Just realized I didn't gave you my feedback on the seventh chapter, so let's say it's time to do this. But sorry folks, it probably contains heavy spoilers, if you didn't play you'd better stop reading NOW.
'cause I'll start by the end, and by the sad news: the final scene of this chapter is the first and for now only thing I really disliked in your work. Let me explain.
First of all, it was really cliché. From the first image of the place, the first dialog line of the thug, I was thinking “No, he isn't going to do THAT?”, and that was exactly what you did. Even if I do like anticipating sometimes, this wasn't the good way to have it.
Then, I can see why you did something like that, Orion was indeed becoming too arrogant and all, and that would probably have positive outcomes. But this coming from random thugs while going to order pizzas sounds… disconnected? Not a huge fan of important lessons learnt from randomly chosen bad ways in your home town. Plus, Kredon feels suddenly way less enjoyable.
Finally, I don't think that works that much as a cliffhanger as, with the talk with Idriel and all, it made me feel like “Okay, so it's how the story ends” way more than “OMG I want to know more!”, which was supposed to be the aim of the sequence. Plus, of course I know he won't die, but, on the opposite of previous ones, it feels like there's no really “good” way to continue from this point. I mean, suddenly discovering magic works in the real world just because it's needed would be really weird, and conventional medicine would probably take time and thus lead to fail the pirate quest, which would be a shame.
(Could be a good thing that the rest of the team fulfills this quest while Orion is at the hospital, but as he was the only one having the map, that doesn't sound very plausible. I'd say, while being a literal Deus Ex Machina, Calypso finally finding a way to come in the real world could be the most elegant way.)
Now, to conclude on this point, probably have to say that I may have been a bit overreacting and trying to rationalize after that. Being autistic, I may be more sensitive to such things that you'd expect from usual players. But I had to write that down.
Well, and now that it's done, let's rewind to the beginning of the chapter and highlight way more positive aspects as, except for this final scene, you did a great work as usual.
Story developments are really cool. You managed to make things even more interesting with W. Bardot and the Founder, so now about this I can't wait to learn more. The details about the true nature of Eternum are really intriguing, and continue to shift us away from the thought premises.
In a way, it remind me an old game I played when I was little, called Breath of Fire Ⅲ, but in a reversed way. The old game starts in med/fan settings, and the more the story goes on, the more we discovered there's technology everywhere, ending in a complete SF environment. Your game starts with advanced, futuristic technology, and then we discover that's more something magical, which is very promising.
Story developments on Ekabar are also promising, I tried both the werewolves and vampires things and both were really fun. Villagers starting to reject magic and launching some crusade is intriguing, while still fitting the settings, so I wonder if it'll be a major plot thing or something more secondary.
It's still really fun to see how the characters react. The more or less inner monologues are a really good point (Alex's one was cute, and it was a good thing to have Orion's thoughts at the end of the class). The talk between Nancy and Dalia was really fun too, and I also especially loved Nancy's reaction about the need to pause a bit between the sessions. Just what was needed at this point.
And, of course, I can't wait to learn what Luna really saw about Annie (I may have a few ideas). Moreover, hearing the non-team players talking to each other about the development of the story (the Andromeda case, Orion's nickname…) adds to the life of the universe, which is pretty cool.
And, I have to say, even if I found the previous ones a bit boring, you made me laugh with the for-now-last appearance of Chop Chop. Wenlin is a good addition, and now I wonder where you're going with those two.
Outside from the story and characters, I really loved your choice of musics again. Shostakovitch Waltz №2, especially, was one I know for a long time and I really like, so it was a pleasant surprise to hear it there (just made me wonder something, but I'll say it later). Music themes from the pirate server were also really good. Now my playlist “Eternum OST” is up to 3h30, starts to be a bit long, but worth it ^^
Silverware is especially a really great song I discovered thanks to you, and hearing it coming again in Nova's scene made me wonder how much you're planing to re-use some of the previous great songs. For instance, it feels like “If I had a tail” could be a really cool recurring theme for Alex.
Also, a point about which I didn't talk enough in my previous reviews is how stunning some background renders are. Did especially notice it in the ruins of Ekabar, and later in Tortuga, but then it made me come back to previous sequences to look at them again, and some of the outsides of Blackridge cabin, or the castle in Warthogs, are also really cool. I even took some screenshots of scenes where we don't see anyone to use them as wallpapers.
Now, as usual, there's some things I liked less (but not disliked of course). I'm not really into car porn, for instance, so Penny's scene wasn't really for me (some things were fun, thought).
I also think Orion is a bit too muscular now. You know, really buff people are a typical male fantasy, so, as a woman, it pulls me a bit out of the story to read that all the girls in the group are fangirling about that. One or two of them could find it extra sexy, but it shouldn't be the whole team.
Even more with the difference between skin colors, in the scene with Nova it was a bit looking like she was fucking with a statue, which is a bit weird.
And, aside from those taste respects, there's some points I don't know if I'm just overthinking them or it's there's possible inconsistencies. Raised an eyebrow about El Coyote, but why not, just made me a bit perplex.
If I'm not wrong, the talk between Nancy and Dalia took place in Ion. Which mean the robot was looking for alien's infections in another server than Andromeda. Is it possible (without Calypso's help) to go from a server to another without logging off first? I was thinking it wasn't, but that would mean being alien infected isn't cured by the automatic full healing at logoff? That's a bit weird, isn't it?
Even more knowing about the astral projection thing: it could have explained this full healing by the fact that, while logging off, you just dismiss the previous projection and recreate another while logging in the next time. But then, the infection would have vanished too… except if it's parasitizing the inventory mechanism, maybe?
And well, the said thing with Shostakovitch. With the vampires, Orion immediately notices when the word “Romania” is said, as it's something from the real world NPC shouldn't known about. On the werewolves side, it's the same with “Egypt” and “Anubis”. But there's just no reaction at all when the names “Strauss” and “Tchaikovsky” are said, and no more when the waltz is chosen. So I wonder how they could unsuspiciously know about real life music and compositors, but shouldn't know at all about real life places or mythologies.
(Also, even if it's fun to see Mortimer throwing a sword at the first vampire, wonder if that's a really good think to do if they're supposed to be cursed people that may be saved.)
Then again, those are minor points, and it's perfectly normal to have such in a big story like this one, doesn't stop Eternum from being globally really great, of course.
Hope those thoughts can help! :-) Thanks again for the game, and I'm sure I'll like the next chapter!
Just one request, thought: it starts to be a big thing to download, wouldn't it be possible to have a “just update” file, to just get new content we don't already have downloaded?
Anyway, thanks for your work! :-)