Stories that left you disappointed for a reason

[Re336]

Can you explain, if you don't mind? Is the other book bad? I haven't read it.

I don't have much to say about After Dark. But Long Weekend doesn't feel satisfying at all. I don't like the way the author just make it a happy ending for MC because...they get to date someone??? Like, your problems won't just go away because you find a romantic partner especially for someone who hears strange voices in their head like MC. I'm just not fond of stories that has "all your mental problems can be cured by dating someone" theme going on

 

[Ephemeris]

Yeah, this is how I feel about. Lots of romance for the side characters and no one for MC. I don't even know who are the ros. Please tell me it isn't evil Ale.

Overall, I don't think the story is for me.

Exactly lots of pov of character doing things while the MC sit around in their house, So about the RO's the author wants it to be a surprise but I'm pretty sure evil Ale is one, the introduction to the game says you are able to flirt with evil guys and things like that plus Evil Ale is MC Ex-lover.

I kept thinking how I rather play as Chiara (because she has more option and opportunities to flirt with both Ale), and also turn MC as romance option.

I feel like Chiara is also a boring character tho, like sure she gets more chances to flirt with both Ales AND her ex but MC is a former hacker with ties to the mob that is force to go back in because their sibling is sick, like that is sooo interesting the author just doesn't use that part of their story, well maybe to show how annoying evil Ale is but that's all.

when I play as MC, I dont understand why we have to focusing so much on Chiara and good Ale. I get that they both RO. But make them stand out goddammit. Literally where is the connection between them and mc that makes them stand out?

That part! The characters are so not important in MC life yet at least, that their POV's just don't make sense, like they are two random people that MC met one day and that's it, they don't even feel attracted to the MC (In my opinion) so why should I care about them?

I'm just so disappointed in the game because it has the potential to be good but every update I just feel like that is never going to happen.

On another note I'm disappointed with Saturnine, mostly because while I find the story interesting, I couldn't care less for the characters like wow, I managed to get to the last chapter without any of them dying but if I didn't, I would literally not gave a **** if any of them died, Hadaly is the only one that I find mildly interesting and there is a werehedgehog on the story and even that doesn't make him interesting as a character, I just don't connect emotionally with any of them.

 

[bosslady]

like they are two random people that MC met one day and that's it, they don't even feel attracted to the MC (In my opinion) so why should I care about them?

Oh, that was bugging me too! Like in Good Ale's POVs there is no mention of MC or anything. Only Chiara and uh... Chiara's friend? Dunno, maybe the author wants to make it slow burn but... eh. I didn't see any option to flirt with anyone except Evil Ale.
I like this thread, feels like we can talk about faults in the games without being mobbed lol

Ironically I don't remember anything about Saturnine except the werewolf girl. And MC being an android.

 

[Vamp-kun]

I like this thread, feels like we can talk about faults in the games without being mobbed lol

Only I have the privilege of swooping down and mob through the door, although one does not simply swoop down to mob through the door~

 

[Foulwarden]

The final Versus game bored me so much. It felt like my choices from the two previous games didn’t matter at all. What a disappointing ending to the series.

 

[Sant]

I like this thread, feels like we can talk about faults in the games without being mobbed lol

Fr, reading the older thread before this site got erased (again) was so refreshing. Many IFs we had good expectations but disappointed us in the end, but we didn't had a place to criticize before.

 

[Sant]

The final Versus game bored me so much. It felt like my choices from the two previous games didn’t matter at all. What a disappointing ending to the series.

I really don't like this autor's works, placing 50/50 stats on basic ones while also having stat checks for those same stats AND personality ones was a bad idea from the start.
It almost felt like walking through eggshells during each page.

 

[zareichie]

I don't have much to say about After Dark. But Long Weekend doesn't feel satisfying at all. I don't like the way the author just make it a happy ending for MC because...they get to date someone??? Like, your problems won't just go away because you find a romantic partner especially for someone who hears strange voices in their head like MC. I'm just not fond of stories that has "all your mental problems can be cured by dating someone" theme going on

Trueee, that's why I found the 'happy ending' isn't satisfying... Why can't MC find happiness by being single and happy by themselves? Why MC has to date someone else to get a happy ending? Many times I want to smack MC's so-called 'best friend' because of how toxic their behavior and also MC, because why r u so blind and attached to your toxic 'best friend'. But mainly, author, why you create MC to be so miserable like that who only have two options: either stay miserable or find happiness by dating someone else?!

 

[mrstankylegs]

The Ultimate Magic Student.

Perhaps it's too soon to judge, but I really expected to like it and I didn't, at all. It somehow isn't as weeb-y as you'd think it should, which is bizarre considering the materials. It feels almost more like it's depicting what people think anime is, as opposed to fan of the genre paradoying it. The author said they will be writing anime cliches as form of satire, but so far they're playing it totally straight. They said they are 'drawing inspiration from a generic amalgamation of clichés' and—yeah, feels like it. This sure is a cliche, generic anime setting. Are you going to do something interesting with it soon or...? 'Cause right now it just reads like a mediocre system novel taking itself seriously and not supposedly a tropey satire.

The humor doesn't work for me, and there are details that—admittedly nitpitcky—take me out of it. Double ponytails? Do you mean twintails? Rice dumplings? Onigiri isn't a dumpling. And what the hell is that uniform? I know it's a fictional magic 'college', but it's obviously a parody of Japanese highschools. So the way they described the uniform took me out of it. (You would use the word 'Ecchi' in your game but not just, like, serafuku or gakuran to describe clothes? What the hell is 'azure shoulder'...and it has a SHORT SLEEVED blazer?? Huh? Not to mention that 'spring uniform' isn't really a thing, but I digress) or when the narrator makes a comment about how Odd it is that college students wear uniforms. (This is in fact common in a lot of Asian countries. Adults attending colleges do wear uniforms.)

On that note, wearing a skirt unlocks 'Ecchi' interactions, but there's nothing about playing a boy in skirts when that is a huge trope you'd expect? (Or girls in pants for that matter! You should be able to play into anime aechetypes, shouldn't you? Then again, maybe I'm just spoiled by One Knight Stand where character customizations were actually reflected in the story and accounted for... but if there is a game where MC's cosmetic appearances mean something, then it should be this game. Just the fact that you, supposedly, a background character gets to have pink hair/odd eyes should be a whole thing on its own but it doesn't come up (yet?). Not even anything when you choose to play a gaijin??

Oh, the names. The names. They're not good. I'd be able to say more about this if the kanji was included but none was (despite the 'meanings' having been included.) They are not made-up names, at least, they did Some research... but some of the names just aren't likely/believable (rare names, names inaccurate with the time period, Just Sounds Off, Obviously Not a Native, etcetc.)

Honorifics. Drove me insane when -chan, -san, -kun were genderlocked. It's not that simple. (This seems to have been removed in the latest demo? But when I last played, the gender you picked changed this variable and, yeah it's much more nuanced than that. If anything, this variable should be dependent on your relationships rather than your gender. I'm glad they removed it, because it bothered the hell out of me.)

Annnnnd after having typed all this I realized nobody cares and I sound lame as hell. Well. Jokes on you for reading it. Cheers.

 

[kecap asin]

The Ultimate Magic Student.

Perhaps it's too soon to judge, but I really expected to like it and I didn't, at all. It somehow isn't as weeb-y as you'd think it should, which is bizarre considering the materials. It feels almost more like it's depicting what people think anime is, as opposed to fan of the genre paradoying it. The author said they will be writing anime cliches as form of satire, but so far they're playing it totally straight. They said they are 'drawing inspiration from a generic amalgamation of clichés' and—yeah, feels like it. This sure is a cliche, generic anime setting. Are you going to do something interesting with it soon or...? 'Cause right now it just reads like a mediocre system novel taking itself seriously and not supposedly a tropey satire.

The humor doesn't work for me, and there are details that—admittedly nitpitcky—take me out of it. Double ponytails? Do you mean twintails? Rice dumplings? Onigiri isn't a dumpling. And what the hell is that uniform? I know it's a fictional magic 'college', but it's obviously a parody of Japanese highschools. So the way they described the uniform took me out of it. (You would use the word 'Ecchi' in your game but not just, like, serafuku or gakuran to describe clothes? What the hell is 'azure shoulder'...and it has a SHORT SLEEVED blazer?? Huh? Not to mention that 'spring uniform' isn't really a thing, but I digress) or when the narrator makes a comment about how Odd it is that college students wear uniforms. (This is in fact common in a lot of Asian countries. Adults attending colleges do wear uniforms.)

On that note, wearing a skirt unlocks 'Ecchi' interactions, but there's nothing about playing a boy in skirts when that is a huge trope you'd expect? (Or girls in pants for that matter! You should be able to play into anime aechetypes, shouldn't you? Then again, maybe I'm just spoiled by One Knight Stand where character customizations were actually reflected in the story and accounted for... but if there is a game where MC's cosmetic appearances mean something, then it should be this game. Just the fact that you, supposedly, a background character gets to have pink hair/odd eyes should be a whole thing on its own but it doesn't come up (yet?). Not even anything when you choose to play a gaijin??

Oh, the names. The names. They're not good. I'd be able to say more about this if the kanji was included but none was (despite the 'meanings' having been included.) They are not made-up names, at least, they did Some research... but some of the names just aren't likely/believable (rare names, names inaccurate with the time period, Just Sounds Off, Obviously Not a Native, etcetc.)

Honorifics. Drove me insane when -chan, -san, -kun were genderlocked. It's not that simple. (This seems to have been removed in the latest demo? But when I last played, the gender you picked changed this variable and, yeah it's much more nuanced than that. If anything, this variable should be dependent on your relationships rather than your gender. I'm glad they removed it, because it bothered the hell out of me.)

Annnnnd after having typed all this I realized nobody cares and I sound lame as hell. Well. Jokes on you for reading it. Cheers.

This is like... SOH all over again..

 

[mrstankylegs]

This is like... SOH all over again..

Ah, funny you mentioned SOH.. takes me back. I had some fun with the first game. The rest, not so much.

To this day, there still isn't an IF in Japanese setting and/or with Anime-inspired premises that I like, which is a shame. ('Don't Wake Me Up' came close with the JRPG-like setting, but—well, I won't repeat what have aleeady been said about that game in this thread. One Knight Stand surprisingly scratches the itch with its FGO references and general nerdiness, but it's about Authurian legends at the end of the day.)

I would say though that at least (from what I have seen) the author of The Ultimate Magic student seems susceptible towards feedback, and since the game is early in development, it still has the potetials to be good. Unlike SOH's, whose fans collectively jumped on my dick and balls for the mild, early criticism that the random, out-of-place Japanese phrases it sprinkled into the dialogues broke immersion.

(So, really, it's almost like they have opposite have problems. TUMS(?) (Is that the acronym? lol)'s author could use more Japanese words where they'd be better served than the English translations. Meanwhile, SOH didn't need your charge to randomly burst into BAKA! or URUSAI! or whatever the hell that cringe *** kid said, I don't even remember. The decisions of when and when not to use Japanese transliteration in that game was inconsistent and odd.)

 

[yourstalkeroutside]

The Ultimate Magic Student.

Perhaps it's too soon to judge, but I really expected to like it and I didn't, at all. It somehow isn't as weeb-y as you'd think it should, which is bizarre considering the materials. It feels almost more like it's depicting what people think anime is, as opposed to fan of the genre paradoying it. The author said they will be writing anime cliches as form of satire, but so far they're playing it totally straight. They said they are 'drawing inspiration from a generic amalgamation of clichés' and—yeah, feels like it. This sure is a cliche, generic anime setting. Are you going to do something interesting with it soon or...? 'Cause right now it just reads like a mediocre system novel taking itself seriously and not supposedly a tropey satire.

The humor doesn't work for me, and there are details that—admittedly nitpitcky—take me out of it. Double ponytails? Do you mean twintails? Rice dumplings? Onigiri isn't a dumpling. And what the hell is that uniform? I know it's a fictional magic 'college', but it's obviously a parody of Japanese highschools. So the way they described the uniform took me out of it. (You would use the word 'Ecchi' in your game but not just, like, serafuku or gakuran to describe clothes? What the hell is 'azure shoulder'...and it has a SHORT SLEEVED blazer?? Huh? Not to mention that 'spring uniform' isn't really a thing, but I digress) or when the narrator makes a comment about how Odd it is that college students wear uniforms. (This is in fact common in a lot of Asian countries. Adults attending colleges do wear uniforms.)

On that note, wearing a skirt unlocks 'Ecchi' interactions, but there's nothing about playing a boy in skirts when that is a huge trope you'd expect? (Or girls in pants for that matter! You should be able to play into anime aechetypes, shouldn't you? Then again, maybe I'm just spoiled by One Knight Stand where character customizations were actually reflected in the story and accounted for... but if there is a game where MC's cosmetic appearances mean something, then it should be this game. Just the fact that you, supposedly, a background character gets to have pink hair/odd eyes should be a whole thing on its own but it doesn't come up (yet?). Not even anything when you choose to play a gaijin??

Oh, the names. The names. They're not good. I'd be able to say more about this if the kanji was included but none was (despite the 'meanings' having been included.) They are not made-up names, at least, they did Some research... but some of the names just aren't likely/believable (rare names, names inaccurate with the time period, Just Sounds Off, Obviously Not a Native, etcetc.)

Honorifics. Drove me insane when -chan, -san, -kun were genderlocked. It's not that simple. (This seems to have been removed in the latest demo? But when I last played, the gender you picked changed this variable and, yeah it's much more nuanced than that. If anything, this variable should be dependent on your relationships rather than your gender. I'm glad they removed it, because it bothered the hell out of me.)

Annnnnd after having typed all this I realized nobody cares and I sound lame as hell. Well. Jokes on you for reading it. Cheers.

I care. TUMS (heh) feels more like a manhwa or manhua than something anime inspired. It has potential, but the creator is obviously more a fan of koren webcomics than anime.

 

[mrstankylegs]

I care. TUMS (heh) feels more like a manhwa or manhua than something anime inspired. It has potential, but the creator is obviously more a fan of koren webcomics than anime.

Nothing warms my heart like knowing that 'yourstalkeroutside' cares. Cheers, buddy <3

 

[wie]

Infamous, intriguing plot, but it's obvious how much the author favors Seven. My MC can't seem to avoid him, no matter what choice I make. I don't see any appeal to him or what others see about him that makes him so desirable. He is a man child who already labels us as villains, even though my MC does not vote him out and does not vote for him as a backup singer. He is still hostile, and his side kick Avina gosh creepy yandere. Personally, I would rather deal with Blake anytime. Sorry for the rambling

Calling Avina a creepy yandere when we barely know them...

 

[clover]

Calling Avina a creepy yandere when we barely know them...

Have you read their povs lol. They literally said they would be okay with seven getting hurt all over again by making them go through the band breakup if it meant they could have them. If that is not yandere idk what is lol.

 

[Honey Bunny]

Calling Avina a creepy yandere when we barely know them...

You're right, yandere is an understatement.
If you haven't read the latest Seven POV, I recommend reading it. Here are some highlights that makes me uncomfortable with the whole sAviNa dynamic:

Spoiler

• How Avina still believes MC's band cheated despite Seven keep defending them. See, if my beloved close friend (/s) says that No, they are not cheating, then I believe them. Not that means that I believe the band, but because I believe in my friend's judgement, also knowing said friend knows better than me/other people that accuse just makes it more believable. UNLESS there are concrete evidences (not just hearsay) that shows that yes they are blatantly cheating. Then I will believe my friend's words. But in Avina's case? Nope they cheated. End of the story. Don't believe them, Seven, you'll just get hurt again later. Red flag, much?
  
• How even Seven doesn't know what Avina wants from them. Like? ??? They are the best of the bestest friends, right? How can you not know what your friend wants from you? How your friend wants you to behave? Can you still call someone your close friends if you can't at least read their gesture? Their body language? And feel comfortable and safe with them, and not fear? And yet Seven clearly feels uncomfortable with Avina being in the same (closed, narrow) space with MC. This just adds my doubt whether they are actually friends or just using each other subconsciously.
  
• Following the point above, it's clear Seven is using Avina as MC's replacement, consciously or not. The only thing Avina can fills is the music part (Seven themself says this.) And I don't know if Avina realizes this or not, or just go "That's fine, someday Seven will see me for me" or something like that. Either way their relationship aren't healthy, with Seven will never move on from MC yet using Avina as someone to vent to and someone to make MC jealous, while Avina "consoling" Seven and hoping their codependency will forever be undisturbed.
  
• Bonus: wonder if Amy still intends on making Seven and Avina in a relationship if you're not on Seven's route. This scene is so funny it's ridiculous to think Seven will ever move on from MC, lol
  

 

[zareichie]

You're right, yandere is an understatement.
If you haven't read the latest Seven POV, I recommend reading it. Here are some highlights that makes me uncomfortable with the whole sAviNa dynamic:

Spoiler

• How Avina still believes MC's band cheated despite Seven keep defending them. See, if my beloved close friend (/s) says that No, they are not cheating, then I believe them. Not that means that I believe the band, but because I believe in my friend's judgement, also knowing said friend knows better than me/other people that accuse just makes it more believable. UNLESS there are concrete evidences (not just hearsay) that shows that yes they are blatantly cheating. Then I will believe my friend's words. But in Avina's case? Nope they cheated. End of the story. Don't believe them, Seven, you'll just get hurt again later. Red flag, much?
  View attachment 9513
• How even Seven doesn't know what Avina wants from them. Like? ??? They are the best of the bestest friends, right? How can you not know what your friend wants from you? How your friend wants you to behave? Can you still call someone your close friends if you can't at least read their gesture? Their body language? And feel comfortable and safe with them, and not fear? And yet Seven clearly feels uncomfortable with Avina being in the same (closed, narrow) space with MC. This just adds my doubt whether they are actually friends or just using each other subconsciously.
  View attachment 9514 View attachment 9516
• Following the point above, it's clear Seven is using Avina as MC's replacement, consciously or not. The only thing Avina can fills is the music part (Seven themself says this.) And I don't know if Avina realizes this or not, or just go "That's fine, someday Seven will see me for me" or something like that. Either way their relationship aren't healthy, with Seven will never move on from MC yet using Avina as someone to vent to and someone to make MC jealous, while Avina "consoling" Seven and hoping their codependency will forever be undisturbed.
  View attachment 9519 View attachment 9518
• Bonus: wonder if Amy still intends on making Seven and Avina in a relationship if you're not on Seven's route. This scene is so funny it's ridiculous to think Seven will ever move on from MC, lol
  View attachment 9517

All of this is why Avina and Seven's whole attitude makes my MC really uncomfortable. They all love to play victim blaming in front of MC when all my MC has been doing all this time is being nice (or trying to). They'd (my MC) rather be around Blake and face Rowan's wrath than be an unwanted third party (Seven's scene in the Soft Violence's car is uncomfortably very awkward). Also, the Q.A. where Soft Violence's members were asked what they think of MC personally (I don't remember the exact question), others were particularly cool with MC, while it's only Seven and Avina who didn't think so or gave a vague answer.

This is why I avoid Seven like a plague.

 

[Honey Bunny]

All of this is why Avina and Seven's whole attitude makes my MC really uncomfortable. They all love to play victim blaming in front of MC when all my MC has been doing all this time is being nice (or trying to). They'd (my MC) rather be around Blake and face Rowan's wrath than be an unwanted third party (Seven's scene in the Soft Violence's car is uncomfortably very awkward). Also, the Q.A. where Soft Violence's members were asked what they think of MC personally (I don't remember the exact question), others were particularly cool with MC, while it's only Seven and Avina who didn't think so or gave a vague answer.

This is why I avoid Seven like a plague.

Yep, same. My MC is way too stressed with other stuff to add dealing with Seven to the pile of s**t he has to go through. While I respect Amy as a person, her way of writing that always shoves sAVinA drama to our faces is one of the things I hate about Infamous. Like, I'm just doing my business flirting with other (more worthy and reasonable) ROs and BAM! MC gets gloomy seeing Seven interacts with Avina, seeing Seven smiling at other person the way they used to at MC, blah blah blah like ugh I definitely couldn't careless, even if Seven is the last person on Earth and we are tasked to procreate or face death I still won't change my mind. My MC has the 'exes are exes for a reason' principle, and it sucks that despite him having been moved on yet still can't help but notice Seven's every movement.
And don't get me started on the latest QA, it definitely bashes MC and worships sAVina duo. Just makes me surer that deep down Avina hates MC (because MC huRtS Seven and how Seven definitely paints MC not in a good light) and yet still has the gall to act friendly and innocent on the bus. Sorry but my MC is not taking the bait, he will acts just as friendly while hiding his distaste of both Seven and Avina.

 

[Solari]

Why is Shepherd of Haven not yet done until now I WANT TO PLAY MORE OF THE VAMPIRE IN A ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE GAME THE AUTHOR MADE

 

[Re336]

It's not a story but a mechanic. I don't like it when authors implement turn based combat in their stories, or anything micro-management. Because most of the time, you'll only get something like "you have *** items in your inventory" and "you deal *** damage to enemy". They don't make it more... natural? I don't know how to say it. A good example of implementing that mechanic into interactive story can be seen in I, The Forgotten One. Marshall always responds accordingly to Darin when he shows how many armies survive, lose, or injured. And that last battle! Instead of saying how much damage we dealt, we actually can read how the actions play out throughout the battle.
I play interactive novel to read, not play RPG if I want to play turn based combat games or micro management, I can go for actual games that has pictures in it