more likely than Monica. But then maybe Elaine was telling the truth about the affair and is intentionally sabotaging the MC's chances of getting anything. We'll have to wait and see.

And just because he is 19 doesn't mean he can't make a decision that doesn't involve his dick being inserted into as many holes as possible. Most people at 19 have jobs, some have apartments with roommates, and are going to college. He should be able to think about ways of discovering more information about his dad's will. Of course maybe he's been fucking everyone as a way to lull them into a false sense of security before he springs his masterful trap!

what did MC do to you? ok he definitely had sex with your favourite, but you have to get over that!!!

MC still has to make the fundamental decision, all the others are honestly subordinate to this one. does he want or doesn't he want to cut the relationship with Monica and family?
If he doesn't take this step, it doesn't make sense for him to waste time continuing to investigate (with bad results) as he has done so far.

 

[felicemastronzo]

however, the most important question of the chapter: is Elaine allergic to raw fish? why does she have hiccups all through dinner?

is this an intended effect?

 

[Avaron1974]

Logically the MC could have asked around the area to see if anyone else had security cameras that they would let him look at the footage, he could have even paid them.

Mainly because 10 times out of 10 a business will refuse anyone without a police warrant.

CCTV footage falls under the data protection act.