Others Hard Stuck [v0.4 EA 4] [floppystack]

[CaptainBipto]

You've played some antique version, have you?
Each floor theme introduces around 2 new enemies on average. With different animations. + what pumpkin?
I've barely hit bush floor theme in 0.4ea3- and I've seel 10ish species already.

Pretty sure the poster was referring to the limited cum storage when you start a new game, not the number of different enemies you can have sex with.

It is kind of limited on your very first run through the game, when you need to boost your str or add levels to gear or rings. 100-150 storage doesn't give you that much room to 'play around' on the levels when you are on your very first run.

 

[HylTin]

Pretty sure the poster was referring to the limited cum storage when you start a new game, not the number of different enemies you can have sex with.

It is kind of limited on your very first run through the game, when you need to boost your str or add levels to gear or rings. 100-150 storage doesn't give you that much room to 'play around' on the levels when you are on your very first run.

Even if some tryharder and nerds keep saying that the game is "easy/not difficult enough"... It in fact really is difficult when you are not an hard gamer nor an "absolutfanforlifeuntildeathanditisstillnotenough" of rogue like/strategy games or if you just want to play the game as it is: a game, and moreover a porn one. Just watch the comments, there are more people complaining about the difficulty rather than ease and it's exactly for this reason.

Much more than all the kinks and new scenes to come, voices change and so on... I really really hope that an "easy" mode will come in which you can much more enjoy the scenes and still enjoy this game mechanics without speaking about the gallery that is just for fap material. I (and I think I'm really not the only one) like to play a game (moreover a porn one) to chill without having brainstorm/headache each step.

 

[darkBlu]

Even if some tryharder and nerds keep saying that the game is "easy/not difficult enough"... It in fact really is difficult when you are not an hard gamer nor an "absolutfanforlifeuntildeathanditisstillnotenough" of rogue like/strategy games or if you just want to play the game as it is: a game, and moreover a porn one. Just watch the comments, there are more people complaining about the difficulty rather than ease and it's exactly for this reason.

Much more than all the kinks and new scenes to come, voices change and so on... I really really hope that an "easy" mode will come in which you can much more enjoy the scenes and still enjoy this game mechanics without speaking about the gallery that is just for fap material. I (and I think I'm really not the only one) like to play a game (moreover a porn one) to chill without having brainstorm/headache each step.

How do you enjoy the game mechanics without having them? The whole point of this being a turn-based roguelike is that the core mechanics are entirely about having to brainstorm your next move. Without that strategy, it would be the exact same thing as the gallery, but you have to travel to the scenes instead of just selecting them. Plus, the dev already has a hardcore mode because it was understood that the standard mode isn't actually that difficult, despite what you may think.

 

[HylTin]

How do you enjoy the game mechanics without having them? The whole point of this being a turn-based roguelike is that the core mechanics are entirely about having to brainstorm your next move. Without that strategy, it would be the exact same thing as the gallery, but you have to travel to the scenes instead of just selecting them. Plus, the dev already has a hardcore mode because it was understood that the standard mode isn't actually that difficult, despite what you may think.

So all is only black or white and that's it? Okay No need to go further, will not go back on what I said.

 

[darkBlu]

So all is only black or white and that's it? Okay No need to go further, will not go back on what I said.

Sorry, my question at the beginning wasn't rhetorical. I'm honestly curious, how do you make this easier without destroying the game part of this? If the player can just steamroll everything without having to think, its just a gallery with extra steps like most "games" on this site. While I definitely enjoy those types of games, sometimes it's nice to have an actual game like this. Which you said you agree with above, so I'm just trying to figure out what you like about this game if you don't enjoy what makes it a game.

 

[zmatrt]

Even if some tryharder and nerds keep saying that the game is "easy/not difficult enough"... It in fact really is difficult when you are not an hard gamer nor an "absolutfanforlifeuntildeathanditisstillnotenough" of rogue like/strategy games or if you just want to play the game as it is: a game, and moreover a porn one. Just watch the comments, there are more people complaining about the difficulty rather than ease and it's exactly for this reason.

I disagree, the only difficult thing about the game currently is that it's pretty bad at explaining how to play it. Figuring out two or three mechanics is more than enough to breeze through it in the current state.

I would agree with you if we were still talking about version 0.2 (the most solid version IMO).
But at the moment there are too many exploits available that can be figured out quickly.

The appeal of this game is that it has actual gameplay embedded to it, instead of being there as a mere excuse to consume porn, it's a rewarding experience this way. And the difficulty is not extreme like "Three Nurses" another game that I tried that I saw on this site. It's a breath of fresh air when 90% is RenPy or RPG Maker slop.

 

[HylTin]

Sorry, my question at the beginning wasn't rhetorical. I'm honestly curious, how do you make this easier without destroying the game part of this? If the player can just steamroll everything without having to think, its just a gallery with extra steps like most "games" on this site. While I definitely enjoy those types of games, sometimes it's nice to have an actual game like this. Which you said you agree with above, so I'm just trying to figure out what you like about this game if you don't enjoy what makes it a game.

Okay, I apologize too for the misunderstanding.

I do too enjoy games that are different than VN (particularly) and that's why I really enjoy this one. So we are in the same boat!

For the difficulty particularly, when you think that it's possible to make it harder why on the contrary it can be impossible to make it easier? The mechanic core itself isn't the problem (remember, I was just saying "as it is now")... Commercial games are able to do it so it's not impossible at all and there are so much possibility to do it.

The easiest way for the Dev' is to create a special mode in which objects apperance is increased aswell their statistics as the player stats while the mob stats are drastically decreased. Many games are already doing it (when you choose at the beginning of the game the "class/type/or wathever else" changing also the stats and also difficulty).
Maybe adding too some other powerfull stuff.
I don't remember in which version of the game but there was one where it was possible to buy at the vending machine healing and it was removed pretty quickly... Nope!

Also, as many games giving the opportunity to the player to choose himself his stats or work on an developpement tree (upgrading player skills without depending only on items you found randomly... or never...)

This are only the ideas I have without thinking about it, I'm sure there can be so much more! Aswell as making it harder (yeah, harder than the hardcore mode for the ones who like challenge).

 

[HylTin]

I disagree, the only difficult thing about the game currently is that it's pretty bad at explaining how to play it. Figuring out two or three mechanics is more than enough to breeze through it in the current state.

I would agree with you if we were still talking about version 0.2 (the most solid version IMO).
But at the moment there are too many exploits available that can be figured out quickly.

The appeal of this game is that it has actual gameplay embedded to it, instead of being there as a mere excuse to consume porn, it's a rewarding experience this way. And the difficulty is not extreme like "Three Nurses" another game that I tried that I saw on this site. It's a breath of fresh air when 90% is RenPy or RPG Maker slop.

And it's where "we" casual players doesn't agree with "nerds"... There is something to understand: Everybody doesn't like challenge and everybody doesn't want to play a porn game as they are playing any other game (without speaking for the ones who only wants fap material).

I've tried every version of this game since the first realease and I agree, it's easier and easier every new version, not complaining about it but why people that like so much challenge keep not listening and moreover insulting the ones who just wants to play chill?... Really don't understand...

I will make it clear, I'm not asking to make the full game easier, I'm just asking a special mode for the ones who just want to play it chill and that's all... Why asking for every special kinks to add to the game is nothing but adding an easy mode is so much a thing? I'm even suggesting adding an harder mode than the hardcorde mode for the ones who like difficulty! Damn! Open-mind guys! It's not because other games are harder or easier that we are not legit to hope for a "little easy mode" that you can totaly ignore!

 

[darkBlu]

The easiest way for the Dev' is to create a special mode in which objects apperance is increased aswell their statistics as the player stats while the mob stats are drastically decreased. Many games are already doing it (when you choose at the beginning of the game the "class/type/or wathever else" changing also the stats and also difficulty).
Maybe adding too some other powerfull stuff.
I don't remember in which version of the game but there was one where it was possible to buy at the vending machine healing and it was removed pretty quickly... Nope!

While I get where you are coming from for most of the above, what is it about the current game that you actually enjoy? Because as I said before, increasing player stats and decreasing enemy stats "drastically" just makes the combat useless. You just move through the floor, have sex with enemies if you want, and then you're done. The enemies might as well just be NPC's that you interact with to play the scenes instead, because the combat has no point if you just win no matter what. So again, it just becomes a gallery with extra steps.

The item drop rates has to do with the balancing in general, so I can see some merit to this point. The recent diversification of weapons, which currently has some issues, could also be an area that may make things easier.

Also, as many games giving the opportunity to the player to choose himself his stats or work on an developpement tree (upgrading player skills without depending only on items you found randomly... or never...)

The vending machine and blacksmith are already a version of this. But to me it sounds like you want a different type of game than what Hard Stuck is. Something more RPG, which is fine. But there are already a whole bunch of those. And it would be a bummer if we lose one of the few games around that are actually different because people keep complaining about what actually makes this game unique.

 

[zmatrt]

I don't remember in which version of the game but there was one also where it was possible to buy at the vending machine healing and it was removed pretty quickly... Nope!

But you have a healing spell in the special menu and the calories have done without, so getting mana isn't that much of a problem either.
There's a reason it was pulled off. The permanent STR bonuses and Enchanting gear are still super cheap to justify keeping a full heal for the cost of killing 3 or 4 of the lowest tier of enemies(slime/goblin).

This is what I mean that the game is awful at explaining/teaching the player how it is mean't to be played. In the earlier builds people weren't completing the exploration because they lost all their calories from not using diagonal movements. It gives off a bad first impression to the people that are not persistent enough to figure things out or are not accustomed to play retro games where tutorials and navigators were rarity.

And it's where "we" casual players doesn't agree with "nerds"... There is something to understand: Everybody doesn't like challenge and everybody doesn't want to play a porn game as they are playing any other game (without speaking for the ones who only wants fap material).

I've tried every version of this game since the first realease and I agree, it's easier and easier every new version, not complaining about it but why people that like so much challenge keep not listening and moreover insulting the ones who just wants to play chill?... Really don't understand...

I will make it clear, I'm not asking to make the full game easier, I'm just asking a special mode for the ones who just want to play it chill and that's all... Why asking for every special kinks to add to the game is nothing but adding an easy mode is so much a thing? I'm even suggesting adding and harder mode than the hardcorde mode for the ones who like difficulty! Damn! Open-mind guys! It's not because other games are harder or easier that we are not legit to hope for a "little easy mode" that you can totaly ignore!

The problem with this approach is that it's lacking focus. You can't please everybody. You have to commit to a certain vision. The development of this game has been serious enough that it puts out content every month consistently, being so "open-minded" puts that consistency at risk due to an increasing growing ground to cover. As the developer keeps adding content, managing those additions in all the layers of modes and difficulties will eventually end up in technical debt where at one point sacrifices will need to be made.

This isn't a matter of nerds vs casuals. And also not about things being challenging or not. The game is a Roguelike and while it may not hold to all of it's "traditions", it certainly puts it within certain boundaries that I believe are more important than your grievances with the game. It comes with the package. Losing runs "pre-maturely" and restarting the game with a new seed of procedural maps and traps is essential, and for that type of experience to persist, a standardized difficulty where it allows such things to happen is a requirement.

 

[HylTin]

-_-

I'm just going to answer that we really can't understand each other here and in this regards yeah, people will keep complaining about it, be prepared for it, liking it or not. Don't forget that I'm really not the only one to complain about it (and as I said, one more time, just watch the comments on all platforms, difficulty problem come more often than ease).

"You can't please everyone" so "it come [also] with the package" that there will be complaints due to hopes of "casual players" because we like this game too and also wanted to be better for us (and saying that, whitout making it worse for you while you are just saying "like it as it is or leave".... Anyway...).

So don't tell me it is not a matter against nerds/casuals because it really is.

 

[darkBlu]

(and as I said, one more time, just watch the comments on all platforms, difficulty problem come more often than ease).

So don't tell me it is not a matter against nerds/casuals because it really is.

Except you are forgetting the third option: that people like the current difficulty, so they won't be asking to change it in either direction. I for one don't care about hardcore or making it more difficult. And judging by how almost all of the reviews on this site are praising the gameplay, and specifically that it is a true roguelike (the features you want eliminated), I'm going to assume that is the majority.

Plus, you have yet to say what you actually like about this game. I am still waiting. And just because you aren't good at the type of game doesn't mean the only people who are have to be tryhards. Get off your weird high horse and understand not everything is for everybody.

Finally, I'm pretty sure it's a solo dev, building this game from the ground up. Adding an easy mode would take time away from actually completing the game, so I can see why people who like the current game are worried about people asking for another version of it to be created.

 

[zmatrt]

-_-

I'm just going to answer that we really can't understand each other here and in this regards yeah, people will keep complaining about it, be prepared for it, liking it or not. Don't forget that I'm really not the only one to complain about it (and as I said, one more time, just watch the comments on all platforms, difficulty problem come more often than ease).

"You can't please everyone" so "it come [also] with the package" that there will be complaints due to hopes of "casual players" because we like this game too and also wanted to be better for us (and saying that, whitout making it worse for you while you are just saying "like it as it is or leave".... Anyway...).

So don't tell me it is not a matter against nerds/casuals because it really is.

You assume and pre-suppose my position then put words in my mouth to fit your own narrative, you can't seem to engage with the point that I raised and resorted to cry foul because you don't like what I explained. What a Waste of time. You make it really hard to stay civil if you are this childlish.

 

[EmDotRand]

Even if some tryharder and nerds keep saying that the game is "easy/not difficult enough"... It in fact really is difficult when you are not an hard gamer nor an "absolutfanforlifeuntildeathanditisstillnotenough" of rogue like/strategy games or if you just want to play the game as it is: a game, and moreover a porn one. Just watch the comments, there are more people complaining about the difficulty rather than ease and it's exactly for this reason.

Much more than all the kinks and new scenes to come, voices change and so on... I really really hope that an "easy" mode will come in which you can much more enjoy the scenes and still enjoy this game mechanics without speaking about the gallery that is just for fap material. I (and I think I'm really not the only one) like to play a game (moreover a porn one) to chill without having brainstorm/headache each step.

I'll admit to being the type of nerd that finds dancing through a hail of bullets relaxing, who gravitates to games that need 2000 page wikis and a fundamental understanding of quaternion arithmetic and nuclear physics to know the basics, and who keeps an up to date motivation profile chart (pictured left).

I also care about accessibility. It's why I didn't blink at Dark Souls games making magic completely busted despite people calling mages filthy casuals. It's why I welcome games like Celeseste or Bullet Haven 2 that have Assists and Cheats options that can completely negate any challenge. That said, making an easy option that's engaging is an art in itself. Just tanking monster stats won't change the fact that they can surround and kill you if you're reckless. Making allies into walking battleships won't matter if they chase foes into fire traps and get turned into KFC. You need to figure out why the game is difficult, and then offer adjustments or tools to help with these instances. Eg. A training area similar to the debug path to learn strategies to handle different foes.

The reason you play a game also affects what will make a game easier. No I don't mean surface level stuff like "to relax" or "to have fun". I'm referring to core ways of achieving those goals best described by the

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whose tools I used to created aforementioned chart. A key goal of adjusting difficulty is reinforcing a style of play. If you want to explore the map and fuck the various fauna, then reducing the amount of enemies while making each of them unique will help that. If you want to have a power trip and annihilate any opposition you face, then having more control options like the wand of force from the start or introducing popcorn enemies who only exist to be splattered instantly might be more appropriate.

All that to say making an easy mode is not easy.

 

[PinkSummers23]

The person who corrected that quote is correct.
I don't think the game is difficult necessarily and I enjoy some challenge, but it's also a porn game and I want to see the porn. Getting to fuck 2-3 enemies before getting full of cum and having to start over is what I'm frustrated with. And it's a roguelike without an upgrade system so you start quite literally from the very beginning. So, you kill the monsters you fucked on the first playthrough, and fuck the new stuff you haven't seen yet. It feels like it will take weeks of progression to get all the way down to the deepest floors and complete the gallery.

 

[CrystalBall]

I guess I'm a "nerd" because I find it hard to die in this game.

 

[ProxyDark]

I guess I'm a "nerd" because I find it hard to die in this game.

The game gets harder the hornier you are

 

[CaptainBipto]

The person who corrected that quote is correct.
I don't think the game is difficult necessarily and I enjoy some challenge, but it's also a porn game and I want to see the porn. Getting to fuck 2-3 enemies before getting full of cum and having to start over is what I'm frustrated with. And it's a roguelike without an upgrade system so you start quite literally from the very beginning. So, you kill the monsters you fucked on the first playthrough, and fuck the new stuff you haven't seen yet. It feels like it will take weeks of progression to get all the way down to the deepest floors and complete the gallery.

Honestly, if the only reason you are here playing this game is to 'see the porn', you might want to give this game a pass. It likely isn't going to be what you are looking for, no matter how interesting it might be to you.
Hard Stuck isn't porn 'with some game in it'. Hard Stuck is a game 'with some porn in it'. This game was not designed to be a 'fuck a minute porn fiesta', especially in its current form in v0.4.3ea4.

If you still want to give the game a try, personally, I would recommend that you try playing through the game once, avoiding most of the sex scenes and wait until your 2nd loop of the game before you start trying to fuck everything that moves.
The character's cum storage is a resource that has to be managed just like your health bar or you get a game over and you have to start all over from zero.
Note: You have a skill called Masturbate that will remove 25 cum from the character. Open the inventory and press the left or right arrow to access your skills.

If you get past the very first floor, the next floor is neutral (no enemies) and there is a statue (Sedusa) that you can pay Bits to increase your cum storage. There is also a vendor that you can sell weapons, shields, or other gear that you can't really use, to gain bits to buy upgrades from the Sedusa Statue OR to use in the Vending machine for STR boosts.

Unless you are playing on hardcore mode, save at the start of each level and save right before you try on an unidentified piece of gear and reload if you equip any cursed equipment, cursed equipment is pretty rough on the very first run.
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Having said all of that, personally, I don't have any problems with the Dev adding an Easy Mode, where the character starts with +20 STR, +100 HP and Mana, and +2000 Cum Storage. Other people downloading the game to play on Easy Mode, just so they can 'see the porn', isn't going to affect my game play on normal mode.
My enjoyment of playing the game, the way it is intended, isn't going to be any more or less, just because some people want to play the game in 'n00b' mode.

 

[G.Skill753]

Plus so far, for almost every porn which is interrupted by a game there is somewhere a full-save in the thread, often linked in the first comment.

 

[PinkSummers23]

Honestly, if the only reason you are here playing this game is to 'see the porn', you might want to give this game a pass. It likely isn't going to be what you are looking for, no matter how interesting it might be to you.
Hard Stuck isn't porn 'with some game in it'. Hard Stuck is a game 'with some porn in it'. This game was not designed to be a 'fuck a minute porn fiesta', especially in its current form in v0.4.3ea4.

If you still want to give the game a try, personally, I would recommend that you try playing through the game once, avoiding most of the sex scenes and wait until your 2nd loop of the game before you start trying to fuck everything that moves.
The character's cum storage is a resource that has to be managed just like your health bar or you get a game over and you have to start all over from zero.
Note: You have a skill called Masturbate that will remove 25 cum from the character. Open the inventory and press the left or right arrow to access your skills.

If you get past the very first floor, the next floor is neutral (no enemies) and there is a statue (Sedusa) that you can pay Bits to increase your cum storage. There is also a vendor that you can sell weapons, shields, or other gear that you can't really use, to gain bits to buy upgrades from the Sedusa Statue OR to use in the Vending machine for STR boosts.

Unless you are playing on hardcore mode, save at the start of each level and save right before you try on an unidentified piece of gear and reload if you equip any cursed equipment, cursed equipment is pretty rough on the very first run.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Having said all of that, personally, I don't have any problems with the Dev adding an Easy Mode, where the character starts with +20 STR, +100 HP and Mana, and +2000 Cum Storage. Other people downloading the game to play on Easy Mode, just so they can 'see the porn', isn't going to affect my game play on normal mode.
My enjoyment of playing the game, the way it is intended, isn't going to be any more or less, just because some people want to play the game in 'n00b' mode.

Does Easy mode exist? Or is that just something in theory. I've gotten a few floors in so I'm aware of the vendors and statues, just not sure how the cum system works. I also didn't know about skills or saving the game in the middle of a run, thanks for the tip.