Dysfunctional Systems

Dysfunctional Systems
Series title card
Genres	Visual novel
Developers	Dischan Media[1]
Publishers	Dischan Media
Artists	Saimon Ma (for Episode 1)[citation needed]
Writers	Terrence Smith
Composers	Kristian Jensen
Platforms	Microsoft Windows/Mac OS/Linux/iOS[1][2]
Platform of origin	Microsoft Windows/Mac OS/Linux[1]
Year of inception	2012
First release	Episode 1 April 4, 2013
Latest release	Episode 1 - Version 1.0.1[3] April 30, 2013[3]
Official website	www.dysfunctionalsystems.com

Dysfunctional Systems is a visual novel series created by Dischan Media. The story follows Winter Harrison, a "mediator"-in-training, as she attempts to resolve chaotic situations in different worlds. The first episode, Learning to Manage Chaos, was released in April 4, 2013^[1][4][5] Development of the second episode has been halted due to lack of funds.^[6]

Series gameplay

Gameplay from Episode 1. Here, Cyrus (right) is speaking to Winter.

Dysfunctional Systems follows the standard gameplay of an episodic visual novel series, where the reader reads text to progress the story. At certain points, the novel will present the player with two or more choices, which will affect how/if certain events occur and their concequences. Dysfunctional Systems includes a "Codex" feature, where the reader can access information on the current world (e.g. continents, ecosystems) and topics related to the problems the world is experiencing.^[7]

Dysfunctional Systems also implements a "profile" feature—any actions associated with a profile will carry over to the next episode, thus affecting how said episode starts. To obtain a profile, the player must first complete an episode's story through either ending, then give it a custom name. Players can save multiple profiles at any one time.^{[citation needed]}

Story

Setting and characters

In Dysfunctional Systems, Earth bears a utopian society with a school called "School Mediātōrum", composed of individuals called "mediators". Mediators are humans who resolve chaotic situations in other worlds. Though these worlds exist in different planes, and range in themes from "dystopian, to futuristic or fantastical", the chaos of any one world can adversely affect Earth as well.^[1]

The series protagonist, Winter Harrison, is a 14-year-old mediator-in-training. A moral individual, she still finds the concept of "other worlds" hard to grasp (and, as a result, hard to care about).^[8] On her second mission (the focus of Episode 1), she is paired with Cyrus Addington, an infamous senior mediator. During the course of the story, the game imposes on Winter—and by extension, the player—a crucial choice; while it does not change the story per se, it does change Winter's opinion of Cyrus, among other things, in future episodes.^[9]

Episode 1: Learning to Manage Chaos

Dysfunctional Systems Episode 1: Learning to Manage Chaos Dischan Store item panel[10]
Developer(s)	Dischan Media[1]
Publisher(s)	Dischan Media
Director(s)	Jeremy Miller Terrance Smith Saimon Ma (visual)
Programmer(s)	Jeremy Miller Terrance Smith Anton Prydatko (iOS version)
Artist(s)	Saimon Ma Eric Tang Juri Moon
Writer(s)	Terrence Smith
Composer(s)	Kristian Jensen
Series	Dysfunctional Systems
Engine	Ren'Py (Build 6.15.4.320, as of Version 1.0.1)[3]
Platform(s)	PC/Mac OS/Linux/iOS[1]
Release date(s)	NA April 4, 2013[1][11] (Dischan) September 26, 2013[12][13] (Steam)
Genre(s)	Visual novel
Distribution	Download

In Episode 1: Learning to Manage Chaos, Winter and Cyrus travel to Sule, a sporadically-progressing industrial planet. They go to Brighton, one of Sule's minor societies.^[14] There, the two make a rather sudden discovery: Brighton President Barnaby is declaring for his society's freedom from its oppressors of the wealthy society of Gabrea. The key object of his threat is an untested nuclear bomb, waiting to be launched at Gabrea via intercontinental ballistic missile.^[15] Cyrus comes up with a plan to keep the chaos in check: to assassinate Barnaby and have him declared a martyr. Cyrus's plan horrifies Winter; at this point, the player can choose whether Winter will go along with Cyrus' plan, or rebel and find an alternative.^[16]

Episode 1 holds two potential endings. In both cases, Brighton's nuclear weapon goes off and completely destroys Sule. Winter and Cyrus are teleported back to the School in their Earth, where an unnamed paramedic immediately treats them of radiation poisoning they had obtained before Sule's destruction. The paramedic takes the treated (yet still sick) Winter back to her room, where the latter's roommate Waverly learns of Sule's demise. The next day, Waverly fends off well-wishers from seeing Winter. Later, Waverly helps her roommate out of the room for debriefing, ending the episode.^[14]

• Cyrus Ending: Winter ultimately decides to go along with Cyrus's plan. She watches in horror as Cyrus takes out a gun and kills Barnaby. This sets off a public servic announcement, notifying Brighton that the President's death has lead to the nuclear weapon's launch towards Gabrea. As it goes off, Cyrus realizes that they are witnessing a truly nuclear reaction that will destroy Sule. Just before the explosion is about to engulf them, the pair are returned to Earth otherwise unscathed. The paramedic treats them both, and takes Winter to her room; there, Winter pukes in the toilet as the paramedic tells Waverly what had happened. Waverly also learns that Cyrus had volunteered to be Winter's mentor.^[14]
• Winter Ending: through a loophole presented earlier in the story, Winter manages to convince Cyrus to not kill Barnaby. They instead negotiate with the President, where he agrees to instead detonate it into the sea as a demonstration. However, the resulting explosion leads to a truly-nuclear reaction that destroys Sule. The shockwave sends glass shards stabbing into Cyrus's back, shortly before they return to the School. When the paramedic returns Winter to her room, the latter heads for the bathroom to vomit. As the paramedic leaves to check on Cyrus's condition (and surgery), Winter tells Waverly about what had happened: "The world ended."^[17][18]

Episode 2

Following the events of Episode 1, Episode 2 will take place on Winter's world of origin, the planet Earth.^[19]

Development

In Juniper's Knot, the player can unlock bonus art featuring the protagonists of the story with two other characters, Winter and Cyrus.^{[citation needed]}

On January 5, 2013, Dischan leader Jeremy Miller announced the company's first series of visual novels, titled Dysfunctional Systems.^[11][20]

Soundtrack

Soundtrack by Kristian "CombatPlayer" Jensen was released in 4. April 2013. It can be found in game files of "Dysfunctional Systems: Learning to manage chaos" or in the jukebox within extras ingame.

Dysfunctional Systems - Episode 1: Learning to Manage Chaos[21]
Soundtrack album by Kristian "CombatPlayer" Jensen[21]
Released	April 4, 2013 (2013-04-04)[21]
Recorded	[21]
Genre	Video game soundtrack
Length	45:04[21]
Track listing No. Title Length 1. "Terminus" (Theme of Episode 1) 4:06 2. "Turbulence"   2:12 3. "Tempering"   2:14 4. "Looking In"   2:46 5. "Soft Engagement"   2:12 6. "Whisper"   2:29 7. "Analysis"   1:05 8. "Ripple"   2:01 9. "Seize the Day"   3:23 10. "Better get Runnin'"   2:08 11. "Cado Astrum"   3:29 12. "Fragment"   1:55 13. "Hygge"   2:30 14. "Speak Loud" (Rising Superstar Irie) 4:14 15. "Off Time"   2:27 16. "Waverly"   2:14 17. "Maintenance"   1:58 18. "Maintenance" (OP version) 1:12 Total length: 45:04

Steam Greenlight

On June 5, 2013, Dischan posted Episode 1 of Dysfunctional Systems on Steam Greenlight.^[7][22][23] On September 26, 2013, Episode 1 was released on Steam.^[12][13]

Reception

Episode 1

^{[4][18][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31]}

References

External links

Book: Ren'Py

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Dysfunctional Systems

• Official website

v t e Dischan Media Visual novels Cradle Song (TBA) Juniper's Knot (2012) Dysfunctional Systems (2013) Book • Category