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

[El Pene Del Diablo]

Before I also wasn't entirely sure of Elaine's intentions and whether she was really sincere, but after episode 23 I'm sure that she was sincere and she has good intentions towards MC and her sister Bella who was very friendly and often even affectionate towards MC is actually this bad sister because it turns out that Bella is exactly the one who plotting behind MC back and we have confirmation of this at the end of episode 23.

Yeah, the way it had us questioning all previous assumptions was well done. My gut still says to expect another curveball though before resolution.

 

[Mario4don]

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Well these reasons I think are very simple, she is simply a gold digger and the fact that Bella sent an e-mail with MC phone number to Monica and thanks to this Monica contacted him and invited him to her house it's not because she wanted to please MC so that he could renew contact with Monica and Katie and Jenna after many years but rather by doing it she probably hoped that once MC renews contact with Monica and her daughters there is a good chance that MC will not want to lose this contact again later and consequently MC will not meet the condition that will allow him to receive part of the inheritance from his deceased father, and therefore if MC does not meet this condition then Bella has a chance to receive a larger part of inheritance because as we have already found out she is the mysterious third person so MC's father's lover with the mysterious name Dizzy and whom MC's deceased father also included in his will along with MC and Elaine, and the only thing we don't know yet is what conditions Bella must meet to get her part of the inheritance.

 

[Dessolos]

Well these reasons I think are very simple, she is simply a gold digger and the fact that Bella sent an e-mail with MC phone number to Monica and thanks to this Monica contacted him and invited him to her house it's not because she wanted to please MC so that he could renew contact with Monica and Katie and Jenna after many years but rather by doing it she probably hoped that once MC renews contact with Monica and her daughters there is a good chance that MC will not want to lose this contact again later and consequently MC will not meet the condition that will allow him to receive part of the inheritance from his deceased father, and therefore if MC does not meet this condition then Bella has a chance to receive a larger part of inheritance because as we have already found out she is the mysterious third person so MC's father's lover with the mysterious name Dizzy and whom MC's deceased father also included in his will along with MC and Elaine, and the only thing we don't know yet is what conditions Bella must meet to get her part of the inheritance.

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[Mario4don]

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She is hot that's a fact, but for me from the very beginning she seemed too pushy at times and that's why I had strange feelings and suspicions about her and that's why she wasn't in my top LI in this game, but of course as I like this game very much so I also check path with her as LI just like any other available paths in this game.

 

[Dessolos]

She is hot that's a fact, but for me from the very beginning she seemed too pushy at times and that's why I had strange feelings and suspicions about her and that's why she wasn't in my top LI in this game, but of course as I like this game very much so I also check path with her as LI just like any other available paths in this game.

Honestly I don't even know why I liked her so much not even because of the hot factor I guess I just thought she was a fun character if I had to guess. Hell everything told me I should hate or dislike her while playing it my first time but I couldn't for some odd reason guess just one of those things you cant explain but it is what it is. not even sure how id rank her probally 2nd or 3rd.

 

[walker188]

The main one I know of is Katie especially if you cheat on her with Jenna there is a few different times she can catch you cheating. I know Bella and Jolina ( think that's her name) have some slight variations depending on who you let move in to the beach house and if you are dating both or just with one of them. Not sure about Katie's friends as I didnt like them enough to play their paths tho I feel like they might. The rest im unsure.

Yeah. I didn't realize I needed that sister/sister throuple until I saw them literally fighting over me and something primal in my lizard brain clicked on.

Now it's my main objective. Especially cause it seems like Jenna and the MC will have to corrupt big sister Katie to get it.

 

[Night Hacker]

Before I also wasn't entirely sure of Elaine's intentions and whether she was really sincere, but after episode 23 I'm sure that she was sincere and she has good intentions towards MC and her sister Bella who was very friendly and often even affectionate towards MC is actually this bad sister because it turns out that Bella is exactly the one who plotting behind MC back and we have confirmation of this at the end of episode 23.

Yup, I remember that when I rejected Bella she was not happy when she showed up at his beach house I think it was, where as Elaine was very nice.

 

[skater555]

Let's hope this last update comes in this last week of september, and hopefully with loads of content with the 3 girls of the main house, since last few updates have severely been lacking with them, thank you.

 

[El Pene Del Diablo]

Am questioning my career choices now.

i'm glad i'm replaying before the update, but maybe I need to go put on a tinfoil hat before I go further.
knowing what happens later i'm seeing red flags all over the place! the first couple days with Monica I originally just took as normal milf-corruption hijinks, but now it totally feels like she's all in, but clumsily, on a desperate attempt to seduce MC.

 

[milos1fan]

Any word on if Natasha is in this update?

 

[Quaszog55]

So i am currently playing from episode 21 to update 23 and have reached my Final Conclusion:

This game is from Episode 22 onward
UNPLAYABLE​

1. The Love points are constantly checked against the Relationship status. This makes perfect sense as they are shown to us in a scoring board each episode even though they are not constantly shown ​
2. The Jealousy score is constantly checked against the relationship status. This seems logical but the score is kept Hidden. So they are useless! Which of the 500 decisions killed my Gig with TOMBOY? This needs a walkthrough with Jealousy score Showing ​
3. The Sum of Jealousy Scores of at least FIVE OTHER Love Interests is also checked against current LI. Now I cannot even write a walkthrough as I would need an external Spreadsheet with all Scores noted down . (I scrolled the renpy code and printed variables in the Dev console) Why are characters collecting Sus on each other character only to act on them as the same thing? Always order ONE 4 Seasons instead of 4 Quarter Pizzas... .​
4. Sometimes scores are modified by dialogue choices from the Scene e.g: TOMBOY interrogates you about NOT MOM and NOT THOT SISTER in a row => Six Try or Die Checks! with one at Double Suck!​
5. Some Dialogue Trees and prior conditions force 11 of 12 options into the same result: e.g.: Cooking Date with SMART BIMBO if you romanced MISS CARNIVAL CRAZY and Either NOT LESBO or TOMBOBOY before End like: BIMBO_KILL = Yes; XOR CRAZY_KILL = Yes;​
6. AND also if you didn't date CARNVAL CRAZY then: BIMBO_KILL AND CRAZY_KILL = no; So NOT romancing Carnival Crazy EARLY keeps her and Bimbo both an option later? ​

Hypothesis:​

Why bother using mechanics like Hidden Scores that are cascaded and multiplied IF they are not communicated to the player are impossible to predict even with DEVELOPER VISION = True?

If no Player understands the mechanic that is kept hidden why bother implementing it? Just use Fatal Choices Via Kinetic Novel.
Or allow the player to pick their salad with topings? e.g.: Load "TOMBOY-THOT" + "A BIMBO, BI-FF, TOMBOY Foursome" + "NOT MOM, NOT STEP-MOM, CHURCH-MOM Trinity" => RUN Story Choices.

TLR;
There is no way without Dev Console = True, to run your initial Harem Choices successful, other then Mono-routes

 

[HornyyPussy]

So i am currently playing from episode 21 to update 23 and have reached my Final Conclusion:

This game is from Episode 22 onward
UNPLAYABLE​

1. The Love points are constantly checked against the Relationship status. This makes perfect sense as they are shown to us in a scoring board each episode even though they are not constantly shown ​
2. The Jealousy score is constantly checked against the relationship status. This seems logical but the score is kept Hidden. So they are useless! Which of the 500 decisions killed my Gig with TOMBOY? This needs a walkthrough with Jealousy score Showing ​
3. The Sum of Jealousy Scores of at least FIVE OTHER Love Interests is also checked against current LI. Now I cannot even write a walkthrough as I would need an external Spreadsheet with all Scores noted down . (I scrolled the renpy code and printed variables in the Dev console) Why are characters collecting Sus on each other character only to act on them as the same thing? Always order ONE 4 Seasons instead of 4 Quarter Pizzas... .​
4. Sometimes scores are modified by dialogue choices from the Scene e.g: TOMBOY interrogates you about NOT MOM and NOT THOT SISTER in a row => Six Try or Die Checks! with one at Double Suck!​
5. Some Dialogue Trees and prior conditions force 11 of 12 options into the same result: e.g.: Cooking Date with SMART BIMBO if you romanced MISS CARNIVAL CRAZY and Either NOT LESBO or TOMBOBOY before End like: BIMBO_KILL = Yes; XOR CRAZY_KILL = Yes;​
6. AND also if you didn't date CARNVAL CRAZY then: BIMBO_KILL AND CRAZY_KILL = no; So NOT romancing Carnival Crazy EARLY keeps her and Bimbo both an option later? ​

Hypothesis:​

Why bother using mechanics like Hidden Scores that are cascaded and multiplied IF they are not communicated to the player are impossible to predict even with DEVELOPER VISION = True?

If no Player understands the mechanic that is kept hidden why bother implementing it? Just use Fatal Choices Via Kinetic Novel.
Or allow the player to pick their salad with topings? e.g.: Load "TOMBOY-THOT" + "A BIMBO, BI-FF, TOMBOY Foursome" + "NOT MOM, NOT STEP-MOM, CHURCH-MOM Trinity" => RUN Story Choices.

TLR;
There is no way without Dev Console = True, to run your initial Harem Choices successful, other then Mono-routes

Considering there are NO harem in this game I don't see the point of your conclusion?

 

[c3p0]

So i am currently playing from episode 21 to update 23 and have reached my Final Conclusion:

This game is from Episode 22 onward
UNPLAYABLE​

1. The Love points are constantly checked against the Relationship status. This makes perfect sense as they are shown to us in a scoring board each episode even though they are not constantly shown ​
2. The Jealousy score is constantly checked against the relationship status. This seems logical but the score is kept Hidden. So they are useless! Which of the 500 decisions killed my Gig with TOMBOY? This needs a walkthrough with Jealousy score Showing ​
3. The Sum of Jealousy Scores of at least FIVE OTHER Love Interests is also checked against current LI. Now I cannot even write a walkthrough as I would need an external Spreadsheet with all Scores noted down . (I scrolled the renpy code and printed variables in the Dev console) Why are characters collecting Sus on each other character only to act on them as the same thing? Always order ONE 4 Seasons instead of 4 Quarter Pizzas... .​
4. Sometimes scores are modified by dialogue choices from the Scene e.g: TOMBOY interrogates you about NOT MOM and NOT THOT SISTER in a row => Six Try or Die Checks! with one at Double Suck!​
5. Some Dialogue Trees and prior conditions force 11 of 12 options into the same result: e.g.: Cooking Date with SMART BIMBO if you romanced MISS CARNIVAL CRAZY and Either NOT LESBO or TOMBOBOY before End like: BIMBO_KILL = Yes; XOR CRAZY_KILL = Yes;​
6. AND also if you didn't date CARNVAL CRAZY then: BIMBO_KILL AND CRAZY_KILL = no; So NOT romancing Carnival Crazy EARLY keeps her and Bimbo both an option later? ​

Hypothesis:​

Why bother using mechanics like Hidden Scores that are cascaded and multiplied IF they are not communicated to the player are impossible to predict even with DEVELOPER VISION = True?

If no Player understands the mechanic that is kept hidden why bother implementing it? Just use Fatal Choices Via Kinetic Novel.
Or allow the player to pick their salad with topings? e.g.: Load "TOMBOY-THOT" + "A BIMBO, BI-FF, TOMBOY Foursome" + "NOT MOM, NOT STEP-MOM, CHURCH-MOM Trinity" => RUN Story Choices.

TLR;
There is no way without Dev Console = True, to run your initial Harem Choices successful, other then Mono-routes

Simple, as Hornyy already has written: You don't need to that as their is no harem. So, either someone would do a harem patch perhaps the ones that can't life without it, life with it or show the scene in a row which make a lot of sense as in all other similar case.

 

[Ayhsel]

Why bother using mechanics like Hidden Scores that are cascaded and multiplied IF they are not communicated to the player are impossible to predict even with DEVELOPER VISION = True?

You can rewrite the question in why should the player be communicated anything? this is a dating sim, at the end of the day, not a spread sheet excel exercise. Idea is to play as you see fit, not counting choice by choice.

If no Player understands the mechanic that is kept hidden why bother implementing it? Just use Fatal Choices Via Kinetic Novel.

I would expect most players to understand "fuck sister of tomboy while dating tomboy -> tomboy gets mad". Might not be a perfect if A then B, but something around the lines, with 95% probability, A implies B.

TLR;
There is no way without Dev Console = True, to run your initial Harem Choices successful, other then Mono-routes

As horrny said, no harem. Actions and consequences. Try to fuck everything that moves, everything will fuck you back. As simple as that. Just probably not in the way you are expecting... sorry

 

[Harlaw]

So i am currently playing from episode 21 to update 23 and have reached my Final Conclusion:

This game is from Episode 22 onward
UNPLAYABLE​

1. The Love points are constantly checked against the Relationship status. This makes perfect sense as they are shown to us in a scoring board each episode even though they are not constantly shown ​
2. The Jealousy score is constantly checked against the relationship status. This seems logical but the score is kept Hidden. So they are useless! Which of the 500 decisions killed my Gig with TOMBOY? This needs a walkthrough with Jealousy score Showing ​
3. The Sum of Jealousy Scores of at least FIVE OTHER Love Interests is also checked against current LI. Now I cannot even write a walkthrough as I would need an external Spreadsheet with all Scores noted down . (I scrolled the renpy code and printed variables in the Dev console) Why are characters collecting Sus on each other character only to act on them as the same thing? Always order ONE 4 Seasons instead of 4 Quarter Pizzas... .​
4. Sometimes scores are modified by dialogue choices from the Scene e.g: TOMBOY interrogates you about NOT MOM and NOT THOT SISTER in a row => Six Try or Die Checks! with one at Double Suck!​
5. Some Dialogue Trees and prior conditions force 11 of 12 options into the same result: e.g.: Cooking Date with SMART BIMBO if you romanced MISS CARNIVAL CRAZY and Either NOT LESBO or TOMBOBOY before End like: BIMBO_KILL = Yes; XOR CRAZY_KILL = Yes;​
6. AND also if you didn't date CARNVAL CRAZY then: BIMBO_KILL AND CRAZY_KILL = no; So NOT romancing Carnival Crazy EARLY keeps her and Bimbo both an option later? ​

Hypothesis:​

Why bother using mechanics like Hidden Scores that are cascaded and multiplied IF they are not communicated to the player are impossible to predict even with DEVELOPER VISION = True?

If no Player understands the mechanic that is kept hidden why bother implementing it? Just use Fatal Choices Via Kinetic Novel.
Or allow the player to pick their salad with topings? e.g.: Load "TOMBOY-THOT" + "A BIMBO, BI-FF, TOMBOY Foursome" + "NOT MOM, NOT STEP-MOM, CHURCH-MOM Trinity" => RUN Story Choices.

TLR;
There is no way without Dev Console = True, to run your initial Harem Choices successful, other then Mono-routes

Ok, I gotta ask, what's up with these bizarre naming of strings and variables? I play with URM and literally none of those ever come in to play.

 

[Dessolos]

There is no way without Dev Console = True, to run your initial Harem Choices successful, other then Mono-routes.

I thought we weren't meant to have any harem routes from what i read other people say just solo and maybe a throuple

 

[Abhai]

I thought we weren't meant to have any harem routes from what i read other people say just solo and maybe a throuple

dont bother by trying to communicate with me-no-read-me-alpha-harem-me-write-a-lot-me-no read-me-dont-care-wanna-harem-me-matter-the-most-mommy-dearest players...communication means (apart from facepalm here and there) with those beings arent invented...and highly unlikely it will be invented ever

 

[LionHeart 95]

BIG BIG NEWS !!!!!

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Hi folks,

I know I said that I hoped the last DEV update would be my final one before Episode 24 is released, but I wanted to drop a quick note, so I'm not keeping you in the dark. I have now finished everything except the very final sex scene. Writing the last scene (in the comedy club) ended up taking quite a bit longer than initially planned as I ended up resolving a few threads that I was initially planning on pushing to episode 25. But with these extra loose ends tied up in episode 24, I think it will be a cleaner episode. Anyway...hoping to get the sex scene finished tonight or tomorrow and then some testing. But it'll just be the final scene that needs testing. Everything else has been fully tested. So we are down to days, not weeks. Still on track for September!

Thanks,

CG

 

[ename144]

I thought we weren't meant to have any harem routes from what i read other people say just solo and maybe a throuple

AFAICT, the infamous lack of harem routes to have been more about misdirecting the audience than a genuine game design goal. WtHI won't be a harem in the technical sense (you won't be able to romance *all* the girls openly), but based on Episode 23 it sure seems like you will be able to romance a very large subset of them openly, and if the recent dev comments are to be believed you can romance most of the rest in secret. My guess is there will be a few mutually exclusive options and the rest will either be a mini-harem or viable side-girls to said harem (though with Katie and Jenna seemingly part of the harem, I'm not sure exactly who will be forbidden).

Basically, the game is less a dating simulator than it is a cheating simulator. The player was expected to pursue as many girls as possible as long as possible, and only at the very end would he need to take steps to cut losses (either by ending affairs at the right time, or by dropping careful hints to condition the girls to the harem). Trying to find the path that would minimize the number of breakups needed was the main challenge of the game. We can pursue fewer girls if we prefer and the game will try to accommodate us (sort of like a built-in easy mode), but it's clearly not the intended path.

As game designs go this is perfectly reasonable, but it *is* quite different than what I was expecting after all the warnings about the game not being a harem.

 

[Quaszog55]

You can rewrite the question in why should the player be communicated anything? this is a dating sim, at the end of the day, not a spread sheet excel exercise. Idea is to play as you see fit, not counting choice by choice.

Because as someone who plays Tomboy Mono-route right now. Understanding game mechanics would actually help me have more fun.

SuS Points are Hidden and Kept Tracking even for Love Interests you Deselected!
So Tomboy gets Jelly on THOT and NOT MOM (+3 other variables ) even on Tomboys Mono-route and might already reached critical mass before you converted to Mono sorry I check out on this one.
​

I would expect most players to understand "fuck sister of tomboy while dating tomboy -> tomboy gets mad". Might not be a perfect if A then B, but something around the lines, with 95% probability, A implies B.

If THOT Could NOT be added as a voyeur option Later despite being deselected and wouldn't be offering to be cuck-quean from get go...
and Lily and Bi-FF wouldn't offer to share with Tomboy outright...

...then everything you just said would make total sense. But the narrative marks clear routes with flood-lights and disco-balls and the mechanics are RNGesus Divine Smite on Crack.

As horrny said, no harem. Actions and consequences. Try to fuck everything that moves, everything will fuck you back. As simple as that. Just probably not in the way you are expecting... sorry

You guys are a flying circus. NON of the examples I made are a Fuck ALL: Full Selection. Nor is that my problem with the game mechanics.

1) TOMBOY + THOT + One BFF ARE presented through the narrative as a Route.
2) NOT MOM + Tomboy + THOT is not ALL-Harem. Are the first three choices given in the game for ages other than Jo.
3) Lily + one BFF + Carnival Girl? Former two and latter aren't even in the same Plot Archs.

Do not tell me any of you played Celibate until Bella, Elaine or Theresa came along. I picked Jo as my Final Girl on the first play through and am still convinced it was best choice.

Basically, the game is less a dating simulator than it is a cheating simulator. The player was expected to pursue as many girls as possible as long as possible, and only at the very end would he need to take steps to cut losses (either by ending affairs at the right time, or by dropping careful hints to condition the girls to the harem). Trying to find the path that would minimize the number of breakups needed was the main challenge of the game. We can pursue fewer girls if we prefer and the game will try to accommodate us (sort of like a built-in easy mode), but it's clearly not the intended path.

As game designs go this is perfectly reasonable, but it *is* quite different than what I was expecting after all the warnings about the game not being a harem.

That kinda is my vibe as well. Playing the game becomes a headache. Evil Dad sounds much smarter now.
However I raise by saying that the Cheating/Caught mechanic even trips you if you do not cheat with the entire rooster thanks to it being Hidden and Bonkers.