Oh, boy! Your post was so good for this that I’m feeling a bit worried mine will be a letdown. -rolls up sleeves- I’ll see what I can do!
This answer is also for @tendollarshoes who messaged me asking about the Saachi route.
:D Thank you both!
I’m going to write this as though this is an actual game…
SAACHI
Pros:
-Romantic
-Genuine and honest
-Compassionate and caring
-Will battle the gods themselves to protect you if she loves you
-Is very easily impressed and touched by romantic gestures
-Will reciprocate with cute, romantic gestures herself
-When she is uncertain about something, she is very willing to listen to and take advice
-It will be obvious when you have chosen the wrong answer.
-RP adventure side-quests: On certain dates you could be presented with scenarios where there is a conflict that requires heroic intervention. These events will allow you to solve them in different, unique ways depending on what your high stats are.
Cons:
-Suffers from some pretty significant bouts of insecurity and indecision seemingly out of nowhere
-Throws herself into danger over and over; not the option you want if you don’t want to worry about the safety of your partner
-Her compassion is not boundless; it can waver into frustrated, snarky sarcasm when she feels pushed too far.
-Stubborn. When she’s uncertain she listens and takes advice. When she’s made up her mind, there’s absolutely no chance of changing it.
-The more wrong answers you choose on dates with her, the more unimpressed and surly she becomes on future dates.
Path: Regular difficulty
Saachi isn’t terribly difficult to romance assuming you are the heroic, active, big-hearted type who respects that she is the same. Taking actions in the game that keep up your activity level and your heroism meter will impress her. She develops crushes fairly easily, but it will take work to move her from just fantasizing about dating you to actually giving it a chance.
Saachi values creativity, compassion, and heroism above all else, so it is important to keep the Creativity, Heroism, and Empathy meters above average. At a certain point in the game, Saachi will ask you to tell her a story. Choose the most dynamic, outlandish, fun responses during the story-telling segment and end with a heroic, happy ending. Wowing her with the Storytelling game will give you a major boost on her path. Choosing the short sentences with little to no description, having the ‘hero’ in the story act out of character, or ending the story poorly could undermine prior progress you made.
She responds well to compliments and thoughtful gestures. Insulting her, lying to her, or showing a general lack of empathy for others will potentially make her path entertaining if you want to see her get angry, but will ultimately remove her as an option for end-game romance.
MALIKA
Pros:
-Confident
-Up for almost anything
-Especially if it’s illegal (your mileage on if this is a pro or a con may vary…)
-Witty
-Dates with Malika are unique; she will take you to places in the game that you would not be able to access by pursuing other paths (because you will be trespassing)
-Disinterest in traditionalism means she does not care that she is in a dating sim; you can kiss her before you reach the ending
-Prankster/trickster
-No need to worry too much about getting your stats just right. Malika only watches the Luck stat.
Cons:
-Obsessed with fate/Gambling mini-game: When Malika appears in the game it will be at a random point after you have increased your Luck stat. She will suggest you gamble with her. If you say no she will not appear for the rest of the game, effectively disappearing as an option. If you say yes but lose, there is a 50/50 chance that she will not appear for the rest of the game. Winning the gamble is the only guaranteed way to start her path.
-Unreliable
-Lies for fun
-Difficult to read
-Will steal from your character. If your character has key items or presents in their inventory, there is a random chance that she will steal it and replace it with something different. Sometimes this could be a significantly better item that increases stats. Unfortunately, there is a chance it could also be a completely useless item.
Path: Deceptively difficult and frustrating
Going on dates with Malika is extremely easy. Simply prove that you are the type who will take risks and you will not have trouble spending time with this chaotic thief. The problem is getting her to stay…
While other characters are likely to give hints that your responses or actions displeased them, Malika is a con-artist and may seem entirely unbothered through the duration of the date, but after the date will disappear from the game forever.
She actively makes the game more difficult and frustrating for the player as it may be difficult to tell when she is being honest about things she likes or when she is just fucking with you.
Characters should not -ever- sympathize with the wealthy or attempt to convince her to not harass or steal from the wealthy. Taking any option that tells her “You should” or “You shouldn’t” will remove her as an end-game option, as will taking the option to confess your feelings to her before end-game.
ADELAIDE
Pros:
-Ishgardian intrigue sub-plot
-Slow burn path that simmers with intensity as the path progresses
- A subtle, dry humor
-A healthy disdain for nobility despite being part of the nobility herself
-Ability to laugh at herself
-Fun dueling mini-game
-You will receive hand-written letters from Adelaide
-She gives thoughtful, expensive gifts. This is a pro because these gifts include major stat boosts that would otherwise be difficult to come by in game.
-The Azmerien Garden date location is one of the most beautiful locations in the game and only accessible in her path.
Cons:
-Despite it simmering with intensity as the path progresses, it is still VERY slow burn
-Despite openly mocking nobility, she will be hesitant to break from tradition. It will take time for her to even hold your ungloved hand.
-She pays very close attention to stats: they must all be well above average for her to appear at end-game
-The Ishgardian intrigue sub-plot will make the game more actively more difficult; Adelaide’s corrupt family will attempt to get in your way
Path: Openly difficult
Adelaide has very particular tastes and takes time to warm up to the player. She will be turned off by active, aggressive pursuing of her too early in the path. Any confessions early on will reset progress with her though, unlike Malika, it will not bar you from future dates with her.
All stats need to be above average to win Adelaide, but Athleticism needs to be the highest.
Winning fencing duels with Adelaide will increase your Athleticism score and will give you the same bonus as giving her a gift would. The duels become increasingly more difficult each time you select this option, but the bonus also increases to match.
Adelaide’s family will attempt to interfere. Random events in the game will include attempts at draining your money and spreading rumors that could negatively affect your stats if you do not deal with them quickly or could raise the prices at stores where you want to buy gifts.
WHEW. How did I do? That was fun!
