#hg rpg

[maytheoddshq]

Ren Ophio (any pronouns). District Seven Tribute. Eighteen. Bella Ramsey.

Ren grew up in a large, loving household, smack dab in the middle of a group of eight siblings. The Ophios were the proud owners of two of the mills inside district Seven. In addition to the mills, they owned a family store that sold different whittled trinkets which often only sold to the Capitol in droves. Because of the business, everything was a family affair; every meal was usually together, marking the very few moments people weren’t away at work. Ren easily clung to her mother from a young age – she taught Ren about craftmanship and how to appreciate when you could just sit down and breathe; listen to the sounds of nature and have a nice cup of coffee.

  But Ren liked the idea of the quiet. The sounds of industrial work and sawdust didn’t overwhelm her senses, making her on edge. However, she was lucky and rarely was Ren actually expected to work in the mills – she was infinitely smaller than the rest of her siblings, not strong enough to really help out. Instead, he was able to sit by a warm fire with her mother and where they’d be able to just sit and whittle away for their commissions where Ren felt like they were safe. Carefully etching away to make little figurines for people who had more money than she could imagine was preferred to the mill. But Ren didn’t like to think of it that way, Ren liked to imagine she was making it for a friend. The art was something so near and dear to him and they wanted to share it with, not only Seven, but the entirety of Panem. Trinkets made life better, didn’t they? Not everything needed to be important or have meaning – some things could just be nice to look at.

  Being the smallest and weakest of her siblings did have its disadvantages, he found herself often being spoken over and pushed around. At some point, Ren just accepted it as a loss; why would anyone wanna hear what they had to say anyway?

 The Games felt icky. If Ren had to describe it any other way she’d feel it was inappropriate. The entire thing made her skin break out in hives and blood rushed to his ears. Just ­– just – so nerve-wracking, wasn’t it? The suspense of waiting for the Games and figuring out what an arena was always made their stomach turn. Why did people celebrate such violence? It all seemed like a silly way to really make a point any way you sliced it. What did people learn by sensationalizing death other than the death of others was…cool? Ren didn’t think it was cool, he thought it was…sad.

  Ren has so much they want to share with the world! They love so, so hard to the point it might as well explode out of their body because how could someone so small fit so much inside? Ren keeps it all quiet, though, finding it so hard to speak to others just knowing someone is likely going to speak for him or over him. When she does get to speak, it always feels like she’s sharing a secret or that they’re maybe talking too much; Ren can’t exactly tell, but he hopes he makes up for it with as much enthusiasm as possible.

  What is their district token?

  The smallest nesting doll from a set that Ren and their mom worked on together.

+ Adaptable, Creative, Loving

– Cowardly, Quiet, Defeatist

PENNED BY: Ramona

[mtopromo]

THE PROUD TRADITION OF OUR NATION...

Two tributes from each District shall be offered up in penance for what was done in our nation's darkest days.

The rebels have failed and the Mockingjay is dead. Another Snow ascends to power to seal a dynasty. The Hunger Games continue uninterrupted.

In retribution for the insubordination of the rebellion following the 75th Hunger Games, the Games now occur biannually. Whispers of another rebellion calling itself the Vox Populi stir a quarter of a century later, leaving every citizen faced with a difficult choice.

The Hunger Games carry on...

*** MaytheOdds is a Hunger Games AU original character roleplay following the Hunger Games in a universe where the Mockingjay rebellion failed. We focus on character development of permanent characters and simulate the Games in a combination of luck, strategy, and plotting with tributes. Click the source link to learn more, find wanted connections, and join. Applications for permanent characters are always being accepted, and applications for tributes for the 136th Hunger Games ARE NOW OPEN!

The 136th Games will have a special twist, read more in the pinned post on our main!

[pyrrhicrecruits]

welcome to a pyrrhic victory —

when you hear the projected applause fill the silence, joyous in the moment a tribute becomes a victor as your name is written down in the history books, it doesn't matter who you were when you stepped in here. that child is as dead as the other twenty-three, and you learn that tribute is a synonym for dead, but victor is a synonym for doomed. there's no winners in the hunger games, whether you volunteered after a lifetime of preparation or the odds were not in your favour. there's no winners, other than perhaps the capitol. president snow. no, you could never call what happened to you winning. you survived. you spend the rest of your life pretending it was worth it.

pyrrhic victory is a slightly au hunger games group, starting during the 72nd hunger games, with a focus on victors and their journey, the capitolites adjacent to the games and the system, found family and how fires of change aren't started in a day.

MAIN — PLOT — RULES

[pyrrhicvictoryhq]

our darling siren brooks ( halston sage ) has been searching the capitol high and low for their older brother who looks a lot like utp ( zac efron, paul wesley, jake miller, etc ). have you seen them? if so you should send them along this way, and you definitely do need to message britt ( sirenbrooks ).

the connection details :

the brooks family come from district four. siren and this character come from a family of five. your character is the oldest, siren is the middle child, and then they share a younger brother. siren and this character were very close, and when she got sent to the games - I imagine he did what he could do to ensure she would win (everything in his power) he could be a victor from a past game, or he could have never went into the games*! your choice! i would love to work out the dynamic especially since after she won and came back, she would have been struggling heavily with ptsd. I imagine her brother is a big part of the rebellion, thinks the games are sick and the capitol should be taken down.

* admin note : if this character is not a previous victor, siren would have had to apply for him to have capitol citizenship, and he would have to have left district four permanently !!

[videogamepolls]

Requested by @oldmidori

[theoldtherebeforehq]

A NATION AS TRIBUTE - THE FIRST QUARTER QUELL

A certain air of restlessness stirs the nation in the late afternoon of June 4th. Everywhere in the Capitol and districts alike, broadcast satellites crackle to life, as is mandated by order straight from the Presidential Palace. Crowds gather where they are facilitated to do so, where booming speakers and massive screens are stationed in town squares and workplaces specifically for this purpose. Those who tune in are met by the sight of a familiar face; President Ravinstill, standing at a podium. A little to the side behind him stands a fair-haired man. His is not a face as recognisable as the president, but nobody could deny that Coriolanus Snow has made a name for himself, especially when he has just been publicly announced as the new Head Gamemaker not two weeks ago. The president addresses the nation with an impassive greeting, which includes a brief speech on the tribulations Panem has faced, the triumph they have all fought for and earnt, and the sanctity of the annual Hunger Games. This in itself is nothing unusual. What is out of the ordinary is that the president then steps back, relinquishing the podium. Head Gamemaker Snow steps forward in turn, holding something wooden and ornate in his hands. “Every twenty-five years since our shared victory, we, together as a nation, celebrate the Quarter Quell,” Snow begins. “Since the founding of the Hunger Games, the founders themselves have prepared noble guidance on how we should observe the Quells for many centuries to come. Their guidance comes in the form of instructions, stored in boxes just like this one.” He holds up the item in his hands, the box which almost resembles a small vault. “Today, we are all honoured to open our first.” The box clicks open, from which a piece of paper is drawn. A moment of silence passes before Snow reads the instructions aloud. “On the twenty-fifth anniversary, as a reminder to the rebels that their children are dying because of their choice to initiate violence, every district will be made to hold an election and vote on the tributes who will represent it. This year, no District citizen is exempt from the Reaping. The age limitation is waived until further notice.” Just a few more critical details are laid out; that everyone over the age of 12 is obligated to vote, that the voting will be held within the next couple of weeks throughout the districts, and that further arrangements and announcements will be made by the mayors. Head Gamemaker Snow concludes by bidding the nation good day. There is no mention of odds for this reaping, the tribute selection now fully in the Districts' hands. Not a second later, the seal of Panem flashes across screens, marking the end of the broadcast. The districts erupt in explosions of gasps and whispers—and even some stronger voices—but peacekeepers manage to keep everyone in line.

Interactions are now open!

For this cycle, tributes are voted in by the people of the Districts instead of randomly reaped. Furthermore, no age limit is imposed this time (though we still require playable characters to be at least 18 years old), as a signal from the Capitol that no one is safe, not even if aged out of the reaping bowl. Please keep this in mind when applying for tribute characters. This is the Districts' chance to put forth their very best - or their very worst.

Applications for tribute characters are now open as well. If you're unsure of a faceclaim, you can check out our wanted faceclaim list for a little source of inspiration. We look forward to having you here with us!

OOC Date for Reaping Announcement: April 12th IC Date for Reaping Announcement: June 4th

OOC Date for Reaping & Arrival time in the Capitol: April 19th IC Date for Reaping & Arrival: July 4th

[the-multiversal-asterisk]

Periodic Table AU. 'nuff said

Level 1 Slime is Hg I don’t make the rules

[allieebobo]

Do you have any if recommendation?

Ooh! I have really, really bad memory(!!) but these are current faves that I have played/replayed recently that I can think of. A lot of the authors are also THE BEST HUMAN BEINGS EVER. So, double recommendation.

I probably missed a bunch out, so take this as a non-exhaustive list! In no particular order:

(Edit: Added some descriptions but yeah I got a little unhinged so I'm sorry nothing makes sense or if the quality of the write-up went down over time/did not actually give you any useful info)

WIPs with demos

Citadel, @bouncyballcitadel (I think of all the IFs on this list, this one makes me sweat the most. And I've said it once and I'll say it again: the dialogue is so snappy and well-written, and characters are SO DAMNED LOVEABLE.)

Infamous, @infamous-if (I've been manifesting Band/Musician IFs for the longest time, and then this popped up! I've even played Choice of a Rockstar, that's how desperate I was... Anyway, this is legions better than that. Angsty ex routes are my kryptonite, and Seven is just. Inevitable.)

Defiled Hearts: The Barbarian, @defiledheartsblog (I went into this wanting something juicy and fun/historical—and it's all of those things, but I didn't expect it to be so damned funny, too. The ROs are all impeccable.)

Raiders of the Caravan and Apartment 3-3, @leftski-if (A'ight listen, fantasy slice-of-life is my fave genre, and these are IT. Like, everything I never knew I needed in my life, and SO cozy/wholesome, with a cast of characters that I want to befriend in real life.)

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes: An Affair of the Heart @doriana-gray-games (First off, the customization in this game is INSANE, and the branching too. I've replayed a couple of times and the little variations I discover each time just blows my mind. Secondly, it's so funny and written so well. Ngl I'm not a Sherlock fan but that's just testament to how amazing this IF is.)

When Life Gives You Lemons, @when-life-gives-you-lemonssss (Modern slice-of-life with an adorable kid, a bunch of hot ROs, CC. Hill's humor, what can I say?)

Golden @milaswriting (Really interesting world-building, one of the coolest fictional cities I've read in an IF, AND I'm obsessed with the ROs, in particular K de la Renta. Also Mila is such an awesome writer, I'm beyond excited for @beyondthegame.)

A Tale of Crowns @ataleofcrowns (This game is beautiful, polished, and SO exciting. Honestly, it looks like the kind of game created by a whole-ass game studio and would cost $50 to buy, it's that good. I really got swept up by this IF—probably played it all in one go.)

Rougi @rougi-if (Again, another game with scrumptious visuals/UI and also is just so well-crafted. I love the premise too, it's so original and fresh.)

Scout: An Apocalypse Story @anya-dev (Unfortunately this one might be on hiatus but I am/was really, really obsessed.)

Wayfarer @idrellegames (Love the game mechanics of this one, and the visuals. Probably controversial, but I like the D&D / random dice effect. And I also like the fact that it feels like an old-school RPG.)

Chop shop @losergames (The premise is all I needed to be sold, really—I'd always wanted to buy GTA as a kid but my parents were like NO WAY. Anyway, this IF did not disappoint, and let me live all my childhood dreams.)

Edit: AHH! How could I forget, one of my recent faves, Folksaga @folksaga-if (Lush atmospheric writing, super unique premise—norse mythology, plus I'm head over heels for Katla).

Completed IFs

Butterfly Soup 1 and 2 @brianna-lei (these are completed and I will never not promote them. Honestly the most adorable, wholesome, funny sports/coming-of-age IF I've read)

Elsinore: After Hamlet @lapinlunairegames (Insanely cool premise, insanely cool execution)

The Thick Table Tavern @manonamora-if (I love bar/tavern games, and this one actually lets you mix drinks! Instant fave.)

Other HGs/COGs I love: Slammed, Tin Star, Fallen Hero, If it pleases the court, A Player's Heart (these last two are so underrated, though I guess cause it's mainly wlw)

[windienine]

i want to teach you how to play chuubo's marvelous wish-granting engine...

(diceless rpg released by jenna k. moran in 2011)

... in as few words as i can manage!

there's a person running the game and playing the world (here, they're called the hollyhock god or "HG" for short.)

and one or more other people playing several characters who serve as the game's central cast (the player characters, or "PCs" for short.)

if you're one of the PCs, your main goal is to progress through a storyline by earning experience points ("XP") before play, you'll be given a little card with a set of goals on it. this is a quest. it describes the kind of story you're here to tell with your character today.

a quest needs a certain amount of XP to be completed, at which point you earn a reward and proceed to the next quest.

you can get XP in a few common ways:

completing the goals described on your quest card (major goals can only be completed once and give a large amount of XP, flavor goals can be repeated indefinitely but grant a smaller number)

participating in scenes with other PCs and/or the HG, talking to and working with one another and describing how your character feels. (this is an XP action, and you can take one once per scene)

evoking a specific emotion out of the other players that they reward you with XP for (this is called emotion XP)

a scene involves one or more PCs interacting with one another or the world. once everyone's been in two scenes and taken two XP actions, that is a chapter. you tally up all the XP you earned, refresh your resources, and the session is over.

that is the core loop. you try to progress directly on your quest, you spend scenes interacting with other players, and you play into the archetype you've chosen for a few bonuses. finish a quest, unlock a new storyline.

in other words: you have experiences as your character which give them the will to grow and change.

check out this example ^^^

this one's structured for a loner character-- some mad scientist or mage who knows that the world is in danger and is eager to solve that problem all alone.

but... this isn't really a story about singular great men solving singular great problems alone, though. how much can you tell about this character, their conflicts, and where they're headed, all based on the quest structure alone?

your challenge is to:

do the things listed on the card, when possible. take up burdens, structure the weird ominous dreams and portents your character is experiencing, create scenarios where they have to rely on others against their better judgement (quest XP).

spend time with the natural world and/or the other PCs every scene, having experiences that affect your character personally (XP actions).

act as your character in ways that drive the other players to stunned speechlessness, the usual target reaction for this character's archetype (emotion XP).

be loose and have some fun with it. you'll be working with several quests at a time, so try to chain them together and create openings for other players to fulfill their own goals as well.

... and you've done it! those are the fundamental basics of the game!

[eldoniousrex]

Heavy Gear RPG fourth edition is out in the wild now! Time to share some art! I switch projects and styles frequently. So, it can take me some time to get up to speed on a new project. This piece marked, for me at least, the point where I was getting comfortable with my HG style.

Get a copy of the new book here:

[yamada-ryo]

Slightly late comiket c103 masterpost

(Long post)

Someone cosplayed Bocchi from the house visiting episode (with the sash and party glasses)

Staff cosplaying as Mori Calliope and Oozara Subaru

RX-78-2 cosplayer waved to the crowd entering the venue (almost everyone in that section waved back)

Bocchi and Ryo cosplayers in the Blue Archive section

This one cosplayer manning a stall who very nearly handed me back 11000 yen when I handed her 10000 yen for a 1000 yen item

A Kurisu Makise cosplayer who didn't have Dr Pepper on hand but did have some tea

Arknights Platinum cosplayer who was like 180cm tall (with like 3 inch heel boots)

Went to I211's booth. Saw him talking in English to the customer in front of me. Tried to ask for the new book by asking in English. He replied in Japanese. Thanked him in English again. He thanked me in Japanese.

Guilty Gear May cosplayer with like a really really big hat

Different staff cosplaying as Calliope Mori (again)

Seems obvious when said but its interesting to see that people quite often dress in something related to what they're selling (train stuff/conductor's uniform, military stuff/camo uniform, 男の娘 etc)

Singular Ruri Dragon doujin booth

Someone was cosplaying as the guy from The Mask of all things. Like the one with the green face and yellow suit

The guy who married Miku had a booth and a Miku doll was handing out stuff to people visiting

A pair of Ryo and Kita maid cosplayers selling Bocchi stuff together

Saw a whole ass VSK, Kalashnikov and two RPGs in the military section

Overheard in an american accent "I'm telling you man it's all just horses"

3 completely different Touhou cosplayers just browsing the military section (Junko Aya and Sakuya)

A pair of Uma Musume cosplayers manning a booth in the train section

A pair of Chisato and Takina cosplayers manning a booth in the train section

For some reason quite a lot of booths in the train section accepted electronic payment (everywhere else was cash only)

Train ASMR

Somehow got called 'onee san'

A Witch from Mercury book being sold with the cover designed like one of those HG kit boxes

Bocchi the Cock. Like, a lot of it

Quite a sizable number of Kikuri Hiroi booths

There were like 4-5 booths in a row all selling AI generated stuff and you could tell which ones used the same program

One singular Brisket (strive) cosplayer

A booth that was just a guy handing out political flyers

A booth that just had "stop censorship law" written all over

Some guy cosplaying in a full ghillie suit

Okuyasu cosplayer (without The Hand) (or Josuke)

A staff who had a hat with a batter operated spinning ferris wheel like thing on it

A staff who had a Blue Archive halo taped on his hat but wasn't otherwise cosplaying (it was pink idk whose halo it was)

A staff who didn't know what colour his hat was and called it "yellowish orange" (オレンジ黄色いぽい)

As always there were many 男の娘/女装/etc

[maytheoddshq]

Cornelia Terra (she/her). District Two Tribute. Twenty-one. Josie Totah.

(cw: mentions of transphobia)

– What was their childhood like?

Growing up, the world had always been just a little bit off kilter. Given the name Cornelius after being born to a Peacekeeper father and a District government official mother, life had always had a specific direction, a norm that society had already dictated while the child had still been in the womb. An Academy education, and then it was either volunteering for the Games or rerouting to become a Peacekeeper. 

But even while the young boy stayed on his predetermined path, everything was always off. Inexplicable at first, before it began to become clearer when he hit puberty. And knowing that he would’ve much rather walked around the hallways in a skirt or a dress, or strut down the street in a pair of heels that his mother would’ve called much too high, and entirely inappropriate for a boy. After all, that was who she had raised. Cornelius was sure neither of his parents would approve, and that made him too afraid to speak up. It left him in a seemingly permanent state of restlessness. He was living in rooms where the pictures hung crooked and he could never stand up to right them. No matter what, they’d slip to the left, or to the right. He was walking on a permanent rising slope, and it was exhausting to keep up the same pace. One foot in front of the other while wearing the wrong pair of shoes for the trek. 

It took him years before he couldn’t take it any longer. Cornelius felt like he could hardly breathe while he sat down with his mother and told her first. Halfway through the lengthy conversation, his father returned from work and joined in. For hours, he’d sat there with tension and anxiety, talking and talking like his life depended on it. And it did. Once the last word had tumbled over his lips, the pictures soundlessly righted themselves. The slope became an even road to walk on. As if by a miracle, his parents understood without much talk against it. 

From one moment to the next, Cornelia was free. 

– How do they feel about the Games?

Cornelia had always excelled at handling weapons. Especially with a sword, she spent hours upon hours training. Now that there was nothing else missing from her very being, everything else came to her much easier as well. She was kinder to herself, clearer with her goals, more confident in her step and her actions. Though, that did not mean that everyone was kind to her as well. 

Many of her friends had been quick and ready to accept that the boy they’d befriended had finally grown into herself, because really nothing had changed except for the fact that she could freely be herself now. But not everyone could see it that way. Even if Cornelia, at her very core, was still the same person, in the eyes of some she had suddenly become weaker. Less capable at handling a sword and fighting to win in the Arena. Unfit to volunteer and survive. Cornelia knew what she was capable of better than anyone else in the world, and the myriad of assumptions bullied her out of rational thought. It angered her into over-confidence instead. 

She’d show them that she’d always been the same person, only now she could project it to the outside as well. Prove that there was hardly anyone more capable than Cornelia Terra to compete for the victory spot. 

Defying any and all wishes from the Academy officials for who was to volunteer, Cornelia raised her hand during the reaping for the 132nd Hunger Games. 

– What is their personality like?

Cornelia is confident and self-assured, but hardly ever to an arrogant degree. After years of discomfort, she’d learned that there was nothing better she could do for herself than to know what she wanted and boldly reach for it. She encourages almost out of habit; herself as well as others. Even when situations are hopeless, she reassures. At times, stubbornness peeks through the positivity, anger as well as an unshakable desperation to hold onto things and not let them go. 

– What is their district token?

A gold necklace given to her by her mother. 

– Three strengths and three weaknesses?

( + ) confident, bold, caring

( – ) stubborn, hot-tempered, mischievous

PENNED BY: LEO

[a-cowboy-and-a-catman]

Gunpla #16 - Custom GMS Everest [Je]

The Everest [Je] pattern was a flashpoint for controversy before it was even printed. A leaked memo revealed that GMS planned to unveil a new Everest sub-pattern designed to cut a more "heroic" image - enflaming debates around Union's portrayal of these weapons of war. In reality, the [Je] was designed primarily for competitive mech-based sports like Pankration Mekani. This was revealed to be a (perhaps misguided) attempt by GMS to bridge a cultural gap with the Karrakin Trade Baronies, which didn't do much to quell the arguments. These controversies haven't prevented the [Je] from becoming a popular pattern for a new generation of rookie Lancers and athletes alike.

Technically my first full paint-job! I definitely learned a lot making this bad boy.

Inspiration:

For starters, this is a custom based on Peyton Gee's Everest illustration for Kai Tave's Operation Solstice Rain mission. It's an interpretation of the starter mech from the LANCER RPG. It's cool! You should try it! Drink deep! and descend!! Solstice Rain is a nifty 'introductory' mission for the system, and I can recommend it as a starting point.

I imagine the lion crest (lifted from WFM's Darilbalde decals) to be the logo of a mech-based sports team, making this model number #3 in the lineup. The planet logo could be the symbol of an interstellar sports league.

Parts List:

Body: HG Jegan ECOAS type

Back weapons: HG Zowort Heavy

Rifle/Pistol/Shield: 30MM Customized Weapons (Military Weapon)

Knife: HG Demi Trainer Option Kit

Paints: Tamiya Acrylic - XF-76 (green), XF-7 (red), X-18 (back weapons), XF-16 (metallic), XF-90 (brown)

Decals: A mix of Witch From Mercury's Darilbalde, 30MM option sets, and RG God Gundam

Construction:

This is my first paintjob, and I did it by hand with Tamiya acrylics. Well, at least, I did for the parts you see here. I had an absolute disaster of a time with the joints since I tried to use an enamel paint thinned with acrylic thinner. Looked real bad, then it got worse when I tried to clean it off with a bath in rubbing alcohol. Every single part disintegrated. Luckily, I had a Jegan Heavy with the exact same set of joints so I yoinked those!

I won't have the setup to try airbrushing for a while, so the next custom I make will probably be hand-painted acrylic again. Now that I know what I'm doing I expect it'll be much smoother.

In terms of other modifications, I extended the waist a tiny bit to add a bit of seperation between the upper chestpiece and the lower codpiece. I used the limbs to practice scribing, which turned out particularly nice with the back of the legs. See below before the paintjob:

[pyrrhicrecruits]

welcome to a pyrrhic victory —

when you hear the projected applause fill the silence, joyous in the moment a tribute becomes a victor as your name is written down in the history books, it doesn't matter who you were when you stepped in here. that child is as dead as the other twenty-three, and you learn that tribute is a synonym for dead, but victor is a synonym for doomed. there's no winners in the hunger games, whether you volunteered after a lifetime of preparation or the odds were not in your favour. there's no winners, other than perhaps the capitol. president snow. no, you could never call what happened to you winning. you survived. you spend the rest of your life pretending it was worth it.

pyrrhic victory is a slightly au hunger games group, starting during the 72nd hunger games, with a focus on victors and their journey, the capitolites adjacent to the games and the system, found family and how fires of change aren't started in a day.

MAIN — PLOT — RULES

[pyrrhicvictoryhq]

which districts would you like to see more of?

i can't really speak for ana, though i do know she would say "all of them" ! which i totally agree with, but that's not a particularly helpful answer. i personally would love to see some more of our victors from districts two, three, five, seven, ten, and eleven ! but in all honesty, anon, whoever you want to bring us is exactly who we'd like to see !!

[if-confessions]

Confession as both an IF author and an avid IF reader. I am sorry but I can't enjoy stories where there is a wrong or right path if they do not have a save system in place.

In general, I do not enjoy when a RO can be romanced only if you agree with their world view and/or make certain specific choices that aren't however easily recognisable (ex: maybe you are too forward or not bold enough and you'll lose your chance). People can disagree even in a relationship, it's ok not to think the same way. It just really bothers me how romance routes are treated in some IFs (and unfortunately I have seen that this is the case for many COG games).

And those choices, as well as choices which don't allow the player to roleplay but are just a wild guess of what will be the right one amongst all, put so much anxiety in me as a reader that in the end I will just drop the game. I'm sorry to say this but the fact that most COG and HG published games don't have a save system is an incredibly huge turn off. No wonder authors are turning to Twine...

What do you personally think about this type of structured choices in IFs? I know it's something pretty subjective.

Yeah... all this is super subjective...

There are stories for everyone out there, as there are mechanics that will work for some people but not others. It's true for any other games, not just IF. Knowing what you (don't) like helps you steer towards content more fitting to your enjoyment. It's fine not liking stuff :P (Seriously, I really want to play Mass Effect because the story is dope, but because I hate shooters, I'm contenting myself on watching other people play it...)

As someone with choice anxiety, I too need save points to feel better about my choices. Not just in IF, with every video games, even RPGs. I will seriously go back and undo hours of play and load an old savefile if it meant a bad consequence (hello Disco Elysium...). You will never see me play a game with instant death. Still, I'll try not to savescum too much, and try to enjoy the story as it is.

But honestly, whether a game has save slots/vague choices doesn't phase me too much if the story is neat and I am enjoying myself. And I rarely play romance-focused game (or follow a romance path) when I do play IF... So *shrug* about ROs... I have known people behaving like the RO you are describing though... some people just knew what they wanted from the get go and didn't want to make an effort if the other person didn't fit those standards. So it's not too far-fetched... But I have to say there are questionable depictions of ROs/Romance out there.

Thank you for confessing Anon!