These Reluctant Years (WIP) - Last updated: August 11th, 2021

Title: These Reluctant Years
Tagline: Be gay, do crimes

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(:

I am a little confused by this. Do you mean that you went through the code and certain options are not selectable even if you definitely meet the qualifications for them to appear/be selectable? If not, it might be that you are seeing options that become selectable as a conversation progresses. I like people to be able to see what they can say, but those responses might only become selectable after a certain point in a conversation/after youā€™ve said something else specific.

Iā€™ll take that into consideration! Iā€™m definitely open to including more reader suggestions.

I vaguely recall that I did that intentionally, but going back thereā€™s no way they make sense, so youā€™re correct. Iā€™ve fixed what I could find and theyā€™ll be visible in the next update.

(;

Be gay, stop crimes* would be more accurate, lol

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Omg, Iā€™ve never seen anything like this before. In my opinion I think that your originality is refreshing!

100/10. I cannot wait to fall in love with myself.

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Thank you so much!

Who would know you better than yourself? (;

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Yes itā€™s that. I meet the requirements and click on all the options available to me but it donā€™t deblock the others they stay greyed. Like with the brother,the option to ask him why he hate the MC stayed grey even tho I had a bad relationship with him and had selected all the options available for my MC prior to this.

This was also what happen in other place I pointed. I hope it make sense?
English isnā€™t my first language sorry

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Yes, I believe I understand. I went through and tested it myself and couldnā€™t reproduce the error. I know itā€™s a lot to ask, but do you happen to remember (even vaguely) what choices you made leading up to the scene where you and Fyrri are walking to the city? I intentionally chose the decisions he likes the least in order to replicate what youā€™ve reported, and it didnā€™t work, so Iā€™m a bit stumped. I can only think that it may be coming from some ultra-specific combination of choices.

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Okay I replayed the game and I think that even if the game acknowledge that I have a fairly bad relationship with my brother because my conservative stats is a tiny bit higher it donā€™t deblock the choice?

Screenshots

Summary


I hope my stats can help. Basically I was a bit wary of Exilers but quickly warmed up. I guess it may not have been a bug and maybe just the game considering that since I was more conservative I didnā€™t have a bad relationship with my brother and it locked the choice?
Iā€™m really sorry if it was not a bug tho

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I think this is they key. At that point in the story, you still have high enough of a relationship stat with Fyrri that you cannot trigger the low relationship dependent dialogue. You might be, say, one point above the threshold, but it still wouldnā€™t unlock because youā€™d previously bonded with him over your wariness of the Colonials.

Youā€™re all good! Itā€™s still useful to learn how/when/why certain stats raising or lowering might cause some confusion further along in the story.

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I canā€™t wait for my bigoted MC1 and kind MC2 to cross paths and see how they interact, whether it ends with one or both of them dying or MC1 having a redemption arc. Great game!

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That depends on if you associate with the kind of people that would allow a redemption arc. (;

Thank you very much!

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There is a new update available for the membersĢ¶ of my Patreon page! This update will be accessible by the public one week from today. In the update, Iā€™ve finally completed all introductions for MC2, fixed some spelling/grammar and continuity errors, added all of the chapter headers, and written some 50,000 more words.

There are also weekly developer insights that Iā€™ve started doing and new lore/supplementary content that Iā€™m adding constantly, so if that sounds like something you would be interested in, consider becoming a patron!

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I have found this game today, and despite it having two MCs, which is something I really donā€™t like, Iā€™ve still tried it, and so far I actually enjoyed it. Well, Iā€™ll admit Iā€™ve only played with the first MC though. From what we know so far, Iā€™m interested in the seal people for the second one, and since I prefer having a ā€œcanonā€ playthrough instead of exploring various routes, Iā€™ll wait for it to be released before I continue!
Besides, judging by your last post, itā€™ll be avaible next week, right?

I didnā€™t notice any mistakes in the text/narration, though I may miss some things considering English isnā€™t my first language.
One thing I did notice though its that by the end of the first MCā€™s perspective (Iā€™ve stopped when selecting the species of the second MC), I have reached more than 100% in one of the stats, and I felt like reporting it just in case. Though I think that tells a lot about my MC, considering heā€™s 102% Kind :rofl:

One thing Iā€™ve enjoyed a lot are the choices. Or specifically, what I call ā€œsecondary optionsā€ in choices. What Iā€™m talking about are these little options that donā€™t advance the plot and that CAN be skipped, but add flavor and personality to the MC AND impact how characters percieve them. For example, thanking someone or asking them if theyā€™re ok before stating MCā€™s buisness with them. I actually havenā€™t seen that done very much (if at all), and I think itā€™s really refreshing and sweet!
Choice aside, I also enjoy the darker elements of the story, and how you donā€™t shy away from them - things like various kinds of discrimination etc. I like games that tackle these, as I consider these conflicts to be interesting. Though I do feel a little bid bad (not really?) for MCā€™s father who has a basically radical and soon to be discovered as gay sonā€¦ :sweat_smile:

I love all the main characters so far but Iā€™ll admit I have a soft spot for Laz, so heā€™ll probably be my chosen RO for the first MC. I also dearly hope weā€™ll get to see more of MCā€™s brother. Iā€™m curious if their relationship can evolve in any wayā€¦ :thinking:

I have a question about the ROs though!
Are the ROs the same for both MCs? Or well, some of the ROs. Or are the two ā€œsetsā€ entirely different?
Ah and also, will we get the opportunity to customize the MCs a bit (as in, select hair and eye color etc) or are you not planning to include such a feature at all?

Other than that, one of the parts that made me laugh the most:
ā€œOverall, your chances of being accepted to Sovereignā€™s Refuge University are nonexistent.ā€
Yep, thatā€™s about right. :rofl:

Also, Walcott is perfection incarnateā€¦ I just love how you can ask again and again about his story, and heā€™ll just tell different bullshit each time.

On a different note, after seeing your name, it sounded very familiar to me, and then I checked out all the games I own, and Iā€™ve noticed you also made Too Different, and then it was SO OBVIOUS.
Itā€™s very interesting cause Iā€™ll admit I like this game A LOT MORE than I liked Too Different. I consider that game as basically an ā€œokay gameā€. Some very cool concepts and a very satisfying good ending, but a bit rough around the edges and it could have been longer. But despite all of that, I can see how this is made by the same person. It has that kind of similarā€¦ hmmā€¦ aura to it, so to say. That makes me really excited, honestly, because I loved your general storytelling and the way you shape your ideas in Too Different, and These Reluctant Years seem to have the polish itā€™s ā€œpredecessorā€ lacked. Itā€™s amazing how much you seem to have progressed, basically, and it makes me genuinely giddy!

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This is pretty good, but I got confused halfway. I will still bookmark it tho

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Iā€™m more than a little crushed that the demo ended right as the two MCs met because that was the moment I was waiting for, but I really enjoyed this! Iā€™ll be watching and waiting for the next update!

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I enjoyed this. Felt a little slow at times, but in games I typical punch my want through problems. So that feeling is probably just me being me.

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Iā€™m glad youā€™re enjoyed it, so far!

Yes, that is correct.

Yeah Iā€™ll probably add a subroutine that makes any stats above 100 default to 85 or something before the next chapter ā€“ to keep things looking neat, if nothing else.

Youā€™re so nice you broke the stats screen, lol

Thank you! I try to consider what a real person would say before I write dialogue options, and a lot of the things I come up with are not just reactions-to-the-prompt and nothing else.

I enjoy games like this, too, so I figured I might as well keep writing them!

Heā€™s shaping up to be quite the crush-magnet, judging by this thread and my blog!

Keep in mind ā€œevolveā€ does not always imply change for the better. (;

They are the same in principle, but might change depending on how either MC treats them. If you constantly abuse someone, for example, they will seem like a much more bitter/short-tempered person to you. Also, Blythe is locked to a cis, traditionalist, non-exile-blooded MC1 woman because thatā€™s just the sort of bigot he is.

I can certainly do that. Itā€™ll be in the next update!

They say to write what you know! (;

Is it B.S. though? Youā€™ll never now!

Wow, thank you! I appreciate that people have observed my writing skills progress (and also that someone other than me read Too Different lol). I believe that writing is a craft that requires lots and lots of practice, and Iā€™ve had more opportunities than most to learn from my failures! (;

Thank you, but might I ask which part confused you?

Thanks! Itā€™ll be made public this Friday.

Weā€™re still in the introductory chapters, also. The action picks up around when MC1 and MC2 need to choose a side.

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Ah, Iā€™m unsure if I understood correctlyā€¦ or if you understood correctlyā€¦ or both of us? :rofl:
Maybe so, but I prefer to clarify just in case!
You obviously answered for Blythe, but I just wanted to ask if the same characters are romanceable by both MCs? Like, is Laz an option for both MC1 and MC2 and so on? Even if he is, Iā€™ll still pursue him with MC1, but thatā€™s just an example.

Haha, Iā€™m sure of that! I donā€™t necessarily have hopes for it to ā€œprogressingā€ - hence the use of ā€œevolveā€ instead! Iā€™m just genuinely interested in the character and want to see more of it and for the relationship toā€¦ wellā€¦ as I said, evolve :rofl:
Be it in a good or bad way really - I just find it interesting.

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Iā€™ve been known to get a few things comically wrong, sometimes!

Yes, that is right!

That is my attitude toward a lot of my characters as well. People change, for better or for worse.

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So, does Blythe get bad as the story progress then? I tried meeting all the ROs in the demo and in my play through for him he didnā€™t seem that mean? I mean the option of him sharing his notes with the MC, that was kinda cute :pensive: Unless this wasnā€™t about him being a bigot towards the MC?

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His attitude can be seen if MC1 says something he disagrees with or if they question something he has said. Blythe has kind of a spoiler role in the story that we donā€™t know about yet, but he will feature much more in the traditionalist route. Part of the fact that he doesnā€™t say anything too outwardly phobic toward MC1 is explained by the setting ā€“ you meet him in SRU, which does not allow ā€œdeviantsā€ to attend, so he would not have the chance to run into someone very different from himself.

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