And here I thought that I will never see the rest of this WIP. This is one of my favorites, such a great writing and plotting. 
Thank you and bless you!
I’m so excited to play the whole game! 
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Hey there, gang 
So, today there’s a couple of things I want to touch upon, but first the big announcement:
The Passenger is officially looking for beta testers
Yes, I decided to take the plunge. I’m not done editing yet, but this is what I’ll do: I’m publicly asking for betas so those who want to give me a hand with the game can pm here or on tumblr, meanwhile I’ll keep working on TP for the next week. You have time to sign up for the private beta test until Sunday the 30th
I also wanted to thank everyone who has given me their hard-earned money—this week I received a very generous donation through ko-fi and I want you to know it’ll be going to the artist I chose to create TP’s cover. Thank you, and thanks to everyone for all the encouragement and the support. Your words never fail to make me smile.
Which reminds me, the other day someone said a very nice thing about TP on the non-binary thread regarding how I portrayed coming out as trans/non-binary and it made me super glad because there was a lot I didn’t know when I first started to work on the game, and I know it can be pretty underwhelming for some players (asexuality was handled in a poor way, for example). As somebody who is interested in sex and gender, I want to make games in which people can find at least some representation on that front. That stuff is my jam and I promise I will be more mindful on that aspect when writing any other project in the future.
A little something I wanted to put out there. A compromise of sorts if you will.
I’ll be waiting for your pms 
Stay safe, wash your hands, wear facemasks. Hugs!
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The Passenger is legit one of my all time favorite WIP here. Congrats on getting into the beta phase! Super excited!!
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That is great to hear! I love your work and I appreciate the effort you put in it. Thank you for your dedication to this project. I wish you all the best. Keep up the good work and stay safe.
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This news made my day thank you 
ive been waiting for this wip i know im buying this asap 
thank you for your amazing work roach is my favorite character 
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Contemplating what Newman’s choice in an RO says about their evolution and their choice of path forward, and what encapsulates each RO as a character. (Sometimes I just feel like I’m trying to dissect breadcrumbs Pime gleefully tosses willy-nilly like confetti, but here we are again.)
I’ve decided I’m going to post this before we go into beta testing and all of this is inevitably proven wrong. A snapshot, if you will, of where I think things could be going before I learn where they go.
Each of them are quite different, but I think I can confidently say Roach narratively opposes any of the human choices by their very nature. Even for a heavily human-oriented Newman, choosing Roach drastically changes that trajectory (because Roach can’t and/or doesn’t want to change, which places the burden on Newman). Of the human choices I think I’d drop them onto a spectrum, each with Newman drawn to a different aspect of what humanity can give them (even if they are otherworld-oriented, that just adds a push-pull within themself).
Roach - metaphor / the desire to return (to themself)
Fiama - protection / the desire to rest
Jonny - softening / the desire to hold something fragile confidently
Horizon - submission / the desire to not be worshipped
Disclaimer that I haven’t actually done Fiama or Jonny’s routes yet, so my impressions of them are minute in comparison and more based on extrapolation from character traits and how they interact. Horizon has gotten the least time to shine and reveal themself of any of them, so they are also not as fleshed out for me.
If we can think of Roach as anything at all, Roach is a metaphor. And what I love about characters constructed like them is they can be as many metaphors as we can think of, it’s more about us than it is about them. (This also explains how my interest in them eclipsed all other characters so quickly. WHAT ARE THEY, I shout as they mimic my exasperation back toward me. No answers forthcoming. They don’t know either.)
First and most obviously, Roach is a mirror (god, in so many ways they are a mirror). In the most tangible and straightforward way, they are a shapeshifter, and they are introduced to us already mirroring what we want to see in them (see Pime’s comments about their appearance being a deliberate choice to meet Newman in).
In a less ostentatious and much more subconscious way, they mimic their present environment; a consequence of not retaining memory of their past. Thus they are not only an outward mirror, but an inward one as well, losing what is no longer in front of the glass for them to see.
But I think most importantly, narratively, they hold a mirror up to Newman, to remind them for the first time since arriving on earth what they look like, what they are, and what they want to be. My thoughts jump to the tense conversation in the gas station, where Newman is confronted with their first potential threat for the first time in 20-some odd years, and I think about how that must have been the most themself they had felt in all that time, matched up against someone who knows them, knows their impulses, their drives, their potential for destruction and chaos inherently.
They share many experiences that the human ROs can’t. That is entirely the foundation of their relationship: their similarity. An otherworldly Newman who has no desire to change would be most easily drawn to Roach, as perhaps a way to remember and lean into what they were. A human Newman sees something nostalgic, perhaps, in Roach’s behavior. Either way, no matter Newman’s direction, the initial connection is in symmetry. They are like two sides of a tarot card, always one upside-down, but never far away.
If I were to grab for a second metaphor, Roach is cyclical evolution; an ouroboros of forward movement being eaten and rebirthed. In a way, they are reincarnating without the need for death. Adaptation in the most literal sense, and yet at the same time, stagnation. No memory, and thus no growth. Arrested as they are, always shifting but never changing, not really. Resistant to change. They remind me of Waiting for Godot, a play ripe with symbolism. Roach often feels more like a stand-in for a conversation than a character, in the same way that the identity of Godot is a stand-in, a Schrodinger’s cat situation of two incongruous things holding true at the same time, at variance with each other.
Memory. The concept of a being without memory and how that ties into identity. No past, and no real future with the knowledge that it will only feel like the present. Forced into the present. How do you hold a Self with nothing to build? You are tripped to the floor again, every day, no matter your drive. Roach’s inability to remember keeps them caged, and suddenly their fervent desire for freedom becomes all the sadder. If Roach holds anything at all as sacred it is their ability to choose for themself, perhaps because they so rarely get the genuine chance. I wonder if their need for new experience is in some ways to mask the feeling of losing themself, the same way that biting down on a stick reduces the notice of pain in your leg.
Fiama has a child and takes motherhood very seriously, thus would require Newman to be parent material for them to work. That requires stability, predictability, foresight, and deferment both to Fiama and to their other plans. Staying in one place. Selflessness. And for a Newman to want these things, is a Newman who desires to lay down their arms, so to speak. A desire to rest. And on top of that, taking on responsibility for an innocent’s safety. Protection. Not natural things for a solitary selfish ancient hunter.
Jonny is a prickly pear, a delicate sensibility. Somewhat arrested at a younger stage of development, he has quite a lot of barbed wire around him, easily hurt. A Newman drawn to him would have to learn tact, empathy, and careful consideration to successfully meet him equally. He is not for the faint of heart, requiring quite a lot of attention and observation and insight. In a sense, a Newman drawn to him will need to be able to confidently walk the minefield (hat tip to Malin Ryden for that amazing turn of phrase). To hold in their hands something fragile, and to do so with strength. It is a certain kind of strength to delicately hold a flower without bruising it.
I realize Horizon’s sounds counterintuitive, seeing as they quite literally believe Newman to be a god, but bear with me.
Horizon’s route (and Horizon as a narrative influence) is about exploring ego and taking that to its extremes in either direction. Indulge it, awaken it, recoil from its strength, demolish it. What makes me believe that their route is ultimately about putting it aside and realizing its poison is evidence from Pime’s character asks, as we’ve only gotten a touch of them yet in the actual game. Horizon consistently is turned off by and discourages peacocking, performing, and conflict, and encourages vulnerability, truth, and forbearance. I like to think of Horizon’s influence as calming a raging bear. Now, this doesn’t mean that it works, but if it doesn’t, I don’t see the romance being successful, they don’t vibe with each other.
Their initial set up is worshipper and worshipped, but I cannot see a way forward unless the scales balance, which requires Newman to relinquish power and give it to Horizon voluntarily. The desire to not be worshipped.
Seeing as Roach requires leaning into their otherworldly side, and Horizon requires leaning away, this makes me very curious as to how their poly will work.
I’m also thinking about the title of the whole thing, and what we can take about it’s story’s direction. A passenger is a traveler not in charge of the destination. Along for the ride, willingly or not, which is certainly Newman’s initial problem. My question is, how does this evolve? Do they eventually find a way to take the wheel or do they accept not being in control of where they are going? Is that wrapped up in free will or opportunity?
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This is very thoughtfully written, and I agree with most of it…but ROACH. A human/empathetic MC might also be attracted to Roach because he is the only one who can (come close) to.understanding them. They dont have to lie about what they are or pretend with him. Also, other relationships may not seem as permanent as his could be? (Not that he would openly commit to you…but you clearly wont be on Earth forever yeah?) Also he is the only one trying to actively help you (as far as we are concerned at the moment) live.
I love this story because I enjoy every romance for their own reasons…but my Roach romance is more about the above, familiar/comfort than anything else. Also he is hot. 
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I think that, personally, my newman (the one with my headcanon) would end up appreciating things like the earth and would end up enjoying not being in control of everything.
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Ah, yes.
I love the mirror comparison because, yes, absolutely. Also mirrors and doubles are a theme in everything I write 
Still waiting for you to write a game, Sharkie. This visual imagery is delightful.
Stress mine. Jonny would choke 
Biting my tongue not to add anything to Horizon’s analysis 
Indeed.
The thing with Roach is–using Sharkie’s own definition–they are a mirror. So they will represent very different stuff for very different Newmans. What I mean is… both of you are right
Amazing analysis as always, you know how to serenade me 
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I admit I received more pms than I was expecting Thanks a bunch, gang. You’re awesome 
I’ll be getting in contact with you after the 30th, but for now I’ll answer some questions I saw:
-
What I’m looking for (since I already selected some people) are betas with a good grasp of the language, since the game is probably riddled with sentences that look (and sound) awful to someone that’s a native speaker or has a better knowledge of english than me. Example, I wanted to say by the way, and I wrote by the whale. You know what I meant, but I screwed up.
-
People that like to try a bunch of different routes with different MCs to make sure that there isn’t a lot of repetition going on. Example:
A code that looks like this,
They look up with a smile. "Fire is raining from the sky."
*if (witty > 50)
You smile.
*if (witty <= 50)
You frown.
"I know."
for a magnetic Newman will read like,
They look up with a smile. “Fire is raining from the sky.”
You smile. “I know.”
while having an imposing Newman will give you this result instead,
They look up with a smile. “Fire is raining from the sky.”
You frown. “I know.”
Both versions make me want to cry, but the first one is bad and also has repetition. I’m pretty sure that stuff will happen a lot.
-
If you feel comfortable with it, letting me know what kind of experience you can bring to the table would be cool. Like you’re in your twenties, thirties, whatever. You’re gay, bi, you are non-binary, etc. Mostly to have people from different backgrounds telling me if something is awkward or problematic.
-
If you’re a code diver, that helps too, since as of now most betas have shown interest in helping me with the story part of the game.
That’s everything I can think of. I will select betas on the 30th.
Again, thank you very much for your enthusiasm I’m elated 
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This was really good. Never thought I’d like someone named Roach.
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MW2 intensities
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By the whale, this is one of the best WIPs here| seriously, I am in love with these characters.
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Just completed the demo and it’s amazing…I was torn between Roach & Fiama.The talk with Roach at the cult base literally broke my . Fiama is wifey…
. The story is also charming and quirky…and quickly becoming serious at times.I would love to beta test for this game if chance granted… Looking forward to the full release
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yeah, that was what i was attempting to describe in mentioning their origin in symmetry. splitting them into alien/human was more to try to determine if there were unique differences based on how they view themselves, if that makes any sense.
this is very interesting information
also feeling smug i picked up on it
if i could write a game without having to actually write anything, i’d be all over that.
Jonny would easily become my new favorite squeaky toy
you know, i’ll be excited to go back thru all of my guesses where u couldn’t give an answer once this is done.
how diplomatic of you, cherie
a decent amount of practice at it, at this point 
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I have my betas! Thanks to everyone who offered their help 
I’m kind of nervous now that I have to let this monster-baby out in the world, but I’m also super interested in the feedback 
Stay safe, wash your hands, wear facemasks, hugs!
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Im excited to buy this! Yes can’t wait im saving money for this
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Just played through the first five chapters… Love roach. … Even though he doesn’t do romance. I love him so much haha. Also really love the characters and overall vibe it gives off. So different yet compelling. Looking forward to the full version! 
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Loved it… I loved it to the point that I love reading the comments in this thread for no reason… I can’t bring myself to finish the demo. Save the surprise for later… Love you Author.
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