A bit uncomfortable with Cosmina & Reed *Spoilers*

A fantasy crafting/dating sim https://www.winterwolves.com/ambersmagicshop.htm
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bcmartini77
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A bit uncomfortable with Cosmina & Reed *Spoilers*

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I just want to start off with that I loved the game overall. Most of the routes were satisfying and even if Lynn's ending didn't work for me at first, it kinda grew on me a bit as I replayed. Polyamorous relationships (or whatever Lynn's light+ ending counts as) aren't usually my thing, but I can understand how that might be something someone who is into those kinda relationships would appreciate seeing in a game. The relationship I had a bit of trouble with was Cosmina and Reed and not for the polyamory. Once the game starts to imply that they are siblings, I couldn't help but think of them as siblings even after it was cleared up that they weren't. You spend so much of the game time, all of childhood and some of adult, thinking that they're siblings, maybe even twins. Add in the fact they look so similar and it made a lot of their romance kind of uncomfortable for me. Consciously I know they're distantly related enough that it could be considered ok, but in the back of my mind is this cloud of "this is incest" shading their many sexualized moments.

And what makes this even worse is that I want to like this route. I like Cosmina and Reed as characters. When its just Amber and Cosmina or Amber and Reed, I like those moments and actually like how those relationships develop. I like the arc of their route. I actually think I could even like the polyamorous endings if it didn't have that incest-y vibe for me.

I don't even really know what could make this better, maybe if they didn't look sooo similar or if there never was a suspicion of them being siblings(or atleast getting that reveal out of the way earlier on). I'm not expecting anything in game to change, I might be the only one bugged by this and I know this is a finished product and it's probably too late to change something big like this. I just wanted to throw it out there that this was probably the first time in any of these games that I felt legitimately uncomfortable with a relationship and I'm kinda hoping this kind of faux-incest thing doesn't become a reoccurring trope in future games.
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jack1974
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Re: A bit uncomfortable with Cosmina & Reed *Spoilers*

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Thanks for the feedback!
It won't be a "recurring thing", however as you might know (or maybe not, depends) the faux incest theme (I wouldn't do a real one ever in my games!) it's quite popular (even for example between step-brothers/sisters). Not just in visual novels but also in general even in movies/tv series. I know some people like it, while others like you not only don't like it but are uncomfortable.

As author I'm trying to make everyone happy and of course is not easy. As I said it's not like it will become such a common thing in future games so don't worry about that, however I can't exclude that might happen again. Maybe next time I'll make more clear or I'll put some warnings in the game description (in this case was a sort of "surprise" so I couldn't spoil it).

Hope you understand my point of view/situation too :)
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bcmartini77
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Re: A bit uncomfortable with Cosmina & Reed *Spoilers*

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Considering how many different kinds of romances and relationships have appeared in your games, I probably should have maybe expected this trope to eventually pop up. That variety and inclusiveness is something I actually really appreciate about your games. But this is the kind of a kink that skirts a little too close to taboo for some people and a little warning or clarity might have been helpful. Or even letting the player opt out of the sex scene that follows right after you find them together for the first time, all the choices automatically lead to sex.

But yeah I understand that if this type of romance proves popular (and based on some of these posts, it seems that it is or at least not an issue) or it fits well into future games, I can't fault you for using this trope again. You need to do what works for your games. I'm just speaking as a long time fan who's been looking forward to this game for a while and was a bit bummed that this bit hurt what would have been any otherwise really enjoyable gaming experience and I really wished I'd known sooner that it would have been best for me to skip it.
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jack1974
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Re: A bit uncomfortable with Cosmina & Reed *Spoilers*

Post by jack1974 »

Yes you're completely right about the sex scene: that should have been optional/skippable. I'll definitely be more careful about that if I decide to go again into this kind of stuff in future! :)
Player00013
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Re: A bit uncomfortable with Cosmina & Reed *Spoilers*

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jack1974 wrote: Wed Jul 05, 2017 9:10 am Yes you're completely right about the sex scene: that should have been optional/skippable. I'll definitely be more careful about that if I decide to go again into this kind of stuff in future! :)
Hey, Jack! I wonder how do you think a poly option should be handled, I am doing my own visula novel and my poly options Angor and Voluptia are going to start as friends but Angor is naturally attracted by Voluptia because of her powers and Voluptia never observed how much someone who knew everything about her could still care about her so much, you have the option to make them a couple, pursue one of them or make them a couple and pursue both, you can read about my visual novel here , https://lemmasoft.renai.us/forums/viewt ... 16&t=47120 I made a short preview, what do you think?
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jack1974
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Re: A bit uncomfortable with Cosmina & Reed *Spoilers*

Post by jack1974 »

Eh I wish had the time to read it, sorry :(
I don't think there's a fixed recipe though, much depends on the three (or more lol) people involved in the poly relationship, for example depending on their gender, are they bisexual, pansexual, asexual, etc? But is a complex topic I think. People seemed to like what we did in Amber, I guess the key is to make the people genuinely feel attached to/in love with each other, and not just an erotic fantasy of a ganbang :lol:
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