#15
Post
by zeru57 » Wed Jan 14, 2015 12:26 am
I've played through a few times. Am starting to win more consistently, and get accepted to better colleges. So, my initial thoughts on minions below. Keep in mind, I'm not super familiar with either the genre or conventions that Hanako may be playing with.
Althea is a complete dirtbag. Cocky, lazy, hits on anything that moves, shows up drunk/caffeine crashing/whatever, flakes out 90% of the time, pisses away all her loyalty at the start of second semester. I honestly found very little to like about her character when it was all said and done. I didn't even *want* to romance her on her path. It felt icky, like, when is she going to force herself on me. And whenever possible, I find I use her very little in the game unless I have to - not helped by the fact that she could give a flip the second half of the game. So, mission accomplished? Oh, her somewhat broad skill band in terms of being useful for questioning/harassment/detention feels like it goes to waste.
Thais, I like her play through and her as a character. She has some interesting turns. I have not found the kissy CG yet. But overall, I enjoyed her path more than I thought I would. Her narrow skill band fits her character well. Occasionally I'll pair her with Mallory to ransack a room or two, but it's far from my first choice.
Vonne, yeah, she is creepy to the point where I feel kind of bad indulging in a relationship on her path. It's always like, geez, there's got to be something wrong here. But she likes to role play and create adventure games, there's redeeming qualities here. Anyway. Perhaps there could be some dialog or choices that address and/or help her come to terms with her creepiness? As it is, the Bondage CG probably surprised me the most of all the CG's, and still makes me smile. So to that, I say, moar!
Her skill band is fitting - if you're willing to take the Karma hit or use an item (and/or pair her with Mallory), she's as good a ransacker as Rowan at the start. Surprisingly versatile, I use her for stake outs, supply closet, questioning, classroom searches, and the occasional detention in combination with another girl.
Mallory, I like her play through. It's an interesting choice to make her the one definitively (save for maybe Thais?) straight character, but it works. Her play through is often pleasant and interesting. I usually push her social up, which means she's perfect for tough persuasion, questioning, and even harassment if I need it. As noted above, her stealth makes her a great partner for Vonne in searching rooms.
Rowan is by far my favorite. She's like the secret leading cast member of the game. Hands down the most useful minion, if she is the mole things are a lot harder in the early going. Her romance path is very, very satisfying to me. There's a real sense of personal growth and confidence building, like Elsa really made a difference in her life. You don't get that with Althea, Thais, or even Mallory. Vonne, is, well, Vonne. Again, you need Rowan's skill set (supplemented!) to solve two of the three central mysteries of the game. You can do it without her, but come on, man, why would you want to? Again, I would like even more information on how her relationship with Elsa develops.
I liked her slave path, too. Good stuff all around.
I dislike how much other girl paths subsume once you choose one. I recognize on repeated play throughs scene skipping could get absurd, but I'm disappointed when I have a weekend with nothing to it.
I wish for more detail for the romantic relationships, either epilogue based or through more weekend events. I suppose that is a good sign that I want more.
As for mole motivations, Thais, Mallory, and Rowan all strike me as compelling. I can't even remember Vonne's or Althea's right now.
I'm sure I'll have more thoughts to share as I think about the game. Which is a good thing.