Yesss
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WowâŚI am really REALLY loving this game so far! I love the way youâve created/described the WorldâŚyou are very good at descriptions. The premise is unique and interestingâŚI cannot WAIT to see more/where the story goes. I 
Death, but am also looking forward to multiple playthroughs to see what the other ROâs have to offer, as well! They are all so distinct already (instead of just following the regular tropes) and I really admire that. It makes it such a fun and exciting read!
So far,.my favorite (and least favorite) parts are both within the interview process. On one hand I LOOOOOVE this device to introduce and immediately get to know the main cast. That was a brilliant idea, and you did a wonderful job. The only con I can think of is that I am a reader that gets frustrated over fake choices, and there are pretty big âchoicesâ during the interview that arenât actual choices. I donât think this will bother everyone, so I donât know that youâd have to goes as far as to change it or anything (and I will admit, the interviews were still my fav part even with the frustration) just my 2 cents. And literally the only thing that bothered me, thus far.
I think you are very talented, and I will follow your work from now on. Congrats on being awesome and creative. 
Love it!
Edit: I also wanted to commend you on giving the option to ânot remember how you diedââŚas someone who self inserts, choosing my death wouldâve been kind of awful, and Iâm not very superstitious or anything, but Iâm not trying to jinx myself. ;p So thank you for thinking of that option!
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Thank you for the wonderful feedback!
I agree with you about the staff interviews, and I have already planned to rewrite that section.
And lol about the causes of death, and I get it completely. Iâm also a fan of the self-canon options and planning on most choices in the game to allow that.
Again, thank you for reading and sharing your thoughts, hope to see you again
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I kind of understand this, but having the ability to have a gymrat character that starves to death (my last/current playthrough) gives some of us the ability to play an aspect of ourselves that a lot of society likes to pretend doesnât exist.
And considering thisâŚif you keep some of that process, Iâd like some personality building options thrown in there for PC. Like not asking about the deaths because âwouldnât that be rude?â or asking about it instead because âweâre all dead, it canât be that brash.â
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I kind of understand this, but having the ability to have a gymrat character that starves to death (my last/current playthrough) gives some of us the ability to play an aspect of ourselves that a lot of society likes to pretend doesnât exist.
Damn, thatâs such an interesting combo for an MC canon. After implementing the causes of death into the gameplay, I think Iâll add options for unique combinations with the primary skill. Thanks for inspiring me, lol!
Overall, I think the âI donât rememberâ option covers all the ground that the regular options donât (for example, different periods)
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And considering thisâŚif you keep some of that process, Iâd like some personality building options thrown in there for PC. Like not asking about the deaths because âwouldnât that be rude?â or asking about it instead because âweâre all dead, it canât be that brash.â
Oh, thatâs a good suggestion for the interviews. Thanks!
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Summary
Itâs a build similar to âexercise bulimiaâ and like most other forms of bulimia you get a lot of complements for âlooking wellâ and âdoing better than the rest of usâ while youâre slowly killing yourself.
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Thatâs such a fascinating backstory for your MC. I think they share a lot of traits with Peisinoe, kindred spirits of sorts.
How did they react to realizing they no longer needed to eat?
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Itâs not about a need to eat. When it was my problem it was about not being fat but not being âsick.â It was about being âgoodâ and being normal, and having control over something that until then had been seen as a problem (I was a fat, unathletic kid.) It was even more than a little bit about being praised and being the one who was doing alright. I didnât get as bad as some of the girls in my circle did, but a lot of why they got into it wasnât to be normal, it was to either be as little as possible (I was looking for size 8, they were looking for size 00) or âsavingâ calories so they could go out all weekend (it was college) and still hit their calorie or weight loss goals. Some of them wouldnât eat for a day, and the next day would eat like normal and then exercise for five or more hours° and then not eat the next day, repeat that pattern one day on one day off, so they could drink and go out and brunch all weekend. Then Monday itâd be back to the same. Donât eat, work out, donât eat, work out. It can get really bad. (Just as an aside, we all saw the anorexics among us as kind of freakish. Nobody that obsessed with *balancing what went in with what came out and working out frantically to recover from any discrepancy got any pity or support from us, something I wish we had seen differently, or in a more compassionate light. Similarly, the ârealâ bulimics kind of freaked us out too. There was an incident where one of them accidentally swallowed the plastic chopstick she used to make herself vomit and when they went into her room to clean it out (she was okay, but her parents pulled her out of school and hopefully sent her to treatment) they found containers full of vomit. Because thatâs what classic bulimics often do, they cache their vomit and look for distributed sites to throw it out so that people donât catch on. And it actually seems to work, as long as there are no other incidents, like the chopstick. As bad as bulimia is, anorexia is so much more devastating. But the oldest of us was twenty, and we were all still pretty callous.)
Anyway, since I based that combo off of likeâŚthree or four of us, sheâs eating every chance she gets. Because she doesnât have to watch her weight now, sheâs dead. She probably figures she canât gain but even if she does, whatâs it gonna do? Make her want to kill herself? Sheâs already dead.
°I donât think any of us were surprised to be flunking most of our classes.
*That is literal. There was a stolen scale from one of the chemistry labs hidden in the wall of one of the stalls of our dorm bathroom so they could weigh their poo.
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I can really relate as someone who also lost tons of weight and had similar struggles. Itâs such a prominent thing in the gay community as well!
Your MCâs background is really remarkable but also tragic, I feel like the afterlife gave them a lot of freedom but also took a lot of contro. Wonder how they will cope!
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Thatâs not the MC background, itâs a bit of my background combined with that of some of my dorm mates from my first college. That was why I chose âstarved to deathâ and âspent most of the time at the gymâ when building my MC, because Iâve been there (or close to there.)
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Would you want me to add in the future something for this combo? Like a unique dialogue option
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I donât know. Itâs enough for me that the combination is there, and possible, but that alone might not be enough for someone else in a similar situation/with a similar background. Iâd say just use your best judgement on it.
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Will do, thanks! Either way, this subject inspired me to think about unique backgrounds for the MC that I might explore in the future.
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Hello dear patrons of TBOTA!
By the end of this week, I will release a small update that includes the conclusion of your latest shift at the bar.
By the end of the month, the final part of Chapter 4 will be released, with the option to visit Hellâ if you accept the invitation from Yaga.
See you soon 
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Well, this game managed to hook itself into my brain in less than a week, so absolute masterclass at drawing in those readers that bite at the synopsis. The worldbuilding and character work are all so intriguing. Always feels like thereâs so many layers beneath the surface weâll never see- the nature of practical infinity, I suppose, but making them all feel so alive and real.
The Crewâs absolutely wonderful. Theyâre all my favorites just from the sheer variety amongst them, though Iâve got a soft spot for Shelly. Regular Human Gang sticks together. The contrasts between them are fascinating to learn, not to mention their pasts. Really love the small bits of banter/antics they spark and I wish we got more of it to see how their dynamics build up. The breakfasts really helped them gel together after the first night, which made me want to see/overhear small character exploration moments there, whether between the Crew or with the MC. Bonding while the barâs open is great fun, but sometimes you just wanna get to know someone without the Stress of Work or discussions of The Curse looming overhead.
I am excitedly worried about the fate of the Bar itself, too. With Pyriphlegethon attacking and Cassyâs escape from the Cult of the Black Horns, it certainly feels like a prelude for the Abyss becoming a battleground. On that note, I did notice that after Pyriphlegethon tried to seize the Bar, their presence suddenly drops off with no apparent reason or resolution for why they havenât appeared again. I mightâve just missed something on my route, but given that Hastur got stabbed and temporarily disappeared, there wasnât much of a comedown to it besides driving them off once. Perhaps the people of the Realms are just kinda Like That with politics, but itâd be nice to see some acknowledgement of it.
Now, for the Big Part: the ROs⌠oh, the ROs are all so good. My dude Frameâs absolutely enamored with them all except Damien (donât act like a creep on Peisinoe, ya devil). His heartâs probably way too big for his own good, though that might also just be the backstory and personality Iâve projected onto him. I was wondering whether or not poly relationship would be an option, and Iâm happy to see they are. Though I definitely feel like there was a discussion about it with the ROs missing. Death and Morgen talking (and briefly flirting) during the breakfast was great, though Death apparently knew about my date with Morgen despite them having been passed out in bed before I told them. It doesnât have to be a Big Deal, but having a moment to disclose it with the ROs and getting their feelings on it would help make the flirtatious/intimate choices feel less uncertain. As far as I know, the ROs are aware of Frameâs current relationships and havenât brought them up when getting onto their paths, but itâd be nice to have a chance to know for certain so it doesnât feel like a âdo it now, pray for forgiveness laterâ situation. Do not want to be the one to get their hopes up only to inadvertently force them into an arrangement that hurts them, especially since my guyâs seeking romances with Peisinoe (smooched them to give a little small joy) and Hastur (the apron was absolutely what made Frame fall for him). Part of meâs wondering whether the MC will get a chance to possibly kindle something between the ROs as well, but thatâs something to think about way down the line.
Regarding the MC, itâs amazing how much they feel like their own character despite running on our choices. My dude Frame doesnât remember jack about how he died except for the word âGallery,â and yet it feels like heâs got guilt over something he forgot about. Definitely colored my choices for him; heâs trying to help ease everyone elseâs burdens and pains by taking them on himself ( the orb dream sequence solidified that aspect of him), wanting to make up for the lack of his own remembered pains by offering himself up to relieve theirs. Canât say for certain whether his own mental healthâs holding up while heâs looking out for everyone elseâs, but given that the Loneliness stat reads 0% as of now, heâs probably managing to contain it.
Canât wait to see how this next chapter concludes ( as we learn more about Yaga) and how the story will grow from here. Hope the world does its best to keep you in a writing flow!
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Hi there! Firstly, let me extend a warm welcome to the COG forums. I am honored to see that your first comment is on my thread hehe!
I LOVED reading your feedback, and your notes on the story and continuity errors are extremely helpfulâ definitely going to use them because they were all spot on. These kinds of responses and feedback really boost my motivation so thank you so much!
I absolutely agree about the crew dynamics hoping to add more as the story continues.
Also, I love the MC you crafted! I think their personality fits the themes of the story really well. Iâm curious how they will handle the rest of the plot and its conclusion 
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Oh! And as for the poly options, there will be discussions about nature of the relationship with each MC. However, I want these conversations to feel natural and not force. Currently, most of these relationships are still in the early dating stages, so Iâm planning to have these discussions start a bit later. But I definitely plan on adding them!
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Hello Patrons!
I have released a small update to the latest chapter, which concludes the night shift.
For fans of Morgan/a, you will get the opportunity to uncover some of their witchy secrets 
This update also sets the stage for the last part of Chapter 4, which will be released by the end of April (next week hopefully): Your shopping trip to the Bazzar of Dis in Hell, accompanied by Yaga, the Raven, Shelly, and Peisinoe!
As always, please let me know your thoughts on this update and the one before it, especially regarding the plot. Your feedback helps me understand what works and how to approach the next ones!
READ HERE
*oh, another thing: If you start a new playthrough, I added something by popular demand: more save slots! Have fun in the Abyss 
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Enjoying the game so far though i do have a question will you add death scars? Like burn scars if you died by fire and bullet scars if you died by gunshots etc? Just curious
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