Stories that left you disappointed for a reason

[yourstalkeroutside]

No need for more drama in a story where you left your ex (selectable) for another ex and then that another ex cheated on you with your sister. I'm not a fan of stories forcing you into certain situations without giving you any agency. That's why I stopped reading 'Crown of Ashes and Flames'. Seemed like a story for masochists. There are these stories that railroads you into unpleasant environments and expects you to make friends and find love. I keep reading them expecting at some time it will pay off but no. Even 'The Exile' has moments like this but those moments are written well and is balanced well with the narrative.

As a masochist, 'A Crown of Ashes and Flames' isn't even for me. The entire story just seems geared towards the hate everyone (except your chosen LI) and take revenge route that even trying to be otherwise is completely unfulfilling and boring.

At first I thought it had potential but this recent update really solified the feeling of not really having a choice.

 

[God]

AToC
When I first played this game I was intrigued by the potential of the history, but it quickly lost its glamour once I figured I had to be in par with the author linear vision of right and wrong or else I won't have the necessary points to be with my chosen RO or start an important conversation or worse (being unable to kiss R hand), that being said I am not crazy enough to romance that walking nuclear fallout called X and
About the X controversy, I have been following the author on Tumblr for a while now and noticed how out of character for an author is the response given to the readers, the gaslighting can vary from "why are you feeling this lol you are so weird" to blaming the reader of having insecurity issues unfortunately I have seen many times that type of response from other authors and I believe if you feel the need to gaslight a person saying how they feel after reading your work or even a criticism it's you that should change not the reader (sometimes people feel things different from the others) that tactic is used a lot, gaslighting in order to emotionally elevate the conversation making the other side appear less reasonable, you are not creating an agreeable or compelling narrative you are just making the reader look ridiculous and not contributing to the desired change of perspective.

Anyway, it's a good way to know who I should and shouldn't put my money and time on

Seems like a twine author thing tbh, because the night market author does the same thing when readers don’t like certain things.

 

[Re336]

Seems like a twine author thing tbh, because the night market author does the same thing when readers don’t like certain things.

That's why I generally avoid twine IFs. Most of them don't even finish their story

 

[bosslady]

Has anyone read The In-Between? To be honest it is rather confusing, and the style? formatting? bothers me. I also hate that there are 2 important characters with the same name. It makes it impossible to keep track of who is who.

 

[Re336]

Has anyone read The In-Between? To be honest it is rather confusing, and the style? formatting? bothers me. I also hate that there are 2 important characters with the same name. It makes it impossible to keep track of who is who.

Oh yes. I also don't like that the narrative often just repeats the text from the choice options. The dialogue also confuses me like I can't keep track of who says what

 

[bosslady]

Alright, I just read everything and... yeah nothing much happens. Lots of screen time for characters I don't give a crap about (legit don't care about any of the friends and their drama). Like for a game that says its "romantic" it sure spends a lot of time on the romances between other characters I don't even care about (**** you Chira and Ale), MC isn't that interesting although I am a bit curious about their background as a...hacker??

The only person I care about slightly is the little sibling but yeah that doesn't make up for the rest.

 

[kecap asin]

Has anyone read The In-Between? To be honest it is rather confusing, and the style? formatting? bothers me. I also hate that there are 2 important characters with the same name. It makes it impossible to keep track of who is who.

True. The naration kept switching up in between (heh) character. And when it switch up, there is no warning except an 'eye' symbol. And even then it's not always clear who pov is this.

You can name the two Ales tho. Ale 1 and Ale 2. Although sometimes the author just say the name Ale without any indication and yeah it is confusing.

I kinda okay with the author previous work tho. Not sure why this one is so damn frustating to even read.

 

[kecap asin]

Alright, I just read everything and... yeah nothing much happens. Lots of screen time for characters I don't give a crap about (legit don't care about any of the friends and their drama). Like for a game that says its "romantic" it sure spends a lot of time on the romances between other characters I don't even care about (**** you Chira and Ale), MC isn't that interesting although I am a bit curious about their background as a...hacker??

The only person I care about slightly is the little sibling but yeah that doesn't make up for the rest.

Is it just me or do I get the vibe that Chira will date one of Ale?
Idk why there is a relationship mater with Chira and the two Ales.

 

[Re336]

Alright, I just read everything and... yeah nothing much happens. Lots of screen time for characters I don't give a crap about (legit don't care about any of the friends and their drama). Like for a game that says its "romantic" it sure spends a lot of time on the romances between other characters I don't even care about (**** you Chira and Ale), MC isn't that interesting although I am a bit curious about their background as a...hacker??

The only person I care about slightly is the little sibling but yeah that doesn't make up for the rest.

Knowing the other work this author has done, I honestly don't have high hopes for this game

 

[Vamp-kun]

Is it just me or do I get the vibe that Chira will date one of Ale?
Idk why there is a relationship mater with Chira and the two Ales.

Chira will have both ales and a beer by the end of the story.

 

[bosslady]

Knowing the other work this author has done, I honestly don't have high hopes for this game

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

 

[Ephemeris]

Has anyone read The In-Between? To be honest it is rather confusing, and the style? formatting? bothers me. I also hate that there are 2 important characters with the same name. It makes it impossible to keep track of who is who.

The narrative might be confusing because the game was originally written in Italian, truly is the only reason I can think of because the author other WIP "After Dark" reads just fine, it's a bit bland but easy to understand at least (I haven't read A Long Weekend but the few people that read it in the COG forum seem to like it) also the author describes the book as more of a novel than a game. This one is just frustrating, the plot sounds interesting but we are already on chapter 9? I think? (granted the chapters are very short but still) and nothing has happened, like absolutely nothing, so many POV switches are just unnecessary like I do not need to know about Ale 1 date or how Chiara feels when her ex calls her, why does this matter? why do I need to know this?. The MC hasn't even flirted once in the story and this is supposedly a romance, and we are now, 9 chapters in, getting started on the main plot, just weird writting decisions all around.

 

[bosslady]

I do not need to know about Ale 1 date or how Chiara feels when her ex calls her, why does this matter? why do I need to know this?. The MC hasn't even flirted once in the story and this is supposedly a romance, and we are now, 9 chapters in,

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.

 

[kecap asin]

how Chiara feels when her ex calls her

Trueee
In MC point of view, they rarely seen Chiara and good Ale in meaningful way?
So far, they just... chatted together during lesson, literally nothing make them stand out from the rest of npc. And when MC warn her about Evil Ale, she just... brush them off and kept lusting after Evil Ale.

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.

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?

 

[zareichie]

This one is just frustrating, the plot sounds interesting but we are already on chapter 9? I think? (granted the chapters are very short but still) and nothing has happened, like absolutely nothing, so many POV switches are just unnecessary like I do not need to know about Ale 1 date or how Chiara feels when her ex calls her, why does this matter? why do I need to know this?. The MC hasn't even flirted once in the story and this is supposedly a romance, and we are now, 9 chapters in, getting started on the main plot, just weird writting decisions all around.

I think the game's problem is because In Between is an interactive NOVEL. That's why we got shown other people's POV. And how we have less control for MC and the story. Because we are supposed to read the game like we read novel. And that's why is frustrating (at least to me), because even I feel a detachment towards my own MC, unlike other IFs. It's like I'm reading novel where I just read how the protagonist (MC) interact with others.

And for the long weekend, the game is so depressing, I don't recommend the game to people who have vulnerable mind... It's hard to get a 'good' ending. Even when I got it, I don't feel satisfied with the ending ...

 

[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.