Drama in adult game?

[Max Craving]

Hi! I develop a game now, and I made up a storyline. It's gonna be a thriller story with sister corruption, and I think to add drama elements to it, like main character thoughts of what's happening. If you played Max Payne 2, it's pretty much the simillar thing. In some plot points, I think to add main character thinking about what's happening to her. So, I'm curious – how would you relate to this thing? You like this idea? Or you will not even play this, as soon as you see hero's thoughts and confusion? Or you will be okay with it, as long as it isn't necessary to watch this dramatic scenes, and it can be skipped?

 

[Max Craving]

Also, I'd want to find out how many drama is acceptable for you. Would you like just a couple of that moments? Or maybe you'll enjoy even if the whole game would've built around this? I want to know your opinion, because you are the ones, who will play this, and it will be better, if I will know your thoughts about it before I built all this.

 

[Rastafoo]

Games like that already exist on this site and beyond - they're just unpopular because drama cuts against player agency.

 

[Max Craving]

Games like that already exist on this site and beyond - they're just unpopular because drama cuts against player agency.

That's interesting. What do you mean by player agency?

 

[St. Valadeez_Jade]

Hi! I develop a game now, and I made up a storyline. It's gonna be a thriller story with sister corruption, and I think to add drama elements to it, like main character thoughts of what's happening. If you played Max Payne 2, it's pretty much the simillar thing. In some plot points, I think to add main character thinking about what's happening to her. So, I'm curious – how would you relate to this thing? You like this idea? Or you will not even play this, as soon as you see hero's thoughts and confusion? Or you will be okay with it, as long as it isn't necessary to watch this dramatic scenes, and it can be skipped?

Personally, I enjoyed Max Payne and how his relationship was With mona sax they both hated, despise each other but also cared for and loved each other for max it was never cheating having a relationship with mona so if their drama involving self-reflection of the character upon how exactly the counterpart of the particular relationship thinks, it's definitely worth a spin as it's better if a relationship grows smoothly and mature over time rather than being rushed into sex and kinky stuff plus lovemaking is better than empty sex anyway.
You Should Really Create such Game, Looking Forward to it

 

[Exu]

It depends of the game in question but I enjoy drama as a tool to develop and humanize characters and make me care about them and their stories. I don't mind drama as a central theme or even being the core of a story but the thing about it is... it must be good drama. And by that I mean, for me it has to be logical, coherent, credible, and you also have to be careful to not break the suspension of disbelief, and thus, inmersion.

Just to give a well-know example, good drama (along with polyamory) was what I loved about Acting Lessons, and many people loved it too. But then, cheap drama (I don't wanna raise controversy, but... unpopular opinion incoming!) drove me away from it. But also, the fact that drama disrupted the polyamory premise. I didn't finish it and I intend to keep my gameplay that way: unfinished.

You see, as I see it, when you make a plot, start a game and set a context and a theme, you are making promises to the player, explicit and implicit ones such as: This game is partly light-hearted. But in this game ugly but plausible things can happen. This game is letting you choose even in a trivial situation between option A, option B, option C [both A and B] and option D [None]. This game takes in consideration what you choose and your choices impact the plot.

You need to be coherent about the explicit promises you make, be aware too about the implicit promises between the lines in case you do not want to give them for granted (And, in that case, get rid of them)... And then you should aim to fulfill your side of the contract. Is hard, but again, writing a good story is hard, especially when you try to mix naturally disharmonius themes such as tragedy and fapping. If you don't deliver what you promised, you risk players feeling sorta betrayed and that is sorta bad, unless that was exactly what you intended in the first place.

Also, be aware, 'reality surpasses fiction'. This is not just a saying, it's the fucking truth, and it has a reason to that. Coincidences are real, but you use it to solve a conflict in your story and, poof! suddenly is a deus ex machina and everyone recognizes it as cheap writing.
It's the same in reverse. You have a common story you can relate, with horrible but recognizable shit. Then, a calamity pops out of nowere, and it doesn't match the theme you presented. Boy, if you want to break inmersion it has to be a goddamn hell of a brilliant plot twist or you risk ending with 'Daenerys, Breaker of chains burning alive a city of innocent hostages when the battle is already won.' just because, fuck continuity, let's impact the audience in a way nobody expect.

To give you an example of what I mean: There's a game I enjoy, Alexandra. It doesn't give the player a lot of agency. It also has a Poly relationship with the main girl and her (girl)friend. And it's not really as dark in terms of gameplay as the premise is presented to us at the start of the game, or the themes and topics in it. I absolutely love the love interests the game offers you and I would hate them to be, I dunno, suddenly murdered. But I would not feel betrayed if that were to happen, even if it doesn't match with the current line of the plot, just because is a mafia themed game and because it begins with blood and violence.

But coming back to drama, and the game I put as example earlier, A LOT OF PEOPLE LOVED ACTING LESSONS TILL THE END and consider it a masterpiece, even if some others like me didn't want to even touch with a stick the next game by the dev when it came out. So, don't despair. Even widely disliked games have their faithful and loyal audience, and drama is fairly well-received in the adult game community, I think. More, at least than RPG games, anyways. ;P

 

[Rastafoo]

That's interesting. What do you mean by player agency?

Player Agency = Player feeling of freedom and impact on the world.

A game with great player agency is Young Wife Souffle. You can play the ENTIRE GAME never having sex, or you can let yourself be corrupted. And even then, you walk around town and choose who you wish to interact with.

If you thirst for drama, go ahead! There are numerous side quests of people getting injured and hurt and you'd need to help them. A big point of drama is when the wife catches her husband in a brothel, which was super unexpected.

And if you're still not impressed, play treasure hunter Mai. That game has a very awesome story.

But that's just a basic RPG Maker Game. There are numerous Renpy games that pile on the drama even further. For example, Daddys Goodnight Kiss. In that one, you can literally discover that a girl you know is a satanist and that your wife is cheating on you and that your niece is a crackhead lmao.

Games with twists and turns in the plot already exist.

And if none of that impresses you and you want to say "I meant something darker, like Max Payne" - again I say, brush up on your h-games. I don't play them, but there are numerous horror and thriller VN's on this site already.

Brush up on these things if you want a successful game.

 

[Max Craving]

Personally, I enjoyed Max Payne and how his relationship was With mona sax they both hated, despise each other but also cared for and loved each other for max it was never cheating having a relationship with mona so if their drama involving self-reflection of the character upon how exactly the counterpart of the particular relationship thinks, it's definitely worth a spin as it's better if a relationship grows smoothly and mature over time rather than being rushed into sex and kinky stuff plus lovemaking is better than empty sex anyway.
You Should Really Create such Game, Looking Forward to it

Thanks! That's not exactly what I've planned, but partly, it is : ) Main character is going through some shit, but her lover will be still and quiet, if not counting the part where incest is bad, being judged etc.

 

[St. Valadeez_Jade]

That's interesting. What do you mean by player agency?

good to know anyway still interested in your game

 

[Ataios]

For me there is no clear yes or no answer to this question. I think drama can be a powerful narrative tool if it supports the sexy content. A mother torn between her family and her dominant lesbian lover might be a good example for a character enhanced by some drama elements. On the other hand the game should still focus on the adult content and therefore the drama should be related to it. Therefore no characters should die in car accidents or get cancer.

 

[Max Craving]

It depends of the game in question but I enjoy drama as a tool to develop and humanize characters and make me care about them and their stories. I don't mind drama as a central theme or even being the core of a story but the thing about it is... it must be good drama. And by that I mean, for me it has to be logical, coherent, credible, and you also have to be careful to not break the suspension of disbelief, and thus, inmersion.

Just to give a well-know example, good drama (along with polyamory) was what I loved about Acting Lessons, and many people loved it too. But then, cheap drama (I don't wanna raise controversy, but... unpopular opinion incoming!) drove me away from it. But also, the fact that drama disrupted the polyamory premise. I didn't finish it and I intend to keep my gameplay that way: unfinished.

You see, as I see it, when you make a plot, start a game and set a context and a theme, you are making promises to the player, explicit and implicit ones such as: This game is partly light-hearted. But in this game ugly but plausible things can happen. This game is letting you choose even in a trivial situation between option A, option B, option C [both A and B] and option D [None]. This game takes in consideration what you choose and your choices impact the plot.

You need to be coherent about the explicit promises you make, be aware too about the implicit promises between the lines in case you do not want to give them for granted (And, in that case, get rid of them)... And then you should aim to fulfill your side of the contract. Is hard, but again, writing a good story is hard, especially when you try to mix naturally disharmonius themes such as tragedy and fapping. If you don't deliver what you promised, you risk players feeling sorta betrayed and that is sorta bad, unless that was exactly what you intended in the first place.

Also, be aware, 'reality surpasses fiction'. This is not just a saying, it's the fucking truth, and it has a reason to that. Coincidences are real, but you use it to solve a conflict in your story and, poof! suddenly is a deus ex machina and everyone recognizes it as cheap writing.
It's the same in reverse. You have a common story you can relate, with horrible but recognizable shit. Then, a calamity pops out of nowere, and it doesn't match the theme you presented. Boy, if you want to break inmersion it has to be a goddamn hell of a brilliant plot twist or you risk ending with 'Daenerys, Breaker of chains burning alive a city of innocent hostages when the battle is already won.' just because, fuck continuity, let's impact the audience in a way nobody expect.

To give you an example of what I mean: There's a game I enjoy, Alexandra. It doesn't give the player a lot of agency. It also has a Poly relationship with the main girl and her (girl)friend. And it's not really as dark in terms of gameplay as the premise is presented to us at the start of the game, or the themes and topics in it. I absolutely love the love interests the game offers you and I would hate them to be, I dunno, suddenly murdered. But I would not feel betrayed if that were to happen, even if it doesn't match with the current line of the plot, just because is a mafia themed game and because it begins with blood and violence.

But coming back to drama, and the game I put as example earlier, A LOT OF PEOPLE LOVED ACTING LESSONS TILL THE END and consider it a masterpiece, even if some others like me didn't want to even touch with a stick the next game by the dev when it came out. So, don't despair. Even widely disliked games have their faithful and loyal audience, and drama is fairly well-received in the adult game community, I think. More, at least than RPG games, anyways. ;P

Thanks! Something to think about!

 

[Max Craving]

Player Agency = Player feeling of freedom and impact on the world.

A game with great player agency is Young Wife Souffle. You can play the ENTIRE GAME never having sex, or you can let yourself be corrupted. And even then, you walk around town and choose who you wish to interact with.

If you thirst for drama, go ahead! There are numerous side quests of people getting injured and hurt and you'd need to help them. A big point of drama is when the wife catches her husband in a brothel, which was super unexpected.

And if you're still not impressed, play treasure hunter Mai. That game has a very awesome story.

But that's just a basic RPG Maker Game. There are numerous Renpy games that pile on the drama even further. For example, Daddys Goodnight Kiss. In that one, you can literally discover that a girl you know is a satanist and that your wife is cheating on you and that your niece is a crackhead lmao.

Games with twists and turns in the plot already exist.

And if none of that impresses you and you want to say "I meant something darker, like Max Payne" - again I say, brush up on your h-games. I don't play them, but there are numerous horror and thriller VN's on this site already.

Brush up on these things if you want a successful game.

Understood. Thanks!

 

[vir_cotto]

I like the drama. What's the point of the game if there isn't one? You could make a kinetic novel then.

With that said, playing or not a particular game, for me, is more of a matter of fetishes. Some of them, if unskippable, are instant "NO" for me.

 

[Ataios]

As far as jealousy goes, drama is also necessary to keep a minimum level of realism. People catching their partners cheating will attack rather than join in an orgy. Anything else makes a game (or movie, comic, novel) ridiculous.

 

[Max Craving]

As far as jealousy goes, drama is also necessary to keep a minimum level of realism. People catching their partners cheating will attack rather than join in an orgy. Anything else makes a game (or movie, comic, novel) ridiculous.

There are different people, but mostly, yeah, I agree. I think, keeping reactions look like in real world, is better, than just create sexy stuff from someone's head. It's more immersing.

 

[Ataios]

There are different people, but mostly, yeah, I agree. I think, keeping reactions look like in real world, is better, than just create sexy stuff from someone's head. It's more immersing.

Yes, there are certainly swingers and polyamorous people, but they are a rather small minority. If the game is designed with a fetish for group sex in mind and the main characters as a swinging couple, it's fair enough to make them join in an orgy, but otherwise, any form of cheating will lead to drama and in most cases the end of a relationship.

 

[Max Craving]

Yes, there are certainly swingers and polyamorous people, but they are a rather small minority. If the game is designed with a fetish for group sex in mind and the main characters as a swinging couple, it's fair enough to make them join in an orgy, but otherwise, any form of cheating will lead to drama and in most cases the end of a relationship.

I agree. Or if a guy can handle women, he can reprogram her mind, but mostly yes, definitely : )

 

[Ataios]

I agree. Or if a guy can handle women, he can reprogram her mind, but mostly yes, definitely : )

I think if someone or something can mess with a woman's mind in that way it's a different form of drama though one limited to weak minded women. It could become especially painful if the woman has relatives (not the incest version) who are very unhappy about her condition. Imagine a son comming home from military service to find his mother with an empty-minded bimbo expression on her face in the doll house of a rich porn producer. He is angry and well trained in the use of various weapons...

 

[Max Craving]

I think if someone or something can mess with a woman's mind in that way it's a different form of drama though one limited to weak minded women. It could become especially painful if the woman has relatives (not the incest version) who are very unhappy about her condition. Imagine a son comming home from military service to find his mother with an empty-minded bimbo expression on her face in the doll house of a rich porn producer. He is angry and well trained in the use of various weapons...

I understand you. In that scenario, yes. But I meant something different. Like Lust and Power game, where main character is corrupting female characters. And drama is only about some specific parts of the game, not as a core of the game in general.