This was an interesting game. I liked the setting and interactions between all the characters, especially MC’s relationship with their parents. I really liked the use of trade, reputation, and the sense of economy in both the plot and gameplay.
Although I liked all the different stats and skills, it was a bit difficult sometimes to figure out what each stat meant and how each option connected to those stats. Like the option “Don’t let the Drylander see I’m afraid.” – it seems like it’d be connected to poise but it’s connected to empathy.
It was also incredibly rare to actually succeed at anything – I tried going for a poise/bargaining character, but they never seemed to be enough for the stat checks.
Some thoughts
“Let’s just stick to the plan: Talk, then go home.”
When choosing the option before this to grab the trading flag, it makes it seem like the new plan is to trade, which makes this option confusing. It also seems like the narration completely disregards that choice by not mentioning trading at all.
if (legs > 1) #“Hey kid. Let me guess: You’d like to look at my awesome legs.”
if (legs = 1) #“Hey kid. Wanna see me pull a coin out of my leg?”
These were in the same choice when talking to the Drylanders.
You sigh heavily. “I didn’t even know it was illegal to talk to Drylanders. No one I know talked to any Drylanders, but I always thought it was a choice.”
I probably missed something here, but what about the Drylanders the MC and Kassandra can meet?
“I like you, Yunus. Like-like.”
If you choose this option, it’s the MC who is asking Yunus out – but when talking to Kassandra, the MC acts like it’s the other way around.
“I’m sorry,” he says. “We should have listened to you when you first came to us, saying Alive was planning some kind of attack.”
This line was a bit strange because he did seem to listen when the MC tells him that Kustiani is chasing them.
Focus on Folmai.
“Folmai” should be “Folami”.
Also, the first mention of Alive – and how they are an immediate threat – feels rather sudden, as though they are not a group that has existed before this moment. There is mention of the conflict between the shark/dolphin farmers and vegetarians, gory protests in the past, etc., but because the talk of a Militant arm is behind a choice, perhaps there could be another line outside of choices to suggest a current and growing violence.
Also got that line 217: Not a number: true bug. Looking forward to seeing the rest! 