Thank you for this. I came very close to purchasing this game, until I found out all of the male ROs were trash and more interested in other characters than they are the MC. When I learned about the Milo "romance" (and I use this term loosely), it pretty much sealed it for me, but I kept asking questions about the game from those who played in order to learn more. Gabriel is flat out abusive. Milo is a bait and switch, with the MC as an unneeded (and basically unwanted) third wheel in a relationship between two soulmates.
I urge you to post this review on Steam, so male-romancing players don't get bamboozled into actually thinking the MC serves any purpose in this story other than being the LIs' doormat. From what I've heard, MCs who romance females get fed well, without the emotional abuse they would get in the male "romances".
EvilChani
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As soon as I saw your name on this game, I bought it. And I loved it!!
The banter is glorious, as is the MC. I love how the MC has a spine and isn't your typical VN brainless UwU idiot. She was the perfect match for Auryn, who is incredible! And they were so hot together! Thank you for making this game. It left me with a big smile. I can't wait to see more from you!
I can't rate this, since I haven't made a game, but I wanted you to know how much I loved this.
It's absolutely beautiful! I tend to avoid anything that looks sad or even bittersweet, but when I saw you had made this game, I didn't hesitate to play it, and I'm happy I did.
For anyone considering this game... It's short, but it will grab your heart with a vise and squeeze it until you feel choked, but there's so much emotion in it that you won't regret it. The art is beautiful and James is incredible (I expect nothing less from the author!). I definitely recommend it. Now excuse me while I drop some drops in my eyes, because they are burning something fierce.
Well, I bought the game for one reason, and that was Alexander's route. I wish I had paid attention to the warnings (I never read fine print, either), because I quit pretty early into the route.
While I am typically a fan of yandere games, and can even deal with some "bad" ends (and even consider it to be a "happy" ending as long as the MC and their nutcase end up together), I can't deal with a MC who is basically a cuck queen. BDSM slave? Sure, I can roll with that in a game. But him having a harem while the MC has to remain faithful and sit around waiting until he wants her instead of one of his other "girls" is where I draw the line. Bummer.
I tried Julain's route, because I liked him in Sebastian's, but he changes too much and the endings are horrible. When you said there are no happy endings, you meant it. I should've heeded your warning and saved myself 35 bucks and several hours of misery!
I certainly hope the Wild West calls again! I loved this game so much. Like you said, it's like a warm blanket. And Boone is awesome!
I've played this several times since I purchased it, just as a mood booster. There are so many games out there that are depressing, so it's nice to have something both soothing and hot (the NSFW scenes were just superb).
Thank you so much for this game!
Thank you for sharing that with us, and for sharing Burning Red with us. Alvarez really does give off that vibe of someone who can be trusted implicitly (after you get through some of those defenses, anyway!). If you decide to go the kickstarter route, I will definitely support you. Or if you choose Patreon or kofi. Either way, I'm behind you on this, and can't wait to see more of this game!
Cute game! I'm having some issues, though...
On days off, there are no choices except for in the Spring place. Winter, Autumn, and Summer show no choices except 'exit.' And now, at the end of week 2, the game just sits there spinning and does nothing. Should this be happening or is something wrong with my install?
This episode was incredible. Vexx broke my heart, even on the Damon path--and I love the emotions you managed to pour into the interactions with Vexx. Hell, I love the emotions in all the routes I've tried.
I love seeing the MC be less useless and able to pick up combat skills fairly quickly (the most believable one is firearms, but I love the up-close combat, too, because it doesn't take much skill to shove a knife in someone''s neck, just good reflexes, a desire to survive, confidence and balls!). Love the romance, too--so far, I've done Damon, Cal, Vexx, June, and Bash.
I hadn't bothered with June before because he seemed too... well, wimpy... but this episode proved that wrong. He's soft, yes, and tortured, but he's not what I thought he was. I hadn't tried Bash before, either, and that whole route had me giggling. Bash is hilarious, with some hidden layers of depth under there.
I only have two complaints: shooting Vexx is freaking evil (my MC with him is ready to go murder whoever did it) and I discovered the only way to avoid being annoyed by the Alisa and Damon thing (left feeling like my Damon MC is somehow interfering with A/D's true love) is by forcing my MC out of character and choosing Damon when talking to Alisa, even if my MC is meant to be with someone else. It seems crappy, but it works!
BUG ALERT: Actually, make that three complaints: my game crashes when my MC chooses to bet on Ayame to win the sparring match between her and Vexx. It doesn't do it immediately, it's right after Damon comments how smart the MC is. You can ignore it, but it pops up again two or three screens later. If you want a screencap, I have it and can send it.
See, you voiced my exact fear: that Damon's romance will just be the MC going "oh poor you, you had a terrible life, all is forgiven, please wuv me and let me wuv you!!!" instead of any real expression of regret on his part. And that just won't work. Like you said, he dug a deep hole. I just fear the devs' solution to getting him out of it is the MC pretending it didn't happen.
Yeah, I can imagine June-mancers were surprised when he didn't try to hand Damon his own spleen for suggesting having the MC murdered. Bash stood up for the MC, but I think Aya was the most serious about it. Aya would've kicked his ass if he'd said it again.
Cal surprised me the most, really, but like you said it really does seem in character for him. I really love him now. And like blueshayde suggested, I played his romance in the Valentine DLC and love him even more. If the devs let Damon off the hook, at least the Cal romance will still work!
I agree with you about Ryona. It didn't seem to me that she shat all over the MC. She's probably the second "softest" touch on the ship (the first being June), and I didn't think she seemed to resent the MC at all. Hell, I didn't think Aya's response was bad, either--if you ask how she is, she is surprised you're worried about *her* after all the shit that just went down. She's just not much of a soft touch, so maybe some people didn't think she meant well?
But yeah, being able to run off on Cursa is the best and quickest way to force the LI into making amends. Have a scene where the MC runs off and we get to choose who chases after us. That'd wrap that up, I think (with Damon, he'd have to express regret for trying to sell the MC out, but he could do it in the ornery Damon way when the MC asks wtf he cares since he was going to have them murdered).
A second option I thought of for Cursa, is Vexx showing up and kidnapping the MC or even rescuing them if they get lost from the A6 crew. That could set up a nice fun scene where the non-Vexx LI could come "rescue" them from Vexx. And if it was Damon, maybe we could get a hint as to what kind of past these two had. It'd be a good way to keep Vexx in the picture, too.
<<the sentiment was more along the lines that an MC who, if they don't have any mental illnesses or psychological issues, just takes that kind of treatment without even defending themselves needs to learn their own worth and not let people walk over them like that. >>
This summed it up quite well, so thank you for responding before I had a chance. :-)
Also, as you pointed out, I do not include people with mental illness and psychological issues in my "pathetic wretch" statement. That's why I said the only way the MC's response works for me is if they do, indeed, suffer from PTSD, shock, and psychological damage due to the way they were treated growing up. Barring that, their refusal to stand up for themselves and to take the abuse that was dished out to them with a smile, is something I find pathetic and unacceptable.
For Vivi, being demure is all well and good, but the "demure" people I know would never accept abuse the likes of which was dished out to them by Damon. They wouldn't yell or resort to physical violence, but they would politely and calmly tell Damon that they don't wish to speak to him anymore, and that, since he feels so strongly about handing them over to a murderer, they would prefer if he kept his distance from them until he's changed his mind. Then, they would calmly walk away. That's demure. Accepting abuse is not.
And, while I'm on this, for someone who immediately hopped to the assumption that you were being judged, you're awfully quick to hop to judgment against someone you don't know. At all. The hoedown comment was unacceptable and rude and, unlike what I said, it's clear you meant to be directly nasty to me. I don't appreciate it, and I ask that you refrain from making assumptions about me or throwing names unless you truly wish to have a shitwar that will end up getting us both thrown off the board. But I will not sit by and be attacked and not fight back. So I suggest you don't reiterate those comments.
What I said about the MC seeming to be a pathetic wretch was directed at no one and, as I said above (and kiwisorbet accurately deducted) it was not directed at someone with mental illness. If you do, indeed, have mental illness, then I hope you get help. I also hope you learn not to take things said about fictional characters so personally and to try not to assume anyone who says something that rubs you the wrong way actually meant it to be an attack on you.
Kiwisorbet, thank you again for responding. You were correct in your take on the situation and I appreciate you trying to clarify. :-)
I'm glad you decided to reply to me this time, and hope you won't hesitate to do so again in the future. :-) I'm extremely opinionated (people who know me joke about it all the time), and I have the tact of a bludgeon attached to a steamroller, mainly because I don't like beating around the bush. That can cause people to react negatively and be hesitant to respond after a couple of interactions (or it can cause them to be belligerent, and that spirals out very quickly). So, just for future reference, if I seem overly opinionated, it isn't directed at you and I will listen to what you have to say. I may not agree with it, but everyone is entitled to their own opinion--we all have different personalities and different backgrounds, which means our take on things may differ radically. That's what's fun about these boards--it's not good to live in an echo chamber! Anyway, just know that I really respect you for sharing things about yourself and why you view things the way you do. (and also, don't worry about your English--I would've never known it wasn't your first language!)
A question about Damon on the update--were you playing from a friend perspective or a romance perspective? I had noted somewhere down the board that the friend route seems to completely let go of the fact that he intended to sell them out, which works a bit better. The romance route... the MC still acknowledges that he'd sell them out in a heartbeat if it was his decision, which, for me, puts a huge damper on the romance.
I'm glad it worked better for you, though, and that, from your perspective of being more concerned about him hating you than anything else, why it does work. I didn't see enough of a difference in the new version and the original for it to matter to me. Worse, while it seems you have the option to walk away from him, as soon as you try it, he yanks you back to rub your nose in the fact that he's not the least bit sorry he basically wanted to have you murdered. And that is where it breaks down, from a romance perspective, in my opinion.
<<It will take a great amount of regret on his part, of expressing that he truly feels sorry about his past behavior for me to allow him to be that close to my MC. >>
It seems we agree completely, despite our different takes on the MC's response, yeah? Because what you said there is exactly how I feel about it. I just don't have faith the devs can pull it off, because they seem determined to force acceptance on the MC in episode 3. We have basically two chapters to achieve what you said above, and given the pace of things, it will not be undone. Damon can't change that much in two chapters, which means the MC will just have to "get over it" and keep chasing him until he relents. And it should be the opposite. He should be the one working, and working hard, to undo the damage he did to the possible relationship.
I also agree that Damon suppresses a lot, and that he doesn't even see himself as human, at this point. Honestly, that's why he was my favorite character from the start. I always love the characters who start out seeming like ruthless and cold but have an extremely soft heart beneath it all. I get them. Usually. For them, that shell around their heart is necessary, because being hurt for them is far worse than it is for your "average" person. It cuts deeper, and the wounds linger longer. That's who I thought he was, especially after the Valentine DLC (with the kid?) and even him talking Cal into letting the MC stay aboard. Throw in his reaction in the bar when the MC was getting harassed by that jackass, and he was perfect.
But the thing is, when you are writing characters like that in a genre such as this--where we have ten episodes for it all to wrap up and the relationship to be established--then you have to be careful about how you show the ruthlessness and coldness. Your characters are gonna do what they do, and it has to be that way--you can't let the plot dictate their actions or you end up with shallow characters--but when you see them going too far, you (as their 'god') have to throw things in the way to keep them from screwing up everything permanently (again, you can't force the other character(s) to "accept" things that don't make sense or whitewash what they did). Being able to walk away from Damon before he could ram the MC's nose in the fact that he wanted them dead is one of those moments that should've been handled by the characters' god--let the MC get away before he could open his stupid mouth. Or, when he grabs them to run his mouth, let them slap the shit out of him and walk away (they allowed it with Vexx, to a point, anyway).
That we didn't get that opportunity makes it seem that the devs really wanted him to have his say, no matter what (after all, it was that part, not his backstory, that hurt my MC most). The backstory just provided some understanding as to why he's such a heartless shit with the MC. If it had done without the "I'm not sorry at all!!" then it would've worked.
I think that, perhaps, you're onto something about the bold flirt option. It seems to be a trend in these games and CoG games--bold flirts are always punished for being bold, while shy flirts are rewarded for being flustered and shy. It sucks, to be honest, because it's basically saying that people who are direct should be shunned, while those who are shy should always be rewarded. It ruins it for people who do want to play a bolder character, of course, and makes the "play how you want" claims to be empty words since the writers always want to force everyone to play the way they want them to play by punishing anyone who does something different, but no one seems to care, lol.
Anyway, I've rambled long enough. Please don't apologize for making a long response. I enjoy the discussion, and it's rare people are actually willing to get into more in-depth discussions without getting all upset about it. Please let me know whenever I say something that seems hostile, though, or hurts your feelings, as that's not my intent.
I do think we agree on what can salvage the Damon romance path, though. I'm just not as certain as you that it will happen, and have a feeling the devs will just expect the MC to forget the whole incident once we see how horrible things were for him on Cursa, and that doesn't work for me because, like you said, he has to show and express regret for this to work. And I don't think that's what we're going to get.
I agree about the trope expectations being subverted for Cal and June. Cal's "cold, humorless dick" attitude took a 180 in episode 3 and I was pleasantly surprised.
June's sweetness also took a 180--and as someone who has only done a friend route with him, I have to say I liked it. One reason I never bothered with his romance route is because I find him boring and too nice. There was no fire there. But, after episode 3, I may have to try it (depending on how long it takes him to pull his head out of his ass, anyway), because there's definitely some fire under all that saccharine sweetness.
First, thank you for sharing with everyone. I didn't think you and I saw eye to eye on much of anything, but thinking about it from this perspective helps.
I get the detached, emotionally shutdown thing--that's me to a 'T' if things get really bad for me--but I think where the disconnect is (and now I'm projecting onto the MC, I suppose) is that I tend toward anger and sarcasm (well, more than is typical for me, which is quite a bit!) when the emotions get overwhelming. Anger is comfortable (yeah, there's a reason I am drawn to Damon) and "safe" because no one can call you weak when you're pissed off and ready to decimate them (again, hello, Damon).
So that's really what irked me about the discussions--you couldn't get mad. And the MC had every right to be mad at Damon. And to snap or tell him off. Him, more so than any of them, except maybe June, who my MC also wanted to yell at. But, I guess, looking at it this way, maybe the anger hadn't kicked in yet.
Since this wasn't just one hurt, but rather hurt after hurt after hurt, all piled on one after the other without a chance to take a breath, perhaps the MC was just too overwhelmed for anything to kick in other than, "I'm tired. I'm beaten down, so just throw all your shit at me and go away." And, looking at it that way, I kinda get what you were saying about the "you'd miss me" flirt being sarcastic, because the MC knows it's not true. They know Damon wanted them dead and would still send them to certain death if he could, so barring coming right out and saying so, what else is there to do but snark?
That said, I still don't see how Damon can come back from this. Just like I don't see how Vexx can come back from it. Those two, and June (for those who romanced him, because I see no problem with him on the friend route), are going to have to do a 180 and do it quickly for those romances to work. And it will have to be on them to fix things and to make an effort, because if it's the MC just accepting this treatment and still chasing them, those romances will be disgusting, one-sided, and require an MC who is broken and never gets their shit together again.
<< Honestly the only way I see this working out happily for MC and Damon is guilt/regret on his part, which would take some major character development. In my eyes, he's irredeemable as well if he remains the way he is now. >>
I wish I could give you more than one vote up, just for this paragraph, because it's exactly how I feel. Given that we're supposed to lock in our LI in episode 5 (I think I read that somewhere??) I don't see how Damon can possibly change enough in two fucking chapters to make this happen. I don't see him ever regretting wanting to sell the MC out, especially since he's so godsdammed nasty about it--and so determined to rub the MC's face in that fact (seriously, in the update, if the MC tries to walk away, he grabs them so he can reiterate just how much he wanted to sell them out!).
After reading what you said about June, I guess I get why people are so upset over it. I haven't played his route, so it was just a friend yelling at the MC in a fit of anger and hating on her family. Reading what you said... I can imagine it's like a sweet puppy suddenly trying to rip your throat out, with no warning. Kind of a shock, yeah??
<<I hope we can see the MC grow a damn spine in confidence as the story develops, though - a lot of what was said to them by the crew is very hard to get over and they shouldn't treat it like nothing. >>
^^Yep. I want an option for the MC to tell them all to fuck off and go do shit on their own for a while. Let them go to the MC. Though, after the chat with Calderon for the third time, my MC would feel kinda bad about deserting him--he really does accept them and want them around. Too bad he's the only one and he's too responsible to take off with the MC alone!
Yeah, a combo cocktail of PTSD, shock, and severe psychological damage is the only way I can stomach the MC's responses to everyone's treatment of them. Barring that, the MC would just be a pathetic wretch.
For Vexx... the first two times I played it, I actually found Vexx less sickening than Damon. Just played the update and now they're about equal. I don't see how Vexx can possibly be redeemed and forgiven for using the MC to murder their entire family. For Damon... I guess I get how the MC could eventually become friends with him, if they're the type to be totally aloof about everything (read: completely shut down emotionally), but a strong or emotional MC would either tell him to fuck off or be too hurt to ever let it go.
The problem with Damon is for the MC that romanced him (like mine), because what he intended to do and what he still wants to do is no better than Vexx. How he treated the MC in episode 3 is akin to kicking an injured puppy. The only way he could fix things is to do a shit ton of sucking up, which isn't his style, or to do something that won't happen (like chasing down an MC that decides to walk away, and making it clear he does actually care and is sorry for wanting to sell them out. And the last part will never happen, because he's not sorry and never will be. So meh.
June... just my perspective, but I don't see how he said anything totally unforgivable. He's hurt, personally, and he was kind of a dick, but at least he didn't try to hand the MC over to a murderer, then rub her nose in that fact and reiterate that he still thinks it's the best option. So he's fine in my book. Too bad my MC has no interest whatsoever in him! :-P
<<Would be great as well to have a possibility to chose the characters you want or don't want to speak.>>
Agreed. I had hoped the update would allow for that, since the devs said we'd be able to opt out of everyone's backstory. But we still get forced to talk to all of them. Cal, I get--that was pretty much the only enjoyable conversation, anyway. But I wanted to be able to avoid Damon altogether, and keep avoiding him until he decided to stop being a prick. So much for that....
Bingo. Damon acted completely within character, but the MC shouldn't have had to just bend over and take it (if he wants to bend my MC over for something else, he's more than welcome to... well, before episode 3, anyway).
And yes, the MC is forced to accept everything. And be happy with it. The only options after he tells you the reason he wanted to sell you out is because it's the "obvious" choice to save his and the crew's skin, your options are to tell him he'd miss you (which was the least nauseating of the choices, so I had to choose it sarcastically, knowing full well it's' bullshit), tell him you will be useful and not be a burden (flirt again, apparently offering your body as payment so he will find some reason not to have you murdered), or to say you're stuck together. If you choose the last option, the MC thinks about how good Damon has treated them and how happy they are that their identity doesn't bother him. That one, I think is the worst of all. Better to sleep with the enemy than be friends with them and wonder when the knife will be stuck in again!
After playing his route again, I just want the MC to be able to walk away and refuse to speak to him until he stops being a complete and utter heartless dick.
And, even better, have the MC risk their ass to save the crew and then still refuse to talk to him afterward, until he proves to the MC he's worthy of not being kicked in the nards.
Yeah, I'm sure that once Damon trusts the MC, he'll be caring and protective. The problem is that, after episode 3, he should be the one to try to repair things. The MC shouldn't have to chase him, shouldn't have to flirt with him while knowing he could've watched her be murdered and been fine with it, and shouldn't have to pretend that never happened.
But given what we got in episode 3, it's all on the MC--you want Damon? You have to accept he has no use for you and keep trying. Sooner or later, it'll pay off. That's kind of a nauseating scenario.
Help??? Seriously?? That's a whole lot of twisting and bending to try to make Damon's words and attitude palatable, and I don't buy it. He's not trying to help a damned thing, he was looking out for himself and his friends--and the MC isn't among that group, at all. If this is the path the devs are taking, I think it's a huge mistake. The MC shouldn't feel pleased or happy with what Damon said, other than the fact that, at least, he'd honest about not giving a rat's ass about them and would sell them out in a heartbeat.
But building a romance on that?? Not gonna work. This goes beyond suspension of disbelief to embracing psychological abuse of the MC. After everything the MC just had dumped on them, it's clear they're accustomed to abuse and not mattering to anyone, but that doesn't make what Damon did and said in episode 3 right. In fact, it makes it worse, since he's the only one of the entire crew to show such cold-hearted disdain for the MC. Worse, for the MC to have no options other than to beg for friendship or flirt with him? It's nauseating.
Apparently, though, the Damon romance will be all about the MC chasing and Damon shitting on them until he decides not to. And the MC will just be happy to get her man, no matter that he once wanted to have her murdered. Great romance...
After playing it again, I don't think a glare is enough. There should've been an option to look at him with a completely dead expression, turn on your heel, and walk away from him. If that mf'er wants anything with my MC, he's going to have to do a lot to prove he's worthy of it--directly to her, not to the rest of the crew or to cute little kids on Valentine's Day.
I finished it and was so pissed off, I had to write afterwards. I played it again after a very annoying day at work, and find it even worse than I did the first time. The fact that we only had the choice of begging for his friendship, flirting pathetically, or flirting jokingly (yeah, sure MC, he'd totally miss you after he freaking watched you get murdered... delusional much??) was the worst part.
The MC should've just turned around and walked away. I don't see how the MC can have anything to do with that jackoff after chapter 3, but apparently the only way to continue his romance is to forget he just crapped all over you and beg for his attention.
Yep. The more I think about it, the more I can write off the MC's response to some thing (like not kicking Damon in the nuts) as shock. I mean, MC's had a lot dumped on them all at once, between their own memories, finding out Vexx never gave a damn, Damon wanting to see them murdered, the nicest guy in the world hating on them, and everyone piling on with their "woe is me" stories (except for Cal... did I mention how much I love him, at this point??).
That said... the shock is going to wear off. And when it does, the MC needs to be able to walk. What happens from there is flexible, but they need to be able to take off, and let us choose which LI comes after them. Maybe Vexx could be there and try to protect them while making excuses about why he's doing it. Maybe Damon could come after them and save their ass from a horrible situation--and put his own ass on the line to do it, thereby negating his desire to sell the MC into torture and murder. Maybe Cal shows and blesses the MC out for being an idiot, while he wraps his arm around them and guides them to safety. And June? Come on, that's the easiest one. He can show up and ask the MC to come back, tell them he doesn't blame them for the shit their family did, and doesn't want to see them hurt. Whatever the method, an intense, frightening situation where the MC's life is in danger could be a moment for the LI to flat out tell the MC that with the A6 crew is where they belong.
With all routes except Damon's, the MC not walking could work fine, but it would certainly help solidify things. And it would make the MC feel as though they do finally matter to someone(s). With Damon's, it could undo the damage episode 3 did. Barring this, I don't see that damage ever being undone. Nor do I see how the romance could progress in a way that makes any sense at all.
I really wish they'd gone with your first option for Vexx, where he showed up to protect the MC and immediately joined up as the bodyguard (can you imagine how that would've gone down when Damon wanted to hand the MC over to Zovack? Vexx would've thrown down with him and it would've been glorious!). The other option is fine, I guess. At the very least, Vexx is already one up on Damon, in my book--sure, he used the MC to kill the entire family, and figured MC would be dead, too, but when he found them again, he didn't turn them in. And wanted them to go somewhere and be safe. That's way better than "I want you to be killed violently and painfully, because it's the sensible thing to do, haha!" Honestly, the more I think about what Damon did, the more pissed off I get. I feel like he's been written into a corner with no possible way to undo it.
For those of you who, like me, wanted more options for your MC after Damon tried to sell them out, have some angst:
https://archiveofourown.org/works/23881840
Oh, I want to see character development for Damon, too. And yeah, I get why he suggested it, and it fit with his character. I just feel it completely ruined any chance at that romance path working.
As I said above, if the MC had an option to ignore him, tell him off... let him know she did actually care about him (I mean, she said so in the bar before all this happened) but now knows where she stands, then I wouldn't have such an issue with it. And while I get that he wouldn't apologize because he sees nothing wrong with it, it would work if he had to work to earn the MC's trust and care again.
But given the way everything happened in episode 3, it seems the MC is the whipping person for the crew and no matter how much hell they've been through (I mean, come on, the MC got no care from anyone in their family except the older sister and a guard who used them with the intent they and their whole family would be murdered), it's the crew's feelings that matter. Calderon is being nice, as are a couple of others, but it still seems the MC has to "make things up" to all of them, including June, who hates them, and Damon, who doesn't give a damn if the MC is hacked to pieces and used as kitty litter.
Even June's romance can be salvaged, because we all know he's a cinnamon roll, and he hasn't done anything completely and utterly unforgivable. He hasn't said anything that treats the MC as less than human. Damon, on the other hand, has done both of those things. For a friend path, it can work. But on a romance path? For the MC to have to chase him and suck up to him to get that romance doesn't sit well. Not. At. All.
I know it'd be a coding nightmare, and the devs wouldn't waste their time on it, but I'd love to see that as an option now. Where the MC could walk off the ship and turn themselves into Zovak. Or intend to. I figure Calderon, at least, would put a stop to that. And it'd be nice for the MC to have someone show they actually gave a damn.