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Stories that left you disappointed for a reason

yourstalkeroutside

Well-known member
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What other sacred cow IF should I speak out against today?
Oh, I know. Mind Blind.
After the MC got you-know-whom into their head, I lost interest. That particular development imo defeats the whole premise and purpose of MC being mind blind, and reads like an admission that the author had no idea how to build the story with/around the MC's condition.
*runs for the hills*
Honestly, that IF just made me bored. For a story in which we're supposedly *not* the chosen one, the story is still written like the world revolves around the super special MC instead of the MC having a disability that could kill them or worse. Just the usual stuff you could find anywhere. Boringly mid.
 

Raijin_01

Well-known member
Member
Besides from these authors that makes you disappointed for some reasons, I concur that there are some author out there that still care for the readers. For example the author of KaE, despite so many rewrites he still give the readers progress update for free!!! I know it's shocking (unlike some) and actually giving them several free contents that actually helps build the world and the hype.
 

Foulwarden

Well-known member
Member
Yeah, I can't stand when authors go out of their way to coddle specific characters.
How about when the authors baby the MC, o0o sounds like the IF 'The King's Hound'

Where the RO's coddle the MC a bit too much. It’s like everyone sees you as this fragile little thing that needs constant comforting, even when you’re totally fine. A little concern is nice, but when every conversation feels like a therapy session (kill meeee), it can get old fast. Would be nice if they balanced it out with more moments where people actually treat the MC like a capable person
 

Gone_Dead

Well-known member
Member
How about when the authors baby the MC, o0o sounds like the IF 'The King's Hound'

Where the RO's coddle the MC a bit too much. It’s like everyone sees you as this fragile little thing that needs constant comforting, even when you’re totally fine. A little concern is nice, but when every conversation feels like a therapy session (kill meeee), it can get old fast. Would be nice if they balanced it out with more moments where people actually treat the MC like a capable person
Soul stone wars come to mind. I couldn't read it just because of this. Hate it when MC's don't have a spine and characters treat them as such.
 

Lovecraft

Well-known member
Member
How about when the authors baby the MC, o0o sounds like the IF 'The King's Hound'

Where the RO's coddle the MC a bit too much. It’s like everyone sees you as this fragile little thing that needs constant comforting, even when you’re totally fine. A little concern is nice, but when every conversation feels like a therapy session (kill meeee), it can get old fast. Would be nice if they balanced it out with more moments where people actually treat the MC like a capable person
I agree it seems almost like the characters in the story dont respect the MC thinking that they're a wimpy child instead of a grown *** adult.
 

seneya

Well-known member
Member
How about when the authors baby the MC, o0o sounds like the IF 'The King's Hound'

Where the RO's coddle the MC a bit too much. It’s like everyone sees you as this fragile little thing that needs constant comforting, even when you’re totally fine. A little concern is nice, but when every conversation feels like a therapy session (kill meeee), it can get old fast. Would be nice if they balanced it out with more moments where people actually treat the MC like a capable person
Man. This isn't just something I dislike, it legitimately makes me batshit mad when they do that. "I have to put the game down for a while" levels of mad.
There's nothing better than being infantilized, am I right?
And they never, ever treat each other the same way, even if they have trauma equal to or worse than that of the MC.
Bonus points if you can be rude af, but everyone just goes "yeaaah your feelings are valid, feel free to scream at me more <3". It's essentially letting the MC be an emotional abuser, which absolutely should be called out, but you know wish-fulfillment yada yada
Now about the King's Hound specifically (though I never made it past the first chapter and it was a while ago, so I might be misremembering things): if arranged marriages are a fact of life in that world, why are they all treating it like the end of the world? They should be used to the thought of it. People treated worse things as "normal" just because it was accepted in their culture. And if everyone feels that arranged marriages suck, then why are they still a thing?
 
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Foulwarden

Well-known member
Member
if arranged marriages are a fact of life in that world, why are they all treating it like the end of the world? They should be used to the thought of it. People treated worse things as "normal" just because it was accepted in their culture. And if everyone feels that arranged marriages suck, then why are they still a thing?
Arranged marriages are the norm for political reasons, but I think the MC resents the lack of choice (they didn’t choose their spouse) and feels trapped.

From a different perspective, it might be seen as a forced marriage due to the emotional pressure and lack of agency

"That’s exactly why, after your parents lost the rebellion against King Arthur, you were the one sent to him as a sign of newfound peace"
 

seneya

Well-known member
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Arranged marriages are the norm for political reasons, but I think the MC resents the lack of choice (they didn’t choose their spouse) and feels trapped.

From a different perspective, it might be seen as a forced marriage due to the emotional pressure and lack of agency

"That’s exactly why, after your parents lost the rebellion against King Arthur, you were the one sent to him as a sign of newfound peace"
I was more asking about why is everyone else so freaked out over it (and expects the MC to collapse over it).
See, if everyone was treating it as something normal, but the MC had an option to not be ok with it and, at some point, make their spouse understand why they're not okay, and then the spouse slowly got to change their opinion on arranged marriages, it would've been interesting.
But in the end, I'll gladly admit it's just not a story for me.
 

SasariRomanii

Well-known member
Member
Alright halt, is it just me or Merry Crisis comes off as rather preachy? Example: when we were at the family's Christmas dinner and the unc got caught cheating on his wife (cause of a misunderstanding that is partly our fault), if we chose to follow the ladies to comfort our eldest aunt, our female cousin — who is a B-class snarky sh*t-of-a-c*nt (A-class is reserved for Qiu's mom and our eldest aunt) — would out of nowhere asked our opinion about the situation and patriarchy and yadayada. Which made me blink so hard like ( ͠° ͟ʖ ͡°) Сука... is this really happening?? I thought we were going to comfort our auntie??? There're better times for philosophical debates, girl. It feels like the scene exists only to insert author's oh-so-briliant-shower-thought (in a very unorganic way), and this is further cemented by the fact that no matter what dialogue option we chose we got TED-talked to anyway! Like okay I get it, Singapore and Asian country and all the things that come with it, tell me about it (actually don't I have had enough (ಥ_ಥ). BUT SERIOUSLY?! SERIOUSLY????????? It is almost on par with that interview scene in the Heroes Verse with the Muu-Muu wearing character (but at least there we get the choice to stay waaayyyy out of it)
 
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Gone_Dead

Well-known member
Member
Alright halt, is it just me or Merry Crisis comes off as rather preachy? Example: when we were at the family's Christmas dinner and the unc got caught cheating on his wife (cause of a misunderstanding that is partly our fault), if we chose to follow the ladies to comfort our eldest aunt, our female cousin — who is a B-class snarky sh*t-of-a-c*nt (A-class is reserved for Qiu's mom and our eldest aunt) — would out of nowhere asked our opinion about the situation and patriarchy and yadayada. Which made me blink so hard like... is this really happening?? I thought we were going to comfort our auntie??? There're better times for philosophical debates, girl. It feels like the secene exists only to insert author's oh-so-briliant-shower-thought (in a very unorganic way), and this is further cemented by the fact that no matter what dialogue option we chose we got TED-talked to anyway! Like okay I get it, Singapore and Asian country and all the things that come with it, tell me about it (actually don't I have had enough lol). BUT SERIOUSLY?! SERIOUSLY????????? It is almost on par with that interview scene in the Heroes Verse with the Muu-Muu wearing character (but at least there we get the choice to stay waaayyyy out of it)
I think the author for merry crisis is also the author for College Tennis? Idk but its so jarring to see so many racially different characters in game. I loved played College Tennis for its gameplay and sports narrative and I believe that's how sports game should be done but it always feels like the author wants to shove representation onto my face. Everywhere I turn there's an asian or Spanish or French or some other different ethnical character. I also hate the fact sometimes each of these characters introduce themselves, where they are from, what's their 'pronouns' and stuff. It's so weird and doesn't flow with the rest of the game which is great. I played Merry crisis and College Tennis and it seems the case in both. American setting with anything but american characters, Asian setting with Asian and American characters.
 

Re336

Active member
Member
Oh and the author plan to turn Merry Crisis into a VN instead. Ngl, not a fan (•⤙•)
WHAAAAAATTT I AM SO DISAPPOINTED. I pick up merry crisis because it's an interactive novel 😭😭😭😭 AN. INTERACTIVE. NOVEL.
Sorry for being so petty lmao. But an IF relies on the reader's imagination more than VNs. So if I can imagine Qiu having a bowl cut, then I will imagine Qiu having a bowl cut throughout my playthrough. VNs won't let me do that because they have character arts. And not to mention the limited character creation.
Ah, but after reading through their Tumblr it seems they're planning to release Merry Crisis in both forms. So it's all good I guess 😭.
But while we're on this topic, I just want to say. I wish more authors can embrace interactive novel as just interactive novel. Stop making them into what they aren't meant to be.
If they want to create an eerie and tense aura, I wish they actually implement it in their writing instead of adding fade in text and eerie musics.
I wish they actually write a combat scene instead of some turn based rpg game (yes, looking at you The Ultimate Magic Student. At least author gave us an auto-battle option, but with less exp :"" )
Resource management shouldn't just be "I obtain X items" and "I have X items in my inventory". I just feel burned out having to read all that and have to constantly check my inventory 😭. Make it immersive! Like a story should be.
 
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seneya

Well-known member
Member
And Shepherds of Haven is moving to Twine.
Idk, I think this game might actually do better with a more visual format.
This said, I saw someone praise it today on HG reddit and I just... don't get it lol. So, in the spirit of this thread:
- each chapter jumping locations means the game is simultaneously too much and yet not enough to really flesh out every story arc
- it keeps throwing characters at me, but past the beginning crew, I have trouble even remembering the names of the new guys
- speaking of characters, they seem to lack depth and are pretty tropey? Maybe because there are so many of them...
 

Gone_Dead

Well-known member
Member
And Shepherds of Haven is moving to Twine.
Idk, I think this game might actually do better with a more visual format.
This said, I saw someone praise it today on HG reddit and I just... don't get it lol. So, in the spirit of this thread:
- each chapter jumping locations means the game is simultaneously too much and yet not enough to really flesh out every story arc
- it keeps throwing characters at me, but past the beginning crew, I have trouble even remembering the names of the new guys
- speaking of characters, they seem to lack depth and are pretty tropey? Maybe because there are so many of them...
I feel like it's slow and fast at the same time. It's bad cuz when the plot moves forward it seems fast and when there's downtimes it seems so slow. I kinda got bored after reading a lot and haven't picked it back up yet. I agree with the characters. I barely remember the major characters. Maybe I should give it a go again.
 

seneya

Well-known member
Member
I feel like it's slow and fast at the same time.
Yeah, that's kind of what I was trying to say. You put it into words better than I did lol
And then there's the odd way some fans and even the author are treating Blade. Calling him a pathetic wet cat, weird marriage jokes (is marriage going to be a mandatory part of his romance ending or something?), all this stuff made it impossible for me to treat his character seriously :cautious:
 
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