#yvette decaux

[kasiawo]

i would like everyone to play this game please, its on sale on steam right now and absolutely worth the price. i've read all the fics based on this game except 1 because its not in english and i need more. if you enjoy visual novels/dating sim/choose your own adventure get it the art and writing in this game is so good and sweet, i really adore it!!!

i smooched every character and im going to do it again

ID: An illustration of all the romanceable characters from Ambition: A Minuet in Power.

[pepper-seeds-archive]

A fun little comic I did for @joymanuco! Happy Valentine's Day, y'all.

The quote is from Anne Carson’s translation of Elektra, individual images under the cut, click for better quality, the usual.

[usergreenpixel]

JACOBIN FICTION CONVENTION MEETING 15: AMBITION: A MINUET IN POWER (2021)

1. The Introduction

(This review is dedicated to @idieonthishill , @frevandrest , @michel-feuilly , @theravenclawrevolutionary and @tairin )

Hey, Citizens! I’m officially back with a review I’ve been meaning to make for a while now.

“Ambition: A Minuet in Power” is a visual novel/dating simulator game set in Frev and it actually came out really recently - in summer.

It actually has been on my radar ever since I joined the Frev community and accidentally stumbled upon it while browsing tags related to Saint-Just.

Now, usually games like this one are not particularly interesting for me but I am prone to being hooked so I got the beta version free of charge on Steam (which is also where I bought the full version later).

And it was actually the beta version of this game that led to my fateful meeting with one of my friends, Citizen @idieonthishill , as she was also playing the beta version at the time.

She has a fantastic review of her own right here and it sums up the pros and cons of the game really well. And here is a review by another friend of mine, Citizen @frevandrest , and it’s also really good.

I was hesitant about making my own review at first because I really didn’t want to repeat my friends’ words like a broken record but here it is because we have a lot to talk about here.

Okay, now that you know the gist of my backstory with this game, I think we can proceed to the actual review. I won’t cut it any slack for nostalgia points and there will be a rant below so get ready.

Let’s find out what this game is all about.

2. The Summary

The visual novel’s protagonist is a commoner called Yvette Decaux, who comes to Paris to look for her missing fiancé but, when shit hits the fan and she gets basically ditched by said fiancé, she has to learn to survive and navigate the complicated political situation on the eve of the French Revolution.

As Yvette, players can be royalists, Jacobins or something in between. This game allows the players to date various love interests (some historical) , gossip, attend events and amass respect and authority.

So yeah. Let’s see what the execution of this premise is like.

3. The Story

First of all, I like the premise of a commoner (Yvette) marrying a noble (her fiancé). It was a thing but really rare and provided a great opportunity to marry into nobility. This explains why Yvette’s family is eager to see to it that the marriage happens and sends her to Paris.

I also like the fact that we have several endings, like being a royalist, getting executed and leading the revolution. It really gives players room for experimenting with their choices in the story and helps to keep the experience fresh.

That said, as pointed out by @frevandrest , most of the story takes place before the Storming of The Bastille and the other years of Frev are pretty much briefly glossed over in the end so it’s safe to say that we have some major pacing issues.

It’s also worth mentioning that sometimes there is so many side quests that it becomes alarmingly easy to lose track of the main story with the missing fiancé and all that, so this game is definitely not for those who like more linear and straightforward stuff.

4. The Characters

Yvette herself isn’t a character in her own right, and I think that’s some wasted potential right there because I personally don’t like “blank slate” characters. Now, don’t get me wrong, they have an appeal too but it’s just not my cup of tea. I do like that she is not straight though (as in we have female love interests and male ones).

Then there are the love interests. Unlike Yvette, they each have a personality and are fleshed out quite well but sometimes can dive a bit too much into old cliches.

For example, Saint-Just in the game is the stereotypical rebellious bad boy who hates authority ™️, which is a disservice to the complexity of his real counterpart if you ask me. My friends have talked about issues with Antoine in detail in their own reviews so I don’t want to repeat everything they say. Just trust me when I say that this Saint-Just is something else...in a bad way.

To be honest, I prefer love interests like Alex (a merry and kind soldier), Élisabeth Vigee Lebrun (a free-spirited artist) and Ludovico (a sweet Italian priest). They’re all cool in their own ways and I love them.

There’s also a bourgeois widow, Honorade, but personally I didn’t like her so far. I don’t know why, just didn’t click.

The love interest I disliked the most though is the fiancé, Armand. He had zero excuse for ghosting Yvette and basically not showing up because he is so caught up in the revolutionary stuff. Yvette should’ve dumped him on the spot because she clearly deserves better and I mean it!

Anyway, aside from the love interests, some other characters are great too, like Camille, Yvette’s maid. Camille is basically a sweet, cheerful and loyal cinnamon roll and I love it. She deserves all the best things out there.

5. The Gameplay

There are several factions in the game and each one is represented by a specific love interest. You can determine who wins in the struggle of the Crown and the Revolution via convincing various love interests to join one or the other. I think that this is a pretty cool idea, if a bit unrealistic and ultimately makes Yvette a character with too much influence on history than one person would logically have.

It’s also pretty hard to balance peril (you get it while doing risky stuff) and credibility. Get your peril too high and your reputation will suffer. If the credibility is too low then a lot of options in the game aren’t available to you. This is honestly a nightmare to keep track of and I really wish it was a bit easier.

I also don’t usually like visual novels(like I stated above) so I don’t really recommend it to those who dislike that category of games.

6. The Setting

Strangely enough, there isn’t that much Thermidorian propaganda but, unfortunately, too many Frev events are glossed over which, for me at least, kind of breaks the immersion.

Other than that though, the designs and the backgrounds are quite pleasant. Credit where it’s due.

7. The Conclusion

All in all, an interesting experiment and an attempt to do something new with Frev, which I appreciate.

That being said, the pacing issues, the challenging gameplay and the fact that they completely screwed over Saint-Just makes this game more of a guilty pleasure for me than something I can honestly recommend unironically.

Of course, if you want to check it out, I won’t stop you but I will understand if you don’t.

Apologies for a shorter review this time; I didn’t want to repeat what has been already said without me.

Anyway, with that, let us conclude the 15th meeting of the Jacobin Fiction Convention. As always, more updates are coming soon!

Stay tuned and stay safe!

Love,

- Citizen Green Pixel

[hayurika]

Ambition: A Minuet in Power Interview.

Ambition: A Minuet in Power Interview.

  Yvette Decaux, young woman finds herself alone in the streets of Paris, far from home and abandoned by the love of her life. In that moment, she decides to live for herself and seek her own passions, as France marches towards a violent uprising that will change history forever. Navigate the twisting social politics of pre-revolutionary Paris in a game world that’s different every time you play.…

[joymanuco]

We’ve just launched the website for our first game, Ambition: A Minuet in Power! Play as Yvette Decaux, a young woman alone in the streets of Paris, far from home and abandoned by the love of her life. In that moment, she decides to live for herself and seek her own passions, as France marches towards a violent uprising that will change history forever. Navigate the twisting social politics of pre-revolutionary Paris in a game world that’s different every time you play. Charm, deceive, snub and seduce your way to the top of society. Extend your influence, uncover the intrigue of the coming revolution, and ensure that you end up on the winning side of history.

[savingcontent]

Joy Manufacturing Co. is developing Ambition: A Minuet in Power, wherein the main character works to recover from a crushing break-up from abandonment, and rise the social ranks and find love along the way. The gameplay will be that of a mix of  Japanese Dating Sims and Roguelike RPGs. The game also features procedural generation systems make it so that no two games are identical. Ambition: A Minuet in Power will be coming to Kickstarter soon.

From Press Kit:

In Ambition: A Minuet in Power, a young woman finds herself alone in the streets of Paris, far from home and abandoned by the love of her life. In that moment, she decides to live for herself and seek her own passions, as France marches towards a violent uprising that will change history forever. Court, snub and seduce your way to the top of society! Navigate the twisting social politics of pre-revolutionary Paris in a world that’s different every time you play.

You play as Yvette Decaux, a young woman recently abandoned by her fiancé trying to claw her way to the top of society and seize the life she’s always felt that she deserved. Yvette is very aware of the discontent among the people of Paris and the coming revolution. If she wants to survive, she’ll need to balance her social status, romantic desires, and political necessities in order to thrive and survive.

Extend your influence, uncover the intrigue of the coming revolution, and ensure that you end up on the winning side of history.

Key Features:

The games procedural generation systems make it so that no two games are identical.

Gameplay focused on socializing and deception. Work the room and tell people what they want to hear in order to advance your Reputation.

Carefully manage your social calendar to make sure you attend all the right parties without stretching yourself too thin and becoming exhausted.

Acquire and choose from dozens of outfits based on actual fashion plates and paintings from pre-revolutionary France.

Seduce powerful individuals throughout France and manipulate them in order to solidify your power.

Increase your reputation with the five factions to unlock new bonuses and abilities.

A breathtaking soundtrack by award winning game composer, John Robert Matz!

Uncover the mystery of Yvette’s lost lover, Armand.

Become enemies with screeching harpies and chauvinistic boors, and then drive them to social ruin!

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Be sure to follow Joy Manufacturing Co. to stay up-to-date as the game is developed. Follow on Twitter: @joymanuco, Facebook: JoyManufacturingCo, and Twitch: JoyManufacturingCo.

Official Website: https://ambition-game.com/

Ambition: A Minuet in Power is a 18th Century Romance Adventure Game that combines dating sims and roguelike RPGs, coming in 2018 Joy Manufacturing Co. is developing Ambition: A Minuet in Power, wherein the main character works to recover from a crushing break-up from abandonment, and rise the social ranks and find love along the way.

[kasiawo]

Yvette obliterates brain Ludovico on sight but in a cute way ID: Comic of Father Ludovico Sidotti preaching to parishioners until he gets distracted by Yvette Decaux and stops and gets embarrassed.

First and second panel is Father Ludovico Sidotti preaching in latin, and getting distracted, in the third by Yvette Decaux. Forth panel: "Uh... Father Sidotti?" Final panels: "Ah! Mi scusi!" MERDA! "AH-UH WHERE WAS I?!" HEHEHE

[pepper-seeds-archive]

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