#kyoko mode

[hopeymchope]

So, continuing my ask about Kyoko Mode FTEs with Makoto, I honestly had an HC that at some point, Kyoko might inquire a little bit about Makoto's home life, to investigate what kind of person he is. It would be a good opportunity to learn more about Makoto's parents (especially given how little we learned of them in UDG). Thoughts?

Note: Here's part 1 of the "Kyoko Mode" saga, and here's part 2.

That's a fun idea. I can imagine her convincing herself that she only wants to glean any information about his background that might be useful, internally denying the truth: she really just wants to know him better. Plus it'd be a way for her to make sure his backstory contains enough details to sound believable — a subtle method of protecting herself from the possibility of trusting the wrong person again. I imagine Naegi is probably the first person she gets close to after Samidare, so she'd need to feel some reassurance either consciously or subconsciously.

[hopeymchope]

So continuing from my Kyoko Mode ask, since Kyoko would be the protagonist, how do you envision her Free Time Events with Makoto going? Like what do you think they would talk about?

I think the conversations would basically be the same as the ones we get from Naegi's perspective in the FTEs, only with slight variations to allow for Kyoko's thoughts replacing his.

So if you look at the first FTE dialogue between them on this page, you'd really only remove the dialogue that's shaded light blue (which are Makoto's inner thoughts) and replace them with some of her own... or with nothing at all.

Take the last five lines in that first FTE, for example. I'd adjust them like this:

Makoto: I'm sorry...I don't understand.

Kyoko: I know.

Kyoko: I need to be careful. It's best I don't reveal too much about my circumstances. The safest option is-

Kyoko: Goodbye.

Kyoko: I turned and walked away. He made no move to stop me or follow.

Kyoko: He's either the type that wears his heart on his sleeve, or he's a skilled actor hoping to make me lower my guard. It's too early to know for sure.

[hopeymchope]

If Trigger Happy Havoc had a mode where you play as Kyoko (let’s call it Kyoko Mode), what do you imagine the gameplay would be like in a Kyoko Mode?

(This feels weirdly familiar. Like someone might've asked something similar before at some point... ? But I've been doing this blog for like five years now so who the hell knows... )

Realistically, it probably wouldn't be that different from the existing Investigation Mode. You'd click around an area and look at things, she'd draw conclusions from them (the text would keep the exact details of what she was understanding vague, with her thinking things like "This means... !" and such, to maintain a sense of mystery about the eventual trial), you'd click on characters to question them - she'd just have different dialogue and would be far quicker to understand implications than Makoto was - regardless of whether her internal monologue actually shared the details of her conclusions.

Ideally, Kyoko would get closer-up views of the things she's investigating that would allow her to click on and notice more fine details than what Makoto sees. Getting to see those additional details might make the sequence of events at a murder scene more obvious to the player than they'd be if you were playing as Naegi... or maybe not. It kind of depends on how well you pick up on the contextual clues her mode adds.

In Class Trials, I think she'd be dropping hints to the player about the correct answers just in her own internal monologue; Naegi does this frequently, but sometimes the hints come from outside of him via Kyoko, whereas Kyoko would always be able to pull hints from her subconscious, y'know? I'd also expect certain obstacles to not really exist. Maybe her gameplay mode wouldn't include the "noise" lines during Non-Stop Debates because she's focused enough to never be distracted by side commentary. And she'd blow right past Hangman's Gambit because she'd just know the proper term or concept without having to think deeply about it. (This could be an opportunity to just have the player choose from a multiple choice list of words to illustrate her formulating the answer faster.)

So I guess I see "Kyoko Mode" as a comparatively easier mode vs. being Naegi, who has to work harder to draw the same conclusions.

[hopeymchope]

Going back to that series of Kyoko Mode asks, I can see Kyoko and Makoto getting into a Rebuttal Showdown when she tries to convince him of Sayaka’s Lie in Chapter One. And of course Chapter Five would be a breeding ground for Naegiri Rebuttal Showdowns considering the tense nature of the trial.

Note: This is a follow-up to this ask and this ask, both from quite a while back.

I love the idea of imagining where mechanics from later in the series might fit into the older games.

For example, I can picture there being a Scrum Debate about Kyoko's supposed guilt in Chapter 5 (before she opts to turn on Naegi). Makoto, Kyoko, and Hina take one side while Togami, Fukawa, and Hagakure take the other side.

And I can easily imagine a Rebuttal Showdown between Ishimaru and Naegi in DR1's Second Chapter, shortly after Makoto lines up all the evidence that nails Mondo - just before the manga recap.

Chapter 4 of DR1 easily lends itself to a Panic Debate considering how many people are potentially suspects across its duration. Let Toko and Hagakure protest simultaneously while Hina won't stop accusing them and let the chaos ensue.

But in terms of Kyoko Mode specifically, I think it'd make sense if we visualized Kyoko's mind working through the evidence with some kind of Logic Dive/Psyche Taxi-type game. Maybe she'd be on a train, and we'd be switching the tracks based on the proper conclusions for her.