Let's talk about route switching + a little something at the end

Hello. It's Saturday again, and that means that I'm talking about the story a little. I'm currently submerged in the script almost entirely, so instead of giving out fresh details (which might change later as I think about them), I'll talk a bit about a sore subject which is your ability to leave the route.

As of now you're able to leave Liam's route at two different points (with some requirements), and Vanessa's route at one. You can also leave Iris, and soon will get a chance to dump Bree. That's not much, and I'm planning to add more chances for Blake to reconsider his relationship. Naturally, you need a reason for something like this, so expect some conflicts. Cheating seems to be an obvious choice, but I'm not sure if I want to introduce something like this outside of Iris's NTR route. Blake is a kind soul, so he can forgive, but I'm not sure if I want to hurt my girl that much. So, there's probably gonna be some mundane stuff just like in any relationship. Vanessa and Liam work too much, Iris isn't happy with Blake's efforts, Samuel is a little bored, etc. We'll see. It's not the type of conflict that counts, it's how believable it is, right? Right.

But that brings us to the second question. What's next. Well, first of all, I want to point out that the only route Blake will never be able to leave is Melinda's. For various reasons. However, her route is the easiest one to get on, so that's about to change. Closer to the release of v0.10 I'll change the early stages of the game in such way that by default Blake will remain routeless. So, we're kinda getting a succession of sorts. First you choose between Melinda and Samuel, then between Liam and Vanessa, then between Iris and Bree, and later you get Suya. And despite the fact that Suya's route starts in v0.10, you'll be able to join her later on, as you leave other folks. She can wait for her bunny. So, if you prefer your Blake to be her girlfriend, but you're already with somebody else, no need to start another game, you'll have your chance soon. As for the other routes, I'm not sure if they should intertwine. Like, I can't imagine leaving Vanessa for Samuel. Or any other combination. They're too far apart at this point. But maybe you have other ideas? I've read several comments on my male characters, and that «all of them are douchebags». Do you agree? Looking at all the routes we have, what kind of relationship Blake lacks at this point? Is there a character in the game you would like to romance given the chance, or should it be someone new altogether?

And since we're on a topic of ideas, Blake's birthday is approaching. In real life, I mean. I worked on his model for quite a while, and it was October 1 when I finalised things. This date has already passed in-game, and no one aside from Iris and Kira knows about his birthday, and he never cared much, so there was nothing special, but maybe we can think of some big event for him? Something universal, that can be applied to every route, and will make Blake happy regardless of his personality changes. Any ideas? I have a couple of mine, but I'm not sure I should put it on a poll. Feel free to share.

Thank you for your time, and have a nice day!