Lust, Purity, & Darkness: How They Impact Crucial Choices (Patreon)

Lust, Purity, and Darkness...

These are three words you've been hearing a lot with the release of Radiant.

So what do these words mean... and why am I using them?

Well, let's start with the basics.

Purity:  Freedom from immorality or contamination.

Lust: A strong or passionate desire; usually sexual.

Darkness: Wickedness, immorality or corruption.

Some would argue that one is "bad" and the other is "good," but I would disagree. There is no "wrong" decision in this game -- only different outcomes... and certain outcomes can be more beneficial to players than others. Choosing "Purity" over "Darkness" won't necessarily always be "the right choice." It really just depends on what you're looking for.

These three variables will affect every single decision you make in this game.  

They are weighed/measured when making choices that affect the player-character's Psyche & Relationships... and they are also the three branches of the Core-Plot.

Understanding these variables will help players better understand Crucial Choices.

If you played the tutorial you already know that there are three types of crucial choices in Radiant: Plot, Psyche, & Relationship.

Plot Crucial Choices: The game's core plot is driven by these choices so they tend to hold more weight than the others. These are literally the "game-changers." Naturally, you can expect each "Plot Choice" to lead down three separate paths: Lust, Purity, or Darkness.

Psyche Crucial Choices: The player-character's behavior and sometimes even his actions are driven by his Psyche. While nearly every decision affects or is affected by your Psyche, a crucial "Psyche Choice" will have a greater than normal impact, sometimes adding up to 3-points to one of three categories: the player's Lust, Purity, or Darkness.

Relationship Crucial Choices: Much like with Psyche there are 3 facets to every relationship in this game: Lust, Purity, or Darkness. Each "Relationship Choice" you make can change the dynamic of your relationship with each girl.

Summary..

I've stated something repeatedly: the "right choices" depend entirely on you. Players should play the game how they want to play and I stand firmly behind this. The entire game is designed around this... and therefore the outcomes and variables of your decisions are left intentionally vague.

I understand that some of you may be "scarred" by incompetent game design, but this system is foolproof and can only serve to heighten your experience.

So what should you choose and why? 

Well, the specifics of this will be included in the games walk-through and I will do my best to spell it out to players... but I will say that while your Psyche & Relationships are multifaceted and your points will sometimes work together to form outcomes: it should be rather obvious that the variable you have the most points in will serve as the predominant trait. 

And it all comes full circle: your predominant trait will be the primary determining factor when it comes to gameplay, your Psyche profile, and your relationship profiles... while your secondary trait will sometimes take the wheel to give you the best possible outcome. In other words, playing how you feel like playing and not trying to "manipulate" points will more than likely give you the best gameplay experience possible.

I hope I've cleared up any confusion players might have had before... and as a footnote I wanted to point out that this system will not "slow" the progress of game updates. It's designed to be simplistic & practical for both players and developers. No fuss no muss.

Anyway, thanks for reading... and I hope you're excited for the next update!

Sincerely,