Hanako Games

Two Endings per Character?

#1 by Muse - Jun 27 2011

Okay, so I've been browsing a bit, and I seem to run across some things that make it sound like various romance characters have more than one ending?

For example, something about Damien and a ring/no ring?

Or Ellen if you get Summer School?

Maybe I'm totally misunderstanding, but now I'm curious.

#2 by hanako - Jun 27 2011

There's no set number of endings because I don't have an official definition of what an ending is. It depends on how much difference you consider to matter.

For example, with Ellen, it is possible that she goes home to stay with your family for the summer, and it's possible that you both stay at school for the summer, and it's possible that she stays at school and you go home. But for the most part those don't involve huge changes in the plot, they're just differences based on other decisions you made during the game.

Is a few scenes difference a different ending?

#3 by perch - Jun 27 2011

I think it's a personal interpretation thing.

Both Damien and Grabiner's trophy endings significantly change a Sue's life. Damien's 'ring' ending is more just a variation of the ending a lot of people end up getting. Just like Grabiner's two options if you're on his path at the very end are variations of each other.

The whole game is one long narrative with many key events that never vary and there is no true ending like there is no true sprite to represent Mary Sue. If there was a true ending who does Sue get with canonically? Does she become treasurer? Does she become friends with her roommates? Donald? Virginia's contract would always exist because it occurs off screen before the games narrative. Does Ellen always stay at the school?

A lot of that can't be answered because it will get explored again in a different game where perhaps your sprite gets to run for President and possibly win thus invalidating the fact that Minnie always wins in the first game. Then you've got a head canon where Mary Sue is your treasurer and Gary Stu is the president and... *head explode* Or a head canon where Damien runs away to Acapulco with both your sprites and you live merry lives scheming to destroy everyone that isn't as magnificent as yourselves.

Your Mary Sue is your head canon like which variation on a character's path is your favorite ending. For example I could decide that my canon-Sue's 'true' ending is Damien's trophy variation and all that's implied with it post game. Or that my Mary Sue gets expelled her first week and then thinks the entire experience is one giant fever dream that never happened and assimilates back into her regular life.

For me a lot of the different ending variations are me thinking about and discussing what happens to Sue post game. Sure in the game whether or not she stays with Grabiner romantically, creates a platonic relationship, blows him off, gets blown off by him, gets divorced in the game or never marries him at all are all variations of each other which are surrounded by certain key never changing events in the story line, but post game there are some pretty significant changes that happen to your Sue's life that are just fun to think about and discuss.

I'm in water cooler mode, I apologize.

#5 by hanako - Jun 27 2011

Most trophies require a bit of work and a combination of events to reach.

There are some trophies only received for ending the game early - through doing something that causes you to not complete the normal school year. That probably means something bad happened.

There are lots of trophies that can be reached on any path. There are some that are connected to particular character stories.

#6 by mizu - Jun 27 2011

Ok. Thanks, hanako.

It's a good thing I like to save a lot. I finally got the Walking in Darkness trophy.

Not sure if I could handle going down Damien's entire path again.