Played through the first three chapters practically in a single sitting. I'm completely hooked. This just shot to the top of my "favorite ongoing VN's" list.
And that last scene was just... so sweet and well-written? And not just with Lucy. How you managed to paint such a deep picture of Michael's relationship with his dad in one short series of memories, to the point where I had tears in my eyes when he said goodbye, is just astounding.
Same here. I was doing a "stupid AI responds only as necessary" thing, and it broke the same way at the "You will." Honestly really ominous, with the scary noise, and no context for what that is in response to. XD
Edit: Yeah, fully reproducible. Just set regular and response speed to max, then click data-links and then responses when it fully pauses. It breaks at "You will." every time for me.
Bug: If you go to the medbay first, then the cargo bay, the option after is still sleep/medbay, and will repeat the whole medbay sequence. The cargo bay was also identical to not going to the medbay first, with the arm brace not helping.
Edit: Savefile for details would probably help. Derp.
https://pastebin.com/jYTafXQf
Okay, found an app called ReadEra that works decently for book PDFs.
Also...
Holy SHIT, this book. I... I may be more invested in this ongoing series than I ever have been in any other story. Once I found a good way to read it, I just could not stop (as evidenced by me finishing a book a got like 5 hours ago). The characters, the mechs, the sex, the fights, the drama and the fear of possible betrayal... I cannot properly express how it all just drilled into the center of my brain and set up a new home there.
I know NA2 only came out a couple months or so ago, and the third might not even be your next project, but I'll be waiting patiently for the next one. Definitely not going even a little bit insane in the meantime.
Definitely very sane. 🙃
Oh. My. God. This book flipped every one of my switches, pushed every one of my buttons. Every kink, every snarky interpersonal interaction, every little bit of sci-fi tech and worldbuilding... it all hooked me in deeper - intensely so. I just finished it an hour ago, and I need the next book like I need AIR. *vanishes for the next day or so to read NA2*
I've also gotten two minor variations of "the queen refuses to fight, dies anyway" (before first transformation, the 'respect' lines, and after, with "don't want to hurt you", then locked controls and <dead>)
Interestingly, once in the previous bugged/looped sequence, the method of incinerating the body never changes. It just stays at 'keel down and touch' and never moves to picking up the adventurer's body, even if continuing the fight sequence. Dunno if that gives any clues as to the source, but just in case it might help!
Just after the first transformation fight, stop fighting after that, and reply "I no longer wish to hurt you", it creates a repeating loop every fight after.
"Look, I want to see you try. I want to see you."
"I no longer wish to hurt you"
"If staying unscathed was my priority, I would not be here."
"I have my purpose."
"Even if it means being killed by you a hundred times, I'm alright with that."
<FIGHTO><do nothing>
"Are you sure this is the note you want to end on?"
"I want to do this right, think about it." <retreat>
<return to start>
Oh, and if I fight after that, it repeats the dramatic holy shield cutscene.
Ceasing fighting in following fights gives "I have no need for your pity." and then loops back to "I want to see you try"
I only found one ending. Stopping fighting just leads to an infinite "retreat and return" loop with the same dialogue, no conversational paths seem to make a difference.... I loved the basic story through once, but now... fittingly, honestly, I feel like I'm struggling against an unchanging fate trying to find any alternatives. Any hints?
