I expect sex in the game, sure. But there are times I question if a kink is fitting. It's not always explained why someone likes what they like. I could give a 100 reasons I think, act and like what I like. But in games that info is often times left out. The character just becomes a porn star. She likes something because that's her role. To play out that kink. I'm not talking about Penelope here, just speaking in general. I've seen and quit games where a character starts out one way, then the writer flips the script and makes them like things that don't get explain why. And it felt very much like it was added just to have the player have sex with them that way.
Does Luna seem like a dominatrix? Would you believe Annie is secretly into being gang banged by strangers? Would it make sense for a strong-willed feminist to like be treated like property? What if Alex wants people to beat on her just like the father she hates? Writers can do whatever they want, but there's always gonna be a guy calling BS on it if it doesn't sync with the character. Personality matters. Backstory matters. A nice girl is not always gonna be secretly a wild girl in heat just because! There has to be a reason. Sure there are women who secretly are into off the wall stuff. But in AVNs it's basically a gimmick to ensure that that woman is there and often.
Maybe I was wrong about Penelope. But I thought of her as responsible and an straight shooter. She didn't seem like the type to be into what was implied in the last update (rough sex & bondage, yuck). If there was supposed to be hints to this, I missed it. Maybe they took that moment to throw it in your face as facts for shock value. Idk. But it could have been executed better. I firmly believe, not all the ladies needs to go down the harem road the same. Which, usually in games it ends up being the raunchier the better in the eyes of the audience... and the writers appeal to that. But I just am not believing every girl needs to ultimately be worshipping Orion's penis and want hard banging from it over any tenderness. Consider Maat. She was as straight selfish sex object as it gets. And they played out a tricked into sex scenes with her tricking the heroes. And no matter what you do, you have to watch it all play out or ditch Nova. Thank God for the options at the end of it. But that was too little too late. By then you're again, supposed to take the more risque role and get revenge for Orion and Nova. And Nova, for whatever reason, has become into it. Why?! It blew my mind. But I lived with it.
No tenderness? Just hard loveless banging. Rough sex. If that's goona be the norm... The notion itself is off-putting. In VIRTUES this happened too. Every character by the end of the game is a masochist and allows the MC to shame them openly all the time, as long as he says he loves them later. He's even allowed to expose their breasts while their at work or bang them in their locker rooms. All while claiming to love them and be a gentleman. But apparently the women want him to be nice most of the time, but a brute in bed. Whatever. I just hope Eternum isn't going down that road. I would have to quit it like I did VIRTUES.
These girls aren't all teens either. A good deal of them are 20+. Nova, Penelope, Calypso and Nancy are all 20 or over. Only Ann, Luna, Alex and Dalia are 18. And that just not a clear indicator that they all would be still figuring out what they want in bed. Personally I knew what I wanted sex wise since I was 15. And I never changed my mind. There was never a moment I tried out rough sex and spanking a girl's ass, only to find out 8 yrs later I didn't like it. I know what I like and it's the exact same as it was over 15 yrs ago. Now they aren't me, but let's be real, some of them are not figuring themselves out. They are simply given roles. The MILF, the little sister figure, the tomboy, the beauty queen, the goofball eccentric, the haughty princess and the bad girl you have to stand up to. I like Caribdis writing too. But nothing is perfect. Maybe he just decided he wanted some bondage and tossed it into Penelope character's likes because he just wanted her to have that angle since all other kinks were filled in other angles. That doesn't mean it feels organic tho.
I don't want them to be all the same. I want the option to say yes or no to a hardcore sex scenes that might disgust me or other gamers. If Nancy wants to watch some gore porn, I wanna be able to say "nah, I'm good", not have the scene play out automatically or risk losing her as a Love Interest. That's just an example. But you'd see what I mean. I want to say yes or no based on each girl without losing them or pissing them off.
And yeah I'm mostly vanilla but I know the world doesn't like vanilla that much anymore. In public people say that's fine, but behind closed doors most people want crazier stuff. It's one of the reasons I'm alone right now. I turned down so many things from girls who liked me in middle and high school that I was written off as boring and left alone for a long time. I'm still a virgin now. Imagine that, rejected because you don't want to have a quicky 20 minutes before someone's parents comes home. I feel lust but my logic I feel more and louder.
I'll look up Lust Age. But I doubt it's better than Eternum in terms of comedy and mystery. That's why I'm here. I like the cast but I ultimately can't shake the fact that I may have to see stuff I hate and cringe thru it. Even more so because Caribdis said you miss key plot if you don't romance all the ladies. The villains I won't miss as they're taken down. But big gaps in the plot will appear if the girls are not romanced. And that's what happened in OIAL. I tried to not peep on Judie, lost her as a LI. Tried to get teacher to patch things up with her husband, lost LI. And that won stung harder because that was a major plot points with the husband.
I know someone people want kinks galore. More power to them. I like watching sexy stuff too. But I just want the scenes to fit the characters. And I want the option to say no if it doesn't fit the gamer, the audience. If I had my way I'd be satisfied with Nancy, Luna and maybe Annie or Nova. And stop there. But what if they all have kinks I hate? That's not impossible. And my worse nightmare. Just like in VIRTUES. And by the end of the game, with 3somes on the table and the need to go bigger by the end, I think my stomach is gonna turn by the time the last sex scenes plays. But at least if there's a chance to turn down a sex act and just cuddle and look at the stars, then you can end on a good note. At least for me.