Hello fella,
First, I want to acknowledge the effort and dedication required to create a visual novel. It’s complex work that demands creativity and persistence, so congratulations on moving forward with your project. However, as a fan of this narrative style, I’d like to share some observations that could help refine your work and give it more depth.
1. Character Overload vs. Narrative Depth
2. A Protagonist Lacking Depth
3. Wasted Romantic Potential
4. Sexual Scenes as "Content" vs. Meaningful Storytelling
5. Lack of Narrative Structure
Final Thoughts
Wishing you success with your visual novel—I hope to see how it evolves!
Hey! Thank you very much for your detailed observations, they truly contribute a lot to the game's growth. I'm going to adress each point from my own perspective:
1. Character Overload vs. Narrative Depth
While I do agree with you that I should focus mainly on the primary LIs and characters that I've already introduced, it is, after all, a game about college life, so meeting new people which you don't instantly get close to or at all, to me, seems pretty reasonable and realistic. Of course, that's not really an excuse to introduce new characters every single episode, but let's take the partying aspect of the game for example. A party club can't really happen without at least a bunch of people. Seeing the same old 5 people in parties could make the game feel small, not being able to interact with anyone else could take away from the immersion. For the other part of the game which is the musical club College Rock, of course that one will have a more reserved cast because they don't have to throw parties or to see new faces every time.
2. A Protagonist Lacking Depth
I see where you’re coming from, and honestly, I kind of agree. Right now, the MC doesn’t really have a strong direction, and that’s something I need to work on. His only real goal at the start is just to go to college and graduate, but as the story moves forward, things will start to change. He’ll have to make real choices, pick a club to stick with, and get more involved, which will naturally push him toward having stronger motivations.
3. Wasted Romantic Potential
I see what you mean, and you're probably referring to Cleo as she's the face of the novel and probably got the fewest minutes. I do plan to add her into the plot in the future, and she will 100% get more minutes, so far she wasn't really relevant to the plot. The reason she hasn't had more of a presence until now is because, with the way the plot evolved, there wasn't really a natural opportunity for her to be involved.
4. Sexual Scenes as "Content" vs. Meaningful Storytelling
Since this is a college game, it makes sense that not every relationship will be a deep, slow-burn romance. Some people naturally have casual flings, and I want to reflect that in a way that feels organic to the setting. Of course, this doesn’t mean I’ll be adding 100 lewd scenes just for the sake of it, but from time to time, there will be moments that don’t necessarily stem from a deep emotional connection. It adds to the variety and makes the world feel more real.
5. Lack of Narrative Structure
You're right, the story has been moving a bit without any real direction. I feel like, with the third episode's conflicts and findings, the story is forming more and more, and a direction is given.
Thank you for your thoughtful analysis of the current flaws in the game, your feedback is incredibly helpful. As this is my first big project, hearing thoughts outside of my own perspective is detrimental for improving and achieving a great story.