Mymy, first let me say: it's apparant you (and your friend) have put work and effort into this game.
Alone from the UI a concept and structure is implemented to build something at least solid on it.
Unfortunately the
huge issue you might currently have
is not any
locked patreon content or how many exclusive tier-versions you create. That's a matter to discuss generally in due time.
For me - having played your game today for 1,5 hours - the
main problem is that the game progress does not work out...in sooooo many points:
- in these 1,5 hours I neither was able to progress at all nor trigger at least one (lewd) event
- the only thing I could do was grinding stats, resting, traveling, resting, working, resting, talking, resting, sleeping...
- the energy level is much to low at the start ("5")- even if you always only go jogging for raising strength to get it to "8" you can't do much each day (except resting and grinding time)
- the time-cycle of the day isn't limited as is, but for each action one timestep of it?! So breakfast for example takes from "late morning" to "noon"!!! Really??? That's a grinding waste of time!
- Additionally you "loose" too much time to go to work and back! So the daily action is even more limited cause "traveling" to another place shifts time so immense (and 2 energy points each travel - simply too much!). Even more grinding waste of time!
- the events can only be triggered by raising stats (well that's common grind-for-the-grind-of-it).
BUT there are some stats that seem to be impossible to raise just right at the very start (for example the relationship ones that are needed to progress any further) - I simply found no option to raise them at work or at home!
- even with the given hints you're still lost HOW to achieve progress and WHAT to do the whole day (talk with xyz, breakfast, drive to work, ...; ???). So you grind through without a plan and any real progress.
For the very start of this game these points alone are extremely off-putting. I lost interest in planlessly grinding through a game without any apparant ways to progress. And it's possible that I'm not alone...
No offence intended, but
there are more issues than only adjustments to make this a solid game which isn't frustrating right from the start. Nevertheless I wish you all the best and eventually success with this one!
Oh, thank you!
I mean really!!
And, yes, after playing v0.4 for like 12 hours myself, I did figure that this game still has a lot to improve other than putting more contents. And, what you pointed out are cores of our concerns (except for one that we haven't really noticed until now)
I can't speak for my friend, but for me,
- in these 1,5 hours I neither was able to progress at all nor trigger at least one (lewd) event
- the only thing I could do was grinding stats, resting, traveling, resting, working, resting, talking, resting, sleeping...
* This point seems like the biggest issue this game should deal with, and covers all other points you mentioned if I'm not mistaken.
We intended to design this game to give some feeling of development (as opposed to where you get to woo girls so quickly within few 10 or 15 mins), but, as you said, the early phase of the game looks way long and too tiring for me and my friend also agreed to that. So, we did already planned to fix the early part of the game.
= We still have few points that we need to agree upon but made decision to change many things, which I'll lay out in your other points below.
- the energy level is much to low at the start ("5")- even if you always only go jogging for raising strength to get it to "8" you can't do much each day (except resting and grinding time)
* On this point, we still (both of us) are kinda reluctant to change much, as commands like 'resting','watching tv', and etc are the ones we intend to make viable even in the late game. However, since we have put a lot of random event or scenes those commands for the reason I just mentioned, that alone might be enough and we can increase the maximum energy without much concern. Once you gain all the strength perks and other items (with permanent bonus), MC will have more that 20 max energy, but it takes time, so we do feel like there needs some change.
= Hmm, we decided to change other parts first and test-play to decide how much we need to increase the starting max energy so far.
- the time-cycle of the day isn't limited as is, but for each action one timestep of it?! So breakfast for example takes from "late morning" to "noon"!!! Really??? That's a grinding waste of time!
* This point, to be honest, we both are opposed to some change for different reason.
1) For me, I think (with abundance in max energy and means to decrease or remove time and energy consumption),
it is good as is. But I might be being defensive here cuz it was solely my idea on the time-cycle system...
Some of the problem we have in this game at this time seems to stem from difference between early and mid-to late stage of the game. I intended to give some fulfilling and rewarding feelings to players by making some gap between the two, but the problem is that players waste too much time in the early phase.
2) My friend opposed to it for two reasons:
(1) that we have to stick to our initial game-plan since players haven't seen the mid-to-late phase of the game.
(2) and, changing all that now is too much work
cry:LoL)
What we are hoping for now is changing other elements, and showing the mid to late stage of game can convince you and others who feel the same way about this system.
= So it is unlikely that we change this in v0.45 or even in 0.5, but it's not like we refuse to listen to suggestions.
For now, I can say this one is in the late order for us.
- Additionally you "loose" too much time to go to work and back! So the daily action is even more limited cause "traveling" to another place shifts time so immense (and 2 energy points each travel - simply too much!). Even more grinding waste of time!
* We are going to introduce cars to the game in August (v0.5). And once MC get a car, it will decrease the time and energy from 2 to 1 or zero.
= I am really not sure if this alone will do, so I'm looking forward to listen to more opinions on it!
- the events can only be triggered by raising stats (well that's common grind-for-the-grind-of-it).
BUT there are some stats that seem to be impossible to raise just right at the very start (for example the relationship ones that are needed to progress any further) - I simply found no option to raise them at work or at home!
* This is the part that we are going to change a lot. Many of early quests or events require stats to be triggered.
We both think that we can solve many problems by losing lots of stat requirements in the game. Especially during the early phase of the game where MC has limited options to do anything.
= In addition to that, we are going to remove all the repeated events where you stack those stat points to shorten the early phase of the game.
- even with the given hints you're still lost HOW to achieve progress and WHAT to do the whole day (talk with xyz, breakfast, drive to work, ...; ???). So you grind through without a plan and any real progress.
* Right. We planned to make a sand-box type game where players can choose to do do things on his own,
but, given the size of the space and complex system, player will be lost in the early games.
= We are thinking of shortening the early game phase and make it almost linear until the game reaches mid point
when MC has more power and options to do things.
However, I'm not sure if I can get this work done by v0.45 (since it will be release within 2 weeks..)
v0.45 (which we decided to make just yesterday) is aimed to fix these issues before we launch second half of Big Summer update (in which, a lot of new system and contents will be added).
We hope that we make a right decision on these points in v0.45, and your opinion is really welcomed, for we will discuss further even on those points we've already made decision.
I want you to know how much I am thankful. Thank you so much, sir!!