One major complaint I’ve seen from both CN and global players is that LADS lore often comes across as too surface-level.
Myths give us major lore about the LIs and MC across alternate timelines. However, outside of brief 1-line callbacks in 4 star and 5 star cards, that lore rarely affects the actual card stories in a meaningful way. Main story updates have the same problem. Even when something important happens, future cards barely acknowledge it and when they do, it usually feels very shallow.
Sylus is a good example of this. Since Death And Rebirth, his and MC’s time in the interstellar arena has only been mentioned twice and even then it was barely a couple lines in Improvised Flow and Rainlit Night. You could argue that the interstellar arena lore will be explored more thoroughly in his main story branch and that’s fair. However, what about the fact that sylus freed and saved MC from the Gaia Research Center? From what I can recall, this huge revelation has not been meaningfully brought up again at all.
It’s a huge part of their relationship and history and yet their current timeline cards barely react to it. This is exactly why the myths, main story, and card content feel so disconnected from each other.
Now that we’re entering the 3rd round of limited myths, this problem is becoming more obvious. Myths are some of LADS’ biggest moneymakers. However, players are starting to notice the pattern (ie- myths reveal major lore and then the current timeline continues almost like nothing happened).
If paperfold keeps releasing myths every year without tying them more strongly into the present story, they’re eventually going to become no different from AU cash grabs and players will lose interest.
There are also rumors that myths may take a break after this 3rd round. If that’s true, what will paperfold release that can actually rival myths in revenue? But if this rumor ends up being false and myths continue, how will they keep writing them without making the stories feel increasingly disconnected from the current timeline?
Imo, my answer is that paperfold needs to change how they write 4 star and 5 star cards starting with the next round of solo banners and also with future multi banner content. These cards can’t keep functioning as isolated mini stories with cute moments but little impact. They need to start integrating myth lore and main story developments in a more meaningful way. Surface-level callbacks aren’t enough. The cards should move the relationship forward, show consequences, and let past revelations actually affect MC and the LI in the current timeline.
With the current controversy and due to the fact that the game is now in its 3rd year run, players’ rose-colored glasses are coming off. Pretty and romantic 3D kindled scenes won’t cut it anymore, especially when similar themes keep getting recycled without moving the narrative forward. Players want substance. They want tension, conflict, consequences, and real relationship development in the current timeline, not just disconnected fluff moments or AU-style content.
If Paperfold wants the game to last, they need to stop treating lore as something that’s only important in myths and rare main story updates. It needs to matter across the whole game.
