Stories that left you disappointed for a reason

[Glitch]

I haven’t tried the latest Paper Mask update yet, to be honest. Her games tend to be a hassle to get running they make my PC fan sound like a jet engine, and I’ve even had a few shutdowns. I really wish there were an option to turn off all the animations. Since Paper Mask didn’t have many, I actually appreciated that. And seeing some of the negative feedback… I’m not in a huge rush to try the update.

Spoiler

When I first played Oathbreaker, I bounced off pretty early. But after hearing so many good things and with a second season out, I pushed through, mostly for Virion. That’s when I realized that a lot of the choices, especially around personality, don’t actually change much, Paper Mask was the same. I really liked the beginning, but once Max showed up, it started to lose me. The MC’s reactions just didn’t match how I was playing. I was going for hard to get, but they fell for him the moment their eyes met.

Cursed Covenant and Glam Pursuit gave me some hope for her games, though. They felt way more interactive, the stories themselves are great, but the impact of player choice is still lacking.

I’ll probably check out Chapter 3 at some point, just to see what everyone’s talking about… if my PC behaves. I’m also pretty disappointed she dropped the male MC option for future games. In games like Paper Mask, where the main character doesn’t have tons of agency, I always prefer playing as a guy.

---

And what’s going on with Merry Crisis ? I remember her saying she would keep both the IF and the VN, without changing the IF version. Now I’m hearing that the IF was changed as well.

I always appreciated the author for being consistent with updates, they were substantial, with plenty of meaningful choices, so I’m a bit confused about what’s happening now. What’s the reason for not leaving the IF version the way it was ?

 

[Ireth313]

. What’s the reason for not leaving the IF version the way it was ?

From her tumblr: You might notice less of the branching scenes in earlier chapters, as I'm trying to prioritize making sure I'm able to finish the game (in a satisfactory manner) and tie up all the loose ends! In the end, I still might be able to go back and do a second-pass once the story is complete
But she removed a bunch of scenes that DID get resolved pretty fast? I know she put some back in (didn't check which), but there were some small scenes with buying gifts for your family or with picking the family tradition, or deciding if your family is Christian or 'Christian', or doing smth as simple as picking your bestie's gender. Bigger stuff I liked, like not going to the reunion and having Qiu call MC and beg them to come meet them is also gone, as is my fav stupid impulsive making out in the alley during the first 'adult' meeting with Qiu. The Qiu stuff might've led to some branching, but all other scenes literally were already concluded?

 

[Glitch]

From her tumblr: You might notice less of the branching scenes in earlier chapters, as I'm trying to prioritize making sure I'm able to finish the game (in a satisfactory manner) and tie up all the loose ends! In the end, I still might be able to go back and do a second-pass once the story is complete

But why does she want to finish the IF version of the game quickly too, wasn’t that the purpose of the VN ? I thought it was going to be something like Perfumare (even though I still don’t really see a difference between the IF and the VN there). I assumed she wanted to try her hand at VNs (the VN prioritizing visuals and being more compact in terms of choices is understandable but well, not always welcome) while still having time to finish the IF version afterward, not the VN taking precedence over the IF. What's the pint of having the same version in different formats, there could be an option to turn off characters sprites in the VN and it would be an IF.

Is it because she realized she can’t publish both ? As far as I know, as long as the VN isn’t monetized, it should still be allowed on HG, no ?

And the scenes you mentioned are actually the same choices I picked too. I haven't checked the forum for a long while, and i am curious to see how the changes have been received.

 

[Ireth313]

As far as I know, as long as the VN isn’t monetized, it should still be allowed on HG, no ?

My bet VN is totally going to be monetized because she published the demo on Steam. I never saw her give any reasoning, but my guess is that she really wants it to be a VN. Maybe because it's less writing, who knows.
I looked at the forums and it's mostly devoid of any reaction, but I saw someone going 'wow it's so... streamlined. something's missing but idk what'. My brother in IF, a chunk of the game is missing (YEah, I know they were just hinting politely that the game felt less substantial, but it's amusing)

 

[100Poems]

"Some authors have Patreons to help support their writing. Any ChoiceScript-based content that you give to your patrons must be released to the general public within two weeks of giving your patrons access"

Honestly, the wording of this can be read in a pretty vague way. I didn't read all of the terms of this, so please inform/correct me.

But, is "ChoiceScript-based content" defined in a definitive way? Because if it only includes content that uses the ChoiceScript code, I can see how (some) POVs and (some) Side Stories would be able to evade this "rule" (that is definitely...followed).

Stuffs like betas or whatnot are definitely ChoiceScript-based though, but as others have said, I do think CG turns a blind eye to retain authors

 

[bojnr]

Gave the Merry Crisis VN a go after all the feedback, and wow. It's like comparing The Sims 3 to The Sims 4.

It's so... lifeless now. It was missing so much of the little things that I had enjoyed in the IF like the deeper relationship with the family, the little decisions that affected the story and characters around you, being able to bounce between routes, and the array of choices that didn't make everything feel so linear. Then I went back to the IF to feel something, only for that to be gutted too. Like damn man, what a let down. I wish she had decided to create a VN for a new story, not one I had liked for years. I'm praying this act of war doesn't happen to CTOS either.

Also, one of the rules for publishing a Hosted Game is this: You cannot publish the same story in a competing format (Twine, Ren’Py, Choices/Chapters/Episodes, CYOA book, Visual Novel, etc). So wtf? lol. At this point she's just blatantly using COG as an advertisement for the VN. I mean make your coin, girl, COG asking for 75% of royalties is INSANE! But COG was also ready to send the Aura Clash author to the guillotine over his little racist and edgelord discord members, but this is absolutely fine?? They're going to lose sales while promoting her.

Come to think of it, Shepherds of Haven is the same too with her VN (though thank god it's not anything like Merry Crisis and the great purging of interesting content for pretty pictures). And the SoH author also has a patreon that has never followed the "Some authors have Patreons to help support their writing. Any ChoiceScript-based content that you give to your patrons must be released to the general public within two weeks of giving your patrons access" for like three hundred years!

...I'm starting to think the overlords might have favourites.

The deadline is one month, not two weeks, I remember a moderator saying that

link

 

[Fuffff]

Some authors have a knack for overcorrecting and rewriting to the point that the new story ends up worse than what they started with

 

[yourstalkeroutside]

Some authors have a knack for overcorrecting and rewriting to the point that the new story ends up worse than what they started with

Era of the arch demons?

 

[yourstalkeroutside]

Minor peeve but when IFs include afro hair choices but the next option is if your hair is shoulder or back length and the IF proceeds like you have straight hair. Afros tend to (and super coily hair in general to an extent) grow out, not long at least not as much due to strinkage. Surface level 'representation' always annoys me but this one is so common I want to scream

 

[AGoldenExperience]

On the note of customization and content, why do so many WIPs and games have you choose your height or skin color or eyes and none of them ever get mentioned in the game itself whatsoever?



Somehow, Nearly all WIPs with customization do this, and only during Paul Wang's little looking back on A Time Of Monsters did I realize how many do this, it's especially jarring with characters who are taller or shorter then you somehow when you choose the maximum option in either regard and it describes how much they tower over you or how much smaller they are then you, or even more jarringly, is when they half-*** it and say "despite them being shorter then you, you feel as if they have a presence of someone twice their height" or some ****, either don't include the choices at all or atleast don't half-*** them and include some vestige of importance towards them after making you choose.

 

[BiscuitB]

Minor peeve but when IFs include afro hair choices but the next option is if your hair is shoulder or back length and the IF proceeds like you have straight hair. Afros tend to (and super coily hair in general to an extent) grow out, not long at least not as much due to strinkage. Surface level 'representation' always annoys me but this one is so common I want to scream

This so much this, not saying some curly style don't have length but it's different with afro style then straight style. It's like you say it's pretty much just a placeholder to look like they're being inclusive. Also with this I also have a great dislike that when IF introducing RO's why is it also the POC on in this case black person always the flirtly one? I think it's easier to make them flirt then to actually give POC depth. My reasoning is that having a deep RO may or may not bring up discussion about race. I dunno just it annoys me.

I feel like with the race customisation it truly doesn't matter, no offense but it's feels like it's alway from non POC perspective.

 

[mis07]

This so much this, not saying some curly style don't have length but it's different with afro style then straight style. It's like you say it's pretty much just a placeholder to look like they're being inclusive. Also with this I also have a great dislike that when IF introducing RO's why is it also the POC on in this case black person always the flirtly one? I think it's easier to make them flirt then to actually give POC depth. My reasoning is that having a deep RO may or may not bring up discussion about race. I dunno just it annoys me.

I feel like with the race customisation it truly doesn't matter, no offense but it's feels like it's alway from non POC perspective.

In most IFs I tend to avoid hair texture if mentioned because I get the feeling that a lot of authors don't have at least wavy hair, having a lack of experience. I'm not going to call out any games or WIPs in particular because this is such a common occurrence. Sometimes a characters hair type will change between scenes and chapters. Unless a character has coily hair then I have no idea what hair types the authors are going for because their descriptions are inconsistent.


As for representation, I even find it lacking in some IFs by POC. Not going to address who the author is or what the IF was but I recently replayed an IF where it just assumes your ethnicity based off of the skintone you chose in game. Leading to a scene later on in the IF where the game assumes your character has never been the victim of racial prejudice. I'm just going to assume the author got better over time with this in their more recent IFs but I'm not going to check because the writing wasn't that good and the focus of their IFs tend to be character development but there's not much to like about the characters when the writing isn't good enough to support them.

 

[yourstalkeroutside]

assumes your ethnicity based off of the skintone you chose in game.

Don't get me started on this because it's so stereotypical too. Like black people only come in dark brown skin tones and Latinos/Arabs (if the IF acknowledges any other race than your stock American racial groups) are all light brown etc. What's the point of offering customization if I must play a stereotypical character? Luckily, very few IFs do this and most just make it flavor text but it's still mighty annoying to come across.

 

[mis07]

Don't get me started on this because it's so stereotypical too. Like black people only come in dark brown skin tones and Latinos/Arabs (if the IF acknowledges any other race than your stock American racial groups) are all light brown etc. What's the point of offering customization if I must play a stereotypical character? Luckily, very few IFs do this and most just make it flavor text but it's still mighty annoying to come across.

Sorry to be pedantic because I know what you actually mean but Latino doesn't mean ethnicity, it means nationality. And yes, a lot of IFs are made by USAmericans and Canadians and assume that certain groups are the oppressed and others aren't and to be fair to some of these authors...their games are typically set in a vaguely NA town or city most of the time but I just can't help sometimes feeling annoyed when playing them.

 

[BiscuitB]

Sorry to be pedantic because I know what you actually mean but Latino doesn't mean ethnicity, it means nationality. And yes, a lot of IFs are made by USAmericans and Canadians and assume that certain groups are the oppressed and others aren't and to be fair to some of these authors...their games are typically set in a vaguely NA town or city most of the time but I just can't help sometimes feeling annoyed when playing them.

Like I get it from a certain stand point it's a fiction work that you've made which some may stem from reality, but the world you've created it's not. Maybe there's no such thing a racism or being prejudicial, or transphobic, etc fine. All I want is to know the character I created in this IF actually exist as the character I created, not simply whitewashed.

However, you have IF based in the real world in real cities, real countries you can just tell the IF author has no idea anything about, at least do you research. Too many IF Author use the cop out of saying "well it's not like that in this my story so blah blah blah" So I'm meant to pretend and be happy with your butchering my country cool thanks.

 

[yourstalkeroutside]

Latino doesn't mean ethnicity, it means nationality.

That is also incorrect. There no Latino nation, it can't be a nationality. It represents a term for several nationalities with shared culture and histories (including languages which you'd think is the most important thing) but it really just gets used as an ethnicity even by Latin America (to gatekeep places like Haiti from being included because of very obvious reasons).

 

[Kim-Tong]

That is also incorrect. There no Latino nation, it can't be a nationality. It represents a term for several nationalities with shared culture and histories (including languages which you'd think is the most important thing) but it really just gets used as an ethnicity even by Latin America (to gatekeep places like Haiti from being included because of very obvious reasons).

I agree with your overall point, except for one crucial nuance: you are generalizing regarding Haiti. In general, Latin Americans do not consider Quebecois or Cajuns to be Latin American, despite their undeniable French cultural lineage. It is more of a systemic lack of shared identity than a racial issue.

My point is that you cannot imply racism is the primary driver when most people in the region don't even consider white French descendants as part of the same Latin American identity. This logic extends to Iberian colonies like Mozambique or the Philippines, neither of which are considered "Latin" in any practical sense.

This is because the concept of "Latin America" is not entirely indigenous to our history; it is heavily influenced by the U.S. perspective and the geopolitical boundaries it established for the continent. Think about it: we fully embrace Dominicans, Cubans, Puerto Ricans, Brazilians, and the entire Afro-Caribbean diaspora—who are clearly Black—yet we struggle to group Haitians in the same category. It's a contradiction that proves the barrier is linguistic and geopolitical, not just racial.

 

[mis07]

That is also incorrect. There no Latino nation, it can't be a nationality. It represents a term for several nationalities with shared culture and histories (including languages which you'd think is the most important thing) but it really just gets used as an ethnicity even by Latin America (to gatekeep places like Haiti from being included because of very obvious reasons).

Nationality, meaning that you're from LATAM and any of its many countries. Mexico is included in this despite being part of NA. People can use it as an indicator of ethnicity, but just know that there are Latinos of any ethnicity out there. For example there are Latinos with European, Asian, and African origins (not including native peoples to LATAM here since that's a given). It can mean many things to different people. It's an outdated and problematic US Census issue that puts anyone who speaks Spanish into their own racial category. In fact, this makes me curious if people think the majority of actors and actresses from LATAM are POC. I actually think I know the answer to that since I once had a conversation with someone who was convinced this one VA was POC...because she is from LATAM and spoke Spanish only for me to take one look at the VA, immediately see she's of European descent and even find an interview where she speaks about being a white Latina. I'm going to assume that these assumptions are due to how Hispanics and people from LATAM in general are exoticized.

 

[bosslady]

I am not that greatly upset by it, but I wished that the Loveless route in The Thorns of War had a Frederique romance route. I remember the author(s?) saying that it would be possible but,maybe they cut it off since there were already 4 romances in that one... Or another Frederique romance in Guillaume's route? Hm, I simply wish for more Fredderique content, that's all, but I think it woul make sense for Guillaume's route too - since you can ditch Bastien in his route to pursue Pieto.

 

[game_hunt3r]

One Knight Stand is starting to become a hassle to play. Between the website you constantly have to clear your cache to use because it's poorly made, being unable to use a VPN for it to work and rawdogging your IP address so it won't freeze, and the insanity that is removing the dev console so people can't cheat--I feel like I'm going to need to sell off a kidney soon just to play it.

Why can't authors just let people play the way they want? All this gatekeeping must be bad for the skin.