Harem route is the only acceptable choice for me!

[G3n0c1de]

I'm interested in this actually and would like to hear from the devs is how much the other characters are involved in each other's route.

For example, does Lilly come up much in Shizune's route? Or Emi & Rin? Or are they just minor characters?
...
I don't think picking one girl means you can't be friends with the others. I hope they all end up as one group of friends in most routes, like in Clannad(at least in the anime)

The devs have said that once you pick your girl, the only other main girl to get a large amount of screen time would be the other girl in the pair. Like Emi appearing often during Rin's path. The other path girls will show up a lot less often. They've also said that most scenes in Hisao's classroom should include Shizune, Misha, and Hanako, regardless of whose path you're on.

That said, I too would like to remain friends with the other characters, regardless of whose route I'm on.

[Dollywitch]

I'm interested in this actually and would like to hear from the devs is how much the other characters are involved in each other's route.

I'm also curious how large the final cast will be, how many characters will be added, or will it mostly use the main cast we've seen here?

Sorry but the first question is impossible to quantify, and in any case we don't give out spoilers to our own game.

Unless it's the first of April, that is...

I don't think I'd consider that a spoiler, more an advertised feature of the game. It changes the overall nature of the game quite a lot. Some people might not like playing a game that overly focuses on one character, or the other way around.

What I mean is, does Rin have any major appearances or affect on the story of for example Shizune's route?

I don't like the idea of not being friends with the other girls just because I'm not porking them.

[Napalm]

Well, you see, you just proved yourself wrong. If you do pick Lilly, you'll still befriend and help out Hanako, to a lesser extent than actually going on Hanako's route, but still, she wouldn't have only 1 friend.

The other "missed opportunities" aren't that big of a deal, except maybe Emi's, but that's what the nurse is for.

We don't know yet though, if it follows the same things as most VNs you probably won't get all that close to Hanako.

Well, what made me think that is that to even get the Lilly ending in Act 1 you have to in a way, accept Hanako (even if it's just in the "I think she's cute" choice). I think this would mean that if you were to go into Lilly's route, you could expect a great deal of the scenes that take place in school to inclue Hanako as well as Lilly, at least for the first part of Hisao and Lilly's relationship (maybe through Act 2?).

[Dollywitch]

There are a few things I'd like to point out.


First, you won't get a harem route in KS unless we change our minds for the umpteenth time *AHEM*.

Aside from the flow complications required to do such a thing (which could possibly make Aura flip, and would surely make me weep inside), the idea behind "harem route" in eroge usually turns out to be HAPPY ORGY ALL TOGETHER - which is a fairly idiotic concept, even in suspension-of-belief escapism. We try not to be that retarded. Most of the time.

[shimmie=1225]Even though we didn't exactly discourage the idea.[/shimmie]


Second, there's an inherent failing in thinking that Hisao is the ONLY factor that can cause change. Sure, he's the protagonist of our little story. So what?
Just the fact that diverging, alternate storylines exist should show that there are infinite possibilities out there. We have to limit ourselves to a few because we'd go daft if we tried to cover all bases, but it's not like the "Hisao train" is the exclusive one true ticket to happiness™ for the poor girls.

I mean, imagine how pissed off would the rest of Yamaku be if that was true and they found out.


I think the flaw here lies in thinking as a player, yet wanting to immerse like a character. You'll get to peek in those alternate universes; if you don't find complete satisfaction of your every single desire... I'm sorry, but deal with it. It's the price to pay for not having had a heart attack in your late teens. I don't think it's a very harsh one.

A "harem route" wouldn't be some kind of granular mesh of all the routes, just another route you can get put on. Or like I said, something like Coco's route in Ever 17, which obviously I won't go into more details about.

[Rocket Royal]

The issue here is, if you get to sleep with multiple women, the women will sleep with multiple men.

[traitor]

you know OP, we don't need to solve everybody's problem with a harem end. How about a "genuine nice guy" end where Hisao befriends every girl and help out their problems? Hisao can be like some nosy adventurer in a bioware RPG, pulling good deeds out of his ass left and right. No experience points, though.

it's more depressing for me to know that Hisao will never hit it off with all the other crazy looking girls in his class, and he's never getting Misha.

[DMGnome]

One of the problems with the harem route idea is that, yes, Hisao is each girl's designated True Love. However, Shizune's True Love is a different Hisao than Hanako's True Love. Shizune would likely detest Hanako's Hisao, while Shizune's Hisao would simply overwhelm poor Hanako. It's a pluralistic, non-compatible continuity, which works, because each girl wants something different.

[neumanproductions]

Someone discussing the concept of "missed opportunity" reminds me of either a VN or other game i've played in the last that shows what things could have been like if you had chosen a different scenerio.

Unless it's the first of April, that is...

Correction, the first of April is the one day you can guarantee that you ain't getting a spoiler.

But of course, life can't be perfect. This isn't like Shuffle! where it is conveniently associated that "Hey, the world of gods allows for polygamy." Where as KS is taking place in what can be seen as reality. Sure, I know most of us think of a harem ending as fullfilling in one or more ways but it does make sense that there can really be only one. The other girls will have their opportunity for love as Hisao isn't the only guys in each of thier lives.
I'll take that boy Rin mentions in Act 1 who is in the art club but is blind. There are other possibilities and that's what i'm going to leave it at.

[Mirage_GSM]

I think I'm not really suggesting a real Harem route, but to have a "true" route where everyone gets to be friends. Or something like the Coco route of Ever 17. Of course, the love interest would be Misha.

Great. Now I have a picture of a Coco with pink drill-hair in my head^^

Of course there's also the "harem" anime archetype that's not quite a proper Harem, but has a bunch of love interests falling over the main, all claiming to be their girl/boyfriend.

It may not be what a harem is in RL, but concerning Anime (and VNs) that is pretty much the definition of "harem".

How long is Hisao likely to live? Is it possible if he gets healthy and doesn't push himself, he'll live to a relatively ordinary old age? That makes it even more worrying if you don't pick Emi though, and he probably will die when he's 30.

"Compared to other heart problems, people with your condition usually tend to live long lives."

[ElisaMasah]

Hisao can be like some nosy adventurer in a bioware RPG, pulling good deeds out of his ass left and right. No experience points, though.

And yet Morrigan dissaprove.

Dudes Hisao is not Superman or BatMan, he is a porly average guy with an heart problem and a chemical induced erectile disfuction, he can barely satisfy a girl without dying ... not five.

Now being able to enjoy Lilly love without pissing off Shizune for life or going for our most hatred Meganekko without being an asshole to Lilly is something I could pretty sure like but an harem? Noooooo way.
Girl need absolute attection, divide et impera is not a working strategy.

[Totz the Plaid]

A couple other things that people haven't brought up in here are:

1) The fact that while Hisao starts out the same on all the paths, he's got quite a different personality from one path to another if you actually think about it.
2) Opportunity cost. Any decision we make in life, from the smallest most (seemingly) insignificant to the big things is going to prevent us from taking other options and that expands exponentially the more you look at the timeline. That's why stuff like VNs, Choose Your Own Adventure Books... hell, that's why STORYTELLING exists in the first place. You'll never be able to experience everything, there will always be "what ifs", etc. Like it says in the song "A Talk with George":

Enjoy yourself, do the things that matter
Cause there isn’t time and space to do it all
Love the things you try, drink a cocktail, wear a tie
Show a little grace if you should fall

Don’t live another day unless you make it count
There’s someone else that you’re supposed to be
There’s something deep inside of you that still wants out
And shame on you if you don’t set it free.

And yes, I know this is escapism, but if you want a harem, you've got plenty of choices out there. Me, I'm fine with just experiencing the different mutually-exclusive joys of each path.

(By the way, the 'George' in the song's title is the late great George Plimpton.)

[DaMan65]

by Totz the Plaid on Fri May 06, 2011 4:22 am

Jonathan Coulton wrote:Enjoy yourself, do the things that matter
Cause there isn’t time and space to do it all
Love the things you try, drink a cocktail, wear a tie
Show a little grace if you should fall

Don’t live another day unless you make it count
There’s someone else that you’re supposed to be
There’s something deep inside of you that still wants out
And shame on you if you don’t set it free.



And yes, I know this is escapism, but if you want a harem, you've got plenty of choices out there. Me, I'm fine with just experiencing the different mutually-exclusive joys of each path.

(By the way, the 'George' in the song's title is the late great George Plimpton.)

Amen to that good sir.

[Shujoxa]

As has been said before, there's a chance he might not be able to get it up, and sex with one girl has a real chance of killing him, let alone five, so harem is almost certainly out of the question.

...what this game really needs is a secret option to suddenly swerve off into a hidden Yuuko route. (note to devs: I'm joking, while it would be nice, I'm not making any serious demands or anything.)

[Palas]

While you're here discussing, Hanako is somewhere hopping from light to lighter tiles. Alone.

[DaMan65]

While you're here discussing, Hanako is somewhere hopping from light to lighter tiles. Alone.

You just made me wanna kill myself

As for Hiaso being able to get it up I feel like he could. Sex may put stress on the heart but in all reality the amount of cardiac pressure during sex isn't that much.

I mean I have a bit of a heart issue... but sex didn't kill me, at least I think I'm not dead I could be wrong.

Then again I think Hiaso's condition is like OVER 9000 times more serious/life threatening than mine.

Also the fact that there are going to be H scenes in the game make me pretty sure hes gonna be ok

If I am dead though... I MUST BE A ZOMBIE!!!

I'm gonna go start the zombie apocalypse now