Comments on: don't take it personally, babe, it just ain't your story

don't take it personally, babe, it just ain't your story

The Devil Tesla — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 09:52:49 -0800

Seven students, three endings, one eavesdropping teacher. don't take it personally, babe, it just ain't your story is a full length digital novel by the writer of Digital: A Love Story. Luscious high-school drama with a delicious sprinkle of social network navel-gazing.

By: Zozo

Zozo — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 10:09:32 -0800

I loved Digital, have a perpetual soft spot for YA melodrama, and came of age in the social-networking revolution. I will be checking this out post-haste.

By: m_steven_a

m_steven_a — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 10:18:14 -0800

Digital is one of those gems that I recommend to anyone who's curious about games and their value as a unique experience of storytelling. Such great work. Anyway, can't wait to check this out.

By: empath

empath — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 10:37:14 -0800

I loved Digital. It actually made me cry a lot, because it reminded me of a kind of doomed relationship I had when I was 20.

By: jscott

jscott — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 10:52:44 -0800

If anyone hasn't played Digital: A Love Story, be sure to check that out as well. I was impressed both with Christine's writing and that she cited my own site as a historical resource that I invited her to an onstage conversation about it at the last HOPE conference. Here's the audio. And here's the video.

By: The Devil Tesla

The Devil Tesla — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 11:16:02 -0800

I just finished it. Note: there is going to be a points where you are going to be like, what? whattttttt? Keep going.

By: jscott

jscott — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 11:21:03 -0800

you are going to be like, what? whattttttt? One could argue this was the case with Digital, and was part of the style.

By: The Devil Tesla

The Devil Tesla — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 11:50:12 -0800

One could argue this was the case with Digital, and was part of the style. I'm not saying its a bad thing :p

By: DarlingBri

DarlingBri — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 21:00:28 -0800

I didn't expect to enjoy this, but downloaded it because I was interested in the format. It turns out I'm enchanted and delighted and laughing a lot - this is very witty. Also, my vocabulary is expanding. Totes for real. I've never read anything this way. (When I want to read novels, I generally pick up a book.) When it's described as a full length novel, what does that mean? I'm on chapter 6; how many chapters are there? The lack of paper is disorienting.

By: DarlingBri

DarlingBri — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 21:32:03 -0800

7 chapters! That was great. Thanks!

By: empath

empath — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 23:06:13 -0800

I"m not sure I liked the ending, but I was completely absorbed all the way up to the last chapter. She's such a fantastic writer, and just a kid. Really amazing talent.

By: empath

empath — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 11:24:35 -0800

Does anyone know what the different endings are?

By: The Devil Tesla

The Devil Tesla — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 12:22:52 -0800

Does anyone know what the different endings are? I played through it a few times, so I can answer this somewhat. Spoilers, obv. The climax scene is the same no matter what you do, which is good because its awesome. The resolution afterwards changes depending on how you treat Arianna throughout the game, and I believe with one other Arianna focused decision. The other decision that really changes the story is deciding to tell Charlotte to get back together with Kendall. If you do they are the ones who can go to the dance in chapter six, and if they aren't together Nolan and Akira (note, no matter what you say they get together) can go. (I really don't think you can get both to go, which is sadface) Both versions of the story are awesome, so check it out.

By: empath

empath — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 15:53:33 -0800

There's a good discussion thread on it here.

By: DarlingBri

DarlingBri — Sat, 09 Apr 2011 18:36:18 -0800

empath: There's a good discussion thread on it here. Wow, I would have thought RPS readers would have had a more thoughtful, less knee-jerk reaction to parts of the storyline. Even after it is explicitly stated in the review that 16 is the age of consent in the UK, few of the commenters can seem to get passed the student/teacher tangent. Anyway, on the screenshots there was a downtown scene. I don't think I saw that... did everyone else make choices that got them to downtown? I want to go downtown!

By: empath

empath — Sat, 09 Apr 2011 18:54:02 -0800

The downtown scene is your second 'date'. If you think the RPS thread is bad, you should read the clusterfuck on something awful. The hilarious part about that thread is that she's totally from the 4chan/goon culture and basically predicts that exact reaction on the 12chan threads in the game, and nobody on SA actually gets it.

By: mccarty.tim

mccarty.tim — Sun, 10 Apr 2011 12:00:24 -0800

I've played for a few minutes, and I'm starting to like it. It's not quite Digital, but I don't think the story elements have all been revealed or really congealed, so it has a lot of potential. Also, the fact they use current web slang but would have to have been born around today seems strange. Language is constantly evolving, and internet slang seems to evolve even faster. I can't see the babies of today growing up to say "protip" or "cool story, bro" in high school. Personally, I kind of wish they spoke in Nadsat, but that's just how big a nerd I am.