Just finished Shipwrecked using a book pass (less than 5 minutes ago) and I legitimately could not tell you what happens in the book. This is the second time I’ve read it and I’m still hazy as fuck on the plot and details.

"Gender Coding" in Choices.

This is not about actual gender coding problems, ie. stuff that does not match the MC/LI's chosen gender (like pronoun errors, smut scene errors, or clothing description errors) or makes zero sense with the chosen gender of MC/LI (like Paolo saying women aren't fit for the working world while basically marrying off his daughter to a female CEO in the f!Sam route).

I'm talking SPECIFICALLY about the numerous takes such as when a m!MC is called "female coded" because he takes on more feminine personality/roles just as the f!MC does. And why it's honestly kinda problematic to call them "gender coding".

Sure, PB may have written them with f!MC in mind, and sure, it may not be typical for most guys to act more feminine or take on feminine roles (which is because most behavior differences in men and women are due to gender-based socialization rather than actual innate biological traits btw). But coding is more than just something being "obviously" written with wlm in mind. There's a huge difference between something that was written with wlm in mind but isn't nonsensical with non-wlm routes, and something that is not only clearly written with wlm in mind and makes absolutely no sense or has absolutely zero match with non-wlm routes.

Like please, tell me how small things like male MCs getting heroically saved by his female LIs, female Trystan holding an umbrella for COP male MC, TCH male MC running away from an older man who is (tw) sexually assaulting him, and ID male MC sitting in female Gabe's lap are in ANY WAY as ridiculous and unrealistic as shit like the lube-free default-bottom mlm smut scenes, the magic penis wlw smut scenes, Cas referencing "the bad girls in all the old high school movies", AME male MC getting told he can show off his "hot bod" in an outfit that looks like an off-brand Doctor Who cosplay, or Paolo basically saying "Now that Sofia is marrying a female CEO she can fulfill her purpose as a wife and mother because women are ticking bombs who are unstable in the workplace".

And this is the point where you may say "Well I just want more variety in how the books are written and options for how MC can behave because it kills my immersion when my male MC behaves like a womanized man all the time". Well, if you just want MCs that are more "masculine" or have more "masculine" traits, just say that you want more masculine traits in MCs. Cause I have some harsh news for you: wanting more variety and options in the stories and MCs isn't a non-wlm-exclusive issue.

Here's the truth: PB isn't just "writing for male LI/female MC and not caring about the non-wlm players". They're writing with incredibly gender-stereotyped dynamics of wlm in mind. To suggest that PB is actually caring about the wlm players with this writing is very laughable; the lack of variation in the writing can be just as harmful and immersion-killing for wlm players as it is for the non-wlm players.

If you play a "wlm coded" routes as the supposedly "intended" wlm route, it's usually very gender-stereotyped. And as a gender-nonconforming cis wlm myself, it makes a lot of wlm routes VERY frustrating and immersion-killing. A lot of wlm routes are like this, whether it's GOC MC/GL male LI, GL MC/GOC LI, GL MC/GL male LI, or GOC MC/GOC LI. Male LI is always protective of the female MC, male LI is always the boss/CEO/professor/higher-up/etc. while female MC is always the newbie, male LI is always saving the damsel-in-distress female MC, female MC is always sitting in male LI's lap, male LI is always carrying female MC, female MC is always doing a sexy dance to impress male LI.

There are only 2 books where a male or "male coded" LI wears sexy underwear for MC, compared to 10 books where a female or "female coded" MC wears sexy underwear for LI (doesn't help that the male sexy underwear always looks like bland crap whether it's for MC or for LI)*. There are only 2 books I know of where a female or "female coded" MC is allowed to lift up/carry her male LI, compared to... the countless books where the male or "male coded" LI lifts up/carries the MC (and just to be clear, yes, some people can have a lot of physical strength even if they don't have a lot of muscle build).

*I know that the MC lingerie options aren't really considered female-coded, probably because they occur almost exclusively in genderlocked books, but I'm still including it as an example of PB stereotyping the romances.

Now don't get me wrong, there's nothing wrong with players who do enjoy these dynamics in wlm routes. But when these patterns occur this frequently in the wlm routes, that's when it's a problem. And it really doesn't help that these are the same dynamics by which many female-audience-targeted wlm romances in YA novels– heck just mainstream wlm and mlw romances in general– have been written as for YEARS. (This very reason is why I actually consider it usually better when certain stories like TCH, SW, and ID are played as mlw versus as wlm).

And as I've said before, non-wlm aren't the only ones who can be negatively affected by this. Just because we wlm are the primary target audience of PB's game doesn't mean they truly care about us or that they're representing us well. Not all wlm/straight women like being carried by a man, dressing in lingerie for a man, doing a sexy hip-shaking dance for a man, sitting in a man's lap, etc.

So when I see people call this stuff "female coded" or "wlm coded" in non-wlm routes, it feels like it's implying that it's only a problem when it carries over to non-wlm routes. As if it's okay to write very feminine female MCs but not very feminine male MCs.

And it's honestly disheartening, because it feels like many people just don't really care about the lack of variety in options for wlm. To illustrate my point? People only ever complain about AME MC always walking down the aisle in the wedding by default regardless of gender, but no one ever complains about ROE MC always walking down the aisle in her wedding by default. People only ever complain about MC being lifted up/carried by LI all the time in books with GOC options, but never in genderlocked routes. The GOC MCs that are occasionally said to "feel more male coded" or "actually feel like they play well as a male MC" are ALWAYS the more competent and experienced ones like TH:M MC, TPA MC, and COP MC. I once saw a take that a Shipwrecked scene "actually felt like GOC" because it had options for who spoons who. Basically, any form of "feminine" traits/roles are only criticized as "unrealistic" or "killed my immersion" when it's a male/GOC MC, and any form of "masculine" traits/roles are only criticized as "unrealistic" or "killed my immersion" when it's a GOC female LI.

TLDR: Look, I'm all for more variety and options in how PB writes their MCs, LIs, and romance dynamics. But a lot of the problems that people call "gender coded" are problems that affect wlm too because of how grossly gender-stereotyped a lot of wlm routes are.

Sent by anonymous

'I've lost interest in choices because they don't ever make any novels with male MCs anymore'

POSTS/CONFESSIONS DO NOT REFLECT MOD'S PERSONAL OPINIONS!

wait why isnt shipwrecked talked about more ;(( it was a fun read and i love my kaleo <3

character sheet for my shipwrecked mc!!!

notes below:-)

this sprite looks like she could be wasian so she's wasian!! we were all thinking it!!!!!!! (and by "we" i mean me)

omg i made her hometown newport beach because thats where i thought the aquarium of the pacific is located and i was like maybe she grew up going to the aquarium of the pacific and that's what inspired her to become a marine biologist!! and i looked it up and its actually long beach. so if you read the character sheet please replace "newport beach" with "long beach" in your head thx xoxox

she doesn't seem especially close to her family so i think she'd want to move away from them for a little bit for college, just to have some space to become an adult, so she wouldn't have studied at like cal state long beach or ucla for undergrad. cal state monterey bay is right by the monterey bay aquarium so that seems right. postgrad degrees probably at ucla

her brother is a b-tier twitch streamer (former viner) lol. idk

Edit that I made ages ago of Manu in Vic's dress

Could you do an edit of a male and female Indian and Mediterranean version/option of the captain from Shipwrecked?

This is my first time making an Indian sprite so if anything looks "off" that was 100% not my intention!

Also sorry for not doing the second part, I started running out of time.

Choices Secret Admirer: a Valentine's event

What it is:

Think secret Santa but for Valentine's Day.

Everyone who shows interest in participating will be given a match for whom they should create (or commission) a small work (drabble, art, edit, moodboard, etc)

How to participate:

Reblog this post stating your interest AND include your top 3 books/characters/pairings to help guide your match on what they should create for you. (reblogs that do not include a top 3 will not be considered entries for participation)

or, message me here or at @lovealexhunt stating your interest and include your top 3 picks

Note: When listing your interests, please include any preferred gender/race characteristics you may have for customizable character. If you have FCs you are welcome to list them as well.

Deadline to participate: February 3

What comes next:

On, or about, February 4, I will message you with your match and what they listed as their top 3 interests

You create something for them based on their interests and post it for them on February 11-12.

It would also be really nice if you could include a brief positive message of encouragement and/or support with your creation for your match

Please tag this blog and #ChoicesSecretAdmirer2023 as well so I can keep track of who posted and who is missing.

If you have any questions please do not hesitate to reach out.

I hate these books and why from Choices

1. Kiss of Death (The story ok, the MC is not)

2. Roommates with Benefits (Sex all day in my college life)

3. The Billionaire's Baby (Affair is forbidden in my principle, LI is same as Dalton using nice as a shied)

4. Surrender (The MC is amazing! The LI belongs to trash)

5. Untameable (the story ok, but MC and LI need to be slap so they don't get horny all the time)

6. Shipwrecked (Not that interesting story)

7. The Duchess Affair (Like i said, Affair is forbidden in my principle even LI is good)

8. The Princess Swap (The Non-Royal Twin i love, The Princess Twin i need to slap)

9. Witness: The Bodyguard Romance (disgusting)

10. My Two First Loves (MC is a shit as his childhood LI. Noah is everything♡)

11. The Nanny Affair (Probably tolerate because MC i build like a fucking bitch in the catwalk, but Dalton is a chicken)

12. Wolf Bride (The story ok, The Alpha bullshits thing i hate)

Well, i dare you change my mind

Sometimes I think about Shipwrecked and how the MC let Dr. Hale burn alive in the lava during the volcanic eruption.

All I have to say is like…that’s so unexpectedly dark for what’s essentially a porn-with-some-plot book. I mean good god. What a way to go. One of the grisliest Choices deaths and not even in a horror book.

Info that matters to no one: my Choices' favourite books.

-Across the Void: I loved it, the concept was original and OMG Meridian!

-Blades of Light and Shadow: I mean... of course I love BOLAS. Tyril is my man.

-The Bloodbound series: While I'd like to see a story perhaps more related to the Underworld concept, I like the series and don't get me started on Jax.

-Crimes of Passion: With the releasing of the second book I just realized how much I loved the first one. I'm not that sure about this second one.

-Getaway Girls: I enjoyed it a lot, it felt very different to other books in some ways (probably because there were actual black people involved in its creation and development). It was very refreshing and I have to say, I'm a Dee stan.

-Hot Couture: I still can't understand the hate for this book, because I truly loved it.

-Laws of Attraction: It was modern, it was different and I really felt my MC was really intelligent and had real power to change things, to make a difference.

-Mother of the Year: first time a kid isn't annoying in these stories. Also, it touches very contemporary issues, and Thomas is to die for.

-Shipwrecked: that, kids, was actually sensual, sexy and steamy, and not the shit we had to endure in crap like Wolf Bride or Surrender.

-Slow Burn: I love cooking, so a book about food is something I will automatically like.

-Veil of Secrets: It didn't feel sugarcoated at all and I liked both the MC and her attitude towards the whole problem.

Honorable mention to Kindred's asian Kaine. It stirrs something inside me.

Cadybear's Reviews VERY Brief Thoughts- Shipwrecked

Welcome to the thirty-second official Cadybear's Reviews VERY Brief Thoughts! Today I'll be talking about Shipwrecked, which I have ranked on the "Silver Tier" at 7 stars out of a possible 10. My last and only playthrough of this was around October 2021-January 2022.

This one is pretty basic, but it works. 

There’s actually not a lot of smut focus in it, instead there’s more to do with building up your relationship with the LI. And frankly I found their relationship development quite natural, which does help it stand out a bit from the usual single LI story where they’re both instantly horny for each other. 

In fact, I’m pretty sure you can even choose for your relationship with the LI to be more platonic, which is something single-LI books really should do more often. 

I also really liked how your bond score seems to affect some of the outcomes at the end. Might have to give it a replay to see if I can get a bad ending.

Sent by @cadybear420

'Even if you're tired of people talking about which books "deserve" sequels and which don't, you still have to acknowledge that there is a pattern with how PB chooses which books to give sequels.

Look at TNA, SR, and UT, highly controversial ongoing books/series that are considered not deserving of sequels. It's clear that if the book is a smutty book and also an almost completely linear story with little-to-no "choices that matter", it's almost guaranteed to get a sequel. And Witness is the last of that kind in all of Choices history to be a standalone.

Now compare that to some of the more widely beloved (or at the very least, non-controversial) recent books like LOA, SW, WTD, COP, TPS, ID, and BOLAS. Non smut-centric (except for SW), and have more fleshed out choice systems. Only 3 of these are getting sequels. And one of these- BOLAS 2- is very delayed and people are suspecting it's gonna get axed. So if the book is not smut focused and has choices that matter, there's at least a 50% chance it's gonna be a standalone.

So even if you like the linear smutty books and are happy that they're getting sequels, it's clear that PB is putting more importance on books that are easy to make and easy to market.'

POSTS/CONFESSIONS DO NOT REFLECT MOD'S PERSONAL OPINIONS!

Genuinely, I think one of the most important and fun elements to the Heist!Mark and Y/N dynamic is the mutual sentiment of "You are one of the most insufferable people I've ever met. I hope you know I would risk everything for you."