I just started playing this game. I haven't gotten very far yet (I just gave a speech at the rally), but I "sorta" like the game so far. However, I’m curious to know:
Is the author/developer a female?
I’m not asking that as a slight, or trying to be disrespectful. It’s just that the MC’s personality (at least early on) seems to be consistent with how women WANT all guys to think and act. It’s definitely not reflexive of how men actually think and act, especially 18-year-old young men (let alone 18-year-old star athletes). This story has more of a “knight in shining armor” woman’s novel feel, than a sex game for men feel. Which is why I was wondering if the author was a woman.
Also, the author seems to have very little knowledge as to how American collegiate athletics (along with the shady side of it) actually work. First off, a university president would NEVER behave the way Charles does. University presidents care about students and faculty, operations, research, etc. They care very little about athletics; which is a separate entity run by an Athletics Department (and headed by an Athletics Director). When it comes to the Athletics Department, a university president only really gives a shit about two things:1) that the Athletics Department doesn’t lose money (an Athletics Department has to be completely self-sufficient, because a university is not allowed to use academic money (tuition, research grants, state and federal funding, etc.) to supplement athletics in any way), and 2) that the Athletics Department doesn’t bring any negative attention to the university (i.e. SCANDAL). The odds that a university president ever personally interacts with a star athlete during the athlete’s time on campus (outside of a casual handshake) is low; therefore a university president personally presenting the athlete with an impermissible benefit (a house), and telling the athlete that they do not have to go to class would NEVER HAPPEN. A university president sending a cheerleader to fuck a star recruit? FORGET ABOUT IT! A university president involved in the hiring and/or firing of a basketball coach? Nope, that’s the job of the Athletics Director.
The person that Charles is more analogous with is a booster (someone who donates money to a school, but is not affiliated with the school in an official capacity; a wealthy alum, for example). Even then, it is rare for a star athlete to ever meet the booster that is illegally taking care of them. Impermissible benefits are almost always funneled from the booster to the athlete through a middle man, or a series of middle men.
Secondly, the attempt to make the MC super duper honest and honorable in the beginning of the story (as it pertains to him not knowing how he was going to be treated at his new school), is a little far-fetched. Again, I’m not sure if the author/developer knows how the college recruitment process works (especially a dirty recruitment process). Not only would the MC have known about the impermissible benefits (house, car, etc.) that he would have been receiving at his college of choice; so too would his parents (in this case Azel). They BOTH would have had a long, and close relationship to the middle man (or middle men) that would have been providing these benefits on behalf of the booster. In fact, the promise of these things is one on the main reasons why a star recruit chooses the college that he does, and many times the payoff starts while he is still in high school. So the idea that the #1 basketball recruit in the nation chose to attend the winless school (apparently without ever meeting the head coach during his recruitment; because it seems like when the MC arrives on campus, the first time he meets Coach Harper is the first time he has EVER met Coach Harper), and is later surprised and taken back by the under-the-table rewards that he is receiving is, like I said, a little far-fetched (ok…very far-fetched).
And about Coach Harper. I can’t think of a single case of a woman coaching a male team at the collegiate level. And if so, they definitely would not behave like Coach Harper. A woman coach is going to look and act more masculine in order to demand the respect of her male players. No coach is going to allow 9/12 of the team to skip the first practice, but ESPECIALLY not a female coach. She’s not even going to wear makeup, let alone constantly be hugging one of her players; and she’s DEFINITELY not going to leave practice to go and cry. This all just seems like a “chick flicky” way of making the MC this courteous white knight that understandingly solves all women’s problems, and protects them from the evil male antagonist.
And why is she never wearing any shoes? LOL!
I do like the game though. The renders are AMAZING, and I am very curious to see how the gigolo thing turns out, as well as the MC recalling his past and reconnecting with his mother (which are the only two believable things in the game so far, LOL).
Just wanted to drop my 2 cents in. Sorry for the long post.
