A few concerns

[Else]

I really loved the first game and thought all the characters were well done and even think so about this game so far, but a few things I noticed and kind of have an issue with and if possible would like to get some dev input on their approach with this.

Alot of the antagonistic people I met so far kind of all seem so I dont know how to word it..."internet-ey bad guy troll-ish"? Like they use terms and things that feel a bit forced. Blitz talks about snowflakes and free speech (which I thought he made a decent point about feedback and whatnot until he said that which then I knew what the game was going for then). Then the L7 guys with pretty much all their intro dialogue. Then when I choose to not feed the trolls and just go sign up, I get ranted at by Zapper with how they are sexist/toxic and she doesnt like the "boys will be boys" sentiment...when me not letting her engage them which would have literally not led anything good anyway and rather focus on the reason we were there which is to win. I don't even really get to explain that which made it worse plus we had a whole talk about how I would keep her attitude in check a bit earlier and she liked that so why rant at me? Also honestly Zapper feels like she is in the same category in a different way with how she curses and even what she did to Domino. She apoligizes but still its pretty bad.

I guess thats a thing I don't like too much in the game so far. Alot of the times it feels like characters will spend so much time ranting to you about a thing or focusing on their own point...and your character just kind of has to sit there and take it with no real input then the game moves on. Or when you are given a choice in a conversation where you can agree or disagree maybe you just get kind of teamed up on with how your wrong (if I can remember it was the Grace and Jynx conversation about the self-driving car situation).

Still im liking the game but those few things really stood out to me so much I really couldnt help making this post, and im not even half way through the game yet I dont think. I know there was a bit of these things in the first game but I don't remember it being too much to bother me.

[Buttfart Princesspants VIII]

Originally posted by Else:

I guess thats a thing I don't like too much in the game so far. Alot of the times it feels like characters will spend so much time ranting to you about a thing or focusing on their own point...and your character just kind of has to sit there and take it with no real input then the game moves on.

This is exactly my problem with it so far. It's not anything worth getting my panties in a twist for, so I won't refund it or say it isn't a good game overall but yeah. I don't like that there's weird shoe-horned sections that feel like the characters are getting on a soapbox about the gaming industry or something or other, and how there's points attached to your opinion on the matters.

Like I wanted to play a game to relax and get away from acab, eat the rich, and a bunch of other albeit very important matters. But just not in a dating game about you playing games, you know? I came here to switch my brain off and it's just a shame the rhetoric follows you into media you play to get away from that.

That all being said - I can absolutely understand the design choice to add it. This game is very inclusive, and obviously the devs felt strongly enough about these matters to put them into their games as topics of conversation. Not to mention, the game is about the gaming industry esports side of things itself, so I can't say it's wholly out of place.

But yeah, I'm with you there. I feel like I'm clicking through mini-rants about things that Locksley and the like then aggressively judge me on if I, like the MC, "just woke up and haven't had a coffee to answer this kind of thing yet".

I can't honestly remember the first game having it, either. But maybe I aggressively skipped it in that game, too.

[Else]

I have now just reached the last chapter I think and yeah after I made this post alot of the same issues continued. Like you say, the issues aren't so big that it makes the game a bad game. Just I guess really heavy handed? The characters and stuff are still great but the soapboxy moments feel like a bit much.

I agree its about the gaming industry so it fits, but I feel if they want to go and put our modern day issues/topics in a alternate future setting atleast make it a discussion and not "Stand here and listen to why our point of view is the only valid one". Especially when there are a few subjects here that do have different points of view and aren't just a black and white thing. Example is the Blitzchung mock situation Zapper and Locksley pull you into. I like how in that conversation there were multiple choices that I felt were reasonably explained without feeling like I picked a "wrong" choice. Its points attached I believe, but atleast the choice wasn't like a one sentence short response then back to the character saying how wrong you were. I picked the "Right message, wrong place" answer.

Even things like Domino making a big deal out of using the term "gamer" and how the PizzaYums! company is bad because they perpetuate the stereotype that gamers don't know how to feed themselves etc etc. felt like a bit too much. Also other moments like when you first meet Jynx and its a "No Good Answer" titled moment where you pretty much are forced to be offensive to her which felt weird since why give me the choice then. It felt forced and there just to rant about how disabled people are looked at which was unnecessary and could have been done better. There are other things like non-binary people and they didn't force you to do a "No Good Answer" moment when you first meet say Rhapsody or Jian which was good so why do that to Jynx? Everybody just automatically knows everyone's pronouns which im fine with.

Thinking back, I feel for sure I don't remember clicking through alot of dialogue like this in the first one. Only time I think something similar was brought up was when Queen Bee was competing which is understandable. Anyway I still have really liked the game and really like how the characters all have their own issues going on, even the rival. This team is very good at writing when they aren't so preachy I think.

[Buttfart Princesspants VIII]

I completely agree. You've worded it in a much better way than I could find to describe it. It is indeed very heavy-handed and "preachy" at times. I remember getting very upset at Domino talking about the "Gamer" rhetoric and thinking "oh my god, for goodness sake, it is a word, Domino" but I was penalised if I didn't agree with him on the matter. Then again, I could relate to Domino a lot and I thought I might have been projecting a fair bit onto him, especially when our character suggests therapy to him the second they start dating.

But I digress and I'm rambling after you've already hit all the sweet spots that left a bad taste in my mouth about the game. It definitely had a lot more "let's click through this dialogue and move on from this" and heavy sighs from me, for sure.

I'm just glad to know I wasn't alone in feeling this way, honestly.

[Chaos]

I've only played two chapters so far and I already agree... Yes, as one of the characters says "everything is political '', sure. But if you truly want to make a point, find a way to SHOW IT, instead of having characters monologue about what's wrong with the world/gaming industry. Especially since so many of their concerns seem to be rooted in modern day USA. But the game takes place in an alternate timeline... And not all of the players (hello) even are from the USA, so these rants feel particularly hard to follow. And yeah, so far Dominico is my favorite, but this "gamer" rant... Dude. Please.

And it's especially jarring when you compare it to first meeting Jynx... Yikes. I don't know about you, but I know plenty od disabled folks and never have I ever had this sort of reaction. Same with strangers. I never stared at them, never asked them about their disability or joked about it... What the hell. It seems to be there just to make a point. Just so Jynx can have her rant about another issue that creators feel strong about. Okay, guys, you do you. But maybe don't force players to pick something soooo far out of their comfort zone.

[Buttfart Princesspants VIII]

Originally posted by Chaos:

And it's especially jarring when you compare it to first meeting Jynx... Yikes. I don't know about you, but I know plenty od disabled folks and never have I ever had this sort of reaction. Same with strangers. I never stared at them, never asked them about their disability or joked about it... What the hell. It seems to be there just to make a point. Just so Jynx can have her rant about another issue that creators feel strong about. Okay, guys, you do you. But maybe don't force players to pick something soooo far out of their comfort zone.

Oh, this point was something I completely agree with!! We were told from the second we meet Jynx that she's more than her disability and she just wants to be looked at for who she was without people focusing on her disability - but then the game seemed to make it so that was literally all she spoke about for the rest of the game. I couldn't tell you something about Jynx other than to do with her disability. Which sucked, because yeah - I don't look at people's disabilities in awkward silence or ask them "what's wrong with them" like our character did. Nor do I bite people's heads off the way Jynx did when people ask me about my uncommon genetic or visible disabilities. In fact, I encourage discussion about it every chance I get because I enjoy informing people and raising awareness for conditions. I don't immediately assume people are going to make me "inspiration p*rn" like Jynx insinuates we will. It was all just very aggressive and very ranty, as you've mentioned, and I wish we'd formed our own conclusions that Jynx was more than her disabilities without just telling us in a 5-minutes lecture because we picked 1 of 4 terrible responses that we had no control over.

(As a note, I'm not from the USA either. Maybe that's one of the reasons I particularly disliked some things!)

Definitely come back and tell us what you think when you've played the rest!

[Chaos]

Originally posted by Buttfart Princesspants VIII:

Definitely come back and tell us what you think when you've played the rest! :Hearty:

Thank you, I will! I'm just waiting for them to resolve issues with skipping function, since I wanted to experience different outcomes before I move on.

[Else]

There were so many things that irked me a bit that I didn't bring up here, but yeah the Jynx intro was a big one that I brought up before. Don't force my character to say something that honestly, nobody I know would ever say to a person with a disability. At the most besides not really saying anything at all centered on their disability and just saying hello like a normal person, people would ask them if they needed help if they saw the person struggling with something like standing which I know some people do not like, but even that's done in good faith and not trying to be rude. So many things I just try just put off as "Remember this is not my MC and more like just the devs MC" but even then its weird. I guess the excuse for the MC saying/doing all of those stupid choices is that they were a shut-in who didn't interact with people outside of gaming online....but it still makes no sense and is not a good excuse. The MC to me doesn't even seem human at times with some of the things they think and say. So many times i'm like who even says this, as I played. For me it was even hard to understand how a person who supposedly is so into gaming but pretty much exclusively play only one game, on one platform (PC which is fine but still), and basically know almost nothing about stuff like classic arcade games even though in this timeline arcade gaming is still supposed to be popular. Felt even more odd that the MC's big issue they are dealing with is that they have to be winning to feel like they have a point to their life. No talk about how gaming is fun and enjoyable and something they truly love. Which kind of fits with how they really don't know anything about gaming besides Fists of Discomfort. I get the whole message its going for but just comes off as odd.

I'm from the USA, but yeah having alot of the modern issues that are a thing mostly here made no sense, especially when they are doing an alternate timeline setting. So basically, the only thing different is that arcades are more of a thing everywhere now instead of mostly only in Japan? Just seems kind of pointless to do the timeline but keep the same issues. Might aswell just be modern day since the setting isn't really used for anything. Also they should have went the "discussion" route with topics rather than "Heres what we say are wrong/right" route. Even if I may agree with somethings a game or piece of media is saying, I do not want to be preached at and rather be enjoying the characters, plot, and setting.

Another thing is, I feel like I don't know really anything about the characters including their real names since their "Gamertag" is used 99% of the time which feels very unrealistic when you are supposed to be friends and know each other/live with each other outside online. Like my rival/lover not even using my actual first name! Why even have us put in names then? I still don't know Jynx and Rhaspsody's real names and they are actually my favorite characters here lol.

[Buttfart Princesspants VIII]

Originally posted by Else:

Another thing is, I feel like I don't know really anything about the characters including their real names since their "Gamertag" is used 99% of the time which feels very unrealistic when you are supposed to be friends and know each other/live with each other outside online. Like my rival/lover not even using my actual first name! Why even have us put in names then? I still don't know Jynx and Rhaspsody's real names and they are actually my favorite characters here lol.

Again, I won't ramble but I once again mirror everything you've raised about Jynx and disabilities in general. And the Gamertag weirdness. I don't like how it's like, "You can be friends with everyone with no pressure to date!" but the majority of their names are hidden behind their romance routes, so you can't get to know them otherwise.

The main reason I wanted to comment back was to give you their names. I thought you might like to know them:
Locksley: Eugene
Zapper: Zoe
Grace: Grace
Jynx: Alice
Rhapsody: I think Rhapsody, since their route gives no reveal to suggest otherwise.
Hunter: Obviously whatever name you give him.
Domino: Jack

[Else]

Originally posted by Buttfart Princesspants VIII:

Originally posted by Else:

Another thing is, I feel like I don't know really anything about the characters including their real names since their "Gamertag" is used 99% of the time which feels very unrealistic when you are supposed to be friends and know each other/live with each other outside online. Like my rival/lover not even using my actual first name! Why even have us put in names then? I still don't know Jynx and Rhaspsody's real names and they are actually my favorite characters here lol.

Again, I won't ramble but I once again mirror everything you've raised about Jynx and disabilities in general. And the Gamertag weirdness. I don't like how it's like, "You can be friends with everyone with no pressure to date!" but the majority of their names are hidden behind their romance routes, so you can't get to know them otherwise.

The main reason I wanted to comment back was to give you their names. I thought you might like to know them:
Locksley: Eugene
Zapper: Zoe
Grace: Grace
Jynx: Alice
Rhapsody: I think Rhapsody, since their route gives no reveal to suggest otherwise.
Hunter: Obviously whatever name you give him.
Domino: Jack

Thanks so much! I actually have only finished Hunter's route so far so I guess that's why I never knew their names. Been a bit busy with work and also waiting until they fix the skip button so I can go do the other romances. I just thought of the fact that you can totally play the game platonically and just be friends with everyone and your right it is weird to never learn their names.

Oh yeah I wanted to say thanks for making that guide! You did great work!

[Buttfart Princesspants VIII]

Originally posted by Else:

Oh yeah I wanted to say thanks for making that guide! You did great work!

That's very sweet of you to say! Good luck with the rest of the game when the skip feature comes out!

[Nicodemous52]

Thank you for this thread. I'm now thinking I may skip this game.

I just finished the first one, and I really liked it. I said it in a different way, but I told people while this game (the first one) scores all kinds of DIE points, it's not actually tying to smack you in the face or educate you. They are just kind of there. Just kind of exist, like how it mostly is in your actual real life. But it sounds like based on this and some of the reviews that this game is very much trying to smack you in the face and educate you.

Naw thanks, I don't come to games to learn how to rethink my world view. I come to games, to play games. If I want educated on philosophy or politics, I'll go read some philosophy and political theory books. I have and have read plenty of them, and will probably get and read more.