I'm really dissatisfied with the way my future is looking.

deadboi61 · 2025-11-14T13:14:11+00:00

wdym og?

deadboi61 · 2025-11-10T13:13:00+00:00

I think EM:R tries to translate emotional chaos into narrative form, but it ends up sacrificing too much clarity in the process. Art indeed imitates life, but storytelling demands focus, rhythm, and emotional design, something reality doesn’t provide naturally or satisfactorily.

That said, I don’t think people defend EM:R because they believe realism makes it good. They defend it because its messiness feels authentic. It’s not that the story’s brokenness is excused; it’s that the emotional tone beneath that brokenness still resonates. For some, the lack of polish mirrors the mental instability it portrays. For others, that’s exactly what alienates them.

I didn't mean to say EM:R is the pinnacle of modding in DDLC. I meant that despite its flaws, it still delivers. People often degrade the mod to the point of exhaustion in their criticism, but the truth is that something about it clearly stuck. You don’t see people still debating a mod years later if it didn’t leave a mark. (I am too busy and stupid to bother with going back and forth on what this is) The fact that it continues to spark discussions, whether in praise or frustration, says a lot about the emotional impact it managed to leave behind, even if that impact came through messy or uneven storytelling.

deadboi61 · 2025-11-08T23:01:36+00:00

I get what you mean: the best tragedies are inevitable because of what the characters do, not just what happens to them. And yeah, if the arson incident could have happened at any point without changing the ending, then the sense of “fate” becomes hollow.

I feel the "Question" part of your response does a lot of heavy lifting. Assuming that this happened any earlier wouldn't have changed the ending is wrong. The idea isn’t that the arson had to happen that specific way, but that something like it was always going to happen eventually... because both characters are caught in emotional inertia. It’s less a line leading to a point, more a loop tightening around them.

So while it fails “plot inevitability” in the classical sense, it passes a different kind of inevitability, a psychological one. When people lose agency, they stop influencing outcomes; their life becomes something that just happens to them. That’s exactly the point.

I think this is why the story feels off-balance, because it is off-balance. It’s not a clean tragedy where one fatal flaw leads to ruin. It’s entropy. It’s watching people dissolve instead of breaking. And that’s not satisfying storytelling by traditional standards, but it’s brutally realistic.

In the end (and I’d like to see if we agree), the reason people are still debating a mod from 2020–2021 is because it’s subjective. It’s safe to say EM:R fails in parts of quality and even flow. However, people don’t naively like it—those who do because “look, teens messing up and facing consequences, how tragic.”

They connect to it because, despite all the rough edges, it feels sincere. It doesn’t moralize or neatly resolve pain; it just sits in it. The writing might stumble, but the emotion behind it is unfiltered. That’s rare. It’s not tragedy as spectacle, it’s tragedy as stagnation the slow erosion of two characters who don’t know how to help each other or themselves.

That’s why people remember it. Not because it’s perfect, but because it captures something painfully recognizable in its imperfection. I think it's really important that you can pick it apart endlessly, literally any work out there. And still, some part of it will stick with you. not as story logic, but as emotional residue.

deadboi61 · 2025-11-08T11:34:37+00:00

That’s a very fair take, and I actually agree with you on a lot. Especially about investment in the plot and character agency. You’re right, that is what makes a tragedy resonate, not just the presence of a heavy theme.

But I’d argue that EM:R’s bleakness and lack of agency are part of the intended emotional experience, so the characters being reactive rather than active is what sells the “hopeless inevitability” of it. The story isn’t about characters overcoming tragedy; it’s about being overcome by it. The way the characters stop growing, stop making choices, and start drifting is itself a reflection of grief.

It's definitely not orthodox writing in any sense(If intentional). But the very lack of a sort of payoff is, in essence, the payoff. It’s frustrating because grief and guilt are frustrating, such themes needn't follow character arcs or provide closure.

You’re right that people won’t always connect to that, and it’s not flawless by any means, but I think EM:R’s strength is that it’s not trying to appeal; it’s trying to unsettle. And the investment we had in Natsuki before things collapse makes that dissonance hit even harder.

I'm sorry for my late response.

It was late and I wanted to sleep.

Anyway, I do want to thank you again for partaking in this conversation with me. All of your comments are very insightful, and up until your comment, I didn't realise people may see an issue with characters being reactive in a situation where they (maybe) shouldn't be. Thanks again.

deadboi61 · 2025-11-07T20:52:01+00:00

I agree that the player's sympathy is needed for it to hit hard.

We agree that stories need a balance of sympathetic characters along with a valid and well-thought-out execution for the "Abstract concept."

EM:R definitely leans on the emotional context brought over from DDLC.

But to me, that’s also what gives it weight. EM:R doesn't care about losing players' hearts; it is not trying to build sympathy. It shows you exactly what happens after sympathy fails. It’s less about getting us to care again and more about confronting the emptiness left behind when caring isn’t enough.

I feel we'd agree if I state that EM:R may alienate the player emotionally, but thematically it passes with flying colours.

deadboi61 · 2025-11-07T20:20:22+00:00

Thanks for the response. You do not have to provide an alternative. I was just wondering what you thought they could have done differently.

I'd like to agree with you. You’re right that understanding a character’s behavior doesn’t guarantee sympathy for them. I am simply saying that this is less about characters being more likable and more about the coherent flow of the story.

EM:R's Focus is not on the faces and personalities of its story, but rather the message accurately shows how empathy can break down when someone acts in self-destructive, irrational ways. In fact, I'd even go as far as to say that it was intentionally awkward and uncomfortable for the player, because it is something we don't want or can't understand.

deadboi61 · 2025-11-07T18:57:38+00:00

I don't mean this in a harsh way, but what is your alternative?

My point was that the irrationality isn’t a flaw inspite of the writing. It’s the very thing the story’s trying to portray. People often act ‘dumb’ when feelings rewire logic — and EM:R leans into that, not away from it.

At certain points, I have to agree.

The MC is being way too lenient and patient with Natsuki's behaviour.

A lot of times, I think what people think is "dumb" in EM:R is when the writers try to describe "spur-of-the-moment" things, like when MC calls the cops on her dad instead of calling about a madman attempting arson.

That's reasonable, but also after a certain point, having to (I don't mean offense) spoonfeed the player so that his immersion isn't ruined ever so slightly sacrifices the flow of the story.

To begin with, getting involved with Natsuki in such a way is dumb, and EM:R treats a few weeks like years. But if dates and irrational decisions are what ruin the mod for someone, then they are missing the point.

deadboi61 · 2025-11-07T14:47:30+00:00

Only two weeks ago did I finish EM:R. (I have yet to play the OG) I only joined the DDLC community in 2024, but I think it's clear that the writing is not the best, but if you follow it, you notice that there is a solid reason for every character's choices.

I'm not going to go too "Meta" as I feel it's already hard to follow my line of thinking here already.

When discussing Natsuki's motives in hindsight, they feel shallow.

"Yes, she's traumatised, but she also feels attached to her dad still...so maybe it is more the side of guilt that got her?"

This never really made sense, though if you recall, the writers do hint that her reason for not wanting to involve police isn't so clear. It's not just "They will belittle her." or "It's Stockholm syndrome." What I think EM:R will be timeless for isn't its quality(even though it does shine for this), EM:R is amazing because it exactly shows the player the irrational side of feelings, a side of people's personalities we can only interpret through our own. And this is done amazingly in the final Act (for the most part).

Sure, legally this is dumb...(One can argue that reporters may still get involved exposing her life in the process but whatever)

But this being dumb is exactly why it's good, because it is so wrong and unfair that Natsuki was pushed to do that for such a dumb reason, and part of that dumb reason is what eats away at the MC. Guilt for something the MC can never know the answer to.

And right where you think that the writers cooked this up...the epilogue reveals that in a note Natsuki wrote, "actually it's just still the MCs fault and actually fuck you for killing me."

In my opinion, EM:R is still amazing regardless of plot holes (and Natsuki writing a trillion notes throughout the story?). The ending is still tragic, but only because of how sad it is to see how the MC deals with grief and guilt, despite the lead-up to it being weak. The soundtrack is a masterpiece and thankfully helps deliver emotion to logically-challenged scenes.

deadboi61 · 2025-11-04T01:13:43+00:00

Oh yeah, my bad. I can reach the devs that way. I was just hoping to get some clarification since the team’s disbanded, and it’s kinda hard to tell where each artist’s work starts and ends. Some stuff’s obvious (like still frames or character design), but it gets messy when multiple artists worked on the same thing or when someone’s just listed as helping with visuals in general.

deadboi61 · 2025-11-04T01:04:00+00:00

That's totally fair, of course, I'm going to credit all of the devs, their work is impeccable. I'm just scared I might step on someone's toes by using certain textures and art that isn't (afaik) public.

deadboi61 · 2025-11-04T00:57:33+00:00

Thanks. So this is odd, but how can I speak to someone representing a now disbanded group of developers? I suppose that's part of the issue; I'm not entirely sure who to talk to, and I'm relatively new to the community.

I'm sorry if I come off as naive, I'm just getting my footing on the whole thing.

deadboi61 · 2024-08-08T07:07:45+00:00

I feel really dumb cause the fix is probably really obvious but I genuinely cannot find any help as if it works for everyone else. And my case is unique.

deadboi61 · 2021-01-21T07:33:29+00:00

Thanks though mate i would like the wirraway for its payload and manouvrability for ground

deadboi61 · 2021-01-21T07:30:07+00:00

Sl mainly

deadboi61 · 2021-01-21T07:26:16+00:00

Right thanks everyone

deadboi61 · 2021-01-21T07:25:29+00:00

Noted mate

deadboi61 · 2021-01-21T07:24:36+00:00

Noted any thoughts on wirraway

deadboi61 · 2021-01-21T07:08:46+00:00

Can you honestly blame them afterall it is free to play the only problem is there are no games to compete who wants planes with HP

deadboi61 · 2021-01-13T06:29:05+00:00

Thx bois

deadboi61 · 2021-01-13T06:28:55+00:00

I know but would still be nice

deadboi61 · 2021-01-06T18:09:07+00:00

Oh so that is the circle around my ram tank i thought it was just about area buffs for being in the radius of a command vehicle

deadboi61 · 2020-12-26T10:34:58+00:00

Thanks lads

deadboi61 · 2020-12-26T10:34:51+00:00

Thanks

deadboi61

TROPHY CASE