#i started a b3 rewrite and had a fully fleshed out story that would be about 20+ chapters but...

[masonscig]

why did book 3 obliterate ms characterisation?

i promise this isn't me copping out but i haven't played book 3 since it dropped in april '23, so i couldn't give you a 100% accurate answer even if i tried

i spent multiple days analyzing issues with characterization when it dropped and then my life started falling apart – if i could remember + repeat what i remember from those conversations i would

what i will say of what i remember, is that a lot of my issues stem from being led to believe that the romance would develop a certain way and it going in a completely different direction – obviously, i know and respect an author's vision, but the dip in quality from the demo to the actual finished product made me step back and view b3 differently. instead of a fully realized story that i could see building on itself and leading to something much bigger, it was painfully obvious that this is a game with stats that had to satisfy requirements.

i only played one full route (m's of course) and after a while the scene/mood changes were so disjointed it took me out of it – lighthearted to heavy with no time to unpack or discuss, i.e. big relationship moments sandwiched between research/combat scenes and conversations with random side characters.

ultimately, just felt like a checklist of scenes being ticked off as the story progressed rather than a natural buildup with a solid plot progression like b1 and b2 imo.

i know i haven't gotten to specific instances of m's characterization being obliterated, which i said as an exaggeration, bc m is still m at timesin b3, but other times is an actual stranger in text – i don't think i can give you specific examples, but i can at the very least say that the above issues were what led to the issues of m feeling ooc.