Hanako Games

Flattery Question

#1 by Pokota - Jun 17 2015

At Flattery 30, the flavor text remarks that it's better to praise someone for what they do rather than what they physically are. Yet Flattery 30 when Elodie finds her dad and her dad's girlfriend still does the "Your boobs are too big" line. Granted I haven't tried this after passing the Composure check first (it makes sense that in losing her composure she'd forget the lesson) but it seems a bit strange that she'd completely fail instead of having a partial success between 30 and whatever the actual requirement is.

Re: Flattery Question

#2 by hanako - Jun 17 2015

Good thought, but in my opinion it's not really the same thing.

Elodie's not trying to flatter Sirin. She's trying to insult her while (if successful) sounding flattering enough that it's impossible for her target to properly express offense or retaliate. That's a much more complicated use of language than simply coming up with a good compliment.

So, she can be perfectly well aware that 'your boobs are too big' is not a good way to flatter someone and still say it. Flattery isn't the goal, insult is. And she does manage to be insulting - just clumsily enough that Sirin is amused and able to get her back with a much more subtle and well-timed insult.

Re: Flattery Question

#3 by Pokota - Jun 17 2015

Hmm... in light of that, I'm trying to figure out what a partial success would be like in that situation.

She goes for the naive target on failure, and she goes for (and hits) where it hurts on total success - the veiled "You will never replace his first love". Both of these are already present. But it's possible to think you're being subtly insulting while saying something that the other party likes to hear - a partial success in that she's no longer being obvious about her attempted insult, while still failing to garner the intended reaction due to saying something that's (a) true and (b) not an insult as far as Sirin's concerned.

In the end, it still leads to Anger +1, just different words to get there.