Model Citizens: Unmasked (WIP - Update March 11, 2022)

rises from my slumber

YO DID SOME TALK ABOUT ARCANA?!! DID I JUST SAW A BEAUTIFUL PIC OF MY EDGY HUSBAND?!! YOOOOO!!

@squarelyblue glad to see I’m not the only one who finds the in game purchases greedy AF you basically have to pay 10 euros for each book (40 minutes of gameplay tops and I’m a fast reader so 15 for me) if you want the coin options that obviously change the story! I played Asra’s first 2 books without paying and I missed so much plot like wtf :roll_eyes:

Also can you tell more about why people are concerned and the whole Kickstarter campaign etc.? I mean apparently they release a book a year but I don’t know about that stuff. You can PM me if things get too out of topic lol

I love for the drama no wonder Julian is my fav lol

6 Likes

Yeah. This is derailing the thread

More on topic stuff: lowkey dying because I want more Informant x MC fluff and there is none that I find fandom wise so that means I gotta make my own BUT LIFE IS SO BUSY RN I’M

[Cue suffering]

5 Likes

Funnily enough the thing I have next on the answers list is actually yours which has been sitting in my inbox since the beginning of time itself (sorry 'bout that :sweat_smile:) so I’ll be sure to keep this li’l tidbit in mind when I’m writing that bit up :stuck_out_tongue:

It’s okay, I’m sure that you can get through it! I believe in you! (And I’m also currently suffering through a bout of extraordinary business on my end so I absolutely feel your pain.)


Hey all! One more poll to figure out what exactly it is I’m doing with this new stats screen format! (Sorry for all this hectic-ness, I very much appreciate your patience with my messing around and dabbling in what feels right!)

So in order to track the changes made to your relationship and also as a fun sorta way to look back on what how your relationship with someone has evolved I’ve been thinking of a new system of organizing the notes in your relationship screens by splitting it up into dates/times.

Right now I have two methods of doing that, the first you can see on just about anyone, in which I would put in italics the date at which each tidbit was written down, with more being added onto the same page as they go.

But I started messing around in Raf’s page, and so if you look at his you’ll see an example of the second option, which would split up the entries by day too but instead of just adding them onto the same page would turn them into separate pages. (Which would also change the first text you see, which would be a lot more general and just overview-y while the more personal tidbits would be within the separate pages.)

Some Screenshot Examples If You Don't Want To Search For It

Version One (on the same page)

Version Two (split into separate pages)

(And then Raf’s equivalent of what you see on the front page of Finley’s would appear within the notes page)

Which one do you guys prefer?

  • Same Page (V.1)
  • Separate Pages (V.2)
  • I don’t like either of these
0 voters

Thank you again for helping me out as I work through all this! :smiley:

2 Likes

I like the second version just because I feel like the first would get too unwieldy after a while. Plus the second feels more organized, which I like.

6 Likes

First option for me because I prefer have a global overview and scroll to get specific information rather than go back and forth between 2 pages many times (Stats - Relationships - Raf - date 1 - Raf - date 2 -…). But to be honest I think it’s more in case I want to read older stuff and I don’t know where to search.

But indeed after a while there may be a wall of text in there so keep the first general text for those who don’t want to dig for info at the bottom? And maybe switch the order and have the latest stuff appear first? Or after giving it a thought I kind of see the appeal of separating the entries, and would go with global overview on Raf page and specific infos all together on another (like in a diary). Hehehe sorry not sorry for the rant and self-contradictory opinions. XD

3 Likes

Makes since. One thing I would definitely be worried about with the first version is just how long some of the text would get as the game continues on.

Yes that was also the draw of the first one for me, too, which is why I wasn’t sure I wanted to do away with it right away before getting feedback on which people would prefer.

Hahaha, it’s alright, sometimes we gotta work out our own thoughts- so there’s nothing wrong with that!

There’s definitely pros and cons to both of them. The pros of the first version lie mainly in its ease of access and simplicity, while the cons would be a longer-term problem of length and the possibility that it could get very, very messy. Conversely the second version has the pros of being pretty neatly organized and also keeping the dates from merging with one another, while its cons are mainly that it’s a bit more complex and keeps all the entries separated from one another- which hurts that ease of access idea.

I usually prefer having everything in one page but since the entries will keep getting longer I think separating it would be best

4 Likes

I think having the notes on the same page looks nicer, and I personally don’t like clicking through lots of pages. However, if you’re adding a lot of text, I could see how it could get unwieldy. If the game takes place over a long stretch of time, maybe break it up by week/month?

7 Likes

That makes sense, too. It would definitely be one of the benefits to splitting it up.

Hmm… that week by week might not work so well since this won’t tackle each day of the MC’s life, as there might be a month or so break between the five major cases that the story tackles. (And then there are a couple of optional cases sprinkled throughout that you may or may not decide to take.)

I might be able to do it case by case? But that might also get messy, too, considering only five of the cases are really mandatory (the five main story cases), and the rest are optional and scattered sort of throughout the larger cases. But who knows? Once we get even further into the Red Light case (since there’s an optional case* there as well) we might be able to find out.

*I realize that I might need to clarify what I’m talking about when I say ‘optional cases’: Optional cases, side quests, and personal quests are all different things. Optional cases are just as they sound- cases about heroes or villains tied into the main case that you’re solving that you could complete if you wanted but don’t necessarily have to. (Ex. one of them will be a revenge quest, but depending on how you play you might not even need to get revenge to begin with.)

Side quests (like Daisy’s side quest) are kinda like personal quests but for minor characters. They’re storylines of the people you meet along the way who aren’t one of the major characters, and an option to help them out with their life and gain future allies or work against them and try to harm someone you perceive as an enemy.

Personal quests are the personal storylines of the major characters (Finley, Ricky, Raf, Lucy, Eileen, Yolanda, Informant, Jacob)- and actually have ties in side quests and optional cases as well as the main cases themselves. But I categorize them separately because while some optional cases and side quests can only be found within personal quests, the personal quests aren’t really reliant on any side quest or optional case- rather just that you interact with the person who’s personal story you want to help out in. (Or, again, ruin- if that’s more up your alley.)

Sorry about that side tangent, just didn’t want to confuse anyone, aha.

(edit: my mind blanked on the past case that shows how the MC started working for the Rust- so there’s five main cases not four- sorry.)

8 Likes

Five mandatory cases, optional cases, side quests and personal quests… Have I entered Santa’s workshop by chance? :smiley:
I’m greedy, I’ll take all of this, even if the scope monster is stalking around!

7 Likes

:stuck_out_tongue: Perhaps. I’m glad you’re excited for them!!

Ha! You wanna talk 'bout the scope monster? You shoulda seen the original plans for this.

It was at least twice the size that it is now. (And I mean that literally- there were ten mandatory cases back then.)

I mean, I think it’ll actually be manageable- sure, it’ll take a heck’uva long time to get there but… I dunno, I’m not rushing it, I love this project with all my heart so I’m absolutely going to take the time it needs to get done well.

And I mean, we’re almost halfway through the first case- I think. So that’s pretty good!

My determination to get this done hasn’t wavered, and the more I do the more I want to get it done… So, yeah! Here’s to trying and continuing onwards!

16 Likes

I’m super excited that we get to solve so many cases :smile: Would we be able to complete all of them within a single play through, or is it a pick-and-choose kind of thing? Also, something I’ve always been curious about: For my MC, with a strong moral code and all that, if she found out that her significant other (Raf or Lucy) was a Villain, she’d immediately turn them in. Sorry if I missed it, but is there a non-spoilery reason that MC just doesn’t turn them in?

3 Likes

Yay!

You probably won’t be able to complete all of them within a single play through- especially since some of them are actually centered around the same case but from different/opposing sides. Some of them will also conflict with one another (ex. there’s one side story you actually need to fail pretty badly in if you want to unlock a different optional case.)

You’re all good! There’s definitely a reason that the Ex isn’t in jail right now- even if the MC tried to turn them in before. Sadly that reason is also super spoilery, so I can’t say why this is quite yet. :smiley:

11 Likes

How badly exactly can we lose a case? Are we talking, ‘miss some crucial evidence’, or ‘mistake ketchup for blood’?

2 Likes

Pretty badly, especially if we’re talking the one that requires you to fail it to unlock another one.

Remember way back when I said there’s gonna be a point at which someone could die? Someone has to die.

(I probably just shattered my no-spoiler rule but, hey, I still kept it vague, at least.)

But it depends on the case. You can ‘fail’ the required cases by not gathering enough evidence to put together a solid story, and the paper will sell poorly. But since those are all a part of the main story even in failing you’ll still get to see all of what’s really required for the story to progress, so none of those failures are too harsh and mostly result in hindrances for later cases or some bad outcomes along the way. (There’s no early ‘game-over’ before the story itself is over in here, after all. Bad things happen but life continues.)

Now that’s not to say that even if you succeed in the case and gather plenty of evidence to put together a good story everything will turn out right as rain. What you write, and how you write it, is what will have the biggest consequences with the main cases, I think.

For optional cases the punishments can be a bit more severe since they’re less tied to the main story and more to individual stories, which gives me more freedom to experiment with what can happen. I gave pretty much the most extreme example in the spoilers above, but it can definitely vary from the ketchup to the evidence as you said.


Hey all! Just also wanted to let you know that I added in another bit to the relationships screen for minor characters you’ve met. As per usual, please let me know if anything has gone wonky that I missed. Thank you!

15 Likes

On the other hand there needs to be some variance in this, as my main mc is definitely on the shady side himself. There’s a reason Moriarty’s (hopefully only) yet consistent failing is unmasking Harbinger (Joined maybe by Likewise when romancing Vince), that guy is just too slippery. :grin:
It’s more likely that if my mc has a significant amount of blackmail material on Harbinger the opposite is also true.

Not Ricky and not Vince, I hope. Can’t let my boys die.

3 Likes

Still betting on Finn to getting the axe or a character we haven’t met yet

3 Likes

Nope, I refuse. Finley’s staying alive and getting romanced by my MC and that’s final.

6 Likes

I hope so too. But am worried about whose death is going to have a big enough impact and Finn seems likely :(( THEIR ROMANCE STUFF VIA RENA’S TUMBLR IS CUTE AF AND IN GENERAL IS SUCH A SWEETHEART

4 Likes

Absolutely! The MC’s reaction after the unmasking scene isn’t set-in-stone. There’s a couple of different options. (Ex. (I guess blurred in spoiler for anyone who wants it to be a surprise but there’s not much spoilery here anyway) You can go to the police as mentioned, try to track down your Ex and get more answers out of them, or, for the more shaken MCs who just cannot process this right now, go to a friend or your family, as well as one or two other options.)

:grinning: As of so far it’s true that failing to unmask the Ex, for any MC like yours who does want to do that, would be their only “failed case” so far.

And you’ll see exactly why by the end of the Case One (well, before it, really. I’m excited for you guys to find out because it makes things a bit more complicated for the MC and is also kinda sorta why they’re in Nickelport right now so it’s a fun time for everyone.)

Aha, hahaha, haha…

That blackmail material might not work out so well, my friend.

You’ll see why, of course. :slight_smile:

:blush:

So I’m not sure whether to count @idonotlikeusernames’s and @blackrising’s hopes for not-death as votes for guesses on whose gonna die b u t, this makes the counter now; Fin: 4, Daisy: 1, V: 1, Ricky: 1

:grinning: Awww, yay! I’m so happy you like them! Honestly Finley is so much fun and I love them dearly and with all my heart their romance is gonna be so much fun to write it’s so dramatic and I love it and I love them.

4 Likes