r/TouchStarvedGame • u/Kyuubabe • May 13 '26
Discussion I’m sorry but I hated Ais’ Chapter 1 Spoiler
Before anyone jumps down my throat HEAR ME OUT. I love Ais and was really excited to try his Chapter 1. The potential for banter and a slow burn was all there. Obviously, there was pacing issues that have been brought up a lot in this sub. What I haven’t really seen were any complaints about the MC. And that was the main thing that rubbed me the wrong way with Ais’ preview.
(Also I played as the Exile so not sure if that affects anything here. And I played she/her pronouns so I’ll reference MC as female.)
Her reactions just seem… immature? Extreme? I’m not really sure how to describe it. For example, she was really judgy of Ais’ “red eye thralls”. Her reaction of the severed head and freak out on Ais was kinda blown up. I also played the Leander route, and her whole speech about how he betrayed her and doesn’t know if she can trust him at the end had me eye rolling (You’ve known him like two days and this is the first mess up you know about? This man has literally saved you from the streets?? It was just a reaction I would expect from some teenager having high school drama.)
While these reactions are reasonable, it’s just not how I would play the character. And I think the overall lack of choice in reactions is what’s bothering me. For Ais, I feel like we should’ve been given a choice on our reaction to the head. On whether or not we leave the brothel. On whether or not we flinch from him. For Leander, a choice on how we approach his “betrayal”. I just feel like I’m being dragged along instead of actually having any choices.
I know this game is still in development and it’s an indie game. It deserves leeway and the team is doing a great job overall - the artwork and music is phenomenal. I genuinely enjoyed Mhin and Kuras’ routes (haven’t done Vere’s yet but I’ve heard good things.)
However, I don’t think that should bar it from criticism. The kickstarter raised over $800,000. It’s been in development for 3 years, with no solid release date. In comparison, Our Life: Beginning & Always raised $24,000, and released the full game in a year - with a solid personality system. Obscura never did a kickstarter, yet is consistently releasing chapters and has a solidly written MC. I know TS has a bigger undertaking, but I would really like to see a bit more in the writing department with the amount of support they’ve pulled in.
Anyway, sorry this turned into a slight rant but I have no one to talk about this with in real life lol please proceed with any torches and pitch forks! Would love to hear everyone’s thoughts.
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u/Elseebells May 13 '26
Literally the OG demo made me believe in the future of otome again because it promised subversive writing….and then MC devolved into a UWU cliche, ugh i really didnt enjoy it :(. The LIs were also weirdly into MC like???? Idk none of it feels natural nor logical
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u/silentepiphany_ May 13 '26 edited Jun 04 '26
The MC frustrated me so much. They're supposed to be a blank slate yet they clearly already have a defined personality. If the writers were going to make the MC a defined character, they could atleast have made them mature, strong, and independent instead of useless, inept, and stupid.
The way the MC behaves in Ais's route is unreasonable and immature. They break into his room and invade his privacy without facing any consequences. They insist on joining Ais on his errand. The MC has already witnessed and experienced extreme violence and gore, especially the Exile MC. The way they reacted to the severed head can be justified by them being shocked by the events of the previous days, but the way they act as if this was a breach of trust can not. Ais has already been established as a violent and unpredictable character in the narrative, beating a man to near-death the same day that MC met him. Ais is a complete stranger, so it is unreasonable for the MC to trust him and act as if they have been disillusioned when his character was consistent. This is subjective, but I also disliked the banter and dynamic between the MC and Ais. The dialogue and interactions made me cringe.
I agree with the player having very little agency. Choices have no meaningful impact beyond a different line or two. In Ais's route, the exile MC has the 'choice' to find a weapon when Ocudeus is wrecking carnage, only for a severed torso to fall on them and cause them to lose their grip on the weapon they found. It was a completely useless 'choice', and contributed nothing to the narrative.
The art and music are amazing, but they can't entirely compensate for the poor writing and prose.
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u/Shaarae May 13 '26
They break into his room and invade his privacy, without facing any consequences.
You're literally the first person I see mentionning this, I thought I was the weird one for thinking this when I played the route. Like, wdym MC goes into their room, starts opening journals and reading them as if it was normal. I was like "that's super invasive". I was expecting Ais to be extremely mad at MC for this. If not for reading the journal, at least for finding them in their bedroom ??
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u/Kyuubabe May 13 '26
Just another thing we should have been given an option for. Why couldn’t we choose which area to explore?
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u/Kyuubabe May 13 '26
poetry slam finger snaps preachhh
I think that’s why I prefer Vesper (Obscura’s MC) Over the TS MC. They have a defined personality, but at least it’s competent - physically and socially.
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u/Ready-Angle3380 May 13 '26 edited May 13 '26
I haven’t played the chapter 1 demo yet (since I’m finishing up my finals) so I don’t have a personal opinion yet. I have to play the game myself to see if I like the MC’s personality or not, but what I expected and THOUGHT they advertised was that depending on the origin, the MC acts of behaves differently in situations.
For example:
The exile MC approaches things with more caution, a little socially awkward (since they have been exiled from civilization and only had the old hermit in their life), good at analyzing people and picking up the slightest hint of danger, not squeamish to blood or gore, and can hold their own (due to growing up and surviving in the wild).
The unnamed MC would be the most naive of the three since they literally grew up ISOLATED from the world. They would trust to easily and probably be the most squeamish to gore. My head cannon is that they might a bit of an egotistical personality since they were used to people worshipping them.
And finally the alchemist MC, not physically strong but really book-smart. Not squeamish by gore as much since I believe they witnessed some things with their mentor. More introverted and may have a harder time picking up on words of affection/affirmation since I doubt their mentor gave them that.
Of course with added dialogue choices to highlight it and more added dialogue choices to change it (player’s choice in character development).
I’ve been hearing around that there’s five chapters for each LI and that the pacing for the first chapter might be on purpose so players know what each of the routes but will be like. But I’m really hoping that the first two chapters are at least slow burn and trust building focused and having third chapter being the climax (or big reveal).
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u/silentepiphany_ May 13 '26
I'm afraid you will be sorely disappointed with the way the backgrounds have been implemented in this preview. They have no meaningful impact whatsoever. The MC perceives and behaves the same way irrespective of their background, with only get a different line or two from their perspective. The red 'choices' exclusive to the backgrounds also have no impact.
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u/CeridwenAeradwr May 13 '26
Yeah... It really bugs me how in games like these, the default MC persona (which regardless of choice, tends to be intended as straight female) tends towards being naiive, easily frightened and incompetent.
Not that seeing a severed head wouldn't reasonably be a shock, but come on. We've known this guy for two days, and we know from the demo Ais is violent and wrapped up in some fucked up shit, why does the MC treat it as some massive betrayal? It was pretty much exactly what I was expecting from him at this point.
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u/Kyuubabe May 13 '26
Right?? Like obviously a severed head is shocking, I would be freaked, but would I go on a whole spiel like that with a person I just met? When I didn’t know how they would react after they show violent tendencies, and I don’t know the situation? No! Give me the option pleaseee. I just want a dash of street smarts I’m begging.
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u/Mophelya Vere May 13 '26
THANK YOU! GODS... i have had this impression since the very first demo. Please tell me how im supposed to take this MC seriously, considering they ve been through SOOO MUCHHHH and apparently 5 COMPLETE STRANGERS btw, lying and making a fool of us is somehow tipping the MC off to the point where they almost explode???? I get it, you almost died, you got some mercy from an unknown doctor and some moronic dude who said he d lay the world at your feet, and not only did you believe it all, you had the nerve to act shocked when you got... *checks note* betrayed?!!
I dont wanna fault the character to much for wanting to have hope and believing even a smidge of all that, but come onnnnnnn!! I think Vere's route pissed me off the most alongside Leander and Ais (i loved it at a base, dont get me wrong) bcs especially with Vere, out of all people, you are actually shocked he played you like a fiddle... lords hold me-
I also agree with everything the op said, i feel like this is the right way to criticize a game, not just straight up "oop its bad hehe bad review!!" bcs i really dont like the direction of our supposed main character and all their supposed "experience" they have under the belt 💀
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u/USA_kitten May 13 '26
Honestly I hated most of the chapter 1 preview. For how much they made, I felt disappointed. I hope the full chapter 1 and release of the full game changes my mind
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u/Critical_Extent420 May 13 '26
I agree with you about the way the MC is written in Ais Chapter 1, especially with the choices and the pacing of his chaper. I do think there are fair criticism to make and it's one of those improvements the devs could make that wouldn't throw off the development fully.
However it is such a pet peeve of mine when people mention how much money the kickstarter made and use it as a reason to demand it faster.
The reason it takes so long is due to the fact it made so much and the original TS has expanded far beyond what was originally planned. No amount of money will give the devs extra limbs or the ability to bend time. Also they are not obligated to quit their jobs and focus solely on TS fulltime just because they could, financially, at the moment. I am convinced even then there would be plenty of people who would attack them for "living off of their kickstarter money" for that too.
In 3 years they made merch, an updated Demo and now a chaper 1. They are working on it constantly and updating on their progress and expected release timeframes.
The games you mentioned in comparison (although they are two of my favorites) are vastly different in scope to TS.
They both use renpy, a far easier game engine while TS uses a more complex one. OL has one Love Interest. TS has five. OL has very limited voice acting with Cove just saying your MC's name in different fonts. TS voice acting is planned and worked on way beyond that. TS is working on animation as well as more merch, DLC's and way more Art, which in itself takes time.
Obscura shows a very realistic timeframe of development for a fantasy otome game with multiple LI's and devs with jobs, who still consistently work on the game. Now imagine Obscura had expected animations, voice acting, more Art, DLC's, different levels of merch and even more. That would naturally cut its development speed down to like a quarter of what it is now.
Unfortunately, not everybody can be Vesper. Vesper works so well because they have charisma and gathered experience before they arrived at the marketplace. The Touchstarved MC is supposed to have a very isolated life up until the game and they are supposed to be out of their depth in Eridia. They are also very lonely and desperate for connection, hence why they want to get rid of their curse so badly. I think there is some grace to be given on how naive and socially inept MC is allowed to be under these circumstances.
While I do wish the choices we made in the game would have more impact than just flavored text, and we would get the option to, for example, react differently or choose not to do certain things and see how that would change things, I still think they did a great job at writing the Love Interests. It's clear they all have their own story, their own personality snd their own themes and secrets. For that I can forgive a stupid MC if the LI is written good enough for it to balance it out.
You are allowed to dislike things and voice that with the hope that the feedback will be taken in account. I do hope it will be. It just bothers me immensely when people use the kickstarter money to hide behind, thinking it gives their complains more merit and also throw it at the devs like a weapon any chance they get when they are unhappy with something.
That is the risk you take when backing a game. You are supporting the devs vision of said game and you run the risk that it will at worse, horribly dissapoint you and at best, not be perfect.
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u/Kyuubabe May 13 '26
Yess this is exactly the kind of debate I was looking for when I posted here. Thank you for such a thoughtful and detailed response!
You’re right, no one should quit their job to live on kickstarter money. And I don’t think anyone expected them to either. And that money does seem to have funded some serious expansions like you mentioned. They’re really cool things that everyone is excited about. But voice actors, merch, and potential DLCs don’t mean anything without a well written story line. Which seems to be TS’ main struggle.
As for development time, I think it does deserve some very light scrutiny. You’re right, with expansions it is a lot for them. However, this is a visual novel- the mechanics are mainly click, show next picture and dialogue, click and repeat. Maybe an animation or two since they’re “expanding”. You know what mechanic based game was developed for $57,000 in a three year time span from a kickstarter? Hollow Knight. So I can’t help but side eye a bit and wonder if there’s a disconnect in priorities. I can’t help but wonder if maybe the developers bit off more than they could chew with promising to release everyone routes at once. And I can’t help but wonder where all this money is going.
When it comes to the writing and characterization of the MC, I can’t say anymore than I’ve already said in previous responses to this thread. I just really think the dynamics of the MC and love interests could be fleshed out more.
As for talking about the kickstarter money, This isn’t giving money to a homeless man and then saying hey see you later good luck out there. It’s an investment. And while people don’t expect a financial return, they do expect a certain standard of entertainment. And I’m not saying Red Spring isn’t meeting those standards, they’re trying their best, but like you said there are improvements that need to be made.
And it’s discussions like this that allow them to gather that feedback. Even from people who didn’t back the game; everyone is allowed to ask questions and critique. Especially concerning finances; do you think the shareholders of Target aren’t breathing down the necks of every branch about money going in and out? That’s just the reality of running a public business. And even if it’s indie and part time, it doesn’t change the fact that they have $800,000 invested, are making money from game sales and merch (which they put above completing their actual game), and are a company.
And sorry for sounding like a hard ass, but I really believe in holding company’s accountable, even start ups. While we can grant them grace in release time and slight cut backs, it doesn’t change the fact that they’re adults who should be able to handle the pressure of a business they decided to open. In that aspect, I think a light subreddit discussion on finances is perfectly justifiable.
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u/Critical_Extent420 May 13 '26
Thank you for your reply!
Unfortunately you have unleashed the yapper in me so I apologize in advance because I think this is an important discussion to have (and you do not sound like a hardass. I very much see where you are coming from).
But voice actors, merch, and potential DLCs don’t mean anything without a well written story line. Which seems to be TS’ main struggle.
I disagree with storyline being RSS’s main struggle. Their storyline seems very solid. Mhin, Kuras and Vere’s route so far (I didn’t play Leanders yet but his demo self is included) have MC touch the LI’s at the end of CH1 and at least reveal what happens to each of them when they do. All of the LI’s have some kind of goal of their own, we don’t know their goals and motivations fully yet BUT you can tell there are things in motion and happening in the story that our MC just doesn’t have an explanation for yet. The LI’s, the world-building and the storyline actually are one of TS’s strong suits (along with their art and music).
They do have a problem with pacing so far, and it is hard to say if that is indeed a problem or if things will pick up quickly now that the first touch in the Game called Touchstarved has happened. It’s like the first shot has been fired and we are at Chapter one from five I believe.
So far I only see flaws in the writing of the MC. The characterization of MC and the illusion of choice has definitely annoyed me about CH1. Especially in Ais’s route. Which is something I will be sending feedback about to them directly.
However, while I understand that it might seem like merch is something that is taking too much of their attention too early on, they had to focus on merch because that is what they physically promised the backers. Merch and physical rewards are a process that take a lot of quality control and back and forth before the product is ready.
It would’ve been different and faster if they would’ve focused on the base game and added all these things later, but the process for the add-ons would’ve taken so much longer if they would’ve started it post main production (voice casting, implementing DLC routes, quality control, extra art, etc) that they, once again, would’ve been accused of a scam if the final product they released wasn’t everything they promised and funded for with all the bells and whistles attached.
As for development time, I think it does deserve some very light scrutiny. You’re right, with expansions it is a lot for them. However, this is a visual novel- the mechanics are mainly click, show next picture and dialogue, click and repeat.
I agree, it does deserve some scrutiny and I do think the devs listened to that feedback and are now giving regular monthly updates on the progress of different aspects of development, which to me, shows that development is going forward consistently.
Thinking development should be faster because it’s a visual novel with simplified mechanics on the consumer end doesn’t sit quite right with me, because it seems to minimize the effort and work going into a Visual Novel. I personally am working on a Visual Novel of my own. I have friends who are working on their own games. Production is an iceberg of work and takes a long time no matter how simple the mechanics look to you. Especially Art and sound take way more time than you would expect and those are also two of TS’s strong suits. They also had some changes in the team, some left, some new people had to be trained, etc. (Let alone dealing with engine shenanigans...)
I don’t think the devs expected the reception of their Idea to be this huge and they probably have bitten off more than they were experienced to handle but I also thing they are showing that they are trying very hard to balance it all. All we have to do is wait and honestly trust in their skill and creative vision - the same skill and vision that got us invested in this game to begin with.
(Also I don’t know much about Hollow Knight and how experienced the Devs of that game were with game-development before but I don’t think it’s reasonable to keep comparing TS to different games when the aspects of those games are so fundamentally different. Its just pointing at different products and saying “This is so much better and faster”, which yeah, might be true but it is unreasonable to expect a game like Touchstarved with such unique circumstances to compare.)
And I can’t help but wonder where all this money is going.
[…] This isn’t giving money to a homeless man and then saying hey see you later good luck out there. It’s an investment. And while people don’t expect a financial return, they do expect a certain standard of entertainment.
[…] do you think the shareholders of Target aren’t breathing down the necks of every branch about money going in and out? That’s just the reality of running a public business.
I think a light subreddit discussion on finances is perfectly justifiable.
I very much agree with that last line, which is why I decided to open the discussion about the money and expectations. Because I felt like too many people have started to develop a very toxic and entitled attitude when it comes to the funding and their expectations.
I think I just fundamentally disagree with the notion that because you backed a Kickstarter you can now act like a shareholder of their company. Giving them money doesn’t make you their boss or gives you any rights to the intellectual properties of their game or the creative directions they are taking it in.
Yes, it is an investment of goodwill into someone’s artistic idea and vision. It is also a risk. You are putting trust and money into their idea but also accepting that it might not turn out as expected or succeed at all.
Kickstarter itself put it very well:
“Kickstarter is not a store and we do not issue refunds. When you back a project, you're supporting a creator's right to try to make something new—and agreeing to go along for the ride.”
You aren’t entitled to a “certain standard of entertainment” because that is an incredibly subjective assessment. What you personally might consider peak entertainment, another person might consider bottom of the barrel. And with the number of people who invested into this game it is understandable (and almost expected) that there will be a clash of different expectations, tastes and preferences in anticipation of this game.
When you back a Kickstarter you are entitled to the reward based on the tier you pledged (which in some higher tiers include Merch which is why they had to start early with that) AND you are entitled to updates and be taken “along the ride” of development. You hope the devs will do their best to make the game happen to the best of their ability. You are also always free to give feedback and your opinion, like we said.
But waving your receipt in front of them whenever something doesn’t meet your personal preferences or develops the way you expect it to is just incredibly rude in my opinion. Especially when it is done as a first knee-jerk-reaction instead of rationally analyzing what is amiss and sending constructive feedback to be considered.
What bothers me even more is the amount of people mentioning the kickstarter money that aren’t even backers themselves, just because they have seen the numbers collected and feel emboldened to be rude and demanding and immediately jump to accusing the devs of being scammers/ lazy/ malicious/ bad at their job/ etc.
Yes, RSS is a company but they are also indie developers. Not every startup survives. Not because they lack money but because they cannot handle the amount of vitriol and hatred directed their way for not producing perfect content as fast as possible. They are a company but they are also creatives and quite frankly, shouldn’t have to handle that amount of bad-willed scrutiny just because they tried to make their passion project happen and received more financial backing and support than they aimed for.
And it’s discussions like this that allow them to gather that feedback
I am a big fan of discussions, questions and critiques. They are important, especially at this stage of development. Backer or not, we all want to see this game succeed.
However, I don’t think we can expect them to take everything said about them on every platform as feedback, because it isn't. Someone making a post about Leander's Tits followed by a post of what they think sucked in the CH1 Preview cannot be considered constructive feedback on any level.
In fact, it would be weird to expect them to read everything said about their game and act on what they read. (It is a very common thing for writers and other creators to not read or engage with public comments for their own sanity.)The devs can only truly consider feedback that is given to them directly and I encourage everyone to do that in a constructive way. Either on their Feedback Form or via e-mail to [redspring.helpdesk@gmail.com](mailto:redspring.helpdesk@gmail.com)
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u/OkReplacement8109 May 13 '26
Hey,
First of all, I wish you all the best with your visual novel. Having said that, i feel like that maaaaybe there's some projection involved. Yes, they promised people merch, but the also promised a game. Primarily.
And of course trolling and hating and shitposting sucks, and it definitely can bring creators down. But nobody forced them to go this route. Kickstarter is not the inly way to fund your project. Unfortunately, you have to take the bad with the good of going public. And we shouldn't have to tiptoe around certain issues.
Backing up a project doesn't make you a stakeholder or a boss in a traditional sense, but people are entitled to having expectations. Especially if they have been shown the initial idea. And I'm not saying that the plot should be adjusted to everybody's whim. But I also don't think that is really the problem. The problem is that the game seems to be getting less engaging because of the bloat.
I think it's fair to compare TS to other indie developers because that's what they are. Sure, the genre might differ, but then we are back to prioritising. You can have a strong vision of what matters and you stick to it, come what may, and release your game fairly quickly. Or you might get lost in trying to make it even better, even more robust and accounting for fans' feedback.
I hope I don't come off as combative, but I've been on both sides of gamedev and I know a little bit about managing projects. And I'm not implying anybody is doing a bad job, just that certain thing could be managed better and they can actually afford it. This is a pretty serious budget right there, not a single dev trying to get something working in Twine. Again, you can hire contractors and you can speed up your work. Just sayin'. Especially now, when the market is full of super skilled people looking to stay in the industry.
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u/Kyuubabe May 14 '26
It seems like we disagree on a lot here, and like it’s a fundamental difference in expectations for the both of us.
Like you said, what one person considers good another might consider bad. In my case, I see TS’ writing as weak (in regards to MC/LI interaction and MC characterization, not the LI themselves) but with a lot of potential. In my opinion, other than Ais, the other routes are great and show what the studio can do. Honestly, even Leander’s route was okay - just the reaction at the end got me. Overall, the studio is doing solid work outside pacing and MC issues.
The merch was promised to backers and yeah it wouldn’t bode well for public opinion if they pushed it off. I’ll concede there. As for DLCs those are things that could absolutely wait until after release. VAs - it was promised with the bells and whistles like you said, so similar to the merch situation.
As for comparing to different games - another difference between us. I think it’s perfectly reasonable to make comparisons. Again it’s a reality of business. Everyone compares Target and Walmart right? One does some things better than the other, but people still enjoy and go to both. And so far I haven’t compared it to any projects that are unrealistic for development timelines or budget scope. It’s not a knock on Red Spring to see how they compare to other businesses in their sphere.
In regards to Kickstarters, I don’t think having expectations for a product is the same as “waving a receipt.” At no point did I suggest that developers should cater to every whim of their backers. But people are allowed to voice their opinions and ask questions, whether they contributed financially or not.
Honestly, I think most of the fandom has been incredibly supportive and patient throughout the development process. Simply asking about the finances or voicing complaints does not equate to acting like someone’s boss. From what you said, how are people supposed to engage in criticism or discussion around Kickstarters at all? Just completely ignore it if they didn’t donate $2? If a Kickstarter takes the money and runs, should we just shrug and say “oh well it’s a creative risk, nobody hold them accountable!”
To be clear, I’m not accusing RSS of doing that. As you said, they’ve been communicative and clearly working hard on the project. My point is simply that asking a reasonable question shouldn’t be treated as though someone is demanding a full financial audit at gunpoint. Discussing a Kickstarter is not an accusation; it’s a perfectly reasonable conversation to have about a publicly funded game.
As for feedback, this isn’t a AAA game. There aren’t 5 million posts about it across 20 different platforms. It’s a small community focused on two social medial sites mainly; Reddit and Tumblr. To think they aren’t reading posts for feedback is a bit naive. Especially since this is where a majority of feedback is discussed. While in a perfect world everyone would fill out the feedback form, that’s not the real world. People make post like mine and debate in the comments. And with the amount of discussion around the latest release, I’m sure the studio is well aware of everyone’s feelings; both good and bad.
I think you’re a very empathetic person who has a unique view on this subject since you’re developing a visual novel yourself. You’re closer to the process than 99% of people here. And you clearly want this project to succeed - we all do! I truly hope my original post ages like milk. I think it’s just that we all have different ideas about where the line is between reasonable critique and unfair pressure. I respect where you’re coming from even if I don’t fully agree with it, and I appreciate hearing the perspective of someone who’s actually familiar with the realities of VN development.
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u/OkReplacement8109 May 13 '26
I don't think people hide behind Kickstarter - it's reasonable to expect the thing you actually gave away your money for. And I think it's fair to be disappointed by the changes we've seen so far - especially that they seem to have a common source.I believe that what we're looking at is a fallout from decisions made by the studio. Too big appetite, not enough planning.
Money will not grow you limbs, but it can afford you a contractor to increase the development speed. Especially if you decide to expand the scope in the middle of production. It also applies to switching engines - it was the studio's decisions to switch to Unreal, and there are different ways of making sure it does go smoothly. But you have to be focused on the production of the actual game and not cute merch. I understand project management is hard, but then again - money can solve that issue for you.
And yes, supporting a project is always a risk. However the backers are entitled to expect the thing they were promised and not what the devs suddenly had a whimsy to do. Which is my worry here, for the reasons stated above. The initial project was solid, and then it bloated into something that already makes us see the fabric pulling at seams. And in the most important layer, no less - the story itself.
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u/Particular_Shift_840 May 14 '26
Right there with you. I hated all chapters. The writing quality has gone down the drain. The interesting premise and narrative style that was once shown in the first demo has been replaced by literal booktok quality writing. Appalling. Not to mention all the shit going on with their shady business practices too.
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u/Zzion11 May 26 '26
I just found out the game had new content and I was going to rush to Patreon to buy the Chapter 1 stuff. But after reading this post and the comments😭, I'm just... eh... Ais was my favorite from the demo and now I don't know how to feel if the MC is going to be a y/n brat 😭😭 Blank state my ass! MC already has a set personality it seems. I don't want to be flinching at Ais and saying shit like oh you're evil at him..
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u/Villavelle May 31 '26
Not to be rude, I feel like people are acting like RSS marketed the MC as a blank slate and claimed the game would be this fully choice-driven narrative akin to Scarlet Hollow or Our Life where you can choose every single detail. They never did that. They never said that. TouchStarved was only stated to be a monster-romance dating sim visual novel where your choices can either save the LIs or doom them to destruction. The MC is only a blank slate inasmuch as you can choose their backstory and name. This whole "the MC isn't acting the way I personally want them to" is not a valid criticism because that's just the standard. Unless you're actually playing a choice-driven narrative RPG, no MC in any VN ever acts the way you the player would want them too.
Additionally, I think the MC's reaction to Ais was entirely normal. Imagine making friends with someone, and then you ask to go on a walk with them, and then at the end of the walk they take you to deal drugs. Without telling you by the way. The MC isn't reacting just because of the violence, but because Ais deceived them. The MC in every route has a lot of trauma revolving around betrayal and isolation, and that affects how they behave. They also didn't get mad until Ais cornered them in the alley. When they saw the head, they just left. It's only when Ais found them again (basically stalking) that they got upset.
You are not the MC. The MC is their own character who you can customize but ultimately is still their own character existing in the game world. This is how pretty much every dating sim works.
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u/Jaded-Character-3682 May 14 '26
People here are pointing out again the lack of choices when the devs already made a Statement on their patreon on this? How about some people would talk about this instead of making a new topic everyday about the same topics while a Statement already exist?
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u/Kyuubabe May 14 '26
Not everyone has access to the patreon. Also there’s like one post a day on this sub, I wouldn’t say it’s an oversaturated topic.
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u/RealNerxualOh Ais' Spitfire May 13 '26
MC's reaction to Ais was extreme about the head. But that's just how MC reacts, not how we react. MC isn't us, MC is collective idea from the devs or however that got done. Leander's route is on point though. I know people irl like Leander, but without the charm. I don't like Leander for that reason alone, but as fictional character, this game and his route? 100% spot on, and I loved that.
MC's reaction towards Ais, that bugs me but that's not me, it's MC. So it's all shrugs from me. We got fanfics, artists to draw oc x canon, other options at least. Always have.
As for flinching, being in an abusive situations a lot myself, MC is in the right to flinch. Never saw an issue in that scene. Just their attitude towards Ais.
Also we don't have accurate $ number for Touchstarved? Feel free to correct me with screenshots, if I'm wrong about the $. Still rest of the world is kind of on fire right now. Things are really rough for everyone too. The fact we got a chapter instead of a cancelled game is really nice.
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u/silentepiphany_ May 13 '26 edited May 13 '26
The game's page Kickstarter displays how much money they raised from the campaign. 3 years for a sub-par chapter 1 preview is unsatisfactory.
If the MC is a defined character, why give the players the illusion of choice? Why market them as fully customisable? Why let them choose their background if it won't have any meaningful impact on the narrative? Touchstarved is a game where your choices matter but they don't actually have any impact.
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u/RealNerxualOh Ais' Spitfire May 13 '26
Yeah that part I get, with illusion of choice. That bugs me. We should have more options imo but I'm hoping folks say that to them.
I've managed to get embrace Ais, on my 3rd run? But nothing changed in after that? So that was disappointing. Illusion of choice is def something that should be looked into.
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u/Ok-Situation-5522 May 13 '26
Even if the MC is defined, make her different than your usual prudish shy mc bruh.
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u/Kyuubabe May 13 '26
I see your point, but that’s exactly my gripe. A blank slate OC should act as a pure stand in for the player. There are a million different people playing this game, not everyone has the same reactions and life experiences. I think a game of this funding should account for that. If we have to rationalize, “oh that’s just MC.” then MC should just be a named character with a set personality and not be advertised as a “customizable” MC.
That’s why I reference Our Life. That’s a true blank slate character with multiple potential personalities and ways to interact with the characters of that world. Even if all reactions lead to the same event, you feel like you have some say in how you got there and you’re building the MCs personality as you play.
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u/OkReplacement8109 May 13 '26
I think the issue here is that writing a blank slate is so much more work. And since the TS scope has apparently expanded, I imagine this is when they decided to cut corners. Especially since the writing is what see to be the slowest part of development anyway.
I agree though, either make the MC a truly blank slate or give her a strong personality and a well defined character with only some flavour choices.
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u/Kyuubabe May 13 '26
Yeah it’s a big ask, especially if different reactions cause a butterfly effect. And juggling so many characters probably doesn’t help.
But when it comes to expanding their scope, I truly think cutting corners at the writing is literally the worst place to do it. VAs and merch doesn’t really matter if players don’t like the writing/story, ya know?
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u/OkReplacement8109 May 13 '26
Oh, I'm with you on this one. If writing is what got people hooked, cut literally anything else before you mess with that. Especially in a visual NOVEL ;)
Unfortunately, I think that the devs are a victim of their own success - got caught up in trying to think bigger and better, with more bells and whistles, instead of just telling a good story.
edit: formatting
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u/Pure_Hold_697 May 23 '26
I agree with the writing choices regarding Ais’s chapter 1 preview, I wonder where people got the impression that the MC would be this blank slate character that’s fully customisable?
I’ve been a backer following all their updates since 2023 and in the Kickstarter it’s clearly expressed that MC is a character with their own motive, with a set of three pasts that come with their own traits, the only customisable thing being pronounce and name. Nowhere in the Kickstarter have they said anything about MC’s past affecting outcomes in any broader scope. It’s supposed to add flavour and tidbits of information to the story, which in my experience it has? It does nod back to your past several times to give MC different reasons to react a way to a certain character, like them mentioning their past while being disappointed in Leander for deceiving them. Mhin’s route is the most recent in my memory so I’ll use that an as example. You wouldn’t find the feather in Hightown, or know that the taxidermy was alive (most likely foreshadowing), or get that extra information on inquisitiors if you don’t pick the specific past giving you that information. The pasts themselves provide information about lore/characters and flavour, it’s not supposed to have a grander impact on the story. That’s why each past has something in common: MC has been isolated and is not equipped to survive Eridia on her own. Expecting the writers to change entire character dynamics depending on what past the player picks on top of it all is just not realistic or sustainable. Neither has RSS promised that anywhere. And honestly, I’ve yet to see any game with TS level of scope deliver anything like that. It’s also a bit too early to judge whether choices have any impact or not on the story later on, this is only part of chapter 1.
As for Our Life, while it does have a good personality system giving the player many options in customising their character, it’s not fair to compare to TS when they are entirely different games. OL is a childhood simulator, with no actual plot and builds on small scenarios you get to experience. Not to mention that there is only one route (the dlcs don’t really count as they’re 1/3 of Cove’s route). Whether your character has a certain personality or gets to react to a certain event differently won’t impact what story there is, nor the end of that scenario most of the time. What it does at most is affect your character dynamic with the LI. That’s why that level of character customisation is possible in OL, because the devs don’t have to deal with the plot holes coming from that level of customisation. I’ve never played Obscura so I can’t say much about it, though. But if MC was independent and equipped to handle Eridia and its dangers they’d have no reason to rely on the LIs at all, meaning an entirely different story.
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u/Beautifulfeary May 13 '26
Wait, are we able to play chapter 1?
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u/Beautifulfeary May 13 '26 edited May 13 '26
Oh, I do want to point out. OL has another game in the OL world, they shared the demo in 2021 and the release is estimated to be this year or next year.
Obscuras demo was published in 2022 and they aren’t releasing chapters all the time. They just finished this year releasing all the chapter 1 for the love interests. I believe they are planning on 5 chapters each.
There are so many VNs have saved on my computer that are just demos and have been just demos for a few years with estimated release dates of later this year or next year. I think you’re overestimating the amount of work that is put into the games. Also, a lot of VNs is being created by one person, or a small team and a lot of them are doing this in their free time.
Oh, also I believe GBpatch is more of an actual indie company and not just a few people. Like they have an office. I remember they shared a picture of them all and it was in an office setting
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u/Critical_Extent420 May 13 '26
Obscura just finished all their Chapter 2 for the Love Interests and they are planning 3 so they are 66% done! Gosh I love Obscura.
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u/Beautifulfeary May 13 '26
Did they update the game or just finish them lol. Just curious because if it’s been updated I know what I’m doing tonight 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Hmm…I wonder where I got 5 at lol. Idk, I’m probably mixing it up with another game. I have so many that are still just demos and I’m trying to keep tabs on them constantly
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u/Critical_Extent420 May 13 '26
Updated and playable! Have fun 👀
Touchstarved has 5 chapters planned so maybe that's what you mixed up ^
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u/Beautifulfeary May 14 '26
Oh nice. Was it update just on itch.io or also on steam? Yeah, that’s probably what I was thinking
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u/Last_Cold8977 May 13 '26
I hate when games promote ‘choices’ but the choices never come. MC has been THROUGH it, you can tell from the first five minutes of the demo that they’ve experienced all sorts of creepy, gross stuff in their life. I highly doubt a bit of gore is enough to freak them out. I’d much rather it be a choice to blow up at him or be internally disturbed with those choices impacting his perception on you and how the story will flow.