However there are no 'rules' to VN's. Accepted practice maybe..but not rules.
I had no issue with it, was a refreshing way of doing it and to randomly find a LI I like. Hell, people will want a full damn LI list 6 month before the VN comes out soon they are that fragile over this shit. Like seriously, part of the fun...oh who she etc etc. Next playthrough, make different choices.
Again, people don't like that stuff, go and playn a harem KN instead.
Concerning Kimberly, much like in real life, we never know what might happen when we step out into the world and touch some grass. Meeting her again was one of those unpredictable situations.
I understand that locking her out based on just one situation wasn't right, even though you will still have the chance to encounter her again in Chapter 3.
Now I'm making this change: on the train, you will have the choice to hang out with her independently of going to the gym with Zeke. However, that won't be forced upon you; you can still choose to say no to her.
Ironically, its because its not a kinetic novel that it shouldn't work like that. I understand the realistic aspect of not knowing what would happen when you go outside, but no matter how story heavy at the end of the day this is ultimately by nature of choices framed as a game and go talk with anyone working in the industry, or studying game design, you have to give the player some hints, or cues before making a choice, you can't have them pick left door, or right door, one choices kills them and the only way to know is to save scum and randomly try the doors. That is bad game design, there has to be some hint about hearing the wind behind the door that opens to them falling to their dead of the edge of the mountain.
If you insist on keeping her entire route on a random seemingly unrelated choice, at least change the dialogue so that she mentions running into Zeke outside the gym so the player has a clue what he was missing that way, because as it stands I would not be surprised if people didn't even know she had a route after the first 3 releases. That might be ok for a side hoe, but not for an allegedly Main LI.
case in point
wait Kimberly is a main LI i thought she was a Side girl this entire time lol
I don't have the numbers, but I am so confident enough in being close to the real ones that I would bet money on it, I think more than 80% of the AVN playerbase only ever plays one save, they focus on someone they like, they come next update and as long as the saves work they continue that one save file. For someone like that, missing her in the first completely unrelated choice makes them not even know she has any content in the game yet, unless modding, or checking the gallery.
And imo, the beauty of choices and multiple playthroughs is after making an educated decision is you knowing, or at least having a hint of what you missed and what to expect on your next playthrough. Russian rouletting every random choice and stumbling into girls routes its not fun.
