VN Ren'Py Yesterday's Crossroads [Ch.3 v0.4.0a] [CHAQUINN0]

[Vidal the king of Pervert]

as someone that prefers monogamous paths as I well. My first time I had real trouble actually playing monogamous my first time around on this game. I hate it admit but I played it like a manwhore as I couldn't decide who I like more and by time I did decide somewhat it kind of was too late and already went further than I wanted too ( I know my fault) in the hopes of learning more about the LI and making a decision. By the time I did I kind of needed to restart and make separate saves which is 1/2 of the reason im going to replay this when I get around to playing the update.

I still haven't fully decided but I know it's between Michelle or Julia for my favorite so they are getting their paths played first this time. Will also make a save for Oliva , Alessa Kimberly and maybe Kim just to see how her path plays out even tho I dislike her

for me I don't need to play a game for long to pick my girl when I feel the spark I feel the spark

 

[Dessolos]

for me I don't need to play a game for long to pick my girl when I feel the spark I feel the spark

depends on the game for me. This game I felt that spark with 2 girls right away so I needed to learn more about them to decide but yeah in hopes of doing so I messed up and went on dates and kissed both of them think one even had a lewd scene lol.

 

[flaviopaganini]

I think Kimmy was done dirty. Early on, Kimmy is brought up in a negative context. Later, after going to the gym with Zeke, he'll make a "oh no, don't look now"-remark when Kimmy passes by and recognizes them.
This primes the player/reader to dislike her, and I don't think she deserves it. Instead, I think it would be worthwhile if the MC has a thought like "She's not at all how I remember her", to urge the player to reconsider what they think they know of her.

Great comment, and this happens in various games. In many games, the devs love to manipulate the player's perception, only to reveal in a flashback that every choice you made was the wrong one.

 

[Dessolos]

Great comment, and this happens in various games. In many games, the devs love to manipulate the player's perception, only to reveal in a flashback that every choice you made was the wrong one.

this comment reminds me of another game I played. Where you are lead to believe an Ex is a horrible person or betrayed / hurt MC because of how he acts around her. Yet you have to make the decision to go on her path or not and only some time after that decision you get a flashback with what really happened and she didn't seem so bad after all to me lol.

 

[CHAQUINN0]

One of the hardest parts about developing an episodic game, especially one with a heavy story focus like this, is that revealing every little detail at once makes it predictable and quickly loses its appeal.

I wouldn’t call it handholding, but telling the player exactly what they need to do for a specific outcome takes away from character and story development.

Games like Man of Medan, Detroit: Become Human, and Until Dawn, which are big inspirations for me, don’t do that, but they are complete and much well rounded games from the start, which makes things easier for the player. Has anyone played them just once and got all the outcomes right off the bat?

I’m not saying that the complaints aren’t valid -- I do understand. But at the same time, if you want a badass MC who makes all the right decisions, where everything goes according to plan, and all characters are so perfect they have VIP entrance to heaven, then this is not the game for you.

Have I made some bad decisions? Absolutely. Looking back, I definitely understand some of the frustrations. That’s why I am reworking some of the previous content and adding extra content to the earlier chapters to address those problems.

So I do understand the points and frustrations, and I take all feedback to heart, even the ill-intended and insulting ones.

Truth is, a game for everyone is a game for no one.

 

[Quetzzz]

Great comment, and this happens in various games. In many games, the devs love to manipulate the player's perception, only to reveal in a flashback that every choice you made was the wrong one.

You're right, and that sucks. It's usually done to convey that "everyone deserves a chance", but realistically, why would you entertain someone who's giving off red flags?

 

[motseer]

[No] VIP entrance to heaven...

What?

Spoiler: Nooooooooooooooo

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[Canto Forte]

What a bummer .. that true protagonist movies like Top Gun or Indiana Jones or James Bond movies have girls thrown at them from every corner of the story and are still revered the world over for being their usual mysoginistic crude bullying assholes.
Player said:
I enjoy finding things out and not having girl spoon fed to me so she can open her legs and it all be nice and convenient.
Another player said:
I know I will miss out on characters/images if I don't pick certain choices or follow a certain path. That's just how it is.

Just from playing around with different paths, anyone can come out with the fair impression that:
this game is geared around the throuple of MC+Zeke+Kay+Kim - those are the guarding rails of the story.
We should follow that canon route first and then decide, along the way, if we want to start a new save when we choose to unbark this Bullet Train of a game and start dating some other girl - with all the added drama or happy times, only to then get back on the same bullet train and hope for the best at the next station.

I’m not saying that the complaints aren’t valid -- I do understand. But at the same time, if you want a badass MC who makes all the right decisions, where everything goes according to plan, and all characters are so perfect they have VIP entrance to heaven, then this is not the game for you.

When you make a convoluted intertwined game with a plot running away from MC every now and then, the feedback will be frustration and the feels of the players will spill in their reviews and in their comments, because just like food or night club or dating - especially a dating oriented game - the emotional overspill is the kind of rush most players are looking to get outta the game.

So far, the game was nice enough to unravel the obvious flaws of MC and of the various long time friends around him.

 

[Vidal the king of Pervert]

One of the hardest parts about developing an episodic game, especially one with a heavy story focus like this, is that revealing every little detail at once makes it predictable and quickly loses its appeal.

I wouldn’t call it handholding, but telling the player exactly what they need to do for a specific outcome takes away from character and story development.

Games like Man of Medan, Detroit: Become Human, and Until Dawn, which are big inspirations for me, don’t do that, but they are complete and much well rounded games from the start, which makes things easier for the player. Has anyone played them just once and got all the outcomes right off the bat?

I’m not saying that the complaints aren’t valid -- I do understand. But at the same time, if you want a badass MC who makes all the right decisions, where everything goes according to plan, and all characters are so perfect they have VIP entrance to heaven, then this is not the game for you.

Have I made some bad decisions? Absolutely. Looking back, I definitely understand some of the frustrations. That’s why I am reworking some of the previous content and adding extra content to the earlier chapters to address those problems.

So I do understand the points and frustrations, and I take all feedback to heart, even the ill-intended and insulting ones.

Truth is, a game for everyone is a game for no one.

View attachment M. Bison _Yes Yes!_ Widescreen HD reupload.mp4

 

[Raziel_8]

Just from playing around with different paths, anyone can come out with the fair impression that:
this game is geared around the throuple of MC+Zeke+Kay+Kim - those are the guarding rails of the story.
We should follow that canon route first and then decide, along the way, if we want to start a new save when we choose to unbark this Bullet Train of a game and start dating some other girl - with all the added drama or happy times, only to then get back on the same bullet train and hope for the best at the next station.

Uh..no. I really don't want to follow those three...
Kim can fuck off back home for all i care, nothing has changed since the first release there.
As for Zeke and Keyla, i didn't particular like either of them at the begining, but the more i hear about them the less i like either of them...so, no thanks.

My canon route is Michelle, then Olivia, Julia and Vera+attachment (would be nice to get a solo Vera path...), Kimberly isn't bad either.

 

[Quetzzz]

Have I made some bad decisions? Absolutely. Looking back, I definitely understand some of the frustrations. That’s why I am reworking some of the previous content and adding extra content to the earlier chapters to address those problems.

I respect this!

And, speaking for myself, please consider my criticism as coming from a place of respect and love of the game. In the end, it's just my subjective experience.

With the risk of overstepping, here's some things I think can be cleared/cleaned up:

• Leyla and Zeke: I'd change the backstory slightly, keeping the cheating of Leyla and the MC, albeit making it shorter (weeks instead of months), and them both agreeing to put a stop to it. They could feel guilty, and Leyla could re-affirm that she made a commitment to Zeke, and intends to see it through, despite her cheating on him. This would show that Leyla made a mistake, but wants to be loyal (She also made Zeke a promise, after all). It would also give a good reason why nobody told Zeke, with both Leyla and the MC wanting Leyla x Zeke to succeed. She can still pine after the MC, explaining her behavior after Kim leaves, specially as her marriage is comfortable but without passion (which is also a good hook for "the grass is greener on the other side" / "the grass is greener where you water it").
• The way Zeke is demonized makes me wonder why we're even still friends with him. Did he need to be a cheater in college? I think this needlessly complicates the narrative. Having replayed the game yesterday, I got the impression that you're spending a lot of time trying to explain what & how it all happened with MC + Leyla + Zeke, while it could be very straightforward.
• Either don't make negative remarks about Kimmy, or give her a chance to redeem that impression we have of her before they meet on the train. After all, if the MC rejects Kimmy there, her track is closed permanently (at least in the current version).
• Kim's "redemption arc" feels unearned if the player picks cold/negative options in her dialogue. If the MC is cold toward her, a normal attitude would be to give him space, not to push his boundaries. You're keeping track of her affection score, but it's never used. Instead, Kim could give the MC space, with the MC getting bored and going to her to talk / go out (maybe with a player choice for good measure)
• Some general narrative cleanup. I can understand why some players aren't sure if this is a harem game or not, because the MC gets distracted by every new woman who enters his vicinity. Sure, after he made a choice to go on a date with someone, he'll remark about already dating someone else. Instead, the MC could have a telegraphing thought, giving a bit of context to players about how the game (or the LI he's dating) treats relationships and intimacy.

In relation to my last point, dialog like this feels sloppy, and happen a few times. It feels generic because it is. It isn't tailored to the choices the player made:

    Mom "So how was your weekend?"
    MC "Well, there was this party with Michelle Friday night."
    # bunch of 'ifs' that I didn't trigger
    MC "Other than that, that was my week."
    Mom "A very rocky week I would say. You’re the one who deserves some rest."

 

[Vidal the king of Pervert]

I respect this!

And, speaking for myself, please consider my criticism as coming from a place of respect and love of the game. In the end, it's just my subjective experience.

With the risk of overstepping, here's some things I think can be cleared/cleaned up:

• Leyla and Zeke: I'd change the backstory slightly, keeping the cheating of Leyla and the MC, albeit making it shorter (weeks instead of months), and them both agreeing to put a stop to it. They could feel guilty, and Leyla could re-affirm that she made a commitment to Zeke, and intends to see it through, despite her cheating on him. This would show that Leyla made a mistake, but wants to be loyal (She also made Zeke a promise, after all). It would also give a good reason why nobody told Zeke, with both Leyla and the MC wanting Leyla x Zeke to succeed. She can still pine after the MC, explaining her behavior after Kim leaves, specially as her marriage is comfortable but without passion (which is also a good hook for "the grass is greener on the other side" / "the grass is greener where you water it").
• The way Zeke is demonized makes me wonder why we're even still friends with him. Did he need to be a cheater in college? I think this needlessly complicates the narrative. Having replayed the game yesterday, I got the impression that you're spending a lot of time trying to explain what & how it all happened with MC + Leyla + Zeke, while it could be very straightforward.
• Either don't make negative remarks about Kimmy, or give her a chance to redeem that impression we have of her before they meet on the train. After all, if the MC rejects Kimmy there, her track is closed permanently (at least in the current version).
• Kim's "redemption arc" feels unearned if the player picks cold/negative options in her dialogue. If the MC is cold toward her, a normal attitude would be to give him space, not to push his boundaries. You're keeping track of her affection score, but it's never used. Instead, Kim could give the MC space, with the MC getting bored and going to her to talk / go out (maybe with a player choice for good measure)
• Some general narrative cleanup. I can understand why some players aren't sure if this is a harem game or not, because the MC gets distracted by every new woman who enters his vicinity. Sure, after he made a choice to go on a date with someone, he'll remark about already dating someone else. Instead, the MC could have a telegraphing thought, giving a bit of context to players about how the game (or the LI he's dating) treats relationships and intimacy.

In relation to my last point, dialog like this feels sloppy, and happen a few times. It feels generic because it is. It isn't tailored to the choices the player made:

    Mom "So how was your weekend?"
    MC "Well, there was this party with Michelle Friday night."
    # bunch of 'ifs' that I didn't trigger
    MC "Other than that, that was my week."
    Mom "A very rocky week I would say. You’re the one who deserves some rest."

personally I love that we don't have to wait until the end of the game to start a monogamous relationship

I'm so sick and tired of dating a girl

with no strings attached only to have her

become my girlfriend or

wife at the end when the game is over

and I don't get to actually enjoy a serious relationship with the girl I like

I don't want to start dating Kimberly with no strings attached

 

[Raziel_8]

The way Zeke is demonized makes me wonder why we're even still friends with him. Did he need to be a cheater in college? I think this needlessly complicates the narrative. Having replayed the game yesterday, I got the impression that you're spending a lot of time trying to explain what & how it all happened with MC + Leyla + Zeke, while it could be very straightforward.

Yeah, that Keyla married him after that was the point i finaly thought stupidity deserves to be punished and they deserve each other...that the MC and Kim got close (after she didn't break up with Zeke after the MC told her) was kinda a really bad reason to marry him.

 

[Darkwen]

personally I love that we don't have to wait until the end of the game to start a monogamous relationship

I'm so sick and tired of dating a girl

with no strings attached only to have her

become my girlfriend or

wife at the end when the game is over

and I don't get to actually enjoy a serious relationship with the girl I like

I don't want to start dating Kimberly with no strings attached

could always try guys if girls aren't doing it for you

 

[Dessolos]

personally I love that we don't have to wait until the end of the game to start a monogamous relationship

I'm so sick and tired of dating a girl

with no strings attached only to have her

become my girlfriend or

wife at the end when the game is over

and I don't get to actually enjoy a serious relationship with the girl I like

100% agree not just that but I find it so annoying in games when they don't establish if they are in a relationship or just something casual early on. Then later I find out they were in one and I was cheating without know I was. yeah I know my fault but still without knowing the realtionship status I kind of do sleep around till I decide to get serious or find out it's serious. I figure if im not serious and the none of the other LI are serious yet why turn down a lewd. It another reason I mostly only do solo paths now days.

 

[Vidal the king of Pervert]

could always try guys if girls aren't doing it for you

all I'm saying is I like the way my relationship is with Kimberly Is

and i don't want it to change

I mean if I only spend time with her she actually calls me her boyfriend

and I actually love that

 

[Vidal the king of Pervert]

100% agree not just that but I find it so annoying in games when they don't establish if they are in a relationship or just something casual early on. Then later I find out they were in one and I was cheating without know I was. yeah I know my fault but still without knowing the realtionship status I kind of do sleep around till I decide to get serious or find out it's serious. I figure if im not serious and the none of the other LI are serious yet why turn down a lewd. It another reason I mostly only do solo paths now days.

well if you only spend time with Kimberly she starts calling you her boyfriend and it feels good

or at least when people call you her boyfriend she does not correct them and that feels really good

 

[Dessolos]

well if you only spend time with Kimberly she starts calling you her boyfriend and it feels good

or at least when people call you her boyfriend she does not correct them and that feels really good

that I agree on barley remember her path tbh unless that's from the update all I can remember is a lewd scene with her but I plan to give her a proper path and save when I play it

 

[erkper]

Love this game, was very happy to see the update. The girls and story are A-MAZ-ING. Only one question (and probably one that could have already been asked though search seemed to draw a blank):

Why the fuck is there a sword in this firepit?

 

[Elduriel]

well if you only spend time with Kimberly she starts calling you her boyfriend and it feels good

or at least when people call you her boyfriend she does not correct them and that feels really good

that I agree on barley remember her path tbh unless that's from the update all I can remember is a lewd scene with her but I plan to give her a proper path and save when I play it

I actually starting to like her a lot now that I've done a proper save just for her, probably at the top of my list, even though it's hard to make a definitive list. I like most of them except Kim and Keyla (Kayla? )