If M ever wanted to toss MC off the rooftop after we’re forced to ask for the 8th time if they ‘really cant remember anything’ I wouldnt even mind.
Cant for the life of me figure out how to get Unit V at the training. I randomized it over 20 times and every single time it was Unit Alpha, I didnt even get Unit Delta either. My randomizer broken.
I’m not sure. I got Unit V everytime I randomized it. But I noticed that I could only actively select them in certain routes, and I think it’s a bug because it does not seem to be related to whether they like you or not.
I’ll be honest, I’m kind of over this series. Almost nothing has changed since Book 1 came out. If anything I think Book 1 was the strongest in the series, and it’s just been downhill from there. This new demo kind of exemplifies everything I dislike about Wayhaven. There’s too much time spent on side characters that I don’t care about and are largely irrelevant, there’s almost no plot development beyond “Oh no! Another monster of the week bad guy. But also, he’s hot 
,” and, most egregiously of all for a piece of interactive fiction, there’s almost no interactivity. Sure, I can press buttons and wear a different outfit, or say like 1 different line of dialogue, but by and large, none of these choices actually matter. My character is still going to have to feel sympathy for Rebecca, even though I’ve been picking the “I hate her” choices for 3 books, they’re still going to have to put up with nonsense from the ROs, with no real option to respond in a meaningful way that has consequences, and they’re still going to be the most useless character in the story.
I maintain that Wayhaven should have been a book series, not a work of interactive fiction. This is the kind of story that simply does not make sense unless you play a very specific type of character, with a very specific personality, who only makes the choices that the author seems to want you to make. The medium and the story don’t mesh well, which is the biggest tragedy of this series.
This problem exists all throughout Wayhaven. As you said, the narrative forces feeling guilty or uncomfortable, no matter how they feel about Rebecca (my MC would not feel either of those things). But the same applies elsewhere.
You’re allowed to create a stoic MC, but the MC isn’t allowed to be stoic. You can create an intimidating MC, but the MC isn’t allowed to be intimidating save for a couple of choices here or there. The personality of the MC is set at 14-year-old tween, regardless of your stats. You’re forced to flutter and fluster every time the LI looks at you sideways, while they go on about their business. And that brings me to your other point:
Yep. I keep seeing these comments from the author that the romances are about the “moments” that happen in each game, and that she has certain “moments” planned for each one. That’s all well and good, but two or three or four “moments” in each game isn’t much of a romance. It’s slow-dripped to the extreme, even if you’re with N or F, where you can be in a relationship but you still aren’t allowed to have a fucking conversation without being interrupted!
What also irks me is that the LI POVs are there to pacify people in hopes they won’t mind that the MC doesn’t get to experience what the LIs are thinking/saying behind their backs. Those POVs are there as though they are a consolation prize for having no freaking progress, and a seemingly one-sided-not-a-relationship with two of the four ROs. The problem is that it’s not a good consolation prize. Four books in, our MCs should actually be in relationships with their SO, kicking ass and taking names, and dealing with problems together. Instead, we get half-assed bullshit.
And yes, I agree that b3 and now b4 feel like fillers. B2 wasn’t great, but there was a smidgen of progress in it for all romances (still, it seemed forcibly slowed). B3 was a hot mess and really served no purpose. It feels like b4 will be more of the same, since we’re four chapters in and have nothing but SSDD (same shit, different day).
This stems from the fact that, if you and your LI were allowed to have an adult conversation, things would get resolved. And that isn’t allowed until b7, apparently.
I admit that I do like that you nor your LI (nor anyone on UB, seemingly) can “die” in the game. I like happy endings, so sue me. But the “angst” that’s in this game is so utterly stupid and forced that I am afraid I will roll my eyes clean out of my skull one day. Events that should be a big deal are glossed over (the bounty in b3, for one, considering after everyone learns about it, they go on their merry way and leave the MC with a target on them), while events that should be part of the job are blown out of proportion (MC losing their shit because some rando was taken by Sin). Everyone in this game is ill-equipped for their job, including Rebecca, who should’ve been stripped of her duties after showing she was incapable of dealing with Rook’s death.
My husband was doing that route, when he was playing. He quit after the first b4 demo dropped, though. He said it’s too stupid and poorly written for him to suffer through it any longer. Kind of sucks, because his runs were hilarious, especially with his added commentary.
This makes me 
The game should have never had any personality stats at all, since they are rarely, if ever, used, and you’re forced into being an annoying tween chucklefuck, no matter what your personality.
I can’t even find the words to describe how annoyed I was that most of the new update was spent with another team, the villain, and the villain’s POV. I’m so fucking sick of these other POVs I could scream. Let us play the damned game and get what we were promised–a freaking romance!
The saddest part for me is that I can see the potential as an IF here. If she had gotten over her favoritism for N and A, had written the MC in a way that actually reflected their personality stats, had reflected our choices in the text, and had used the whole premise of “special blood” in a way that was fun (instead of just using it for “angst” potential), this series could’ve been a damned blast.
Hell, she could’ve even set some things in stone with the MC, just not the things she wanted when she was 14 and started writing Wayhaven. The MC is an officer of the law and should’ve been competent from the start. The MC shouldn’t be afraid of their own shadow (sorry, if you’re that fearful, law enforcement is not for you, even in a one-horse town like Wayhaven). She could’ve allowed maybe three of the personality choices and left it at that.
The characterization is downright odd sometimes. It feels like how a kid thinks an adult should act. How a kid thinks a romance should go. How a kid thinks a job should be (“I have all this paperwork all the time even though nothing happens and there’s nothing to do!”) or how a blood drive is run or how medical professionals behave. If that were fixed, and it was more… adultified… I think it would’ve worked much better as an IF.
But really, you’re right. As it stands, it should’ve been a novel, because there’s too little meaningful variation for it to be an IF.
Yep. I didn’t know the authors ‘preferred’ route. I went on it my own. Then found out, that is the way its supposed to be. Which is bit sad honestly. It should have at least couple other directions, as ‘indicated’.
Oh please never stop your rantings they are a delight to read.
I would’ve gone on rant about this one topic probably more than all the others combined if i wasn’t so drained of energy right now, that topic would’ve been how sheer f@#king stupid , incompetent, childishly illogical and moronic the agency seems. I frankly wonder how world in wayhaven lasted this long if these people are the best they got, my children and little siblings could’ve done better logical reasoning on some issues that agency handled incompetently, a world being run by such a group of brain dead zombies is a prospect much scarier than any villian in wayhaven, maybe true villian of wayhaven was agency’s incompetence all along!
Oh whaat you can actively pick them too? Yeah this definitely seems bugged. I just really wanted to finally get my M-mancer and Alima in the same room lol but im kinda burned out on the demo already so oh well.
It’s definitely buggy. I got unit V on random, but the choice to pick them was not active for me, even though they liked me.
You can just read the code and see it? Or continue picking random until they show someday. That’s if the whole random choice is not bugged and returns only one pick for everyone. That would be weird, though.
Edit: OK, it’s definitely buggy. I just tried 10 times and every time I got Unit V
You can meet Alima? Lmao I was hoping you could, when I saw that section, but the choice just wasn’t there lmao 
the gift that keeps on giving.
I need to know if Alima will be Rebecca 2.0 (alas you’ll be forced to have a nice relationship with her because turns out she’s beautiful and smart blabla) or if my M-mancer will get a crumb of slay and get the chance to 
(chani voice: don’t hold your breath)
Yes, she’s kinda snapping at poor MC and then that scene made me want a fourth choice to show her the finger:
But no, we can smile or chuckle… 
Oh, look, the detective is flinching again. >_>
The slope between the chapters is very noticeable when you read them one after another. The first one, aside of the wild premise of “Four insanely hot people instantly fall hard for this random ass cop from Sandford, Gloucestershire” had enough inner logic for me to willingly suspend disbelief in order to enjoy my reading. Sure, you had options to play a simpering doormat afraid of their own shadow, but you could also pick more plausible options, like shooting A (I always shoot A). It establishes your MC without railroading them too much, i.e. they always got two friends, but you can pick how you feel about them, ditto about mum, MC can have an ex if you want to but if you don’t, you’re free not to. That’s good. The story also makes sense within given limitations and minor nuisances are relatively easy to handwave. Thralls overpower those supposedly top agents? Well they’re kinda zombies, no sense of self-preservation, just blind tenacity. Murphy clowns those same agents later? He’s high on MC’s bloo. MC hands his ass to him? Also possible, maybe he crashed right then or just got too high.
All is well, all is good for the few first lines of Chapter 2. And then.
I played as something who is understanding and in good relationship with their mum. Suddenly, I am again asked to confirm I’m really not mad with her? Why? 
“OMG whee, the Carnival, yay!!!” as an option – are you serious, game? Are we five?
And it piles on. Why is Vieno, why is whatsherface on red personality, Elidor can cover for both of them, he establishing a bond with MC makes sense since it should have taken long time for MC to recover.
Verda’s kids. What sort of brainless moron gives shitton of sugar to a two year old?
Still, maalused is a cool concept, I get to shoot shit again so that’s good, tantalizing glimpses into ROs pasts, all good. M’s route, very good, two adults who both know what they want.
F, I start to notice, is not a character. It’s an omniscient plot device who knows exactly how everyone feels about each other and always comments on that. Agency starts to show its incompetence by assigning puny Level 5 to what seems to be an extremely powerful precision telepath.
Absurdly spacious sewer system. I played enough RPGs not to mind this, but incompetence of both Unit Bravo and trapper mooks are bit harder to ignore.
Still, decent romance scenes. Maalused are relatively easy to placate, all you need is not to be a complete dick to them. Good. Falk is kinda obsessed wih MC; odd but flattering. Also, can be explained by drug blood factor.
Aaaaaand then. Chapter 3.
(Didn’t do A’s route until today, couldn’t know why A people are so bitter. Now I know. What a twat. My heart goes to you, A people).
It’s all so bad. So, so bad. Nobody gives a fuck about multiple kidnappings in Stanford, Gloucestershire? Really?
Yet another new supernatural, Maalused served their purpose and are forgotten already, yawn.
Suddenly, MC is expected go all wobbly-lipped at M stating the obvious in the cafe. Instead of going “Oh shit oh fuck oh NO, why is he ruining the good setup we have with ~feelings~?” at the later scene.
Everything that involves Trappers and shit from then is cringe comedy best to be ignored.
Speaking of ignored. Chose to completely ignore Vieno’s existence in Chap 2, still forced to care in Chapter 3. Why?
Unit Bravo owns MC in training sequences, but not Trappers. Why?
“Push one of my teammates in and look for rope to get them back out safely.” is such a funny option for the training exercise, just imagining Morgan approval +10
This completely baffled me, because my town has like 30k people in it and we still have itinerant carnivals that drop by twice a year?
I’m just going to chime in here to say that studies indicate that the feared “sugar rush” is not an actual thing that happens, and is instead a reflection of the situations where kids are liable to ingest a lot of sugar, like parties.
F’s ability to sense emotions (or whatever i is they actually do, I don’t even know at this point) is actually secondary, power-wise, to the fact they can actually move faster than a literal speeding bullet. That this ends up still making them PL5 is absurd, because it honestly means they can, e.g., single-handedly take out Unit Alpha any time, every time, if they want to. Of course, as it turns out what it apparently means is that they can’t even take out a bunch of morons with cattleprods, at night and underground, when their powers are peaking.
Kinda crazy that I feel like there’s more/better romance in something like Lost Heir than Wayhaven(the “romance focused” game)
So basically, the ChoiceScript sister to A Tale of Crowns.
Lmaooo of course you can’t react in any sort of meaningful way, what else did I expect. She starts being salty and all you can do is be confused mary sue ©
But when they are it’s a stat check that makes no sense.
In my opinion, its not worth it anyway. She’s mean to detective then apologized because its not their fault then tell them M is worth fighting for.
She certainly sounds as confused as the series is.
Checked the code for getting UV and found this:
*label chap1_cleanupcode21
*if ((supernatural = “good”)or(supernaturalreputation = “neutral”))
*set victorinitialmeet “goodscene”
*goto chap1_cleanupcode22
*else
*set victorinitialmeet “badscene”
*goto chap1_cleanupcode22
“Supernatural” stat is a number, not a description. It should’ve been supernaturalreputation that she used. So, if you have a good relationship with the supernatural world, you don’t see the option.
Then, for the randomization, this is used:
*if (victorinitialmeet = “badscene”)
*rand dice 1 2
*goto chap3_onthediceroll
*else
*rand dice 1 3
*goto chap3_onthediceroll
And, if you choose to randomize:
#(Randomise the team).
*if (dice = 1)
*goto chap3_unitvictor
*elseif (dice = 2)
*goto chap3_unitalpha
*else
*goto chap3_unitdelta
So you’re twice as likely to get UV, I think. Not sure how the randomization works, though.
Every time I see the word “chuckle”, I want to break shit.
The perfect Alima was snipey, so of course my intimidating MC would flinch. MY FUCKING ASS!! Dezh would ask her flat out what her fucking problem was and tell her to step off lest Dezh knock her down.
One of my husband’s MCs chose that option, and when I gave him a look, he said it’s because that MC is mentally deficient. It tracks.
Um, it’s much worse than that. The population of Wayhaven is 1000. Yes, not ten thousand. One thousand.
I mean, F did better than M with the Trapper mooks in the forest. M got taken down by a rando trying to zap the MC, then laid on the ground writhing in pain. All the other vamps got to kick ass. Yet another instance of trying to show that M isn’t all that, I think. I call bullshit.
Ugh. Yes. At least we aren’t forced to read scenes of M fucking other people. I suppose that’s a plus. But the MCs are equally worthless and bland. Both stories share the same issue of having the MC as nothing but a witness to the other characters’ stories.
