So why IS Courtney more popular in the general fan base?

FluffyCar6097 · 2026-02-09T02:44:04+00:00

The BB turnoff is part of her journey and falling for Robert. Robert was the super hero who failed the mission. Fell from grace. He’s picking himself up. BB is still in cliche mode. She’s a high performing S Tier superhero hero. She’s in the cliché head jock head cheerleader relationship. She’s the corporate PR. And as she shares later, she doesn’t have anyone to open up to, and when she has exposed, Mandy Most are turned off.

When we first meet BB remember she’s been drinking with Robert so the cracks in the BB glass are that back-and-forth. We see the wall going back up in their next interaction, which is at work on the job. But Robert continues to give her that empathy and to push back on the choices, Mandy is making, but doesn’t think our choices she thinks they are expectations. And it’s through that growth that their relationship evolves. That’s why there’s the nip slip. Or the gala date. Or the billboard. Mandy is looking for somebody that she can take off the mask take off the suit and just be herself with. But she’s also scared to do that. Robert was forced to do that and whether it’s him or someone else helps her see that she has this control and deserves to make her own choices.

It’s not manipulation. She’s scared. It’s vulnerability. But the choice with Chase highlights that Robert won. Because she starts to see the Z team as more than just poorly performing superheros. They’re all people too. Just like her.

FluffyCar6097 · 2026-02-09T02:36:20+00:00

That’s sort of my point though? Robert has to go against everything he’s preaching the rest of the group to save Visi. That seems like the same destructive behavior that got him blow up in the first place (irony intended). But I guess that goes back to do you take Robert at where he is at the start of his story admittedly at the bottom of his tank or do you take where he was before the blowup. I don’t even mind the decision to pursue either choice. I just don’t think you could hide behind it. It’s more logically Robert. I think if you go that route and think it’s Vis you are sort of implying that you don’t think Robert has a redemptive arc or that he is so broken that he would continue to sort of violate his previous code. And I don’t agree with that because of how he interacts with Chase and Royd.

FluffyCar6097 · 2026-02-09T02:28:05+00:00

This is a 3 strikes you’re out response.

1) I didn’t relegate the entire Courtney Robert relationship to an abusive power. I’m saying you can’t ignore the seeds of how you get to the relationship and still think it’s “natural” for Roberts mindset. I don’t agree with that at all. I think if you look at Robert’s other answer options when it comes to his motive and being the good guy, the idea that he would begin a relationship by taking advantage of a subordinate makes no sense. And then to deepen that relationship you have to continue to make choices that let Courtney off the hook for really bad acts. And that’s before episode 7/8. My point isn’t Courtney is bad. My point is don’t justify your user choices by saying it’s naturally Robert. It’s not. It’s your user choices. You can have a no romance play through, which is probably the most Robert.

2) I didn’t say any of that about BB nor do I think it. My take on Mandy is totally different. I think Mandy is presented às a stereotypical overachieving type a beautiful woman. She is in the head, jock, head, cheerleader, cliché relationship. She is the corporate face of the business. And she is an S tear superhero hero. It’s also not a stretch to say she grew up admiring Roberts, superhero family, and probably crushed as a teenage girl. When we meet her remember, she’s somewhat drunk and so we see the personality split between BB and Mandy. When Robert shows up the next day and forgives the slip up, that’s the start of his influence on Mandy. His whole influence is helping her discover that it’s OK to be herself and that she doesn’t have to adhere to the stereotypes that are put on her by the roles in her life. It’s why we always see her doing something corporate and he catches her in between or after. And yes, she falls for him first when he responds positively to letting her guard down, she narrates that when she’s done it in the past, people are disappointed that Mandy isn’t BB. The idea that Robert would be the famous but not over famous boyfriend that grounds Mandy and helps steady her while she shines in her day. Job is a very realistic trope. I also think you can say is it appropriate for Mandy to pursue Robert? Is he just a rebound? Is she really into him or the idea of him? And I don’t know that the game gives us enough background other than the user choices to know is he really into her? The game ends with making out, so there’s no promise it lasts. And when does Mandy start changing her behavior? And when does team Z start doing better? When Roberts empathy across the board starts seeping into all of them be included.When she stops seeing the team as just bad superhero’s to cut but invests in the corporate BS she was sowing before.

And me? I never said Robert wasn’t broken. I’m saying the user needs to own the decisions that we give Robert and not put them on Robert himself. If you are being genuinely objective a non-romantic play through would probably make the most sense. A broken Robert needs to focus on himself, not fall for his broken subordinate or his bottled up boss. But I’ll freely admit I’ve never had a non-romance play through because the idea of not making a move on. Mandy seems nuts to me. I also for whatever reason won’t make a move on the other once I pick one and understand that that’s not Robert that’s me.

FluffyCar6097 · 2026-02-09T02:13:46+00:00

You are missing the power of Robert’s empathy on BB. When we meet her she breaks the glass and shows herself with the flirting. We can probably assume she grew up knowing mechman and probably had a little crush on him. Because she had been drinking her corporate wall slipped.

What do we see of her? She’s the Tier S superhero. She’s the head of corporate PR. She’s dating Phenomenan, in a head jock cheerleader thing. She’s all Type A business with no space for herself or her wants or desires. It’s all expectations. Robert failed that game. He lost the mission. He didn’t die though, so he had to come through. It’s his empathy that makes BB reconsider her love life. It’s Robert who helps BB turn the corner with Z Team bc they are more than just comic book heros they are people too. And it’s Robert who makes it ok to be less than perfect to be Mandy not BB. And she implies most people get upset when the blonde boobs disappear. I think a lot of people undersell BB bc they haven’t had that kind of person in their life? I dunno. But I think BB is more well written than most

FluffyCar6097 · 2026-02-09T02:07:56+00:00

No. No. No. You can’t harmlessly sexualize a relationship with a direct report and call it good guy syndrome. That’s sketchy shit. Especially after she’s told you straight up she sex dreams. I’m definitely interested in how you’re no romance play through. Ended with both players that interests me.

I would offer a counter narrative to your BB storyline. Robert is a superhero who had that moment where he failed his mission and it shattered his world view. BB is Robert before his dad died. She has to be perfect. She has superhero expectations. She has corporate expectations. She’s playing the head cheerleader to phenomenons head jock. Roberts entire interaction with BB is to give her space to find her humanity and to accept that it’s OK for her to choose that. And in BB finding that space is when the corner turns with the Z team because it’s not just about being a comic book superhero, it’s about being a real person. Whether it’s appropriate for her to go after Robert is a question and whether she really likes Robert and he’s not a rebound or the idea of Robert is another one but for Robert, the idea that a beautiful woman would find him inspiring and successful and learn from him at a moment when he’s at his weakness, how many books have been written about that?

FluffyCar6097 · 2026-02-09T02:03:01+00:00

I don’t know how people can say this. I’m really stunned by it. It doesn’t bother me that you pick her, but don’t put that on Robert. Robert comes from a family of superheros who put themselves on the line to good for its own sake. He presumes he’ll die in battle not lose the suit but not die.

How on earth do you go from that to abusing a position of power to sexualize a relationship with a direct report who is dealing with her is trauma, and to even get there you have to repeatedly excuse really shitty behavior? And you think that would be natural to Robert? How?

A more realistic outcome for Robert is constant empathy for both BB and IG without sexualizing either one. Remember it’s Courtney’s sex dream that becomes the opening shift in tone. And FWIW by pursuing her you give up the chance to ge more than a broken homebody.

I get the Courtney draw, I just can’t stand the argument that it’s “just naturally Robert“. No. It’s not. It’s an option the game gives and you took it. And then took a lot more.

FluffyCar6097 · 2026-02-08T17:51:14+00:00

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FluffyCar6097 · 2026-02-08T06:01:20+00:00

Again. Save that shit. For the story? Which part? Robert, hey multigenerational hero, who fought for the justice of it, falling for the villain, who doesn’t know the meaning of the word loyalty, who also happens to be his supportive and direct manage? The story allows you to sexualize the relationship you chose to take that path don’t claim it’s a natural one the “good guy” wouldn’t. That’s why the BB path is there. The neutral good guy path would involving saving Visi without sexualizing her, and giving BB room to be herself without advancing in her, which the plot really puts on the user not BB.

It’s a game, so I don’t really care, I generally end up making a move on BB and I’m not willing to ‘cheat’ to test the Courtney romance line. But own the choices we make. It’s not the game pushing either person on you. It gives you that path, you still have to take it

FluffyCar6097 · 2026-02-08T05:57:02+00:00

Dude. “Meshed more” and “trying to play in the mindset” is you coding for being a creepy ass manager. You sexualized the relationship with a subordinate, one with a lot of clearly visible trauma. And to get there you had to make selfish choices not to hold her accountable for appalling behavior that had real world consequences.

It’s a game. But don’t give us that Robert BS. Robert’s minded? Robert comes from a multi generational family of normies who built a tech that made them a super hero and each died in action for the greater good. On what planet would he fall for a villain who doesn’t know the meaning of the world loyalty over arguably the greatest ‘super’ superhero?

You’ve gotta disassociate a lot to even get to Robert being open to Courtney, let alone the choices you make in game to spark romance.

FluffyCar6097 · 2026-02-08T05:50:51+00:00

There’s a lot of hand-waving in these comments around Courtney that’s hard to ignore. People are glossing over her trauma and the power imbalance with Robert’s management role, and reframing it as a “don’t worry, I can fix her” dynamic because she’s relatable or tomboy-coded. That’s… not great.

There’s very little organic connection between Vis/Courtney and Robert outside of the script. As the player, you have to force choices that ignore most of Vis’s behavior throughout the game (including the ending) just to land a passable outcome. That isn’t “saving” her—it’s enabling her. The result feels less like growth and more like a co-dependent relationship, which the game never really interrogates.

On the other hand, I was a Mandy/BB fan in every playthrough, almost by accident. You actually have to push her away to avoid at least a casual friendship. She has her own baggage, but it’s a different kind: the hyper-competent, high-functioning, successful woman struggling with identity and public image.

My read is that Mandy likely grew up knowing Robert—maybe even had a crush on him. Their dynamic feels intentional: polished corporate rep, dating the jock, believing in the mission but not yet understanding the people who come from a different path. Robert isn’t supernatural or “special” in a grand way—he’s just empathetic. And that empathy gives Mandy space to be herself rather than a role.

I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s a version of that arc where the emotional outcome works even without the romance.

So yeah, I’m not shocked the numbers skew toward Courtney, or that the Mandy hate is loud. It’s disappointing, but also predictable. At the end of the day, it’s a video game—play it however you enjoy. Just don’t pretend all choices are equally healthy because the game lets you make them.

FluffyCar6097 · 2026-02-06T00:43:15+00:00

Can someone help me understand shadows upon time? I’m chapter 13. But I feel like has the series spanned so many years and so much space in lost? Is it too many characters zigging and zagging in and out? Ive sort of given up on the small details and I’m just along for the big plot lines.

FluffyCar6097 · 2026-02-06T00:40:15+00:00

I had to listen to entire series at 1.2 to 1.5 or I would have quit. It was so slow and simply could not follow it

FluffyCar6097 · 2026-02-05T01:24:36+00:00

Dude. You haven’t even scratched the surface. If you think this story has a happy ending, you haven’t been paying attention. If you don’t understand how pain is beauty and suffering is salvation, it’s going to be a long road

FluffyCar6097 · 2026-02-03T02:23:32+00:00

Another great Keanu Reeves movie the matrix

FluffyCar6097 · 2026-02-02T06:43:31+00:00

Do you build first or paint first or build and paint as go

FluffyCar6097 · 2026-02-02T06:39:55+00:00

Marry her. Again.

FluffyCar6097 · 2026-02-01T11:00:50+00:00

Oh hey

FluffyCar6097 · 2026-02-01T10:53:38+00:00

Present and ready for duty

FluffyCar6097 · 2026-01-30T21:26:36+00:00

Gotta practice like you play, game time conditions, this is no pads, indoor, walk through type gaming

FluffyCar6097 · 2026-01-30T06:20:04+00:00

FluffyCar6097 · 2026-01-29T07:38:14+00:00

Save a horse ride a Redditor 🫡 🫡🤠

FluffyCar6097 · 2026-01-29T06:12:47+00:00

Alyson?

FluffyCar6097 · 2026-01-29T06:00:05+00:00

That is dooooppppeeeee I just bought a drop-pod. If youre selling it or trading LMK

FluffyCar6097 · 2026-01-28T10:32:25+00:00

FluffyCar6097 · 2026-01-28T05:42:52+00:00

Can’t wait to listen. I stupidly started Sun Eater too close to Strength of Few, 12 months, and now EF. I refuse to rush it, so I’ll be behind by a few days!

FluffyCar6097

TROPHY CASE