Cowboys: The Tale of Betty Shore Epilogue

[Target13]

Welcome home.

One year after the assault on her town, Bertha Cooper returns home to find, that while Betty Shore may have moved on, some wounds don't heal.

 

Click on a title below to download the season, or click on a poster in the spoiler to download the episodes.

 

Spoiler

 

 

 

Characters

Spoiler

Bertha ‘Bird’ Cooper

Known by the locals as the daughter of Betty Shore, Bird Cooper rose to international fame after publishing her book about the Bone County Bikers and became the face of the Not Just Her movement while fighting against sexual assault. After spending a year as a celebrity writer and lawyer in Los Santos, she is unsure if she can ever return to her past life.

 

John Cooper

The man who has run Betty Shore for decades up until its assault one year ago. He quickly passed his mayoralty on to his grandmother and hid himself away from the ever-growing population of the town as he found himself in a very dark place in his mind. Survivor’s guilt, depression and anxiety has made John a difficult person to be around.

 

Mayor Lisa Cooper

Madam Mayor is what people call her. Following the dark days, Lisa took it upon herself to organize a clean-up effort of Betty Shore and quickly rebuilt and renovated the town. Even attracting new citizens to settle in town and thereby putting the town on the map. Now with the attention of the authorities, the Mayor is fighting again to protect her town’s autonomy.

 

Sheriff Adam Wesley

Everybody’s best friend. Being involved in the rebuilding of Betty Shore since the beginning, it was only natural that the Mayor would appoint him as the new Sheriff. While he wasn’t aiming for the job, he takes it seriously and genuinely enjoys serving the town. With the influx of new citizens, Adam keeps himself busy with training his deputy and maintaining order.

 

Father Michael Montgomery

Betty Shore’s preacher who is the kindest and most approachable man anyone has ever met. With the Mayor providing his church with more resources, he enjoys organizing community activities and bringing people together for prayer, eating and general leisure. However as of late, he has started to become rather forgetful, which worries his fellow citizens.

 

Abigail Walton

Once down on her luck, Abigail was taken in by Father Michael who provided her with a place to stay in Betty Shore. Thanks to her medical skills, she was appointed as the town’s physician. She is still adjusting to life in Betty Shore and has a difficult time fitting in. She doesn’t know much about her predecessor but understands that she has some big shoes to fill.

 

Blake Rancher

The first deputy in years, Blake is one of Betty Shore’s newer residents. Having moved in recently with his aunt Abella, he is eager to serve and looks up to Sheriff Wesley. Most of his time however is spent performing errands for the Sheriff and hanging around with the town’s younger residents. Since her arrival, Blake has taken an interest in Bertha.

 

Wyatt Moriarty

A senior Betty Shore citizen, councilman and proud supporter of Mayor Cooper. Wyatt was one of the people to abandon the town after the Bikers’ first assault but that is a fact he always chooses to ignore. He was very critical of John Cooper but is a fierce supporter of Lisa. Many however believe his support to be blatant ambition to inherit the mayoralty.

 

Sabine Chu

Another new arrival, Sabine is a sophomore at LVU who currently as part of her internship is serving as the Deputy Mayor of Betty Shore, which is basically an over-glorified assistant to the Mayor. She handles most of Lisa’s more mundane tasks and ensures that the town is functioning as it should. Being outsider, she has sparked a friendship with Abigail.

 

Remi ‘Lil Remi’ Dalton

A famous rapper who has defied the music industry norms and started producing ‘woke’ music. Dominating the charts with singles like ‘Respect Dem Bitches’ and ‘Homo Nigga’s R Ok I Guess’. He has a large following on the social media platform Society and lately has been in the news for being Bertha Cooper’s boyfriend, who he claims is his inspiration.

 

Other characters

 

Abella Rancher

A divorcee who left a trailer park in Atwood, Bone County to stay away from her abusive Ex. She is the aunt of Blake Rancher.

 

Margaret Wesley

The wife of Adam Wesley and the mother of their son. Margaret was sent away by Adam away after the Bikers’ first assault but was one of the first people to return.

 

Josiah Shepherd

Las Payasadas’ four-term Mayor who recently has taken an interest in incorporating Betty Shore into his own municipality in order to profit from its new-found fame.

 

Phil Donovan

One of Kaine Callinger’s fixers who was sent to find and investigate the rumors of Bertha Cooper’s return. Phil is more rational and less hotheaded than his partner Caleb.

 

Caleb ‘Kay’ Laurence

Phil’s partner who was also sent to investigate the rumors. Unlike Phil however, Caleb is more impulsive and doesn’t like restraint.

 

Harry Marsh

The outgoing Sheriff of Fort Carson. After returning from exile, Harry was given his position back but found it very difficult to move on from losing his deputies.

 

Craig Russels

The second-in-command of the Patriots. Together with Aiden O’Donnel, Craig helped rebuild Fort Carson after the Panthers’ occupation one year earlier.

 

 

Factions

Spoiler

The People of Betty Shore

In the past, the people living in Betty Shore were a tight-knit group who kept to themselves. However, after the BCB’s assault on their town shun the national spotlight on them, they knew it was time to change. Now they run a fully functioning town with basic services and facilities.

 

The Patriots

Formerly known as the Bobby Big gang. When Big never returned from his out-of-state trip, Aiden O’Donnel and Craig Russels reformed the gang as the Patriots who defeated the Panthers and saved Fort Carson. Gaining them public adoration and control of the town.

 

Red County Families

After a years-long feud ended between the criminal worlds of Palomino Creek and Fort Carson, the Red County Families replaced los Palominos Furiosos in controlling Red County. They soon arranged an agreement with the Patriots to respect each other’s territories.

 

Bone County Bikers

Once dominating the west coast, the BCB has quickly fallen from grace after the Octane Springs incident where five police officers were killed when the bikers resisted a search warrant, sparking public outrage.  Now the gang is caught up in police investigations and lawsuits.

 

 

Trivia (Spoilers)

Spoiler

General

-Epilogue was originally going to be the third season of The Tale of Betty Shore, but this was changed due to the differences in the story’s tone and style.

-Just as with the main series, John was first considered to be the protagonist.

-Epilogue is an adaption of an earlier discarded script for a single mission spin-off titled Cowboys: All is Fair, where in Bertha would be a Mayor organizing a free-food fair in town.

-Epilogue originally featured a different logo.

 

Episode One: Bertha

 -Lara Ingberg, Bethany Sears, Darren Taft, Baraka Obuya and Linda McMahon are mentioned during a game of Kill, Marry, Bang. They are based on Laura Ingraham, Britney Spears, Donald Trump, Barack Obama and Lindsey Lohan respectively. Carl Pierce, the late CEO of PierceCo, is also mentioned.

-Remi reveals that Bertha had an interview Hoopie Silverstein, who is a media personality based on Whoopie Goldberg.

-Senator Shawn Davis makes a cameo during a campaign ad playing on Remi’s TV. Davis is running for Lieutenant Governor of San Andreas.

-It is revealed that Bertha and Lindsey Palmer have remained friends.

-John reveals that Bertha hasn't contacted him in a year.

-The tag of this episode is the Vinewood sign in Los Santos.

 

Episode Two: Lisa

-At the start of this episode, Bertha visits the graves of Fred Carlson and Doctor Kingston.

-It is revealed that the Sean Phillips’ shovel, that he used to execute Fred, ended up in the possession of the town’s maintenance person. Lisa claims she wasn’t aware of this.

-Lisa Cooper is now the Mayor of Betty Shore. The position was previously held by John, though unofficially.

-Adam Wesley is now the Sheriff of Betty Shore. The position was vacant after Sheriff Bill Westward left in the finale of the main series.

-The events of the main series is referred to as the ‘dark days’ by the locals.

-Lisa reveals that a disease named Toelingus has been spreading in town. Toelingus is a non-existant but dirty sounding word uttered by President Obama in a parody of the 2016 DNC by Bad Lip Reading.

-Betty Shore has received some significant changes such as a new larger water tower, a gift shop and new trailers. Fred’s destroyed Picador beside the church is now the base for a small tree. Bertha’s destroyed Primo remains where it was.

-John’s Mesa has been repainted and is now being used by the Sheriff’s Department.

-John can be spotted looking out towards the Sherman Dam with Sean’s shovel planted in the dirt behind him.

-Father Michaels mentions being unaware of a chemical that turns frogs gay, this is reference to a conspiracy theory by Alex Jones, a far-right American radio host.

-Abigail Walton is the new town physician. Her predecessor was Doctor Kingston who died during the attack in the main series finale.

-Josiah reveals that Betty Shore is privately-owned property. He also reveals that the town has a population of approximately 60 people and was abandoned for a long time until the 1960s. 

-The tag of this episode is Lisa’s new wheelchair in front of the town hall.

 

Episode Three: Michael

-Bertha reveals that Betty Shore now has an internet connection. John mentions that this was Lisa’s idea.

-Bertha mentions Qmail which is based on Google’s Gmail. Google’s in-universe counterpart is Quirky.

-Bertha responds to Wyatt Moriarty with ‘ok boomer’ which is a reference to phrase and subsequent meme uttered by Chlöe Swarbrick, a member of the New Zealand parliament.

-Bertha reveals she has and actively posts on her Society account. Society is a social-media platform based on Facebook and Twitter.

-Phil reveals he has a son who fakes his age online in order to use Society.

-The tag of this episode is the Betty Shore church.

 

Episode Four: Adam

-Adam receives a monthly delivery of bread from a baker friend east.

-Buck Jean’s truck that he stole in The Fort and left behind in the main series finale is now being used by the town’s government. Adam and Bertha use it to pick up a shipment, but Lisa also mentions in Episode Two that it is used to transport trash out of town.

-It is revealed that Lisa intends to arm the town and start training in case of another attack.

-Adam reveals that he used to serve as Deputy Mayor before Sabine Chu.

-He also reveals that John used to be the town’s Sheriff but resigned as the town grew. This explains why John’s Mesa became the Sheriff’s Department primary vehicle.

-This episode marks the return of Harry Marsh, the Sheriff of Fort Carson, in the T13U. He was absent since his exile in The Fort.

-Two members of the Patriots are seen standing around outside the Fort Carson Town Hall.

-A red Willard is abandoned outside the Sheriff’s department. This is the car used by Bobby Big after his green Walton broke down. It can be assumed that the car has been abandoned here since he left for Michigan in The Fort: How Bobby Saved Christmas.

-Harry mentions losing his men. He is referencing the events of Goodnight Sheriff from The Fort.

-Harry reveals that the Patriots have replaced the Sheriff’s Department and that the Mayor’s office ordered the department to be dismantled.

-It is revealed that Harry’s wife survived the events of The Fort. She was last seen defending her home from Bobby Big in The Panthers. Harry reveals they plan on moving to Nebraska.

-This episode marks the return of Craig Russels, the second-in-command of the Patriots. He was last seen in The Fort: Buck-L-Up and mentioned in the main series.

-Craig reveals that los Palominos Furiosos where wiped out by the Patriots, ending a feud that began in The Fort: Buck-L-Up.

-Los Palominos Furiosos are revealed to be replaced by a new gang called the Red County Families, who made an agreement with the Patriots sometime in the past.

-Craig reveals that Sean Phillips has gone missing.

-Phil warns Kay against shooting Adam, a police officer. He is referencing the events of When Castles Fall and the subsequent media fallout from the death of five police officers.

-The tag of this episode is Adam’s shotgun leaning against his Sheriff Mesa.

 

Episode Five: John

-Blake references two memes, namely Pickle Rick and Ight Imma head out.

-Abigail reveals that Father Michael suffers from early onset Alzheimer’s disease and that Betty Shore isn’t equipped to treat him.

-John mentions his two deceased friends to Lisa. He is referencing Fred Carlson and Doctor Kingston.

-Adam reveals that John once drunkenly attended a Shawn Davis campaign rally.

-Octane Springs makes a return in this episode. It was last seen in When Castles Fall and has become a major crime scene since.

-John mentions not knowing where his son is. His son, Bertha’s brother was last mentioned by Shawn Davis in the main series finale.

-Kay reveals that Kaine Callinger ordered a hit on Bertha because of the release of her book about Sean Phillips and the Bone County Bikers.

-Kay also reveals that he was one of the bikers present during the second assault on Betty Shore in the main series finale.

-John executes Kay in the same fashion as Sean did with Fred. Even using the same Shovel.

-the Town of Atwood is introduced in this episode. Atwood is a small town located near Octane Springs.

-Adam reveals that Las Payasadas intends on filing a case in court to incorporate Betty Shore into itself.

-Remi mentions baby boomers having difficulty using the internet, saying that they won’t use Society. This is an ironic reference to Facebook which as of 2020 is baby boomers’ most preferred social media app.

 

Post Scriptum

-Post Scriptum is a sort of After-Credits scene. It is the first of its kind in the T13U.

-The Felix Gallardo cargo ship is named after real-life drug lord Miguel Ángel Félix Gallardo.

-This episode marks the first appearance of Mexico in the T13U.

-Baja San Andreas is based on the Mexican state of Baja California.

-This episode marks the return of Lindsey Palmer and Bill Westward. They were last seen planning to go after the Bone County Bikers in the main series finale.

-Terry Johnson makes his T13U debut. Terry previously appeared as an FBI Agent investigating the Ragaz Cartel in the 2013 mission-pack Modern Combat. In this rendition he is again an FBI Agent but this time investigating the Bone County Bikers.

-Phil is revealed to have survived the events of the previous episode. Seemingly because of not having followed Kay.

-Phil reveals that Sean Phillips has left the Bone County Bikers and now leads a break-away faction of the bikers known as the Loyalists.

-Sean’s shovel makes an appearance in this episode. It has served as a significant object, previously in episodes Two, Three and Five.

 

 

Recommended Mods

Spoiler

John & Adam reskins.

Gives Adam a Sheriff uniform and John some new clothes. Recommended to use with Modloader.

 

 

This series is a part of The Target13 Universe.

 

 

An expansion of Cowboys: The Tale of Betty Shore.

Edited April 29, 2021 by Target13

[Aymunz]

The way you organize your topics is mindblowing!

I'll play this as soon as I can.

[RithRake24]

I've played half of it. I'll play the next half tomorrow and offer my thoughts in detail.

[RithRake24]

 

On 6/18/2020 at 8:15 PM, RithRake24 said:

I've played half of it. I'll play the next half tomorrow and offer my thoughts in detail.

That was a long tomorrow, wasn't it? I apologise for the delay, I got caught up in a lot of IRL work and wasn't able to immediately finish the series.

 

SPOILERS AHEAD

 

First of all I have to tell you that you made the right decision by describing this as an expansion rather than a third season. You're completely right, since the tonal shift is massive. I have to say that despite having loved Cowboys TTOBS to death, I can't say the same for Epilogue unfortunately. Now, don't get me wrong here. Epilogue is a great project made by a great designer, but the issue here is that it's an expansion of a much much greater project. You already did tell me beforehand that this was going to be smaller-scale and less action-based due to it being based around a lawyer rather than a soldier, and it is indeed. Let's look at the pros and cons of the missionpack in more detail now.

 

The missions are made with the same quality that you're known for, with Betty Shore actually looking better than it did in the main series and objects and cars being used even better to really ramp up the atmosphere. Character development is awesome as always, and the characters have all been impacted by the 'dark days' in different ways, especially John, who has distanced himself from the townsfolk. Bertha being eager to run menial errands in Betty Shore despite returning from a fabulous almost-celeb-style life in LS established her as the same Bertha as before, suggesting the fame hasn't gotten to her head. Oh, and I LOVED the opening scene of the series. The ambience was fantastic. Remi was an awesome character, someone I found myself easily liking in the short scenes that he had.

 

Dialogues were awesome too. Every interaction between characters felt natural and realistic. I found myself chuckling at the meme references that you threw into the dialogue since I didn't expect them at all. And that interaction between John and Bird that escalated real quickly was also very well executed. It's not easy to sell such a scene, with emotion involved, in a medium like DYOM. I commend you for that. 

 

However, strictly speaking, the series didn't offer much to keep me interested to keep going and load up the next mission, which was something the main series (and The Fort) was able to achieve with ease. The lack of action wasn't the problem at all; in fact, I'm not at all a fan of the action mechanics (it feels outdated and clunky) in GTA SA since I've played too many DYOM missions, so I never usually see lack of action as a problem. The reason why the series failed to motivate me to excitedly keep going was the lack of a factor that actually placed Bird, or anything or anyone Bird values, at stake. The series takes a while to introduce the enemy (which finally gave me a sense of curiosity to find out what happens next) but the enemy itself did not feel dangerous enough to pose a major risk to Bird or Betty Shore. The stakes, while they exist, are really low. There isn't a sense of direction in the missionpack, there isn't something the protagonist is working towards or running from. I understand that's the point you're trying to make with Epilogue, after all, it is quite obviously called 'Epilogue' which hints at a sense of tying up loose ends rather than creating a new story, however it makes this series an experience far from engaging, especially when considering that this missionpack is about three quarters the length as one of the seasons in the main series.

 

The errands that Bertha carried out in the first half of the mission was a major change to your style. It was a major switch to an RPG style compared to your usual cinematic style. It felt like they were implemented to have some interactivity for dialogue segments that would otherwise be overextended cutscene segments. I particularly liked the part where you had to go around inviting people to the barbeque as that errand succeeded greatly in getting to know the inhabitants, old and new, of Betty Shore. Other errands like driving to Fort Carson succeed in referencing events of the Fort, which was a good way to tie the events of both projects together. It was at that point it actually dawned upon me how close Fort Carson and Betty Shore were to each other, and therefore the events of Cowboys and The Fort suddenly seemed to me like they were more connected that I initially thought of them. The errand involving picking up garbage from around the town appeared quite random and odd to me though for some reason. The 'post scriptum' mission really reminded me of the post-credits scenes of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (which I recently binged from start to finish ) and in my opinion was one of the high points of this series since it sets up possible future entries into the T13U.

 

This isn't one of my best reviews, mainly because I simply wrote down points as I remembered them without properly ordering or structuring them in a neat way (mainly because I had to make this review quickly as I'm really busy IRL). I think I've communicated everything I needed to but I might've missed a thing or two. Overall, my thoughts about the missionpack: it would be much easier to appreciate this missionpack for what it is and what it attempts to do, if you play it immediately after the main series, and not months after like I did. It acts like an epilogue of a book, tying up loose ends, while not having a story or particular direction of its own to keep players engaged completely. Strictly speaking though it is a great piece of work. In-universe references were great and the post-credits scene was a great addition. It gets a 3/5 from me (Cowboys is an easy 4.5/5, just for comparison's sake here). I hope you take my comments constructively and best of luck to your future T13U projects! I'm looking forward to them personally!  

 

EDIT: forgot to mention how Bertha breaking up with Remi was extremely abrupt and I felt really sad for Remi as I was personally warming up to him! Imagine having your girl go back to her hometown, come back, and just slam 'we're breaking up' in your face. Damn that was really unexpected. Remi was quite cool

Edited June 25, 2020 by RithRake24

[Target13]

Thanks for the review, RithRake! Its okay, we are all busy so I understand completely. Thank you for taking the time to play.

I'd like to address some of the points you made.

 

On 6/25/2020 at 1:14 PM, RithRake24 said:

that interaction between John and Bird that escalated real quickly was also very well executed. It's not easy to sell such a scene, with emotion involved, in a medium like DYOM. I commend you for that. 

I am so glad you liked this particular scene since it is almost a carbon copy of a fight I had with my father with whom I am close. I thought that escalation was necessary to depict just how strained their relationship has become. Bertha has been frustrated with her father for a while but chose to keep it to herself until his criticism of Lisa (who Bird really looks up to) was the final straw.

Their relationship is actually very much based on my own relationship with my dad.

 

On 6/25/2020 at 1:14 PM, RithRake24 said:

The reason why the series failed to motivate me to excitedly keep going was the lack of a factor that actually placed Bird, or anything or anyone Bird values, at stake. The series takes a while to introduce the enemy (which finally gave me a sense of curiosity to find out what happens next) but the enemy itself did not feel dangerous enough to pose a major risk to Bird or Betty Shore. The stakes, while they exist, are really low. There isn't a sense of direction in the missionpack, there isn't something the protagonist is working towards or running from.

This is understandable. Perhaps it wasn't made clear enough but the underlying story was about Betty Shore's autonomy. Can this small town, which is still a target, be able to protect itself without falling under the authority of another entity and thus giving up its values of being free, self-sustaining and far away from bureaucracy. Bird finds herself caught in-between two sides: Her great-grandmother who believes that they must do whatever it takes to stick to their values even if that means they must pick arms and fight again, and her father, who after running the town based on that same values for decades, saw that their security must go before all-else, even if that means giving up their principles. Fred's and Doctor Kingston's death, Bird's kidnapping and the near-destruction of Betty Shore all under his watch, was a turning point for John who started to believe that their values were naive and dangerous.

 

Yes, the enemy wasn't a big part of this story but their presence is meant to show that the threat is really out there and that John's ranting isn't baseless. The question is just about how should they deal with this threat? Giving up who they are in the name of security or putting everything on the line to defend their values?

 

In your experience Bird didn't really have a goal while she was in Betty Shore and while this wasn't my intent, I think its actually somewhat realistic. Sometimes in life we're just 'there' while there are bigger discussions happening around us. I believe Bird was conflicted because on one side she didn't want to involve herself in the town's affairs, believing that she is no longer a part of that community but on the other hand there is a serious ideological divide within her family and she may be the only person who can keep them together. Maybe the stakes weren't high from Bird's perspective but for John and Lisa it was a matter of losing their identity or another senseless death.

 

On 6/25/2020 at 1:14 PM, RithRake24 said:

I understand that's the point you're trying to make with Epilogue, after all, it is quite obviously called 'Epilogue' which hints at a sense of tying up loose ends rather than creating a new story

That's mostly correct, Epilogue is ending the tale of Betty Shore but sets the foundation for a new story or rather tale. Epilogue's post scriptum is a hint towards the direction Cowboys might go next.

 

On 6/25/2020 at 1:14 PM, RithRake24 said:

Other errands like driving to Fort Carson succeed in referencing events of the Fort, which was a good way to tie the events of both projects together. It was at that point it actually dawned upon me how close Fort Carson and Betty Shore were to each other, and therefore the events of Cowboys and The Fort suddenly seemed to me like they were more connected that I initially thought of them.

The story of Betty Shore came pretty much as a result of the events of The Fort, so it was only natural to also check in with the gang at Fort Carson, especially now that Bobby Big is no longer part of that series. While Epilogue was an epilogue to The Tale of Betty Shore, episode 4 served as an epilogue to The Fort. 

Also while the towns are indeed close to each other in-game, the T13U uses real-life scale so canonically Fort Carson is a two hour drive from Betty Shore.

 

On 6/25/2020 at 1:14 PM, RithRake24 said:

EDIT: forgot to mention how Bertha breaking up with Remi was extremely abrupt and I felt really sad for Remi as I was personally warming up to him! Imagine having your girl go back to her hometown, come back, and just slam 'we're breaking up' in your face. Damn that was really unexpected. Remi was quite cool

Ahahaha I am glad you perceived this scene that way! The break up was meant to be as abrupt and sudden as it was. I believe Bird really cared about Remi but knew it would be impossible to maintain their relationship from not only a large psychical distance but also a cultural one. Remi represents Bird's new lifestyle which is about the internet, luxury and fame. All things that are a far-cry from life in Betty Shore. I imagine Bird practiced the break up in the mirror all week, just trying to make it as quick as possible because it is such painful thing. That is why it was so abrupt and even void of emotion to a certain extent. Bird was trying to play a role and GTFO before she breaks down and changes her mind. Even having written her, I cannot say if she really loved him but I believe that it still a very painful experience for her to leave him behind.

 

Regarding Remi, I'm glad you enjoyed him. I absolutely loved writing him and enjoyed him a lot too. I think he will be fine. Fans can expect a new R&B album titled 'I Hate Birds' or something.

 

Thank you so much for your honest review, it was a very fun read. I absolutely appreciate you taking the time and likewise I'm looking forward to play your upcoming projects! 

[RithRake24]

On 6/29/2020 at 7:19 AM, Target13 said:

I think its actually somewhat realistic. Sometimes in life we're just 'there' while there are bigger discussions happening around us.

You're exactly right. It's not somewhat realistic, it's completely realistic. Maybe I didn't make this point clear enough in my hasty review but Epilogue is one hell of a realistic portrayal of situations that arise in life. In hindsight I feel more like I focused too much on the issues I had with the missionpack rather than the positives, which really isn't my usual style with my reviews. Look at any of my previous reviews in MOTWs and missionpacks and you can see they're usually structured and focus on pros, cons and areas for improvement with equal importance given to all three aspects. I have to blame it on time which has been nasty to me recently. Coming back to what I was saying, Epilogue had really realistic situations, relationships and relatable dilemmas. I could relate to Bird's crisis of being undecided on whether to identify herself as a member of the close-knit tiny community with its own set of values, or to identify herself as the new semi-celebrity she is, living 'the life' in the city with a famous boyfriend and good enough popularity otherwise for herself. It was relatable because I've felt the same way at times, being a South Indian living in a foreign community. I've always respected and even upheld the values from back home in India, and am inherently and immensely proud of my home state and their culture, however I find it hard to relate to them in some cases because I'm used to foreign metropolitan practices in many day-to-day activities. Bird's dilemma seemed to mirror that for me, which was brilliant. Realism is something both Cowboys and Epilogue does so damn well. Which brings me back to this once again:

On 6/29/2020 at 7:19 AM, Target13 said:

Bertha has been frustrated with her father for a while but chose to keep it to herself until his criticism of Lisa (who Bird really looks up to) was the final straw.

Once again, perfect representation of reality. Bottling up emotions until the pressure is so high that the bottle bursts, and all the emotion comes out as once. Despite all this realism however, for the average player, I still believe the Epilogue as a standalone lacks a driving force to keep him/her going. Which isn't strictly a huge problem, because Epilogue is intended as an expansion to the main Cowboys series rather than a separate experience, however, this means I experienced it the wrong way instead. I should have replayed the main series, or at least the second season, before playing this.

On 6/29/2020 at 7:19 AM, Target13 said:

Remi represents Bird's new lifestyle which is about the internet, luxury and fame.

Oh I LOVE the way you put it now. I don't know why I didn't quite pick up on it earlier, since I'm usually not bad with spotting these kinds of devices used in media, but seeing Remi as a metaphorisation of Bird's urban lifestyle opens a new angle from which I can perceive the breakup scene. It feels now like Bird is readily and abruptly choosing to let go of that lifestyle, and represents her choice of Betty Shore over the city lifestyle as very much decided and strong. I'd like to listen to Remi's R&B album about the breakup though, artists tend to be more appealing when they're fueled by emotions even irl .

On 6/29/2020 at 7:19 AM, Target13 said:

it was a very fun read.

I'm glad you enjoyed the review. I do have to apologise for not doing it in the structured, neat way like I usually do; after all such a missionpack with lots of effort put into it deserves a review with a lot more effort put into it. However, I've been busier these days than I'd like to be, unfortunately. Hopefully I can get some free time soon so that I can complete What Pain Means Chapter 2 (oh, and I've also fixed HUGE dialogue issues in the first chapter using notepad++ which has solved some characterisation issues too, I'll be releasing that along with Chapter 2 when it's ready)

[Notna]

I'll be playing this as soon as possible. Travesty how little traffic you've got going here. Can't wait to get to it.

[RithRake24]

On 7/7/2020 at 7:17 PM, Notna said:

I'll be playing this as soon as possible. Travesty how little traffic you've got going here. Can't wait to get to it.

I hope you'll be glad I pointed this out to you. Really is a shame how it isn't getting much attention for the effort that went into it, but I guess that's the state of DYOM at this very moment.

[RithRake24]

On 7/7/2020 at 7:17 PM, Notna said:

I'll be playing this as soon as possible. Travesty how little traffic you've got going here. Can't wait to get to it.

It's been a looong day, without you(r review) my friend

Edited March 23, 2021 by RithRake24

[Notna]

Hey, as said, a total travesty how little notice you've gotten for this but - better late than never. I don't have much to say that Rithy didn't say in the summer but I'll have to commend you on the effort that's gone into this universe. It's totally a masterpiece of building a world and how easy I've come to accept it, and I can't be alone there. For example, the new town - that just sank right into me with "alright, that town's over there, got it."

 

I think you shot for realism and got it down to a T to a point that made it dull - the gameplay was unique, for sure, but unique ain't always that great. I mean, my expression changed from amused to frustrated collecting trash. I'm an earmarked man, which means I do enough chores at home - I don't wanna do chores playing GTA, I wanna shoot up some people!

 

That being said the design is well constructed and your set pieces are amazing as always.

 

Your writing is fantastic, and like said you've got a fantastic way of making people buy into your world. You have some of the best and most believable dialogue in DYOM history, and that's a good kepi to hold - it really stands out.  Your cinematic style appeals to me but I feel it's best combined with the action more familiar to us from the likes of the Fort and the first two seasons of Betty Shore.

 

Greatly looking forward to whatever you're coming up with next, hoping for some more action! 

[Target13]

14 hours ago, Notna said:

Hey, as said, a total travesty how little notice you've gotten for this but - better late than never.

Really appreciate you taking the time to play Epilogue!
 

It is always fulfilling to read positive feedback about the world within the T13U. It takes a great amount of effort to make this world the way it is and for you to experience it the way you did, really makes it worth it.

Yes, Epilogue was supposed to be the most realistic story within the universe yet and I am happy I managed to achieve that goal. It is a shame that you found less enjoyable relative to the other series but I completely understand your criticism. Epilogue was more of an experiment actually, to see how a less action-focused project would be received by players. 

 

I am very glad that you enjoy my writing and style. I think you will really enjoy The Fort which is coming out on April 30th. It combines my current writing style with the action you are used to, and more some.

Again, thank you so much for taking the time. I appreciate it.

Edited March 23, 2021 by Target13