Infamous if (band wip) chap 3 (457k wrds) released (9/08/2024)

I need to see how Seven will behave in game, because I think it’s almost too late for them.

I feel there will always be an underlying fear that things could take a wrong turn as they did after their fight. Assuming both sides did some growing up after the breakup, Seven still wears their emotions on their sleeve, and when it comes to the mc they can rarely control them, and I don’t think that’s going to change anytime soon, so how can the mc be sure that Seven won’t ghost them again after an argument until they can process their feelings? Who can reassure Seven that the mc won’t choose their career (if we can see the voting thing as such) over them again?

There’s definitely a lot of healing to do there, but I don’t see their relationship being a lasting one if many things aren’t addressed, things that perhaps won’t be explored in game, so probably none of this matter.

What I do want is for Seven to realise that the mc also lost their best friend and the love of their life, that we were never given a chance to talk or make things right. Seven left the band and Seven broke up with us, never taking into consideration how the mc felt. That’s what I need Seven to realise, that their emotions and feelings are not the only ones that matter.

August is too precious, I love them. Seb was one of my favourites too, but after ch. 2, where he voiced his valid and legitimate concerns for Maya, I don’t want to drag them into the mess that is mc’s life atm.

I’m not a Blake-mancer, but seeing things from their pov, it does look like the mc is in cahoots with G. G introduces our group, and only our group, then comes up and tells us that they chose us and not to embarrass them, to someone watching from afar it may look like they are two people close enough to be whispering to each other. So what Blake thinks is not unwarranted (their band was the fans favourite, they also have a bigger fanbase meaning that more people probably voted for them ), and the fact that even if they are attracted to the mc they don’t back down is actually in character. They want to expose the truth and will push us under the bus because, as they said in game, ‘this it’s bigger than you and me’.

Blake looks at ${bhis} phone and hauls ${bhim}self up, exhaling deeply. $!{bhe} comes over to you, stopping only a foot away. You rear back, trying to gain some distance from ${bhim}.

“I will ruin you, ${name},” ${bhe} says it calmly, casually as if it’s not a threat. “If what I suspect is true, I will. Because this is bigger than you and I.”

Orion is conflicted. He’s a romantic option for a reason but he’s very work oriented and is, first and foremost, your manager. We’re only on ch. 2, we still need to explore that relationship, see how he truly feels about the mc. For my run with him, I prefer a mc who hides their crush or slowly falls for him, because boldly flirting with him clearly makes Orion uncomfortable since he has set clear boundaries with you and the band.

Yeah, it could definitely be another thing to mess with the mc but Seven clearly needs to be attached at the hip to someone to properly function so there’s also that. The Avina subplot could be a source of so much drama depending on how you play the game.

Same, I’m actually really enjoying how messy the reality is becoming. I’m still trying to figure out what the gossip that Blake talks about during the photoshoot is. And I can’t wait to see how our fame level will impact the story.

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No, yeah! Seven cutting MC out of their life obviously left an opening for a new bestie. Seven and Avina are genuinely close, I don’t mean to imply otherwise. I don’t think it’s a ploy to mess with MC, it’s just that Seven forms hard and fast attachments and MC is on the other side of that now, an outsider in the dynamic. It sucks for them, but I find it really compelling; the grief at the loss of someone who’s meant to be your forever person, the jealousy at seeing them actively move on (in whatever way that may be), the feelings of betrayal at being sort of replaced — I like that it’s a little messy and painful and that Seven isn’t being entirely fair with MC at the moment. Who wants to be friendly with their ex, y’know? Especially an ex that you had a dramatic falling out with rather than an amicable split. The catharsis of an eventual confrontation is going to be sweeter because of it.

There are so many little seeds being planted that I can’t wait to see come to fruition. I can’t wait to see which seemingly random off-hand comments ended up being important. And the drama of MC having to deal with all these external issues and also make themselves look good on a reality TV show, a medium that is known for manufacturing drama for entertainment’s sake, and also win the competition — Godspeed to MC, it’s gonna be a rough ride and I’m not going to make it easier for them.

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Yeah, especially considering the mc still has the whole band who also were Seven’s best friends. And tbh I’m happy Seven has Avina to rely on, but they do use their closeness to provoke the mc, see the bed discussion when sharing the bus with SV. So Seven isn’t fair to Avina either.

That goes both ways if the mc moves on and romances someone else under Seven’s nose, and it’s actually so bittersweet but could lead, if you decide to move on, to a renewed relationship in which both parties are better off as just friends.

I can’t wait for MCxSeven confrontation, my main mc is normally very chill and genuine, whenever possible try not to engage with Seven’s antics or aggravate the situation but there’s just so much they can take, eventually they’re going to crack from all the pressure and I can’t wait to finally give Seven a piece of my mind (hopefully it would be satisfying enough after all the shit Seven throws at us).

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Like you said I’m not into nb, so August doesn’t do it for me even if they are the only ro you don’t actually have to fight or become a yandere for and who might want to be with the mc entirely of their own volition.

They already did shit like that with the first breakup, it’s one reason why my mc is never going to pursue Seven romantically again.

Yep, yet the mc can’t think a bad thought about them.

Great being shipped with a person my mc really is not attracted to, sexually or romantically. Probably gonna be forced to act it on orders of the producers anyway, ugh!

That’s true but that also makes it another of those moments were trying to play an outgoing mc is a really awkward fit. But that is just my opinion but to me it always seemed this demo does its best to push the mc onto the shy, mousy path.

Particularly when they literally don’t look as good as their most serious competition, sorry but headcanon isn’t going to do it for me in this game where the real hotties get regular call-outs.

That could work if mc could find someone to romance but it seems there are no eligible guys who actually like the mc right now to do that. The one drunken idiot at the party the mc can hook up with doesn’t count as that was just a drunk hookup and some people are easy. The way it is right now Orion just isn’t into mc, romancing Sebastian makes mc look like a desperate creep, G is a creep and likely only toying with mc and not really into them as a person either and Blake hates our guts mostly because of G being a creep and mc’s band having to compete in the wrong qualifier round. I think mc and their band might have been able to beat any of the other bands, maybe even Seven’s honestly without G meddling behind the scenes…but alas that was not to be.

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Because the MC is a fan of G, so no, at the beginning they won’t be able to be really critical, it’s not such terrible writing. It’s a given fact about the MC, so it makes sense.

I’m sorry, but what games do constantly call their MCs hot? It’s a common thing - ROs get that, because the game is selling them to us, not the other way around.

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It is not constantly it is never in this game, that is a big difference. But if you want an example, if you play the indie singer/artist background (or any other) in merry crisis you can set if the mc is conventionally attractive or has another defining attribute going for them. And there are lots of games of course where the ro’s actually flirt back at the mc. Okay that can be idle flattery but even that can be nice, in this one it is only the mc who has to do all the flattering and the best they can get called is something creepy like “chosen one”.

As someone else said the closest this game comes to reciprocating anything is when Sebastian briefly checks them out.

Fan or not in the parts where we get dragged around by V there should be room for some doubts about G to finally slip in but there’s still nothing, zilch, nada, not even when they literally treat the mc as a disposable prop and he and his wife walk all over them.

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They are being petty, yes, but I think that’s very human. I’m tired of ROs that are all lovely angels with perfectly honed therapy-speak. Seven’s route isn’t for everyone, but I like that they’re flawed and react emotionally and say mean things to people because they’re hurt and want to hurt in return. It’s not fair to Avina, but I don’t think it’s being framed as something that’s, like, justified.

Mhm! I think for some MCs, being just friends with Seven is for the best. There are a lot of ways you can approach Seven, up to and including just not reconciling with them at all.

Exactly, bestie. It’s gonna be so good to yell and scream and make them feel bad for being a huge ass.

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These are just my theories. It doesn’t mean it’s going to happen. There’s a good chance it won’t happen, even.

We’ve established we see the MC in completely different lights and I’d rather not rehash this discussion. So let’s not, yeah?

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But the two aren’t mutually exclusive, you can be outgoing and still decide to be more reserved when flirting or just pick a non flirty option. I generally pick the option that works best for my character, no matter the IF, unless I need to pass a stat check or I’m building a skill. Infamous is no exception, and the romance options atm are more for flavour text since they don’t raise your relationship stat. Unless I try to make my mc very one-dimensional, picking different options give more nuances to their character. There are some instances (take the bus chat with Orion) where I pick a friendly option because both flirty options feel ooc or just, to me, don’t fit the scene.

I don’t want to come off as rude and I don’t want to bring up this discussion again, but why is it so important for the MC to be explicitly portrayed as a hottie? The story will unfold as it should even if the MC isn’t the most beautiful and ethereal being walking the earth, beauty is subjective anyway, and I think an IF author has to make choices that suit the majority of players, one of this author’s choices is to not explicitly describe how others perceive the MC because not everyone wants to be super hot. As Anarore_Kriptih said, the ros are described as such because the author is trying to ‘sell’ them to the players, all authors do this not only in if. Unless the game penalises you for not being the embodiment of Aphrodite, I don’t see why it matters.

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Because absolutely nothing about mc’s appearance in the line of work they’re in, not to mention reality tv feels extremely jarring.

Not just the ro’s some other npc’s too.

Chani said it more succinctly than I have managed, so I’ll just quote that one final time and leave it at that.

The only part where I disagree is the unattractive bit where my impression is that the mc looks completely plain and forgettable with the game the way it is right now. Mind you plain in reality TV is even worse than ugly exactly because of not being memorable enough to stand out in some way at first glance, which is a huge asset in reality tv if you can make yourself memorable to viewers and a stand out appearance helps with that a lot. For showbiz in general appearance is a huge asset especially in our age of social media.

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Yeah, me too. Plus it’s just the kinda thing I expect from an IF centered around being a rockstar/musician given the sort of reputation / stereotype there is for those types to be very messy people and make bad decisions and have a lot of drama. … And that’s without throwing in the reality tv aspect, too. lol Because reality tv is the same way.

I wouldn’t be surprised if it ends up being a complicated mixture of a bunch of different things at once.

Ex. like something along the lines of, Yes, G chose MC because they didn’t want Blake to be in the show BUT they also really truly do believe that MC is talented and they chose them in part due to that talent.

Maybe a small percentage of it could be G being a horny bastard and thinking MC is attractive. (though I think there was a tumblr ask saying that that in particular is not true…?

Link for those who want it

https://www.tumblr.com/infamous-if/728545046819930112/i-wont-lie-im-glad-you-pointed-out-potentially?source=share

Maybe G could possibly see something of their pre-Fame self in MC and that draws them to choosing MC. Given that this appears to be a story of MC’s journey into becoming famous themself, that kind of thing wouldn’t surprise me at all.

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Pretty much this. I’ve played loads of IF’s. And I could probably only name like one where you get the choice to say how “beautiful” your MC is.

If your mc is on television and in the public eye and can potentially have like 5 or so RO’s flirting with them at a time, who most are mainly major stars, then I’d say that they are canonically pretty good-looking :woman_shrugging:

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MTE. And it’s not like the story ever insinuates that the way Seven treats MC is kosher. Seven “hates” MC, but the people around them acknowledge that it’s ridiculous and that Seven is being irrational — but human beings aren’t rational and they don’t always have the most empathetic responses and they sometimes (oftentimes) can’t see past their own emotions. Both Seven and MC are too focused on their own pain to really see the way they’ve hurt the other person. The character arc that’ll come from them hashing that out is going to be exquisite.

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None of the ro’s really flirt with mc, the mc can try to awkwardly flirt with them, very different thing. The only one who actually seems to reciprocate is August, the others is mostly one sided flirting by mc.

The major star, G, is just toying with and manipulating the mc in a really creepy way. I’d call Seven and Blake minor stars the way they are presented in-game and they never flirt with the mc of their own accord, again, the mc can try to flirt with them and mostly get shut down…hard if they do. Very different thing.

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Came here because I thought this was related to the Infamous video game series. Stayed for the refreshingly music focused somewhat anime-ish slice of life/drama. I rate this Ten Mayas out of Seven.

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Hi, does anybody have the link for the infamous discord server ? I’ve only found outdated links

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I think this is where I get the feeling that the MC looks like a pile of dog puke. In a game where everyone is constantly talking about how hot everyone except the MC is, it is pretty much a given that the MC is butt ugly (or completely unforgettable) when no one ever flirts back and either pisses in their face, ignores them, or makes clearly derogatory and sarcastic comments about them being the “chosen one”. Other than their voice, it seems the MC doesn’t have a damned thing going for them, no matter how you play it (while everyone else has everything going for them, but have a single flaw).

I mean, why would the MC expect anything different? These are the mega rich and famous, and they have people kissing their ass 24/7, are treated like gods, and feel like the world revolves around them–they’re clearly going to be assholes. Honestly, I’d be more surprised if they weren’t complete dicks. I’ve met several low-tier has-been TV “stars” at DragonCon who had just as much attitude as G and V, and were just outright sneering at the people who came to see them. And only met a handful that were actually kind of nice. All things considered, at least G and V aren’t acting like the MC is beneath them. Of course, that’s because they want something from them, but still…

Exactly where have you seen these golden unicorns (well, minus the therapy speak… no thanks to that)?

And I don’t think anyone wants to have a RO who provides them with free therapy, they would just like to have a RO who doesn’t fucking hate them. And it’d be nice to have a RO that doesn’t require the MC to beg and plead for crumbs from someone who repeatedly uses them as an emotional punching bag.

Honestly, I see why Seven could be upset with the MC. So does my MC. But if the MC is being nice and genuine to them, and Seven just keeps kicking them in the teeth, it’s going to get old really fast. Same with Orion and his disinterest and Blake and his own “let’s kick the MC in the face”.

Yeah, the tumblr asks seemed to nix that idea. Besides, no one finds the MC attractive!

Yet no one is flirting with them, so that’s a no-go. The MC does all the chasing, the ROs sneer. As for TV, in any show (but especially a reality show), if you add one person to the cast that’s ugly or plain, it makes the others look even hotter in comparison. Plus, it gives the MC’s enemies something else to insult them with.

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Okay, but that’s not true. Sebastian flirts with the mc during the bar scene, he’s awkward about it but is still flirting the “you come here often” line. G flirts with the mc during their solo scene after the band is announced as the winner, “are you in love with me already?” an the mc can flirt back. If you choose to hug August during the photoshoot they say they don’t mind the physical contact because it’s you. Dakota, the casual hookup during the party, also flirts with you. You might not like these ro, but that doesn’ mean that no one is flirting with the mc.

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Nice to finally have a game where the MC isn’t the center of the universe

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What’s the point of being the Main character then?

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