Discussion: Featured version of Austentatious

Hi Episodians,

I’ve heard that Austentatious, originally written by @thebutterfly_episode, will be featured by Episode. A few people already have a Beta testing version of it.

This story is one of my favorites, being a sucker for well-written period romance.
I wonder how the episode version will be and hope it won’t strip away the experience by turning every minigame into gems choices, changing this heartfelt romance into something cringy…

If you have it? What do you think about this new version?

I’ve also heard there were a lot of new assets, feel free to share your screenshots :wink: :smirk:

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While romance isn’t really my cup of tea, I did enjoy the use of language in Austentatious and the twist on like an old forbidden romance tale.
I don’t have the featured-version yet.

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I did have it but it already seems to have vanished from my list :woman_shrugging:. I only got a chance to read a little bit but from what I read, the directing looked like what I remember of the original (really good and miles better than most featured stories lol)

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I was one of the beta testers and read through all the chapters it gave us! It has some of the features of the original and a couple different things. The gem choices where very well scattered and they did not add them to the mini game. Most of them where clothing options which the clothing is beautiful! It’s as good as the original but I don’t think anything can beat the original and I can’t wait til they feature it!

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I read through about half of the original, so I’m curious about the featured version too, though I don’t have the beta for this one. It’s nice to see them trying to feature something slightly different from their usual take on the romance genre.

Have they ever featured a contest winner before?

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Yes, they recently featured The Earl And I, which was a mc contest winner. :kissing_heart:

This story is probably my most favorite, and definitely would recommend reading the original. Hope the featured one lives up to its legacy lmao

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Matchmaker by Alex Light as well.

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This just appeared in my app. I went through customization, and ended up giving myself the same name and hairstyle as my sister apparently. :unamused: For some reason I don’t have a replay option, so I guess we’re doppelgangers.

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Omg, that’s funny.

Seriously, isn’t there a directing trick to avoid that, at least with Type in Answers

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So, they just published it, and it’s just called Episode’s Dirty Dancing, which is … interesting

I’m surprised though that they didn’t do an Austen reference, unless it might going to be similar to a Choices story :woman_shrugging:t2:

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It just sounds weird to me :woman_shrugging:t4::see_no_evil:

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I don’t really know that story.

The feel is pretty different from… some other Austen-y story you might be thinking of because this one doesn’t feel as authentically regency era. It’s got a really modern sensibility, which makes sense, I guess, seeing as it’s a Dirty Dancing mashup.

I wish it did feel more steeped in the historical setting, but I like the clothes and other aesthetic features they used for this one, although it is a little jarring when she goes to the club scene (not sure what else to call it), and they’re all in modern dress.

I’m surprised by the title change too. I know Dirty Dancing is a classic movie, but I feel like Episode’s readership might be more familiar with Jane Austen than 80s Swayze. Plus… it’s not really “Episode’s” Dirty Dancing, since it’s a story they bought from a writer outside the company.

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Theirs now :rofl:

I might check this one out, but I’m going to wait until it’s complete. I’m curious to see if they mash it into 12 episodes (or less) or if they keep this one a little longer.

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Haha, true. I guess that’s how it works if you decide to turn your story over to them.

I think it’ll at least be more than 8 with all the unique assets in this one that you can’t find in other stories. Plus I’m assuming they had to pay the visual artist as well to turn a profit on a story that includes her art scene. So I think the investment would be wasteful at only 8.

As far as being more than 12, we’ll see. I read about a third of the original, and while it’s been a while, this one seems to have altered the pacing of events for a more compressed story. I got to Episode 5 in the beta, and I recall the events of that one being several episodes later in the original, but I could be misremembering. It’s been months!

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I Guess Episode/Pocket Gems is a company rich enough to do that sksks. I’m afraid though there’s going to be a situation that young readers think that the concept of Dirty Dancing came from Episode :woman_shrugging:t2::sweat:

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Probably! But I assume they got permission to do that since they had a Dirty Dancing contest. I admit I’ve never seen the original movie, so I’m not too sentimental about it. But I do know “nobody puts baby in a corner” and the infamous water lift scene. Maybe those are still famous enough? I think there was a live version of it on US network TV about a year ago, so maybe people will think it’s a play on that. :sweat_smile:

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Love the original! ESPECIALLY THE CLOTHING, DANCING ANIMATION!!!

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If u read the original, you will love it. They just changed the title, thats all. XD

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There was a remake not too long ago wasn’t there? Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights
I think it’s on Netflix?

Okay that came out in 2004 lol so not that recent but I do think it was on Netflix not that long ago?

I have seen the original but it was so long ago that quite a lot of Episode readers probably weren’t even born yet :see_no_evil:

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