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Soon as I finished reading Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas, I felt the need to play the latest update haha. Personally, I really really liked it.

I've felt this about other AVNs, but the ones I stick with I do because at the start I feel they have potential, and avoid making "unforgivable" mistakes. Then comes a point, somewhere along the way, where they don't just offer the promise of greatness in the future, but actually start delivering. For Love by the Water, I feel that point was reached in chapter 3: it truly delivered.

As to where... for me it was Celia getting her comeuppanuce. The scenes with her and Emma are so uncomfortable, they feel so out of place in what's otherwise a mostly warm game - but man, the payoff for them is so good once the tonal shift comes: it was such a great way to drive home the shift, making it felt through that scene. No notes, simply amazing. Best depiction of **** on an AVN I've experienced. Again, no notes, you did a fantastic job with her and that moment. Currently, that's what makes the game worth playing: Celia getting her just deserts, selling the tonal shift of the game, and what "other MC" brings to the table. The promise of more stuff like that in the future is enough to keep one playing, by itself!

Related, but Emma is such a well, well achieved character! Perhaps the gem of the game - alongside Byrus, whom I'll talk about later. But Emma is so disguting at such a visceral level to me - her sheer weakness, helplesness, asking someone stronger to deliver the punishment she can't - it even had me wishing for the choice to punish her instead, at times. She's so unsightly, I couldn't stand to perceive her! And then, boom, she said just the right thing. Can't appeal to his sense of morality? Then just offer whatever worth she has, in the eyes of an objective-driven being: the information she possesses. And then she asks to be taken along - after cheering the horrible thing done to Celia throught! - by lowering herself to saying she's ok with sleeping on a closet, just so she's taking along! Again, she's so, so disgustingly weak and wretched - and I love her for it. The character I most want to see more of.

I would like to talk about my wishes and concerns for the game, starting with the concerns: Mallard (alongside Risa) works great as a threatening antagonistic force, and I really hope he is not sidelined from the role after one confrontation. I quite enjoy the "slice of life" setting of school, and I wish you don't do away with it or have it take a backseat - though I have no idea how you'll keep it going now. Byrus is a great character, that I think is written with so much nuance, that I really hope he is given his proper respect by the story - not in terms that "good things happen to him" or that  "he gets his redemption" neccessarily, but that he's given enough screentime to shine and showcase what he's about. All the things about his absent father, and the way it's affecting him - this longing he has - I hope it's all building up to something. Bit of a suggestion, if you are taking Risa away from Mallard, I would have Byrus be his new assistant, so he serves as "POV character" whose eyes we experience that side of the narrative through. As for Emma, I really hope we are given diverging paths to develop her: a kind one (maybe keeping her interactions exclusive to normal MC) where we see who she is/what she likes outside of her time as a maid, and a darker one (maybe having her just interact with supernatural MC) where we see the person Celia made her explored - in many ways, it's Emma more than Byrus who is Celia's child, the one raised into who she is by her. Similar, but I hope we have an option to forgive Lana, and one to punish her as badly as Celia was punished - please leave it up to player discretion. I also hope we have a similar choice of "forgive Byrus/destroy him" - near the game's climax, perhaps. Mrs Behr and her colleague killed a lot of people - I hope the moral implications of this aren't handwaved. Same for the fact Lili is killing sentient creatures. I would love options to have nothing to do with either faction, on the grounds of them taking life.

TL;DR: Emma and Byrus are the gems of the game for me, the characters I want to see more of and those that I hope future updates do justice to the most.

To me it's always a give and take: giving players agency to decide what happens makes it so they in turn feel ownership of the events that transpire. If you can't decide, it's like you are a mere bystander in someone else's story. But if you decide, and as a result NTR happens, it's like "I used my power to make this happen" or "this happened due to my own fault", both things that can be super hot for different types of NTR enjoyers. Personally, if you have 10(+) heroines, if I can "protect" some, that's a small price to pay to make it truly erotic when I "forsake" others - it didn't need to happen, things could have been different, but I made it be this way! That feeling of power, to me is amazing. With great sacrifice comes great reward, as it is said. I understand you don't want to spend time on a vanilla route and vanilla events, but I hope you can give players this "pick and choose who gets it" experience. More than a happy end where not NTR happens at all, it's this chance to avoid NTR with some heroines while having an NTR experience with others that's the ideal/pinnacle of enjoyment for me.

Yep, I shot him a reply on Patreon a week ago asking about it, and a couple of days ago he replied this:

"Thanks for checking in. The scenes I've been working on and compiling everything else into code have been taking a lot longer than I expected and leaving me feeling burnt, but I'll see this through."

I can see the pattern, just got through the Maria introduction - and ran into the first inconsistency, I think. On the first free-roam, I had the chance to go hang out with Selen, then talk to Millie, then run away from Rosemi. That leads into the backrooms scene, and in the ensuing events MC makes references to Asmodeus and The Root, which I just wrote off as references fans in the know would get. But then in the Maria introduction scene, she mentions both and kinda introduces them to MC, which leads me to think that the logical order the scenes  should show in is "Maria introduction that introduces the concepts" ---> "Backdoor scene that recalls them". Did you write them in that order and then shuffled them around perhaps? Or was it a bit of an oversight that the player can get one scene without having seen the other?

(Also, another typo: “I came across Petra napping on the grass by the street out by the street…”)

Played a bit more, found these: “I’d tweet that thing like no tommorow”, “I could accept this rejection pacefully”, “It’s over when the when the pee colored wallpaper run red with blood..." “…I’ve personally been using them in a very hetrosexual manner”.

I also wanted to ask, is the Kotoka/Meloco scene meant to trigger that early? I got it after the first free-roam event I saw (visiting Selen, then going backrooming with Millie.)

Sure! I may take some time though, because I want to savour it!

So far, let me say that the opening with Reimu was superb, already worth the download and the wait! Very well written, dialogue, tone, theme, and character-choice wise! Sprite usage shines yet again!

In just that segment, I caught these sentences that had what felt like oddities to me: “But the hall is clean on all over aspects.” “The blood on the wall get you.” “I like what make her, her."

I get "Failed to initialize graphics."

Just to confirm, the title menu has just five options, right? "Start", "options", "extra", "load, "quit", with nothing on the Scarle statue?

Other than that, I took a peek into the Jukebook, and without going further than the scene I mentioned above, it looks like this. Don't know if none are meant to be unlocked, or only those on the first scroll, but it looks kinda weird to have just "Selen Daft Punk" unlocked in the second, so I thought I'd mention it in case it too came "pre-unlocked" by mistake.

Heya, just downloaded, and can confirm the app runs on Windows.

When I entered the house near the cemetery at the start, I had the thought of checking the to-do list, and one of the items, "get a job" is already crossed out, is this intended? Or this some persisent trigger that was left on by default? Thought it better to confirm. 

On this version, you can ask Yuriko to go play (to progress the main story) without having recruited her (to progress her personal story), so if you do, you get the scene where she mentions knowing the Syndicate and Akaime despite not triggering that scene - likely should make progressing her personal story to that point mandatory to keep progressing the main story.

So June 14th came and went, which isn't a big deal since you said it likely was not a realistic date, but I'd like to ask: which is the next estimate date we should be on the lookout for? I'm really excited for it!

No problem! I like to play early versions of games to give such feedback ^^

On this point, I am of the mind that if not every sex scene, at least the first time with each major heroine should be preceded by a choice that unequivocally communicates to the player that the result will be a sexual act. 

I know the Eternum comparisons must be getting tiresome to hear, but imo the golden standard of such choices is the choice given there before the first Annie scene, when her and MC sleep topless together. The entire mood of the scene, plus the thoughts of the MC that come right before, make it so the choice can't be understood in any other way than "do lewd stuff/don't", giving players a final chance to back out, or allowing them to "cross the line" in the relation knowingly.

In here, the last choice before Lara and MC get lewd lewd is "mention the swimsuit/don't". In this case,  one could imagine it leading to a normal interaction, or maybe an slightly erotic/suggestive one, but one can see the situation playing out in ways that don't necessarily lead to MC doing what he does to Lara latter on. That's why I said that the point - after the breast fondling - when Lara says "we should stop here" would be ideal for a choice, because if you are given a simple "continue/leave" choice, there's no way for the player to understand the "continue" choice, other than "oh, I'm going to be doing lewd stuff with her right and now".

All that comes previously up to that point has built this mood that makes it clear that, if this situation doesn't stop, it'll end with a sexual act. And that's where you introduce the choice, "stop or open the floodgates", and in doing so you make the player the ultimate master of MCs bedroom adventures. At least that's how my ideal for player agency in getting or avoiding sexual acts in choice-based AVNs goes.

I had liked 0.1 well enough, in the sense that if had no big turnoffs, and had the potential to, at some point in the future, deliver. I think 0.2 already starts delivering, and I can tell you are building something special with this game. Props for it.

Just one thing I'd like to give some feeback on. The Lara scene is exquisite in the build up of the sexual tension, very well achieved, but I would have had a last choice when she says "we should stop here before we do anything rash". Imo MC pushes too much down the "temp Lara" path without player input, and that seems like the perfect point to introduce a choice, and make the player feel ownership of what does (or doesn't) happen. So, I would add a simple "press on/leave" choice there.

Hey hey! I hope you are doing well.

I had been meaning to ask this since the beginning of the year, but figured that it was better to wait so as to get an answer as temporally removed from the events as possible. So, the question is:

With what's happened, will you still go forward with creating Ninisanni Scenario's sequel/succesor? Or are those plans dropped?

Prometheus, I want you to know Harpo is by far the coolest "friend or foe?" character in any AVN I've played, it was him I was most excited about when it came to future developments! Great character!

Make sure to update the description in the game page, and remove the features you added with this latest patch from the "planned content" list!

Just a couple of days ago the dev made a Patreon post apologizing, giving some explanations, and saying he's aiming for the first week of June as the release date for the next update.

In my humble opinion, NTR being avoidable only makes it hotter when it does happen, so as someone who has nothing but love for NTR, I'd love it if the day came where such options/paths are added!

Hell yeah brother, long live NTR!

The "what's your name" input screen is broken. It's there, but it doesn't visualize correctly. 

Just finished chapter 4... only reason I won't call it a masterpiece is because you aren't given the choice to say, "You're beautiful, marry me" right then and there on this moment haha. Seriously though, what an experience! I'll likely give some detailed thoughts after playing through the rest, but you should be very proud of what you have crafted. A must play AVN, for sure!

Just noticed this when going to download, but all of the links have a November date, are they truly updated with episode 12?

On Patreon you said chapter 12 was planned to be bigger but had to release "early" due to you needing to get some more subs, is this difference what you mean to say it's "mostly finished"? Or will some of the planned content just remain scrapped forever?

Any updates to share?

Neither Honey Select nor Koikatsu games can be sold on steam, as far as I understand.

Hey, thanks for the reply, sorry for taking so long to write back!

I'd first like to say that this game is very valuable because it explores a niche many other devs and games take distance - and are at times ouright pushed away - from. So you creating this game is such a boon to the community, and that should always be at the forefront of any appraisal of it, I feel.

When it comes to the scope of the game getting too big if too much is added, I understand how that's a concern for any developer, and that you are aware of that pitfall and trying to avoid it speaks well of you. However, that argument I think I'd accept more if I were saying "please create this C route!" - which maybe it looked like I was asking for, when I said I wanted to act as this "mask of propriety, scheming behind everyone's back MC". 

But since you say there is a way to avoid getting that Haruka scene, that already means there are two states - "had sex with Haruka" and "didn't have sex with Haruka." Both are already in the game, and I'm not saying to create additional ones. What I'm saying is that, imo, the game would be best served by having another "state flip" inside of the office room. So what decides if you go down state A instead of B isn't just the "strike choice", but also this would be second "office choice", which imo is justified because on the strike choice it's not clear that striking Haruka would irrevocably lead you to get sexual with her. To me the sexual ramifications of the choice were not nearly telegraphed enough.

I understand that your resources, of time and motivation, are limited. So it's totally fine if for you this is a non-issue, or you see it and think, "he has a point, but it places really low on my list of priorities." Continuing the game's story should always be, I think, amongst a developer's highest priorities - no one likes endless remakes of the early game when the whole is nowhere near finished. But maybe note this down somewhere, and it can be something you add/change once you complete the game, and are looking back at the entirity of it for potential things to improve.

Again, this game is valuable to the AVN community as a whole, as is you developing it. That's the most important thing here, and I'm rooting for your success. Be sure to take of yourself first and foremost, so you can bring this game to completion, for it's needed.

Oh no, I've got no issue with Chloe - quite liked her actually - just mentioned her to indicate up to what point I played.

Super interesting concept and well-written demo, looking forward to more!

Honestly what interests me the most in AVNs is the freedom to choose, so thanks for the comment!

How close would you say the game is to completion?
Is it worth it to hold out for a bit before trying to play it all at once,
or does it still have years to go before the final update drops?

Yeah, I got bad vibes when they updated the demo with those horrible AI generated voices, but them pivoting to AI art is a dealbreaker. This game was succesfully funded on Kickstarter, with 40% of the amount raised earkmarked for "visual and voice artists" so to employ AI tools instead is not only in bad taste, it may even step into scam territory. This is not what the backers pledged for.

I can't remember the last AVN I played that was so blatant about the author's own taste haha. Nudism advocates out there, this one's for you.

If you had to give a estimate, what is/will be the ratio of "mandatory" to "optional" characters?

The characters are quite fun/compelling.

That said, I didn't like how you are given 3 choices to not sleep with Aurora on one hand, then only 1 for Lisa and then MC has sex with her without input. I kinda wanted to do bad things to the cop beast-girl and then finally reward Aurora for her patience making her my first haha.

There can be good games with NTR! 

Stop this fake dichotomy, there's no need for it.

Hey bro, let the developer do his story. This is not the first "Caribdis" inspired out there, and when comparing it to a game like, say, "Marked by Eternity", I feel this game has a clearer idea of what it wants to be, and the things it sets out to do it does to great effect. More originality is not always better, if you don't know how to implement it. If this being heavily inspired by Eternum is a negative for you, that's valid. But that doesn't make heavily inspired things not valid. Some of the most well regarded works of fiction are heavily inspired takes on previous ideas.

Great first release, excited to see where it goes!

How long will the wait for 0.2 be? A couple of months? Half a year?

(PS, the Patreon button on the game page is not clickable!)