- Thread starter NeonGhosts
- Start date
While I'm not big fan of harems. Unless it was with multiple close friends and said women are close with one another as well as it was the women's idea to form said harem because they all care for the guy / MC. Because otherwise there wouldn't be that much romance even if everyone agreed. Because if it was said guy / MC 's idea the harem usually comes across as him wanting to be a manwhore and a harem without any romantic feeling from both sides feels pointless to me.
Why I think it's better for the women to form said harems instead off the guy / MC is because it can come across more forced and would eventually to lead to drama or some not being happy if was the guy / MC's idea. While the same can be true if was the women's idea to form it with the guy / MC the difference to me is it feels like said women in the harem actually want it and to be with the same guy / MC instead of the guy wanting it for sexual desire. Because even if said guy does have feelings more than sexual desire with all the girls when it's the guy / MC that makes the harem it usually comes across more as a way to fulfill his sexual his desire instead of the guy / MC having romantic feeling.
Why I think it's better for the women to form said harems instead off the guy / MC is because it can come across more forced and would eventually to lead to drama or some not being happy if was the guy / MC's idea. While the same can be true if was the women's idea to form it with the guy / MC the difference to me is it feels like said women in the harem actually want it and to be with the same guy / MC instead of the guy wanting it for sexual desire. Because even if said guy does have feelings more than sexual desire with all the girls when it's the guy / MC that makes the harem it usually comes across more as a way to fulfill his sexual his desire instead of the guy / MC having romantic feeling.
- Oct 10, 2022
- 4,349
- 7,723
Here's a thought? What if they will be happy without you? Would you gracefully bow out or would you still try to get in even though it makes them less happy?
Would you be happy for them even if it does not make you happy? Do you love them that much?
- Mar 25, 2021
- 8,680
- 18,717
Damn that is a tough questionHere's a thought? What if they will be happy without you? Would you gracefully bow out or would you still try to get in even though it makes them less happy?
Would you be happy for them even if it does not make you happy? Do you love them that much?
I would like to think if I was in that situation I would say yes
But I don't know
I think the guilt would make me leave them alone
Because I know I would feel like garbage seeing them unhappy if I was the cause of it
- Nov 1, 2017
- 4,391
- 9,449
Harem games aren't realistic, but neither are NTR games, femdom games, incest games, corruption games, or any of the other fantasies people enjoy in games like this. Friends in Need is not an exception to this. Games have a certain conceit, a compact that is made between the creator and the audience, to indulge in a certain fiction for the purpose of enjoyment. This is the ride, you can either get on board or get left on the curb. Friends in Need has for the most part taken a path of verisimilitude, not really trying to conceal that Guy is an "everyman" character. It's right there in the name. He's just a guy. That is central to his appeal. While we are rooting for Guy's success, we don't want it to be so easy. So far the game has a good balance of creating tension between the characters.
Introducing the conceit of your average harem game isn't going to improve the game and might be too absurd for the audience to accept. It will break the compact that was built between the author and the audience. When I am teaching creative writing I instruct that building this compact is the most important portion of a story. Your audience will accept a great deal of absurdity just as long as they know that is the deal. They will even accept bad plots, bad scenes, bad characters, and nonsensical ass pulls, just as long as it is in service of honoring the deal that was silently made when you began the story. Most of the failures in popular entertainment recently have been the result of breaking the deal.
So to sum it up, how many girls Guy ends up with at the end isn't as important as having each individual story reaching a conclusion that is right for that individual character. The compact that was built wasn't "watch this guy get a lot of girlfriends" it was rather that each of the girls (and the boy) have a goal to reach or a problem to solve. Guy is going to help them do it, and maybe help himself along the way. Maybe he will help himself to a little too much. So that is the journey we are on and it is bound to be more satisfying if the conclusions are somewhat unexpected, yet predictable in hindsight. That is what delights an audience. If they all fall in love with him or they all get together and take him to the cops those are conclusions that are bound to be equally unsatisfying. So let's keep going and see what happens.
Introducing the conceit of your average harem game isn't going to improve the game and might be too absurd for the audience to accept. It will break the compact that was built between the author and the audience. When I am teaching creative writing I instruct that building this compact is the most important portion of a story. Your audience will accept a great deal of absurdity just as long as they know that is the deal. They will even accept bad plots, bad scenes, bad characters, and nonsensical ass pulls, just as long as it is in service of honoring the deal that was silently made when you began the story. Most of the failures in popular entertainment recently have been the result of breaking the deal.
So to sum it up, how many girls Guy ends up with at the end isn't as important as having each individual story reaching a conclusion that is right for that individual character. The compact that was built wasn't "watch this guy get a lot of girlfriends" it was rather that each of the girls (and the boy) have a goal to reach or a problem to solve. Guy is going to help them do it, and maybe help himself along the way. Maybe he will help himself to a little too much. So that is the journey we are on and it is bound to be more satisfying if the conclusions are somewhat unexpected, yet predictable in hindsight. That is what delights an audience. If they all fall in love with him or they all get together and take him to the cops those are conclusions that are bound to be equally unsatisfying. So let's keep going and see what happens.
- Oct 10, 2022
- 4,349
- 7,723
- Aug 5, 2016
- 4,736
- 12,800
NTR or Cheating is realistic because cheating happens everyday.
Femdom is a kink, there are people into it like others are into whatever.
Corruption can be grooming or fucking your way up into your work place.
Harem, are you an oil prince or a mormon?
Incest, are you from Alabama?
- Oct 5, 2017
- 7,356
- 9,719
You can think whatever the fuck you want, it doesn't make it true. Polyromantic relationships are and will continue to be a thing regardless of your opinion on the matter. You think the girls that he cares about, who care about him, who he's helped out when they really needed help, are going to tell him to fuck off because they aren't the only one he cares about? And you are claiming realism?
- Aug 5, 2016
- 4,736
- 12,800
Gotta start helping the community like Guy. It's a stairway to Harem Heaven boys!
Speaking seriously I don't have anything against harem games. Just make it believable like i.e Desert Stalker.
On the other hand I think Neon has more than enough work with the routes already present in the game.
I would say he has too much work. 4 or 5 girls with several routes is too much for the average dev.
How many does FiN have?
Speaking seriously I don't have anything against harem games. Just make it believable like i.e Desert Stalker.
On the other hand I think Neon has more than enough work with the routes already present in the game.
I would say he has too much work. 4 or 5 girls with several routes is too much for the average dev.
How many does FiN have?
Last edited:
Hold your mouse over the username of the account you want to 'block'. A pop-up box will appear. In that box click on the word 'Ignore'no disrespect to you, but how do I block a account in here?
- Nov 1, 2017
- 4,391
- 9,449
I didn't propose that the games are not realistic because the events never happen. I merely unpacked that they unfold in an unrealistic fashion. Often sanitized for consumption. For example, cases of incest, grooming, corruption, are often horrific and sickening rather than sexy so they need to be altered to appeal to the conventions of the kink. NTR needs to be repackaged from a tragedy into a comedy. Femdom often needs to create some kind of malefic all powerful matriarchial structure that doesn't exist. Harem, as mentioned, needs to make essential modifications to the basic needs that both men and women have in a relationship. Keep in mind, these conceits are a feature rather than a bug. They are part of the artifice, and their artificiality is what makes them entertaining.
- Aug 5, 2016
- 4,736
- 12,800
You're right about the romanticization of kinks and themes in most avns, even if there are some crude exceptions. Still you can make believable scenarios from scratch for almost everything.
In example you play as a rich and young dude collecting instagram thots for your Harem. They're with the MC for the money but eh, It's a Harem afer all.
Harem doesn't work in FiN because it was never intended to be a Harem game. The girls and women in the game won't share, maybe a threesome here and there with the most adventurous but that is.
- Dec 30, 2020
- 420
- 1,940
I might argue that FiN does incorporate a kind of harem, just not the typical (and in my opinion deeply boring) romantic type. If the MC has a collection of women all providing him sexual favors, all indebted to him and willing to take his direction...that could be construed as a type of harem I suppose. Doesn't require them to be romantic with each other, or even the MC. Frankly, it's the type of 'harem' I'd prefer to see more of.
- Mar 25, 2021
- 8,680
- 18,717
I'm actually the opposite
I love romance
I don't even like it when the mc in these games calls a girl a whore or stuff like that.
Anyway
Is everyone else excited about going glasses shopping with Mason in the next update?
I'm going to pretend it's a date
Just you wait Mason, I'll take you on a nice romantic date eventually
The date will of course include handholding and lots of kisses
About harems I honestly don't like them
But I'll play almost anything if something I don't like is avoidable
I love romance
I don't even like it when the mc in these games calls a girl a whore or stuff like that.
Anyway
Is everyone else excited about going glasses shopping with Mason in the next update?
I'm going to pretend it's a date
Just you wait Mason, I'll take you on a nice romantic date eventually
The date will of course include handholding and lots of kisses
About harems I honestly don't like them
But I'll play almost anything if something I don't like is avoidable
Last edited:
- Dec 4, 2022
- 1,631
- 4,496
I think it's pointless arguing the Harem topic, it's beating a dead horse at this point. We know there won't be a romantic harem ending, at least not until after the game is complete, since it was mentioned maybe a bonus ending would be added afterwards.
We also know there will be romantic POLY endings, with like 2 or 3 girls, I doubt it will go beyond that considering the characters available. I'd say a poly relationship with 4 would be hopeful, and I'm struggling to think which 4 girls within the confines of the story so far would be willing to potentially partake in that sort of relationship. The only ones I can think of are Nicki, Mason, and likely Viola too. Some other potential but less likely candidates being Ashe and Brittani.
I get the feeling Gabby, Carolina, Madison, and Pepper are super unlikely to want a poly relationship, at least a romantic one. (Although Gabby and Viola throuple could be a thing... maybe) As far as Alex, Wren, Risa or Cassie go, we don't know much so no point in speculating on those four.
I think my dream poly ending would be, Nicki, Ashe, Mason, and Cassie. Since Ashe isn't likely though, I would settle for the other three.
We also know there will be romantic POLY endings, with like 2 or 3 girls, I doubt it will go beyond that considering the characters available. I'd say a poly relationship with 4 would be hopeful, and I'm struggling to think which 4 girls within the confines of the story so far would be willing to potentially partake in that sort of relationship. The only ones I can think of are Nicki, Mason, and likely Viola too. Some other potential but less likely candidates being Ashe and Brittani.
I get the feeling Gabby, Carolina, Madison, and Pepper are super unlikely to want a poly relationship, at least a romantic one. (Although Gabby and Viola throuple could be a thing... maybe) As far as Alex, Wren, Risa or Cassie go, we don't know much so no point in speculating on those four.
I think my dream poly ending would be, Nicki, Ashe, Mason, and Cassie. Since Ashe isn't likely though, I would settle for the other three.
- Mar 25, 2021
- 8,680
- 18,717
Honestly, I'll be happy as long as I get romantic monogamous endings for Mason & NickiI think it's pointless arguing the Harem topic, it's beating a dead horse at this point. We know there won't be a romantic harem ending, at least not until after the game is complete, since it was mentioned maybe a bonus ending would be added afterwards.
We also know there will be romantic POLY endings, with like 2 or 3 girls, I doubt it will go beyond that considering the characters available. I'd say a poly relationship with 4 would be hopeful, and I'm struggling to think which 4 girls within the confines of the story so far would be willing to potentially partake in that sort of relationship. The only ones I can think of are Nicki, Mason, and likely Viola too, some other potential but less likely candidates being Ashe and Brittani.
I get the feeling Gabby, Carolina, Madison, and Pepper are super unlikely to want a poly relationship, at least a romantic one. (Although Gabby and Viola throuple could be a thing... maybe) As far as Alex, Wren, Risa or Cassie go, we don't know much so no point in speculating on those four.
I think my dream poly ending would be, Nicki, Ashe, Mason, and Cassie. Since Ashe isn't likely though, I would settle for the other three.
Same here Joshy the only way I think I would actually want to play a harem if it was romantic and all the girls in it wanted to form a romantic harem with you instead of the MC trying to make said harem. But sometimes I will still play harem games just for the story and characters even if I don't like the idea of it.
- Dec 4, 2022
- 1,631
- 4,496
Well, I guess you'll be very happy then since that's a no brainer.
- Dec 1, 2017
- 471
- 793
For the record, I'm not advocating for a harem ending in this game. I don't think it would work based on the premise.
HOWEVER, all of the things you listed are more common than you suggest. They just aren't publicized because they are taboo most places in this day and age. Things like harems, grooming and incest have not gone away simply because they are frowned upon. They are just hidden now to avoid public backlash.
There are enough news stories of people going to jail for grooming and incest and stories of sex cults (modern day harems in my mind) to know these things do still exist, because the desire for them still exists in the minds of many.