LMAO DORI they meant that Ditto is pink, not purple 
4 Likes
ohhh ahaha okay lol 
wait ditto isnât purple??
⌠google is on my side 
3 Likes
I meant the gif you posted my friend
1 Like
Iâm calling that lavender 
I apologize for causing a color theory crisis
4 Likes
Additional Ideas and Optional Suggestions:
1: Villain Romance - Romancing a villain is always cool, most stories donât do this, I can only think of 2 WIPs that does this so it might be an interesting idea. A story of 2 characters that HATE each other but then may love each other. This is actually quite popular, I remember a game on twine called When Twilight Strikes and there was this character that people loved because they hate the MC and of course everybody loved A from Wayhaven for this exact trait.
2: Slower Romance - Make sure the romance isnât too quick, maybe some characters can have a quicker romance while others are a bit more bumpy and slower.
3: Love Triangles/Poly - Being able to romance multiple characters is a great option and a lot of fans like this, hell I like it too.
4: Stat Simplification - I remember the game has 4 stats which are
Strength and Speed
Charm
Knowledge
Science and Tech
Why not reduce it to just 3 by combining Knowledge and Science and Tech.
5: Backstory and Trauma - This is optional but I have found that characters with a linear detailed backstory and trauma to be more well liked and well remembered, this is why Batman and Spiderman are favourite characters.
6: Absence of Choice for Vices - This is just my take on it but instead of having 11 vices which donât matter that much but flavor RPG text why not have 1 vice that is present throughout the story. That vice can be used a lot for the MC and other characters interaction. I recommend alcohol/drug usage as Sherlock is usually a âboredâ character.
7: Detailed ROs - I understand that different people have different interpretations of these characters but it is your story so it is best to make it unique and detailed so we the readers can visualize them vividly.
For eg I can visualize that Lestrade has black hair, black eyes, wears all black and wears all black. Let it be his/her signature look. Maybe add a mole to their face? maybe let their skin tone be ivory to contrast?
Instead of Watson being vaguely hot why not let Watson be a fair skinned blonde with scars somewhere, something to make the characters look unique.
Maybe 1 character looks tall and athletic, while the other character is shapely while the other is slim and short. Characters having a signature look makes them more vivid. Perhaps include a redhead RO?
Also I wonder why my female Sherlockâs default name is Amelia, I sure thought it would be Sheryl lol.
Anyways keep up the great work 
1 Like
Although this is probably not the best place to have academic argument, Iâd like to point out the results are mixed - it is not necessarily always true, and the conditions where it is true are poorly known. (It is my understanding that the paradox of choice happens mostly under high-stress conditions though, which entertainment shouldnât be⌠are you sure youâre not thinking of cognitive overload instead?)
8 Likes
That is true, paradox of choice studies have mixed results as its true for Tinder but not true for Starbucks. I would say that paradox of choice happens in all circumstances from something as simple as grocery shopping to high stress conditions as well. Too many choices confuses me for sure.
Cognitive overload is also something I noticed in conjunction to the paradox of choice where I get too many choices as my mind overloads and freezes as Iâm unable to enjoy what Iâm reading.
Of course there is nothing wrong with flavor text where thereâs lots of choices but when thereâs constantly choices in the story it freezes me, I noticed it in this game.
It doesnât have to be high stress, everyday mundane choices can also be affected by this such as too many tv shows or movies to choose from so we search for reviews or the most popular ones.
Stories and other forms of art should make us feel a certain way naturally, if I feel something is wrong then its probably unnatural in a way. it is kind of an instinctual judgement but I immediately thought âwow this is confusingâ when I played the demo.
1 Like
Finally getting around to play this in its current form!!!
This will be a live review and ill be writing down things as i read!
Chapter 0 (character creator)
I am coming to the realization that I need some title art dammit, this looks great!
.
.
Okay, so in the very first pageâŚall i have to say is that the old woman shouldveâŚ
.
.
AYO?! That was my MCâs name in Vendetta lmao ngl the coincidence is scary enough that i went all
O.O
But alas, this is SHERLOCK, and his name is WILLIAM!
.
.
I am unsure if the mr should be Mr. Holmes
.
.
When I first saw this âOh wow, Dory went all out with this lol, damnâŚâ
When I clicked on hair color
Bravo Dory!
.
.
Wait, continue customizing character? Nahhhhh I needa freaking code dive and learn something from you, damn!
.
.
Trying to stop yourself from being a supermodel:
Oh noâŚI wonder if you guys can picture my train of thought by just looking at the pictures:
.
.
Ive been looking for a homie, a bro, a guy I can look into his eyes and say, âBroâŚâ And heâd look back and say âBroâŚâ And we would just continue looking into each otherâs eyes and then end it with, âNo homo!â
Yo know, like how bros are!
.
.
Mandatory straight guy trying to recover his straightness after the last joke:
David Guetta - Where Them Girls At ft. Nicki Minaj, Flo Rida (Official Video) - YouTube
.
.
Yoooo, Dory, force people to play on Dark mode cause look!
.
.
Feedback for the character customization. Dory I think itâs very indepth and incredibly well done! I do have a worry, if you can manage to use these variables so that they show up in the story and make them âmatterâ thatâd be amazing! However, you are one person. Youâre in charge of marketing, managing a Discord server, a Tumblr, and a soon to be patreon that will have extras for people that support you. If you feel like you have to cut down on the customization variables, donât hesitate to do so! Iâd hate to see burn out and a sense of being overwhelmed due to these variables. This is a work in progress, and no one would hold it against you if you decided to drop the multitude of options to spare yourself some sanity!
It was well done and indepth however!
Time for Chapter 1!
Chapter 1
Im presented with a letter of sorts, and the image actually adds to the immersion!
.
.
Alot of these sound amazing and quirky to play with, but as established from before, we are a dapper chubby man with a sense of style!
.
.
WaitâŚcould these be the famous adversaries of Sherlock? Would the bottom one beâŚ
Look, ima be honest, i havent even read or watched any of the shows or books lmao so im coming in this blind asffff
.
.
I think our dapper protagonist would be a hammy character!
.
.
Okay, while im playing ive got to say. The MC, Sherlock that is, observing and making assessments that double as quick character summaries is awesome. It actually reminded me that i did in fact watch a sherlock movie, the one with Robert Downey Jr! The monologue inside the head of the MC helped me remember lololol
.
.
She knows the way to our hammy MCâs heart is food!
.
.
Im fat, so shes gotta know i like her if i throw my food down too in solidarity
.
.
LOL
.
.
HAHAAHAHAHA
GUILTY!
.
.
WATSON!? MY BRO HAS ARRIVED!
Me and Watson on a daily basis:
Zias and Blou ayyyyyyyyyyyeaaaaaa Meme - YouTube
Chapter 2
What actually happened:
close your eyes bro - YouTube
.
.
I rather love having an arrogant MC lmao, this gives the same vibes as
.
.
I got to talk with Watson alot! And then it ended with a mysterious bird trying to give me a message?
Chapter 3
I can legit feel the bird shit talking us
red bird - meme compilation - YouTube
.
.
HA WATSON GETS HANGRY!
.
.
We got the illusive bird!!!
This is how i feel Sherlock was like when he got the bird lmao
.
.
Iâve no clue what futuristic means in furnishing, buuuuuut
this is what i imagine plays in the background when i enter my home lmao
Cyberpunk 2077 Meme Song - Ses Efekti (HD) - YouTube
Ah, it would seem that i had the wrong impression
.
.
OH GOD THAT SOUNDS ABUSIVE LMAO
.
.
I tried cooing at the bird butâŚ
A translation of what the bird heard from us:
You Fucking Bloddy Bastard Bitch (Indian Rage Meme) - Sound Effect for editing - YouTube
.
.
So, i just read the weird letter from X. Homie be wilding lmao
.
.
Okay so i had this weird ass dream about tea lmao
and i was reminded of
Re:Zero - "Tea" Party [ Subaru & Echidna ] - YouTube
.
.
Annnnnd poor Sherlock will be stuck in that dream lmao
Well, my biggest complaint is that i need MOAR DORY, MOAR!
Feedback
The demo is very polished, the character customization VERY in depth, interactivity aplenty. But truth be told I really canât form much of an opinion yet to the story as a whole since thereâs not alot.
My personal opinions
I will try to be as specific as possible and offer my personal opinions below. As this is personal opinions, you can freely disregard since this pertains to my own unique tastes and pleasures!
-
The story is well written, I found no misspelling errors whatsoever during my play through! It was easy to read and the descriptions were on point!
-
I have to say, the story tone feels lighthearted, and I did not feel a sense of urgency or gravity when investigating the murder scene. I do however, understand that this may be because we are looking through Sherlockâs unique POV of the world. If that was your aim, you succeeded!
-
Ms. Hudson talks and talks without substance lmao! Unsure if this is what you want for the character, though I must confess that I found myself having to reread her sentences cause she didnât interest me much lol
-
I really have to bring into focus this once more, your character creator is amazing. In my opinion, it is the most in-depth iâve tried so far.
-
The story is really short, and I think that itâs harming the âstayingâ power it can have on readers to comeback and check out whatâs happened since. As a normal reader, Iâd probably drop this for a year and then come back to see whatâs been added. Personally, I think you need a hook that makes people excited and impatient for you to return and write more! The weirdo letter can work, all you gotta do is change a few things. You could include a finger or ear! Make it macabre and make a reader go âwtfffffâ and if you really wanna fuck with your readersâŚthrow in a band of Sherlockâs HAIR with their hair color in it so that the player and Sherlock can feel violated. Or, you can make a list of what the reader decided for Sherlock so it shows the sender has been keeping tabs on Sherlock.
-
Watson is a bro, but i chose the option where we are strictly friends yet he still seemed sus lmao, is he bi? That is my perception of him as a straight man, but it is my perception. You can disregard this.
-
Lestrade was interesting. I daresay sheâs been the most interesting character for me to interact with!
If you feel like I missed some things, cause i remember the old lady from the beginning but I didnt see a connection yet with her to the main narrative yet. If i missed anything, lemme know!
That is all! Canât wait to see where you take the story!
19 Likes
Fun fact, when restraining a bird, it is actually better that you hold them by their neck since they have a completely circular tracheal tube. Birds primarily use their chests to breathe, hence why if you press down too hard on their thoracic area, they will completely suffocate.
20 Likes
I worked on a chicken farm for a while I can confirm.
8 Likes
10 Likes
That wasnât my question exactlyâif the same amount of (many, 5-9 choices) were availableâwould similar formatting for the ones that mean somewhat the same thing in the stats or vibe ease the overload of information? (plz see the example I gave) Iâm curious if this would make it less of a cognitive overload.
We have only met two of them yet sadly 
Iâm pretty sure that the romance book genre (which twilight and 50 shades are a large part of) is on its own is a bigger industry than the whole of the comic book industry:
How Much Can You Make Writing Romance?. (1.44 billion)
vs
2020 North American Comics Sales Grow to $1.28 Billion (1.28 billion)
(the figures are both in America only and recent years)
So women books vs broad appeal as you put it is not actually the realityâdespite it being easy to underestimate romance as a genre it has a huge appeal to very many 
I was just lazy with thatâsorryâI have always been weirdly blind to capital letters for some reason 
Actually a lot of these are already plannedâ
example, this is from the game description above:
slow burn romance 
multiple LTs
MC backstory (the trauma might be subjective)
the ROs have multiple pages of descriptions? I thought I already did that too much lol??
All of the vices are inspired by canon or adaptations of the Sherlock stories so I feel like they all have precedence
ah, thatâs based on two things. One is that they donât really function the same way in the game. Secondly, its because of how the mechanic functionsâtoo few would make it too easy when they are later used in deductions where the player has to choose one of the four based on their own skill level in combination what fits the context/situation to succeed.
Itâs just a preset, thereâs 3 of them + book canon
Amelia âSherlockâ Holmes (woman).
August âSherlockâ Holmes (man).
Ashley âSherlockâ Holmes (non-binary).
+
Sherlock Holmes (canon from the books) (man).
I simply went with an A theme 
(I also think Sherlock was a surname made into a first name, and doesnât technically have masculine denotation/connotation beyond what the stories created).
14 Likes
Genres on their own are bigger âindustriesâ than mediums in general but thatâs like saying you have more fingers than just your thumb, kind of a silly distinction since many comics ARE romances too is what Iâm trying to say I guess.
Just a look at webtoon will tell you romance comics are very popular so I didnât get the âbroader appealâ argument either though.
7 Likes
lol gonna have to hide this to not make a huge thing
To flame's memes--
Ohâhey Flameâlet me know if u want help with graphics I like doing stuff like that whenever it isnât actually my job lol
lol
oh nice catch! thx!
Not too much? I know its a very hate/love thing for many. But I have an idea of doing Face codes like in mass effect so you only have to do it once at least 
So far its been goingâItâs more that not every player is guaranteed seeing all the references they could get as they are a lil hidden (usually under romance content as that is where it has been mostly relevant so far).
I might have been a little inspired
Thatâs one of the cutest things ive ever seen tbh lol
Yeah haha its more like âmodernâ in todays vernacular. Maybe I should rephrase it better to hint at that hmm
Hmmm, interesting well, I suppose the MC isnât stressing much and just in the zone but maybe I should try and make it a lil more âaction-yâ. Great feedback!!! <3
yeh lol thatâs her character-- tho I should maybe tone it down just a little if its too hard to read! I have been thinking that myself.
I like the way u think
John with your setting is not interested in you romantically-- but he is⌠hmm, very platonically affectionate? Was their a specific scene that made you feel âthis is beyond what I expected of our platonic relationshipâ that I could tweakâor was it more a general sweetness/closeness?
ohhâI googled a bit and it said that (if you hold pigeons rightâand not in that way that might randomly kill them for some strange reason they calm down?)
I miss fable
ahh yehâI think the comparison was more about âpure romanceâ (50 shades and twilight, both huuuuge romance books) vs specifics comics not know for their huge focus on romance (batman and daredevil)
16 Likes
Yes and I was glorious.
2 Likes
Best review.
I thought the use of small letters made the title quaint.
3 Likes
This will be a fine addition to my book marked collection 
4 Likes
Iâm very glad to hear it!
2 Likes
I have been thinking of a thing since I realised itâ
Some background: Watson currently has a setting in the character creator that makes their relationship with MC either platonic or possibly non-platonic (and only turns romantic if the user gains romance points).
And should the MC gain romance points, the game retroactively ârewritesâ Watsonâs story to them having had a crush on MC for a very long time.
But I sort of randomly realised that because platonic or not is already a choice in the character creator, I could just skip the middle ground, (going non-platonic but still platonic), and make Watson MCs crush on MC the default in the non-platonic route. This would simplify the code a little and would allow me to disregard planning and skirting around the awk stage of âdid the player mean to start a pining Watson at 1-2 romance points or was it maybe a misclick and they shouldnât display their interest much.â
Basically, it would make it easier for me and would allow maybe more (subtle displays) of Watsonâs default crush on the non-platonic route. It could also allow W to act romantic without any interest expressed by MC (but instead by the player in the character creator!).
The only con I could think of, that Iâm not sure is enough to make it worth it, is if youâre playing for the first time and youâre unsure whether you want to romance them or not. But as you meet them very early on in the game it would still be easy to replay or simply let the not-too-intrusive puppy love play out. One other solution is to add a âturn offâ Watson romance toggle somewhere in late chapter 2.
Thoughts?
PS. Iâm working very hard on getting chapter 4 done, and Iâm soooooo close! 
67 Likes