HHHHHHHHH THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS COMMENTWONDERFULLY PHRASED ESSAY. This is too lovely, ahhhh, I'm gonna cry! 😭💕I'm touched that you took all the time to write this up and that you enjoy the game and the chars so much! Thank you for playing the game and for letting me know your thoughts!!
Tbh I'm actually kinda surprised (and a bit delighted) to hear you even talking about this game mostly in terms of the romance and the LI aspects of it—when I first began thinking about and making this game, I wasn't thinking in terms of romance at all and simply wanted to tell an overarching horrific/dramatic/semi-tragic story based a lot on some of my own experiences and struggles. I did know that I wanted there to be some influence over endings and such, which is kind of how each of the characters naturally took on the role of an LI in that aspect, since the different endings/epilogues will really revolve around Iggy's final choice in that matter. Though I consider each of the individual epilogues to be more on top of the final unchanging core ending rather than endings on their own. So more like a linear overarching story that just so happens to have romance in it that you as the player get to influence rather than a romance story in and of itself.
At any rate, I'm rambling a bit now, but the lean towards integrating more romance and romantic drama and romantic complications happened somewhat on its own as I worked on each subsequent arc and further fleshed out the chars and their relationships. So I'm really happy that you enjoy them all as chars and the different dynamics they bring (both in the story itself, as well as in their relationships/interactions with Iggy) 🤭💕One thing for sure I have always wanted to show is how varied and different the idea of a "relationship" can be and how it can mean things to different people. Even in my head, the Genzou/Iggy, Orlam/Iggy, and Gidget/Iggy relationships are all soooooooo different in vibe and dynamics and how they interact and how they approach what their relationship means, and I really love that about them (and for them sdlkfjalsdkf 💕) I literally love all of them so muchhhhhh 😭
GOD OK SORRY I ALSO WROTE AN ESSAY IN RESPONSE DLKJAFSLDK But I just really loved your comment so much! And I'm really glad you enjoy all the complexities! I'm such a sucker for convoluted and complex chars and dynamics and relationships (mostly because I love the pain guhhhhh). Thank you so much again for your lovely words and for playing the game! I'll keep doing my best and chugging along LOL. I hope that you'll enjoy the final arc when it comes out!! 🥰