I/O explanation?

[Skyleft]

Hi. After around 60 hours I finally finished I/O.

Throughout the entire game I was really confused, and although after finishing the game I get the main point, there are lots of things I don't understand.

Even if I could, I won't post a whole list of small questions that still don't make sense to me, but I need to know how the order of the routes work, or big things that I could have missed.

After reading the "History" mode, I understand everything a little better, but I'd like to read an easier explanation to follow.

Thanks.

[Funnerific]

If you don't ask questions, how do you expect to get answers? It's a long game with a lot of plot, after all.

[Stormwolf]

I haven't read it myself, but ive seen a lot of people call it a incomplete mess. Or something along those lines.

[Skyleft]

2 minutes ago, Funnerific said:

If you don't ask questions, how do you expect to get answers? It's a long game with a lot of plot, after all.

I asked about the order of the routes, since stuff that happened in routes C and D should have also happened in the others, but didn't.

I just wanted a summary of "what was going on" to see if I actually understood it or not. I searched a bit before posting this but I didn't really find anything that actually explains the main plot, and the few things I read were even more confusing that the game itself.

[Funnerific]

5 minutes ago, Skyleft said:

I asked about the order of the routes, since stuff that happened in routes C and D should have also happened in the others, but didn't.

I just wanted a summary of "what was going on" to see if I actually understood it or not. I searched a bit before posting this but I didn't really find anything that actually explains the main plot, and the few things I read were even more confusing that the game itself.

As Stormwolf said, it really is quite the mess. The plot in these sci-fi titles always involves some asspulls.

There are some differences between the routes. If I remember correctly,

Spoiler

in route A the protag hooks up with Sakuya, but since she dies in route B he seems to be on the way to hooking up with Mayumi.

 

[Stormwolf]

But aren't you different protagonists in different routes? Only going by what i see on vndb and the walkthrough.

[Zakamutt]

Before going legit, there used to be a translation of some fanbook that explained the plot more clearly up by Lemnisca. I'm not sure if you can find it any longer as they seem to have taken it down, but I remember one rather enlightening part. Basically, if you want to truly understand what happens in I/O, you have to stop thinking so hard about cause and effect because of how things in I/O work. Anyway, it's definitely possible to piece together what happened, though difficult. I wouldn't say it involves asspulls, just that it's hilariously (and unnecessarily) complex. It's been ages since I read it though so I'm not sure if I can help you much more.

[Stormwolf]

can you take a fanbook as anything more than speculation though? Or is it the same as fandisc, just a book instead?

[fun2novel]

First of all, it's not full of asspulls and it's not a 'hilariously complex mess'. It is a complex story but it is also very carefully thought out to the minute detail. It answers every single mystery and question you have. You just gotta pay more attention. Going through the game a 2nd time you will understand things far better. Let's not label I/O as something on the level of some badly written nukige or something.

Anyway, here's the answer to your question (SPOILERS TO THE ENTIRE GAME):

Spoiler

route A and B go forward in timeline towards route E, route C and D go backwards in time also towards route E: A and B----->E<------C and D

Route E is where everything is pulled towards. After route E several things happen.

First of all you have routes C' and D'. These, like routes C and D go backwards in time but they are more about telling a backstory about some characters.

But the most important are routes A', B' and E'.

After route E is complete the timeline splits off into those tree endings. So from route E the story either continues into route A' or route B' or route E'. It perfectly follows the theme of this entire vn.