I think it’s bc in the valentines special and in asks on the author Amy’s tumblr the mc is seemed to be the third wheel in the poly relationship. They have to be hidden and G and Victoria get to go out and be a public “golden couple”
So a lot of people see it as a one-sided relationship where the mc doesn’t get much back.
I myself don’t like polys so I avoid it anyways lol.
Yeah this seemed really awful to me. Poor MC in the poly. I will do a playthrough for G, O, and 7. Rest don’t interest me I only romance men too.
I somehow missed that little nugget of knowledge regarding the poly route and now I’m a little 
because technically it’s still a poly, you just can’t go public, but imo it doesn’t feel like a great portrayal. I wasn’t super interested in the first place but now I’m 100% skipping
Ohhhhh
I understand, I think I even heard about the MC being the third wheel, I admit that, although it is realistic that the MC cannot show himself in public, from what I saw from the comments about it, it ends up being very unsatisfactory and perhaps not as well portrayed
On the one hand, even if the relationship can be revealed to the public in the future, or the relationship is written well, being a secret seems quite painful, In other cases of secret relationships I don’t have as much of a problem, but this one in particular seems to be a big headache
Maybe I’ll still try the route, or not, I’ll look into it better in the future. Thanks for explaining ^^
Note that’s just a “valentine special” which can be quite different “snapshot of a moment” than what the relationship is going to end like. It’s kind of like seeing a snippet from middle of romance route where characters go out on first date and concluding that “this romance will suck, they don’t even kiss!”.
The people in this thread tend to be rather pessimistic about where things in the story are going, including the romance routes. I would recommend taking it all with a grain of salt🧂and not letting your view on things be too influenced by other people’s opinions. Better to just read the story yourself (and the tumblr asks, too, for that matter, 'cause it can turn into a game of telephone with people talking about the asks as well) and decide your own opinion.
The Valentine’s specials that were referred to are also available to read on the tumblr if you’d like to take a peek at those. :)*
I know that, so even though I’m a little behind, I’ll probably still try to take a look, or at least see more opinions on Reddit or the forum hehe
But thanks for letting me know ^^
We just haven’t seen very much of them, or the other ROs, in-game yet, so I don’t think many people are as invested in them as opposed to Seven who generates so much of the conversation on here. There’s just a lot more content and extra context for that route so any discussion always leads back to them, I think (hope) that as we see more of the other characters, the conversations here can become more varied
We can’t really say whether it’s well-portrayed or not because we haven’t seen it play out, I’ll just echo what h_neptune says about taking things with a grain of salt and enjoying your play-thoughs separately from others’ opinions. Things said in here are often extreme absolutes when we really don’t have too much to go off of lol
I mean, honestly, I couldn’t give less of a damn about the band. It would be a kind of karmic justice to have the MC get offered a solo contract and walk away from the band because “it’s what’s best” after they forced the MC into voting to keep or dump Seven. At least one of my MCs would flat out tell them that all she’s doing is following their lead–they dumped Seven because it was what was best for them and she’s dumping them because it’s what’s best for her. Payback’s a bitch.
For some of the romances, at least, I think it’ll be a choice of having a career versus having the romance. You may be able to win the competition no matter who you romance (I believe that’s what Amy said, at one point?), but that doesn’t mean you get a career. For example, break up G/V and you may fade into obscurity. And even then, the romance won’t really be “happy” at the end. That’s why my goal is for my MCs to win this thing–I want them to have one good, untainted thing when the game is done. With that, I can deal with the bittersweet romances and ruined career.
Yeah. The band is already on the MC’s ass about things. Unlike SV with Seven, they aren’t going to kiss the MC’s ass and support them no matter what. If they do anything to harm “the band”, they’ll turn on the MC in a heartbeat.
I enjoy the writing, too, and the characterization, even if I feel a couple of characters are too… Mary Sue-ish. But I don’t really have faith about there being satisfying endings, given how much emphasis is put on giving pain to the MC. That’s why I just want my MCs to win… I figure that’s as close to satisfying as we’ll get, and that the romances won’t be satisfying at all (by my definition, anyway).
Agree with all of this, except for Blake–I think Blake will be crying in the corner, too. They’ll just be better at hiding it.
Haven’t had a chance yet, but I can imagine. The dad is a real asshole.
Whichever way will hurt the MC and MC’s image more is how it will go down. I figure the “parent” episode will be a nightmare for the MC and hurt them in the competition. The only bright spot may be if Lucy is there and reaches out to the MC–maybe the parents shitting on the MC on national television will make Lucy want to reconnect, Seven’s demands be damned.
The show will portray everything about the MC in the most negative light possible. I think that’s a given, considering they’ve intentionally made the MC and their band the season “villain”. With the family’s dirty laundry, it will only hurt the MC, not help them, even if the parents show what complete asshats they are on the show. And them dissing the MC’s singing as a “hobby” they’ll grow out of will just turn more people against them.
I think the MC’s best bet with the parents is to be calm, gracious, and professional. Getting upset over it will just give the show more ammo with which to abuse them.
That was a very interesting analysis of the parallels between Avina and MC’s dad. It seems appropriate as well. I also agree with your opinion that Seven would’ve been benefited from a stronger friendship with Pope. Pope seems far more stable and reasonable than Avina, with a respect for people’s boundaries (Avina assumes Seven has no boundaries where they are concerned, and refuses to entertain the possibility).
On the poly…
Exactly. The MC is a total third wheel, and always will be. The fact is that G and V are married. In a poly, G/V is still a brand, and will always be a public thing, a thing of which the MC can never be a part. So they’ll always be an outsider in their own relationship. Some may be cool with that, but for a lot of us, it’d be miserable to play. The VD special and some of the comments on tumblr have completely turned me off the idea of the poly.
Ditto. I’m going to try Blake, though. That VD special was really good, even if the end of it seemed really foreboding for any chance of the Blake-mance turning out even halfway well.
As long as the MC is happy watching how they repaired G/V’s relationship and sitting in the background alone, it’d work. I have no interest in RPing a relationship like that, however.
Damn straight. If there’s any way to ruin Viktor’s life, I’m going for it.
On the other hand, if there’s one pair most suited to become world’s first iconic poly brand, that’d be them. So i’m not really fully convinced the path is absolutely destined to be nothing but doom, gloom and gnashing of teeth.
I think given Victor’s primary interest is profits, he could probably get behind controversy, publicity and money from such a move, though it’d most likely require MC to become high profile celebrity themselves (something winning the competition would help, no doubt)
That said, i totally get the “expect the worst” approach so, yeah. :v
That would be really cool if they did manage to become the world’s first iconic poly brand, and it would be a “feel good” end to the story. But as long as Viktor is involved and has G and V under his thumb, that wouldn’t happen. So, I guess the question is whether G and V would walk away from Viktor, or if they even could, given their contracts.
As far as doom, gloom, and gnashing of teeth… all I can do is take what I see and the author comments on tumblr and try to figure out where things are going. Amy has flat out said she prefers writing pain and misery to “happy”, so I’m not counting on anything vaguely happy (by my definition). I expect to get what she says she likes writing: pain, with minimal, if any, satisfaction.
For me, it’s better to expect the worst. Then, any surprises will be pleasant ones. Doing the opposite–continually expecting something good to happen only to be disappointed–would be hell for me. This way, if I’m right, I can say I told you so, and if I’m wrong, getting told “I told you so” won’t be so bothersome because I got a happy ending. 
Haha, yeah I mean if the MC doesn’t like or respect any of their band members anymore they’re better off breaking up for sure. My MC is definitely desperate to hold on to the only family he feels he has, so I’m curious to see how that works out for him and if that motivation changes 
Personally, I don’t think the pursuit of success and/or fame has done a damn thing for the characters who have it at the start of the story, so I’m interested to see what that might mean for those characters who are still in pursuit of fame. What that might mean for winning BOTB.
Honestly, my MC would be happy just to pull a Dewey Finn and open an after-school music program a la School of Rock 
About the poly and routes in general, I think it’s completely valid for Amy to want to write and explore relationships that don’t necessarily have happy endings, it’s her story after all. As players/readers, we often ask for ifs with choices that have consequences and can shape the game accordingly, yet when confronted with said reality we feel unsatisfied and tend to blame the game/author because things didn’t get our way. Amy is pretty transparent about what she wants to write, so it’s really up us to decide if x route is worth our time. And there’s still a long, really long way to go before we see a final product, so nothing is really set in stone.
I learned always expect the worst. My worst tends to always be extreme. Most times it’s never ever close. More often they tend to be good.
I rather not be disappointed. Expecting it to be good, and it’s not, is the worst.
There are stories I expect to be neutral on or by title of name, just ok. Usually that’s on par. Stories that I don’t think I will like, tend to be more liked. Stories I take into consideration only because of someone else, I tend not to. As the title didn’t garner my attention to begin with.
This one was hmm, I will try it. Now just waiting. Chapter 3 and fixes are in this demo, including Oriana?
I feel like I should specify that my ick towards the portrayal of polyamory in this game is not an attack towards Amy, especially if it was known information and I missed it, but a simple personal nope because I know for a fact that polyamory irl faces a lot of bad stereotypes and the likes, so seeing it classified under the third wheel category in infamous’ case made me a little meh.
I don’t believe fiction should be sanitized or forced into a happy ending all the time at all (or that it should mirror reality, seeing as the two are very different even if some people don’t want to believe that lol), if anything I welcome more daring authors! It was my bad for missing the heads up, but in my defense I’m not on Tumblr so it’s easy to miss things sdkfs still going to ruin the marriage (can it even be ruined when it was never perfect) on the solo route tho!
I appreciate her forthrightness about everything, especially about the fact that she prefers to write painful angst over “happy”. I much prefer that type of honesty than someone who promises me “romance” but only writes the buildup, instead of romance. If I know what to expect, I can adjust accordingly, which is what I’ve done with Infamous–that’s why my expectation is to get a shit ending with the LI (with, perhaps, a “bittersweet” ending for some, at best) and that winning the competition will be about the best my MC can hope for. And that’s fine! At least there’s something to latch onto for satisfaction in the game. I can work with that, much like another game, where the “best” outcome appears to be embracing being labeled as evil and having all your friends and family turn against you. It’s not happy, but at least there’s some way to be satisfied with the end of the game.
Me, too. 
Eh, I tend to get fairly close most times. Some games are worse, and I won’t touch them with someone else’s ten foot pole. I am out $35 on an itch game that I couldn’t even make it through because it was so freaking awful. And I’ve tried giving it away, but no one wants it because I’ve told them why I don’t like it, lol.
The updated chapter 3 hasn’t been released, but when it is, Oriana will be in it.
Exactly. Amy works her ass off, and she’s an excellent storyteller. Some people may like the third wheel type of poly–hell, in one itch game I’ve read about, people salivate over it and love being left in the cold in a poly, so it’s obviously a thing–it’s just not my thing. Having a healthy poly is one thing–where all parties are included and loved equally–but one where two of them are together all the time and one is left in the cold, can’t be acknowledged, and will always be left out just doesn’t interest me.
Same, as long as it won’t keep my MC from winning the competition, anyway.
I’m still reeling from that Avina pov. Wow, just wow. They’re just gross honestly. I was expecting them to be a flawed person but I certainly was not expecting… that. But if there’s one thing I appreciate about that pov is that it really clears up the fact that Amy is not trying to portray Avina as a perfect saint despite the concerns some of the members here might have.
Knowing my own experiences. Id consider she might need imprisoned just like my case was. Still is, after 15 years, the state won’t release her. Criminally insane.
So was the other. Though I haven’t read the pov or Valentine specials to know how close Avina is to that experience. I doubt Amy went that far. Seven is mild to my experience, honestly. No physical abuse was added in Savinas story at least.
Orianna almost sounds like what I kept falling for, except safe. Maybe, until we meet in story anyway.
My cutie MC is already annoyed by how Avina presents themself. She can smell their fakeness a mile away in it smells rotten. Can I also bash her head in? Some little drama is always nice. 
This got me thinking. Not sure if Amy has dropped any slight hints or if I’m just forgetting something but I wonder what the whole story is behind SV’s previous lead singer deciding to peace out? Just makes me think it’d be interesting (and not all that surprising) to learn later on that maybe Avina’s tendencies might have played a part in them wanting to leave the band.
Then again, maybe the previous lead singer won’t ever be brought up at all and is a non-issue.