5 annoying design and technical decisions in adult games

[Doorknob22]

There’s this great thread about game tropes which annoy people but as I started to write my reply I realized that I’m OK with most of the tropes, it’s usually design decisions which irritate me. So I decided to start a thread and write about design decisions which robbed some of the fun in pr0n games I played in recent years.

1. A Virtual Novel which acts like a sandbox game. If the developer only gives me a single course of action, please spare me the whole town/location/rooms/time of day overhead. If I only have a single valid option in order to move the plot forward, don’t send me searching for it in all the locations you created. Sandbox games are not superior to VNs or even Kinetic Novels, they are different things. Be proud of your VN or KN and don't pretend to be a sandbox, confusing the hell out of your players.

Only implement interfaces and mechanics which helps the player.

2. Meaningless choices. Indy developers are low on resources and designing a content which will not be used often seems very wasteful. Hence, some developers opt to use “the meaningless choice”: you can go left or right but it doesn’t really matter because they both lead to the same room. You can tell her that you’re sorry or that it’s her fault but it doesn’t matter because in the next screen (or very soon afterwards) you will make up and the plot will progress regardless of your decision.

The equivalent in an action based video game would be two guns who deal the exact damage, hold the same amount of ammo and have the same range: why choose one over the other?

Players' decisions should have meaning.

3. Sudden death choices. I remember a game I attempted to play a few years ago. It was about a female policewoman. Nice art. In the first scene you reach a house with your partner and have to decide which way to approach the house: the front or the back door. I chose the back door (if I remembered correctly) and then I was insta killed. I reloaded the game, chose “correctly” and a few screens later was killed again for choosing wrongly. By the third time I was killed like that I stopped playing and deleted it from the disk.

Games should very rarely (if ever) reach a dead end and if they do, offer plenty of warnings before that. The equivalent in an action based video game would be a door which just kills you if you open it, and level rife with such doors, or undetectable deadly traps.

Players should be allowed to make informed decisions, not die on a designer’s whim.

4. Free sex! Your MC goes to sleep and has a naughty dream about one of the girls (or boys). This design pitfall is actually sad because I think the designer’s intentions are good but IMHO it fails to understand the basic effort and reward dynamic which lies in the heart of every video game: you make an effort (to persuade the girl to go to bed with you) and then you are rewarded (you get the sexy bits). Giving you just the sexy bits without you making any efforts is just throwing some pr0n at the player.

I get satisfaction when my MC nails that girl because I earned it. I worked for it. A dream sequence (or other random sex scenes) are just very hollow rewards. The equivalent in an action based video game would be to find an almost dead boss and kill it with one shot, or even finding it dead. Where is the fun in that?

Sex scenes should be a reward for overcoming challenges and advancing the plot.

5. Forcing the player to choose between content. I wrote about decisions before but one decision players don’t want to make is choosing one content (usually a girl) over the other. We want both, or at least the option to choose both. Why force me to save the game, play out one option and then reload and play the other? You know I’m going to do it anyway so why make this so cumbersome? Decisions players want to make are ones based on the role or morals they want to play. If I want to play the MC as a compassionate character I’m OK with skipping choices where he acts like a bastard. Maybe I’ll play through the whole game later as a bastard, but again, this is a moral choice. There was a game a few years ago where the MC is locked in a house with four girls.

There were all sorts of shenanigans going on throughout the game with all of them but you had to choose one to have “the final scene with”. Obviously I saved, played girl A, reloaded, played girl B, reloaded, played girl C, reloaded and played girl D. Was reading this sentence fun? No.

Unless you’re allowing different ways to solve a problem or moral based decisions, strive to allow the players to benefit from maximum content.

 

[moskyx]

1.- Only implement interfaces and mechanics which helps the player - totally agree on this one, nothing else to say. Some devs want to show they master a complex programming thing but it doesn't really add to the game.

2.- Players' decisions should have meaning - well, that depends. All decisions? Hell, no. That would be almost impossible to program for any indie dev, unless they give players a very limited number of choices during the game. The examples you give can work quite well, actually, if decently written: you give the players the illusion of choice making their MC behaving the way they'd like, but in the end the plot should advance the way the writter has envisioned. So the trick is how do you explain that going right or left makes you enter the same room, or why she can forgive you after telling it's her fault (or why would you still want to be with her). If those changes are well explained, most people will be OK with them (also, a nice touch is the dev adding some kind of flag to those choices to be remembered later, introducing slight changes in dialogues to show the player those choices still mattered despite not being game changers). So, as always, planning and writing.

3.- Players should be allowed to make informed decisions, not die on a designer’s whim - A total yes to this one. I'd add that those informed decisions should mean that our MC must have the same info we have as players: if you include a cutscene where the MC is not present but the player gets to know some important info that can affect a decision later on, the MC has to get to that choice with the same info. If your character can't possibly know something you do know, the choice will break the immersion.

4.- Sex scenes should be a reward for overcoming challenges and advancing the plot - basically I agree, but I can accept some exceptions. These are sex games, after all, so some lewd content is to be expected. Dreaming sequences can be annoying but they are a way to show your writing/artistic skills at an early point of game's development where the story are still far from reaching the real thing. That way players and potential patrons can see what you can do and what they can expect from you and your game. Dreaming sequences later on can also have a meaning if the plot needs them, as you can use dreams to explain certain situations/backstories or to make the characters feel/realize something related to their "real life" events. Also, why not including a random sexual scene that doesn't advance the plot? It could be just an extra without any added value, just like sex is sometimes in real life, merely a fun passtime. So there's nothing like an "absolute no" to them.

5.- Unless you’re allowing different ways to solve a problem or moral based decisions, strive to allow the players to benefit from maximum content - A general yes to this one, but I don't really mind having blocked content if there's a logical reason behind it. For instance, yeah, I would like to be able to pursue and get all the girls in any game in just one playthrough, but I can understand some of those characters wouldn't be OK with me if I did that, so I don't mind a 'bad ending' or a rejection that would force me to replay the game in order to see that content. It's not a 'moral based' decision but an 'internal logic' one that depends on NPC's characterization and not only on player's agency. That's why I don't usually like harem games where all girls are OK with you having an harem where they are just another one waiting on the line to be blessed by your magical wand. Also, sometimes you have to choose your priorities, there are schedules and timetables and, just as in real life you can't be in 2 places at the same time, I don't mind if games makes me choose one scene over another - again, if it's properly explained and written. Which is the main point of all this: PLANNING AND WRITING is the key to avoid these annoying feelings in players

 

[anne O'nymous]

There’s this great thread about game tropes which annoy people but as I started to write my reply I realized that I’m OK with most of the tropes,

To be fair, the problem is never the tropes, but the way they are used.

Only implement interfaces and mechanics which helps the player.

I wouldn't go as far as say that they need to help, but at least they shouldn't be totally meaningless.

By example, the possibility to peep, or not, through the keyhole of a door can be an interesting addition. This as long as there effectively something to see when there's someone in the room, that it's not always the exact same thing, that it correspond to the scene if you open the door, and that it evolve with the story.
By itself it will not necessarily help the player, and the sole interest is really limited. It's just another lewd scene, and it present less interest that the ones where the MC is involved. But like it's not mandatory, it add something for the players who have a voyeurism tendency, while not being annoying for the others.

Players' decisions should have meaning.

For who and how visible should this meaning be ?

Like explained above, the meaning depend of the player. The possibility to look through the keyhole would feel like a cool addition for a minority of players, while being seen as meaningless for the majority.
In addition to that, perhaps that the MC isn't as discrete as he thought, and have been caught peeping. Then, later in the story, the girl who caught him will offer him... Hmmm, I don't know, to put a camera in the girls locker room by example. What transform the decision to peep or not into a deeply meaningful choice. It's just that you'll know it only if you're effectively into voyeurism and play long enough to reach the moment when your decision will effectively pay.

Games should very rarely (if ever) reach a dead end and if they do, offer plenty of warnings before that. The equivalent in an action based video game would be a door which just kills you if you open it, and level rife with such doors, or undetectable deadly traps.

I disagree on this. Game should have more dead end, and possibly game over, it's what make the decision took by the players effectively meaningful.

Making the girl like you more because you complemented her present no interest if not doing it have no consequences. And it's alas what happen most of the time ; you'll not earn this point, but the lower limit to advance in the story took count of this, and you'll not be stopped because you aren't an attentive boyfriend.
Instead of adding a point each time you compliment the girl, it's the number of time you haven't done it that should be counted. And if you're doing it too often, and after she complained about this, the girl will breakup with you, because you aren't attentive enough for her taste. Then the choice would be effectively meaningful ; you don't just have to seduce the girl, you also need to not deceive her.

This said, I agree on the fact that neither a dead end or a game over should come for free. The player should be warned first and have been offered the keys to make the right decision. If he missed the hints, the death would be on him and he would be the only one to blame.

Sex scenes should be a reward for overcoming challenges and advancing the plot.

No, no and no. Will I agree that "free sex" is a bad idea, sex isn't either a reward. They should always come because the player did it well, but not in a challenge way, just in a human way. You'll have sex because you've been a good boyfriend/lover/master/slave/whatever, not because you've beat the challenge that rise in the author's mind. Or else the whole game have to be designed like this, and you'll have the scene because you beat the level, and only when you beat the level.

I would also add that the player should always have the possibility to refuse the sex scene. Not because he don't like the girl, but because, the fuck even games MC aren't necessarily invincible super-heroes !
"Oh brother, you're so brave ! You beat those three bullies who wanted to rape me, come here, I'll let you fuck my ass, you deserve it."
To this, the player should have the possibility to answer by a, "er... Do you really think that after a fight alone against three, I still have enough energy for that ? We will talk about this tomorrow if you really want to offer your ass for that, but right now I'll soak in a bath, I need it." It's the player that decide how the story should evolve, he should have the right to see the MC as a regular guy that isn't horny 24/24 and don't have an unlimited stamina that let him fuck ten times by day every single day for a whole year.

Unless you’re allowing different ways to solve a problem or moral based decisions, strive to allow the players to benefit from maximum content.

It's the second time, with your "Games should very rarely (if ever) reach a dead end", that you are contradicting your desire to have games with meaningful decisions. Making the player have to choose between two girls is one, if not the, most meaningful decision in an adult game ; "No, seriously, what girl do you prefer ?"

It doesn't mean that all games have to do this, or that offering the possibility to always have all the content is necessarily a bad design. But you can't say that the decisions should be meaningful, and in the same time say that anyone of the most meaningful decisions shouldn't appear in a game.

 

[Doorknob22]

It's the second time, with your "Games should very rarely (if ever) reach a dead end", that you are contradicting your desire to have games with meaningful decisions. Making the player have to choose between two girls is one, if not the, most meaningful decision in an adult game ; "No, seriously, what girl do you prefer ?"

It doesn't mean that all games have to do this, or that offering the possibility to always have all the content is necessarily a bad design. But you can't say that the decisions should be meaningful, and in the same time say that anyone of the most meaningful decisions shouldn't appear in a game.

Ok, maybe our different point of view comes from my tendency for playing harem games and you (I'm guessing) for dating sims. In harem type games, there's no sense in choosing one girl over the other but I agree that in other type of games it makes more sense.

 

[RoboticRevolt]

clickers, having to repeatedly click a button as fast as you can is horrible design choice, and not really gameplay

 

[anne O'nymous]

Ok, maybe our different point of view comes from my tendency for playing harem games and you (I'm guessing) for dating sims.

You are guessing wrong, I mostly play harem games.

In harem type games, there's no sense in choosing one girl over the other but I agree that in other type of games it makes more sense.

Even in harem games there can be girls that you don't want to have sex with. Wanting to have as much girls as possible doesn't mean that you have no taste or that you can deal with every kind of personality.

 

[NoK_E]

sex, too soon, too easy.

 

[Vhaerun]

1. I've had long discussions about the VN vs. Sandbox argument. It's a matter of taste of course, but I agree with making the choice to be one or the other. While I wouldn't argue that sandboxes are "superior", I would say that sandboxes incorporate VN attributes more than VNs incorporate sandbox attributes. And yes, only implement what is going to be used. If more are going to be used in later versions, you can wait until those versions are completed.

2. Things like meaningless choices can be annoying and, basically, worthless... except that they can sometimes provide good story. Sometimes the decisions we make in our every day lives don't do a damn thing, even though we really want them to. A good writer can use this as a hook. A bad writer can use this as a hammer to bash your knees in.

3. Some games are designed like this. Agreed, it's horrible and would make me quit after about 5 minutes. At least it wasn't like one game I could mention where a choice very early in the game meant an insta-game over in the last freaking chapter. I haven't touched that game since.

4. I'll have to slightly disagree with you on this one. Games are, for a vast majority, based on risk-reward or action-reward. You do something, you get something. Sandbox adult games are quite similar. You grind, you get rewarded. VNs can be altogether different because it is about the story, whether it is choice driven or not. We're taken on the whim of the writer/artist as a passenger.

Do I think this is a good idea? Eh. Do I think it's overused? Hell yeah. I've fallen into that same trap because when it comes to writing VNs (and sandboxes for the most part), you have really two paths. Do you want it popular and (possibly) profitable? Do you want it a vision of your own? These aren't mutually exclusive, either. There are some great devs out there able to pull it all off.

I could really go on about this for a long while, and I only get an hour lunch break.

5. While I agree with the idea of maximum content, even you point out you generally argued against this earlier. It boils down to having cake and eating it, as well. Some devs put it in for replayability. Some put it in because it is more realistic (a.k.a. slice of life). If you want choices to be meaningful, there have to be consequences, for good or ill.

Which is why I mostly play harem games.

 

[Doorknob22]

Regarding "Meaningless Choices", I accept what wiser people than me commented and I'll rephrase. If both routes lead to the same point, make the road there rewarding. Be the the one on the right, not on the left.

 

[mickydoo]

No, no and no. Will I agree that "free sex" is a bad idea, sex isn't either a reward. They should always come because the player did it well, but not in a challenge way, just in a human way. You'll have sex because you've been a good boyfriend/lover/master/slave/whatever, not because you've beat the challenge that rise in the author's mind. Or else the whole game have to be designed like this, and you'll have the scene because you beat the level, and only when you beat the level.

I would also add that the player should always have the possibility to refuse the sex scene. Not because he don't like the girl, but because, the fuck even games MC aren't necessarily invincible super-heroes !
"Oh brother, you're so brave ! You beat those three bullies who wanted to rape me, come here, I'll let you fuck my ass, you deserve it."
To this, the player should have the possibility to answer by a, "er... Do you really think that after a fight alone against three, I still have enough energy for that ? We will talk about this tomorrow if you really want to offer your ass for that, but right now I'll soak in a bath, I need it." It's the player that decide how the story should evolve, he should have the right to see the MC as a regular guy that isn't horny 24/24 and don't have an unlimited stamina that let him fuck ten times by day every single day for a whole year.

Apart from the fact I'd fuck her arse after fighting 15 men and suffering two broken legs.......

I am doing a sex scene right now in my game. I am up to 40 renders and have not even hinted at sex, but it leads up to it. If I gave the player the option fuck her or not it leads to a few different headaches.

If after the 40 renders and counting you say, nah, maybe next time, it means the next time I have to write two different scenarios and two sets of renders and two sets of animations because at least one player has not fucked her the first time, and the second time is anal, but you only get anal if you fucked her virginal the first time.

Or if I added the option not to go and start, in this case the road trip, not only do I have the above issue, but the player misses out on 40 renders and counting.

And when in the thread someone posts about the sex scene and someone who didn't do the option for the road trip will ask, how did you get that scene, and go back and do it anyway.

If you keep multiplying this I have added to my work load at least 30% for no overall gain. Some people will like skipping sex scenes, some people will ask how do I unlock the gallery without even playing the game.

Devs cannot win

 

[anne O'nymous]

If after the 40 renders and counting you say, nah, maybe next time, it means the next time I have to write two different scenarios and two sets of renders and two sets of animations because at least one player has not fucked her the first time, and the second time is anal, but you only get anal if you fucked her virginal the first time.

If the scene is generic, you just need to have a variation for its introduction, because this part effectively change if it's the first or the second attempt, but the rest of the scene can be reused without real need to rewrite it. At most there's a line here or there, what you can easily handle with an if or a more advanced mechanism.
Therefore, all you need is to call your label instead of jumping to it, and a counter to know at what scene you are. Something like this :

label whatever:
   [...]
   call expression "thatGirlScene{}".format( thatGirlSceneCounter )

label thatGirlScene1:
   if firstAttempt:
      [Intro that fit the first attempt]
   else:
      [Intro that fit the second attempt]
   [the scene]
   [...]
   if firstAttempt:
      "That line"
   else:
      "That other line"
   [...]
   if firstAttempt:
      [conclusion that fit the first attempt]
   else:
      [conclusion that fit the second attempt]
   return

And if you've scene more specific to the story, you can still keep a part that is common to both, then only branch when they differ, going back to the common flow once the differing part is done.

Of course it's more works, but there's more than one dev that is doing it and, by giving more choice to the player, it make the game more interesting.

Or if I added the option not to go and start, in this case the road trip, not only do I have the above issue, but the player misses out on 40 renders and counting.

Multiply this by 100 and, animation included, you'll still be below the number of renders that someone playing Nottravis ' Heavy Five miss in one play of the actually last chapter. With around 8,000 renders in the chapter, and more than two third of the free roaming part that can't be seen in a single play, it's more than 5,000 renders that she did "only for those who'll follow a different path". This without counting the variations in the main story, where there's also scenes that you'll not see in a single play.
So far, counting the three chapters, there's probably between 7,000 and 8,000 renders, still animation included, than a player will not see during a single play. And at her actual pace, you can expect that it will be above the 50,000 renders when the game will be finished.
But in the end it's also what make her game great and effectively replayable. As long as you decide to pursue another path, you'll have totally new content, both for the renders and the scenes. This while the main story will stay the same, but sometimes seen from another perspective.

Of course, it need works that not everyone is willing to do, or can't afford to do. And it's perfectly fine if one don't want to go this far, I totally understand it. It's just that it's totally possible to do so, even for a solo dev.

 

[Jash83]

The two things that piss me off:

Mistaking "grind" for "gameplay content".

Having to do the same thing over and over again without variance to get anywhere in a game isn't "content". It's wasting my time, preventing me from enjoying it until I've done enough work to be allowed to have some fun, not letting me have dessert until I've eaten my vegetables, the plate they came on, and a sack of concrete. SuperPowered is an example of a game that's really, REALLY bad at this, with all the costs for upgrades necessary to access new content costing 5-10 times as much as they need to and slowing advancement to a crawl (not helped by the fact that a lot of the gamplay systems are completely imbalanced, so attempting to interact with the girls for relationship points is inestimably less-efficient than just repeatedly using your phone to text them over and over again). SuperPowered is also terrible at my other pet peeve:

Mistaking "RNG" for "gameplay challenge".

I try to do something. I fail and waste my time and effort. Why did I fail? Because the game decided "fuck you". This is not gameplay. As mentioned, SuperPowered is atrocious at this, particularly as the game penalises you for failing at something that wasn't your fault and, despite being a Ren'Py game, has disabled text rollback, forcing you to manually save scum everything to get anywhere, but possibly an even worse example is Inheritance. EVERYTHING in this game is triggered randomly. You have to be in the right place at the right time, often in the right circumstances, for an event to trigger, but whether it actually DOES or not is completely up to the game's whims, and most events (apart from the common ones that you see over and over and over again- it's also a very grindy game) have a really, REALLY low chance of triggering. I got really pissed off when I tried to meet the requirements to encounter a new character (drive to town on a rainy evening between the hours of 8 and 11 PM) but she simply refused to appear no matter how many times I did it. This. Is not. Gameplay. An amount of randomness adds variance to a game, but making it impossible to accomplish anything you want to unless the game is in the mood and doesn't have a headache tonight? That's just flipping the player off for no reason.

 

[mickydoo]

If the scene is generic, you just need to have a variation for its introduction, because this part effectively change if it's the first or the second attempt, but the rest of the scene can be reused without real need to rewrite it. At most there's a line here or there, what you can easily handle with an if or a more advanced mechanism.
Therefore, all you need is to call your label instead of jumping to it, and a counter to know at what scene you are. Something like this :

label whatever:
   [...]
   call expression "thatGirlScene{}".format( thatGirlSceneCounter )

label thatGirlScene1:
   if firstAttempt:
      [Intro that fit the first attempt]
   else:
      [Intro that fit the second attempt]
   [the scene]
   [...]
   if firstAttempt:
      "That line"
   else:
      "That other line"
   [...]
   if firstAttempt:
      [conclusion that fit the first attempt]
   else:
      [conclusion that fit the second attempt]
   return

And if you've scene more specific to the story, you can still keep a part that is common to both, then only branch when they differ, going back to the common flow once the differing part is done.

Of course it's more works, but there's more than one dev that is doing it and, by giving more choice to the player, it make the game more interesting.




Multiply this by 100 and, animation included, you'll still be below the number of renders that someone playing Nottravis ' Heavy Five miss in one play of the actually last chapter. With around 8,000 renders in the chapter, and more than two third of the free roaming part that can't be seen in a single play, it's more than 5,000 renders that she did "only for those who'll follow a different path". This without counting the variations in the main story, where there's also scenes that you'll not see in a single play.
So far, counting the three chapters, there's probably between 7,000 and 8,000 renders, still animation included, than a player will not see during a single play. And at her actual pace, you can expect that it will be above the 50,000 renders when the game will be finished.
But in the end it's also what make her game great and effectively replayable. As long as you decide to pursue another path, you'll have totally new content, both for the renders and the scenes. This while the main story will stay the same, but sometimes seen from another perspective.

Of course, it need works that not everyone is willing to do, or can't afford to do. And it's perfectly fine if one don't want to go this far, I totally understand it. It's just that it's totally possible to do so, even for a solo dev.

I get what you are saying, but Nottravis is 10 times the wordsmith than I'll ever be, I make pretty girls, anything else I can pull off (pun intended) is a bonus.

And I agree its all possible, but from my perspective, I want the player to see every sexytime render I make as I like making them Saying that, you could take the sex out of my game and it would still make sense as it is not part of it, its only in it cos I am a perverted old fucker.

 

[anne O'nymous]

I get what you are saying, but Nottravis is 10 times the wordsmith than I'll ever be, I make pretty girls, anything else I can pull off (pun intended) is a bonus.

Don't worry. As I said, from my point of view at least, it's totally fine if one, you or whoever else, can't, or even simply don't want, to go this far. Let's be honest, I plan to do my own game if I finally find the time to this, and already know that I'll not reach half of what Notty is doing
What matter the most is that the author take pleasure at what he do. I'm just here to say what can be done, just to be sure that he don't stay low just because he think that it's not possible to do more.

Saying that, you could take the sex out of my game and it would still make sense as it is not part of it, its only in it cos I am a perverted old fucker.

That should have been part of this thread.
The game should tell a story that happens to have lewd scenes, but stay coherent without them. Not that those scenes can't be part of the story, but it should still make sense without them. It's not mandatory, but to many games simply make no sense if you remove the lewd scenes, because there's in fact nothing the link them together ; no other motive behind the story than to pass from a sex scene to the other one.

 

[fitgirlbestgirl]

Indy developers are low on resources and designing a content which will not be used often seems very wasteful. Hence, some developers opt to use “the meaningless choice”: you can go left or right but it doesn’t really matter because they both lead to the same room. You can tell her that you’re sorry or that it’s her fault but it doesn’t matter because in the next screen (or very soon afterwards) you will make up and the plot will progress regardless of your decision.

Even huge RPGs from the biggest studios ultimately "lead to the same room." If it doesn't make sense for multi-million dollar companies to have highly divergent storylines, why would you ever expect it in a visual novel made by some guy in his bedroom?

Forcing the player to choose between content. I wrote about decisions before but one decision players don’t want to make is choosing one content (usually a girl) over the other. We want both, or at least the option to choose both. Why force me to save the game, play out one option and then reload and play the other?

Because not every game is a harem game and the option to "have all the girls" does not make sense in every type of story. Again, these are not RPGs where you can play however you want, these are linear stories with a few keys choices (if they're good.)

 

[wyldstrykr]

feels like OP refers to those 0.XXXX 3D games that plays like VN or RPG or something that made the people in the west. maybe. ill try to comment to those 5 designs.

1. if its a SandboX, isnt that more on eXploring than reading?? sandboX is good if the eXecution is good that makes the player, eXploring things is fun. maybe a little bit of sandboXy???

2. about meaningless choice...i think a person did that. leads to the same plot but they both choices leading to funny scene and sweet scene respectively. i dont mind that even if that is meaningless.

3. feels like this happens to kara no shoujo at least for me. i think i did well but i died because i need to get affection. but some of the choices in comyu has choices where if you choose poorly you died but that has tips at the end so thats a compromise??

4. some people wants to just go to the h-scene or just grab a savefile then look at art of the h-scene and there a some people who wants h-scene at the end because h-scene should be rewarding for a good read or a good gameplay. the fact is that a game designer/staff cant please both side to their liking and must please one half and more. that gives a question: are you making a game with Adult scene or Adult scene with a game?

There were all sorts of shenanigans going on throughout the game with all of them but you had to choose one to have “the final scene with”. Obviously I saved, played girl A, reloaded, played girl B, reloaded, played girl C, reloaded and played girl D. Was reading this sentence fun? No.

5. no. doing that at third or half of the game, yes. feels like OP preference is Kinetic game/novel or a harem. that fun in that quote is reading the story about the girls and how it ends.

also theres no grinding in design like the comments above??

 

[Doorknob22]

I know it's petty but another design issue I find annoying: you are living with your mother and sisters and they all lock their doors whenever they leave their rooms as if we're living in a halfway house and they are afraid their shit will get stolen...

There must be a more elegant solution than this, right?

 

[DuniX]

4. Free sex! Your MC goes to sleep and has a naughty dream about one of the girls (or boys)...

The problem with this is the Sex can take a long time to get to, in a update 2 years from the initial release.
Which is pretty much the problem with this Story Driven style VNs.
So developers sprinkling in some "dream sequences" and "free sex" is understandable.
Otherwise there might not be any real Sex Scenes because the Project would be Dead before reaching that point precisely because there is no Sex Scenes.

 

[Nottravis]

I get what you are saying, but Nottravis is 10 times the wordsmith than I'll ever be, I make pretty girls, anything else I can pull off (pun intended) is a bonus.

*blushes wordlessly and runs offs*

 

[HazumiCousin]

I'm about to make my own game minus having zero art skills (I can learn this) but I've always wanted a detective game, female lead, investigating some sort of sex traffick group in a stripclub where she has to take part of it to fit in - best corruption game scenario ever also she'd go in with a team and there would have to be different types of ways you can actually get in the club to even start in the depth of darkness