If the variables don't matter (or mostly don't matter), that's effectively the same as isolating or scrapping it. It's just semantics at that point.
It's true that you can simply ignore the variables, or just use some of them if you feel like it, but I feel like Crush wouldn't want that (and people might be angry that their completely crucial choice to play bass in their teen years isn't reflected when whoring out /s)
But the problem comes mostly from a design perspective, since you have 2 choices:
- You write a scene, mostly set in stone, and mostly just one path. As you write it, you decide on alternate paths, and just check in your "library" to see if you can use any of the already preset variables. This is like knowing you want to build a certain desk, and you use certain tools in your toolbox. You don't need to use all of them.
- You want to write a scene, and need to consider every variation according to all the previous variables. All in this context doesn't necessarily mean every single choice (that is beyond unmanageable), but all that could affect the scene somehow (if she gets asked about her hobbies, that's a lot of variations). This is like having to build a desk, but having to make it work for every person of every age, height, size, and that it fits in every possible room.
Option 1 builds a desk that fits some people, and will likely do so in a timely and efficient manner. Option 2 might manage to build a desk eventually, that fits everyone very well. If you're lucky.
(Addressing both quotes together) I didn't say they won't matter or won't be used. I'm just saying they won't be used in every scene, like how I pointed out in the second paragraph.
That said, I also think a lot of these variables aren't going to be dramatically game-changing. I think they might just be a repository for, say, conversation topics, or things to notice if out "exploring", or whatever. Like, say you're exploring a market. You have 200 French XP, 400 Bass Guitar XP. Game does a random roll to determine which skill it references. It picks Bass. You get a flavour text snippet about noticing a Bass guitar on a market stall. If you had more XP, you may have noticed it was an especially expensive brand. You have even more XP, you notice it's a very good knock-off of a very expensive brand. And then "But that's not what you're here for, You're on the look out for Guy Incognito blah blah."
Not that I'm saying none of these will be useful in missions in some way. Like, say you're chatting to a client before sex. The game picks out some random topics. If you happen to have skill in any of them, the client's opinion of you improves, which may lead to a bigger tip/developing a rapport with them/getting intel out of them/some other bonus I don't know because we know frustratingly little about how Bangkok is even going to work. But, it could apply to a lot of traits, scenes, and outcomes. A client may be more aggressive with you because you sound like a posh girl. Another may actually prefer inexperienced girls, which you can pretend to be if you're a good actor, or... just plain inexperienced.
To add - I am expecting Bangkok to be arranged more like a "Hub" world comparable to something like
Life Choices where you have options to do different things and encounter a lot of repeating events (hence the procedural sex engine), interspersed with more complex "story" missions.
There, I would definitely expect the use of more unusual skills for major different paths or outcomes. If the game was going to be a linear story then yeah, I wouldn't expect anywhere near the amount of skills added on because the game wouldn't need it. I am expecting to have to repeat a few "base" activities and am expecting the points picked up on LifePath to give us a few ways to vary those scenes up each time, but in ways unique to the characters we created.