What update?
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How many years will we wait for book 3 lol, Retribution was amazing but it felt kinda short to me for some reason. The cliffhanger was not expected, the story was a bit slow but at the end it was great.
Also Wayhaven vs Fallen Hero, which is more popular and preferred?
I think Wayhaven loses imo
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Wayhaven is way too boring. It is bog standard YA romance that does nothing new with the setting and ideas. Fallen Hero actually captures the ideas and themes perfectly.
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Malin originally planned for 3 books total, but with how big book 2 was ending up, decided to cut it short and make it a 4 part series
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I think Wayhaven is more popular…
but comparing the plot, MC (their past, their problems, motivations, abilities), ROs - thir personalities & development, the relationships, writing style, the level of freedom to decide our MC and the paths they can take…
it is like:
That’s my impression 
Wayhaven seems simpler in every way. I’m not saying it’s bad, I still enjoy reading these books. I have kind of fondness for this series¡; Wayhaven Book 1 was one of the first IFs I read and unlike FH I didn’t need a few tries to like it 
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I think Wayhaven is good for what it is, and I can’t deny the sheer amount of effort and passion that goes into it.
I don’t know if the comparison is entirely fair, given they’re remarkably different pieces of IF, with the only similarities I can think of being their popularity.
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They sorta scratch different itches. Sometimes you just want to be a small-town detective with a harem of hot vampires, other times you want to be a big-city villain with a harem of hot superheroes.
I got both Wayhaven and Fallen Hero at the same time and personally found former to be easier to sink my teeth into. Nevertheless, I got hooked on both all the same and both series are what dragged me into the rabbit hole of CoG/HoG.
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Recently caught up with the series, and man, it’s one of the best IFs I’ve tried.
I’m really hoping for a bit of face-heel turn (hero defection) with a certain metal lady.
I guess the wait begins.
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Exactly. This is one scene where Sidestep plainly tells Ortega.
Hating someone to yell at them is a broad point. It doesn’t explain the situation here.
Sidestep could yell at any ranger in the crash scene. There are other scenes Sidestep didn’t yell but overreacted in a situation in the presence of a ranger. But here, Sidestep isn’t just yelling for any reason. Regene status is a very sensitive case for Sidestep. Enough to make them lose control for no reason/any reason. If you pay attention to how Sidestep responds to every ranger in the whole book two, it’s obvious.
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But not all Sidesteps hate Ortega. Some may lash out from fear or insecurities (being in love with someone you’re convinced you can never have can do that to a person), rather than hatred.
Your MC clearly hates Ortega and that’s fine, but I think the writing is nuanced enough that you can’t make that claim for every MC. Certainly not mine.
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Yeah. Me, I’m reminded of a sibling relationship where you fight half the time and are best friends the other half. Even the occasional moment of “I hate you” fit in there, the key being they’re occasional and true only in that moment when tempers flare.
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I don’t think it’s entirely fair, despite Sidestep’s words. In Ortega’s RO route, there’s pretty much no way to avoid Sidestep breaking down when they tell the MC they love them at their apartment. But even at their meanest, Sidestep still cares enough about Ortega that they worry about their reaction to the tattoos far more than just “it’s dangerous to know.”
Sidestep doesn’t hate Ortega as much as they hate the effect they can have on them due to their telepathy. At least, this is my interpretation. You can play a Sidestep that absolutely despises everyone which is perfectly fine.
Otherwise, I view the insults more as playful ribbing that siblings and close friends do. Or you could be a misanthrope and say those insults are their inner feelings spilling out.
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Hi, I’m just curious, what was the other book’s name?
Samurai of Hyuga Book 5.
Thank you! 
I don’t agree with the claim that all Steps hate Ortega, either. I’ve played different kinds of MCs and in my opinion it’s completely up to how you “build” your character. For example, my main Step is a stupid, little pining asshat when it comes to Ricardo.
There’s still the nuance of Step lashing out in anger, but that’s mostly because of what’s going on in their head thanks to Heartbreak + their fear of Ortega’s blank mind.
While the latter doesn’t change much, even with the three possible choices you’re given in that segment, I don’t believe it’s “hate” directed at Ortega themselves. If Steel was immune to telepathy, too, then they would feel uncomfortable with him as well.
It’s explicitly stated that the numbers drug makes Sidestep uncomfy (another example is at Ortega’s apartment, where you can pick the option to panic because Ortega can appear at your back without you noticing.)
But that’s only my personal take on the subject!
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Sidestep always has felt unsure about Ortega.
In the end of book 2 , when Mc decides to tell Ortega about being re-gene, Mc describes how they feel about Ortega’s "static noise’ and that it is similar to ’ numbers’ pill. Player cannot avoid this conversation, and our only choices are : that we hated Ortega or we were scared of them.
We don’t have a ‘positive’ response to choose from . So Sidestep definitely felt distrust and negative feelings toward Ortega because they gave off similar vibes, just like people working for the special directive.
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You can choose to say something along the lines of ‘I know it’s unfair but I can’t help [my ingrained reaction]’. That’s a very different reaction from hate. You might choose to build your individual Sidestep in a way where describing that feeling is part of a hatred toward Ortega, but in that response they’re actively saying they feel it’s wrong of them to have such a reaction. Sidestep does not simply have a subconscious hate of Ortega by default, that’s a choice you make.
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Exactly. Like, there’s so much going on and plus flavor text can change depending on your scar, too. Anger, hunger, feeling like an outsider. There are a lot of variables involved, but personally I don’t perceive Chargestep’s canonical relationship as “you hate them no matter what.”
You can pick the option, just like you can choose to have a sort of grudge against ortega by making them your rival in book one.
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It is more about flashbacks and PTSD, and how Sidestep deals with trauma. Any situation similar to a traumatic event can turn on brain into ‘survival’ mode. Years back Sidestep could smooth their anxiety disorder thanks to friends and Ortega ( they are not hurting me, i can trust them, even if they give off ‘the numbers’ feel ) . But this has stopped when Sidestep was taken back to lab. Pitfully, The brain has lernt that they shouldnt had trust anyone , because of this they got hurt. Trusting anyone is too big risk.
Now , they have escaped but the corpus amygdaloideum is overactive ( this always accure with PTSD and emotional disorders)
This part of brain is responsible for ‘emotional memory’.
Exacly this. When situation is ‘emotionally’ similar to the traumatic event, brain shots out adrenaline and Sidestep relives the past. Sidestep has to overcome cognitive distortion once more, and player decides how fast Mc will deal with them.
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