I've heard the Long QT bit before, but I thought it was by "general consensus" instead of something the devs actually confirmed.BaldBombshell wrote:I think the devs at some point said what Hisao specifically has is Long QT Syndrome.
(The following is my opinion and headcannon on the matter)
While that type of arrhythmia does seem to fit Hisao's symptoms, it doesn't fit the treatments he undergoes in the VN.
With Long QT, the list of medications to avoid is nearly 200, and Long QT can actually develop as a side effect of taking these medications for long periods of time. This list is very important to a Long QT patient, even more so than the medication they can actually take because there's only a handful of drugs and supplements that people with Long QT can take for their condition that's safe.
Furthermore, if someone has Long QT severe enough to where they need to be on any type of medication, their doctors would not be pushing them to play sports or exercise by running around a track...and it's made very clear in the VN that Hisao is on a lot of medication.
It's strange to try and pinpoint different aspects of Hisao (and even Saki's) condition because "arrhythmia" and "ataxia" are like "seizures" in that they're a blanket term describing symptoms that can have dozens of different causes. I don't believe the devs thought out the specifics for Hisao (or even Saki in the april fool's post) because they aren't required for the story, and they shouldn't be for writers or readers.
I try to do as much research as possible before writing, not because I want to give long-winded explanations, but because I want the disabilities - and any complications that arise from them - to be real and believable. For example, if Hisao has another heart attack or Chisato goes into a diabetic coma, I want the reason to be accurate even if the majority of people who would read it won't know the difference.
Case in point: The only thing we know about Saki's ataxia from the devs is that it's fatal and will kill her when she's rather young, and that she gets around on a cane. There are a handful of types of spinocerebellar ataxia that fit this description, and I had settled on one specific one. Turns out though, when I did more research, that specific type has never been found in someone of Asian decent.
It really adds realism to the story.. giving me another reason to love your story!
Same goes for music cues, by the way, only worse.
If it's not well received I can always change that.