Suffering

mmecitgonul

Apr 5th, 2026

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[Design advice for Life & Suffering of Prince Jerian] - [[email protected]] - [gistpad.com/suffering]
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[Sound & Music]: -Immaculate, yet it must go higher, for it's the heart.
[Aesthetic & Visuals]: -Pristine & Authentic, yet lacking in perspective.
[UI & Cohesion]: -Polished, but with visible nicks & imperfections.
[Ambience & Backdrops]: -Good by every metric, yet rudimentary & basic.
[UX & Accessibility]: -Lacking crucial essentials with no definitive mode of play.
[Narrative & World]: -Huge flaws tear away at the game's very soul.
—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
The overall aesthetics, atmosphere, soulfulness, solemnity, & the "foundational" authenticity
are the crown jewels of this game(and its predecessor), unmatched by anything in its lifetime
nor by those that came before it, especially the sound & music, Trubin be blessed.
—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
Ther were no bugs or technical issues found, and there are no confusing mechanics.
—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
[DECLARATION]
After many a contemplation, I can say that without a shred of doubt,
the single greatest detriment to this game is its 'Divine' & 'Theological' aspect.
The foundational core of this game upon which every other part is built on is 'Authenticity'.
It's this exact 'Authenticiy' that gives the game its lifeblood, its very worth.
Without this cruical core the game would leave no impact on the player whatsoever for it would lack the
proper 'reference' & 'connection' necessary to bind the player to its own.
The total 'Transparency' & 'Objectivity' that the game adopts regarding the
'Divine' & 'Supernatural Phenomena'(Miracles etc.) run absolutely contrary to the foundation
that is 'Authenticity', its 'reference' detatched wholly from the real one it's meant to mirror.
Such a 'distorted' & outright 'nonexistent' implementation that is meant to reference 'our own'
is simply incompatible with the core of the game.
Not only does such a 'distortion' taints the 'Authenticity' greatly,
but by extension it undeniably kills the purpose of this game. This "Transparent/Objective Fantasy Theology"
in which THE biggest questions of life are just abruptly "answered" and randomly "decided"
completely and utterly ruins the vision & purpose set by the developers who want this game to be a
soul searching experience that will allow the player to reflect upon the sublime questions of life
and ponder their meaning. That beautiful vision... in my view is unfortunately unattainable with the
current way the game world is structured, not with this 'random', 'inauthentic', and 'unsubtle'
way the 'Divine' & 'Metaphysical' is "referenced".
This game should not sacrifice its 'authenticity' for some irrelevant "fantasy" that on the surface
appears interesting but ultimately proves to be but a misguided attempt at profundity.
To feel that world as if it was our own... To feel the words as if they referenced our very own...
I have no doubt that it's what this game desperately tries to convey, to seamlessly blend in with our very own.
The game is in conflict with itself, its very soul is in conflict with itself, and unless reconciled...
how can it hope to ever reach its true potential... let alone sublimity.
Now that the issue's been clarified, let us go over the appropriate solution.
A balance must be struck, 'Universality' and 'Subtelty' are key,
it must be changed in such a way that it will 'RESONATE' with everyone,
and 'HIDDEN' enough that it won't impede the authentic reference,
to reduce the total objectivity and bring it to total balance with subjectivity.
it all aligns with the soul of the game and your vision doesn't it.
This of course requires a significant rework of the world of 'Talisman' that'll
fundamentally alter the way how the overall world & narrative works,
and how the story is told in relation to the way the 'Divine' is referenced.
What Im asking you to do might seem too much... too different, too impractical, and too late
to do anything about it now, and perhaps you would be right, but would it really be the right call?
Would it really be good to let this work of art with the potential
of sublimity be buried under the dirt by its own great flaw...
what use of apoligizing to me would bring in that regard.
Afterall... It's the game that will Suffer for it.
I wouldn't request it from anyone else but you, It's because I believe that you would pour your
soul without rest, and sacrifice every bit of resource to bring this work of art to frution,
and would be satisfied with nothing less than sublimity.
The order's been given, and that is enough.
-To Fedor Sliusarchuk
————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
{UI}: (Overall needs to be 'Minimalised', be more of a 'Sketchy/Book' aesthetic, and be more 'Static' & 'Smooth')
-Add 'fade-in/out' transitions'.
.Add 'fade-in' transitions to most UI elements & transitions.
.Add 'fade-in/out' transitions to all Page transitions.
.Add 'fade-in/out' transitions to all UI elements on mouse hover.
.Add 'fade-in/out' transitions to all mouse hover panel pop-ups.
-Remove unfitting transitions.
.Remove every 'Enlarge/Delarge' transition from the UI elements.
.Remove every 'Contrast/Color change' transitions from the UI elements.
.Remove the 'fly-in' text transitions from the bookmarks and also remove their text entirely.
***Keep the animated transitions(Legacy amulet & Sanity) as they are(They are great)***
-Replace the 'Clean-Cut' & 'Solid-Color' visuals with 'Sketchy/Bookish' alternatives.
.Replace the more "clean cut", 'Colorful' stat pictures with the more "sketchy"(pre-PlayTest) versions.
.Replace the 'bright' stat visualisers(symbols, bars etc.) with more 'sketchy' & 'papery' colors & styles.
.Replace the bookmark visuals with more 'sketchier' & slightly smaller ones.
-Remove unnecessary or cluterred UI elements.
.Remove the 'Return to scene' bookmark entirely.
.Slightly decrease the amount of clutter & visuals on the paper outline(Thorns/Snakes/Glass shards etc.).
.Make the 'settings' button & UI smaller, less visible(Or just put it inside of the pages[Like the '?' hint button]).
.Replace the 'selected' bookmark 'clip' visual on the page with something less visible(it appears on the paper outline).
.Remove/Hide the UI of the unavailable bookmarks until the appropriate chapter's been reached.
-Overhaul the 'Conditions' panels.
.Make the 'conditions' panel slightly more compact and readable.
.Replace 'the requirement not met' 'X' symbol on 'condition' panels with something more compact and pleasant.
-Overhaul the 'Fate' tab.
.Remove the 'Phantoms of the future' button entirely and replace it with a simple divider.
.Replace the 'Possible events' buttons entirely with larger Rectangle 'page to page' spreads of their event picture.
.Add to the 'Records' text columns rectangle 'page to page' spreads of their event pictures.
.Remove the text from the 'Chapter selection' buttons and let there simply be 'I, II, III' numerals instead.
-Overhaul the 'Choices' page in scenes.
.Combine the 'choice' buttons & 'consequences' in the right page(like the previous game).
.Add narrative text to the left page(like the previous game).
.Add a slow 'fade-in' transition to the 'choices' page in the current scene(like the previous game).
.Add a slow 'Fade-in' transition to the 'choice' buttons(like the previous game).
.Replace the 'Choice' button with something different & less asymmetrical?(I'm not sure).
.Center the text in 'Choice' buttons.
-Other visual adjustments.
.Remove the 'Glove' cursor entirely and make the 'Quill' & 'Hourglass' the sole cursors.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
{UX}: (A singular standard needs to be set as the 'Definitive' way to experience the game)
-Add a 'Focus/Theater' toggle where the bookmarks & background can be darkened & faded out.
-Remove 'Chapter restarts' entirely(At the very least disable it until a full playthrough's been finished).
-Remove 'Hints' entirely(Don't even know what they are supposed to be even after multiple playthroughs).
-Make the 'Hold the choice' button the default option.
-Remove the setting to change the 'show consequences' mode after starting a playthrough.
-New mode called the 'Show partial consequences' mode where the choices provide a 'moderate' hint.
-New mode called the 'Show miminal consequences' mode where the choices provide a 'slight' hint.
-New mode called the 'Safe/Clean' mode where the sexually 'explicit' & 'suggestive' content are limited/censored to a degree.
-New mode called the 'Visual assistance' mode to provide an audio book like feature for the visually impaired.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
{Visuals}: (Needs some consistency & naturalisation on certain portraits, and 'obvious' place holders need to change)
-Some of Jerian's portraits look nothing like eachother(Especially the childhood ones).
-The portrait of the arknian ladies are a bit over the top and kinda crazy & unhinged.
-The main menu looks and feels like a placeholder, needs much rework.
-The title logo looks too minimalistic & simple, needs some detail & rough edges to it.
-The loading screen could be bit more 'static' & 'landscape-ish/Still-life' without any people or moving parts to it.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
{Sound/Music}: (Suggestions)
-Find one more composer(Music would benefit immensely from different perspectives)[Trubin stays the lead].
-Readjust some of the 'Bulky' UI sound effects(Bookmark selection sfx... maybe?).
-Dont be afraid to go crazy in scenes with similar effects like the 'scream' in sir Brante.
-Not my place to teach Trubin his job... but I would suggest going 'experimental' in some pieces(Divine etc.).
-Avoid using 'Special' tracks more than once, lest they lose their weight & soul.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
{Narrative}: (Overall refinement of the opening, and chapter extension is needed + Total Divine/Theological/Metaphysical rework)
-The opening cutscene feels disconnected & abrupt, needs to be less 'Final' and more 'Introductory', like those in the trailers.
-The first scene and its questions require much needed rework.
-The childhood(Obscurity) chapter advances too fast(age 4 to 16 in less than 7-8 scenes, should be extended to 2 chapters).
-Total Divine/Theological/Metaphysical rework to solve the authenticity crisis and reconcile the soul of the game.[See above decleration.]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
{Major Addition}: (Essential additions to game modes & accesibility features)
-'Show partial consequences' mode
.A mode where the choices provide a 'moderate' hint(changes are accurately hinted at but without their full specification).
-'Show minimal consequences' mode
.A mode where the choices provide a 'slight' hint(just a slight hint regarding the predicted changes).
-'Safe/Clean' mode
.A mode for limiting or censoring sexually 'explicit' or 'suggestive' content(Perfect for accessibility).
-'Focus/Theater' mode
.A theater mode/Toggle where the background & overall UI except for the pages are darkened & faded out.
-'Voice assistance' mode
.Audio book like feature where a single tone voice support is added for the visually impaired(only in english?).
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
{Total Overhaul}: (Divine/Theological/Metaphysical Rework)[See above decleration.]
-Divine Rework
.Remove the twin gods entirely and instead opt for a 'Transcendental' & 'ambiguous' monotheistic Creater.
.Remove the 'Dark figure/third Shadow/Will' entirely.
.Keep the shining pillar, but refrain from giving clear definitions.
.Opt for an iconoclastic, no depictions regarding the image of it, The 'Divine' is fully transcendental & hidden.
.Remvove the epithet "God" entirely, the only references should be either 'Lord', 'Sovereign' or the likes.
.Give a culturally commonplace 'epithet' for the 'Divine' for example 'The Lord'.
.Opt for a 'seemingly' non intervensionist position for it.
.Avoid giving the 'Divine' innate merciful or vengeful qualities of any sorts, the perspective should remain ambigious.
.Avoid giving the 'Divine' human presence on the world and human qualities in general etc.
.Avoid 'Commandments' style interventions or direct divine instructions.
.Avoid any divine 'meetings' of sorts, especially for the main character.
-Theological Rework
.Keep the prophets but be subtle with them.
.Keep the holy books as 'Divinely inspired' rather than 'Divine Revelations'.
.Remove the christian symbolism & aesthetics and instead opt for a more culturally detached one.
.Switch to an Iconoclastic no depiction or divine images doctrine(since the divine shall be hidden).
.Remove the epithet of 'God' entirely and change it with 'Lord' or 'Sovereign' coupled with perhaps
a totally unique name(for example "Eld"[from 'Elder' got it]).
.Keep the schism narrative, albeit in a different style or manner.
.Introduce new doctrines and positions, increase the overall depth of the theological aspect.
.Hire a theologian to help you bring forth a multitude of ideas to the table.
-Metaphysical & Fantasy Rework
.Keep the 'death' system, but without a divine meeting, just straight revival.
.Keep the 'Lots/Caste' system but with different sacramental aesthetics of course.
.Keep the Tempests' divine right to rule.
.Keep the Love/Law stat personality dynamics(wholly detached from the previous divine system of course).
.adjust the 'Arknian/Human' distinctions and keep it to a minimum(less blueishness & physical differences etc.).
.Avoid introducing racial blood magic into the world(Arknian origin stories etc. should be subtle as possible).
.Avoid introducing new 'Races' at all costs(No more la-tari etc.).
.Keep the blood tide, yet make it more subtle.
.Get rid of the abilities and scale of magic in people or drastically reduce their potency(No more obvious magic).
.Get rid of the 'Silver plates' & 'collars' or drastically reduce their potency(No more obvious visible miracles).
.Get rid of the 'will' doctrine entirely(not the 'will/blood' stats, the 'Theological' "will" from the previous game).
.Keep the silver tree, but simply as a percieved sacred tree and nothing more.
.Keep all other metaphysical events as subtle as possible.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
{Potential pitfalls}: (Issues that were prevelant in the previous game)
-The 'Meta Driven Calculator' where overattention to 'stats' & 'conditions' heavily
impeded the immersive quality and often left the players detached from the narrative entirely.
-The character being inconsistent, or being able to act inconsistently or contrary
to their personality constantly plagued and impeded on the immersion heavily.
-Music choices in certain scenes felt out of place(Especially "Noble path Octavia").
-No set definitive way to play the game was established, mainly whether the 'Choice consequences'
should've been shown or not, that was of utmost importance, unfortunately it was either 100% or 0%,
shown fully or not shown at all, no in between, that made things much worse, instead there should
have been 'partial' 50% or 20% options to reveal the consequences,
not the full specifics but small hints to give an idea of it.
-The 'Chapter replays' that were available from the get go proved to be quite disasterous
to a significant amount of players' ability to just "go on" with the story without
reverting the chapters every time things didn't mete out the way they wanted.
-The absolutetly nonsensical way the 'Divine/Theological/Metaphysical' side was referenced & implemented
caused a massive detachment from the narrative that almost no one could relate to, and
it wholly shattered the authenticity and the very soul of the game to its core.[See above decleration.]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
{Final advice}: (Outside references & perspectives)
-In order to actually bring about the perfect 'Divine/Theological/Metaphysical' rework, you need proper reference,
fortunately for us there is but one that 'slightly' matches this game's unique setting & perspective,
that is "Watership Down". Get Zakirov on the title and have a quick look at it, that first impression
should prove to be quite useful in order to set the narrative on the right path.[See above decleration.]
-The classical brilliance of the music cannot be understated, it's the solemn heart of the game, and for that there is
a certain 'Classically Oriented Darkwave' band by the name of "Die Verbannten Kinder Evas", that I believe may serve as precious
inspiration & perspective for dear Void Brother. You should definetly listen to its three albums Trubin.
-The expressive quality of the illustrations must be expanded on, the emotions must leap out of the page completely.
To meet this crucial demand, and to provide some gorgeous references, I think I've found the most appropriate reference yet...
It's a manga called "Levius & Levius/est" it is highly reminiscent of the game's art and oozing with expressive detail.
Definetly show Kulakov the entire library.
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{Letter to Trubin}:
Dear Fedor... the very heart of the game rests within you, no one can deny that,
yet in order to achieve the sublime one must be with the sublime. At night,
go and lay yourself besides the white walls overlooking the Tom.
Stay there as long as you can, and only leave once you can no longer bear it.
This is all I can do for you at the moment, but soon... soon.
—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

RAW Paste Data Copied

[Design advice for Life & Suffering of Prince Jerian] - [mmecit.gonul@gmail.com] - [gistpad.com/suffering]

—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
[Sound & Music]: 	-Immaculate, yet it must go higher, for it's the heart.

[Aesthetic & Visuals]: 	-Pristine & Authentic, yet lacking in perspective.

[UI & Cohesion]: 	-Polished, but with visible nicks & imperfections.

[Ambience & Backdrops]: -Good by every metric, yet rudimentary & basic.

[UX & Accessibility]: 	-Lacking crucial essentials with no definitive mode of play.

[Narrative & World]: 	-Huge flaws tear away at the game's very soul.
—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
The overall aesthetics, atmosphere, soulfulness, solemnity, & the "foundational" authenticity 
are the crown jewels of this game(and its predecessor), unmatched by anything in its lifetime 
nor by those that came before it, especially the sound & music, Trubin be blessed.
—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
Ther were no bugs or technical issues found, and there are no confusing mechanics. 
—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
[DECLARATION]

After many a contemplation, I can say that without a shred of doubt, 
the single greatest detriment to this game is its 'Divine' & 'Theological' aspect.

The foundational core of this game upon which every other part is built on is 'Authenticity'.
It's this exact 'Authenticiy' that gives the game its lifeblood, its very worth.
Without this cruical core the game would leave no impact on the player whatsoever for it would lack the 
proper 'reference' & 'connection' necessary to bind the player to its own.

The total 'Transparency' & 'Objectivity' that the game adopts regarding the
'Divine' & 'Supernatural Phenomena'(Miracles etc.) run absolutely contrary to the foundation 
that is 'Authenticity', its 'reference' detatched wholly from the real one it's meant to mirror. 
Such a 'distorted' & outright 'nonexistent' implementation that is meant to reference 'our own' 
is simply incompatible with the core of the game.

Not only does such a 'distortion' taints the 'Authenticity' greatly, 
but by extension it undeniably kills the purpose of this game. This "Transparent/Objective Fantasy Theology" 
in which THE biggest questions of life are just abruptly "answered" and randomly "decided" 
completely and utterly ruins the vision & purpose set by the developers who want this game to be a 
soul searching experience that will allow the player to reflect upon the sublime questions of life 
and ponder their meaning. That beautiful vision... in my view is unfortunately unattainable with the 
current way the game world is structured, not with this 'random', 'inauthentic', and 'unsubtle' 
way the 'Divine' & 'Metaphysical' is "referenced".

This game should not sacrifice its 'authenticity' for some irrelevant "fantasy" that on the surface
appears interesting but ultimately proves to be but a misguided attempt at profundity.

To feel that world as if it was our own... To feel the words as if they referenced our very own...
I have no doubt that it's what this game desperately tries to convey, to seamlessly blend in with our very own.
The game is in conflict with itself, its very soul is in conflict with itself, and unless reconciled...
how can it hope to ever reach its true potential... let alone sublimity.

Now that the issue's been clarified, let us go over the appropriate solution.

A balance must be struck, 'Universality' and 'Subtelty' are key, 
it must be changed in such a way that it will 'RESONATE' with everyone, 
and 'HIDDEN' enough that it won't impede the authentic reference,
to reduce the total objectivity and bring it to total balance with subjectivity.
it all aligns with the soul of the game and your vision doesn't it.

This of course requires a significant rework of the world of 'Talisman' that'll 
fundamentally alter the way how the overall world & narrative works, 
and how the story is told in relation to the way the 'Divine' is referenced.

What Im asking you to do might seem too much... too different, too impractical, and too late  
to do anything about it now, and perhaps you would be right, but would it really be the right call?

Would it really be good to let this work of art with the potential 
of sublimity be buried under the dirt by its own great flaw... 
what use of apoligizing to me would bring in that regard.
Afterall... It's the game that will Suffer for it.

I wouldn't request it from anyone else but you, It's because I believe that you would pour your
soul without rest, and sacrifice every bit of resource to bring this work of art to frution, 
and would be satisfied with nothing less than sublimity.

The order's been given, and that is enough.

-To Fedor Sliusarchuk
————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
{UI}: (Overall needs to be 'Minimalised', be more of a 'Sketchy/Book' aesthetic, and be more 'Static' & 'Smooth')

-Add 'fade-in/out' transitions'.
	.Add 'fade-in' transitions to most UI elements & transitions.
	.Add 'fade-in/out' transitions to all Page transitions.
	.Add 'fade-in/out' transitions to all UI elements on mouse hover.
	.Add 'fade-in/out' transitions to all mouse hover panel pop-ups.

-Remove unfitting transitions.
	.Remove every 'Enlarge/Delarge' transition from the UI elements.
	.Remove every 'Contrast/Color change' transitions from the UI elements.
	.Remove the 'fly-in' text transitions from the bookmarks and also remove their text entirely.
	***Keep the animated transitions(Legacy amulet & Sanity) as they are(They are great)***

-Replace the 'Clean-Cut' & 'Solid-Color' visuals with 'Sketchy/Bookish' alternatives.
	.Replace the more "clean cut", 'Colorful' stat pictures with the more "sketchy"(pre-PlayTest) versions.
	.Replace the 'bright' stat visualisers(symbols, bars etc.) with more 'sketchy' & 'papery' colors & styles.
	.Replace the bookmark visuals with more 'sketchier' & slightly smaller ones.

-Remove unnecessary or cluterred UI elements.
	.Remove the 'Return to scene' bookmark entirely.
	.Slightly decrease the amount of clutter & visuals on the paper outline(Thorns/Snakes/Glass shards etc.).
	.Make the 'settings' button & UI smaller, less visible(Or just put it inside of the pages[Like the '?' hint button]).
	.Replace the 'selected' bookmark 'clip' visual on the page with something less visible(it appears on the paper outline).
	.Remove/Hide the UI of the unavailable bookmarks until the appropriate chapter's been reached.
	
-Overhaul the 'Conditions' panels.
	.Make the 'conditions' panel slightly more compact and readable.
 	.Replace 'the requirement not met' 'X' symbol on 'condition' panels with something more compact and pleasant.

-Overhaul the 'Fate' tab.
	.Remove the 'Phantoms of the future' button entirely and replace it with a simple divider.
	.Replace the 'Possible events' buttons entirely with larger Rectangle 'page to page' spreads of their event picture.
	.Add to the 'Records' text columns rectangle 'page to page' spreads of their event pictures.
	.Remove the text from the 'Chapter selection' buttons and let there simply be 'I, II, III' numerals instead.

-Overhaul the 'Choices' page in scenes.
	.Combine the 'choice' buttons & 'consequences' in the right page(like the previous game).
	.Add narrative text to the left page(like the previous game).
	.Add a slow 'fade-in' transition to the 'choices' page in the current scene(like the previous game).
	.Add a slow 'Fade-in' transition to the 'choice' buttons(like the previous game).
	.Replace the 'Choice' button with something different & less asymmetrical?(I'm not sure).
	.Center the text in 'Choice' buttons.

-Other visual adjustments.
	.Remove the 'Glove' cursor entirely and make the 'Quill' & 'Hourglass' the sole cursors.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

{UX}: (A singular standard needs to be set as the 'Definitive' way to experience the game)

-Add a 'Focus/Theater' toggle where the bookmarks & background can be darkened & faded out.
-Remove 'Chapter restarts' entirely(At the very least disable it until a full playthrough's been finished).
-Remove 'Hints' entirely(Don't even know what they are supposed to be even after multiple playthroughs).
-Make the 'Hold the choice' button the default option.
-Remove the setting to change the 'show consequences' mode after starting a playthrough.
-New mode called the 'Show partial consequences' mode where the choices provide a 'moderate' hint.
-New mode called the 'Show miminal consequences' mode where the choices provide a 'slight' hint.
-New mode called the 'Safe/Clean' mode where the sexually 'explicit' & 'suggestive' content are limited/censored to a degree.
-New mode called the 'Visual assistance' mode to provide an audio book like feature for the visually impaired.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

{Visuals}: (Needs some consistency & naturalisation on certain portraits, and 'obvious' place holders need to change)

-Some of Jerian's portraits look nothing like eachother(Especially the childhood ones).
-The portrait of the arknian ladies are a bit over the top and kinda crazy & unhinged.
-The main menu looks and feels like a placeholder, needs much rework.
-The title logo looks too minimalistic & simple, needs some detail & rough edges to it.
-The loading screen could be bit more 'static' & 'landscape-ish/Still-life' without any people or moving parts to it.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

{Sound/Music}: (Suggestions)

-Find one more composer(Music would benefit immensely from different perspectives)[Trubin stays the lead].
-Readjust some of the 'Bulky' UI sound effects(Bookmark selection sfx... maybe?).
-Dont be afraid to go crazy in scenes with similar effects like the 'scream' in sir Brante.
-Not my place to teach Trubin his job... but I would suggest going 'experimental' in some pieces(Divine etc.).
-Avoid using 'Special' tracks more than once, lest they lose their weight & soul.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

{Narrative}: (Overall refinement of the opening, and chapter extension is needed + Total Divine/Theological/Metaphysical rework)

-The opening cutscene feels disconnected & abrupt, needs to be less 'Final' and more 'Introductory', like those in the trailers.
-The first scene and its questions require much needed rework.
-The childhood(Obscurity) chapter advances too fast(age 4 to 16 in less than 7-8 scenes, should be extended to 2 chapters).
-Total Divine/Theological/Metaphysical rework to solve the authenticity crisis and reconcile the soul of the game.[See above decleration.]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

{Major Addition}: (Essential additions to game modes & accesibility features)

-'Show partial consequences' mode
	.A mode where the choices provide a 'moderate' hint(changes are accurately hinted at but without their full specification).

-'Show minimal consequences' mode
	.A mode where the choices provide a 'slight' hint(just a slight hint regarding the predicted changes).

-'Safe/Clean' mode
	.A mode for limiting or censoring sexually 'explicit' or 'suggestive' content(Perfect for accessibility).

-'Focus/Theater' mode
	.A theater mode/Toggle where the background & overall UI except for the pages are darkened & faded out.

-'Voice assistance' mode
	.Audio book like feature where a single tone voice support is added for the visually impaired(only in english?).

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

{Total Overhaul}: (Divine/Theological/Metaphysical Rework)[See above decleration.]

-Divine Rework
	.Remove the twin gods entirely and instead opt for a 'Transcendental' & 'ambiguous' monotheistic Creater.
	.Remove the 'Dark figure/third Shadow/Will' entirely.
	.Keep the shining pillar, but refrain from giving clear definitions.
	.Opt for an iconoclastic, no depictions regarding the image of it, The 'Divine' is fully transcendental & hidden.
	.Remvove the epithet "God" entirely, the only references should be either 'Lord', 'Sovereign' or the likes.
	.Give a culturally commonplace 'epithet' for the 'Divine' for example 'The Lord'.
	.Opt for a 'seemingly' non intervensionist position for it.
	.Avoid giving the 'Divine' innate merciful or vengeful qualities of any sorts, the perspective should remain ambigious.
	.Avoid giving the 'Divine' human presence on the world and human qualities in general etc.
	.Avoid 'Commandments' style interventions or direct divine instructions.
	.Avoid any divine 'meetings' of sorts, especially for the main character.

-Theological Rework
	.Keep the prophets but be subtle with them.
	.Keep the holy books as 'Divinely inspired' rather than 'Divine Revelations'.
	.Remove the christian symbolism & aesthetics and instead opt for a more culturally detached one.
	.Switch to an Iconoclastic no depiction or divine images doctrine(since the divine shall be hidden).
	.Remove the epithet of 'God' entirely and change it with 'Lord' or 'Sovereign' coupled with perhaps 
	   a totally unique name(for example "Eld"[from 'Elder' got it]).
	.Keep the schism narrative, albeit in a different style or manner.
	.Introduce new doctrines and positions, increase the overall depth of the theological aspect.
	.Hire a theologian to help you bring forth a multitude of ideas to the table.

-Metaphysical & Fantasy Rework
	.Keep the 'death' system, but without a divine meeting, just straight revival.
	.Keep the 'Lots/Caste' system but with different sacramental aesthetics of course.
	.Keep the Tempests' divine right to rule.
	.Keep the Love/Law stat personality dynamics(wholly detached from the previous divine system of course).
	.adjust the 'Arknian/Human' distinctions and keep it to a minimum(less blueishness & physical differences etc.).
	.Avoid introducing racial blood magic into the world(Arknian origin stories etc. should be subtle as possible).
	.Avoid introducing new 'Races' at all costs(No more la-tari etc.).
	.Keep the blood tide, yet make it more subtle.
	.Get rid of the abilities and scale of magic in people or drastically reduce their potency(No more obvious magic).
	.Get rid of the 'Silver plates' & 'collars' or drastically reduce their potency(No more obvious visible miracles).
	.Get rid of the 'will' doctrine entirely(not the 'will/blood' stats, the 'Theological' "will" from the previous game).
	.Keep the silver tree, but simply as a percieved sacred tree and nothing more.
	.Keep all other metaphysical events as subtle as possible.

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{Potential pitfalls}: (Issues that were prevelant in the previous game)

-The 'Meta Driven Calculator' where overattention to 'stats' & 'conditions' heavily 
impeded the immersive quality and often left the players detached from the narrative entirely.

-The character being inconsistent, or being able to act inconsistently or contrary 
to their personality constantly plagued and impeded on the immersion heavily.

-Music choices in certain scenes felt out of place(Especially "Noble path Octavia").

-No set definitive way to play the game was established, mainly whether the 'Choice consequences'
should've been shown or not, that was of utmost importance, unfortunately it was either 100% or 0%,
shown fully or not shown at all, no in between, that made things much worse, instead there should 
have been 'partial' 50% or 20% options to reveal the consequences, 
not the full specifics but small hints to give an idea of it.

-The 'Chapter replays' that were available from the get go proved to be quite disasterous 
to a significant amount of players' ability to just "go on" with the story without 
reverting the chapters every time things didn't mete out the way they wanted.

-The absolutetly nonsensical way the 'Divine/Theological/Metaphysical' side was referenced & implemented 
caused a massive detachment from the narrative that almost no one could relate to, and 
it wholly shattered the authenticity and the very soul of the game to its core.[See above decleration.]

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{Final advice}: (Outside references & perspectives)

-In order to actually bring about the perfect 'Divine/Theological/Metaphysical' rework, you need proper reference,
fortunately for us there is but one that 'slightly' matches this game's unique setting & perspective, 
that is "Watership Down". Get Zakirov on the title and have a quick look at it, that first impression 
should prove to be quite useful in order to set the narrative on the right path.[See above decleration.]

-The classical brilliance of the music cannot be understated, it's the solemn heart of the game, and for that there is
a certain 'Classically Oriented Darkwave' band by the name of "Die Verbannten Kinder Evas", that I believe may serve as precious 
inspiration & perspective for dear Void Brother. You should definetly listen to its three albums Trubin.

-The expressive quality of the illustrations must be expanded on, the emotions must leap out of the page completely.
To meet this crucial demand, and to provide some gorgeous references, I think I've found the most appropriate reference yet...
It's a manga called "Levius & Levius/est" it is highly reminiscent of the game's art and oozing with expressive detail. 
Definetly show Kulakov the entire library.
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{Letter to Trubin}:
Dear Fedor... the very heart of the game rests within you, no one can deny that, 
yet in order to achieve the sublime one must be with the sublime. At night, 
go and lay yourself besides the white walls overlooking the Tom.
Stay there as long as you can, and only leave once you can no longer bear it. 
This is all I can do for you at the moment, but soon... soon. 
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