WARNING = LONG POST. SKIP IF NEED SOMETHING TO THE POINT.
First off, thanks to devs for DMD (and Melody). Great games.
Second, I've read Jeff's blog at
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about antagonists and conflicts. Thanks for those too. I'd like to take a different tact at them.
I can't take credit. I think it was SWTOR that said this. But I agree. It's just something to think about.
In old adventure games, there was conflict, and antagonists, yes. But the "problem" (for me) was that you often had 3 choices. The good choice. The neutral choice. and the bad choice. Replayability was finding what each choice was ("pre-internet" not really, but you know what I mean, pre-walkthrough...)
With games like, say, Tex Murphy, your ending was tabulated on a score of how many good, how many neutral, and how many bad choices you made during the game. There was also a perfect (all good choices chosen) ending and a horrible (all bad choices chosen)
In SWTOR, all 3 choices are good (which is why some players hated the game.)
Setup = A jedi knight realizes that a fellow jedi is the traitor. Final fight. You win. You choose how to handle it.
Darkside = You choose KILL. Traitor is dead. Never to be heard from again (obviously). And when people talk about the traitor, s/he is "dealt with" (their favourite narrative expression by the way.)
Neutral = You choose JAIL. Traitor is sent to jail. Still never heard from. Still "dealt with".
Lightside = You choose LET GO. Traitor is repentant and so ashamed that s/he goes to a jedi monastery for rehab... and... you guessed it... is never heard from again and is "dealt with".
I'd like to suggest that, FOR ME, porn games are more satisfying with less antagonism and conflict and more win-win choices as above. In fact, I see PERSONALLY (I know many others will differ) that a porn game or VN is really a scene chooser.
I look at every walkthrough because the last thing I want is to make a bad choice in day 4 or whatever, and by day 21... I have to restart. (I don't tend to play grindy time limited porn games.)
So, when some people say they don't like antagonism... sure, it might be that they're pure fappers (which is fine, but they'd probably be happier with a 15 min video where the daughter progresses from "I don't know" to "just a blowjob" to "just sex" to "knock me up daddy" in the course of 15 min.)
For me, it's a choose your own adventure and scene choice.
Obviously, for DmD, some of the things below are self evident... but for me...
1-I love incest. I hate rape. I play the game(s) so I can see incest but click skip (or avoid via walkthrough) on rape scenes.
2-I love impregnation. I hate anal. Again, skip button.
3-I love feet. I hate WS. Again, skip button.
And, for those that like rape, anal and WS, they skip my choices.
I'M NOT SAYING THAT'S RIGHT... AT ALL... but that's how I play... and it's what I look for.
Heck, I have tastes in movies as well. "I love to hate" bad guys that are in your face I'm going to kill types like non-infiltration terminators. I hate to watch bad guys that are betrayers that are posing as friends (wormtongue in LOTR).
All this to say that I totally respect someone else's tastes and needs, esp. the devs... but that the conflict in many porn games isn't my bag... and that I hope that the "all 3 choices are wins" may be considered by the devs like Jeff.
Then again, if I'm in the total minority, PLEASE IGNORE THIS LONG WINDED POST... and go by the what the majority wants. mrdotsgames having a long successful future... is more important that any one personal taste... including mine.
Cheers all... and everyone keep on enjoying things the way you want it... because that's all we can do in life.