Thanks for detailed response, I'll try to answer to some major stuff.
Look, I agree with the other player's comment about “the game being more torturing than entertaining.” I’ve been playing it all day, and so far I haven’t been able to progress with the characters or unlock any scenes. I repeat the actions, visit the locations, but nothing in the game moves forward. It’s a game with great potential to be successful and to become an excellent game.
If you've reached blowjob content with Arty, I could only suggest that you devoted to him while playing. Once this happens - this means that high level content for all other characters gets locked, you won't get anything except peeking/kissing/groping scenes with others, that's the first moment. That's why I suggest saving before doing so. Second - for now there is plenty of content only with Viktor and Arty (check for hearts, if desire is 5/5 or 6/6 - it means no more progress for this character available for now), most of other characters barely have only starting content with teasing.
My first criticism is the fact that the player has to always keep the performance, devotion, trust, and persuasion stats high; otherwise, the character becomes a prostitute or the game ends. What do you mean by that?
If the game is porn, the character should indeed have the option to become a prostitute without the game ending because of it.
This is not that kind of game, it is not called 'Devotion' for nothing, that was my initial idea for the project. It doesn't necessarily mean it's a good idea, but I go along with it, otherwise the development of relations with characters should've been done differently. You could've just seduced them right from the start and get sex everywhere, but there are plenty of those games already out there (basically every game with female character is a slut simulator). If my concept makes this game for you a dating sim instead of porn game - I'll accept it.
Regarding stats, devotion is not a problem before you devote, it won't fall, you could rise everyone's relations and desire to pre-devotion level, make a save and then explore each character one by one. Persuasion is needed solely for extra options for quests, you can complete them without persuasion with money or making lewd stuff. Performance is the only stat that actually drops through time, but it's going very slow, and even if you drop to the bottom, I added like 7 days for MC to get it back up, so it's basically 1 day at school with all classes and those 7 days will reset.
My second criticism is the delay in interactions between the characters, which makes the game very boring, because the player must repeat actions and interactions over and over again just to barely progress in the objectives. Progress in the game is almost nonexistent, to be honest. The same happens when trying to build the performance, devotion, trust, and persuasion stats. This is very frustrating. There need to be more options to increase the character’s stats. Progression and achievements in the game also need to happen faster, with clearer hints about what needs to be done.
Regarding progression, don't forget to check if the relations are red, you also can boost it faster till red state if you utilize giving gifts. If I'm not mistaken 3 gifts is almost a guarantee to up relations till red state. Then look for the event to progress.
Regarding extra options for upping the stats, you are raising performance not just by visiting classes, but also by doing homework, and helping anybody with their homework (Arty, Danny, Tim). Persuasion is indeed raised only through education videos, but I think I'll add some story related raising also, and also while using persuasion.
My third criticism is that the game still has bugs that haven’t been fixed, such as the church bug, where the game freezes and needs to be restarted. The same bug happens at the slot machine and during interactions with characters at the supermarket. Another bug I found was in the scene where the character gives Art a blowjob at school—after the scene ends, the character is automatically sent back home.
That's right, bugs happen to appear each update, that's why I tend to have plenty of hotfixes for this project. I encourage players to help me out and report if they find something, I'm always trying to fix it right away. For instance you've told be something is wrong with church, I justed checked it, found out the issue and fixed it. Also, if you ever get stuck, there is an Emergency button at Options tab (Gears icon), press it and you'll be transfered to safe place and you won't need to load.
Unfortunately with some of the bugs I need extra help, for instance I couldn't reproduce the one you mentioned with the Slot Machine and the characters in the supermarket, if you remember what characters specifically, I could recheck. With Arty I fixed few scenes after the release, so next time everything should be fine.
My fourth and final criticism is the game’s design, because the screen displays too much unnecessary information, leaving very little space for the video display. I think the developer should consider making a more minimalist design by removing the background frame that looks like a tablet, so the screen can be fully utilized. The sidebars take up too much space—just the right sidebar takes up about 30% of the screen. It’s way too big. The sidebars and bottom bar don’t leave enough room for the player to properly enjoy the videos.
You're the first one who brought up game design, UI being too big and the video display being too small (expect for few people who just called it awful). The issue with UI that most of that info is still needed, and if I make it smaller, I'll then need to make the font smaller so it would fit inside, I'm afraid it could become unreadable. Also it could fuck up the UI for individuals with unsual screen resolutions. And I'm not even talking about the pain in the ass that readjusting UI usually brings. So I'll tell you that, if I ever get enough complains about it - I'll think of something, particularly making screen bigger at least and maybe doing something with background frame like you proposed.
These are my negative criticisms of the game, but they are constructive criticisms, because the game has a lot of potential to be great—maybe even one of the best games on F95Zone. I just think the developer needs to take into account that he’s not making a game for himself, but for the audience.
You're spot on regarding me making game for myself. Maybe thats the main problem, I'm used to playing to games like this, and spent countless hours in them, that's why I decided to make one myself. Of course mine is a little different because of the main concept, I decided not to follow the main trope - the MC is a slut and gets fucked every step of the way. That's why it's indeed more like a dating sim and not at the same time. Also me making game for myself doesn't allow me to work with all the fetishes there are, only the one that I prefer. So yeah, plenty of problems, anyway, thanks for the time in the game and here with all the tips. Can't guarantee anything yet, only that I read the complains and take them into consideration.
The grinding doesn't bother me that much. The only time it bothered me in this game is when I put so much effort into my BROTHER, who's not my BROTHER, but my "roommate", only to hit a bug loop that I can't escape from.
The thing that does bother me is my FATHER being called my "landlord" and my BROTHER being called my "roommate" and having no way to change it. I get it, everyone is scared of patreons brown shirts coming after them, but it still annoys me.
Sorry Dev, it's not you I'm annoyed at, your game is good other than the "landlord/roommate" thing. If it wasn't for that, it would be getting 5 stars from me.
Sorry regarding the roommates and landlords, it's the company policy. Even if they are not related by blood via story and it's step-someone - it's still not safe to even suggest, so I'm not taking a risk.
Regarding loops - tell me which one is it and I'll fix it, and also don't forget that there is Emergency button to escape.
