Stories that left you disappointed for a reason

[mminty607]

I've bought every game from GBPatch and paid for their Patreon for a while. I stopped keeping up with OL2 after the release date kept getting pushed back, and now I'm doubtful it'll even release this year as estimated. It's been so long since I was subscribed to the Patreon and played the beta that I'm sure the game will be brand new to me when it finally releases. If you've seen the patreon posts or been subscribed you'll probably know what I'm talking about, but there's many things shared there about the progress of the game and the methods used to determine what content goes in game that I personally find unnecessary and inefficient. I mean, when I played the beta almost a year ago, there were several times in game when I encountered 3+ pages of dialogue choices for the main character to pick that were inconsequential flavor text but resulted in a different reaction from the LIs, in both text AND sprite changes. Probably the last straw for me though was last year when it was announced that the MC's classes AND locker location are randomized each playthrough for "replay value". I don't know, but I personally really don't like the fact that I'll have to reroll potentially 10s of times to get lucky and have Tamarack and Qiu be in my MC's class AND have them be locker buddies with my MC because there's so many variations. For example, you can have no LIs in your class, both LIs in your class, or only one LI your class. Then there's a roll done to see if the LIs have a locker near the MC and you can have no LIs locker near your mc, 1 LI, or BOTH. It's just.. so annoying. But also the pace at which the game is being made because of all these unnecessary variables and patron submitted text variations is disappointing. It's a shame though because I really like GB Patch's games and I'm super excited for their future more mature games. And I think their future mature horror game? But yeah

 

[jaded]

Unfortunately there wont be. She said it would take too long and I know she's has another project she wants to write after OLNF is done.

She’s going to focus on writing short projects after OL2

 

[f8butterfly]

She’s going to focus on writing short projects after OL2

I thought project W was big, or thats what it sounded like?

 

[jaded]

I thought project W was big, or thats what it sounded like?

I only remember it will be similar to OL2/1, but it only has two steps because Mc it's an adult

 

[f8butterfly]

From what she's said on tumblr and patreon it's different to the Our Life series. It's fantasy, mature, and will have multiple love interests. She and her social media manager are pretty good about tagging games if you want to see more about it. Understandably it will be less big in size than OLNF but I don't think it will be small from what we've seen so far.

Edit: It's also darker than her previous games.

 

[yourstalkeroutside]

As we're on the topic of VNs, Arcadia Fallen 2 has to have had the most disappointing ending I've ever seen. Though calling it an ending would be generous. The story just abruptly stops. You get a TLDR version of everything that happened afterwards some happy moments and that's it.

 

[jaded]

From what she's said on tumblr and patreon it's different to the Our Life series. It's fantasy, mature, and will have multiple love interests. She and her social media manager are pretty good about tagging games if you want to see more about it. Understandably it will be less big in size than OLNF but I don't think it will be small from what we've seen so far.

Edit: It's also darker than her previous games.

Here

 

[f8butterfly]

Here
View attachment 36436

So far it just says there's elements of Our Life. It doesn't sound like there are any steps. She's said a bit more on patreon and possibly theres more information in the Discord. If anything it sounds just as ambitious as OLNF with how many options she wants to include.

 

[mminty607]

More on OL2: I am saddened that Renee won't be getting a DLC but after how the DLCs for the first game turned out I'm kind of relieved. I love Cove, so I can't possibly imagine how it felt to like those DLC characters for years and upon release of those DLCs find out that they're mostly about OTHER characters and the DLC ends when the MC and the DLC LI get together.

 

[jaded]

So far it just says there's elements of Our Life. It doesn't sound like there are any steps. She's said a bit more on patreon and possibly theres more information in the Discord. If anything it sounds just as ambitious as OLNF with how many options she wants to include.

I can read lol, and yes i'm with you. It reminds me a bit of thorns of war??

 

[f8butterfly]

I can read lol, and yes i'm with you. It reminds me a bit of thorns of war

I was only reiterating that because earlier you said GBPatch was working on smaller projects. It sounds like it will be fantastical so I'm thinking of Demonheart, When The Night Comes, Errant Kingdom, Moirai Myths, and some other games I can't even remember right now. We'll see when she starts releasing more...not soon I'm guessing.

 

[seneya]

I feel like accusing authors of making fake accounts on here to defend themself is a bit much.

At least on my part, it's speculation, not a statement of fact, and neither of those equal accusation.

I also don’t inherently think that writing to get interactions is a terrible thing.

Now this one (authors are writing for attention) was a statement of fact based on observation, but once again, not an accusation. Me wondering if there are authors lurking here or if people would continue writing if not given attention was just that: curiousity.
But if you're only writing to get attention, your interest in writing would dwindle as attention does. This, too, is only a statement. Still, wanting people to interact with something you put time and effort into is natural, and being ignored can feel devastating. Hence...

whether or not big authors should support smaller authors

...is a piece of the puzzle.
You can reblog things that are not your niche, it's as simple as that. A single reblog can do a ton for a small/starting author if it comes from someone with a large/established fanbase.
No, it is not a panacea. IFs that fit the criteria to become mainstream (ex. heavily romance-focused+NSFW) and just need a bit of spotlight are going to get more out of this reblog than an IF that is niche - but even for niche games, this could help them find their audiences.
I've reblogged plenty of games I have no interest in reading just to help them get some views. Visibility is good, it's as simple as that.
This is also a part of a broader issue with the community. There is less interaction, especially with authors retreating to patreons. Your biggest asset is having a popular friend nepotism you into spotlight.

The cultivation writers are definitely not the only ones with a Patreon and decent success who are not ripping people off

It was just funny how several of those got mentioned in a row lol

But yeah the thread is for complaining mostly. Welcome to the snakes' den, enjoy your stay.

 

[seneya]

Demonheart

I remember this thing when it was a NWN module. Gods, how time flies.

 

[f8butterfly]

I remember this thing when it was a NWN module. Gods, how time flies.

I remember too. I kind of get the darker parts were bit cringy and needed polish but I dislike how she took out much of the darker topics from the module when she turned her story into a Visual Novel. Wow, someone else who played it!!!

 

[seneya]

Wow, someone else who played it!!!

I remember A Dance With Rogues too xD

But yeah I was disappoinred when DH got turned into a VN. Rated content aside, we basically got a set protagonist vs a customizable one. Mine wasn't even a rogue, but a bard.

 

[f8butterfly]

I remember A Dance With Rogues too xD

But yeah I was disappoinred when DH got turned into a VN. Rated content aside, we basically got a set protagonist vs a customizable one. Mine wasn't even a rogue, but a bard.

I actually really like that one. NWN really pulls you into a story with it's graphics. The story got a lot better too in the remastered version though I haven't finished it because of unfinished story lines, bad performance in crowds, and bugs. Back to Demonheart, she's gotten better at writing but Bright felt so bland to me. I liked the art though.

 

[Serpent]

(Sorry I’m not sure which part you’re referring to is false because I said a lot of things lmao)

Also is there a setting to turn off the censorship? I dont know what “Many of the authors that we **** on here…” means so I can’t comment on it

As for the rest, I still think it’s an exaggeration that “most new authors” and “97%” of them are doing it for profit/scamming readers. Do I think there are a large amount of scammers and people out for profit? Yes. Do I think there’s that big of an amount or that the amount is the majority? No. (Not saying what I say holds any gospel either however)

Also, of the new authors that I follow and support, most of them don’t even have patreons or other forms or monetary support. (A couple have Kofis for people who want to donate a little). Honestly, I’m mostly writing this in defense of the newer authors, who aren’t scamming, aren’t doing it for money, but tend to get dragged into these conversations like they are (and honestly if they aren’t being dragged into it and it’s just me seeing things that aren’t being said, my bad LOL).

But yeah, I kind of just wanted to hmmm, remind the room that there are authors whose worst crime is wanting people to interact with stories? This is a place to complain so like I didn’t say anything before, but I just felt like it got too much

—

Re Niche topic: yeah sure but that depends on a lot of things. One, the author needs to know it exists, and two, the author at the very minimum needs to think that this is something they want to promote.

It’s like, if the author doesn’t know this niche exists, they can’t promote it right? Or maybe they did see a couple small authors, but the niche topic is…okay I want to make an example but I don’t know what topics are “niche” and what are not, so here’s an example, NOT saying these are niche or that these are my opinions

Author X, is a popular author who write superhero stories. Happens to see Small Author Y who writes Isekai Reincarnation in a idk Otome Game.

Author X might not even know what Author Y is talking about, can’t really vett it for the same reason.

Now it’s entirely fair to say, “Author X could still give them a shoutout anyway!” Which yeah true, but how many small authors can they shout out before their audience drowns it out, and I bet you if they do this consistently their community will go “instead of shouting out the creators, can’t you focus on your own story?? Why are you reading others and not working on yours?” (Woah am I the one making generalizations now?)

Even though I say this, the bigger problem is to how to get niche stories even noticed by bigger authors probably

You can't turn off censorship afaik, but what that sentence meant is authors that we s h i t on here
And when it comes to new authors, I agree, you should defend them! Hell, I have said here too that I have faith for the new authors, but that is all still yet to be seen.
There are some old ones, or not really old ones but not really new ones either, who are following on this trend, of not delivering ****, and instead just focusing on some patreon bs.
But even if we disregard all that, you also said here again that some are doing it for attention and whatnot, and I agree. But picture this.
You see a small new writer, with a good idea. They are doing it for some attention, not really wanting to profit off of it.
But here's the kicker. The big "established" writers take all the usual attention, and so, if no one gives a shoutout, no one even gets to know about that new if. And if that if is seen by a thousand people only, while other ones are seen by tens of thousands or so, that will just make that new writer want to quit. So you can't really defend the niche point, since it goes against your previous point of defending new writers.

And trust me, the bigger writers see them, they are just mostly entitled and dgaf. And if they were actually providing people with updates and their writing process, no one would make a claim that they're reading other works while not doing anything themselves

 

[Serpent]

Nono this is entirely true, haven’t you heard of the splitting souls technique? I learned it from a secret realm a couple years ago

Teach me! Teach me!

 

[Serpent]

As we're on the topic of VNs, Arcadia Fallen 2 has to have had the most disappointing ending I've ever seen. Though calling it an ending would be generous. The story just abruptly stops. You get a TLDR version of everything that happened afterwards some happy moments and that's it.

I still stand by my statement that Unsupervised had the most **** ending ever, because it's exactly like this one you mentioned, but million times worse
I swear, mfs give you a third of the game, and then at the end proceed to explain the other two thirds in some insane monologue and that's it. And even then, they don't finish the game, but leave you on some retarded cliffhanger just so they can **** you off even more

 

[yourstalkeroutside]

I still stand by my statement that Unsupervised had the most **** ending ever, because it's exactly like this one you mentioned, but million times worse
I swear, mfs give you a third of the game, and then at the end proceed to explain the other two thirds in some insane monologue and that's it. And even then, they don't finish the game, but leave you on some retarded cliffhanger just so they can **** you off even more

This one is worse because it's more than a third of the story you're getting. Imagine you finally reach the climax of the story, a bunch of stuff is clearly happening at once and then nothing. The next scene is the bard character telling you everything that happened next before talking to all the main characters on the ship. Unsupervised was BS but it wasn't the equivalent of a ruined orgasm.