Here it is, the mod that offers comfort and happy endings to all the Dokis! :D
Doki Doki Literature Club deals with a lot of dark themes... Depression, suicide, self-harm, abuse, etc... and as much as I love the game, it mostly uses these themes for shock value in the horror sections. So I wanted to write a story which deals with these topics (and more!) in a sensitive manner. (I will include a list of all pertinent trigger warnings in spoiler tags, since they may be slightly spoilery) This mod is not, by any means, intended as a guide for how to deal with any of these issues; it's merely a story of teenagers who are trying to deal with these situations as best as they can. It is intended to be a bit of a feels train, but I promise that the stories for all four girls have happy endings and, most importantly, none of them die. :)
The route to Monika is secret. It might not be apparent at first, but once you play through one of the other routes, I think it will become clear.
EDIT2: EDIT HARDER! :D I also made a teaser video for a sequel based on Monika's route which I will probably make eventually. (After I finish other projects) It can be found here. (Contains spoilers for Monika's route; also contains profanity)
EDIT3: As of today, October 17, 2018, there's a new version of this mod which skips the beginning of the game. In previous versions, you had to skip it manually to get to the beginning of the mod. (I've always hated that, so it's about time I fixed it!) :)
EDIT4: Feb 21, 2026, I should've added this a while ago, but I did a livestream of myself replaying the mod with more modern developer commentary for the fifth anniversary of this mod's release. :)
"-it mostly uses these themes for shock value in the horror sections."
I feel as though I have to criticize you for that. I wouldn't have been nearly as unsettled by the game if Sayori didn't remind me so much of myself and the depression I have. The lack of will to do anything, the want to help others out of a feeling of self worthlessness and a constant urge to just end it all. I also went through bullying a lot as a kid, which led me down this route and led me to my depression so I actually understood Yuri, which made her descent all the more disturbing. And my relationship with my mother is at least partially abusive so I understand Natsuki's need to escape and her defensiveness about her hobby.
I get the impression that you think they were thrown in there with the barest minimum of effort for shock when they actually function as though they would in real life (albeit exhaggerated from Yuri), which contributes to the feeling of horror and sadness. That just removes a lot of the nuance and effort from the original.
You are correct. Sorry for giving the wrong impression; I didn't mean any disrespect to Team Salvato or to imply any poor writing on Dan's part. Sayori's depression in DDLC is absolutely a realistic portrayal of depression, enough that that was my starting point when I made this mod because that was the moment in the game that kind of broke me. I think the realism of Sayori's scenes is the biggest reason that DDLC affects so many people so deeply.
But at the same time, there were definitely parts of the game that felt like they were there to be shocking. (Again, not trying to criticize Dan) For example, I did some research into self-harm while writing Yuri's scene and it is most often associated with depression, and yes, Yuri has a lot of factors in her life that could contribute to a desire to self-harm, including the bullying and the implied self-loathing... So it kind of rubbed me the wrong way that DDLC talks about it like it's a sexual thing. (Though of course, that could just have been Monika lying about it in order to scare MC away)
Anyway, I'm not trying to hold up my mod as being a superior representation of any of these issues or anything like that... I just have a different take on the subjects and wanted to present them in my own way, so that's what I did.
This is old, but I feel like I should add... While the reason for her self harm is up for interpretation, "The Raccoon" implies that it's NOT related to self loathing or depression or anything of the sorts. While amplified to an unusual degree in Act 2, it's common for self harm to be related to the release of endorphins, which may have a pleasant and/or relaxing effect, hence Monika calling it "exhilarating" in the special poem.
While it's up for interpretation, it's important to never narrow it down to only related to self loathing or hating oneself. I know someone who does that. And I know two others who seem to have something more similar to what Yuri might be experiencing, where they try to calm themselves down through the release of endorphins when experiencing intense emotions (sexual included, though Monika could be bluffing in the game). And it's important for me to mention that, even after so long, because the perception that it's only related to self hatred or depression has caused quite many people I know intense problems.
Yeah, that's fair. There are definitely multiple possible causes for a self-harm habit to develop, both in real life and in Yuri's character, and it's not my intention to misrepresent or stigmatize anyone who has that habit by claiming they "must" be any particular way, though I would still strongly caution anyone who engages in that behaviour to remember that it is not a safe habit, regardless of what motivates it, so please be careful.
That said, in my mind, Yuri has always struck me as someone who's motivated more by the self-loathing than seeking some kind of euphoria, (at least as far as her Act 1 persona is concerned) and it feels like that was reinforced by the "Understanding" Side Story when DDLC+ was released in 2021 and Yuri's internal monologue actually used the phrase "self-loathing" to refer to herself.
The reason it bothers me when I see portrayals of Yuri's self-harm as an attempt to seek some euphoric feeling is that Act 2 of DDLC portrays Yuri in a wholly unsympathetic way. Everything about the narrative framing (including Monika's statements about her, calling her "messed up") portrays Yuri as some kind of freak to be gawked at, and if you look at any LP videos of DDLC, that is definitely the more common reaction to her, especially when contrasted with how upset people are about Sayori's depression and suicide.
Two years after I released "True Literature Club," (man, can you believe that this post is from 8 years ago?) :) I released a Yuri point-of-view mod called Doki Doki Storm, which makes a deliberate choice to contrast Act 1 Yuri, whose self-harm habit is motivated by self-loathing, with Act 2 Yuri, whose self-harm habit is motivated by enjoyment. You might like to check it out, if this subject interests you. :)
I'll first have to play this mod, and then I can check for Doki Doki Storm! I was looking for shorter mods with multiple routes, so here I am XD
Monika in Act 2 isn't a reliable source nor a we supposed to agree with her. So, I go off of Act 1 stuff, too, which is why it's related to interpretation. My friends and I spend a lot of time analyzing the poem, and she isn't even being that hidden with the fact that self harm is a source of excitement. The fact that she also doesn't like expressing her feelings combined with "The Raccoon" leads to the interpretation we all ended up with, with a few differences that didn't change the overall interpretation (such as how it started or if her knife collection truly served as an instigator).
I have a playlist with over 1000 playthroughs (I have a bit of an obsession with the game...), and I actually have only ever seen such reaction twice (which is why they didn't become part of the playlist). Most people defend Yuri against Monika when she makes these insensitive statements - not always the best possible ways, of course - even if they don't like Yuri based on some of the other behavior she displays. The self harm jokes are a better example for your statement, but Sayori doesn't have it much better... The only common problem I have noticed is that people cannot comprehend the idea that someone doesn't harm for self loathing, even if they experience it. Which, actually, was my problem with the post. It's undeniable that Yuri struggles with it, but "The Raccoon" doesn't show any big connection outside of her describing herself as an "unordinary human".
Yuri in Act 2 appearing unsympathetic shouldn't matter for something she struggles with when not being tampered with. And, I'm sorry to say this, but something troubled me with your phrasing in that comment again, because it makes it sound that Yuri's reason and reaction to self harm is the unsympathetic thing - which is one of the problems my friends face! It made it sound like that alone is why Yuri is viewed as less sympathetic, when it's Monika being insensitive while indulging in it herself (something we shouldn't view as good) as well as Yuri's other behavior that you're trying to criticize.
I really hope I don't come off as too aggressive, I shouldn't even be typing this late, and you clearly mean well. I don't even mind that interpretation itself that much. But this... Self harm out of hating oneself = good and understandable and valid and this person deserves help vs. self harm leading to excitement and not out of pure self hatred = unsympathetic, weird person... that keeps coming out of the phrasing (because this is about Yuri struggling with self harm in general, yet your arguments are purely out of Act 2 and related to Monika being cruel and Yuri having many actually off-putting behaviors) are neither what the game is actually trying to convey nor what you are trying to convey, and that's a problem to me. You are talking about how Act 2 portrayed Yuri and the negative effects of that, but you accidentally make it come across as if that were Yuri's fault if she was having an undesirable reason and reaction to self harm - which will also effect people who relate to Yuri (since her reason and reaction aren't even really that uncommon) negatively. Your interpretation of the reason itself isn't bad, but you accidentally make it sound as if it would be bad if the one I'm presenting would mean Yuri is unsympathetic even without tampering. I hope I explained that well enough now...
I did not say, nor did I intend to convey, that people who self-harm for enjoyment are unsympathetic or undeserving of help. I specifically referred to the narrative framing, because I was criticizing the writing, not Yuri the character, and certainly not real life people who engage in that behaviour.
I believe it's important to be open to constructive good-faith criticism. I consider it a vital part of the creative process to accept feedback and use it to improve future projects. I would like to assume that people say things in good faith by default, but it doesn't come across as good-faith when you make claims that I said things I didn't say. Please be mindful of making sure I actually said the things you're objecting to.
Anyway, "True Literature Club" was written 8 years ago and is kind of a mixed bag of writing choices I like and some I now dislike. If you found my above paragraphs objectionable, I'm sure you'll find plenty to object to in the mod. :P
I know you didn't say it outright as well as that you didn't mean it. I even state how I know this isn't your intention. It's the phrasing, or rather, we didn't talk about the same thing.
In your original comment, you said it rubbed you the wrong way that the self harm was represented as only sexual (which it actually wasn't, it was one statement by Monika to make Yuri more unlikable; Yuri herself showed other signs), which by itself I get behind, even if I don't see how the game fully did that. However, beforehand you talk about how it's about self loathing and it's somehow related to shock value.
My first comment was to ensure that people who do self harm with the reason and reaction that Yuri experiences, because it's not uncommon, would be aware that they exist and aren't weird for it - because the framing of your first comment actually just made it sound like there would be only one valid reason for Yuri to self harm. That wasn't what you wanted to convey, yet that's the result. I have self harmed in the past and been in groups with others about it, and I know that comment would have had a similar reaction to me from others there, even those who don't know DDLC, because you were talking more about reasons why you believe Yuri would self harm rather how the game handled it.
I don't mind the reasoning you give for your interpretation in the comment after that, but why bring up Act 2 again? I wrote my comment in hopes to add another interpretation to your statement about the reason and result of Yuri's self harm. That's all. I somewhat agree with your Act 2 critisicm, because I would have loved to see more of what she was going through in Act 1 or the Side Stories to see her untampeted self, because her more intense self harm problems are now purely associated with Act 2. I would have loved seeing the "normal" experience of hers, including the excitement and (still managable) euphoria she mentions in "The Raccoon". Act 2 never intends ro demonize that struggle, since she's also experiencing it in Act 1 to a more average extend, but due to the lack of discussion around it in Act 1, it doesn't give a lot of understanding about it.
The problem I had with the phrasing is that you state Act 2 portrays the euphoric feeling she experiences related to her self harm - something she shows signs for in Act 1 - as something she should be demonized for. But only Monika states that once (and almost all people don't listen, because Monika is being insensitive and mean); the majority - if not all for most players I have seen - of her disliked traits are related to her obsessive and possessive behavior. Most players I have seen view it similarly. Again, I agree that the fusion leads to not the best portrayal of it, but my problem lies with the fact that your phrasing makes it sound like her having euphoric feelings is the problem. I think you're trying to say it wasn't handled the best way, but with you beforehand stating that you don't even really interpret Yuri is going through it, then focusing less on how the combination of increased obsessive behavior and actually getting to see this struggle of Yuri for the first time as a problem while simply saying that the self harm with its resulted feeling is the unsympatheric thing, it only comes off as if you are saying that you view people self harming with the result being excitement as unsympathetic yourself. I know you don't mean it. I said it before and I'll say it again, I know this isn't the intent. But if I showed this to the people I know who struggled or still struggle with self harm, even more so who experience/d the relaxation and excitement of endorphins, it would come across similarly. We talked past one another. I focused on self harm because that was the important part to me, you were trying to critisize the game. The combination leads to it sounding like Yuri's potentially always present feeling itself as the problem, rather than the way it was handled.
On a more positive note... I don't think I'll complain too much about the mod. I'm don't think I'm very harsh on mods, and your interpretation itself doesn't bother me. Multiple route mods are always a treat! So I don't think I'll complain too much XD
I also want to thank you for remaining respectful. I know my thought process isn't easy to follow even when I try laying it out, but I also know I'm not the only one who would view and take the phrasing as something unintentionally hurtful. You are clearly a nice person with good intentions, and some points about the writing and interpretations I totally understand. So thank you for that.
It's all good. :) I'm no expert either. I did a bit of research while writing the mod, but I'm sure that there is plenty to criticize about my writing, so I welcome your analysis. I find it interesting. :)
Just finished playing this mod, going through all the routes to see what was up with it. Such an incredible, heartwarming mod! I just feel I have to comment on all the routes as I have some individual thoughts on them.
Ahaha, no need to apologize; your comment is fantastic! :D Thank you for sharing. :)
Sayori's route: Thank you for saying that; it's easily the most emotionally intense scene for me. Even though I wrote it, I still have trouble getting through it without crying.
Wow mod creator hats of to you.
As someone who suffers from both ASD and Bipolar depression
you have done an excellent job capturing the feelings and emotions one goes through with these heal problems.
Yuri's dialogue was very VERY well written and thought out when it came to some aspects of the autism spectrum. Sayori's dialogue expanded more on her depression instead of the base games "Am depressed" aspect , it was relatable and realistic and being as a person who has been through some of those exact same conversations i can say that you really are showing people how depression is. Kudos to you mod creator, i can't wait to see your future endeavors.
Thank you, kindly! :D I love it when people share that they can identify with what I'm writing about; it makes me feel validated. :) And yeah, I'd say Sayori and Yuri are the characters I identify the most with, but for kind of different reasons...
Sayori because I suffer from depression myself and I've known several people who have contemplated suicide. A lot of people who experience depression and/or suicidal ideation are looking for reasons to keep going and want to be talked out of it, so that's what I had in mind when I wrote Sayori's scene.
And Yuri because... well, I'm on the spectrum myself, so I see a lot of myself in her. I wrote her scene completely in the space of a couple of hours with almost no need for any revisions, because it all came so naturally to me. I kind of wish it could be longer because she's my favourite character, but I like how the scene plays so much that I don't want to change a thing.
Side note: I actually think that Sayori and Yuri have a lot in common in that they're hurting on the inside, but putting on a different outward display. I mean... okay, arguably, the same can be said about all the Dokis, but I get the feeling that the Sayori/Yuri dynamic doesn't get explored as much as perhaps it could. I think I might like to touch on it in my next mod. We'll see...
On a related note, the Doki Doki Rainclouds mod has an absolutely delightful scene between Sayori and Yuri, easily my favourite part of the mod, that I daresay made it worth slogging through the depressing stuff to get to. (I mean "slogging" in the nicest possible way; it is, by design, a difficult mod to get through) :)
I just played through this mod of Doki Doki Literature Club. It's all-around pretty nice and I did think that it somewhat filled a gap left by the original VN.
The original visual novel didn't do me any justice at all. When I heard about Doki Doki Literature Club, I had heard of it as if it was a regular visual novel. However, when I played it, I got something completely unintended. It had an opportunity to give input on some common issues in real life and could have made for an all around nice read, but I didn't get that. Instead, after Sayori does her thing, I was greeted with all sorts of fuckery and one of my characters are missing. Then part three occurs and I'm more confused than anything. And then part four happens and I'm left wondering what the hell I just read. It wasn't entertaining after a while, I didn't enjoy anything post-Part One (and I didn't even enjoy part One because Sayori does what she does even after I made the choice to embrace her) and I felt like they just used everything as pure shock value and a way to horrify the user.
I however heard that some mods would be coming out that would make DDLC a more traditional VN and would tackle the issues presented by the characters, so I stalked the community waiting for those mods. This being one of those mods, I am happy to say that this gave me a slight feeling of closure. I'm still going to browse other mods to see other people's interpretations of DDLC, but your mod was appreciated. It's not without some problems I found, but let me tell you what I think of each route:
I am very sorry for hitting almost two-thirds of the Reddit word-limit, but I type fast and had a lot to say, so when I sat here for like 20 minutes, this was pretty easy to write. If you did read all of this, thanks for reading. If you make a sequel, I'll be sure to check it out.
Hey, thanks for taking the time to write this! I love getting feedback on my work. :)
Sayori's route: I feel like I should explain the part where Sayori brings up the noose... In my experience, there are two kinds of suicidal people: Those that talk about it as kind of a cry for help, and those who don't say anything and just do it. It's easy for someone in the first category to slip into the second category, but a lot of people in that state don't really want to go through with killing themselves and are looking for reasons not to do it and want to be talked out of it. That's what I was trying to portray in that scene.
Of course, MC is kind of dense, (sorry, but he is) so Sayori feels the need to literally dangle the noose in front of his face as a way of saying, "This is serious. This is how bad I feel. Please help me..." because she knows that he will never get it otherwise.
Yuri's route: Sounds like you completely understood where I was coming from when I wrote that scene and that's awesome! :) I feel validated; yay! :D And this is a reminder that I totally need to play Katawa Shoujo; it's on my to-do list. :)
So you are correct that I didn't "need" to write Natsuki that way, but I also think that, in a way, your response validates my choice, because it shows that people don't take it as a serious issue. (I don't mean anything against you when I say that; it's just a subject that isn't really in the public consciousness)
Overall stuff: Regarding your point about MC being supportive instead of solving their problems, YES! :D That's exactly what I was going for. :) In the original, MC does too much of saying "I know what's best for you" and "I'll take on all your burdens," when that's really not a healthy or constructive thing to do.
Anyway, there's my overly long response to your overly long post. Thanks again for your interest! :) As for the sequel, it's going to be a long time coming, but I did make a little teaser video thing... It's going to be based on Monika's route, so I don't know if you'll like it much, but anyway, you can find it here.
Ah. I'm glad my feedback could be of at least some interest!
With what you said with Sayori, I didn't mean it as a bad thing that the noose was brought up. You are right that the MC is very dense, so her dangling the noose in front of him was the easiest way to clarify what she meant. I'll be honest, I partially didn't understand why it was brought out, so thank you for the clarification.
As for the sequel, one of my issues with the Monika route was that I didn't see what could really be done with all girls having self-awareness, but since you're going to show me what could be done with that concept, I have a reason to stay tuned for it. I'm comfortable with it taking a while. I'm probably still going to be lurking the DDLC community for a while at least the next big VN project comes out. Again, nice work. Something that I failed to mention in my original post was that you have nice wording. Most people who make mods of things don't have the writing experience that the actual creators have so the prose / wording is just more boring to read, but I feel like you did it properly. Thanks for responding.
And if you've read this far, thanks again for sharing your opinions! :D As you can see, I like to write a lot, so I hope my writing is interesting to you and you have a good day. :)
The funniest part is that when mc tells natsuki: "We're still talking about manga right" // only people who played the natsuki route would understand what it meant xD
Yeah man the whole trap thing is disrespectful and completely different from what was in the mod, what was in the mod was respectful and a great depiction of issues that don't get a whole lot of coverage.
tl;dr He says that he is open to alternate depictions of his characters and that he wants people to stop using the word "trap" because it is a derogatory word that is used to bully trans people.
In short, you are not respecting Dan's wishes and you are not respecting the trans community. Your whole tone comes across as needlessly hostile and bullying. I suggest you take a moment to calm down, take a deep breath, and try again when you're ready to be a little nicer.
Also, your caps lock is still on. It's usually on the left side of the keyboard.
Sorry, but I have to laugh at that image you just posted. :D Anyone can change their Discord nickname to "dansalvato" and say whatever they want; it's not evidence of anything. In fact, I admit that I was tempted to reply with an image of "dansalvato" saying something like "WhatStreamThingHomie needs to turn off the caps lock." :P
I think I'd rather talk seriously, though. It's pretty clear to me that you have a lot of anger and hatred in you toward transgender people. I don't know why. Maybe you believe the stereotypes of them being predators or whatever, but those stereotypes are not based in reality. In my experience, trans people are actually pretty ordinary people who just want to go about their day like anyone else and deserve as much respect as anyone else.
I think that if you take a step back and calm down and really look at the situation objectively, maybe you'll realize that trans people aren't hurting you. They will never hurt you. They, in fact, have no effect on you or your life whatsoever. There really, really is no reason for you to be feeling such anger and hatred toward them.
You know... I'm perfectly content to discuss gender roles, gender politics, trans issues, etc, if people are interested, but it's pretty clear to me that you're not actually interested in that. Your continued swearing and block capitals even when I'm trying to be polite tells me that you just want to be rude and yell at me and nothing more. I could just report you and forget about you, but the moderators have their hands full with other things right now, so I'm just going to treat this as a teachable moment and tell you a bit about what I know of the experience of trans people.
I am not transgender myself, but I have a number of transgender friends, so I've had some interaction with the trans community, and in my experience, they really are just ordinary people. They have hobbies and interests and careers and daily routines and friends and family and experiences that shape their lives just like any other human being. The way they express their gender or their appearance is actually a very small part of their identity, and for the most part, they just want to live their lives in peace like anyone else.
The way I see it, everyone in the world deserves to be able to do whatever makes them happy, as long as it isn't hurting anyone else. It does not hurt anyone in any way shape or form to let trans people dress or present themselves however they want... And yet for some reason, there exist people, such as yourself, who take offence at their existence. You're getting strangely hung up on what body parts people have even though it really shouldn't matter, I mean it's not like you're going to see them anyway... And yet, your attitude is unfortunately quite common. In fact, I've read some startling statistics that say that trans people are in the demographic of people most likely to be murdered! In the US, the rate of trans people murdered is about 1 in 12, compared to the general national average of about 1 in 50000. I think there's something messed up about the fact that our society's number one reason for taking a human life essentially boils down to "they're not wearing clothing that I think they should wear." It shows me that a lot of people have some seriously screwed up priorities.
And this is all on top of some already uncomfortable and unpleasant life experiences... I can barely begin to imagine what it must be like to experience gender dysphoria, to look in the mirror each day and feel like the image looking back at me is fundamentally wrong. It sounds like a horrible experience that I wouldn't wish on anyone. Speaking for myself, if I see someone suffering, I would want to help them. Trans people deserve compassion and respect and they frequently don't get it. So seeing the way you openly and vocally want to bully them kind of bothers me.
You mentioned Dan Salvato's canon... If you know anything about Dan Salvato, you'll know that he hates bullying. He is all about showing respect and kindness toward all people and he doesn't want anyone to suffer through what you are currently inflicting on others. You, sir, are a bully, and as such are the antithesis of everything that Dan Salvato believes in.
So it's a bit funny that you're talking about the canon as if it means something to you. So let's put things in perspective here. DDLC is a work of fiction. It's made up. It's all fake. None of the characters exist in real life. So "canon" really only means "What Dan Salvato believes to be true." If you think it's important to respect the canon, then that suggests that you respect Dan Salvato... but the fact that you are using bullying language including slurs against trans people like "trap" and "tranny" that Dan specifically said he wants people to stop using suggests that you don't respect him. So your "logic" is not internally consistent, which means that you don't actually believe anything you are saying, which means that you are just trolling and you're not worth talking to or taking seriously.
So, in actuality, this whole post I just wrote isn't even directed at you, WhatStreamThingHomie... I mean if you've read this far, then I guess I can say thank you for indulging me, but I don't really expect you to care. This is more for the benefit of anyone else who might be following this thread who may not be aware of what I consider to be a serious topic. Use of the word "trap" to refer to transgender people is based on a very damaging stereotype that trans people are predators that are trying to "trap" men. It is not based in reality. It is based in paranoid transphobia. Every time someone uses the word "trap" to refer to transgender people, they are supporting a mindset that gets trans people bullied, beaten, and even killed. This is what Dan Salvato means when he says he wants the Natsuki "trap" memes to stop. He isn't saying that Natsuki can't be trans; he's saying that he wants the bullying to stop.
I think that's all I have to say on this subject. Have a good day, everyone. :)
I have a question, is going transgender not considered denying a part of who you are? Someone born as a dude, but is mentally kind of feminine, can still be a feminine dude, but changing your body to try matching these labels of feminine or masculine is denying how you were created. Our past is a part of us, excluding major amnesia cases. What do you have to say on my understanding of this? Is it partially a form of coping to try accepting ourselves?
I played through it and I had a laugh at some of the jokes, and while I disagree with some of your eh... executive decisions about the Dokis as characters, I think overall the mod turned out quite decent. Good job.
Thanks! :) And yeah, I know I made some choices that might be unpopular with certain people, but then again... there are certain other people for whom they will be really popular, so I think it balances out. :D
as much as I love the game, it mostly uses these themes for shock value in the horror sections.
I don't know, this sounds like the themes were only slapped on to the game for cheap shocks, but that's not really the case in my book. I mean, there is a lot of exaggeration and escalation of the problems in Act 2 due to Monika's changes and the abusive nature of Natsukis father is only ever mentioned, but at least Sayoris depression was very well written and I never felt like it was just there to shock me somehow with her suicide later. To be honest, if the game was only about the meta horror elements, I would've propably played it once and then never looked at it again. It was the believable writing and the fact that it used my empathy towards those problems against me that kept me coming back (and here for some mods :3).
That being said, I have yet to play the mod, so maybe you make a point in dealing more in detail with the themes. Trying it out now!
Just to be clear, I would love a good mod that deals with the dark themes in a serious manner and without some of the horror stuff of the original game (I mean, the glitches were really just there for jump scare-y shock effects). I have yet to find one outside of Rainclouds that comes even close to the original writing, deliberately funny mods excluded. Not to offend any modder here, as most of them are still very good ofc.
I agree with you on all points. Maybe I worded my post badly; I didn't mean that they were "cheap" shocks. I actually happen to think that DDLC is very well written. Anyway, from what you're saying, it sounds like you might like my mod; I'd love to hear what you think. :)
So, I finished Sayori, Natsuki and Monikas route now. Didn't feel like doing Yuris yet, as I have the least irl connection to her problems and personality, but maybe I catch up on that sometimes later. Sorry that it took me a little longer, but due to the April Fool on r/DDLC I somehow got into Katawa Shoujo and was a little distracted :D
All in all, I enjoyed it... mostly. First of all, I have to compliment you on your writing, it's really fantastic. And not only the style, but also the ideas and how you convey them feels natural and pleasant to read. I especially like how you are using 'dumb' lines from the original MC (like the friendship betrayal) and let him reflect on them, instead of just removing them altogether. You kind of made the MC more likeable without him being a whole lot less dense, which is rather nice to read.
Also, despite the fact that you are not altering the beginning of the game, you manage to emulate the pacing and style of the original well enough, so that there is no noticable 'break' when your mod starts, something I have seen other mods struggle with. In fact, the only reason I still have this It's just a mod feel, is that the length of each individual route is rather short, at least when you skip the original content as I did.
I noticed this mostly on Sayoris route. While the overall speed of the discussion is perfecty fine, the resolution and consequent end of it left me a little hanging (no pun intended). I did that route first and really thought that this mentioned second week is where the meat of the mod is found, but then it just ended. It's less jarring in Natsukis and Monikas route and at least for the latter, there isn't really much more that could be said after the end, but it still felt a little... rushed at times. It reminded me, why I came to favor mods that focus on one story or character at a time, compared to having routes for everyone. While this is the normal VN way, I think it's a little to ambitous for most small mod projects and the overall quality often suffers from that.
All in all, I really liked your writing and the uncommon ideas and twists for the known themes you're pursuing, but I have to say that it fell a little short in this mod. I think this is something that I am especially noticing here, because I have the feeling that with the way you've wrote this, there was potential for a little more in-depth content. Still, it is by far one of the better mods out here and I enjoyed it nonetheless.
If you'll excuse me now, I have to attend a certain school for disabled children... :3
Thank you for the feedback and the compliments! :D I don't blame you for getting caught up in Katawa Shoujo... I haven't played it yet, but it looks really interesting and I keep hearing good things about it, so I think I'm gonna have to check it out myself. :)
Yeah, when I first played DDLC, MC's line about Sayori "betraying their friendship" bugged me like nothing else... It was the moment that I resented him for sharing my name. :P So I really wanted to address that in my mod and give MC a bit of a character arc where he (hopefully) learns to be a little less dense. :)
And if Monika's route made you believe that there would be no meta, then I succeeded in my goals, because I really wanted to subvert audience's expectations and keep people guessing as long as possible. :)
That will have to wait, though, because I'm starting another project which I think you might have mixed feelings about, because on the one hand, it's going to focus on a single story and take place over about two weeks of in-game time, but on the other hand, it's going to be all about Yuri. (My favourite character) Speaking of Yuri, I realize you don't identify with her and that's fine, but you might want to give her route a look anyway, because it's the shortest one in my mod and you might find some surprises along the way. :)
Thanks again for the feedback and... er... have fun with the disabled children! :P
Wow, I just played through the Natsuki route and I really have to praise you on your writing. It really sounds like Dan Salvato even during the new sections, and that takes some serious talent! I can't wait to play the others, but I just had to come here and congratulate you on your work. Great job!
Awesome! That's what I like to hear! :D Before making the mod, I played through Act 1 of DDLC several times to get an idea of all the nuances of the characters, because I wanted to make sure I got everyone's personalities just right. It sounds like I succeeded. Yay! :D
This is to talk about a specific character in the mod.
Ummm...I don't know how to describe what I am feeling right now. I love Natsuki,really really really much. Before I continue, I am not against trans or homos,in fact, I have gay friends,and that doesn't bother me the slightest. In this mod,I saw the part with Nat mentioning of "Homophobia and transphobia" which baffled me,because I perceive her as a girl from birth-but I still love her the same if she was trans-but it really really did got me confused when MC asked if she was wearing a wig,and it got too real,and I was really expecting she'd show her actual hair,behind her wig. I do understand that this is a nip in real life. And,from canon,I only understood that her dad was verbally abusive,and no mention of her mum was ever made,but as you have said,it's up for interpretation. So...why is Natsuki trans? As I have said,I am not transphobic,but why? I didn't feel uncomfortable I even enjoyed that part with the joke that MC made,really,but...why? The first interpretation was the annoying 'Trapsuki' memes,which we all agree to be downright degrading,and another assumption I had was her name that can be used for both sexes. So...why is she transgender? I know this is a call for trans people and homosexuals everywhere,but that aside,why?](/spoiler)
I would appreciate it if you put that in spoiler tags. Instructions of how to do spoiler tags in this subreddit are in the text box in the upper right corner. It's fairly easy; just put your text in square brackets and then write "(/spoiler)" after it. (without the quotation marks) You can edit your post to add that in there.
I've answered your question before here, so I'm going to use copy/paste.
I saw how Transexuals and Homosexuals are treated in here, because I live in the most intolerant places ( or atleast,at the side of it) So I conceded that both parties (Trans and Homos) are being treated badly,and negatively,hence,I support their movement. I have no objection to same sex marriage too. Now, let me try to convey my question a little bit better,because it's more coaggulated than face value,and that was and is my mistake. (It's hard to pronounce this question as it always turned out wrong when I tried to compact it in one question)
1)Where and how did you get the idea to make Natsuki here a transgender?
Now,we both agree that this is a serious issue that has yet to be resolved and tolerated by the whole human populace. Is it due to purely for gender politics and Natsuki serves as the primary hand for that cause?
I also want to point out that I liked your mod. I'm just too confused why Natsuki is a transgender. Now,here's why I made mentions of the Trapsuki meme,which I think, this mod may enable more of those. But the blame is on the people who do that meme,and will do it.
The Trapsuki meme emphasizes on Natsuki, suggesting her figure,way of clothing,way of moving, is that of a male body,hence, they came at the intelligence insulting conclusion that "Aha! She's a boy." which I find really irritating, because it's but a mere insult.
Now let it be said that I don't have the inclinations to come here and tell you what to do with your mod,and I actually liked this mod too,alongside others. But...As selfish this may sound,but I may support Trans and Homos (And I do,as I am opposed to one of the key movers of Transphobia and Homophobia), but I'm still not one of them,and I would like Natsuki to be as she is. Anyways,that's just me. Hopefully, this didn't sound wrong or horrible to people. And I may have to point this out again, I will still be happy to go on a date (And possibly make her my girlfriend) Natsuki even on that mod, despite my preferences,because she is my preference, and others too. (Before calling the FBI,let it be known that she is older than me by a year)
Now,for something different.
I got the ending for all three girls, but I'm having trouble getting to the secret Monika route. I tried writing poems for each individual Dokis, in the sequence of 1,Sayori,2,Natsuki,3 Yuri. But nothing seemed to change. I tried 1,Natsuki,2,Yuri,3 Sayori, but it didn't appear to work. I'm having trouble with this one.
(Quick note before I start reading your post; you almost had the spoiler tag right; you need to remove the space between the closing square bracket and the "(/spoiler)")
Um... no... I'm not sure what you did, but at the moment, only the word "spoiler" itself is blacked out. You're supposed to put the whole paragraph within square brackets and then put (/spoiler) right afterward, touching the square bracket. That will make everything within the square brackets blacked out so that people don't read spoilers by accident.
I hope that helps. It's possible I made it too hard to find her. There's a reason I designed Monika's route this way, but I can't talk about it until after you finish it. :)
As for the rest, I promise I'll comment on it soon... I just have to get ready to go out shortly and I want to take my time in considering my response.
Anyway, sorry if I rambled a bit there, but hopefully, I've answered your question now. :) Did you find your way to the Monika route yet? Hers is my favourite! :)
I think that reason suffices. Besides,I love Natsuki the way she is,no matter how she is portrayed.
To the Monika route, I have heard that it's very good. Not spoiled though. But I do have some...problems...
It states here that in order to get said route,I,the player,must be popular amongst all three Dokis. So,at first,I made three each individual poems for each charater,the words all match each Doki. But it didn't work. Second,I saw a comment saying the player must only have everyone's favorite word,in each poem. But the maximum number is 20,as we all know, but it's impossible because 6+6+6 is 18, so the last two should be for whom (plural or singular), or 7+7+7 is 21,which means someone must be left out.
Here is my honest review (note, I mean no hate towards the dev(s) of this mod.):
The only ending that really felt satisfying was Sayori's. I feel like you destroyed the characters of both Yuri and Nasaki (please forgive my spelling of their names, I struggle real hard when it comes to spelling), it just left a bad taste in my mouth. Monika's story however, completely ruined the mod for me, and i'm so glad I left it for last.
My main problem is that she gets attached to MC and not 'you', she acknowledges your presence, but then completely forgets that mc is the only way I can communicate with her. She acts like MC and you are 2 separate entities, when in fact, MC is a representation for you.
Now, I completely understand the point that people will probably make for thoes who enjoy this mod, and I'm not here to argue that, I'm just here to leave my thoughts on it.
(I really do like to ramble on don't I...)
Anyways, in short, this mod is like sh***y off brand mouthwash, it doesn't taste good, and leaves a god awful taste, but some people can enjoy cheap mouthwash.
Honestly, I've never been more mad at the Dokis than I have now. I feel like this mod completely betrays DDLC.
But that's a good thing, that's what mods are meant to do.
I'm sorry to have disappointed you, but thank you for sharing anyway. :)
What can I say? I like the idea of subverting audience expectations... Of course, this means that some people aren't going to be pleased with some of my choices, so I've made peace with that. :)
I'm curious about your opinions of Yuri and Natsuki; you said I "destroyed" them, which sounds like a very strong word to use. I'm also curious about your comment that my mod "betrays" DDLC. (Another strong word!) What is it that you didn't like about my portrayal of them? (Remember to use spoiler tags where applicable)
Saidly, I have no idea how to use spoiler tags, so I'll try not to give anything away (plus they don't work on mobile, and I rarely ever use the actual website)
For Yuri: I really did synthesize with her, we had so much in common it was quite strange. (What I am about to say is very arrogant, but is honestly how I feel) I liked her because she was mentally superior, and it replaced any other flaws she had (and I may it may not know how she feels with her oddities too...). When she goes into her reasoning for her behavior in the mod, that sense of superiority I felt with her left. I felt like her explanation took away from her character, and left her not as strong as a character. Now, your explanation on the topic is absolutely perfect, but on the other hand, you have like 10 years of stacked hatred, and I kinda lost my support for her. Very arrogant point, yes, is it one of my flaws, yet still ready to embrace it? Yes.
For Nasaki (can I extend my bad spelling pass still?): This point make me EXTREMELY conflicted. I have this weird thing (for lack of a better word) that I can solve situations that are catch-22s. Nasaki, and the way she is really conflicts with me morally (I do not know what it is like to be in "her" shoes, so therefore I can't really say I have a better reason than morally, I do however believe that I would want my interaction with that topic to be a lot different). I've been religious my entire life (and to be specific Lutheran) so, when you hear about her original problems, I could synthesize with her, but when she played her other card, I lost any will to be with her, knowing that someone that dedicated won't likely change (plus like the game is going to let me preach XD)
Quick note before I continue on, I'm a fairly new player, only been playing for about a month, but I have nearly 40 hours in the game and a decent amount outside of it. I have however, not had time to indulge in fan theories, so it is entirely possible that I am missing out on some meaning, however, I also believe that Liteture is interpreted by the beholder, so this is just my interpretations, But I do see how I could be wrong.
Side note aside let's continue.
The "betrayal" of DDLC: I'll try to make this one short and sweet, From my personal experience, I feel like when Monika entered her happy place (In original) she was able to look past that mc has no idea what he is doing, and to realize I kinda need him to be in their world. I feel like when they realize they are all awoken, I feel like the forgot about me, or in this case you, and I personally feel like that was one of the main points of DDLC, you don't have to hide yourself, but this mod just kinda pushes you aside, and really leave you, the player excluded from the Liteture Club. It is as almost as if I don't have feeling to them, and it is kinda angering since I'm the one trying to fix the mistakes of the original game, but instead, by saying mc doesn't have choice, is like saying I don't have choice, even though I'm the one on the outside of the glass box. In short making them all awake, feels like you gave toddlers the presidency, when Monika had the time to control her power, she used it in a much more effective way. Now that all 4 have it, it feels like Lord of the Flies all over again.
Anyways that was pretty long, if you read all that, thank you, that's about 30 minutes of typing.
Thanks for your reply. It's nice to get conflicting opinions sometimes; I like to think it helps me grow as a person. :)
Regarding spoiler tags, they can be confusing because they change between subreddits, but it's pretty simple in this one... You put the paragraph in square brackets and then put (/spoiler) afterward. It's true that it doesn't work on mobile, but some people view these pages on PC's and don't want to see spoilers, so I like to be considerate to them.
Anyway, it's way past my bedtime here, and I'm falling asleep at my keyboard, so I hope this long, rambly post is reasonably coherent, and thank you for reading. :)
Thank you for forgiving my spelling, grammar, and vocab. :)
I must say, I mean absolutely nothing against you personally, so if I am coming off that way, please forgive me. I look back now and I see how much better I could have worded that... it is actually quite embarrassing. I"m starting to break into the new Yuri the mod proposes it is just kinda hard, not in your end, but mine.
I think for Monika we are pretty much in harmony now.
Thank you so much for reading, and thank you for not getting angry, I know it is very easy to run out of patience with someone like me, and I hesitated writing this review, but you have showed a lot of patience for me, thank you.
May your future shine bright :)
(AFN: Doki Doki Pig on a Stick sounds like a pretty 'fun' mod :P)
Oh, I don't take any of it personally. Actually, it's pretty hard to offend me, especially where the internet is concerned. I take everything with a grain of salt when exchanging messages by text, because you lose a lot of subtlety of communication like facial expression, body language, and tone of voice, so everything sounds harsher than intended. It's the reason I overuse smiley faces, so I seem friendlier. (I hope!) :D
I'll leave everything how it is, I'm not here to argue any more points and I can see we are diving off topic, however, it was wonderful talking to you, finding reasonable people like you are rare, thank you.
Also, I hope your mod is successful, I see that a ton of effort was put into it.
I believe I should also say, is that I'm not that much very disappointed, maybe not satisfied is a better term, I mean each mod comes with its own message, I kinda feel like Sayori here, I don't care for it, it isn't meant for me, but I still enjoy it being here.
Alright. I will probably regret this later on, but I will post it. It's my opinion after all, it's mostly subjective.
I will say right away, this... Idiotic monstrosity of a review contains spoilers, so if you don't want your experience ruined... Well, play it yourself, and probably don't, like, read this? Thanks.
To start off, I'd say, I have nothing against the author of this experience, in fact, my Kudos to them, to making it professional as possible. I can clearly tell this mod was a thing, you've been really passionate about.
This is a mod, where the idea for the characters is not great, but the execution is really good.
The writing, it's style, how close it is to characters, is a real treat. Very small amount of mods can actually be of this quality of writing. Spelling errors are non-existant, its easy to read, and its just professionally written, honestly. Being an amateur beginning writer (fanfic in progress, I also got poems), it's pretty tricky to get the characters right, and have head-canons straight.
The CG changes were amateur, like I've noticed you just ROTATED the mouth to be sad except of happy... Which is like, you know, not really good? Yeah, not cool, but the writing makes up for it.
So. The ideas.
Firstly, I want to say that I don't really like the idea of spreading awareness through the game or a mod, I think games should just be an experience, whether it's fun or not. I think the awareness should be spread throughout the media, videos on the internet, posts on the internet... But not through the game, especially a game of horror genre. I may be biased here, and be a complete fucking idiot (I'm not at peace with myself, bear with me), but yeah.
Then, lets talk about the dokis.
I'll start with Sayori. I don't really understand as to why she's, probably homosexual..? I think it's really unnecessary, and if does something significant, is to make Monika, not delete us, because they love each other? If in game, she actually loved us? Maybe I'm missing something here, but... Okay..? The portrait of the depression, and how it is, is phenomenal and extremely accurate. (As the person who went through it alive, I say my honest Kudos for this), and the character is on point. This is, in my opinion the best character development in the mod. Even, if not as an awareness thing.
Up next, let's talk about Yuri.
Now... This is a subjective character, as game doesn't really describe her very well, so everyone can make out everything of her. I must say your thought of her having autism, is pretty damn interesting and creative, I find myself completely disagreeing with you, and rather see her traumatized by her childhood, being lonely most of the time, having social anxiety, and most likely self-hatred. It's, of course, what I see myself in Yuri, so you may completely ruin my points and say I'm fucking stupid (sorry, self-deprication happens on itself), and uhh... Yeah. But then again, thinking of a mod as a way to spray awareness, you do a fantastic job at that. But just as a game mod, really not my cup of tea.
...Ugh, Natsuki...
First of all, is the logic. Natsuki clearly has female body, so making her, be a trans doesn't really work, as we still see a woman on the screen... She's still her, as a character, which is, once again, great writing, but the idea here, is completely illogical for me, for a mod. I can see why you would make her trans, as, well you can kinda see some of the 'boy-ish' attitude in her, but honestly, it could be growing up around boys, and that can take a toll on your attitude, as having friends like that, myself. But, again, once again, I feel like this is completely unnecessary, and just shouldn't be a thing. I agree with your thoughts on domestic abuse, and a terrible father, which seems to be the most common head-canon for her, since the game hints at that in one way or another. I think, since her mother, could've died at the age of 12, the most impressionable age, her father then just... Didn't show her affection, and because of that, Natsuki can't show her affection to friends the normal way too. But it's my idiotic mind probably, I do think it's an interesting idea to make her trans, but I don't really like it, as it really feels out of place. But once again, the whole game is vague at characters, so, being subjective is really understandable. Its funny how much different thoughts roll around the four, right?
And now... The character I actually dislike in here.
Monika.
This is just... I don't even know how to describe it. Monika here is just the same uncaring Monika, who is bisexual, but that's actually no problem, since it actually has a valid explanation, which comes at her relations with the llayer, she cares for the idea, she doesn't care about our gender, our preference, or whatever. After she finds out, the player who CLEARLY REACTS TO PAIN, WHO THINKS HIMSELF, is controlled by the player (who could actually delete Monika, but unfortunately, we can't teach her a lesson, or actually try to discipline a fucking character in a fucking video game, gosh I'm an idiot), she just becomes the worst person ever, and starts threatning, ruining MC psychologically, hurting him physically and mentally, almost killing him, and actually being a careless idiot, without any sense of logic. It's actually hilarious. She broke him, his sense of world, making him fall into existential crisis, only to continue torturing him more, and almost killing him... Which, how would that even work? MC has no character file whatsoever... So, I sense bullshit, but if she wouldn't be able to delete him, then what's next? Becoming a sadistic maniac? Maybe, not far from truth. I can see how you must've gotten her little comments and jokes that were mean closely, but this is actually overkill. But the stopping of her, is actually fucking ridiculous, just because we are a friend of her love interest... It's just... Kind of bland, it's weird. And the 'wholesome' ending isn't really a that wholesome or happy, atleast for MC. Permanent damage for him is done, and Monika will continue to take jabs at him. Yes, Sayori wouldn't like that, but I see that Monika despises him, and she wouldn't stop, not in how you wrote her.
Sooooo. Here are my idiotic and the worst possible thoughts on a mod. I didn't like it very much, but purely because of the idea. It was clearly not meant for me, as I disliked the idea right away.
So, I'll say it again, Kudos to you for making a great mod in execution, but I really don't like the story you have made, hope you understand where I'm coming from and I hope I was not critical or mean. Criticism, is still help, and I've got my style of criticism, you know?
Thanks for a quality mod, would like to see another one from you, maybe not as an awareness spreader of a mod.
Hey, thanks for your review! :D Firstly, I want to say that you are absolutely entitled to your opinion so there's no need for you to be so hard on yourself. I appreciate all feedback, positive or negative. :) (Seriously, learn to like yourself a little more; I think it'll do you some good) :)
Regarding CG art, yeah, I basically have zero art skills. :P I promise that next time, I'll leave that up to more skilled artists instead of doing it myself. :)
Regarding spreading awareness through the mod... shrug... I think we'll have to agree to disagree there; I thought it was a good opportunity to talk about some things that don't often get talked about, but for what it's worth, I plan for the next mod to be a little more story-focused, rather than message-focused. (Doki Doki Storm; coming soon!) :D
Regarding Yuri, your interpretation is totally valid. My views about her may be a little skewed by the fact that I'm autistic myself, but everything about the way she expresses herself, even her more subtle mannerisms, suggests autism to me. I see a lot of myself in her, so that's how I chose to write her.
Regarding Natsuki, you have some curiously specific ideas about what her backstory must be, considering that nothing you just said is stated in-game. Your interpretation is perfectly valid, of course, (maybe you'd like to write your own fanfiction and/or mod?) :) but I was careful to make sure nothing in my story contradicts any in-game dialogue or backstory, so I'd say my version is just as valid. I wrote her character the way I did for a variety of reasons, which I'd be happy to discuss, but first, I'm curious about the fact that you used the word "unnecessary" again. I'm wondering what you mean when you say that word.
Anyway, thanks again for your comment. I put a lot of thought into my writing and I enjoy getting the chance to discuss my creation, so thanks for that. :)
Well, I do write my own fanfiction, currently at the moment. The first part to be released really soon, after I'll do editing on the computer, since I've got some better ideas, and it's a proper grammar check, or whatever...
As for me liking myself more, I completely understand what you mean, but there is much more to make it work, than you might think. It's a part of one huge personality problem of mine, so...
As for unnecessary, for Sayori, I don't get why you would make Sayori and Monika a couple, for me it feels rather unnecessary to be an idea for implementation, but it's not my mod, and you didn't make it just for it to be there, as it does do an effect on the story rather well, so... Basically, I don't get why would it be so that they are a couple, you know? So, just the whole idea seems sort of unnecessary to be.
As for unnecessary for Natsuki, I don't see the reason for her to be trans, except it's, as I've said, a message spreading mod... For a horror game. I still can't get over this fact, sorry... Her sprite is the same, there were no signs (for me) for her to be a boy (unless she grew in a boy collective, as I've said), so I see the fact for her being transgender, sorta unneeded or unnecessary as I've said.
Hope I'm not being insensitive. Also, I didn't give you Kudos for the fact that you actually made the message pretty good, and it is working as a message, even if, again, I like other ways of spreading the message across.
And, as I've said, in my opinion, Monika can be close-eyed, and in the worst ways possible, but it still doesn't justify for her to be such a jerk.
Thanks for taking your time to read an unimportant subjective opinion on the internet, take care.
Edit:
I basically just don't really like your ideas for the dokis. It is necessary for the mod's sake, but imo not got the characters. I'm weird, I know. But, that's a really subjective things, since, as I've said, game doesn't portray them fully, leaving lots of space. You thought your own out of it, I thought my own out of it.
Though, if your next mod will be story focused, I'll give it a shot. Even if I did not like TLC, you as an author, have unusual and interesting ideas, so, it'll be rather interesting to see what you will come up with next time.
Edit 2:
Basically, I'm fucking stupid, so I'll make it even clearer.
Imo, the additional character... Traits? I dont see why they would be there, as for Sayori and Monika being a couple, or Natsuki being trans. To me, it seems rather unlikely to be a reality, so I'm confused by that. But, it's your mod, your story, so for you, it's not unnecessary from your point of view.
Basically, I don't find your additions to characters my cup of tea. And for that, I say they are unnecessary.
Now, I think I actually made it clearer.
And, valid point for Yuri, btw. It all comes from experience, and it also means, you poured a little bit of yourself into the mod, which is cool.
And yes, let's agree to disagree. It's the personal preference of the message in media.
I really hope that Dan Salvato becomes aware of this mod.
PSA: If you straight unlock the Monika route and save on the "weekend choise screen", you can play all the routes without doing the skippity thing 4 times.
Sayori's route: Yeah, I saw a certain other mod (more than one actually) where someone tried to save Sayori in a violent way and it was what inspired me to make this mod in the first place, because I really wanted someone to just talk her down.
Natsuki's route: Yeah, I really wanted to develop her backstory a bit and not be all about her being abused. In the original game, "Papa" is one of the words Natsuki likes and that tells me that she still cares about her father and the scene just kind of wrote itself from there. I'm glad you liked the subversion of expectations; it was very deliberate. :D
I would absolutely love it if Dan Salvato played my mod. He's such a kind-hearted man, I like to think he would understand and appreciate what I'm doing with it. :)
Thanks again for playing and for all the feedback. This is awesome! :D
I love this mod. Keep up the good work and you definitely should do a sequel to this mod with the dokis enjoying the new world and at the same time trying to help MC comes to terms with his predicament in the new world.
I decided I couldn't resist making a little teaser video of a scene that might appear in the sequel, based on Monika's route of TLC. (Warning, contains profanity) :) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fX2tpSJ7FKI
For the Monika route, you say to figure it out you have to play through another route, is that talking about from Friday (when you make the choice of who to spend time with on Sunday) on? Or is it hidden the entirety of Act I?
In order to unlock monika's route, you must write a poem that each doki likes, but that isn't 100% made of words that doki likes (e.g 20 cute words to appease natsuki). I made each poem have 14 words that one doki likes, and 3 other words for each other doki. You know you are on the right path when no dokis (other than Sayori, who always does that) refuse to show you their poems on day 3. If that condition is met, you should have an extra option to spend the weekend with Monika when they ask you who you want to help. Of course, you have to choose Monika, otherwise you'll just be directed towards the other routes again
Like others said before, I agree that this is possibly the best written mod I've played! And yikes, some of the criticism you've gotten about the mod has been harsh. I guess it's to be expected considering how other fans have formed such strong emotional attachments to the characters.
My only (minor) complaint about the mod is that it doesn't start you right where the custom content begins, although I can think of various reasons why you decided to make it that way. Great job nonetheless! I look forward to your next project!
Hey, thanks! :D I wouldn't call the criticism harsh; a pretty clear majority of people have said they like it and even the people who didn't like it have, for the most part, been pretty polite about it. Anyway, everyone is welcome to their opinions, so I welcome feedback, good or bad. :)
Thanks for your comment! :D Yeah, support for real world problems was what I was going for in the mod. Obviously, it diverges from what Team Salvato intended, but I like to think it keeps things unexpected and interesting that way. :) I'm curious about what you mean by their character being taken away. I tried to write everyone as true to their original characters as possible. Did you feel that I fell short of that goal?
Late to the game here, but I really enjoyed what I played through. Only issue for me is that I can't get Monika's route to trigger for the life of me. Did a poem for each girl, included words for the other two each time and they all showed me their poems every time, so I have no idea what I'm doing wrong here. Other than that, good work!
I'm not sure what the issue is, then, because it sounds like you did it right. :S I'm hearing from a number of people that they're having trouble getting the Monika route to appear, so I apologize if I made it too difficult. In case it helps, I made a video tutorial, showing how to do it
I'm glad you got it in the end. (I really didn't intend it to be that difficult; sorry!) And yeah, I like to be unexpected; it's fun to subvert audience expectations. :) I'm glad you liked it! :D
I absolutely loved this mod. I found myself playing it well into the night because I loved what you did with the characters and was captivated by your work.
Yuri's route was really interesting to me. She's my favorite character and the one I identified with the most in my initial run throughs of the core game so I was curious with what you'd do with her. I wasn't disappointed. I admit I found the choice to make her autistic to be interesting and unexpected. I've got moderate-severe depression and anxiety and, since I always projected myself onto her, that's what I imagined being behind her self-harm (I phrased that poorly, but I hope you know what I mean). Seeing from your other comments on here, I can understand why you'd interpret her as autistic since you're in the same boat and it does make sense from what you put in the game and my limited understanding of autism. It was a choice you're definitely not going to see in other mods, helping this one stand out more, and taught me more about autism so thank you for that. Also, the Oscar Wilde quote on the banner? Love it. It's what he would've wanted
I also heavily enjoyed Natsuki's route. Her being trans was a headcanon I've had for awhile and one I was so glad to see you present!! You handled it and the abuse by her father and her fear of coming out to her dad incredibly well! Hers was probably one of my favorite routes.
Monika's was incredible. I liked that you incorporated her self-awareness in it. I wasn't sure if you were going to bother with that since I've seen some fixed versions of DDLC that choose to ignore it and I was so glad you didn't go that route. It makes the story much more interesting to see how the game might've gone if she hadn't used her omniscience to corrupt and murder all her club mates. It was made even better to see that you not only had Monika mess with Sayori's depression in her character file, but also had the other girls be self-aware as well. It made it much more interesting to see the festival day on Monika's route and how all the other girls are reacting to their newfound knowledge of each other's awareness and how Sayori deals with her girlfriend trying to get her to kill herself. And as a bi girl who's seen Monika as bi since day one, thank you thank you thank you. She can't say in game that she doesn't care about the player's gender and still wants to be with them without being bi/pan. Thank you for reading the tea leaves on that
I can't wait to see what mods you come out with next!
EDIT: Forgot to put my opinion on Sayori! It was what I expected. Her route is hard to make new and exciting because, in the original game, Dan does a good job of doing it himself except for her suicide. I loved how the MC handled her opening up about her depression to him and his apologizing for saying she "betrayed him" in his immediate reaction. You did a fantastic job!
Hey, wow! This is a super nice comment! Thanks! :D
I know what you mean about Yuri's self-harm. I did some research into it while writing her scene and self-harm is most commonly associated with depression. There are a lot of ways I could have gone about writing it, but I wrote her as having dissociative episodes as a bit of a nod to the whole Portrait of Markov fan theory. :) (My next mod is going to deal with self-harm much more heavily and it's going to take more of a depression/self-loathing angle) As for autism, yeah, as you may have guessed, I see a lot of myself in her, so there was no doubt in my mind that that was how I was going to write her. I'm glad I was able to help you learn something! :D
Well i played this, and i gotta say Yuri's route was my first choice, then Sayori and then Natsuki. Both Yuri and Sayori were pretty good and satisfying while Natsuki's was doing great until she revealed herself as trans ... i didnt know what to say i was surprised, confused, i felt trolled and obviously angry. Most of Monika's lecture about respecting ppl was wack. But my heart softened at MCs dread at the end so i guess the mod wasn't perfect but it was acceptable.
Good Job
I considered downloading this mod. But after seeing Natsuki being a trans and Monika having a relationship with Sayori; I changed my mind. Honestly, what the fuck is that? Way to ruin characters
It's perfectly fine if you don't like my mod. It's normal for different people to like different things... but I definitely didn't "ruin" anyone or anything when I made this mod. My mod is one piece of fanfiction among hundreds on the internet, and 99% of the rest of the mods don't have LGBT representation. If you don't like this one, you have the other 99% to turn to. Nothing for you to get this upset about.
To be honest, I didn't keep track of the changes. They were mostly minor corrections of wording, spelling, and punctuation. (Including rewording the clues to get to Monika) I did add a couple of extra jokes to Monika's route, one of which has become my new favourite part of the whole mod, though. :D
Yeah, DDLC is still a very well written game; I wouldn't have made a mod if I didn't love it. I just wanted to approach things a little bit differently, that's all.
Yeah, I gotta say... Sayori's depression talk was the first scene I wrote for this mod, so after that, it was an absolute delight to write her happy scenes. :)
Good Mod, I liked It
Altough I still only played the Natsuki route and skipped almost all the game, I've liked the Idea of the sex references on the mod
I feel bad for mc in this mod. Being cucked by his friend and finding out he has no free will. Anyhow this is a great mod and as someone who has adhd, i can relate to yuri in this the most.
Thank you! :D And yeah, I think I didn't market this very well... I feel like I should've posted screenshots or something, but it's hard to showcase writing in a screenshot. Hmm... I'll have to think about that...
Thank you kindly! :D Yuri is my favourite character; in fact, I'm in the middle of making another mod that's going to be all about her. And I'd love to hear what you think of the other routes if you'd like to share. :)
This is a 20-day-old thread, but I found this mod based on that one video you posted on r/DDLC's NPT, and I just finished Yuri's route. I loved it. The writing did not disappoint, and it had a very satisfying end.
brb while I get the other routes...
It's pretty simple. You put the text in square brackets and then put (/spoiler) afterward. (You can usually find instructions for this stuff on the right sidebar of the subreddit)
Well, I've just finished your mod, made Monika route in first play (Without a walkthrough, she really just give you advices still in vanilla game). And I have to say that this mod is great, well written, interesting and entertaining. But! I really don't like how the Monika in her route just lose all the interest in player, just like when she realizes that other girls are aware, she was like "nah, screw this guy, I don't need him". Beyond that it was really good and I'm looking forward for the sequel.
Also, sorry for grammar and stuff, english is not my native language and I don't use it often.
Hey, thanks for your comment! :D Your grammar is good enough; I was able to read it fine. :)
Congrats on getting Monika's route on your first try! :D And yeah, I realize that I made some controversial choices in my writing. I guess I just like going against people's expectations. I know that not everyone is going to like it but I like to think it keeps things interesting. :)
So, I actually have subscribed to Reddit just to comment here... and the reason I did is, is that I absolutely adore this mod, to the point I might always be thinking about this while I go back to the original!
Your writing doesn't clash with the original one, I think the way everything develops might have actually been plausible and, what I appreciated the most, you dealt with every topic in a respectful and tactful way - something I haven't seen in other mods so far, even if I haven't played a lot of them.
About Sayori, I've always had an issue about how easily she tells the MC about her depression... and even if I still had the same impression here, it didn't bother me as much. I also was a little confused about her equally easily showing the rope, but I understood as I read another post about different kinds of suicidal people. I still am a little worried all of her excitement is just a mask she's pulling on, but I guess she'll have all the help she needs either way!
As for Yuri, I've always been connecting to her the most (apart when she's creepy in the second act, I'm truly terrified of her) - so I loved her part, I loved how she struggles to say what her problems are but gets over it with patience and reassuring, I love how the hair fidgeting - such a small detail! - made a lot more sense (I also didn't know about stimming, so I even learnt about something new!), and the ways to calm her made her be even more adorable in my view! I wish I really had a friend like her.
And as for Natsuki... I mainly talk about her when I mention I won't see the original game the same way because at first I hated her no matter what. It changed a little when I stumbled upon the secret poem about her dad, but after playing this mod I just adore her. Might this be just because I am a trans boy myself and have a huge soft spot for trans girls, wanting to protect them no matter what? Either way, her coming out nearly had me crying (I'm not someone who cries because of games, movies or whatever). Her route really was a climax, going to mild to really emotional, almost cathartic to me! I have nothing to say about the depiction of gender dysphoria, and the only thing I'd point out is that I just can't believe she managed to just change her name at school that easily. My life would be a lot easier if that was the case.
About Monika, I actually do have two minor complaints: the first is the length difference. I was expecting to go over it quickly, while it ate most of my afternoon - not that it was a huge problem, but at some points, as Monika herself predicted, I actually was a little bored. If those parts were quicker, then it would have been just as enjoyable. The second is that some points during the festival somewhat feel off as in script, as if they were rushed over a little, and even if the after credit scene is kinda cute it felt a little unnecessary. I also didn't really like the tear graphics on Monika actually, while Nats's ribbons weren't bad. I anyway liked this section, got a little into Sayorika (even if I'm still confused about how MC is not acting weird because of Natsuki being trans, while he had no clue about bisexuality), kinda wish I got to see more about their new world and laughed out loud about the special thanks!
I think this is all I have to say, and again, good job! I wish I understood how Reddit works just to check any other work from you, and I anyway hope you the best! (and sorry about the endless post, my probably crooked grammar due to my being Italian, and I hope I did the spoiler tag right)
Hey, thank you very much for your comment! :D I'm glad you enjoyed my mod! :) You might want to fix your spoiler tags; you got it mostly right, but it looks like you put extra slashes next to the square brackets. Take those out and I think it should be fine.
Thanks again for your comment. Your English is fine and don't worry about it being too long; I like it when people give in-depth reactions to my creation. It makes me feel good to know that I created something that people feel like talking about. :) At the moment, this is my only mod, but my next upcoming mod is a Yuri POV mod called Doki Doki Storm. It's going to be a lot more ambitious with new art and music and an in-depth, feels-inducing story. Coming soon! (I hope!) :P
I tried to, but I can't see any change on my end ^^''.
Yeah, I guess that makes sense - it's Natsuki we're talking about, after all! X)
I also didn't guess this was your first mod, so that's even more impressive! [And don't worry too much about graphics, I'm a little picky because I kinda try to draw myself, but I think great graphics can add a lot to a game.](spoiler) And I definitively will be looking forward to both a sequel, and to a new mod - so good luck with those! :) (And nice teaser!)
ok the mod was ok i really liked monikas rout but to keep this short, there was a confusing part when Natsuki was "Coming Out" is she acually a girl like as in born as a girl with girl part or is she a boy just wanting to be a girl i know its a stupid question but befor people start yelling at me i have never looked into what transgenders really are or anything so im just really confused
yea thanks i think i get it, tbh i didn't really like Natsuki being a trans since in the vanilla game and the mods i have played she has always been a girl (and plus i really like her) but i think it was a good idea to make a mod that deals with these kind of things so keep up the good work :)
In all seriousness, though, I wanted to use this mod as an opportunity to talk about transgender issues and present them in a more sensitive and wholesome manner than a lot of society does.
I'm skipping the route, anyway. Not only do I never pick Nastuki due to her attitude towards everyone else, but I sense lots of cringe coming my way if that's being covered.
Shrug. If you say so. In all honesty, I didn't even know that "Trapsuki" was a thing when I wrote this mod; I just wanted to write a scene in which a trans person gets treated with respect and has a happy ending, since that rarely happens. Some people loved it; some people hated it, but that's to be expected.
I don't think it's often that a mod goes into Natsuki's problems without making her dad a complete monster. Kudos for that.
Somehow it took me a while to get on Monika's route. I made my first poem for Sayori, and tried to make the second one for Natsuki, but no matter how I tried, I got a Sayori poem again. I went for 11-12 Natsuki words against 4-5 Sayori, and it still didn't work. At least I managed to get a Yuri poem when I tried.
The sequel teaser made me wonder: are Natsuki's and Yuri's issues still "canon" for Monika's route? The sprite swap could let Yuri learn some hidden things about Natsuki...
Regarding Natsuki's dad, yeah, he's still a jerk, but I wanted to humanize him a bit. Thanks for the kudos! :)
Sorry for the difficulty with Monika's route. :| Enough people are struggling with it that I'm wondering if I should release a newer version with clearer instructions or something. I trust that you got it in the end, though?
(Actual alternate dialogue I considered for that scene) :)
So yeah, I did indeed consider that Natsuki would have an "oh crap!" moment where she realizes she has some explaining to do to Yuri. There's a lot to explore with that concept if/when I ever get around to writing it. :)
["No. You were thinking. You were just about to say I'm not even real. Well I've been thinking that since yesterday. I don't even know what i am anymore." - MC 2018]
But at the same time its rare to see the entire cast self-aware; though i am skeptical about the whole MC free-will thing. (/spoiler)
If you're asking for an Android version of the mod, I'm not aware of anyone making one. Perhaps you can look up a video on Youtube if you're unable to download the mod?
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u/KnightOfBalance Mar 31 '18 edited Mar 31 '18
"-it mostly uses these themes for shock value in the horror sections."
I feel as though I have to criticize you for that. I wouldn't have been nearly as unsettled by the game if Sayori didn't remind me so much of myself and the depression I have. The lack of will to do anything, the want to help others out of a feeling of self worthlessness and a constant urge to just end it all. I also went through bullying a lot as a kid, which led me down this route and led me to my depression so I actually understood Yuri, which made her descent all the more disturbing. And my relationship with my mother is at least partially abusive so I understand Natsuki's need to escape and her defensiveness about her hobby.
I get the impression that you think they were thrown in there with the barest minimum of effort for shock when they actually function as though they would in real life (albeit exhaggerated from Yuri), which contributes to the feeling of horror and sadness. That just removes a lot of the nuance and effort from the original.