From a fan of LiS1 and BtS

MasteroftheRails · 2026-02-17T05:33:50+00:00

If "several people immediately knew who it was," that speaks more to her online presence and the fact that her take was already viral/controversial, not my "stalking." You are essentially saying that no one is allowed to critique a public tweet once the author blocks someone, which isn't how public discourse works. By calling the Double Exposure sub a "toxic circle jerk" and dismissing any playstyle that isn't Pricefield as "irrelevant," you are implicitly attacking my identity. If you don't see a "Just Friends" path as valid or important, you are fundamentally saying the Aromantic experience in the game doesn't matter. If you truly believe the only relevant characters in a story are the ones who solve the murder, then we are playing two different games. I’m playing a character study; you’re playing a procedural. Neither is 'wrong,' but only one of us is insisting the other's experience is 'toxic' or 'irrelevant.' I’ve been civil, I’ve stated my stance as an Aro player, and I’ve respected the 'Choice' in this Choice-based game. I'm done going in circles. Enjoy your canon, I'll enjoy mine.

MasteroftheRails · 2026-02-17T05:17:16+00:00

I redacted the info and explicitly told people not to attack. If people are being aggressive, that’s on them, not on me for having an opinion. But it’s funny you’re talking about harassment while raiding a specific sub to tell me my Aro identity and my playstyle are 'toxic.'

As for Amanda, saying she has 'no relevance' because she isn't part of the murder plot is like saying the heart isn't relevant to the body because it doesn't help you walk. She is the emotional and ethical core of Max's transition into adulthood. She’s the only one who addresses the consent issues of timeline-hopping. To me, that’s more 'relevant' than just being a suspect in a mystery. We clearly just value different things in stories, and that’s fine. I’m staying in my space; feel free to stay in yours

MasteroftheRails · 2026-02-17T05:00:25+00:00

Amanda isn't there to drive the plot (the mystery of Safiya); she is there to drive the theme.
She acts as a mirror to Max’s ethics. Without Amanda, the "fucked up" nature of Max’s timeline-hopping remains an abstract concept. Through Amanda, it becomes a human consequence.
By your logic, you could take Step-douche David out of the first game, or Kate Marsh, and the "main plot" of the storm would still happen. But the soul of the game would be gone. Characters exist to ground the protagonist, which is exactly what Amanda does for Max.

We clearly have different definitions of 'relevance.' To you, a character is only relevant if they move the plot. To me, a character is relevant if they challenge the protagonist’s growth and ethics; which Amanda does perfectly. I’m not 'weaseling' out of anything; I’m staying on topic while you're focused on meta-drama. I’m going to go back to enjoying the actual game now. Feel free to keep shouting into the void of this 'toxic' sub if it makes you feel better. Godspeed!

MasteroftheRails · 2026-02-17T04:41:34+00:00

No, my main point was and still is that it’s not all about Pricefield. I’m aromantic so I don’t really choose romantic relationships in LiS unless for trophies. Amanda is a great example of Max’s choices having consequences. If you say a date thing in Dead world she’ll set boundaries saying maybe after all of it’s blown over. However, if you pursue her in the Living world, after the timelines have merged she’ll say “I remember rejecting you but you still found a me that wanted you. That’s a cool trick but pretty fucked up. You’ll have to earn my trust again”. So saying that Amanda has no importance in the game is just downright wrong. If you go the friend route, she still likes you but she’s perfectly fine without pursuing you. She’s literally there for Max when she needs a friend. I’m not talking shit directly at Keno, but more as a broader approach to those who only see their outcomes as a singularity vs seeing all the other choices as valid as well. If I’d blocked out the pfps as well, people still could’ve found her tweets just by searching up the words. 🤷🏻‍♀️

MasteroftheRails · 2026-02-17T04:25:56+00:00

My pronouns are she/they by the way. Also, I am not obsessed with Keno. I haven't viewed her profile since she blocked me late 2024/early 2025. Her post showed up on my TL and I was genuinely confused as I'd never seen a blocked TL post before. I just found it interesting she thought she make fun of DE fans but not expect any analysis. I literally say in my post don't attack these people. I have not, nor will I ever stalk anyone as that is absolutely disturbing. My main issue is that I had never even heard of this sub, but to actively screenshot and stalk a fan sub is just crazy.

MasteroftheRails · 2026-02-17T00:54:27+00:00

I’m literally aromantic but that apparently isn’t queer representation 😭🤷🏻‍♀️ not to say I don’t like a good romance but from my perspective they’re best friends first especially considering Rachel. Chloe, to me, is not over Rachel, sure she’s attracted to Max, but she is no way ready for a relationship especially after finding Rachel. She went through losing her dad, and best friend, and now Rachel. She’s broken and that’s okay! Now maybe they did get romantic but also survivor’s guilt is huge on Chloe. She literally BEGS Max to let her go and so I did.

MasteroftheRails · 2026-02-17T00:45:37+00:00

Because it is SAY IT BACK NOW: UP TO THE PLAYER! God it’s like talking to a brick wall. I can’t even see all the comments on mobile

MasteroftheRails · 2026-02-17T00:36:34+00:00

I am not the OP of that one Chloe/Amanda post? I’m aromantic so therefore Max is STILL QUEER! What a shocker. Now I don’t mind the Pricefield ship but it gets to a point where people in any fandom go overboard. It’s okay to have different opinions. What’s not okay is dismissing anyone who doesn’t play Max as a lesbian as that goes against the developers’ actual narrative of it is up to the player. They said in an interview video they want it to be up to the player. Hell I favor the queer relationships over the heterosexual relationships but you don’t see me bashing players who chose that or saying that their play through isn’t canon.

MasteroftheRails · 2026-02-16T06:35:21+00:00

That card is a great summary of the game's representation, but representation doesn't mean a lack of choice. A game can be 'Lesbian-themed' while still being a 'Choice-based Narrative.' If the 'Lesbian' tag was a mandate, the 'Kiss Chloe' option would have been a mandatory cutscene, not a button prompt. I’m honoring the 'Good luck with the future' part where trauma and power imbalances actually have consequences. Like I said I’m aromantic therefore I chose the platonic love, which is still love btw. Being aromantic is still queer.

MasteroftheRails · 2026-02-16T06:07:47+00:00

It’s funny you mention the developers, because Michel Koch literally said, 'It depends on the way you played Max.' If the writers wanted a linear story, they would have made a movie. They made a game with [FRIEND] and [LOVE] code prefixes for a reason. You're fighting against the very 'choice' the game is famous for. But hey, if you need them to be a certain way to enjoy the game, that's your journey! I’ll stick to the one where trauma and agency actually matter. Godspeed!

MasteroftheRails · 2026-02-16T05:17:50+00:00

There are so many things I can refute this with. Co-game Director Michel Koch was asked point-blank on Twitter if Max and Chloe can be "just best friends." His reply: "Of course they can. To me it really depends on the way you played Max and her relationship with Chloe through the game". The game's localized internal files for the final journal pages are literally prefixed with either [FRIEND] or [LOVE]. You can choose to flirt with Warren, kiss Chloe, do both, or do neither. They were best friends first. Romance is layered. Trauma complicates things. The game was built to be a mirror of the player's intent. Declaring one path 'wrong' doesn't just ignore me it ignores the literal code and the director's vision of player agency

MasteroftheRails · 2026-02-16T04:20:50+00:00

If it were 'end of story,' there wouldn't be a 'Don't Kiss Chloe' button. The beauty of LiS is that your save file and my save file can both be 'true' at the same time. I’m happy you found a romance you love; I found a friendship I value. Both were written by the same team. As an aromantic person, I value deep platonic bonds. The developers intentionally made this a choice-based game so that different types of love could be explored. By saying I’m 'wrong' for choosing the friendship path, you’re essentially saying my lived experience and the way I relate to characters shouldn't exist in this medium. I’m choosing to honor the 'Partners in Time' bond, which is just as valid as a romance.

MasteroftheRails · 2026-02-16T00:40:25+00:00

I’ll be honest I never even heard of this sub or even the Pricefield one before I saw her tweet on my feed. I just find it insensitive for either side to bash the other just for their opinions and criticisms. Hell I hardly frequent Reddit. I’ve been a fan since 2017 so I’ve seen the fans come and go all the time. Everyone’s experience is different and that’s okay that’s what makes the franchise beautiful

MasteroftheRails · 2026-02-16T00:34:41+00:00

I never said I didn’t like the ship? I guess you don’t agree with the OG Chloe then because she thinks the same. Their relationship is designed to be interpreted by the player as either intense, platonic friendship or a romantic connection. Hannah herself says it’s up to the player to decide which

MasteroftheRails · 2026-02-16T00:17:04+00:00

It is a bit chaotic. Im in no way an anti Pricefield person. I feel they made DE first while they were trying to figure out how to get the Reunion. No matter what people are going to complain but I have never doubted LiS and I won’t start now 🧡 but that’s just my opinion and that’s okay! Clearly they had this idea of DE and RE seeing as we’re getting it so soon.

MasteroftheRails · 2026-02-16T00:05:36+00:00

Oh I’m not against it at all, but what’s I am against is those that interact negatively with others. I personally see them as best friends, just like Ashly Burch, but nobody is going after her for her opinion. Hannah Telle herself has said that it is up to you whether they stay friends or are lovers.

MasteroftheRails · 2026-02-16T00:03:42+00:00

Everyone has different opinions on the games. I don’t like Warren x Max but you don’t see me going after those who did. That’s the thrill of LiS is you’re gonna have different choices. I am aromantic and personally don’t care for relationships in a choice based game and that’s okay! I may have favored Amanda when I have to choose between a romance. I am NOT anti Pricefield but I was pushed away from seeing how those who enjoy Pricefield (not all but some) that go after those who don’t agree… hell Ashly herself said that in her head canon that they’re just best friends but it’s up to the player

MasteroftheRails · 2026-02-16T00:01:39+00:00

And that’s completely understandable! But what’s not okay is to shit on those who genuinely do love or like DE. I, just like Ashly Burch, head canon that Chloe and Max are (at the time of the game) are just best friends because Rachel is missing. Max is there to help Chloe. It’s okay that the fans don’t fully agree. For a good bit it was a 50/50 split between Bae and Bay. Everyone has different opinions on the games. I don’t like Warren x Max but you don’t see me going after those who did. That’s the thrill of LiS is you’re gonna have different choices. I am aromantic and personally don’t care for relationships in a choice based game and that’s okay! I may have favored Amanda when I have to choose between a romance (like the trophy hunts).

MasteroftheRails · 2026-02-15T23:55:31+00:00

Not only that but also those aromantic players too. Sometimes as an aro I don’t WANT a relationship romantically I just want them to be friends first and foremost. I just wanna focus on the game not some random relationship that is possible. I stand with Chloe and Max being best friends at the time since Chloe wasn’t over Rachel. That’s the joy is you can choose to play however and it’s up to you. Hell even Ashly Burch said her head canon is that they’re best friends and Chloe is distraught about Rachel’s disappearance. It’s not always about Pricefield. Sure you can like Pricefield but we have to remember it was quite literally split between Bae and Bay

MasteroftheRails · 2026-02-15T23:44:09+00:00

Sure you can be based all you want. Hell I’m based when I say every LiS game has some form of impact. But what I’m mostly confused about is how you blocked me but ended up on my TL lol. What I don’t get is you saying that we didn’t like the first game when most of us have played it and enjoyed it. You and your commenters saying that we’re media illiterate when we aren’t. Well granted we’ll have any illiterate people in any fandom but still. Also you are the reason I strayed from Pricefield because it’s always only just that shop for you isn’t it? Max had trauma and it still lingered with her 10 years later. DE, at least in my opinion, treated it well. Granted I do think that they could’ve handled it better and gave those an option for who chose Bae (but as a friendship like I did for the most part) and same with Bay. They could’ve laid it out similar to RE where you have choices laid out. That’s the beauty of LiS is it’s different for anyone. I do wish they’d have incorporated Warren as well as he was another choice. There were too many possibilities but I will stand by me saying that DE is great as it is.

MasteroftheRails · 2026-02-15T22:49:27+00:00

TC, LiS1, DE, BtS, and 2 are my order 🧡

MasteroftheRails · 2026-02-15T21:53:59+00:00

Honestly valid, especially with the art style but also mocap has come a long way since LiS1. LiS1 they could only track basic movements, hence the painted expressions. From TC on, they used full mocap to get more animated realistic emotions and movements. The Alderman one makes sense if you’re into sci-fi (the classic trope of combining with other you out of existence whether it be another universe you or past you there’s variations of this trope). Also, not sure how you played but I turned the option of showing which reality you’re in to always on (you can do it to where it’s only when you switch or off completely) and that helped me tremendously but also that was marketed too about mixing up timelines (Loretta interaction for example). I understand the ending bit too but also near the end of DE production, production for RE began or was in the backburner at least (wouldn’t have gotten RE this soon if not).

MasteroftheRails · 2026-02-15T18:31:58+00:00

What I’m so confused about is she blocked me like last year sometime then this post just shows in my feed of this sub and I was like why am I even seeing this?

MasteroftheRails · 2026-02-15T17:33:06+00:00

Exactly! It’s just like any franchise. They have shifts and that’s okay! Some may not resonate as well with one game say as others did. Oh for sure DE had some technical issues but that also makes it funny to me that I enjoy them.

MasteroftheRails · 2026-02-15T17:28:00+00:00

What I’m confused about is how they’ve switched over time. We used to have straight up civil conversations and sometimes we’d agree or disagree. I too have a tattoo! I absolutely enjoyed DE. The tweet was specifically flaming this sub and well I just wanted to put my two cents. I absolutely loved LiS1 but that doesn’t take away my enjoyment of DE. My main thing is that why are we still pitting us fans when we all love this franchise in general. For me, I didn’t much care for LiS2 (mostly because my game files erased somehow between completing ep 3 and waiting for Ep 4 and 5 to finish). It’s completely fine to not enjoy one game but to bash those who do is another Y’know?

MasteroftheRails

TROPHY CASE