Dear Blackcross & Taylor, I'm struggling to write a comment, because I really wanted to like your game but it just couldn't convince me. Nevertheless I want to support you and looking forward to your future games, I like your ideas and think you're doing a lot the right way as developers.
But back to TROS. It's absolutely not a bad game! And I liked a lot of it. For example the art and the really many choices were great and extremely enjoyable! :) But the story, characters and relationships kept being plain to me. In the end the characters felt kind of cliché to me and not as if they're real persons with whom MC is in love.
I really liked that so different characters and espacially Bastien were a romance option but in every route I waited for the deep feelings or deepening plot. I liked the events and actions at the court but the end really felt rushed to me. So there was that back and forth with Bastien and then they simply marry each other out of the blue and Bastien even talks about taking it back. I couldn't feel the love in this.
I experienced this with the other routes too and was looking forward to the secret route. It was pretty clear to me who it would be and because of their special bond in every route I was getting my hopes up that this would be much deeper. But then the route was kind of mixture of friendship and love? I kept waiting for "you're adopted" and then getting a lovely route with more feelings. But that way it was really awkward for me, since I'm not into those kinds of love stories and it clearly seemed that way sometimes - so it was neither just being platonic close nor love. So it got a really strange and undefined relationship for me at the end.
I had this in my head for some time now and really hope, you don't feel discouraged, because I want to achieve the complete opposite. I know that's a rather critical comment, but I felt like I really would let to know what I think of the game. So please don't take it to heavy. I hope that what I wrote was understandable and maybe helpful. I'm keeping an eye out for your upcoming games. :) Greetings!
Hello, Aciara, and thank you for taking the time to leave feedback.
I am sorry to hear you did not enjoy the game. I appreciate you letting me know that you felt the relationships (or perhaps the emotions described in them) were too shallow and rushed.
It is difficult for me to respond to that since, if it was something I felt as well, I would have re-written the game, but it is certainly something I can keep an eye on in future.
Of course, it is hard not to take such criticism heavily, but that does not mean it should be avoided.
I hope you can find our future titles more to your liking, though if this matter comes down to my writing style then I worry that you probably won't.
I'm sorry that I may sounded harsher than I intended to. Sometimes it's rather difficult to express my toughts in English since it is not my native language.
It's not that I didn't enjoyed the game and your writing style! I really liked the events and how you described them and had fun reading. There was just missing something for me to feel deeper in the story and for the characters. But I like them nevertheless and really admired the diversity of personality!
And since I like your ideas and your writing style, I'm really looking forward to Heaven's Grave. :)
This is probably the first VN I've played that wasn't freeware, but as soon as I played the demo, I was hooked and I knew I'd end up buying the full version. And I'm so glad I did! This game was wonderful. The art (and the gorgeous clothes!!!!), the music, atmosphere, themes, and especially the characters--I adore it all. Tbh, if the price of the game had been my soul, I still wouldn't have regretted buying it.
First of all, I love the personality options! I love games that do that so much, but they're so hard to find! (And I understand why--and I definitely appreciate the extra effort it must have taken to do that.) My personal favorite personality build is strong, cunning hellion. So much fun.
Usually, in a game with so many romance options, there's usually at least one love interest that I'm not a big fan of. With so many characters, it's almost inevitable. But no, even in this, TRoS didn't disappoint! I loved every single route and was always able to find something compelling and relatable in each of the romance options.
Actually, all the characters in general were compelling. Even the ones who didn't get a lot of screen time were still interesting. It's pretty hard to pick a favorite character. ...Okay, that's a lie--Frederique is the light of my life, and I always looked forward to seeing him in a scene, because it was usually an indicator of Fun Shenanigans to come. His mischievous personality was delightful (the boat scene, omg), but it's twice as great when it's paired with the depth of his loyalty to his Minette, on every single route. (His part in Sofia's route in particular made me cry. Especially now that I've played all the routes. He's so good, and he loves her for who she is, and he just wants her to be happy. Omfg, more tears.)
...I mean, by this point, I suspect you've deduced my favorite route. Tbh, just when I first played the demo before the full version came out, I shipped it way too hard, and then I felt really bad for shipping it because "there's no way this is going to be a canon route. I shouldn't get my hopes up." And then the full version came out and I actually didn't know there was a secret route until I saw a couple comments here, and then I took a moment to compose myself after freaking out and then opened up the game again. Note: there were several more moments during this time when I had to compose myself as well. Like, all the CG moments, and.... okay, basically every single scene in the whole thing. It's not my fault you nailed all my personal fav tropes, okay??
(I-I'm a good person. But also, thank you so much, it was great. Just.... such a great character and a well-written arc that's totally sympathetic and sweet and also, tbh, feels like such a True Route and, okay, I'm biased as all hell.)
...I told myself I WASN'T going to ramble for paragraphs on end about that. I'm so sorry. Anyway, in conclusion (I say as if this is an essay or something), this game was the best and I'm definitely going to end up replaying it many times in the future, because everything about it was my cup of (possibly whiskey-laced) tea. To everyone who worked on this game, you did great! And I'll definitely keep an eye out for anything you release in the future. :)
Hello, livian, and many thanks for the feedback. I'm very glad to hear you enjoyed the game so much and that the secret route was a nice surprise for you. Your comment about the whiskey-laced tea made me laugh. ^_^
Well, I’ve finished the entire game now (actually, I did the night following my previous comment, but I didn’t have the time to review it before). Or almost finished, I guess – I’m missing the 9th CG on the first page. Must be something bad ending related or whatever – I won’t look for it actively.
As said before, I really liked the game and most of the routes were really cool. The only ones I didn’t particularly like were the girls’ ones, but it’s simply because it’s not my cup of tea – otherwise they were well written and cute and stuff anyway haha! But well, had to do those to access the unlockable one.
The characters are great in this game, and I honestly have a hard time deciding who was my favorite or whose route was the one I liked the most. I guess it’s either Leopold or the secret character, but it’s difficult to tell.
Now, I have one complaint – something that was bothering me a lot during the whole game. Lots of names seem to be French-inspired. It’s fine, but well… two of them were weird. First, Françoise. While the name exists, it’s solely feminine. The male version is François. Then, the surname du Jardine. This is even weirder – I guess it was meant to be the “from the garden” surname, but that would be du Jardin, then. Jardine sure means “garden”, but as in the verb – it translates as “(I) garden” / “(he/she) gardens” and a couple of other forms, not the garden as in the location with trees and plants XD.
I’ll go more in depth about each route, but because of that, a little warning:
---------SPOILERS AHEAD!!! ---------
- Charlotte – clearly the route I like the least. She’s a sweet girl, but not my kind of characters, and between that and the fact I’m not into GL games made it boring to me. On the bright side, I really like the message the route makes, about believing in yourself and not letting others tell you you’re worthless or stupid.
- Sofia – slightly better than Charlotte. She was an interesting character, so my only problem was that I dislike GL. But it also was the cruelest of all the routes in my opinion, because of how the final issue is solved. What can I say, I love the secret character, and I can’t even imagine that from his point of view.
- Guillaume – the first route I did, actually. Sweet and heartwarming. The prince is a fine character, and it’s always nice to see guys like him daring to challenge their parents and start to be masters of their own lives instead of listening to them. I wanted to do his route first since it was Iolanthe’s “mission” when she went to the palace, and well, it was a nice warm-up route.
- Leopold – one of my two favorite routes. He was an intriguing character, the sort you know is scheming something and because of that are not sure if you should trust him or not. The reveal about his goals is cool too, and I love the fact Iolanthe can just say “I’m impressed” XD – she always manages to surprise him. To be honest, Leopold almost made me cry at some points because of how lonely he was, and how he had to keep his secrets to himself and endure the stares of the court. The only thing that bothered me in this route is the ending – I love open endings – and in this game they fit really well the overall mood and writing style. Leopold’s ending was nice too, of course, but because of his and Iolanthe’s quite “extreme” plans for the future, it would have been nice to know how it went – even a short scene from after the facts would be enough and would wrap it perfectly.
- Bastien – this is a special case. I love Bastien, and I love master-servant relationships, so this is basically the route for me. And I like it very much, sure. But unfortunately, the route doesn’t add any new spin to the formula – it’s basically what I was expecting from that kind of scenario (+ added cruelty for the secret character XD). So yeah, it works, and I like it, but it prevents it from being one of my favorite routes.
- Secret (how I’d like to use his name, but oh well, I guess it’s better to keep it down, even with the spoiler warning haha) – the second route I like the most – it maaay be my number one, but I’m not entirely sure since, as with Leopold, one small detail prevents it from being perfect, so they’re quite tied. So, about the route itself! It was so extremely touching and… I don’t know, it’s hard to express actually, but I really felt it? It was like it tore the feelings straight from my guts and heart or something. I can’t help but think this route was “destiny” – like this would be the canon one. Well it’s a nice feeling when, for once, I think that about the unlockable route, since often I don’t like it very much in games and I’m frustrated it’s “more special” than the other routes I like more than it. The play scene in this route was one of my favorite gaming moments from the recent months. It got me hard! Now, I did mention a detail preventing it from being perfect, right… Well, it would benefit from a kiss / almost kiss scene like ALL the other routes. The lack of it actually bothered and slightly upset me even. It would have been so precious and powerful.
Well, I guess that would be it! It had some small issues, but overall a fantastic game – I’m happy I’ve been able to finally play it! Thank you for making that little gem!
Hello, Konoi, and many thanks for the in-depth review.
I am glad to hear you enjoyed the game overall.
As for the names you mentioned, I would say that this is a fantasy game and I never really meant for any of the names to be directly held up to real-life counterparts. I drew from a mix of French, Spanish and Italian and plain just made some of them up. As someone has already pointed out, Frederique is the feminine spelling, as well - I just prefer it that way.
And sorry there was no kiss scene for the secret route - I wanted to leave that side of their relationship open to interpretation. But there was the scene after the tea party and then again after the boating so, CG wise, I think it turned out the raciest of all the routes. ^_^
I don't think you are still missing the 9th CG (either you found it, or moved on :D), but it can be obtained by missing romance routes and eloping with Frederique in the night before announcement. Also, it does not matter if you were chosen to be prince's bride - though if you did, the reaction is quite good :D
I just finished playing one route, the prince's, and I must admit it was really interesting. I like the huge amount of choices and how they impact Iolanthe's behaviour and reputation. And the ending was truly heartwarming!
The sprites and CGs are nice, and the music choices are fitting too. The characters are overall compelling and some scenes made me laugh so much haha! Overall, a really nice game.
I have a small question though - if I understand correctly, there is one kind of secret route? Not asking for spoilers here, I'll manage to unravel it, but I'd like to know one thing, if that's ok for you to tell. Is that the kind of secret routes that are merely hard to get on, but that can be done anytime, or is it actually of the unlockable type and I'd have to play all the other routes to get it? I must admit I'm not that interested in some of the routes, so I'd rather know beforehand haha! Not criticizing here though - it's just a matter of personal tastes!
And also, thanks for making this awesome game! I was waiting for it since the first announcements!
Hello, Konoi, and many thanks for the feedback. I am glad to hear you are enjoying the game so far.
Hmm, the secret route is the unlockable sort you mentioned. This is becuase I didn't want people stumbling upon it by accident.
Depending on your tastes, it may not even be your cup of tea and so not worth playing the routes you're not keen on. If you want spoilers, you can email me at support@blackcross-taylor.com and I'll let you know more. ^_^
This game was really excellent! I enjoyed all the romances but Leopold and the secret romance were my favorite, followed by Charlotte. I really love games that allow you to exert some influence over the MC's personality so that was a huge plus. The writing was excellent and some scenes had me laughing outloud, which rarely happens to me when playing games. Thank you very much for this awesome game! I too would love to see a sequel or epilogue or somesuch at some point, but for now I'll simply keep an eye on your other upcoming games.
Hello, FearfulSymmetry, and thanks for the feedback. I'm glad you had fun and the game made you laugh. I'm never sure about my humour, but I guess it works for some people. ^_^
I, too, like games where you can affect the MC's personality, so I expect it will be a feature in all my upcoming games to some degree.
I would appreciate epilogues yes! Or something similar to Charlotte's ending where there was a -2 years later- and a little explanation because the rest seemed rushed at the very end. BUT I want to also say that this was amazing and I enjoyed all the routes. I was very pleasantly surprised by the GxG routes. I am a straight woman but enjoyed pursuing Charlotte and Sofia just as much as the others. I appreciate that their routes were handled with care and done well. Also, I feel bad for the secret character through all the other routes and am glad that theirs was last! THANK YOU FOR THIS GAME. Please make more!
Hello, skmcord, I'm glad to hear you enjoyed the game and that Charlotte and Sofia's routes were fun, too.
As for epilogues, I wanted to avoid them since there could be a lot of disparity between certain routes (Leopold and Guillaume especially), but if there is enough interest, there is talk of making a sequel, so such things can be addressed then.
Hello! I played the demo and WOW, I really liked the options for developing the MC's personality! I'll definitely buy the game and take my time with going on different routes with different MC personalities.
I noted that in the "more information" part on the itchio page, the game is listed as "in development" Considering that there's a "game released" dev post on the page is this intentional?
Hello, farout, I'm glad to hear you're looking forward to playing more.
Ha! No, I think I recall changing the status to released, but I either forgot to save the changes, or they didn't save - my whole computer was running very slowly on the night it was released (and, to be fair, so was I ^_^).
Thanks for pointing it out though - I've changed it now.
Bought this today, finished up Charlotte's and Sofia's routes-I have a quick q, does Sofia only have 3 CGs? Charlotte's has four, so I'm assuming every LI does.
(I'm enjoying the game so far! I just wanna give a proper review after I finish all the routes.)
I'm glad you are enjoying the game so far. As for the CGs, most routes have three, others (Charlotte and Leopold, off the top of my head) have four. I tend to use CGs for scenes that I can't easily represent with sprites, and I found some routes needed more than others .
Fun fact: Charlotte had three CGs until the last two weeks before publish. With the last scene of her route being as it is, she didn't originally have a kiss CG, it was just described.
But I feel that sort of visual representation is important, especially for same-sex etc. pairings, as, otherwise, people may think I am shying away from depicting it, so I commissioned the extra one (and the artist shuffled everything around to fit it in before the deadline, like a boss).
Ahhh!!!! As a bi girl can I just say how grateful I am you added that in? Charlotte ended up being tied for my fave route and I loved her cgs a lot.
Both of your games that I've played have done AMAZING at representing gXg relationships. Not shying away from some of the unique difficulties we face, but never making it feel like all there is to the route/relationship is the ~~forbiddeness~~ of it. You made Sophia, Charlotte, and Bridgette (from DDBS) route's feel every bit as human and genuine as all of the boys, and for that you've earned a permanent fan from me. I'm working on a review to post in lemmasoft forum as well, but I saw this comment and just absolutely needed to get out my appreciation for how you've handled all of this right now.
Hi-I just wanted to say that I really liked this game. I think (and this is a very wierd compliment) that you have a really good sense of pricing your games (I also played Devil and the Deep Blue Sea) and I think that for the amount of content both the games have, the price point was spot-on.
I personally didn't have trouble getting the endings, but I also used the guide for Charlotte/Sophia because I was doing them from a compleationist standpoint and not out of interest in their routes. It's not that I disliked the characters-I actually found their backstories interesting but I would have liked them better as friendship routes than romantic routes (but that is 100% based on my personal preference).
I did notice several typos in the game (or at least what I think are typos. I'm American so it could be American English grammer vs British English grammar happening)-I'm not sure if you're open to what I've noticed or what format you'd like feedback in (these forums, a new conversation thread, private email, etc).
***Spoilers Ahead***
My thoughts on the other rutes (I'm trying to keep this as spoiler-free as possible so some things are left a bit vague)-
I thought Bastien's route was OK. I liked him as a character but I'm just not (again, personally) all that enthuastic about the whole "overcoming class divide/inferority complex" dynamic.
I really liked the secret romance character but I just had a really hard time getting the implications of the romance out of my head, so I found it hard to get into (again, that's my issue not anything overtly wrong with the game).
I liked Leopold's route. I knew he was up to something, but I did not see what it actually was coming.
My favroite route was Guillaume. It was really refreshing to see a story where several of the interactions focus on a character's flaws or shortcomings and play through that dynamic. The one issue I had in that route was the denouement felt rushed. Specifically , in the last scene during the announcement it seemed like the MC was expecting what happened more than I (as the player) was. It felt almost like there (logically) should have been some sort of conversation/interaction between them that I somehow missed.
I agree with the other commenters who are interested in a sequel (or maybe just epilogues if a full-blown sequel is too much).
Many thanks for your feedback. It is always useful to hear what people thought worked and why, and the same for areas that could be improved upon.
And thanks for mentioning the pricing. I did find that aspect quite difficult to gauge.
Oh, and if you have found typos, I'd be very grateful if you could email then to support@blackcross-taylor.com and I can make the corrections to the game. However much I proof, there are always some that sneak through. ^_^
Well, I've had a couple of ideas of how I'd do a sequel, so I'll let everyone know once the time comes.
Hey i dont know how to get both of the ending can u give me the ending guide?the romance ending for charlotte and for sofia i would appreciate it guide me on what dialogue i need to chooses to get that certain ending i would really appreciate it because everytime i try i alway get a runaway ending wiith my brother..NVM I FOUND THE GUIDE YOU POST THANKYOU AND GREAT GAME AND GREAT WRITING BUT NEXT TIME COULD YOU MAKE IT EASIER TO GET CERTAIN ENDING?i try to hangout with charlotte as much as i could in option but i still didnt get the ending i wonder what i did wrong but though great game please make more
The reasons why I think you should do a sequel to this game, is because the story of the kingdom, the characters, and their relationships ...
IT IS INCREDIBLY INTERESTING!
6-Bastien: Last, but no less intersante. I liked his shy and responsible side, and as despite all that, he dared to marry the MC. Now that he is more "free", I would like to see how his relationship with the MC evolves, besides that I want to see the opinion of the father, and also see how he manages these two in the world.
5-Sofia: Her final was interesting, but I'm more interested in knowing how she, the MC, and Frederique, will keep the scam in the future. MC's mother will still try to marry her, and if Sofia and Frederique do not have children, people will suspect. Also, I would like MC to meet Sofia's family, who already know Sofia's tastes, and who will probably give them her blessing.
4-Guillaume: I liked the personality and sweetness of the prince, and like the MC, it helped him to stay firm in his convictions. Now that he and the MC, are going to be kings, I would like to see how they will face the previous King, all those who are against the peaceful ways of the prince and his wife that reminds a certain "tyrannical" queen, not to mention that now we know that there is still a rebellion going on, hidden somewhere in the kingdom.
3-Charlotte: I loved her final, the like this young chick that was only one that was only attributed to beauty as its only quality has matured to become a beautiful free bird, that when you decide to go to a place, there is no one who stop MC was a great influence for her, and thanks to them, MC convention to fly with her. I would like to see the adventures they have together abroad, in addition to the confrontation they will have with their families when they return, and not to mention the secret of the birth of Charlotte's beloved brother (And we don´t know that he thinks of his sister's elope , and as his family has communicated to him).
2-Leopold: I loved both his design and his personality, and the tragic history of his family, as well as his determination for revenge to create a better kingdom. In I would like to see how he and MC, create a rebellion (It should be possible not bloody), in addition that the family of the MC will be at first very against, and the King already suspects them. I want to see how they return to the throne room as King and Queen.(Although I will feel sorry for the prince, he is a good person)
1-Secret Romance: I would love to see that pair of lovers in a new world, fleeing their cages to be together, the dynamism of troublemakers, with good heads, who love each other first and foremost. It makes me wonder what kind of adventures they would have, what kind of people they would meet, if they would start a business or choose to move all the time, they would hide their ties and present themselves as lovers in order to get married, or it would be a secret romance wherever they went, and More importantly, they would meet people who would accept them and their relationship. (And if you add scenes of kisses, such as the possibility of children, both by adoption and natural, better)
It's so interesting that it would be a waste not to continue it, besides the opportunity to see more romance, history, and PASSION XD!
Yes, there is certainly a lot of scope for a sequel. ^_^
But I know some people aren't as keen on sequels as they have their own ideas how they want the story to have progressed after they finished it, and I can understand that.
What I will probably do is finish the three games I am currently working on (Heaven's Grave, Best Friends Forever and short free game I haven't published the project page for yet). Then I will give people a choice to help me decide which project I will work on next, and a sequel to 'Rose' will be one of the choices.
Literally my first thought when I woke up last merry morning was ''Is it out yet?'' My morning routine consisted of brushing my teeth and then immediately holing up in my room until I'd finished the whole game hahah. This past week has been like a six course meal, except instead of getting food for the first five the waiter brought me stacks of exam papers, but for the sixth course I got six delicious desserts so it's OK. The best dessert imo was the forbidden fruitcake, a very fluffy and sweet cake though made a bit salty when I started crying into it, but I'll get to all that in a bit. Now clearly, I am not a woman who has utilized hyperbole ever in her entire life, so know that everything I shall say will be 1000% true and exact. I will do my best to ensure that my coming critique is insightful and fair.
No, but really. If I listed everything I liked about this game I'd be here until Christmas, so I'm going to keep my focus narrow: my highly valuable, highly sought after, highly professional Opinions(TM) on characters and their routes! Which are, anyway, very much the meat and potatoes of the story. I liked all of the routes, though of course some more than others heheheh. A rough ranking of personal preference:
(SPOILERS, obvs)
6. Bastien – OK, first of all, I'd like to apologize to Bastien lol. I can see why people would like him, and I don't dislike him, but he just... didn't leave any impact on me, not really. OTL I didn't feel his presence in the common story much, like he could've been replaced with any steward and things would've been mostly the same except the di Parisi get togethers would've had one less participant. He had an actual presence in his own route though, obviously hahah. That whole agonizing over his relationship with MC and their status difference etc. is the stuff of a good romance, but ultimately I didn't really feel like it was explored enough and that the conflict was resolved too easily... I gotta say though, them just picking up a random village goose woman to serve as witness + Bas freaking out and trying to get an annulment within like five minutes of being married to MC had me cracking up. I like to imagine we form a lifelong bond with the random goose woman and name our daughter after her, also at some point she meets Francoise and they fall in love. Duchess di Parisi has an aneurysm.
5. Sofia – Sofia felt like a kindred spirit to my MC, so I liked that aspect of their relationship, and I felt that a pair of clever dames like them could probably accomplish a great deal together – plus Sofia actually marrying into the family was Good+!! As for why it's one of my least favourite routes, though... Other than simply preferring most other characters' dynamics with the MC, it's that the central conflict didn't personally grip me... It's pretty divorced from the main story, and I find that an out-of-focus problem like that is hard to care about unless you're genuinely invested in the affected character... which I wasn't, enough, because I liked the other characters and their conflicts better. :'D Sorry, Sofi, I still like you. (Also I just want to say, that Frederique -> Sofia proposal scene? Making Frederique hold MC's hand during and having MC rather than Sofia be the one to say the big yes, did you do that to murder me? Was that an assassination attempt? I do not deserve such violence.)
4. Guillaume – His hair is 50% of his rating. I kid, I kid. Can't say I expected him to have as much of an attitude as he did though hahah, but since I do so love to be surprised, what might have turned a straight-thinking person off just made me more interested. Tbh I had my tinfoil hat on for a bit here and was one third convinced he had an evil twin brother that the King made him hide in his closet, or that he was being neurally reprogrammed by shady court magi, or something equally plausible. I do wonder which way a Guillaume who doesn't have the benefit of MC's advice develops as a king? Honestly, Guillaume's (and Leopold's) route(s) had me quite curious as to the wider political climate + future of Segunda and I'm having to fight off the urge to write civil war fanfic with a wooden bat. Anyway I'm kind of making Guillaume sound like a psychopath here LOL, which was not my intention. Sorry, your Highness. One more thing, I find it sort of interesting how Duchess di Parisi's efforts in making MC prime princebait succeeded in such a roundabout way in my playthrough, since her education – which she was supposed to downplay – was part of what allowed her to help Guillaume, and since the expectations placed on MC's shoulders, her isolation, the way she was born and bred for one role only etc. etc. made her experiences mirror Guillaume's so clearly, and were a part of what allowed them to bond.
3. Leopold – This was rather a surprise, since Leopold didn't really catch my eye when I played the demo. The first thing that convinced me this man was worth it was teaming up with him for croquet – if I've teamed up with a man for a round of light sports and our opponent isn't crying for his mother by the end, then that man is not for me. Luckily, Leopold meets my standards. Sure you become a queen apparent in Guillame's route, but it's so easy – just marry the prince and you're done, lazy lazy. Leopold's post-ending presumably has you become queen by blood, sweat and tears, which is more rewarding, and who DOESN'T want to overthrow a monarchy, come on? Anyway I love a guy who brings out the worst in me and joins in on my bad behaviour, this is good stuff. P.S. That throne room scene was ( ͡~ ͜ʖ ͡°)
2. Charlotte – Another surprise! I did like Charlotte before, but I didn't think I'd like her route this much. MC x Charlotte gave me caries, so sweet, so precious... but merely that isn't what makes me like the route this much. What really won me over was the ending!!! Eloping to explore and have adventures across the globe? How fucking awesome is this, MC and Charlotte are living the dream hahah. Out of all the characters Charlotte might be the one I'd get along best with in real life, actually not (just) because she's such a genuinely nice person but because she's got that great sense of play and adventure. I would fly kites and pretend I'm an Alvardian yak herder with Charly any day. Also she appreciates Frederique, which as we all know is a terribly important trait in any romantic partner. Frederique would probably love to live the kind of life MCharlotte come to live as well, wish we could've taken him along, he could've fit in the luggage – he might get jostled around a bit but I'm sure the silk gowns would prevent any bruises/concussions. Why do I keep ending up talking about Frederique in my comments? We all know why.
1. Secret Romance – 👌👀👌👀👌👀👌👀👌👀 good shit go౦ԁ sHit👌 thats ✔ some good👌👌shit right👌👌there👌👌👌 right✔there ✔✔if i do ƽaү so my self 💯 i say so 💯 thats what im talking about right there right there (chorus: ʳᶦᵍʰᵗ ᵗʰᵉʳᵉ) mMMMMᎷМ💯 👌👌 👌НO0ОଠOOOOOОଠଠOoooᵒᵒᵒᵒᵒᵒᵒᵒᵒ👌 👌👌 👌 💯 👌 👀 👀 👀 👌👌Good shit
Where do I even start hahah? Unlike 3 and 2, 1 came as no surprise. Zero surprise. Negative surprise. Having the Secret Romance be unlockable only after you complete all other romances was a good decision imo, because it's saving the best for last. I actually wonder how many people who bought the game played through the secret route, and what percentage of that shared my enthusiasm, hah. I am an absolute sucker for forbidden romances, god damn, basically if polite society frowns on it I am living for it. It's like... two little magnets being pulled towards each other, trying to touch, but there's also another hugeass magnet behind them that's trying to pull them apart and in its own direction. (I passed physics by the skin of my teeth, okay?) How can I not root for the little magnets??? Stick it to society! Be free and in love! Life is too short to not be happy! Well, it's not just the taboo factor that I like hahah. Their character chemistry independent of relation is great for one, they always seem to have a grand time together. The relationship MC and Frederique have is unparalleled in closeness and affection even if you aren't doing the secret route. To paraphrase Frederique himself, they know and accept and embrace each other no matter what and that is... so beautiful... my true weakness: unconditional love. Their love is the one that feels the most genuine to me, that is the most plausible, organic outcome. This is my true route tbh, my canon. They're gonna be together forever because I say so. Oh, I'm crying again.
In closing, thank you for saving my life. I'm gonna be keeping my eye on Heaven's Grave and practicing my money throw, also I saw that comment about a possible TROS sequel and dropped my tablet in excitement, so DEFINITELY count me into the interested parties. <3
Well, I think I just found the quote for the back of the box. ^_^
Thank you very much for your in depth (and amusing ^_^) review - I'm glad to hear your thoughts on what you thought worked and what could have been improved upon, and I'll be looking forward to hear what you think about Heaven's Grave upon release.
Ah, thank you. I'm glad you liked the game enough to want more. This is one of the few games I currently have in development where I think a sequel would be possible, so if enough people wanted it, I would be more than happy to make one.
YES! I would love a sequel as well and I didn't even finish all the routes. I'm in love with this game, but some endings deserve a sequel! (Ahem, Duke of Tremain...)
I'm sorry to hear you are having trouble. Could it be something to do with the fact a newer version (1.1) has been released?
I can't see why that would affect something you have already downloaded to your computer, but it is all I can think of that has changed. Did you download it or play through the itch app, please? And are you on a mac or windows?
Oh, and is it bringing up any error messages, please?
Possibly? I have no idea. I downloaded through the app and I am on a mac. No errors, I can click the lauch button but nothing happens and when I attempted to update it said something like "can update object object." Super weird
Hmm? So it says it can update it, but then doesn't? I'm stuck.
Can you send a screenshot to support@blackcross-taylor.com and I will look into it, please?
Unfortunately, it may be that you will need to uninstall through the app and then reinstall it.
I know there were problems on one of my other games where the app would not let people have both the demo and the game installed at the same time.
I am not sure if uninstalling it will affect your saves - I am unsure in the case of the app where they are held, otherwise you could just copy the folder and then put them back into the new install.
I'm sorry to hear you are having trouble as there is definitely supposed to be sound. There is music from the first scene (though not on the main menu). I am assuming the volume on the preferences screen isn't muted or anything?
I've just tested my copy and it is fine - is anyone else having this issue, please? Oh, and are you on a mac or windows, please?
yeah its alright now, apparently my download got corrupted so i just redownloaded it and it worked fine! Though I have run into a few errors during the game itself the errors cause it to skip entire days it seems and even the ending itself. I'm not sure if the problem is on my end again or not though. If there is a way to fix it I'd gladly like to know. either way though I adore the game so far! :) its very well made and the art is lovely. Oh an i am using a windows computer. If you need the traceback logs of the errors i can provide them.
Oh, yes, please - If you can email any traceback logs to support@blackcross-taylor.com I'll be sure to look into them and set to finding some fixes.
Though the skipping days thing sounds familiar - does the error mention anything about BoatingChar not defined? Or something like that? If that is the case, are you possibly using a save from an old demo?
The variables have changed in the released version of the game, so a new game will have to be started in order to work properly.
Though, if this is not the case, please let me know and I will look into it and get a fix back to you as soon as I can. ^_^
The syntax within the language really makes this game come alive, truly helps players immerse themselves! I bought it on a whim, without even playing the demo, simply based on the concept and design, and I was not disappointed! I have yet to finish the entirety of the game, but just wanted to say that, as someone who has literally played almost every VN thats out there (seriously i have around 200 visual novels/otomes on my computer), this is a fantastic VN, and i wouldn't hesitate to play another from you!
-sidenote: I definitely am one of those people who uses walkthroughs consistently, and was wondering when you think one will be posted?
Hello, camityle, and many thanks for your kind words. It's lovely to hear you are enjoying the game; writing in such a florid style was a lot of fun, though my grammar checker was having a hell of a time with it. ^_^
the " BoatingChar is not defined" bug I ignored it several times to continue the game, but finally the game jumped to title.
[code] I'm sorry, but an uncaught exception occurred.
While running game code: File "game/script.rpy", line 1081, in script call call Day12 from _call_Day12 File "game/Day12.rpy", line 3, in script if BoatingChar == True or AllLove == True: File "game/Day12.rpy", line 3, in <module> if BoatingChar == True or AllLove == True: NameError: name 'BoatingChar' is not defined
-- Full Traceback ------------------------------------------------------------
Full traceback: File "game/script.rpy", line 1081, in script call call Day12 from _call_Day12 File "game/Day12.rpy", line 3, in script if BoatingChar == True or AllLove == True: File "F:\chrome download\TROS-1.0-win\TROS-1.0-win\renpy\ast.py", line 1647, in execute if renpy.python.py_eval(condition): File "F:\chrome download\TROS-1.0-win\TROS-1.0-win\renpy\python.py", line 1670, in py_eval return py_eval_bytecode(code, globals, locals) File "F:\chrome download\TROS-1.0-win\TROS-1.0-win\renpy\python.py", line 1665, in py_eval_bytecode return eval(bytecode, globals, locals) File "game/Day12.rpy", line 3, in <module> if BoatingChar == True or AllLove == True: NameError: name 'BoatingChar' is not defined
Windows-8-6.2.9200 Ren'Py 6.99.11.1749 A Ren'Py Game 0.0 [/code]
I'm sorry to hear you are having trouble. Can I ask, please, if you began this game from the beginning or loaded a save from the demo? The definition 'BoatingChar' and others were added to the full released game (and run at the very start), but it will not be present in the older demo version.
Please let me know and I will investigate further.
Hi! I keep getting this bug towards the end of the game, typically before the King's announcement, but there have been other instances. It happened most frequently on Sofia's route (possibly bc I've been skipping?), but I've only tried one other besides that.
Update: It happens every time I'm supposed to get an ending.
I am psyched to play the game!!! My favourite is the disgraced lord who everybody thinks pursues the MC for her title!!!!!! (I hope he doesnt, though. ) XD
Ah, thanks for being so keen, but it's probably going to be a few more hours yet (it's only the afternoon here now). I'm waiting on some last-minute feedback from my playtesters, so you may want to wait until tomorrow morning. Sorry to disappoint you. >_<
Apologies for the wait, the files are uploading now and, according to Dropbox, should be done in about two hours.
I discovered a problem in the final round of testing - basically the secret route was so secret that no one could access it, not even me >_>
So it took a while for me to work out why that was happening and fix it.
Sorry to you and everyone else for the delay.
Once the game is published, I'll be going to bed (it's like 2am here now), but if anyone has any problems please post them here or email support@blackcross-taylor.com - I'll be be back bright and early tomorrow . ^_^
No, it's really nice people are keen to play it. I wish Dropbox would hurry up - I am writing the romance guide to pass the time, but I want to go to bed, lol.
I liked the game a lot, the MC feels quite real, I would like to know her name by default. And all its romantic possibilities are attractive, it is the type of game that would play all the possible routes. My favorites at the moment are Frederique (I don´t know if he will have a route since it would be incest, but I love his personality and love for his sister), and Prince Guillaume (I didn´t intend to pursue the prince, but he has such a sweet personality (^///^)). I would like to connect more with the others, besides seeing the routes with the girls, especially Sofia, it seems to fit with the MC. I hope that soon you finish the game, although it takes all that is necessary, this game has a lot of potential.
I am glad to hear you like all the romantic possibilities - I hope you enjoy finding out more about them if you decide to get the full game which, I am happy to say, is scheduled for release tomorrow.
I actually made an itch.io account just to be able to comment on this game. I love the demo and I am really looking forward to the full game.
I chose to name my main character(MC) Minerva for two reasons. First and least importantly, I thought it went well with the main character's nickname. Second and more importantly, I felt naming a girl for the goddess of wisdom and strategy was an appropriate rejection of a culture that expected girls to be only pretty idiots.
I like how to be a bookworm you actually have to give up the book. At first I did not realize that but it was a very nice touch that only a bookworm would be willing to give up a book simply because she already had several other books to read.
Frederique is my favorite character, someone who has known the MC as long as he has and who makes clear that he would support the MC no matter what and that he only wants the MC to be happy.
My next favorite would probably be Guillaume. (He would have been the first route I played through in the full game had I not found out about the secret romance. I think the secret romance path will almost definitely be my favorite and I am so glad you included it.) I first started playing the demo determined not to pursue any one individual but just to have my character be herself as I envisioned it and Guillaume actually appreciated my character just being herself. He still can't compare to the secret romance but I do like Guillaume.
Next would probably be Lady Sofia. I'm not sure yet about romance but she could definitely become a close friend.
Lady Charlotte is so sweet. I am very glad you changed Charlotte from being a rival instead. I'm not sure if Charlotte is ready for romance as opposed to just needing an actual friend. I also like the bee scene and if Lady Charlotte had not been there, on the appropriate path I would have gladly chosen to "educate" the party about Aphesian bees, but Charlotte was there and I just could not do that to her.
My character could never end up with someone that found Lady Charlotte's terror amusing nor with someone that spends every conversation trying to pressure my character back into society's mold.
I like King Auguste's speech. It reminds me of Bilbo's birthday speech in Fellowship of the Ring. King Auguste: I know he is as eager to celebrate his birthday as you all are to share it with him… That is actually quite possibly a true statement.
MC: I… do not believe I recognize you and I thought I would know everyone in attendance. The timing of this statement is questionable considering just a moment before this the MC failed to recognize the Duke of Tremaine on sight.
MC: Hmm, you are not a stupid as you seem, are you? I apologize if this has already been noted and fixed, but it should be "...you are not as stupid as...".
During the picnic Lady Albertine: But they’re horrid creatures! There is no portrait in the lower left for Lady Albertine when she says this.
My brother finds a place beside me, Duke Leopold and Lady Sofia seating themselves across from us, while the Prince is surrounded by as many young ladies can fit upon a picnic blanket, and the group settles to enjoy the feast. Some paths say “My brother finda place beside me” but other paths say “finds”.
The topiary. It was ordered and yet fantasical. It should be "fantastical".
Lady Francesca: Ah, that recalls to me the time you asked the Duke Du Varlet where your luggage was when we arrive at Countess LaFouche’s birthday celebrations. It should be "...when we arrived...".
Lady Albertine: Oh my, you didn’t! I’ll warrent he was furious. I think it should be "...warrant..".
MC: I did and I also know that when he attended the Parisi midwinter ball last year, he got extravagantly drunk and manage to set fire to his own frock tails. It should be "...managed...".
MC: Why I once spent half of Frederique’s annual university picnic lecturing some unknown group of gentlemen about the inconsistencies in a lately published paper on the history of the Cousin’s War, only to discover than the author had been among them. It should be "...only to discover that...".
I say nothing and my brother clearly unterprets my silence for distress of some kind, Frederique taking my hand to loop it gently about his arm. It should be "...interprets" and Frederique is so sweet but I digress.
Hello, FantasyReader, thank you for the feedback and the typos you found.
I've already caught some of them, but some were new, so thanks for pointing them out.
Minerva is an interesting name choice. I wonder, sometimes, how many people like to change the main character's name and how many remain with the default.
I'm glad you've got some favourites among the cast and I hope you enjoy the full game on release.
I really like how witty and funny the main character is, she can be so relatable in many ways and I really like the large amount of answers you can choose from that the standard two. It feels more realistic and fun because you can truly mold the character's personality :)
The art is gorgeous and I like how you guys try to keep the language time accurate in a way but still easy to understand :)
Oh yeah, i was wondering, did you name Bastien after Sebastien by any chance? Just wondering ^^
Anyways, can't wait for the release of the full game and all the best of luck! Also, I hope you guys can release on steam too!
I’m glad to hear you found the main character funny and enjoyed the choices you had to role-play her (and, of course, the infamous bee scene – which option did you pick, BTW?)
I actually find it easier in some ways to write in a more formal, old-fashioned style – at least, you don’t have to worry about using modern slang that’s going to be out of date in a couple of years’ time. And, yes, you’re right, Bastien is a contracted form of Sebastien. ^_^
Thanks for playing and I hope you enjoy the full game once it is released
I! Am!! So!!! Excited!!!! For this game!!!!! I've been checking this page daily for the past few weeks. When you see a purchase within 10 seconds of game release, know that it was me.
Some random thoughts:
MC is A+. Good balance between presence of personal history/pre-established personality (raised with great expectations as a prospective royal consort or, if nothing else, a proper lady of a great noble house) and freedom to refine her characterization with the choices you're given, and I like what's there of her personality independently of the player, too. MC is a witty, clever cookie. I'd be friends with her! I named mine Élisabeth, after notorious Miss Elizabeth Bennet, and lemme tell you, I'm so READY to construct a psychological profile up in this bitch. Also, can I just say that the main 3 personality types are hilarious? You can be a bookworm, okay... a tomboy, standard procedure... and a straight-up godless slattern. I lol'ed.
I found the sprited cast universally likeable - including Albertine and Francesca, actually, who were sources of amusement. Then again I gotta admit I don't quite see them as real threats to MC, even *when* I'm actually trying to go for the Prince. Anyways, my personal #1 forever favourite is Frederique, with Charlotte (too pure, too good for this world) or Sofia (I feel like her and MC could potentially have a lot in common) interchangeably in second or third place. I'll stop myself from writing an ode but Frederique is just the best. I think his first scene was when he argues for MC's right to self-determination to mother dearest? I started liking him, like, immediately haha. And ''I am your man to the last?'' I am WEAK. Such support. Much loyalty. Plus, his role as best friend/confidante/partner in crime is very welcome in a story like this - it's a masquerade and he's the dude MC can just take every single mask off around. And unlike everyone else, he expects nothing from you and the only thing he wants from you is that you be happy. I. Love. Him. /ugly crying
Guillaume was actually the first one I went for (because I liked his hair best lmao) in the demo, though, and he'd probably be the one I'd have gone for first in the completed game if I hadn't caught wind of the secret romance (I see chu ;D ;D ;D tbh I combusted screaming when I realized that a) yes, the secret romance IS a thing and b) there is a God after all). I felt kinda bad for him throughout the demo hahah, being fought over and pulled every which way like a doll. I note that he sympathizes with MC if she says the woods are her favourite part of the estate, because she feels like she can get lost in them... A crown is such a heavy weight.
Btw, I noticed one of the updates says the demo was updated with a new scene in the inn, but I redownloaded the demo the other day and didn't see any new scenes. At least... I don't think I did? What was the new scene supposed to be, or did I misunderstand the update haha?
(Also, not sure where to put this but in real life, Frederique is a woman's name with Frederic being the masculine version. I guess it's kind of a moot point, given that the setting is a fantasy world, but it did stick out to me so I thought I'd just point it out.)
Hello, Macharomance, and thanks for the feedback - some of it had me laughing quite a bit. ^_^
I'm glad to hear your liked the main character and a good portion of the cast (secret romance included).
As for the scene at the inn, it is a talk you have with your brother about his life at the university - was it not there? It's not long and was just added to balance the pacing, but if it has not uploaded properly, I will need to check that out.
Ah, yes, Frederique's name. I did become aware after I chose it that it was a specifically feminine spelling - to that point I'd thought it was unisex like Dominique - and by the time I realised my error, it had kind of stuck. No offence meant to anyone called Frederic, but it just didn't seem to suit him. But, as you say, it's a fantasy world, so I'll probably leave it as it is. ^_^
re: inn scene, I just went through the demo again and I didn't see it. There's only the bit where you meet Leopold, then the scene with the stablehand in distress, then we're back in the carriage and off to Dacre.
So sad when I finished the demo so quickly! It looks like a beautiful game and I'm looking forward to it :) Just a note that there is a typo in the last scene where Frederique leaves the room (just before you get the option to ask Bastion if he will eat dinner with you): exhuberece (or something) instead of exuberance. If someone has already pointed it out, apologies!
Hello, scribblefingers, and thanks for the feedback. I'm glad you enjoyed the demo - with any luck the full game will be out soon.
And thanks for letting me know about the typo - I'll make sure that and any other typos the player-testers and I have found (and there are plenty >_<) will be corrected before the full release.
I'm looking forward to the full version of this game. The personality option is a nicely added feature that's not seen much in games unfortunately. I'm enthralled by the artwork, it looks lovely. All in all, I think I will enjoy the game. Are you planning on making a walkthrough once it's released?
I'm glad to hear you're looking forward to the game and I'll pass your compliments on to the artist. As for a walkthrough, I can certainly make one and post it on release day - I know the frustration of being stuck on a route and finding there are no guides up yet. ^_^
Its very rare I plan on buying a game on this website, I usually just drift and choose free games but I think this will be the first one I decide to buy on here. Its such a beautiful game with lots of fantastic characters and don't even get me started on the art I'm so excited for the release date
Ah, thank you for your kind feedback - I'm glad to hear your're looking forward to the release . I've been working on the game this week and solidly all weekend, so I will have another progress report to release in a few hours time. ^_^
I look forward to the complete game! I really enjoyed the elegant writing matching the style of art and music. As well as how the characters bow/move when then they interact. Sophia is my favorite character so far, and it's a pleasant surprise to see a cat-loving character, especially one to romance. -Anna
Hello, Darumanaut, and thank you for the feedback. I'm happy you felt the art and music matched the writing style - I'd like to say it was something I did consciously, but I think it just evolved that way.
I hope you can have fun romancing Sofia once the full game is released.
This is really an amazing game! I'm really impressed by how many different ways I could play the MC- manipulative, brash, kindhearted, or plain mean. Right now I think the Prince is my favorite romance option. He's a lot more genuine than I expected.
Hello, ArchEvangeline, and many thanks for the feedback – I’m glad that you enjoyed the demo and the customization aspects of the MC.
And hooray! A fan for the Prince! Guillaume doesn’t seem to be as popular as some of the other characters, so I’m happy to hear some people like him. ^_^
Yes, the release date is looking to be March. It was going to be late February, but a couple of things have cropped up in the meantime and pushed production back. I’ll be posting progress reports in the Devlog from next week though, so you can monitor development from there if you’re interested.
Hi. I really like this even if it;s still demo version :)
I really like like how you let the player choose what MC will tell, do and even what kind of personality has she. It's very great idea. I really felt like I'm "in controll" of what will happen.
I also really like the artstyle. Everything in this game looks great: characters, backgrounds and even menu & interface. Well eveything except gray, shadow-like placeholer characters but I'm sure that in final version of the game all them will raplaced with great looking sprites.
Music works great too. Well composed and well chosen pieces very fits the style of game and epoque.
I'm sure it's gonna be good game, when finally realised. I'm waiting :)
Hello, MrMar, thank you for the feedback. I'm glad to hear you enjoyed the demo and the control you have over aspects of the MC.
I doubt I will be replacing the grey sprites with actual sprites as they are only minor characters and this decision was made to keep costs down and means I can keep the game price lower.
That said, I will be replacing the flat grey sprites currently being used with ones that are a bit more polished. I hope their inclusion will not mar the game too much for you.
Well, you will not have long to wait now - release is still scheduled for February - so I hope you enjoy the full game once it is available.
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Comments
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- WARNING, HEAVY SPOILERS AHEAD -
Dear Blackcross & Taylor, I'm struggling to write a comment, because I really wanted to like your game but it just couldn't convince me. Nevertheless I want to support you and looking forward to your future games, I like your ideas and think you're doing a lot the right way as developers.
But back to TROS. It's absolutely not a bad game! And I liked a lot of it. For example the art and the really many choices were great and extremely enjoyable! :) But the story, characters and relationships kept being plain to me. In the end the characters felt kind of cliché to me and not as if they're real persons with whom MC is in love.
I really liked that so different characters and espacially Bastien were a romance option but in every route I waited for the deep feelings or deepening plot. I liked the events and actions at the court but the end really felt rushed to me. So there was that back and forth with Bastien and then they simply marry each other out of the blue and Bastien even talks about taking it back. I couldn't feel the love in this.
I experienced this with the other routes too and was looking forward to the secret route. It was pretty clear to me who it would be and because of their special bond in every route I was getting my hopes up that this would be much deeper. But then the route was kind of mixture of friendship and love? I kept waiting for "you're adopted" and then getting a lovely route with more feelings. But that way it was really awkward for me, since I'm not into those kinds of love stories and it clearly seemed that way sometimes - so it was neither just being platonic close nor love. So it got a really strange and undefined relationship for me at the end.
I had this in my head for some time now and really hope, you don't feel discouraged, because I want to achieve the complete opposite. I know that's a rather critical comment, but I felt like I really would let to know what I think of the game. So please don't take it to heavy. I hope that what I wrote was understandable and maybe helpful. I'm keeping an eye out for your upcoming games. :) Greetings!
Hello, Aciara, and thank you for taking the time to leave feedback.
I am sorry to hear you did not enjoy the game. I appreciate you letting me know that you felt the relationships (or perhaps the emotions described in them) were too shallow and rushed.
It is difficult for me to respond to that since, if it was something I felt as well, I would have re-written the game, but it is certainly something I can keep an eye on in future.
Of course, it is hard not to take such criticism heavily, but that does not mean it should be avoided.
I hope you can find our future titles more to your liking, though if this matter comes down to my writing style then I worry that you probably won't.
Many thanks for the feedback
Blackcross & Taylor
I'm sorry that I may sounded harsher than I intended to. Sometimes it's rather difficult to express my toughts in English since it is not my native language.
It's not that I didn't enjoyed the game and your writing style! I really liked the events and how you described them and had fun reading. There was just missing something for me to feel deeper in the story and for the characters. But I like them nevertheless and really admired the diversity of personality!
And since I like your ideas and your writing style, I'm really looking forward to Heaven's Grave. :)
Don't worry, I don't think you sounded harsh .
I meant more that my writing style tends to lean on the more understated side and that may come across as flat to some readers.
I'm glad you enjoyed some aspects of the game, even if there were other parts that left you with the feeling that something was missing.
Perhaps you will enjoy Heaven's Grave more - if nothing else, the story is of a much large scope.
I enjoyed the demo SO much that before I even finished it, I knew that I would be buying the full version. :D I'm very excited.
Hello, BrieSutt
I'm glad to hear you enjoyed the demo - I hope you have just as much fun with the full game ^_^
Thanks for playing
This is probably the first VN I've played that wasn't freeware, but as soon as I played the demo, I was hooked and I knew I'd end up buying the full version. And I'm so glad I did! This game was wonderful. The art (and the gorgeous clothes!!!!), the music, atmosphere, themes, and especially the characters--I adore it all. Tbh, if the price of the game had been my soul, I still wouldn't have regretted buying it.
First of all, I love the personality options! I love games that do that so much, but they're so hard to find! (And I understand why--and I definitely appreciate the extra effort it must have taken to do that.) My personal favorite personality build is strong, cunning hellion. So much fun.
Usually, in a game with so many romance options, there's usually at least one love interest that I'm not a big fan of. With so many characters, it's almost inevitable. But no, even in this, TRoS didn't disappoint! I loved every single route and was always able to find something compelling and relatable in each of the romance options.
Actually, all the characters in general were compelling. Even the ones who didn't get a lot of screen time were still interesting. It's pretty hard to pick a favorite character. ...Okay, that's a lie--Frederique is the light of my life, and I always looked forward to seeing him in a scene, because it was usually an indicator of Fun Shenanigans to come. His mischievous personality was delightful (the boat scene, omg), but it's twice as great when it's paired with the depth of his loyalty to his Minette, on every single route. (His part in Sofia's route in particular made me cry. Especially now that I've played all the routes. He's so good, and he loves her for who she is, and he just wants her to be happy. Omfg, more tears.)
...I mean, by this point, I suspect you've deduced my favorite route. Tbh, just when I first played the demo before the full version came out, I shipped it way too hard, and then I felt really bad for shipping it because "there's no way this is going to be a canon route. I shouldn't get my hopes up." And then the full version came out and I actually didn't know there was a secret route until I saw a couple comments here, and then I took a moment to compose myself after freaking out and then opened up the game again. Note: there were several more moments during this time when I had to compose myself as well. Like, all the CG moments, and.... okay, basically every single scene in the whole thing. It's not my fault you nailed all my personal fav tropes, okay??
(I-I'm a good person. But also, thank you so much, it was great. Just.... such a great character and a well-written arc that's totally sympathetic and sweet and also, tbh, feels like such a True Route and, okay, I'm biased as all hell.)
...I told myself I WASN'T going to ramble for paragraphs on end about that. I'm so sorry. Anyway, in conclusion (I say as if this is an essay or something), this game was the best and I'm definitely going to end up replaying it many times in the future, because everything about it was my cup of (possibly whiskey-laced) tea. To everyone who worked on this game, you did great! And I'll definitely keep an eye out for anything you release in the future. :)
Hello, livian, and many thanks for the feedback. I'm very glad to hear you enjoyed the game so much and that the secret route was a nice surprise for you. Your comment about the whiskey-laced tea made me laugh. ^_^
Thanks for playing
What a complete review! Thanks
Well, I’ve finished the entire game now (actually, I did the night following my previous comment, but I didn’t have the time to review it before). Or almost finished, I guess – I’m missing the 9th CG on the first page. Must be something bad ending related or whatever – I won’t look for it actively.
As said before, I really liked the game and most of the routes were really cool. The only ones I didn’t particularly like were the girls’ ones, but it’s simply because it’s not my cup of tea – otherwise they were well written and cute and stuff anyway haha! But well, had to do those to access the unlockable one.
The characters are great in this game, and I honestly have a hard time deciding who was my favorite or whose route was the one I liked the most. I guess it’s either Leopold or the secret character, but it’s difficult to tell.
Now, I have one complaint – something that was bothering me a lot during the whole game. Lots of names seem to be French-inspired. It’s fine, but well… two of them were weird. First, Françoise. While the name exists, it’s solely feminine. The male version is François. Then, the surname du Jardine. This is even weirder – I guess it was meant to be the “from the garden” surname, but that would be du Jardin, then. Jardine sure means “garden”, but as in the verb – it translates as “(I) garden” / “(he/she) gardens” and a couple of other forms, not the garden as in the location with trees and plants XD.
I’ll go more in depth about each route, but because of that, a little warning:
---------SPOILERS AHEAD!!! ---------
- Charlotte – clearly the route I like the least. She’s a sweet girl, but not my kind of characters, and between that and the fact I’m not into GL games made it boring to me. On the bright side, I really like the message the route makes, about believing in yourself and not letting others tell you you’re worthless or stupid.
- Sofia – slightly better than Charlotte. She was an interesting character, so my only problem was that I dislike GL. But it also was the cruelest of all the routes in my opinion, because of how the final issue is solved. What can I say, I love the secret character, and I can’t even imagine that from his point of view.
- Guillaume – the first route I did, actually. Sweet and heartwarming. The prince is a fine character, and it’s always nice to see guys like him daring to challenge their parents and start to be masters of their own lives instead of listening to them. I wanted to do his route first since it was Iolanthe’s “mission” when she went to the palace, and well, it was a nice warm-up route.
- Leopold – one of my two favorite routes. He was an intriguing character, the sort you know is scheming something and because of that are not sure if you should trust him or not. The reveal about his goals is cool too, and I love the fact Iolanthe can just say “I’m impressed” XD – she always manages to surprise him. To be honest, Leopold almost made me cry at some points because of how lonely he was, and how he had to keep his secrets to himself and endure the stares of the court. The only thing that bothered me in this route is the ending – I love open endings – and in this game they fit really well the overall mood and writing style. Leopold’s ending was nice too, of course, but because of his and Iolanthe’s quite “extreme” plans for the future, it would have been nice to know how it went – even a short scene from after the facts would be enough and would wrap it perfectly.
- Bastien – this is a special case. I love Bastien, and I love master-servant relationships, so this is basically the route for me. And I like it very much, sure. But unfortunately, the route doesn’t add any new spin to the formula – it’s basically what I was expecting from that kind of scenario (+ added cruelty for the secret character XD). So yeah, it works, and I like it, but it prevents it from being one of my favorite routes.
- Secret (how I’d like to use his name, but oh well, I guess it’s better to keep it down, even with the spoiler warning haha) – the second route I like the most – it maaay be my number one, but I’m not entirely sure since, as with Leopold, one small detail prevents it from being perfect, so they’re quite tied. So, about the route itself! It was so extremely touching and… I don’t know, it’s hard to express actually, but I really felt it? It was like it tore the feelings straight from my guts and heart or something. I can’t help but think this route was “destiny” – like this would be the canon one. Well it’s a nice feeling when, for once, I think that about the unlockable route, since often I don’t like it very much in games and I’m frustrated it’s “more special” than the other routes I like more than it. The play scene in this route was one of my favorite gaming moments from the recent months. It got me hard! Now, I did mention a detail preventing it from being perfect, right… Well, it would benefit from a kiss / almost kiss scene like ALL the other routes. The lack of it actually bothered and slightly upset me even. It would have been so precious and powerful.
Well, I guess that would be it! It had some small issues, but overall a fantastic game – I’m happy I’ve been able to finally play it! Thank you for making that little gem!
Hello, Konoi, and many thanks for the in-depth review.
I am glad to hear you enjoyed the game overall.
As for the names you mentioned, I would say that this is a fantasy game and I never really meant for any of the names to be directly held up to real-life counterparts. I drew from a mix of French, Spanish and Italian and plain just made some of them up. As someone has already pointed out, Frederique is the feminine spelling, as well - I just prefer it that way.
And sorry there was no kiss scene for the secret route - I wanted to leave that side of their relationship open to interpretation. But there was the scene after the tea party and then again after the boating so, CG wise, I think it turned out the raciest of all the routes. ^_^
Thanks for playing
Blackcross
I don't think you are still missing the 9th CG (either you found it, or moved on :D), but it can be obtained by missing romance routes and eloping with Frederique in the night before announcement. Also, it does not matter if you were chosen to be prince's bride - though if you did, the reaction is quite good :D
Oh thank you! I've moved on, but it seems funny - may try it at some point
I just finished playing one route, the prince's, and I must admit it was really interesting. I like the huge amount of choices and how they impact Iolanthe's behaviour and reputation. And the ending was truly heartwarming!
The sprites and CGs are nice, and the music choices are fitting too. The characters are overall compelling and some scenes made me laugh so much haha! Overall, a really nice game.
I have a small question though - if I understand correctly, there is one kind of secret route? Not asking for spoilers here, I'll manage to unravel it, but I'd like to know one thing, if that's ok for you to tell. Is that the kind of secret routes that are merely hard to get on, but that can be done anytime, or is it actually of the unlockable type and I'd have to play all the other routes to get it? I must admit I'm not that interested in some of the routes, so I'd rather know beforehand haha! Not criticizing here though - it's just a matter of personal tastes!
And also, thanks for making this awesome game! I was waiting for it since the first announcements!
Hello, Konoi, and many thanks for the feedback. I am glad to hear you are enjoying the game so far.
Hmm, the secret route is the unlockable sort you mentioned. This is becuase I didn't want people stumbling upon it by accident.
Depending on your tastes, it may not even be your cup of tea and so not worth playing the routes you're not keen on. If you want spoilers, you can email me at support@blackcross-taylor.com and I'll let you know more. ^_^
Thanks for playing
Oh sure, I'll do so in a moment - thank you for your answer!
This game was really excellent! I enjoyed all the romances but Leopold and the secret romance were my favorite, followed by Charlotte. I really love games that allow you to exert some influence over the MC's personality so that was a huge plus. The writing was excellent and some scenes had me laughing outloud, which rarely happens to me when playing games. Thank you very much for this awesome game! I too would love to see a sequel or epilogue or somesuch at some point, but for now I'll simply keep an eye on your other upcoming games.
Hello, FearfulSymmetry, and thanks for the feedback. I'm glad you had fun and the game made you laugh. I'm never sure about my humour, but I guess it works for some people. ^_^
I, too, like games where you can affect the MC's personality, so I expect it will be a feature in all my upcoming games to some degree.
Many thanks for playing
Fearful! I was scanning reviews and was surprised to see a familiar face! <3 Now I'm definitely tempted to buy this!
Hahahaha, we definitely have the same taste in games! It's a really good and funny game, I recommend it! :D
Thanks for the recommendation, FearfulSymmetry ^_^
I would appreciate epilogues yes! Or something similar to Charlotte's ending where there was a -2 years later- and a little explanation because the rest seemed rushed at the very end. BUT I want to also say that this was amazing and I enjoyed all the routes. I was very pleasantly surprised by the GxG routes. I am a straight woman but enjoyed pursuing Charlotte and Sofia just as much as the others. I appreciate that their routes were handled with care and done well. Also, I feel bad for the secret character through all the other routes and am glad that theirs was last! THANK YOU FOR THIS GAME. Please make more!
Hello, skmcord, I'm glad to hear you enjoyed the game and that Charlotte and Sofia's routes were fun, too.
As for epilogues, I wanted to avoid them since there could be a lot of disparity between certain routes (Leopold and Guillaume especially), but if there is enough interest, there is talk of making a sequel, so such things can be addressed then.
Many thanks for playing
Hello! I played the demo and WOW, I really liked the options for developing the MC's personality! I'll definitely buy the game and take my time with going on different routes with different MC personalities.
I noted that in the "more information" part on the itchio page, the game is listed as "in development" Considering that there's a "game released" dev post on the page is this intentional?
Hello, farout, I'm glad to hear you're looking forward to playing more.
Ha! No, I think I recall changing the status to released, but I either forgot to save the changes, or they didn't save - my whole computer was running very slowly on the night it was released (and, to be fair, so was I ^_^).
Thanks for pointing it out though - I've changed it now.
Linux later?
I would buy it in a heartbeat :)
Hello Violette
Many thanks for your interest. I'll make a Linux one and upload in the next few hours. ^_^
I've just uploaded a Linux version of the game and the demo, too, in case you want to try it before you buy.
Many thanks
Thanks for Linux ^^
*throw money at screen*
No problem. Many thanks for your purchase - I hope you enjoy the game ^_^
Bought this today, finished up Charlotte's and Sofia's routes-I have a quick q, does Sofia only have 3 CGs? Charlotte's has four, so I'm assuming every LI does.
(I'm enjoying the game so far! I just wanna give a proper review after I finish all the routes.)
Hello Answerless
I'm glad you are enjoying the game so far. As for the CGs, most routes have three, others (Charlotte and Leopold, off the top of my head) have four. I tend to use CGs for scenes that I can't easily represent with sprites, and I found some routes needed more than others .
Fun fact: Charlotte had three CGs until the last two weeks before publish. With the last scene of her route being as it is, she didn't originally have a kiss CG, it was just described.
But I feel that sort of visual representation is important, especially for same-sex etc. pairings, as, otherwise, people may think I am shying away from depicting it, so I commissioned the extra one (and the artist shuffled everything around to fit it in before the deadline, like a boss).
Thanks for playing
Ahhh!!!! As a bi girl can I just say how grateful I am you added that in? Charlotte ended up being tied for my fave route and I loved her cgs a lot.
Both of your games that I've played have done AMAZING at representing gXg relationships. Not shying away from some of the unique difficulties we face, but never making it feel like all there is to the route/relationship is the ~~forbiddeness~~ of it. You made Sophia, Charlotte, and Bridgette (from DDBS) route's feel every bit as human and genuine as all of the boys, and for that you've earned a permanent fan from me. I'm working on a review to post in lemmasoft forum as well, but I saw this comment and just absolutely needed to get out my appreciation for how you've handled all of this right now.
Thank you so much!!!!
Hi-I just wanted to say that I really liked this game. I think (and this is a very wierd compliment) that you have a really good sense of pricing your games (I also played Devil and the Deep Blue Sea) and I think that for the amount of content both the games have, the price point was spot-on.
I personally didn't have trouble getting the endings, but I also used the guide for Charlotte/Sophia because I was doing them from a compleationist standpoint and not out of interest in their routes. It's not that I disliked the characters-I actually found their backstories interesting but I would have liked them better as friendship routes than romantic routes (but that is 100% based on my personal preference).
I did notice several typos in the game (or at least what I think are typos. I'm American so it could be American English grammer vs British English grammar happening)-I'm not sure if you're open to what I've noticed or what format you'd like feedback in (these forums, a new conversation thread, private email, etc).
***Spoilers Ahead***
My thoughts on the other rutes (I'm trying to keep this as spoiler-free as possible so some things are left a bit vague)-
I thought Bastien's route was OK. I liked him as a character but I'm just not (again, personally) all that enthuastic about the whole "overcoming class divide/inferority complex" dynamic.
I really liked the secret romance character but I just had a really hard time getting the implications of the romance out of my head, so I found it hard to get into (again, that's my issue not anything overtly wrong with the game).
I liked Leopold's route. I knew he was up to something, but I did not see what it actually was coming.
My favroite route was Guillaume. It was really refreshing to see a story where several of the interactions focus on a character's flaws or shortcomings and play through that dynamic. The one issue I had in that route was the denouement felt rushed. Specifically , in the last scene during the announcement it seemed like the MC was expecting what happened more than I (as the player) was. It felt almost like there (logically) should have been some sort of conversation/interaction between them that I somehow missed.
I agree with the other commenters who are interested in a sequel (or maybe just epilogues if a full-blown sequel is too much).
Hello, fairfaxleasee,
Many thanks for your feedback. It is always useful to hear what people thought worked and why, and the same for areas that could be improved upon.
And thanks for mentioning the pricing. I did find that aspect quite difficult to gauge.
Oh, and if you have found typos, I'd be very grateful if you could email then to support@blackcross-taylor.com and I can make the corrections to the game. However much I proof, there are always some that sneak through. ^_^
Well, I've had a couple of ideas of how I'd do a sequel, so I'll let everyone know once the time comes.
Thanks for playing
Hey i dont know how to get both of the ending can u give me the ending guide?the romance ending for charlotte and for sofia i would appreciate it guide me on what dialogue i need to chooses to get that certain ending i would really appreciate it because everytime i try i alway get a runaway ending wiith my brother..NVM I FOUND THE GUIDE YOU POST THANKYOU AND GREAT GAME AND GREAT WRITING BUT NEXT TIME COULD YOU MAKE IT EASIER TO GET CERTAIN ENDING?i try to hangout with charlotte as much as i could in option but i still didnt get the ending i wonder what i did wrong but though great game please make more
Hello, Tigeratiwich, and thank you for the feedback. I am glad you enjoyed it, overall.
I'm sorry you had trouble getting certain endings - I will look at this as an issue in future games.
Many thanks for playing.
The reasons why I think you should do a sequel to this game, is because the story of the kingdom, the characters, and their relationships ...
IT IS INCREDIBLY INTERESTING!
6-Bastien: Last, but no less intersante. I liked his shy and responsible side, and as despite all that, he dared to marry the MC. Now that he is more "free", I would like to see how his relationship with the MC evolves, besides that I want to see the opinion of the father, and also see how he manages these two in the world.
5-Sofia: Her final was interesting, but I'm more interested in knowing how she, the MC, and Frederique, will keep the scam in the future. MC's mother will still try to marry her, and if Sofia and Frederique do not have children, people will suspect. Also, I would like MC to meet Sofia's family, who already know Sofia's tastes, and who will probably give them her blessing.
4-Guillaume: I liked the personality and sweetness of the prince, and like the MC, it helped him to stay firm in his convictions. Now that he and the MC, are going to be kings, I would like to see how they will face the previous King, all those who are against the peaceful ways of the prince and his wife that reminds a certain "tyrannical" queen, not to mention that now we know that there is still a rebellion going on, hidden somewhere in the kingdom.
3-Charlotte: I loved her final, the like this young chick that was only one that was only attributed to beauty as its only quality has matured to become a beautiful free bird, that when you decide to go to a place, there is no one who stop MC was a great influence for her, and thanks to them, MC convention to fly with her. I would like to see the adventures they have together abroad, in addition to the confrontation they will have with their families when they return, and not to mention the secret of the birth of Charlotte's beloved brother (And we don´t know that he thinks of his sister's elope , and as his family has communicated to him).
2-Leopold: I loved both his design and his personality, and the tragic history of his family, as well as his determination for revenge to create a better kingdom. In I would like to see how he and MC, create a rebellion (It should be possible not bloody), in addition that the family of the MC will be at first very against, and the King already suspects them. I want to see how they return to the throne room as King and Queen.(Although I will feel sorry for the prince, he is a good person)
1-Secret Romance: I would love to see that pair of lovers in a new world, fleeing their cages to be together, the dynamism of troublemakers, with good heads, who love each other first and foremost. It makes me wonder what kind of adventures they would have, what kind of people they would meet, if they would start a business or choose to move all the time, they would hide their ties and present themselves as lovers in order to get married, or it would be a secret romance wherever they went, and More importantly, they would meet people who would accept them and their relationship. (And if you add scenes of kisses, such as the possibility of children, both by adoption and natural, better)
It's so interesting that it would be a waste not to continue it, besides the opportunity to see more romance, history, and PASSION XD!
Yes, there is certainly a lot of scope for a sequel. ^_^
But I know some people aren't as keen on sequels as they have their own ideas how they want the story to have progressed after they finished it, and I can understand that.
What I will probably do is finish the three games I am currently working on (Heaven's Grave, Best Friends Forever and short free game I haven't published the project page for yet). Then I will give people a choice to help me decide which project I will work on next, and a sequel to 'Rose' will be one of the choices.
I'll try to be attentive to that ...
Where will you publish the news, in tweeter, tumblr, facebook?
I'll post it here and perhaps Facebook too.
I'll definitely be voting for a sequel too, dying to see how you family handles your decisions, particularly your elopement with Bastien XD
Literally my first thought when I woke up last merry morning was ''Is it out yet?'' My morning routine consisted of brushing my teeth and then immediately holing up in my room until I'd finished the whole game hahah. This past week has been like a six course meal, except instead of getting food for the first five the waiter brought me stacks of exam papers, but for the sixth course I got six delicious desserts so it's OK. The best dessert imo was the forbidden fruitcake, a very fluffy and sweet cake though made a bit salty when I started crying into it, but I'll get to all that in a bit. Now clearly, I am not a woman who has utilized hyperbole ever in her entire life, so know that everything I shall say will be 1000% true and exact. I will do my best to ensure that my coming critique is insightful and fair.
Without further ado, my review:
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
Rating: Ten out of five stars
Best regards,
Macharomancer
No, but really. If I listed everything I liked about this game I'd be here until Christmas, so I'm going to keep my focus narrow: my highly valuable, highly sought after, highly professional Opinions(TM) on characters and their routes! Which are, anyway, very much the meat and potatoes of the story. I liked all of the routes, though of course some more than others heheheh. A rough ranking of personal preference:
(SPOILERS, obvs)
6. Bastien – OK, first of all, I'd like to apologize to Bastien lol. I can see why people would like him, and I don't dislike him, but he just... didn't leave any impact on me, not really. OTL I didn't feel his presence in the common story much, like he could've been replaced with any steward and things would've been mostly the same except the di Parisi get togethers would've had one less participant. He had an actual presence in his own route though, obviously hahah. That whole agonizing over his relationship with MC and their status difference etc. is the stuff of a good romance, but ultimately I didn't really feel like it was explored enough and that the conflict was resolved too easily... I gotta say though, them just picking up a random village goose woman to serve as witness + Bas freaking out and trying to get an annulment within like five minutes of being married to MC had me cracking up. I like to imagine we form a lifelong bond with the random goose woman and name our daughter after her, also at some point she meets Francoise and they fall in love. Duchess di Parisi has an aneurysm.
5. Sofia – Sofia felt like a kindred spirit to my MC, so I liked that aspect of their relationship, and I felt that a pair of clever dames like them could probably accomplish a great deal together – plus Sofia actually marrying into the family was Good+!! As for why it's one of my least favourite routes, though... Other than simply preferring most other characters' dynamics with the MC, it's that the central conflict didn't personally grip me... It's pretty divorced from the main story, and I find that an out-of-focus problem like that is hard to care about unless you're genuinely invested in the affected character... which I wasn't, enough, because I liked the other characters and their conflicts better. :'D Sorry, Sofi, I still like you. (Also I just want to say, that Frederique -> Sofia proposal scene? Making Frederique hold MC's hand during and having MC rather than Sofia be the one to say the big yes, did you do that to murder me? Was that an assassination attempt? I do not deserve such violence.)
4. Guillaume – His hair is 50% of his rating. I kid, I kid. Can't say I expected him to have as much of an attitude as he did though hahah, but since I do so love to be surprised, what might have turned a straight-thinking person off just made me more interested. Tbh I had my tinfoil hat on for a bit here and was one third convinced he had an evil twin brother that the King made him hide in his closet, or that he was being neurally reprogrammed by shady court magi, or something equally plausible. I do wonder which way a Guillaume who doesn't have the benefit of MC's advice develops as a king? Honestly, Guillaume's (and Leopold's) route(s) had me quite curious as to the wider political climate + future of Segunda and I'm having to fight off the urge to write civil war fanfic with a wooden bat. Anyway I'm kind of making Guillaume sound like a psychopath here LOL, which was not my intention. Sorry, your Highness. One more thing, I find it sort of interesting how Duchess di Parisi's efforts in making MC prime princebait succeeded in such a roundabout way in my playthrough, since her education – which she was supposed to downplay – was part of what allowed her to help Guillaume, and since the expectations placed on MC's shoulders, her isolation, the way she was born and bred for one role only etc. etc. made her experiences mirror Guillaume's so clearly, and were a part of what allowed them to bond.
3. Leopold – This was rather a surprise, since Leopold didn't really catch my eye when I played the demo. The first thing that convinced me this man was worth it was teaming up with him for croquet – if I've teamed up with a man for a round of light sports and our opponent isn't crying for his mother by the end, then that man is not for me. Luckily, Leopold meets my standards. Sure you become a queen apparent in Guillame's route, but it's so easy – just marry the prince and you're done, lazy lazy. Leopold's post-ending presumably has you become queen by blood, sweat and tears, which is more rewarding, and who DOESN'T want to overthrow a monarchy, come on? Anyway I love a guy who brings out the worst in me and joins in on my bad behaviour, this is good stuff. P.S. That throne room scene was ( ͡~ ͜ʖ ͡°)
2. Charlotte – Another surprise! I did like Charlotte before, but I didn't think I'd like her route this much. MC x Charlotte gave me caries, so sweet, so precious... but merely that isn't what makes me like the route this much. What really won me over was the ending!!! Eloping to explore and have adventures across the globe? How fucking awesome is this, MC and Charlotte are living the dream hahah. Out of all the characters Charlotte might be the one I'd get along best with in real life, actually not (just) because she's such a genuinely nice person but because she's got that great sense of play and adventure. I would fly kites and pretend I'm an Alvardian yak herder with Charly any day. Also she appreciates Frederique, which as we all know is a terribly important trait in any romantic partner. Frederique would probably love to live the kind of life MCharlotte come to live as well, wish we could've taken him along, he could've fit in the luggage – he might get jostled around a bit but I'm sure the silk gowns would prevent any bruises/concussions. Why do I keep ending up talking about Frederique in my comments? We all know why.
1. Secret Romance – 👌👀👌👀👌👀👌👀👌👀 good shit go౦ԁ sHit👌 thats ✔ some good👌👌shit right👌👌there👌👌👌 right✔there ✔✔if i do ƽaү so my self 💯 i say so 💯 thats what im talking about right there right there (chorus: ʳᶦᵍʰᵗ ᵗʰᵉʳᵉ) mMMMMᎷМ💯 👌👌 👌НO0ОଠOOOOOОଠଠOoooᵒᵒᵒᵒᵒᵒᵒᵒᵒ👌 👌👌 👌 💯 👌 👀 👀 👀 👌👌Good shit
Where do I even start hahah? Unlike 3 and 2, 1 came as no surprise. Zero surprise. Negative surprise. Having the Secret Romance be unlockable only after you complete all other romances was a good decision imo, because it's saving the best for last. I actually wonder how many people who bought the game played through the secret route, and what percentage of that shared my enthusiasm, hah. I am an absolute sucker for forbidden romances, god damn, basically if polite society frowns on it I am living for it. It's like... two little magnets being pulled towards each other, trying to touch, but there's also another hugeass magnet behind them that's trying to pull them apart and in its own direction. (I passed physics by the skin of my teeth, okay?) How can I not root for the little magnets??? Stick it to society! Be free and in love! Life is too short to not be happy! Well, it's not just the taboo factor that I like hahah. Their character chemistry independent of relation is great for one, they always seem to have a grand time together. The relationship MC and Frederique have is unparalleled in closeness and affection even if you aren't doing the secret route. To paraphrase Frederique himself, they know and accept and embrace each other no matter what and that is... so beautiful... my true weakness: unconditional love. Their love is the one that feels the most genuine to me, that is the most plausible, organic outcome. This is my true route tbh, my canon. They're gonna be together forever because I say so. Oh, I'm crying again.
In closing, thank you for saving my life. I'm gonna be keeping my eye on Heaven's Grave and practicing my money throw, also I saw that comment about a possible TROS sequel and dropped my tablet in excitement, so DEFINITELY count me into the interested parties. <3
"Ten out of five stars"
Well, I think I just found the quote for the back of the box. ^_^
Thank you very much for your in depth (and amusing ^_^) review - I'm glad to hear your thoughts on what you thought worked and what could have been improved upon, and I'll be looking forward to hear what you think about Heaven's Grave upon release.
Many thanks for playing
Make a sequel!
Please!
Ah, thank you. I'm glad you liked the game enough to want more. This is one of the few games I currently have in development where I think a sequel would be possible, so if enough people wanted it, I would be more than happy to make one.
YES! I would love a sequel as well and I didn't even finish all the routes. I'm in love with this game, but some endings deserve a sequel! (Ahem, Duke of Tremain...)
I totally agree!
Uhh... I can't launch the game. Yesterday, I played the entire thing and now I am unable to open the game at all.
I'm sorry to hear you are having trouble. Could it be something to do with the fact a newer version (1.1) has been released?
I can't see why that would affect something you have already downloaded to your computer, but it is all I can think of that has changed. Did you download it or play through the itch app, please? And are you on a mac or windows?
Oh, and is it bringing up any error messages, please?
Possibly? I have no idea. I downloaded through the app and I am on a mac. No errors, I can click the lauch button but nothing happens and when I attempted to update it said something like "can update object object." Super weird
Hmm? So it says it can update it, but then doesn't? I'm stuck.
Can you send a screenshot to support@blackcross-taylor.com and I will look into it, please?
Unfortunately, it may be that you will need to uninstall through the app and then reinstall it.
I know there were problems on one of my other games where the app would not let people have both the demo and the game installed at the same time.
I am not sure if uninstalling it will affect your saves - I am unsure in the case of the app where they are held, otherwise you could just copy the folder and then put them back into the new install.
Sorry this has become an issue for you.
Uploaded version 1.1 to correct a typo and a small bug on Charlotte's route where a sprite does not appear for one line.
just wondering, is there meant to be no sound in the game? because no matter what i do or check there is absolutely no sound at all.
I'm sorry to hear you are having trouble as there is definitely supposed to be sound. There is music from the first scene (though not on the main menu). I am assuming the volume on the preferences screen isn't muted or anything?
I've just tested my copy and it is fine - is anyone else having this issue, please? Oh, and are you on a mac or windows, please?
yeah its alright now, apparently my download got corrupted so i just redownloaded it and it worked fine! Though I have run into a few errors during the game itself the errors cause it to skip entire days it seems and even the ending itself. I'm not sure if the problem is on my end again or not though. If there is a way to fix it I'd gladly like to know. either way though I adore the game so far! :) its very well made and the art is lovely. Oh an i am using a windows computer. If you need the traceback logs of the errors i can provide them.
Oh, yes, please - If you can email any traceback logs to support@blackcross-taylor.com I'll be sure to look into them and set to finding some fixes.
Though the skipping days thing sounds familiar - does the error mention anything about BoatingChar not defined? Or something like that? If that is the case, are you possibly using a save from an old demo?
The variables have changed in the released version of the game, so a new game will have to be started in order to work properly.
Though, if this is not the case, please let me know and I will look into it and get a fix back to you as soon as I can. ^_^
This game is truly stunning!
The syntax within the language really makes this game come alive, truly helps players immerse themselves! I bought it on a whim, without even playing the demo, simply based on the concept and design, and I was not disappointed! I have yet to finish the entirety of the game, but just wanted to say that, as someone who has literally played almost every VN thats out there (seriously i have around 200 visual novels/otomes on my computer), this is a fantastic VN, and i wouldn't hesitate to play another from you!
-sidenote: I definitely am one of those people who uses walkthroughs consistently, and was wondering when you think one will be posted?
Hello, camityle, and many thanks for your kind words. It's lovely to hear you are enjoying the game; writing in such a florid style was a lot of fun, though my grammar checker was having a hell of a time with it. ^_^
A guide has already been posted and you can find it here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1bYJZLihqS7veIufbK3kXQHXHJrPcAOAoi1spQh00fOc/...
I hope you enjoy the rest of the routes
I seem to be missing three gallary pics. So if you walkthrough could include how to get all pics, that be great.
Never mind I found them. Little disturbed but interesting twist.
Was it 'secret route' related?
Yes.
the " BoatingChar is not defined" bug I ignored it several times to continue the game, but finally the game jumped to title.
[code]
I'm sorry, but an uncaught exception occurred.
While running game code:
File "game/script.rpy", line 1081, in script call
call Day12 from _call_Day12
File "game/Day12.rpy", line 3, in script
if BoatingChar == True or AllLove == True:
File "game/Day12.rpy", line 3, in <module>
if BoatingChar == True or AllLove == True:
NameError: name 'BoatingChar' is not defined
-- Full Traceback ------------------------------------------------------------
Full traceback:
File "game/script.rpy", line 1081, in script call
call Day12 from _call_Day12
File "game/Day12.rpy", line 3, in script
if BoatingChar == True or AllLove == True:
File "F:\chrome download\TROS-1.0-win\TROS-1.0-win\renpy\ast.py", line 1647, in execute
if renpy.python.py_eval(condition):
File "F:\chrome download\TROS-1.0-win\TROS-1.0-win\renpy\python.py", line 1670, in py_eval
return py_eval_bytecode(code, globals, locals)
File "F:\chrome download\TROS-1.0-win\TROS-1.0-win\renpy\python.py", line 1665, in py_eval_bytecode
return eval(bytecode, globals, locals)
File "game/Day12.rpy", line 3, in <module>
if BoatingChar == True or AllLove == True:
NameError: name 'BoatingChar' is not defined
Windows-8-6.2.9200
Ren'Py 6.99.11.1749
A Ren'Py Game 0.0
[/code]
Hello zhaosunday,
I'm sorry to hear you are having trouble. Can I ask, please, if you began this game from the beginning or loaded a save from the demo? The definition 'BoatingChar' and others were added to the full released game (and run at the very start), but it will not be present in the older demo version.
Please let me know and I will investigate further.
I load from old save, I will try from beginning
Sorry about that. I've made a post to let other people about know the problem, so thank you for bringing it to my attention.
play from start there is no bug anymore, thx
Ah, glad to hear it! I hope the rest of the game runs smoothly for you.
Hi! I keep getting this bug towards the end of the game, typically before the King's announcement, but there have been other instances. It happened most frequently on Sofia's route (possibly bc I've been skipping?), but I've only tried one other besides that.
Update: It happens every time I'm supposed to get an ending.
Oh, I'm very sorry to hear that. Can you send a screenshot to support@blackcross-taylor.com and I will look into it right away.
I have these bugs too, like "Sibling is undefined", " BoatingChar is undefined",
HaHa I didn't miss it, bought it immediately .
Okay, guys, it's there. Thanks for bearing with me and being so supportive. I really hope it is worth the wait.
Will you be releasing a walkthrough with the game as well?
Yep, writing it now ^_^
How much left?
(T_T)
It's fluctuating between 14mins and 2 hours. Personally, I think it will be an hour from now, but I could be wrong.
Yay!~ Wonderful news c:
Ty so much for such a quick response! I'll be stalking! =]
It's released
I am psyched to play the game!!! My favourite is the disgraced lord who everybody thinks pursues the MC for her title!!!!!! (I hope he doesnt, though. ) XD
I am so ready to play!! Cannot wait (but also more than willing to wait so everything is perfect)
It's 11PM from where I come from and I keep refreshing haha. I can't wait for the game to come out!!
Ah, thanks for being so keen, but it's probably going to be a few more hours yet (it's only the afternoon here now). I'm waiting on some last-minute feedback from my playtesters, so you may want to wait until tomorrow morning. Sorry to disappoint you. >_<
9am here, gonna check again after work. It'll be a great weekend (≧▽≦)
No problem! I look forward to playing it tmr! ❤️
Sorry to bother but is it going to be much longer? It's absolutely fine if it is.
Hello, WaverlyAlexa
Apologies for the wait, the files are uploading now and, according to Dropbox, should be done in about two hours.
I discovered a problem in the final round of testing - basically the secret route was so secret that no one could access it, not even me >_>
So it took a while for me to work out why that was happening and fix it.
Sorry to you and everyone else for the delay.
Once the game is published, I'll be going to bed (it's like 2am here now), but if anyone has any problems please post them here or email support@blackcross-taylor.com - I'll be be back bright and early tomorrow . ^_^
Thank you and sorry if I seemed impatient! I am just excited. We appreciate all the hard work! Have a good nights sleep! You definitely deserve it :)
No, it's really nice people are keen to play it. I wish Dropbox would hurry up - I am writing the romance guide to pass the time, but I want to go to bed, lol.
Ahhh I can´t wait! I´m so buying it as soon as it is released!
Thanks, Sheodesu, I really hope it's worth the wait. ^_^
I liked the game a lot, the MC feels quite real, I would like to know her name by default.
And all its romantic possibilities are attractive, it is the type of game that would play all the possible routes.
My favorites at the moment are Frederique (I don´t know if he will have a route since it would be incest, but I love his personality and love for his sister), and Prince Guillaume (I didn´t intend to pursue the prince, but he has such a sweet personality (^///^)).
I would like to connect more with the others, besides seeing the routes with the girls, especially Sofia, it seems to fit with the MC.
I hope that soon you finish the game, although it takes all that is necessary, this game has a lot of potential.
Hello, Aural, and thank you for the feedback.
I am glad to hear you like all the romantic possibilities - I hope you enjoy finding out more about them if you decide to get the full game which, I am happy to say, is scheduled for release tomorrow.
Thanks for playing
Yeeees!
I will definitely buy it and comment on it!
Will you put a guide? Please
I say it in case it is difficult to get some route.
A guide? Sure thing - I'll post one just after the game is released ^_^
Thank!
I actually made an itch.io account just to be able to comment on this game. I love the demo and I am really looking forward to the full game.
I chose to name my main character(MC) Minerva for two reasons. First and least importantly, I thought it went well with the main character's nickname. Second and more importantly, I felt naming a girl for the goddess of wisdom and strategy was an appropriate rejection of a culture that expected girls to be only pretty idiots.
I like how to be a bookworm you actually have to give up the book. At first I did not realize that but it was a very nice touch that only a bookworm would be willing to give up a book simply because she already had several other books to read.
Frederique is my favorite character, someone who has known the MC as long as he has and who makes clear that he would support the MC no matter what and that he only wants the MC to be happy.
My next favorite would probably be Guillaume. (He would have been the first route I played through in the full game had I not found out about the secret romance. I think the secret romance path will almost definitely be my favorite and I am so glad you included it.) I first started playing the demo determined not to pursue any one individual but just to have my character be herself as I envisioned it and Guillaume actually appreciated my character just being herself. He still can't compare to the secret romance but I do like Guillaume.
Next would probably be Lady Sofia. I'm not sure yet about romance but she could definitely become a close friend.
Lady Charlotte is so sweet. I am very glad you changed Charlotte from being a rival instead. I'm not sure if Charlotte is ready for romance as opposed to just needing an actual friend. I also like the bee scene and if Lady Charlotte had not been there, on the appropriate path I would have gladly chosen to "educate" the party about Aphesian bees, but Charlotte was there and I just could not do that to her.
My character could never end up with someone that found Lady Charlotte's terror amusing nor with someone that spends every conversation trying to pressure my character back into society's mold.
I like King Auguste's speech. It reminds me of Bilbo's birthday speech in Fellowship of the Ring. King Auguste: I know he is as eager to celebrate his birthday as you all are to share it with him… That is actually quite possibly a true statement.
MC: I… do not believe I recognize you and I thought I would know everyone in attendance. The timing of this statement is questionable considering just a moment before this the MC failed to recognize the Duke of Tremaine on sight.
MC: Hmm, you are not a stupid as you seem, are you? I apologize if this has already been noted and fixed, but it should be "...you are not as stupid as...".
During the picnic Lady Albertine: But they’re horrid creatures! There is no portrait in the lower left for Lady Albertine when she says this.
My brother finds a place beside me, Duke Leopold and Lady Sofia seating themselves across from us, while the Prince is surrounded by as many young ladies can fit upon a picnic blanket, and the group settles to enjoy the feast. Some paths say “My brother find a place beside me” but other paths say “finds”.
The topiary. It was ordered and yet fantasical. It should be "fantastical".
Lady Francesca: Ah, that recalls to me the time you asked the Duke Du Varlet where your luggage was when we arrive at Countess LaFouche’s birthday celebrations. It should be "...when we arrived...".
Lady Albertine: Oh my, you didn’t! I’ll warrent he was furious. I think it should be "...warrant..".
MC: I did and I also know that when he attended the Parisi midwinter ball last year, he got extravagantly drunk and manage to set fire to his own frock tails. It should be "...managed...".
MC: Why I once spent half of Frederique’s annual university picnic lecturing some unknown group of gentlemen about the inconsistencies in a lately published paper on the history of the Cousin’s War, only to discover than the author had been among them. It should be "...only to discover that...".
I say nothing and my brother clearly unterprets my silence for distress of some kind, Frederique taking my hand to loop it gently about his arm. It should be "...interprets" and Frederique is so sweet but I digress.
Hello, FantasyReader, thank you for the feedback and the typos you found.
I've already caught some of them, but some were new, so thanks for pointing them out.
Minerva is an interesting name choice. I wonder, sometimes, how many people like to change the main character's name and how many remain with the default.
I'm glad you've got some favourites among the cast and I hope you enjoy the full game on release.
I don't know who to choose!!!! XD
I really like how witty and funny the main character is, she can be so relatable in many ways and I really like the large amount of answers you can choose from that the standard two. It feels more realistic and fun because you can truly mold the character's personality :)
The art is gorgeous and I like how you guys try to keep the language time accurate in a way but still easy to understand :)
Oh yeah, i was wondering, did you name Bastien after Sebastien by any chance? Just wondering ^^
Anyways, can't wait for the release of the full game and all the best of luck! Also, I hope you guys can release on steam too!
- Yangarina
Ps. My favourite scene was the bee one XD
Hello, Yangarina, and thank you for the feedback.
I’m glad to hear you found the main character funny and enjoyed the choices you had to role-play her (and, of course, the infamous bee scene – which option did you pick, BTW?)
I actually find it easier in some ways to write in a more formal, old-fashioned style – at least, you don’t have to worry about using modern slang that’s going to be out of date in a couple of years’ time. And, yes, you’re right, Bastien is a contracted form of Sebastien. ^_^
Thanks for playing and I hope you enjoy the full game once it is released
I! Am!! So!!! Excited!!!! For this game!!!!! I've been checking this page daily for the past few weeks. When you see a purchase within 10 seconds of game release, know that it was me.
Some random thoughts:
MC is A+. Good balance between presence of personal history/pre-established personality (raised with great expectations as a prospective royal consort or, if nothing else, a proper lady of a great noble house) and freedom to refine her characterization with the choices you're given, and I like what's there of her personality independently of the player, too. MC is a witty, clever cookie. I'd be friends with her! I named mine Élisabeth, after notorious Miss Elizabeth Bennet, and lemme tell you, I'm so READY to construct a psychological profile up in this bitch. Also, can I just say that the main 3 personality types are hilarious? You can be a bookworm, okay... a tomboy, standard procedure... and a straight-up godless slattern. I lol'ed.
I found the sprited cast universally likeable - including Albertine and Francesca, actually, who were sources of amusement. Then again I gotta admit I don't quite see them as real threats to MC, even *when* I'm actually trying to go for the Prince. Anyways, my personal #1 forever favourite is Frederique, with Charlotte (too pure, too good for this world) or Sofia (I feel like her and MC could potentially have a lot in common) interchangeably in second or third place. I'll stop myself from writing an ode but Frederique is just the best. I think his first scene was when he argues for MC's right to self-determination to mother dearest? I started liking him, like, immediately haha. And ''I am your man to the last?'' I am WEAK. Such support. Much loyalty. Plus, his role as best friend/confidante/partner in crime is very welcome in a story like this - it's a masquerade and he's the dude MC can just take every single mask off around. And unlike everyone else, he expects nothing from you and the only thing he wants from you is that you be happy. I. Love. Him. /ugly crying
Guillaume was actually the first one I went for (because I liked his hair best lmao) in the demo, though, and he'd probably be the one I'd have gone for first in the completed game if I hadn't caught wind of the secret romance (I see chu ;D ;D ;D tbh I combusted screaming when I realized that a) yes, the secret romance IS a thing and b) there is a God after all). I felt kinda bad for him throughout the demo hahah, being fought over and pulled every which way like a doll. I note that he sympathizes with MC if she says the woods are her favourite part of the estate, because she feels like she can get lost in them... A crown is such a heavy weight.
Btw, I noticed one of the updates says the demo was updated with a new scene in the inn, but I redownloaded the demo the other day and didn't see any new scenes. At least... I don't think I did? What was the new scene supposed to be, or did I misunderstand the update haha?
(Also, not sure where to put this but in real life, Frederique is a woman's name with Frederic being the masculine version. I guess it's kind of a moot point, given that the setting is a fantasy world, but it did stick out to me so I thought I'd just point it out.)
Hello, Macharomance, and thanks for the feedback - some of it had me laughing quite a bit. ^_^
I'm glad to hear your liked the main character and a good portion of the cast (secret romance included).
As for the scene at the inn, it is a talk you have with your brother about his life at the university - was it not there? It's not long and was just added to balance the pacing, but if it has not uploaded properly, I will need to check that out.
Ah, yes, Frederique's name. I did become aware after I chose it that it was a specifically feminine spelling - to that point I'd thought it was unisex like Dominique - and by the time I realised my error, it had kind of stuck. No offence meant to anyone called Frederic, but it just didn't seem to suit him. But, as you say, it's a fantasy world, so I'll probably leave it as it is. ^_^
Thanks for playing
re: inn scene, I just went through the demo again and I didn't see it. There's only the bit where you meet Leopold, then the scene with the stablehand in distress, then we're back in the carriage and off to Dacre.
Ah, thanks for letting me know. I'll double check the files at this end and see about re-uploading them.
Thanks for your help ^_^
So sad when I finished the demo so quickly! It looks like a beautiful game and I'm looking forward to it :) Just a note that there is a typo in the last scene where Frederique leaves the room (just before you get the option to ask Bastion if he will eat dinner with you): exhuberece (or something) instead of exuberance. If someone has already pointed it out, apologies!
Hello, scribblefingers, and thanks for the feedback. I'm glad you enjoyed the demo - with any luck the full game will be out soon.
And thanks for letting me know about the typo - I'll make sure that and any other typos the player-testers and I have found (and there are plenty >_<) will be corrected before the full release.
Thanks for playing
I'm looking forward to the full version of this game. The personality option is a nicely added feature that's not seen much in games unfortunately. I'm enthralled by the artwork, it looks lovely. All in all, I think I will enjoy the game. Are you planning on making a walkthrough once it's released?
Hello, applepii
I'm glad to hear you're looking forward to the game and I'll pass your compliments on to the artist. As for a walkthrough, I can certainly make one and post it on release day - I know the frustration of being stuck on a route and finding there are no guides up yet. ^_^
Thanks for playing
Its very rare I plan on buying a game on this website, I usually just drift and choose free games but I think this will be the first one I decide to buy on here. Its such a beautiful game with lots of fantastic characters and don't even get me started on the art I'm so excited for the release date
Hello, RinnieDay
Ah, thank you for your kind feedback - I'm glad to hear your're looking forward to the release . I've been working on the game this week and solidly all weekend, so I will have another progress report to release in a few hours time. ^_^
Thanks for playing
I look forward to the complete game! I really enjoyed the elegant writing matching the style of art and music. As well as how the characters bow/move when then they interact. Sophia is my favorite character so far, and it's a pleasant surprise to see a cat-loving character, especially one to romance. -Anna
Hello, Darumanaut, and thank you for the feedback. I'm happy you felt the art and music matched the writing style - I'd like to say it was something I did consciously, but I think it just evolved that way.
I hope you can have fun romancing Sofia once the full game is released.
Thanks for playing
Blackcross & Taylor
This is really an amazing game! I'm really impressed by how many different ways I could play the MC- manipulative, brash, kindhearted, or plain mean. Right now I think the Prince is my favorite romance option. He's a lot more genuine than I expected.
Are you still anticipating a March release date?
Hello, ArchEvangeline, and many thanks for the feedback – I’m glad that you enjoyed the demo and the customization aspects of the MC.
And hooray! A fan for the Prince! Guillaume doesn’t seem to be as popular as some of the other characters, so I’m happy to hear some people like him. ^_^
Yes, the release date is looking to be March. It was going to be late February, but a couple of things have cropped up in the meantime and pushed production back. I’ll be posting progress reports in the Devlog from next week though, so you can monitor development from there if you’re interested.
Thanks for playing
Blackcross & Taylor
Hi. I really like this even if it;s still demo version :)
I really like like how you let the player choose what MC will tell, do and even what kind of personality has she. It's very great idea. I really felt like I'm "in controll" of what will happen.
I also really like the artstyle. Everything in this game looks great: characters, backgrounds and even menu & interface. Well eveything except gray, shadow-like placeholer characters but I'm sure that in final version of the game all them will raplaced with great looking sprites.
Music works great too. Well composed and well chosen pieces very fits the style of game and epoque.
I'm sure it's gonna be good game, when finally realised. I'm waiting :)
Hello, MrMar, thank you for the feedback. I'm glad to hear you enjoyed the demo and the control you have over aspects of the MC.
I doubt I will be replacing the grey sprites with actual sprites as they are only minor characters and this decision was made to keep costs down and means I can keep the game price lower.
That said, I will be replacing the flat grey sprites currently being used with ones that are a bit more polished. I hope their inclusion will not mar the game too much for you.
Well, you will not have long to wait now - release is still scheduled for February - so I hope you enjoy the full game once it is available.
Many thanks for playing