Karl Speidel
First of all, let me address the lengthy review you've posted as there are few pieces worth talking about. I'll go in order to make it more coherent.
The skill tree, it's surely possible to do in RPG MV. I've seen it work in few games and it makes sense. I think it would be a fine addition and could be an alternative way to spend energy points (the currency you get from defeating enemies or doing quests). If I had to think of skill categories I'd probably do some skills for each weapon mastery/magic. This is something I could surely explore and I think it would be a fine addition to the gameplay and provide some more character development.
Ah the item system, I agree it could use some work and it's something I have worked on in parallel to the V4.5 version. Given their randomized nature you can easily end up with some trash or crazy weapons. The way I want to solve this problem is to introduce weapon rarities, so not only the player would know that the weapons is worth keeping around simply by its icon and their variance could be more kept in check. Apart from that I want to get rid of some affixes or change how they work. The nonsensical nature of some of them is a result of me not fully understanding how they would interact with each other or sometimes it would be a matter of something that looks good on paper but fails practically. Anyways, item suffix and prefix system is on my radar for some time already and will be changed in the future.
When it comes to getting the items from anywhere else than treasure chests, I'll be including some vendors in the villages the player character will reach after progressing the plot.
Now on the nemesis system. After working on it for a lot of time, making really big progress from what once used to be, basically rewriting how it works and introducing about more than 60 effects, seeing that it's still considered barebones feels like a slap in the face
. Yes, the skills are chosed at random, depending on the amount of levels the player is drained. Yes, it can create an enemy that is busted as it isn't exactly supposed to be fair, it is supposed to introduce some unpredictability to the standard gameplay and I think it does so well. Even if you create an enemy that you cannot damage with physical skills or one that has crazy hp regen you can still use items like Sacred Cross to either de-level them or kill them. As for the exclusive skills, saying that they are all stat boosters is just plain wrong. Legion and Slime ones have them start with allies, Peacemaker/Peacekeeper have the player entagled at the start of the battle, Amazon grants a chance of an additional move in a turn, Cultivator has the dryad start the battle with additional plants, Pollinator starts the battle in a pollen of mist, Enforcer has the Manipulatrix skills improved giving her a chance to burn on a attack and faster shrinking capabilities, Assasin and Procreator increase subsequent "cum outputs" of the Pacifier or the Dryad that in turn influence their other skills. Yes, some of them only give stats, increase fetish damage or provide life draining capabilites like Noble, Mesmeratrix or Sentinel, but that's only because I didn't have an idea of the effect I want to give them and doesn't mean that they won't change in the future. I'm not sure about your take regarding the spare option, it's there for the people that don't want to kill their nemesis when they defeat them and want to keep them around for the future.
Your suggestions regarding the enemy variety would make sense if the game was made in a 3d setting and would work on 3d models instead of using 2d renders. In the the engine I use, which is rpgmaker mv adding seemingly small details like this would take a fucking lot of effort if I wanted to keep the enemy appearance consistent with the scenes. Changing hairstyles, enemy colour, shape etc would require me to re-render all of the scenes for each variant and create conditional branches for each of them. This would also cause the game size to literally skyrocket.
Generally your review is a solid piece of feedback, apart from the fact that you give me the impression that you have no idea how the game development in RPGMaker MV looks like, which is fine, you don't need to have game developing knowledge to have an opinion. That causes you to throw in ideas out of your sleeve like implemeting them in a proper fashion would take and hour or two at best. Sure, I could introduce item/weapon/armor/accessory enchanting, creating, infusing with runes, make them suck your cock etc. but it all takes time I could spend working on other parts of the game. Not sure if you know or care, but I'm doing this as a passion project, by myself, in my spare time after work, so my time is surely limited.
From what you've written in your review I get the notion that you somewhat liked my game and would look forward to see it prosper. You took the time and shared your opinions here which I appreciate and respect, however the way it was written (looking more like a rant post than anything) made me mostly upset and defensive at the time I read it. That most likely wasn't your intention, but be mindful. I'm safe to say that any dev doesn't like it when as a reward of putting X hours of creative and programming effort they get a pile of shit thrown in their face. I do not have any programming, graphical design or game dev background, I'm still learning and I make mistakes. Regardless of that, I'll make sure to keep your feedback in mind.
Also, I never said that my code was messy when talking about the skip feature, just that it doesn't really make it any easier to implement it.
Man, this one took longer than I expected, but it sure was a good opportunity to explain some existing stuff and changes for the future I got in mind.
Im glad you took the time to actually read the review,maybe you will implement any of those points,to which I stress I want credit if you implement my ideas,thats all,surely thats not too much,is it?
this was mostly a prototype so to say,as I only cover mostly theory on what should be added to objectively make the game better yet I didnt go into details on how or how it would work and you should understand that I dont say all should be implemented or immediatly,it takes time and even my suggestions change as I think more on the finer details or new ideas,if I had any modicum of certainty you would even listen to it I would have made it differently. Let me get it one step at a time to be coherent.
I can give you numerous examples of a skilltree not just being in a game,including RPGmaker,but actually being properly intregrated so it doesnt feel off,now there are many ways to go around on implementing it,will it be focused on passives? Or new skills? Magical or physical? Will you spend just energy points or level up? Will you need a certain level or item to unlock certain parts? How will you balance it? Will synergy be a thing? Will it give the player the option to debuff enemies like they do to him? Maybe dominate them in a sexual way? Or grapple them? Will you be able to learn skills from different enemies? Or unlock the option to learn non related skills by defeating them? There are so many questions and I could guide you on how to do it,I was part of game projects before and despite "not knowing" how RPG maker works I do have experience with games.
Although I do like to a degree the randomized nature of items,it is difficult to properly implement as in: the items need to be balanced,to make sense in their stats and purpose (a sword I found or axe for example decreasing def and mdef and attack and endurance and boosting magic without giving a magic skill) While I dont argue for its removal,do be kind and fix it,in addition to this I would recommend implementing certain "fixed" items as in non randomized,who could be gotten from quest rewards (those should be a thing,and no,not just gold) or rare drops from enemies or from bosses,just from chests and even then they are very random,also can chests be changed aswell? Since you add rarities so should there ne to accomodate that be different kinds of chests.
Adding just different rarities would not fix the problem if thats what you are thinking,sure your going to say that adding non random items would "take lots of time" but Im saying a mixed system,in addition to this the way items currently work is problematic,just a simple item with a few stat boosts and maybe just maybe a skill? In addition to not having any icons or descriptions,I like alot a system that works as this to oversimplyfy it: items are non-random,they have properties but they are valuable in that they teach skills,both active and passive,you have limited points you can assign and each passive skill costs a certain amount to equip,those can vary but the basic fact is that they should be meaninfull not 1000X +1 or +2 and so on to DEF. Those teachable skills would be mastered after a certain amount of uses and would fit in well with the skilltree. You can add certain weapons having certain effectiveness boost to them,like 100% more effective against slimes.
Now if you got offended thats simply not my problem,truth doesnt care about your feelings,I assesed how it CURRENTLY works and I pointed out why it doesnt work and how to,again I can go more into details in private if you decide to even consider it,the way you interpreted it is wrong,always theres flaws in something,no matter what,if you love and do it for passion in free time as you claim,you wouldn't take offense but actively work on how to improve it,or are you looking just for yesmen? That would result in negative growth for your pet project. Accept constructive criticism,it is not meant to roast you on your current mistakes.
No most of them and I repeat do only passive boosts,all of them boost max hp and stats in addition to maybe a small filler thing,scarlet cross doesnt work on nemesis who have the buff that makes them immune,that usually is very common for them,those passives that makes them spawn with allies dont work on as late as version 4.5.2,4.5.3 doesnt mention anything about fixing it either,the silver version doesnt,the gold one is very random as sometimes they spawn with 1 up to 4 companions,those I have to mention are very weak and I never had a problem dispatching them so whats the point of that? Its true its not just a passive,its downright useless as it is now,in addition to being broken.
Not just crazy hp but also healing for every sexual move,life vortex,usualyl they stack in such a way its impossible to keep up the damage with their regen and thats assuming you dont get grappled which can result in them being back to 100% hp, " Peacemaker/Peacekeeper " havent encountered yet,being entangled doesnt sound worthy of being a main nemesis perk,amazon as I remember it doesnt work like that,giving an extra turn but even so the chance was quite small (15% I believe) and one more turn doesnt sound fun,only a chore,if its paired with other broken passives its game breaking, and giving maybe an extra turn is a passive,additional plants that are weak AF and can easily be dealt with,those extra enemies are not useful to anyone in ANY capacity,maybe if they were more buffed or resilient but its gonna take alot of time to balance,so why arent you worried here about losing time in development?
" Enforcer has the Manipulatrix skills improved giving her a chance to burn on a attack and faster shrinking capabilities, " I have messed around alot with Manipulatrix and others,enforcer doesnt mention faster shrinking capabilities,aswell as how the AI works right now,they dont use the shrinking one at all,I maybe got one to do it out of 50 or more encounters,yes I tested it,they have a reluctance to do so. The burn is pretty weak and not all that interesting,surely replacing it with a debuff would be better.
" Assasin and Procreator increase subsequent "cum outputs" of the Pacifier or the Dryad that in turn influence their other skills. " alot of words to just say it makes them more likely to use futa moves.
What are you so confused about sparing? My opinion was more than crystal clear,theres absolutely no reason to spare them,ESPECIALLY if they can be randomly resurrected by the nemesis patreon (or whats she called),give an benefit maybe like extra XP or something else theres no point.
Regarding varities of enemies,I said it as a suggestion that MIGHT be implemented in the FUTURE,you changed PC and engine/software once,you might do it again,even if not my job is to suggest a good idea to make the game better,cause I care,your job is to listen,not implement but atleast listen and consider it with an open mind,not biased by any personal animosity,as my review was and thankfully you got it,was made with clear objective to make the game better for players,if I wanted to "rant" or roast the game I have plenty of topics to talk about,granted its not finished which is why Im understanding of the chaotic and messy system,progress which you make in renders is promising,about game mechanics Im wondering since few games care about having both good art and gameplay.
" apart from the fact that you give me the impression that you have no idea how the game development in RPGMaker MV looks like " I never worked on RPG maker,not that I cant but I consider it a fool's errand,it has many flaws and correctly,90% of the community here bashes it,though its not only the engine at fault,even so my suggestions were mainly aimed at mechanics in theory,in practice as I said I havent gotten in yet,as for coding part thats not my area of expertice nor should I tell you how to do that,what was the point I dont know,to discredit or to assert a certain sense of superiority for my correct criticism of the nemesis system and other mechanics? I hope not,that would be petty and lame.
" That causes you to throw in ideas out of your sleeve like implemeting them in a proper fashion would take and hour or two at best. " This is it again what is the point of it? Its wrong assesment and downright twisting of my words,it is insulting,I have proposed ideas,in a short,simplified and coherent manner that you MIGHT or not,read,which you did and those are not deadlines for those to be imlemented immediatly,which is vaguely like a rant...
" I get the notion that you somewhat liked my game and would look forward to see it prosper " Oh really? I wouldn;t bother to post a review if I hated the game,usually dumbster fires on this site sink by themselves,no need for any "hate" from players nor get abandoned as the milking was succesful.
" made me mostly upset and defensive at the time I read it. " and here is the proof if anyone needs it,you did not hide this at all,every part of your "response" is more like a rant than my review,Im not sorry and I wont apologize,I dont regret it at all,I havent written at rant and I havent had the intention to offende you,if constructive criticism is making you offended then idk how to tell you man but thats what reviews are for,not yesmen 5 star spam.Maybe you by the time you see my response,have cooled off your head and we can seriously talk about the game in the future (Yes I will post reviews and ideas as it develops,this is not a one time thing) and have decent if not friendly dialogue here and on discord,which I joined recently (the rift between what is here and there is huge)
Too time from my side aswell and I hope you read every part and man,stop being so defensive about it,if thats the case how do you manage people actually hating on you in real life and here?
Until next time,Cheers.
