HELP CHATT THIS IS SO LONG OKDFALKDSJFLAKDFA YOU'RE SLAYING ME AHHHHHHHHHH WHY MUST YOU DO THIS ME (I kid). This is too sweet and wonderful I shall weep 😭💕 THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR PLAYING??? Lol that is indeed what I consider to be the ideal order!! I feel like it's the right amount to get most of the details about all the characters and their various arcs, and then it's good to have played OFW before Arc 5 of OW, so it kinda fits snuggly in between there lkadfa (it's also when I released it/worked on it, too...)
"I really loved getting to see the cast interact "naturally" " --> HHH I'M GLAD. It's one of the things I really loved about making it, too. Coming off of releasing Arc 4 I really wanted something that was just more fun and silly and where I could enjoy having the characters interact in something a bit more lower stakes (well, kinda). I feel like in my head I have these "two versions" of the cast in that one is them during the main game and one is them if the horrors of the main game didn't exist and while they're not that different from each other, they still feel somewhat separate at times hahahaha. But I just really enjoy writing a lot of off-the-wall shenanigans with them, which isn't always possible within the realm of the main game given its More Serious (read: Horrific) Tone™. I am glad you enjoyed it tho!! It's also more of the approach I'm taking with the side game I'm currently working on, too lakjdfa
"This also has to be one of the MOST brilliantly animated VNs that I've ever seen. " --> THANK YOU THAT IS SO KIND??? This is the first time in a game where I really went to town with a lot of that kind of stuff and learned a lot in the process that I've since been able to bring into all of my other games (and later arcs of the main game). In my head I think of OFW as a bit of a turning point where I finally started to understand more about Ren'Py and coding and scene direction in general. Hearing that really means a lot ahhhh... 😭💕
"they likely wouldn't be playing a friendly game of DnD like this?" --> LMAO THIS IS TRUE. It doesn't really work in the core main game timeline at all ldkjfas I'm happy you did like the direction it went! The more I went off the rails and the more zany and unhinged it got at the end, the more I worried I'd lose especially ppl who hadn't played the main game but even those who might just be like WTF IS THIS 🤣 I have a problem where once I start writing and things just start devolving I can't stop it 💦💦💦💦
"I find Gidget's character in this to be VERY interesting. " --> AhhhHHHHHH I really enjoy your analysis here of Gidget/Ghent's character!! It's really interesting to me to read and really insightful into looking at how they compare/contrast with the main game 🤭 I think of Ghent here also of being kind of a... lead-up... so to speak... towards Gidget's arc back in the main game, since I did OFW before a lot of the big major climaxes of Gidget's arc happen in Arc 5. I'll be interested in knowing your thoughts if and when you play Arc 5, as well.
"I'm guessing that it should take place at some point between Arc 3 and Arc 5. " --> YEAH I THINK THAT SOUNDS PRETTY GOOD??? I didn't actually go into this game wanting to make something that was completely canon and could be explained perfectly I will admit... it was really only after I decided to have some elements of OFW loop back into the main game that I realized there are so many vagueries LKFDAJD but I guess I will just keep those somewhat ~ mysterious ~ OFW is indeed like you said though, a bit like some of the major character themes of each char just shortened up a lot and stuck into a fantasy theme hahaha. Though things won't play out exactly the same in the main game, there are definitely a lot of correlations, particularly in Iggy's case, I think 🥺💦
AND LOL TECHNICALLY JERRY IS INTRODUCED IN ARC 2 BUT HE'S JUST A RANDOM ONE-OFF JOKE.
I swear, he is the one character that has completely transformed into something I never expected throughout production more than anyone else 🤣
"A side note, but the sync to the music at the opening of the credits is just INCREDIBLE" --> LKJDLAKFDS THANK YOU??? I enjoy syncing things to music maybe a little bit too much... 💦 Though I can't take credit for any of the music itself besides finding it and deciding to use it lakdjfads (Audiostock, my beloved... what would I do without you...)
SOB YOU'RE HONESTLY TOO KIND THESE ARE SUCH LOVELY AND HEART-SQUISHING WORDS 😭💕 Thank you so so much for playing, Chatt!! And for taking the time to write all this up???? I really love reading all your thoughts and reactions and analyses and guesses and everything!! GUHHH IT JUST REALLY MADE MY DAY. I'm so glad that you enjoyed playing this! Somehow this game was the game that really made me first feel like "maybe I am a legit VN dev" HAHAHA so seeing people still playing and enjoying it really touches me so much!
Thank you so much for all your kind words!! 💕