Fair, I'll try my best to clarify. Wall of text, coming up. Pardon in advance if things a worded a bit "roughly" - I am actively trying to sell to you that I am not insane.
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If you can "sell" both routes as viable options - again, I have trouble believing Nias 'slave route' as much as her 'love route' - then more power to you, and I won't say anything further. After all, there is a reason as to why you present both options.
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Perhaps my problem with Cornwall is simply that in the early game, yes, he shows certain signs, and Trenero's half-elf wife is another indication... but unless I am mistaken, ever since, the only role he's had is to further a reputation as ruthless politician who seeks election to a higher post beyond anything. With no sign otherwise. Which is irritating given how relatively "open" he was during that "slave training contest" - unless that's on your list of scenes to be reworked/rewritten, too.
A similar thing goes on with Trereno. I am not trusting you in any way-shape-or-form, that those "elf bots" are any good :P It's a bad triangle of Religion, Politics, Business in that world... Religion keeps the people stupid, Politics make sure to eliminate everything diverging from what it should be (removing people's right to vote), and business makes sure to profit from it, while feeding the other two. And with no sizeable public or other support to back up change (Vanessa says, while meeting Nia, that the pro-slavery-faction in Syl'vanar has dropped by, what, 8% - OVER 30 YEARS?)...
If I look at Lins story arch seperately, without connecting too much to the others, then I see some vague glimmers, too.
But if I look at the whole picture...
Hope can only arise if there is a hint of weakness in the system. If you hope beyond hope, you're not hopeful, you're desperate.
To use Star Wars as a comparison, an unshielded venting duct that you can only see if you have the blueprints of the Death Star. You, the author, do have those blueprints. And you can say with confidence that you can make it work.
I, as a player, cannot see any sizeable holes in what looks like the completey bulletproof system of Syl'vanar. You're giving far too many hints as to how effed Syl'vanar is, as a country and especially the human portion of said society.
I see few-to-none promising points at which the Manager or his ""crew"" (take that term with more than a grain of salt) could actually use to better their situation - or how they would have any hope aside from something desperate. And as it stands at the moment, they've got their backs against the wall. Not much to inspire hope. Only a desperate struggle & gambit.
Then again, perhaps it's my cynisism that I don't see what's obvious? I'll trust your judgement, you hold and know all the cards, after all. If you can prove me wrong - likely: WHEN - I'll tip my hat. Perhaps we are not as far advanced into the storyline as I thought, and you have a few more tricks still up your sleeve. That's not me trying to belittle you, that's me being genuinely curious, and I am looking forward to what is to come. And what you've said about your plans with Cornwall does put my mind at ease.
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The disconnect comes from me feeling as if I do not understand why the Manager is doing some of the things he does, whilst others make perfect sense. His behaviour is inconsistent to me, to the point that I do not feel as if I have much control over what is happening, at least during certain stages.
Have you ever played a Bioware RPG? I am a huge fan of Mass Effect, where you can really shape your Commander Shepard by the choices you make. I am not insane enough to hold you to the same standards as a full AAA studio; but it feels as if I am jumping from one end of the spectrum of behaviour to the next (Renegade/Paragon).
To give you an example, again using Ashley:
During the latter stages of Ashley's story arch, the Manager shows that he can indeed lead. He is making the suggestions he's bringing forth the clever ideas, depending on how you chose you seem to actually have an influence over what happens. Especially during the trip to the slums. I felt connected to what happened - even if that connection was to "HIM", not "MYSELF".
Contrary to that, when Ashley pulls her knife on Maria - no reaction? No: "Why did you just do that?" Not even an internal monologue about what happens, shock or curiosity? When Ashley drugs you - why can't you show anger? If someone tried to force a pill on me, I'd be PISSED, no matter who that was.
The difference, I think, is down to the fact that in these earlier scenes, the Hotel Manager has not many thoughts himself - while towards the latter stages, he develops a life of his own.
I do not have only an elder sister, I certainly wasn't always helping around house to be able to fix the broken shower Autumn was in.
And at the same time, if Autumn had acted out of char, and you can see what's happening - there should be, in my mind at least, some sort of an internal reflection. If you intend on having a "little revenge" on Autumn due to her disrespect of the other girls (especially Android), it should be reflected somewhere.
And on the OTHER hand, it was THE MANAGERS, not MY, initiative that helped Lin back up on her feet after she crashed the car - and everything else.
That might sound cynic or strange - but you may actually have become a victim of your own success, in that the story parts are very interlinked with each other, so as the player, you CANNOT chose freely enough for it to be a full self insert. And at the same time, your chars are so wonderfully complex, that in order for the Manager to properly interact with each, he can't be a bland mirror anymore, so he either has to become a CHAR we play, or you would have to build in so many intervowen and complex answer options that would also have to be recalled later in the game so that the Manager can STAY bland and act as the player's mirror. So he's both leading and very much NOT leading, being simply dragged along by what is happening, being both "powerful" and "powerless".
Just my 50 cents in that regard... Because, while yes, the Manager is literally a sidekick in some occasions, he's also the reason the whole show is running at all. Which, I feel, is a bit ... not forgotten, but underappreciated.
One of the girls visiting HIM while Maria's gone, to offer (emotional or other) support, for example, would've gone a long way to show that both sides of the coin are connected.
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It's possible that that bug came from upgrading an earlier version, as you say. I'll check if I can find anything and will let you know if something pops up.
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So, there's that. Pardon me, again, if it sounds like I am trying to convince you to do things "my way" - I'm just trying to make my points clear, maybe to the point of overcooking them, so they are workable for you. My brain tends to wander, and perhaps I am overthinking certain things.
That being said, don't let this distract you from the fact that you've created something for me to actually CARE about. And that is simply excellent work.