Shane Continuity spoiler warning

[MoonlightFarm]

spoiler warning


Hello, I am sure this has been touched on before. For the sake of continuity I really don’t think Shane should bring up drinking in his marriage dialogue. “I’m going to have a few beers before bed.” Just doesn’t make sense with his story? Especially after the 14 heart event? It ruins all immersion for me.

 

[1FlyCat]

Shane does intimate that he is going to cut back on drinking, not cut it out completely.

This mod may be worth a look:

Nicer Shane No More Drinking

This mod will cause Shane to be nicer and nicer to you depending on hearts.After marriage he will be sweet to you and stay dry.

www.nexusmods.com

 

[tomaO2]

What? Shane said that? There is a 14 heart event where we are supposed to be worried that Shane started drinking again. The Shane storyline is the most serious of the game. Mods are not good enough (and the purpose of the suggestion forum is to incorporate stuff into the game, not ask for mods). This is a message to the dangers of drinking and depression. Shane talking about buying beers is NOT OKAY.

I'd heard people saying that they didn't like Shane because he seemed to be regressing. This must be why. Having him start drinking again is a terrible message to send to players, especially younger ones. I'm very disappointed that Shane still drinks, even after you marry him. This suggestion needs to happen, along with all alcoholic drinks going into the hated category for Shane after he quits.

 

[1FlyCat]

What? Shane said that?

From the seven hearts event:

'When she asks Shane how he could afford it, he replies that it's because he cut back on his expensive habit of drinking beer.'

.

I think this proves that it's ambiguous as to whether he's given up drinking alcohol completely.

While I agree with you that Shane's story arc is an important one, he's not the only villager with a substance abuse problem. Should we sanitize Pam's character too?

 

[tomaO2]

An ambiguous statement. The thing I focused on was him saying he was drinking sparkling water instead. He's replaced beer with bottled water. When you see him at the bar, you are supposed to assume it's water he's drinking. That was my take anyway.

Also, you are ignoring the 14 heart event, which made it pretty clear that he was done with alcohol.

I know a few posters that say Shane is the worst spouse because he seems to backtrack. I didn't know what that meant at the time, but now I do. No one wants to marry an alcoholic. You want to believe that this person will improve his life. That is Shane's appeal. He's the wounded bird that you are going to heal with your love.

Pam never promised to quit drinking, and you aren't married to her either. Pam, in the end, isn't your responsibility. Shane is someone you live with and we saw some fairly brutal effects from his drinking and depression, so we are very invested him not being like that anymore. It's a bit of a slap in the face for him to blatantly say he's off to buy more beer. Shane is an alcoholic. Alcoholics, if they want to better themselves, do not just cut back on the beer, they quit, cause alcohol is addictive, and you never stop being an addict. There is no such thing as simply cutting back.

 

[imnvs]

Personally, I have an issue with most addiction programs in the world today. Making your life all about NOT doing something means your life is still all about that thing... just the absence of that thing. Some addiction programs advocate that abstinence is NOT the way to go for everyone, and that may be the case for Shane.

That said, it doesn't look like that is the case for Shane because of the dialogue options you get even after he should be cutting back, not overdoing it, not using it as a crutch. Yes, the heart scenes make it clear that he's doing better... but the dialogue you get from him just out and about? That doesn't look so good.

As something of an aside, though? Yes, you can stop being an addict. Studies have shown that a lot of times, addiction is just someone trying to self-medicate because their life is difficult. In a lot of cases, improve the person's life and the need to use goes away. (There was a study done with mice that had them in a terrarium with little to do but drink water or drink drugged water... and they'd chose the drugged water until they were doped up stupid. Give them a habitat with lots to do and other mice with which to socialize, and those very same mice would stop drinking the drugged water and go back to the regular water.)

 

[liquidcat]

Are you using any mods? I opened the dialogue file for Shane but couldn't find any similar dialogue in there. I couldn't find anything with bear or drink in the dialogues.

There are a few other similar instances of dialogues not making sense such as Clint still flirting with Emily even after you marry her, I think this might be due to technical issues/limitation. If this is a vanilla dialogue, I think it might be due to technical issue as it doesn't make as much sense for him to say it (even after taking into account what others have shared in this thread I personally think it would be better closure to his story if he were to stop drinking and clean his room for once).

Maybe if CA decides to ever do a 1.6 update, relationships like this might be the focus of it as there are many story arcs like this which are still relatively unresolved!

 

[1FlyCat]

Also, you are ignoring the 14 heart event, which made it pretty clear that he was done with alcohol.

Not really, considering that he says

Look...I know I haven't been able to quit cold turkey... but, I'm trying my best... and I'm getting a lot healthier.

He is making a concerted effort to reduce his drinking and seems more contented overall.

 

[tomaO2]

I checked, apparently Shane says different things depending on what your response is during the 14 heart event, and the one where he admits he lied about quitting is not on the wiki page. It's really upsetting to find this out.

My entire family has struggled with addition, and there was no moderating possible. Oh, they tried moderating, but it really didn't work out. They either were an addict, or they quit. Shane was a heavy addict that got blackout drunk and almost committed suicide. I don't appreciate the message of someone like that "moderating" intake. I don't like people telling me how it's possible for theoretical people to go from heavy addition to just a nice moderate amount. For many, it is NOT that easy.

While I understand that not everyone can manage it, Shane should have quit. I think not quitting sends a horrible message, and I'm done with this.

 

[LRangerR]

I think it's a realistic depiction of Shane personally. It's very hard to quit anything cold turkey (even things that aren't controlled substances), and I think it's a very in-character thing for him to do.

 

[LRangerR]

(There was a study done with mice that had them in a terrarium with little to do but drink water or drink drugged water... and they'd chose the drugged water until they were doped up stupid. Give them a habitat with lots to do and other mice with which to socialize, and those very same mice would stop drinking the drugged water and go back to the regular water.)

Separate people to keep them from talking to each other and then when they get depressed give them a chemical repressant to keep them from thinking. Dude, that's tyranny 101, try to keep up, lol.

In all seriousness though, Jojamart is probably the main cause for Shane's drinking. Honestly I'm surprised Sam doesn't drink yet.

 

[birdn4t0r]

An ambiguous statement. The thing I focused on was him saying he was drinking sparkling water instead. He's replaced beer with bottled water. When you see him at the bar, you are supposed to assume it's water he's drinking. That was my take anyway.

Also, you are ignoring the 14 heart event, which made it pretty clear that he was done with alcohol.

I know a few posters that say Shane is the worst spouse because he seems to backtrack. I didn't know what that meant at the time, but now I do. No one wants to marry an alcoholic. You want to believe that this person will improve his life. That is Shane's appeal. He's the wounded bird that you are going to heal with your love.

Pam never promised to quit drinking, and you aren't married to her either. Pam, in the end, isn't your responsibility. Shane is someone you live with and we saw some fairly brutal effects from his drinking and depression, so we are very invested him not being like that anymore. It's a bit of a slap in the face for him to blatantly say he's off to buy more beer. Shane is an alcoholic. Alcoholics, if they want to better themselves, do not just cut back on the beer, they quit, cause alcohol is addictive, and you never stop being an addict. There is no such thing as simply cutting back.

see, though, it’s just not how real life works. in real life, addiction recovery often takes the rest of your life. people relapse, and with alcoholism, quitting cold-turkey might kill the person. i think it’s realistic this way.

 

[Anhaga]

My entire family has struggled with addition, and there was no moderating possible. Oh, they tried moderating, but it really didn't work out. They either were an addict, or they quit. Shane was a heavy addict that got blackout drunk and almost committed suicide. I don't appreciate the message of someone like that "moderating" intake. I don't like people telling me how it's possible for theoretical people to go from heavy addition to just a nice moderate amount. For many, it is NOT that easy.

It's not for many people, no, but I'm personally uncertain as to whether CA was trying to make Shane an actual alcoholic. Note that Shane does not seem to be a day-drinker; his drinking doesn't interfere with his ability to hold down a job. Rather, the drinking shown in Shane is the after-work self medication of someone with an anxiety and depression problem, which is very different from alcoholism in spite of pop culture's failure to differentiate between the two (my own personal experience has been with the self-medicators, not the alcoholics). If you're reading Shane from this angle, rather than from the alcoholic angle, it's a very different sort of thing. In this case, getting therapy and knocking back the drinking is pretty solid progress.

Honestly, my biggest irritation about being married to Shane is that his dang room is messy even after he gets himself together. And HOW, Shane, HOW are you getting MUDDY TRACKS in your room without tracking the mud through the rest of the house?? I want those muddy tracks gone.

 

[tomaO2]

Well, now unfortunate that it's not really easy to tell between the two. My dad had no trouble holding down a job, despite being an alcoholic, so it's really kinda hard for me to tell that Shane isn't one due to his ability to hold down a job. I'm getting really tired of what I see as excusing the behavior. Shane is a drunk, I was under the impression that he quit, but he didn't. I don't think it's a good message to send that your husband didn't actually quit drinking like was implied to be the case. It actually makes me angry. I was completely under the impression that he quit, and I feel lied to.

I don't want to discuss this anymore. Stop quoting me.

 

[Leavo]

From the seven hearts event: .

I think this proves that it's ambiguous as to whether he's given up drinking alcohol completely.

While I agree with you that Shane's story arc is an important one, he's not the only villager with a substance abuse problem. Should we sanitize Pam's character too?

This is a fair question--many addicts never recover, but they are still members of our community and deserve our compassion. Which makes me feel all the more that Linus's storyline *should* evolve (at some point be fully welcomed at festivals, etc.,) because how he is treated is a reflection on the community. In other words, Linus doesn't need to change, the community does.

 

[PoppyForPenny]

This is a different perspective, but, in the game nobody changes, right? The only changes to the town are what the player does, like the theater, minecarts and bus. Minor changes depending on who you marry, like Abigail's shrine, or Elliot's new schedule if you marry Leah. The only people who change are your own kids through the baby stages and that's it. The mine never/always changes. No one gets older, so how can they ever change, really?

 

[Leavo]

This is a different perspective, but, in the game nobody changes, right? The only changes to the town are what the player does, like the theater, minecarts and bus. Minor changes depending on who you marry, like Abigail's shrine, or Elliot's new schedule if you marry Leah. The only people who change are your own kids through the baby stages and that's it. The mine never/always changes. No one gets older, so how can they ever change, really?

Yes, I think only really Leo, who braved moving out of his comfort zone and was warmly welcomed by the community (which makes it that much more jarring to see him sequestered off with Linus during holidays! but a suggestion for another day).

 

[LRangerR]

This is a fair question--many addicts never recover, but they are still members of our community and deserve our compassion. Which makes me feel all the more that Linus's storyline *should* evolve (at some point be fully welcomed at festivals, etc.,) because how he is treated is a reflection on the community. In other words, Linus doesn't need to change, the community does.

To be fair, someone is still throwing rocks at Linus' tent. I'd like to know who it is.

 

[Apathyguy]

It's not for many people, no, but I'm personally uncertain as to whether CA was trying to make Shane an actual alcoholic. Note that Shane does not seem to be a day-drinker; his drinking doesn't interfere with his ability to hold down a job. Rather, the drinking shown in Shane is the after-work self medication of someone with an anxiety and depression problem, which is very different from alcoholism in spite of pop culture's failure to differentiate between the two (my own personal experience has been with the self-medicators, not the alcoholics). If you're reading Shane from this angle, rather than from the alcoholic angle, it's a very different sort of thing. In this case, getting therapy and knocking back the drinking is pretty solid progress.

Honestly, my biggest irritation about being married to Shane is that his dang room is messy even after he gets himself together. And HOW, Shane, HOW are you getting MUDDY TRACKS in your room without tracking the mud through the rest of the house?? I want those muddy tracks gone.

I'm 24 years sober and you're both right and wrong. Yes many people abuse alcohol to cope with a variety of mental illnesses. But at the same time almost two-thirds all people who truly have and addiction to either alcohol or drugs also have secondary mental health issues. Also There's probably not a doctor alive that would tell a patient with anxiety and depression issues it's okay to have a few drinks. Alcohol will quickly compound those conditions. Not to mention no therapist would have told him it's okay to drink either. Quite the opposite in fact. They'd want him to stay sober for at least 6 months to make sure there's progress with his issues.

 

[Laissez_Faire_Farming]

I love SHANE SOOOO MUCH. I wish there is an option I could tell him...to clean his room.....in NICE WAY.....

"Shane, my sexy thick bae. *winks
Could you do me a favor? Could you clean up before you move on to doing other things?”