soulsisterif

[soulsisterif]

also i do see your grievances with litg— try too hot to handle game! s3 is actually pretty good and i had a lot of fun with the wlw route i chose :-) but its not perfect LOL but still lots of fun imo

Yeah, today's volume didn't help, to be honest, hahaha. Of course I was called out for "going behind my back".

Oh, I've played all 3 seasons of THTH. I loved them. You're right with them not being perfect, but they're leagues above LITG. Every season gets better and, more importantly, is different. Who'd you choose? I went for Isla first.

Also being able to play them in different languages is so great. In the Portuguese version of THTH s3, instead of Danger Noodle, you can call the snake "Lethal Sausage" LMAO. There's also "Cobra Cobralinda" instead of Snakespeare, but that one I don't get. Any Portuguese or Brazilian here to help me out?

[soulsisterif]

ahhh excited to see you’ve posted. really excited to play your game whenever it drops. the premise is so interesting and im excited to see what you do with it!♥️

Awww, thank you! That means a lot. I really hope it doesn't disappoint. Right now what I'm doing with it is losing my mind, thanks to the flavour text I keep adding for the different stats and labels.

With all those variations writing takes a long time. Here you go a little sneak peek.

Your first memory of Abbie will be determined by MC's childhood. One of the options is choosing to grow up in foster care. You can also choose if the experience was a nice one or a terrible one. If it was terrible you will punch her, and pick an emotion impulsing that reaction: fear, shame, anger or exhaustion. And then depending on that emotion, you either barely hurt her, or are close to sending her teeth flying.

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

This is what those scenes, and most of the chapter, to be honest, look like.

And this particular scene is not finished yet, so... Yeah. I know things would be much faster if I skipped some flavour text more often, but I really like this kind of little details as a player and want to add them as an author.

[soulsisterif]

Which Harry Potter house would the ROs be in

Ooooh, so, I've written both my opinion and the actual result I got after taking a quiz answering like they would. It's surprisingly hard finding a quiz that doesn't rely on favourite colours or animals, by the by.

• Abbie

My predition: Ravenclaw. She can think outside the box, and has both brain smarts, and emotional smarts, though she can lose herself in her onw mind sometimes. Plus she's a bookworm. That's always, like, five points to Ravenclaw.

Result: Ravenclaw

Do I know my girl, or do I know my girl?

• Irene

My prediction: Hufflepuff. There's no way around this one. She's sweet, friendly and hates fighting. That sometimes plays against her, as she'd rather suffer herself than hurt someone else's feelings.

Result: Hufflepuff

Also, yellow looks fantastic on her.

• Joanna

My prediction: Slytherin. She's ambitious and doesn't let anyone get in her way; she's bold and unapologetic, but sometimes pride gets the best of her.

Result: Slythering

Gryffindor was a surprisingly close second.

• Vega

My prediction: Hufflepuff. She's very straightforward and honest, it takes courage to be that way so it could be Gryffindor, too. But ultimately I think her most defining traits are her tendency to avoid conflicts, and her willingness to do good without calling attention to herself.

Result: Hufflepuff

It was a close call with the Red Team, too, but the Badgers come on top.

• Margot

My prediction: Hufflepuff if being honest in her answers, if she was still putting up a front she'd probably get Slytherin. She's a softy, deep down.

Result: Hufflepuff

Fun fact, Slytherin got the lowest one LOL

• Dawn

My prediction: Ravenclaw (but I really can see her fitting in Gryffindor, too). She's witty, intelligent and thinks with her head, not her heart, which can lead to internal conflict.

Result: Ravenclaw

But just barely. Griffindor was, indeed, almost as high.

I couldn't resist and took the quiz myself. I'm a proud Hufflepuff, people.

[soulsisterif]

Now that I've seen Vegas romance is blocked on a 40 year old MC playthorugh, how old are the ROs? I can't find anything about that

Yeah, I don't think I ever mentioned their age at all.

•Abbie: same as MC

• Irene: mid 20s

• Joanna: early 30s

• Vega: just turned 20

• Margot: mid 30s

• Dawn: early 30s

[soulsisterif]

Ros response to would you love me if I was a worm?

BTW, can't wait for the game!

Ah, the worm ask. I wish I could fit all my knowledge about them in here but woefully not every RO is supposed to be worm-savvy

• Team Needs More Information: Abbie

"What kind of worm? An earthworm? A leech?" she scrunches her nose. "A tapeworm?"

• Team You'd be the Best Worm Ever: Irene

"Absolutely! I'd let you live in my garden. You'd help my plants thrive."

• Team I'm not Going to Add to Your Misery: Joanna

"Sure. You'd die in like 5 years, so I'd try to make you happy in the meantime."

• Team I'm Very picky, Species Notwithstanding: Vega

"Baby, I wouldn't love you if you were a man."

• Team I'll Bite, Not like it's Ever Happening: Margot

"Of course. And luckily for you, I know how to keep skin moisturized."

• Team When in Doubt, be Sassy: Dawn

"Mmm, I don't know if I could love someone who doesn't have a backbone."

[soulsisterif]

Would you consider making the ROs gender selectable? Sorry if it sounds rude, it's okay if not, just curious :)

Not rude at all :) I've gotten this question a few times along with the possibility of making MC male, but the answer is no. This is a sapphic game, and both MC and ROs are and will be women.

[soulsisterif]

I've seen you play litg too. Opinions on this season?

Oh-ho, buckle up. I have opinions and I'm bad at summarizing.

Warning: I only play wlw routes in LITG, so I may be missing some cool things about the game, who knows.

First off, I like Lisbeth as a character. And Eisha seems sweet, too, but I'm a faithful woman. That said, I wish Ava was an option. They owe me after robbing me of a Estelle route, hahaha. C'mon fusebox, rivals-to-lovers when??? Because, let's be real, Gabi was gorgeous but, as everyone in Season 5, utterly insufferable and poorly written.

Anyway, there's still the same old problems that come with this game in general and wlw routes in particular:

We're already at the point were dialogue and scenes are merged no matter who it is that you choose. Exhibit A: "I didn't let you finish. It's the last time I do that today." Or whatever it was. Exhibit B: "It's you, it's always been you. You must know that." Both good but the same for everyone.

If you choose to be interested in just Lisbeth you're still forced to string along a guy that you "like the most". Despite saying openly that you like her you're still treated as if you're doing something wrong by having any kind of romantic interaction with her. Why do we have to sneak off at all when I said that I was twisting with a casa boy out of strategy? Let's see how movie night plays because I swear if I'm accused of cheating for having kissed her in casa I'm losing it. I was dumped! I was single! Cheating on whom?!

There's also this curious thing with the female LIs, that I think should be done with all LIs. If you reject them once, it's over XDDD Practically the only choice that gets acknowledged. But seriously, sometimes I'm even hesitant of not choosing a single option that hints that MC is interested in a woman because I fear it'll lock me out of her route. If you compare that to the men, who you can reject over and over again in increasingly rude ways without them ever leaving you alone... Yeah, guess that's Fusebox.

Also, this season was supposed to be all about branching (which, mind you, is the least an interactive story should offer) and your choices, and how compatible you are with the other islanders but... Nothing really matters. Even the emojis stopped popping out. It's so disheartening. The rotten cherry on top was that one compatibility challenge where not only did our choices not matter, they didn't even bother to show us the results at all. Like, WTF?

I also think, though this is probably an unpopular opinion, that there are too many sex scenes and they feel out of place. They feel way too rushed and aren't really good, either. Whether you take the initiative or the LI does, it's the exact same description; the props box should be forbidden considering whatever you choose to use barely participates anyway. I haven't seen any screenshots from the sex scenes with the male LIs, but I'm also pretty sure they're all the same that the ones you get with Lisbeth, and obviously written with the boys in mind. Because the shower sex scene? XDDD Are you telling me Lisbeth, SHE, is holding BOTH MC's hands up against the glass, MC has a leg around her and they're both getting off at the same time? Perhaps not impossible, but let me tell you, if I had one leg around another woman's hips, it'd be very hard for us to grind against each other while we're both standing. Plus, safety hazard. With just one leg for leverage you're bound to slip LOL And with our hands out of the equation... I don't see the sight.

Back to the romance itself, I feel like I hardly know Lisbeth beyond what she does for work. Maybe with the men it doesn't feel so strange because you get to go on dates and to pair up with them for challenges, but for Lisbeth's route it's like you get two lines of dialogue if you choose premium choices and then either shove your tongue down her throat or have the scene end early.

I keep thinking back to Angie's route, in which you get a sense of her strengths and weaknesses little by little throughout conversations without them being spelled out (she's protective and caring, but also judgemental and blunt), and a lot of details about her life away from the show: her bond with her sisters, her tense relationship with her father, her dramatic ex stories, why she chose to be a paramedic instead of a doctor, how she winds down when she's stressed... She's just fleshed out in a way that other seasons don't allow.

When I compare that to Lisbeth's route I'm like, what happened here? How is it that I know nothing about my main (and only) LI but still can sleep with her three, four, whatever times? Personality-wise, all I know is that she's outspoken without coming across as a bitch, and that she has some witty moments. I still laugh when I remember the silver spoon comment at the beginning of the season. Still, not knowing that much about her makes certain things feel very rushed. Like, when she says how close to MC she feels. Why? How?

I believe that's mostly how the game itself is but I really wish they would let us actually talk with other contestants for something other than gossip (that you have to pay for). All conversations are about what other islanders are up to, gossip, jealousy or kinks. Even when you can choose to do something interesting it's just underwhelming.

Like, I'm forced to go on a date with Tristan, of all motherfucking people and I can't even grab Lisbeth for a moment to tell her not to worry? I have to make do with a half-assed "my head won't turn" in front of whoever happens to be in the dressing room?

Dont' get me wrong, it's not the worst season ever, and some volumes were actually entertaining. Especially the first ones, when people seemed to have a distinct personality. It's just... My honest opinion? If this was the debut season of a new game, if I wasn't fond of LITG because of the memories that I have after playing it for years, since it first came out, I wouldn't be playing it at all. And that can be said for every single season starting on Season 5.

It is what it is.

[soulsisterif]

Progress Update 18/12/2024

First of all, Merry Christmas to all of you celebrating, and Happy Holidays for those just enjoying the season.

Wow, I look back at this past year and I wish I'd had more time to write because I have certainly not achieved as much as I had hoped.

I've been scrolling through the blog and, girl, so many things have changed as I developed the idea... When I first started writing this game I thought I would release the demo in, like, a month tops, and that it would be about 5k or 10k words.

And yet, here we are in December, 80k words in just counting Chapter One's file. To be fair, I could probably have released the demo as a teaser many months ago, but at that point the only character you would have interacted with is Dawn, and there would be no romance in sight, so it felt kind of better to just wait. Still, I'm kind of disappointed in myself that I haven't managed to finish Chapter One.

The demo has changed a lot since May, particularly in the last three months. Most of the changes revolve about how I wrote Abbie into the story, and I must say that I personally like it better now.

I've played games that give you your bestie as an RO before, and some of them left me a little indifferent. Even when the routes were well written and interesting, they didn't feel any different from the others. That made me see that I had to do a rewrite because I realized that there was no point in offering a best friend to romance if the character was presented the same way other ROs were. I had to give you snippets of Abbie's shared past with MC during the interview with Dawn, and more interactions with her during the process of signing up to enter the show, all of that before meeting the rest of the cast. If their bond rings hollow, what's the appeal in a friends-to-lovers route, right?

Unfortunately, this also meant taking some scenes out altogether, and changing the way I introduced stats, since I needed to know your MC's personality early on so that I could write her behaviour in flashbacks accordingly. Basically, the way I first structured Chapter One was unusable.

Some of the scenes I added are short, and others, considering all variables and flavour text, are like 4k words. You can even unlock special interactions or references, later on. Unique tattoos, inside jokes, specific gestures, fond memories, special places... The kind of thing that you would share with someone who's been close to you your whole life.

With that out of the way...

What's new:

• Some choices will block romance. You can choose to be shown which ones they are and they'll be marked with an x. As an example, the first one you'll encounter very soon into the game. If your MC is in her 40s, Vega's romance will be blocked.

• You can pick some family background for the MC.

• There were initially unique scenes for each pre-set names and the custom name. They now share the same scene that gives you another glimpse of Abbie and MC's past, as well as Abbie's relationship with her mother. The deleted scenes will be used later on in the story. I like them too much to let them go completely LOL

• I've added two new stats: Empathetic/Clueless & Easygoing/Hardass. Stats have changed, if slightly, since the first posts I made about them. Right now, things are:

• Since she has a nickname for your MC, MC will now be able to give one to Abbie, too.

• Abbie and MC can be roommates.

And that's it. I'm so sorry that it's taking me sooooo long to write this game. Thank you all for sticking with me, despite my lack of posting!

I'll also try to answer some of the asks that have been sitting in my inbox for a while. I might not answer all of them but they always mean a lot, so thanks for sending them in :D

[soulsisterif]

How would the ROs treat a sick MC?

• Abbie: either stays at yours or drags you over to her place so that she can keep an eye on you, cuddles you all day if you're into that, reads aloud until you doze off, plays with your hair. If you've got a high fever she's calling her worker to let him know she'll be out that day. Perks of being your own boss. If the fever persists, you're going to the doctor, non-negotiable.

• Irene: can't sit still in a good day, much less when she's fretting over you. Fluffs your pillows, places cool cloths on your forehead, brings you your medicine at the exact time you're supposed to take it, gives you her comfiest, biggest, cosiest sweater. Eventually exhausts herself and finally joins you on the couch. Is probably sick herself the following day LOL

• Joanna: draws you a nice bath. Joins you in the tub if you're up for it, whispers about her day to distract you while you lean against her. What? Skin-on-skin contact boosts the immune system! If you'd rather enjoy the bath on your own, she'll sit on the floor by the tub, chatting idly with you, ready to offer you a warmed towel when you're done.

• Vega: no mental load for you on her watch. Consider your chores done. She'll buy whatever there is on your shopping list, take care of your meals and the dishes. Did you sweat through the night? She's changing the sheets and putting fresh ones on your bed. Will wrap you in a blanket and watch a movie with you. Her lap is comfy...

• Margot: afraid of being annoying if she hovers too much, you'll have to ask if you want company and some cuddles; may even wear more comfortable clothes than usual so you can rest against her without bumping on buttons. Until then, she cooks. Broth, chicken soup, lettuce wraps, fruit salad... Anything to help you keep hydrated. Also some sweet goodies. Those heal the soul.

• Dawn: asks you what she can do to help you feel better and does just that. You want to be left alone? Okay. You want her to snuggle you in bed? Even better, she's elated you want her with you. Either way, she's ordering food from different places you haven't tried yet in the hopes it'll whet your appetite. She'll take you to the one whose food you liked the most for your next date.

[soulsisterif]

What are the ros style of clothing?

I hadn't realized how sure I am about their styles until I got this ask.

• Abbie: very casual. Mostly black, graphic t-shits and comfy jeans when it's warm enough but still always wears a jacket or hoodie because she gets cold easily. Claw clips galore. Needs either big pockets or a backpack.

• Irene: either sweatpants and sweatshirts, maybe tank tops if it's hot, when she's exercising, or lots of colourful dresses and skirts. Easily the most feminine of the cast in her day-to-day. Chooses many rings carefully according to her outfit.

• Joanna: either tight-fitting clothes that show off her figure or baggy ones that leave her shoulder bare. Likes printed clothing. Favours trousers over dresses but can't say no to a good open back. Not one for jewellery, but always has several hair ties on her wrist that she often disregards.

• Vega: Dark clothes, vests, shirts with rolled up sleeves and suspenders. Looks snazzy but then wears embarrassingly colourful socks with cartoons on them that clash horribly with her put-together, broody vibe. It's part of her charm LOL

• Margot: elegant and preppy, won't catch her dead in sweatpants. Tailored skirt suits and not too flashy complements (watches, earrings...). Lots of high waist and high heels so that she doesn't look so tiny. Has more purses than she's willing to admit.

• Dawn: sunglasses wearer, leggings champion, solid colours. Likes shirt dresses. Will dress up for special occasions, but she prefers comfy, simple clothes. Loves cold weather so she can wear scarves and knitted sweaters. Rocks turtle necks.

[soulsisterif]

What were the ROs like as kids?

Oooh, this is a cool one.

• Abbie: daddy's girl, always stuck to her father's side much to his delight. Sponge-child, already nerdy, would talk about and imitate whatever she was obsessed with that week. A book, a cartoon, a person. Most of her interests began with a work of fiction. Hardcore daydreamer.

• Irene: anxious and torn. Craved to play sports and move around but hated the rowdiness that came along with that. Easy to trick and ingenuous, she was often the butt of jokes but had quite a lot of friends to defend her due to her sweetness. More ups and downs than the bitcoin value chart.

• Joanna: jovial and energetic. She could charm the socks off anyone she met. Little troublemaker, took advantage of the fact she looked all cute and innocent to get away with mischief. Unknowingly improved her future self's rizz by learning to bat her eyelashes full force LOL

• Vega: observant, independent, often praised by grown-ups for being well-behaved and not asking for anything which led her to act like a much older child than she was and to try not to bother anyone. Made drawings for her favourite teachers to show her appreciation.

• Margot: lonely. Few friends, used to play alone with a monkey plushie. Blunt, and scolded often for being unkind even if she didn't mean to be. "You've gotten fat". "I thought only old people had wrinkles." Often sad and frustrated, was either silent or had a meltdown after bottling everything up.

• Dawn: sharp, cheeky and challenging. Didn't like rules, her teachers were concerned that her great aptitudes would be eclipsed by her terrible attitude. Very strong 'why' phase. "-Go to bed." "+Why?" "-You need to sleep." "+Why?" "-You'll be tired and sick if you don't." "+Why?" "-You're on thin ice, missy!" "+Why?" Little shit.

[soulsisterif]

genuine question, will it be possible to play as a butch or as a masc sapphic in general?

To be perfectly candid, I'm confused with this one.

My concept of "butch" is a woman who displays masculine mannerisms and/or looks. If that's correct (and maybe I'm royally screwing up) I don't see how one would be unable to play as such? Like, clothing, appearance in general, will be present in the game in the form of flavour text, but is not something that will be overly important. As I've said before, this game is all about your MC's personality (mischievous, shy...) and the interactions she has with other contestants, so I don't see how a butch's would be any different from a femme's. Like, does a butch display shyness differently?

If there's something I'm missing, please, do tell me because I just stayed here looking at my laptop for, literally, half an hour wondering if I'm slow or something, and I want to know if I'm being insulting somehow 🥲

[soulsisterif]

so abbie is the apple of your eye? as a joanna romancer I'm offended jk

Pfff, WhAaAaT? Why, I would never— Yes. Yes, she is.

I put a lot of effort in all characters, but I'll admit that Abbie, Margot and Dawn are close to my heart in a way that the other three aren't. For reasons. But that doesn't mean I intend to neglect the other routes, so don't worry ;)

[soulsisterif]

Ros reaction if an mc who always kisses them before leaving the house forgets one day

• Abbie: pouts all day, kisses you for longer than usual as soon as you get home but doesn't say anything about it. These things happen.

• Irene: instantly panics; convinced that she did something wrong, she will walk on eggshells went she sees you next.

• Joanna: briefly disappointed, starts scheming and spends all day thinking about how she wants you to make it up to her. When god closes a door...

• Vega: tells herself it isn't a big deal, still looks like a kicked puppy when you come back home and only tells you why if you prod her gently.

• Margot: she keeps talking to stop you from leaving, giving you time to realize your mistake, but is incapable of telling you directly that she wants her kiss. "Do you have your keys?" "What would you like for dinner?"

•Dawn: calls you back or goes after you if you're already out the door. If you forgot to kiss her then she'll gladly kiss you.

[soulsisterif]

I almost never go for a best friends to lovers route 'cause I was never interested in it but somehow Abbie caught my heart and now I'm dead set on romancing her. She's the cutest. The heart stealer she is

I'm so happy to hear that! I personally enjoy the friends to lovers trope, but I think it can sometimes feel like you're "forced" to go for it. I'm kinda nervous about some people feeling that way but I'll cross that bridge when the demo's published.

P.S. She is the cutest, but won't steal your heart. She'll only take custody of it so that no one can ever hurt it *dreamy sigh*

[soulsisterif]

I didn't see the poll in time but, hell, am I the only one who wants Dawn?

Nah, if you look closely to the votes, there's at least one more person with you on Dawn's boat XDDDDD

I'm curious, though, about whether or not the results would be different once Chapter One is out.

[soulsisterif]

Friendly reminder to ALWAYS have an updated copy of your files in case your computer tries to fuck you over. I want to thank both my faithful USB flash drive and my awesome external hard drive for being there for me in a moment of utter despair. Thank you guys, you're the real MVPs.

Seriously, people, I was soooo close to losing everything I wrote for the game. Almost 70k words. I'm not a fast writer, do you know how much time I need to write 70k words?

I dodged a bullet. Hell, I dodged a goddamn nuke.