Absolutely. This novel does an incredible job in general at making everything feel meaningful, but I feel that the Hinterlands chapters (especially III) do an especially great job at it. I'm pretty sure you and a few others already discussed that at length in another thread (particularly in regards to cultural influences and Catholicism), and while I can't really contribute to that discussion on my own, it was great to read along!
Viewing post in About the Hinterlands, missing kids, and Zezé (0.5 spoilers)
Your posts are so helpful, though! There's a level of thoroughness and organization that I can't do. That's why you'll see me responding to threads instead of starting them, as I'm someone who needs something to bounce off from, often only realizing something as I'm writing it lol. We'll be our own Hydra and take down Minoh and crew. >:)
(Even if that's what they want. Damn those survey-oriented perfectionists and their desire to please.)
When it comes down to it, we're all engaging with the art we enjoy in whatever ways we can, and this kind of format lets us be uniquely collaborative with it. I think that's pretty neat! Everything y'all have contributed in the discussion has been (and I know this sounds cheesy) genuinely enriching my experience of the VN, so I'm glad my posts have been helpful in return.
I just want to tell you how reassuring this kind of comment this has been to me. Halfway through the Hinterlands 3 section I got quite a bit of self-doubt, I wasn't sure I'd be able to convey things well enough and that it'd become a low point in the entire game.
A third of the time I thought the chemistry between P and Storm wouldn't work. The other two thirds were thinking that the investigation sections weren't strong enough to stand up (but if I made them more robust it would make section even longer) and thinking that mechanically the Hinterlands were too simplistic.
Seeing just how many people liked and understood what the Hinterlands is about was such a relief for me.
I think it was an absolute success and enjoyed it from beginning to end. What really stands out to me is how rich it is in its abstraction. There are multiple branching paths of interpretation it can allow for and none of them feel any less than satisfying.
This goes for virtually every part of the VN, but for the Hinterlands chapters in particular: It's clear just how much love, care and effort was put into it.
Especially the anthill.
I mean, wow. Dang. That anthill.
Hinterlands 3 is fantastic. As an isolated chapter, it might the best in the whole novel so far. P was a really fun protagonist, and untangling the mysteries of this section was very estimulating. The relationship building with Storm was delightful and complicated, due to power dynamics, in a fascinating way. Other scenes, such as the underground, can be more powerful, but Hinterlands 3 could stand alone and still be a satisfying and complete story.
I'm really happy to hear that you're feeling some relief now that the build's out, because you definitely deserve it. You guys made something powerfully unique in build 0.5-- something that really resonated with people-- and the amount of discussion I've seen about it is a testament to that, I think. I hope you get to enjoy your break in (relative) peace.