Question Thread: November 2022 [CLOSED]

Yeah, Omi is just a more cutesy nickname and people have different preferences for it!

GB Patch

It's alright! Unfortunately, for a game like Our Life there's really no way to tell players what a choice will do ahead of time. It's not very straightforward or consistent. You kind of just have to judge for yourself if you'd like to do/say something different in a situation or if you're good with it going the way it did.

GB Patch

Oh sorry! Maybe it’s my lack of experience with visual novel games showing… I find it a bit difficult knowing when to save a new file to explore different choices without having to go through the whole story over again. Maybe a labelling/naming system would help with this? I’m not sure… it’s okay! I’m starting to get the hang of it now I think :)

ian

If that's the case, I'm afraid I can't answer the question. It wouldn't be nice to make listeners unexpectedly have to hear a scenario of someone suffering through dysphoria. That's a potentially upsetting subject and so I can't include it in this big, lighthearted Q&A for everyone. I'm sorry.

GB Patch

I'm sorry, I'm not sure what the first two questions are meant to ask. What's making saving/playing difficult and what would make it easier?

GB Patch

I asked this question last time, but I didn’t word it well. When I asked about how the LI’s would feel about having to pick up menstruel products, I was wondering more about dysphoria and the like. Tamarack would probably understand best about variety/differences, but I worry Renee would feel extremely dysphoric, or Qui, even though they stick with nb and masculine pronouns. All the LI’s from OL1 are (cis?)males, so they don’t fit into this question as much.

My World

I'm not sure if this question has been answered before, but is there a possibility that OL will also be translated into other languages?Some of my friends would definitely like to play OL but their English is not that good I don't know if it's very difficult to implement something like this or if it would be too expensive to translate the script into different languages, but I was wondering if something like that would even be considered

it'sJenMae

I adore your approach to relationships and giving the MC the ability to truly have the choice they want to make in whatever capacity available. You have a lot of emotional intelligence and perspective that is very satisfying to play out through the MC. My question is about your future projects. Thus far your games have been more youth centered for first loves and that line of journey. Do you think that you will ever make a game along a more mature theme for seasoned more experienced/involved love stories between adults?

Jenna Jenks

I remembered a few more that my partner and I wanted to ask if that’s okay(mostly about Baxter cause we’re suddenly very interested in him); 1.Does Baxter have a canon birthday? 2.If Jeremy had an s/o that was super into skincare would he let them do a multi step skincare routine on him? 3. Is Baxter’s school in golden grove co-ed or an all boys school? How many grades/years does it span? 4. How would baxter have turned out/changed (or would he have remained the same) if he grew up with a sibling 5.Does Baxter speak any foreign languages? 6.Finally, who is older between Jeremy and Pran

Zara Gasai

So since the question about kids was made last time for Derek, how would you think he would've been as a parent? If he and mc ended up having a big family like 3 kids, do you think he would try and make so the older brother doesn't have to carry all of he burden alone? Also how would he act overall? Would he like to teach his kids about sports like Mr. Suarez did to him too?

Litle Geek

Even though ol2 they get older and change their personalities through steps, do they still keep affection with you and still treat you as their neighbor? Or do you end up as yes the MC but mainly just one of many people they know

Jose Velazquez

Please don't have debates in the Q&A. The commenter didn't make that decision, they were just letting you know what it was. Also, please don't decide for us what would be easy for us to do ^^;. Yes, we could do the most minimal, least effort thing and have it exist, but that's not the kind of quality we want or that players will appreciate. No one will say it's great that you get to have an empty, non-specific call with grandparents that have no personalization to the MC's family. People will rightfully think that's a huge letdown. And we'd have to keep doing it every Step or people would wonder where the grandparents went with even their minor presence. It'd be an extra hassle to make the game seem more poorly put together. And, for the reasons above, it'd be too much of an additional challenge to have more family members for the MC involved who are included in a meaningful way. So, I'm afraid there won't be grandparents for the MC in OL2. Anything related to them will have to be headcanoned as happening off-screen.

GB Patch

In OL2, Is there a negative side to choosing flirty options when they come up? In the prologue beta I’ve pretty much flirted with whoever I had the crush on (as I did a play through with booth) and I worry if they will ever feel that I’m doing too much. I don’t want Tamarack or Qiu to feel like I’m smothering them. If that’s an actual problem that is.

Jose Velazquez

Does Golden Grove have a clothing shop? With being able to dress up, it'd be cool to be able to have the chance to buy new clothes during life Stages that could be used later on in those Stages.

Psykes

When it comes to dancing and music lessons in OL2, where are they going to be taught? Is it going to be taught in school (North Acres Elementary, Jarrett-Whitt Academy, or the high school), a community centre (in my hometown, we had an arena which also served as a community centre; the room used for the dance classes my sister attended overlooked the arena where we had learned how to figure skate and I learned/played hockey), or are they taught in separate buildings in Golden Grove's downtown area?

Psykes

1. Is there an easier way to save files to avoid starting over when exploring different MC looks and decisions/routes? 1.5. Or is it expected to save different files in one playthrough in order to try out other things? (Hope that made sense...) 2. Additionally, can a feature be added that allows players to redo their choice(s)?

ian

How do you tie it in between steps? I worry that we will have all this time used to the characters as one way and then suddenly we are thrust into them older with 4 years having gone by.

Jose Velazquez

Do any of the parents from either of the Our Life games believe in some form of corporal punishment?

RedNova

after the DLC and OL2 are u guys going to work on the secret(R) project

Bri myers

I know it might be too soon for you to know but thought I'd ask anyway, is there a chance you guys might add the option to have a bindi or pottu to OL2? (a bindi/pottu is a colored dot or sticker on the middle of the forehead)

ava ava

Considering the option to invite Derek to move in with Cove and the MC in Stage 4 section of Derek DLC, would it be possible to add that choice for either Stage 4 (when the characters gather at Cove's home) or Cove Wedding DLC (during the wedding reception)? They could even reach a deal to enter a business deal together (esp. if Cove and the MC already co-own their own business). Derek would be great as an uncle/godparent (or even live-in nanny) to Cove and the MC's kids (if they chose to have/adopt children). It'd be kind of nice to be able to call him a brother if the MC had completed the Stage 2 Derek Moment 'Siblings'.

Psykes

In future steps of OL2 will we have the option to be very tall or very short as well or will it always be the 3 options?

Disson

I know you're working on Dexters DLC and OL2 right now, but I'd like to know if you're still release the XOXO Droplets Visual Novel in future or is it completely canceled?

Julchen

Thanks so much for answering! I thought it had been answered but I wasn't sure.

N Banks

this has been answered! qiu thinks that compliments shouldn't be limited to 'one' gender and takes no issue with being called things that are typically associated with a specific gender. so being called beautiful or handsome is fine. now, if someone ONLY ever called them terms that are typically associated with men (eg handsome, dashing, etc.), they'd take notice and get offended. but if you're mixing it up with other terms that aren't typically male as well, it's a-okay.

Marshie

And for anything bodily, I think it's been said that Derek likes butts and Baxter likes legs.

N Banks

I'm sure this had to have been answere at some point, but does Qiu have a preference for what they are called? For example, we know that in Step One they don't take issue with being called 'pretty' but would they take any discomfort with being called beautiful or handsome?

N Banks

This was actually answered on Tumblr. Derek doesn't have anything specific and if MC wants his attention on their outfit then they would probably have to put on lingerie lol. Baxter likes: nail polish, false lashes/heavy mascara/naturally long eyelashes, and full suits.

vinea

Does Baxter and Derek have special likes when it comes to the MC, or people in general? Like Cove liked anklets, and liked your arms and muscles, etc. Is there something that captivates them or they'd like to see MC wear?😊

Maideen Fair

How many kids are there in Mrs. Murray's classroom in OL2 Prologue? There are two sets of four desks by the window for the BG, but are there any other student desks on the other side of the floormats?

Psykes

Are the romantic moments in our life 2 going to differ in intimacy from our life 1?

Wren

That'd be interesting to know. 😃 She did change her mind about pools from the Stage One moment 'Grown Up' to the Stage 4 visit to the Suarezes' apartment, after all.

Psykes

After Opal stops wearing her opal earrings she'd worn in Stage One in OL2, would the MC be able to wear them (as a gift from Opal or for special occasions)?

Psykes

As a game developer yourself, is there a different game dev that inspires you, or you at least admire for their work? If so, why, and which games?

Maybe

Isnt Oma-grandma and Omi- granny .... more childish... My sister called our great grandfather Opi when she was young XD

Vera

Hi. I am curious if Lizzie continues Golf after Step1 or did she lost interest?

Selia Murakami

Hi! How does Tamarack and Qiu react to being flustered by their crush? Or being teased about their crush by others?

pattycake

I have another question! what are some things cove dislikes/hates? I notice that cove doesn't dislike/hate a lot of things other than what I know which are snow and layers and caffeinated drinks such as coffee and tea. are there other things cove doesn't like/hate? mainly asking out of curiosity

BlossomsFlower

Heyy! so this is what I've been wondering, I don't know if these questions were mentioned before in a previous Q&As (if so, you can ignore them) but here we go First Question: If Mc and Cove had kids, would cove be the type to be strict when it comes to discipline or would he be more lenient with them? Second Question: what would cove's dream job be?

BlossomsFlower

Thank you both for answering! I'm super looking forward to these now :)

Nanami

Yeah it was revealed that there will be a Halloween moment. Their costumes were revealed too. I think Tamarack was Santa Claus and Qiu was the grim reaper.

vinea

Since it takes place in Fall I gotta ask, will we get to go trick or treating in OL2? I'd love to see what little costumes Tamarack and Qiu come up with, and if we get to pick a little something for our MC's doll that'd be really amazing as well.

Nanami

Ikr? I saw it mentioned on the TVtropes page, and now I just have to know ;-;

FluffyPuff

I didn’t know that! That’s so sad if it was intentional ( ಥ ᴗ ಥ)

My World

I've been wondering for a while, was Baxter's name or characterization inspired by the "Baxter" trope in romance movies? (Basically, it's a term for the romantic "runner-up" character that usually gets pushed aside for the main love interest; there's even a movie that deconstructs this trope titled "The Baxter"). I was just wondering if that was intentional, or if it's a coincidence?

FluffyPuff

My sibling was curious and wanted to ask, does Shiloh like to work? (Like does he enjoy whatever job he has and have a good work ethic, or is he just kind of lazy?)

FluffyPuff

Would cove enjoy taking a bath with mc as young adults?

NyxExodus

So I was wondering if secret project (r) was still in development cause I can’t get enough of the XOXO cast haha. But also if I can add one more my partner wanted to ask if Jeremy had a slight accent because it was mentioned in a past ask that his parents were from the UK (Irish/English) if that rubbed off on him any. Thank you 🤍

Zara Gasai

Ah, thanks for letting me know! In that case, I'll probably delete this and come up with something else so I don't clog up the thread, haha

FluffyPuff

My family is german, like Tamarack's, but even though I did call my grandpa "Opa", I've always called my grandma "Oma" instead of "Omi", and I just wanted to know why's that? I always assumed it was a "cuter" way to say Oma, but I figured I'd ask anyway! Thank you so much! ♡

Lonely_Mermaid

It is made explicitly clear in-game that the OL2 MC has never known their birth father. Furthermore, Opal is asexual and extremely sex-repulsed (this was confirmed on the tumblr), so IVF/sperm donation was basically the only option for her to get pregnant. So, it would be very difficult to reconcile the idea with the actual in-game dialogue. Also, I fail to see how that's cultural appropriation. Plenty of adopted kids make an effort to reconnect with the culture of their birth and/or convert to a religion that's tied to their heritage somehow. It's a very common thing, so all you have to do is hc that your MC decided to do so.

Marshie

I did the first time so must’ve forgotten. Thanks! I’ll amend my questions.

Sai Aiza

Ooh okay, thank you!

el_dritchknight

Marshie

[OL1 + derek dlc spoilers maybe??] since our friendship with Cove started with the 20 dollar deal & Derek technically started our engagement with his 10 year deal...Will baxter have a deal in his dlc HAHA? Also, will there be school dances in OL2? 👀

el_dritchknight

Asking the important questions, I see! 🤔

FluffyPuff

FluffyPuff

What were our moms' occupations in Our Life 1? I remember in the game, it said Noelani worked in a boutique but never mentioned what Pamela does

Aliah Jones

Would our MCs be able to visit Opal's place of work? 'Bring your kids to work day', internship, etc.?

Psykes

I always do. But I tend to take the route where you went downstairs being seasick.

Sai Aiza

Thanks! I must have missed that particular path.

Sai Aiza

She answered something like this before. You'll be able to change your relationship with Opal, especially step-to-step. In Step Two for example the MC can range from being her perfect child to a super angsty teenager.

N Banks

That's not possible, unfortunately. MC's father is a sperm donor so for most of the game they wouldn't ever be able to meet him simply due to the legal issues with that sort of thing. I'm pretty sure Opal will be the MC's only parent. The player can probably headcanon that the MC finds or tries to look for their sperm donor after the game ends. And OL1 is like that because the MC is adopted. The Moms are not the same race/culture as them.

N Banks

Is Cove any good at fishing and does he enjoy it at all? Also: For both OL1 and OL2 love interests, how close are they to other family members who aren’t their siblings or parents? Like aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, etc. We know Tamarack is pretty close to her grandparents (living together does that).

Sai Aiza

In OL2, we have the opportunity for our MCs to want to become closer to/reconcile with Opal when the MC and Opal talk with each other before going to sleep. Will there be other opportunities to do so in the game, considering that the MC might still be upset with Opal/having to move to a small town/having to leave friends from the last move/etc.? Then again, there may be a time down the road that the MC upsets/disappoints Opal, Opal embarrasses the MC in front of their friends, etc. that may need a bit of a heart-to-heart to patch things up.

Psykes

I'm a big fan of Derek's DLC and his siblings so I have to ask. Are any of the main love interests in OL2 going to have siblings? I know Renee has her older brother but we don't know if Renee is going to become a DLC love interest so I was wondering since the game is pretty early in production.

Rose

Be-gay-do-crimes

Considering that Mr. Yusuf could be a potential father figure for the MC, could our MC adopt Tamarack's grandparents as grandparental figures as well? Speaking of grandparents (Opal's parents), will they make an appearance in Golden Grove on a visit or at least make a phone call?

Psykes

I been wondering this in the last few day... If Cove was a girl, how would she be different/same as her male self...? Would she still be super tall like her dad or just taller then her mom in that case...? Also, since I got more time to think about it, how would the whole story stay the same or become different if you make Cove a girl the whole time...? Would she be living with her mom or still stay with dad...? Would her relationship with her father/mother be harder then when Cove was male...? I'm sure female Cove would still be an ocean child like dad, still be an awkward mess like her male self, and still be demisexual/panromantic but would female Cove stay complete the same as male Cove or have some different to her?

Jay

will any other characters get canonical birthdays?

meeso

I have a few, so as usual feel free to ignore any if it's too many or something! OL1: I believe it was said Lee's in the music industry right? Ignore that if I'm mistaken, but I seem to recall it was the case? It's also my MC's case. Is Lee a singer / member of a band, or something more "in the back of the scene" so to speak? And did she and a MC in the music industry ever do collabs of any sort, or worked together, if the MC was interested? On the same theme - do the OL1 LIs have any special opinions about the MC being a singer? Obviously all would support them, but I'm curious about their exact thoughts about that path! OL2: Can a MC who isn't a very sociable person still be popular in school? For example because a lot of people find them beautiful, or any other factor? OL2: Do you have any ideas as for possible jobs an OL2 MC will be able to have in the future? And will that be relevant in the story? OL2: Will we get a short "back hair" option for our MC, that wouldn't be too fluffy but still a bit visible around the neck area? I feel like we're missing such a style, as all the short back styles are either very fluffy or curly, or like twin tails or something. But if that won't be the case, that's fine too, don't worry - I realize we already have a lot! OL2: So, I know we can change the name of our MC between steps. Will the game acknowledge the name change, or will it simply go on with a different name without the characters mentionning it? Also, if it is acknowledged, will there be special mentions in case the new name is the previous nickname? The way I've made my MC, he dislikes his name and everyone but his mom uses his nickname. And I want him to make his nickname his actual name in future steps. Thank you again for doing this!

Konoi Kurozora

I was wondering if you'd considered the games for something like the nintendo switch? It would be really great to play the games away from home and in a portable format

☆ Nevvi ☆

hi! first of all, thank you for these precious games. they’ve given me such immense joy since i’ve found them! i was wondering does tamarack stay with her grandparents throughout the whole game? and will we hear more about her parents? also ! how do you pronounce qiu’s name? i think i’ve seen somewhere that it’s pronounced “chi-u” but i noticed you also say “cho” so i just wanna be sure i get it right!! thank you so much for these q&a’s☺️

carly

Grade Four kids at the school I had went to had their first dance of several dances (which I usually sat out), and in Grade Five (10 years old) we were taught square dancing. 💃🕺 Stage 1 isn't too young for dancing at school. Stage 3 could very well see the MC @ college/university (and even if our MC goes straight to work or is taking a sabbatical, they could still be invited to a dance at college/university if Qiu and/or Tamarack continued on (dance/music). Stage 4, on the other hand....

Psykes

OMG I put my MC's name thanks! I game them matching names

BRG

Cliff is a very likeable man

BRG

I've been falling inlove with all the adults in the OL series and recently I've been shipping some of them. My favorite ship at the moment is Cliff and Opal. I don't know why but I love the thought of them as a couple and OL2 Mc as Cove's younger step sibling. Could they work together? I was also wondering if their are any non canon couples who you think would be a match.

BRG

A school dance would be so cute (≧◡≦)

Joonie

Yes! I also want to know more about them

Joonie

I was just wondering if qiu has any general preference between he and they, or is there one that's more correct when talking about qiu in a general sense? I know that the pronouns shouldn't be used interchangeably, but it's always difficult to know which to use since qiu is not a real person and we can't just check for nail polish haha

canoncorgi

Do you know if the Baxter dlc would have any effects on the wedding dlc if you take a friendship route with him and still end up with Cove?

mabel

Will there be school dance moments/scenes for each stage in OL2?

Psykes

Are there gonna be anymore side characters for OL2? Or did we meet them all?

vinea

Omg why did u do this to me, i try sooo hard to see Cliff as a dad (my MC does) but now a really reaaally want to be Cove's stepmom again 🤭🤣

Anna Bia

Hi! Can you tell us more about Tama's parents?

Anna Bia

What other activities or hobbies besides ballet or playing an instrument could the MC have/do during the steps of OL2? Would it be all choice-based as it was in OL1? And would any of our choices increase the MC's popularity during the period of childhood to adulthood?

Damisha Cross

I wondered if there’d be anything like a fall festival in OL2, I think that it would be a cute scene for the game!

Nullenara

You mentioned a while back when the base game of OL1 was still in development and there was a lot of that initial Cliff thirst that you might be open to making a game about romancing a single father. Is that still something you would consider?

of_Fae

Would all the MCs still love us if we were a worm?

My World

How does Qiu and Tamarack feel about Thanksgiving, and what their favorite part about it would be?

Attacxors