31 July 2014

The Cinderella Contract ~ Ingrays: Cyril [In Progress]



If you just want an answer key, skip on ahead! Album pictures are at the end.

If you'd like an invitation code, feel free to use EBKCKR.

My first impression of Cyril is that he's clumsy at expressing himself, but actually a sweet and warm person on the inside. I find that sort of personality to be rather endearing, so I'm looking forward to see how his storyline plays out!

Because this game is one where you have to pay what I consider exorbitant amounts to read more than 5 scenes a day, I chose to refer to walkthroughs to make sure I would hit the required amount of reputation points to get the Happy Ending. I referred to a walkthrough of the Japanese version.

I'll summarize the sequence of answers I chose below. Please note that following the guide directly results in exactly 165 Reputation for Asena. That means additional Reputation must be achieved in order to see the Royal Ending (either through direct purchase or gacha). Official English version answer choice translations are coming - this is just *me* translating mediocrely from Japanese, but the answer numbers should be correct.

=== Cyril's Route Answer Guide ===

Reputation Points Needed:
Normal Ending: 85+
Happy Ending: 165+
Royal Ending: 200+ with special gacha item

Chapter 1: A Marriage to a Tsundere Prince?
1.5 [2] No way.
1.6 [1] Don't just leave me alone like that.
1.11 [1] I forgot.

Chapter 2: I'll Never Love You
2.2 [3] That's very boastful of you.
2.6 [3] I do.
2.12 [2] Is it really irrelevant?

Chapter 3: I Don't Want to Accept Such a Man is My Father
3.3 [1] Thanks for the offer.
3.8 [1] Why don't I call you "Father."
3.11 [3] I won't tell you.

Chapter 4: A Whirlpool of Expectations
4.3 [2] Don't worry about it.
4.6 [2] You don't need to do anything special.
4.13 [1] I won't next time.

Chapter 5: Don't Worry, You Idiot
5.1 [3] I don't know.
5.8 [3] Scream.
5.13 [1] Don't be angry at Cyril.

Chapter 6: I'll Talk to You
6.1 [3] He remembered you when you were small.
6.8 [3] (How Horrible!)
6.14 [3] Smile.

Chapter 7:
7.1 [3] It's not your concern.
7.10 [2] I believe Cyril.
7.15 [3] That's not what I mean.

Chapter 8:
8.2 [1] Just felt like it.
8.7 [3] I seek help.
8.15 [3] Evade the question.

Chapter 9:
9.5 [1] It's too big, it scares me.
9.8 [3] And what about you?
9.11 [1] (How can you think like that?)

Chapter 10:
10.5 [1] Approach.
10.9 [3] You have a different air about you.
10.13 [2] I want to touch your hair.

Chapter 11:
11.2 [3] It's not wrong.
11.10 [1] I'm not worried.
11.12 [3] I don't want either to win.

==========================================
 

22 June 2014

A Week in Gondolin ~ Summer Solstice



It's been another lovely little week in Gondolin. The Summer Solstice celebration was on Saturday - yay midnight sun - as was the Bug Off! I got me some... ladder shades... Thanks, Isabelle!

Ozzie has really moved away now. He left me his picture and a farewell letter:

Dear Kyttyee, Today's the last day I say bye-bye to you and this town... I'll miss you both. Here's a picture to remember me by. Hopefully you can find a nice macaroni frame for it. Take care. -- Ozzie









I'm a little bit sad I let him go, but I'm excited to see who else I can get to move into my town. I just hope they don't mess up things too much by plopping their house down in a bad spot, haha.

Marina's birthday is coming up on June 26, so I'll be buying something Lovely to give to her as a present. Or maybe I should buy her a new Super Toilet, since she seems to insist on replacing it with various chairs.

In quick news, Aurora was sick, and Marshal had some deep comments about geeks and anime. I caught Gulliver on the beach, and helped him remember that Hollywood is in the USA.




*********************
Name: Kyttyee
Town: Gondolin
Dream Address: 4100-2219-4992
*********************

18 June 2014

The Cinderella Contract ~ Turkiye: Isuka



If you just want an answer key, skip on ahead! Album pictures are at the end.

If you'd like an invitation code, feel free to use EBKCKR.

Asena's Guide is here.

I think Asena is my favorite out of all the guys, and will always be, but I was very much tempted by impish Isuka here to deviate from the main storyline. So of course, first order of business after finishing Asena's story was to reset it and go for Isuka instead (although I love Asena so much this actually hurts my heart a bit, haha).

Physically, I found Isuka a little bit scary at first. I think it's the scarlet eyes... that just always says demonic or something to me. And combined with his silver hair was rather... intimidating. Actually, maybe he's just intimidating in general, both physically and in personality.

Isuka comes off as a rather steady and dependable sort of guy, who takes his job as Asena's main man very seriously. He is very clever and perceptive when it comes to reading people. He actually reads as a bit cruel and cold at first (another reason I was soooo tempted by him) especially in contrast to the warm and considerate Asena. He definitely goes for a lot of teasing, partly because he doesn't quite know how to be honest with himself and his feelings. When he is serious about you, though, he is very serious, and would do anything to protect those he considers close.

For heaven's sake... whoever thought an abrupt switch from the main man to the secondary man was a good idea... needs to be shot. >9000 times. The ending freaking broke my heart. I'm not sure if it's because Asena is still my favorite, but honestly I am actually quite fond of Isuka. He does fall under one of my preferred types, at least personality-wise. And he's hot. So that's not the problem. The problem is that the entire time, the MC is still falling deeply in love with the main man. And then suddenly when you reach the ending, the guy's like OOPS SORRY NOPE and all of a sudden the MC freaking *AGREES* to break up??!!! WHILE STILL BEING IN LOVE???!!! WTF IS THIS EVEN???!!! And even his "happy" ending feels... really unresolved. UGGGGGHHHH!!!!

No way. Just... no... Even the ROYAL ENDING freaking still... breaks my heart... And then the MC just suddenly... falls for Isuka and makes out with him? I mean... he's really hot but... EVERYTHING IS STILL UNRESOLVED AND NOW THINGS ARE REALLY STRANGE??!! Maybe I'm not really the type of girl who can go straight from loving someone with my whole being, and then allowing myself to be consoled by someone else... Who knows. But I'm really dissatisfied with how this route went, now that it's all over.

Because this game is one where you have to pay what I consider exorbitant amounts to read more than 5 scenes a day, I chose to refer to walkthroughs to make sure I would hit the required amount of reputation points to get the Happy Ending. Because the English release of the Turkiye story is relatively new, I referred to a walkthrough of the Japanese version.

I'll summarize the sequence of answers I chose below. The strategy for side characters seems to be minimizing reputation with the main character while maximizing reputation for the side character. The answers below reflect that. Of course, you don't have to be this super extreme with the main character, but it's easier math to guarantee that way. Please note that following the guide directly results in exactly 58 Reputation for Isuka. That means additional Reputation must be achieved in order to see the Royal Ending (either through direct purchase or gacha). Official English answer choice translations are coming - this is just *me* translating mediocrely from Japanese, but the answer numbers should be correct.

=== Isuka's Route Answer Guide ===

Reputation Points Needed:
Normal Ending: Default
Happy Ending: 55+ with Asena Reputation LESS THAN 85
Royal Ending: 80+ with special gacha item and Asena Reputation LESS THAN 85

Chapter 1: The Contract Marriage at Work!?
1.04 [2] I'm sorry.
1.10 [3] I want to show my gratitude.
1.14 [1] I'm worried about if we're well-matched.

Chapter 2: "Isuka" and "Asena"
2.04 [1] I don't mind.
2.09 [2] Because he respects people.
2.12 [2] You've got it wrong!

Chapter 3: The Sound of Gunfire
3.03 [2] I don't choose based on status.
3.07 [3] It's not that I'm happy about it.
3.12 [2] I'm happy to go anywhere with you.

Chapter 4: Kiss and Trauma
4.03 [3] Thank you.
4.08 [3] Thank you.
4.14 [3] He's very strict.

Chapter 5: I Begin to be Well Disposed...
5.03 [1] Please, let go.
5.07 [1] Is he consoling me?
5.13 [1] Stop it!

Chapter 6: I Can't Deceive My Emotion
6.05 [3] I know you're safe, Isuka.
6.07 [1] I agree with Asena.
6.12 [3] I don't know what to do.

Chapter 7: Real Nature of Prince
7.02 [3] Where is that place?
7.06 [2] Probably, yes.
7.13 [1] I have a bad feeling about this.

Chapter 8: I Love Him So We Have to Divorce...
8.02 [1] I can't tell you.
8.06 [3] Not at all.
8.13 [2] You worry too much.

Chapter 9: Artificial Respiration
9.01 [3] If you come closer, I'll...
9.06 [1] Are you sure?
9.13 [3] Even if he is a descendent...

Chapter 10: Release from the Past Trauma
10.04 [2] I do.
10.09 [2] I'm a bit worried.
10.14 [2] He's exaggerating.

Chapter 11: Malfeasance of the First Prince
11.04 [3] Turkiye will be criticized.
11.10 [2] Where is it?
11.12 [3] Am I hugging too tight?

==========================================
 

Shall We Date? My Sweet Prince // NTT Solmare


Overview | Story | Characters | Route Guides

Shall We Date? My Sweet Prince is an otome game by NTT Solmare, as part of their Shall We Date? series. This game offers seven different guys for you to choose from, with a wide range of different personalities. Gameplay advances by Energy Point, with one refreshed every 4 hours (maximum 4 Energy at any time). In addition to making choices in some scenes, you also have various trials and item checkpoints that require you to perform certain tasks to raise your stats or obtain certain items in order to progress with the story. This is the free version. They recently released a paid version that gives you three of the princes stories for keeps. But then you must pay some ridiculously marked up price for the remaining princes and any side stories... Until they change the pricing structure, it may not be worth it unless you really LOOOOVE one of those three princes.

If you're interested in playing this game, you can use invitation code LwQPd6V5Ew for a free gift!

This game has a lot of really lovely illustrations, which is I partly why I was drawn to it. The overall setting also didn't sound overly violent or rapey, which is something that I can't really stomach in these sorts of games. On one hand, I guess variety is exciting, but I'm really not that big a fan of rapey otome games (I'm lookin' at you, Bidding for Love...).

The Energy-based gameplay is one I prefer over the set number of daily scenario tickets, because I have no patience and I just want to know what happens next! However, some of the item checkpoints in this game are a bit sticky unless you want to spend money to buy the items. It takes some time to build up enough of the free currency to buy items such as keys, and some checkpoints require you have multiple keys. So instead of waiting on scenario tickets, I have spent several days just accumulating enough currency to get all my checkpoint items. I guess patience is required no matter what.

I do think this game is quite nice, and the illustrations are beautiful and intricate. I think all of the men are prettier (and some have longer/nicer hair) than I am... haha... I am not a big fan of the avatar illustration style, but that doesn't bother me much since I don't tend to play with that aspect of this game so much. My one big issue is that one of the guys is really young... Nagit is only 16, and that makes me feel a bit icky about playing his route.

=== STORY ===


I came here on a vacation, but...

Huh?
Now I have to choose a king from 6 princes!

Surrounded by princes, welcome to heart-throb paradise!

=== CHARACTERS ===


Melchiorre
Master Melchiorre takes care of his family and always keeps a close eye on everyone. He helps anyone in need ad is constantly giving people advice. His kindness has won him the hearts of many girls and he is hardly ever without female company. He is the first prince, making him closest to the next king, but he keeps declining succession. His royal highness never speaks to him of this, so everyone except Master Lambert is merely looking on.

Lambert
Master Lambert is proud and haughty, and some slanderous people claim he is a cold person. The truth is that Master Lambert is very patriotic and always trying to be an exemplary member of the royal family, which some people perceive as cold-heartedness. He values tradition and never reflects on his actions which may be a result of his heavy responsibilities as a prince. Perhaps you can take a bit of the load off Master Lambert's back.

Alvah
Master Alvah is the most cheerful and lively of the princes, warming his surroundings like a sun. His mental age leaves some things to be desired, but he makes friends easily and he's a popular man. Even when he is depressed or troubled, he never shows it in his actions. His heart is seemingly indestructible. I hope he knows how to vent his frustrations too...

Jun
Master Jun excels at scholarship and the martial arts. He even has political wits and knows how not to get noticed by his environment. He calculates his actions and people tend to think of him as calm and collected, but he's actually one of the most overbearing ones. Once he has found his target, he will obtain it at all costs, which tends to scare people. I guess you could call him single-minded.

Chezem
Master Chezem doesn't like people and noise very much, so he tends to stay in his room. He gets very adamant about things that interest him, and even loses sight of his surroundings. He's a bit of a scholarly type. He has an inquiring mind, so he might be interested in an exotic person like you, milady.

Nagit
Master Nagit is the youngest prince, and very much loved by his brothers. He is surrounded by adults, so he acts older than his age. Perhaps he's even more mature than several of his brothers. He's serious and pure and thinks too much about things, but I'm sure you can make him relax a bit.

Ivan
An extremely distinguished gentleman and butler at the royal palace. He never shows fear or trepidation at anything and always remains calm, making the most perfect butler imaginable. Everyone who works at the palace receives his strict leadership, but he is also very strict towards himself, and no one knows when and where the good man ever sleeps. He is trusted by his royal highness and all the princes, and it is no exaggeration to call him a necessary entity for this country to function.

=== ROUTE GUIDES ===

Completed
In Progress

Coming Soon
Coming Soon

Coming Soon
Coming Soon

Coming Soon


===================================================================

The graphics in this game are beautiful, and the stories are all quite engaging. I enjoyed it, and I hope you'll give it a try too! Again, if you'd like a little free gift when you start, feel free to use invitation code LwQPd6V5Ew.

You can download the game for mobile platforms:

Shall We Date? My Sweet Prince ~ Melchiorre

If you just want an answer key, skip on ahead! Album pictures are at the end.

If you'd like an invitation code, feel free to use LwQPd6V5Ew.

I chose Melchiorre for my first time through... not sure why. Appearance-wise, none of the guys were particularly my type. I think Melchiorre's disposition just seemed the sweetest, without being too much a kid (Nagit seems sweet... but 16 is a bit... eh...).

Melchiorre seems at first glance to be quite the playboy. He is very charming and certainly knows how to woo the ladies. But beneath the surface, he's actually quite deep. He is really caring about everyone around him, regardless of their social status, and takes great pains to help other people and do nice things for them. His carefree playboy exterior is in fact a sort of defense mechanism for a deep-rooted insecurity about his entire existence, and I found his personal development across the story really very touching. Melchiorre is definitely a sweetheart, very kind, and I did get to be very fond of him very quickly.

Overall, I thought the story was really lovely, and I appreciate that his route was not intensely sexual or physical. He seems to like kissing you, but it's not anything you'd be worried about someone peeking at over your shoulder. And Melchiorre is just... really really sweet and makes me want to give him a hug and surround him with soft fluffy animals and... yes.

This is the answer path that I used to achieve his Happy Ending and get all of his photos.

=== Melchiorre's Route Answer Guide ===

Chapter 1
[1] Slap him.
[2] But the crown…

Chapter 2
[3] Go just to talk.
[3] Threaten to go.

Chapter 3
[1] You are very kind.
[1] Help Melchiorre.

Chapter 4
[3] Say something!
[2] It's just an act.

Chapter 5
[3] Do your worst.
[2] Stop that!

Chapter 6
[2] Wait and watch.
[3] It's lovely here.

Chapter 7
[2] He helped Chezem.
[1] That's not true.

Chapter 8
[1] Go to say goodbye.
[2] Take his hand.

Chapter 9
{2] Stroll the park.
[3] You won't rule?

Chapter 10
[3] Write a reply.
[2] Quietly hold him.

Chapter 11
[1] Don't mock me!
[3] What to do!?

=======================================

If you follow this set of answers, it fills the love meter perfectly for the Happy Ending. No need to do any extra things to gain extra love meter points.

=======================================
 

The Cinderella Contract ~ Turkiye: Asena



If you just want an answer key, skip on ahead! Album pictures are at the end.

If you'd like an invitation code, feel free to use EBKCKR.

Isuka's Guide is here.

Asena was my first choice man right from the start, but he wasn't available at the time I started playing The Cinderella Contract. Thus I was super excited when his route was released right about when I was finishing up with my first playthrough! Asena falls squarely in the type of guys I tend to like best in otome games, both in terms of appearance and personality (what I've seen of it thus far). I'll certainly be updating with further thoughts once I have progressed through his story.

Asena does not have at first glance particularly striking characteristics, like many of the flashier-looking characters. To my very pleasant surprise, he gets described as having deep purple eyes early on in his route, and I totally flipped out. Apparently I just cannot resist guys with purpe-hued eyes. His hairstyle is fairly normal, with just the right amount of shaggy. In any case, Asena is a very handsome man, with the exact sort of hair I like, and amazing eyeballs upon closer inspection.

Personality-wise, Asena thus appears to be a rather quiet and composed, but very clever and capable young man. He has a fairly calm exterior manner, and just appears really gentle and kind. He can be a bit overbearing with physical contact, but that is due to "cultural difference". Honestly, he is extremely considerate of the protagonist, and caring towards her, but without giving off the "nice guy" vibe, which I found enjoyable. You can really tell that he cares a lot about others. He is very responsible and goes out of his way to help others out. He is very well-liked because of that. Later on in the story, he does become rather cruel for a while, and forces sexual contact on the protagonist. Of course, that turns out to be some weird defense mechanism (and we already know I'm twisted and actually like a bit of a cruel streak). I must say overall, Asena is a wonderful guy, if a bit quiet or reserved. Exactly my type! Too bad he doesn't wear glasses, that would make him perfect. He is very business/work-oriented, which some people may find to be too cold for their taste, but that is also part of his defense mechanism. Once he gets his issues resolved, he really is pretty much... perfect? Perfectly nice.

I've only played Yuri's route before this one, so keep in mind I don't have a lot to compare. However, Asena's story was much higher on the sexiness level than Yuri's. Definitely a lot more explicit (a lot of Yuri's stuff was very vaguely implied). Some sort of cultural stereotyping by the game writers? In any case, I'm not complaining, haha, but perhaps something to think about if you are averse (or I guess prefer) to lots of sexiness. And there *is* some sexual violence, so if that's a problem, this is not a good story to read.

Because this game is one where you have to pay what I consider exorbitant amounts to read more than 5 scenes a day, I chose to refer to walkthroughs to make sure I would hit the required amount of reputation points to get the Happy Ending. Because the English release of the Turkiye story is relatively new, I referred to a walkthrough of the Japanese version.

I'll summarize the sequence of answers I chose below. Please note that following the guide directly results in exactly 165 Reputation for Asena. That means additional Reputation must be achieved in order to see the Royal Ending (either through direct purchase or gacha).

=== Asena's Route Answer Guide ===

Reputation Points Needed:
Normal Ending: 85+
Happy Ending: 165+
Royal Ending: 200+ with special gacha item

Chapter 1: The Contract Marriage at Work!?
1.04 [1] Thank you.
1.10 [2] I can't leave you alone.
1.14 [3] I'll do my best, but...

Chapter 2: "Isuka" and "Asena"
2.04 [3] It's fine.
2.09 [3] Because he's kind.
2.12 [1] Listen to me!

Chapter 3: The Sound of Gunfire
3.03 [3] Status and charm are two different things.
3.07 [1] Yes.
3.12 [1] I'd like to go.

Chapter 4: Kiss and Trauma
4.03 [1] Good night.
4.08 [2] I'm embarrassed.
4.14 [1] I'm so happy.

Chapter 5: I Begin to be Well Disposed...
5.03 [2] What?
5.07 [3] Stop it.
5.13 [3] Why is he doing this?

Chapter 6: I Can't Deceive My Emotion
6.05 [1] Not really.
6.07 [2] Does Paul also like it?
6.12 [1] I did sign up for this.

Chapter 7: Real Nature of Prince
7.02 [1] To Turkiye?
7.06 [3] I'm not sure.
7.13 [2] I guess he doesn't like Asena.

Chapter 8: I Love Him So We Have to Divorce...
8.02 [3] I have no problem.
8.06 [1] It's a happy tiredness.
8.13 [3] Have fun at your lunch.

Chapter 9: Artificial Respiration
9.01 [2] Help!
9.06 [2] I'm worried about you.
9.13 [2] If you trust him, so do I.

Chapter 10: Release from the Past Trauma
10.04 [1] Whenever Asena is ready.
10.09 [3] Can I come too?
10.14 [1] I'm flattered

Chapter 11: Malfeasance of the First Prince
11.04 [1] Society needs to move forward.
11.10 [3] There were mountains, too.
11.12 [1] Thanks.

==========================================
Unlike the routes for the other "primary" characters, Asena only appears to have four available album pictures. He lacks an picture corresponding to the Normal Ending. 

The Cinderella Contract // Arithmetic


Overview | Story | Characters | Route Guides

The Cinderella Contract is a fairly recent English game by Arithmetic. This game offers eight different guys for you to choose from. They all have quite different personalities, although I find it interesting that appearance-wise, they seem to be matched up by country. When selecting a route, you must choose a country, which will then narrow you down to two candidate guys. Gameplay progresses by scenario tickets, with 5 free ones given out every day at 4:00am JST. In addition to making choices in some scenes, you also have Love Trials that require you to perform certain tasks to raise your stats in order to progress with the story.

If you're interested in playing this game, you can use invitation code EBKCKR for a free gift!

I started playing this game at the same time as a bunch of other ones by Arithmetic, but this is by far my favorite. I was initially disappointed because I couldn't choose Asena to be my prince (BUT they recently released his route!!!). Overall, I find this game really enjoyable, and the graphics exceptionally well done.  The artwork in this game is just beautiful, and all the backgrounds and text boxes and other details are very well done, not just the main guys and the big illustrations. If anything, I actually thing the guys look better in their "normal" talking poses than in some of their illustrations where they're at a strange angle.

One thing that does disappoint me a bit is that once you finish the route, you can't go and reread your story unless you replay the whole route. I realize that's the nature of this type of game setup, but I think I'm spoiled by the way Voltage games work. I love the stories so much I wish I could just pay for them so I can sit and reread them forever.

=== STORY ===


You, a linguistically gifted correspondent, go with a client
to a party filled with foreign socialites.
Wait, are those hot socialites also princes!?
These gorgeous guys clamor around poor, disoriented you.
You let a prince escort you the rest of the evening, which passes like a dream.

Then, the next day...
You're about to fly back home, when you get caught up in an investigation!
Coming to your rescue is a prince from last night...!?
And what's more, he demands that you enter a contract marriage with him as thanks...
You can't turn down his command!

Will you find true love at the end of the aisle?
Or will you find...


=== CHARACTERS ===


>> Rossiyskaya <<
The wicked, sadistic prince: Yuri
This prince has a devilish side lurking under his sweet smile.
He claims it was love at first sight!? Not that you mind a prince saying he loves you...
But you just met him; how can this be...!?

The innocent, nurturing prince: Yelisei
Yuri's younger brother, the complete opposite in personality. Pure-hearted and always smiling.
You're happy to gain a nice little brother, but his childish, overbearing antics are a bit much!?
His large stature doesn't make you feel any safer, either...

>> Flanelia <<
The pushy, alpha-male prince: Claude
This blue-eyed blond would be a textbook-perfect handsome prince if he weren't so pushy and arrogant.
He pushes you to marry him and become a saint...
Everything is forcibly stolen from you...!?

The mysterious clergyman: Lugar
This cardinal is soft-spoken, but it's unclear what's really in his mind.
At the center of church politics, Claude opposes him and warns you to stay away...
But what if Lugar, suspecting you're not a true saint, comes to investigate...!?

>> Ingrays <<
The strong-willed hot-cold prince: Cyril
Is his rough, un-princelike speech just a way of covering his shyness?
He makes pretty bold statements, but his demeanor seems clumsy...
He says, ""you should just fall in love with me."" What's that supposed to mean...!?

The dynamic, older prince: Maynard
Rebellious Cyril's gentle, yet firm Dad.
Though his relationship with his son is strained, he's always nice to you...
You come to rely on him for his maturity more and more...?

=== ROUTE GUIDES ===

Completed
Completed

Coming Soon
Completed

Coming Soon
In Progress

Coming Soon
Coming Soon


===================================================================

I think this game is absolutely lovely, and I hope you'll give it a try too!  Again, if you'd like a little free gift when you start, feel free to use invitation code EBKCKR.

You can download the game for mobile platforms: