VN Ren'Py Harem Hotel [v0.18.2] [Runey]

[Gojii]

Anyhow..... SO... then since the dev/etc not an issue....


What are the Best and worst things about this game then in your view? (No I'm not baiting). Trying to get a feel for how this game differs from a number of harem games, some of them (also?) really good too.

 

[DigDug69]

Anyhow..... SO... then since the dev/etc not an issue....


What are the Best and worst things about this game then in your view? (No I'm not baiting). Trying to get a feel for how this game differs from a number of harem games, some of them (also?) really good too.

As for best, well there is a massive amount of well thought out content, that was hinted at and built up to from nearly the very beginning.
I cannot really think of too many complaints.
Quicker releases would be nice, but because of the solo nature of the visual novels development, quicker releases would end up in resulting in less content, and lower quality in each release.

If you base your considerations of the game on in story time, rather than real world time, events have only been going on for a matter of a few months, rather than real time years.
So, I cannot really complain about how long it has taken in game time, for Autumns sexual progression.
A few months of working towards sex with a very religious girl, is very realistic.

 

[Opa Wants]

Best About HH Story, worse can't think of a damn thing

 

[c3p0]

Anyhow..... SO... then since the dev/etc not an issue....


What are the Best and worst things about this game then in your view? (No I'm not baiting). Trying to get a feel for how this game differs from a number of harem games, some of them (also?) really good too.

It is not about the harem. The harem may be in the title, but it isn't the focus, it is just wharf all the relationships become. It is all about the girls, their stories, dreams, wishes, plans they have, the world they live and in and how that affects them, how they cope with that, how they want to change it to a better place and to wotk through their "issues" they might have.
"Worst" is that the story get you, at least me, you get invested and care for them.
"Best" the story, characters and character grown.

 

[JoePlant]

What are the Best and worst things about this game then in your view? (No I'm not baiting). Trying to get a feel for how this game differs from a number of harem games, some of them (also?) really good too.

The girls are nice, the kinks are fun, the MC just seems to be sort of forgettable. I've been around long enough with these types of games I'm just comfortably numb. But what keeps me around actually is Runey's world building and faction plot lines. I have great enjoyment in watching his imagination at work.

 

[Gojii]

The girls are nice, the kinks are fun, the MC just seems to be sort of forgettable. I've been around long enough with these types of games I'm just comfortably numb. But what keeps me around actually is Runey's world building and faction plot lines. I have great enjoyment in watching his imagination at work.

Factions... now that has me interested a bit. What's that about? Just like cliques amongst the girls or what?

 

[DigDug69]

Factions... now that has me interested a bit. What's that about? Just like cliques amongst the girls or what?

I think he means with the antagonists.
Crime lords.
Corrupt government.
Slavers.
The Church.

But there are also other factions that may potentially fall under the good guys category.

 

[JoePlant]

I think he means with the antagonists.
Crime lords.
Corrupt government.
Slavers.
The Church.

But there are also other factions that may potentially fall under the good guys category.

Pretty much. World factions no matter if they would be perceived as good or evil, including Big Business, Elven Kingdom, etc. as well. Too much more and I might have to put in spoiler tags, and honestly. I'm too lazy.
Macro scale vs micro (local gangs, clicks, etc.)

 

[shadowtempered]

What are the Best and worst things about this game then in your view? (No I'm not baiting). Trying to get a feel for how this game differs from a number of harem games, some of them (also?) really good too.

As a game, I like the early sandbox stuff and would view it as one of the "best" things but it has sadly dropped off to basically nothing focusing more on the VN side of things. It gave me something to tinker with between patches and now that's not really a thing, I just don't bother. I'm not generally interested in pure VN's (Caribdis' games not withstanding), so I originally came and stuck around because of those sandbox elements. Building up the hotel, building up the bar, training the girls -- I liked those things. Now... they just kinda feel tacked on. As more story elements built up, I eventually became one of the "came for the porn stayed for the story" types.

I have a love/hate relationship with the story, so it's a "best/worst" thing at the same time for me. I like story elements with the girls, but the global scale story I have zero interest in (even if it does pertain to the girls themselves). It's a personal thing: I have no interest in saving the world / politics - especially as a hotel manager. I like some of the world building but the latest v17 plot surprise fell completely on it's face for me. Learning more about Kali / Maria / The Twins / etc? Sure, all for it. I'd rather see their growth in the world they live in and how they make it better for those around them then to fight some global political-entity-thing whatever. I'm in for the ride to see how it concludes, but I miss the smaller scope of things. I'm sure on some level their individual stories and the larger story will intertwine more, but at this stage... meh.

The variety of girls and their stories is still my favorite thing about the game. The girls feel and look unique enough amongst each other that at times I have trouble picking a specific one as my favorite. For the longest time it was Kali/Maria and no one else mattered. As the Twins' storyline progressed and they got more outfits/kinks presented they started making a hard case for themselves. Lin has always been a solid option and I do love me some pointy ears..

Game is incomplete, so who knows how things will change over the next few patches.

 

[Gojii]

I originally came and stuck around because of those sandbox elements. Building up the hotel, building up the bar, training the girls -- I liked those things.

Tbh if it focused on that and not the external stuff and paired it with the VN/characters that'd be really good by the sounds of it.

 

[shadowtempered]

Tbh if it focused on that and not the external stuff and paired it with the VN/characters that'd be really good by the sounds of it.

I've suggested a couple of times that it'd be great if we just got a sandbox update or two - new dates, new training, new/more repeatable scenes, new whatever. Maybe it'll happen, maybe it won't. Runey has a story he wants to tell and if those elements are in the way preventing that, then it makes sense for those to fall to the wayside even if they were my favorite bits. I know he's working on the garden in some aspect for passive income, but no idea how far that will reach in terms of things to do. We'll see how things go.

Those elements are one of the reasons I generally start a new play through every new patch. Lets me catch up on story bits I might have forgotten, retrain/rebuild things back up again. It might be a little silly to start over each time, but it's not like it takes ages to catch back up to the end of the story - especially if you skip the lore dumps if you don't need a refresher(there are prompts for this).

 

[TheDevian]

I've suggested a couple of times that it'd be great if we just got a sandbox update or two - new dates, new training, new/more repeatable scenes, new whatever. Maybe it'll happen, maybe it won't. Runey has a story he wants to tell and if those elements are in the way preventing that, then it makes sense for those to fall to the wayside even if they were my favorite bits. I know he's working on the garden in some aspect for passive income, but no idea how far that will reach in terms of things to do. We'll see how things go.

I love the sandboxy elements too.

That would be fun. I would also love to see that. XD

 

[Logan1377]

I love the sandboxy elements.

That would be fun. I would also love to see that. XD

I enjoy the story, and he's done a really good job with it. But without the sandbox element, the game would be far, far less enjoyable for me. Personally, its vital, and I'm always hoping for more. Between the way that its set up and all of the content in that aspect, its one of the very best adult games because of that.

 

[JoePlant]

I love the sandboxy elements too.

The way the sandbox is done there I don't have an issue with it. I've seen some sandbox where you have to click 8 times just to get where you want to go. That is way way to much, and I lose interest fast. You don't get lost with exploration either. Now given how the Lobby is setup, I do worry that it could get too convoluted as it isn't like we can spin 360 degrees to get our barrings. (and I am talking a slow look around, head turning. the image of North then an image of South doesn't cut it as our brains do not work like that.)

This is where I like how some VNs actually put "room buttons" on the page to state where you can go. But it would look really awkward for such to be created just for the Lobby though. So I really don't have a good compromise idea to suggest any form of a change.

 

[DigDug69]

The problem with sandbox games, is that if there is a gallery option that allows you to replay events, then there is really no need for the sandbox.
Once you play through an event, you can just go to the gallery, and replay any event that you want to replay.
The only time that you might need to go into game mode, would be if a new event were added, and after that, it would be available in the gallery.

 

[shadowtempered]

The problem with sandbox games, is that if there is a gallery option that allows you to replay events, then there is really no need for the sandbox.
Once you play through an event, you can just go to the gallery, and replay any event that you want to replay.
The only time that you might need to go into sandbox mode, would be if a new event were added, and after that, it would be available in the gallery.

This is just my take: if I had a sandbox game, those sandbox repeatables wouldn't be in the gallery. The gallery would be for things you can't easily see again (like story events). Sandbox events should be accessible to encourage repeated / extended play after you've finished the storyline. As you said, if everything is in the gallery, what's the point of the sandbox. If there's no point to the sandbox, why develop it further?

I can't say how everyone plays the game. I can say that I've looked at the gallery in HH maybe 3-4 times, mostly for Kali story events(school library scene... /chef's kiss). Otherwise I just play through the day like normal and do the sandbox events.

 

[TheDevian]

The problem with sandbox games, is that if there is a gallery option that allows you to replay events, then there is really no need for the sandbox.
Once you play through an event, you can just go to the gallery, and replay any event that you want to replay.
The only time that you might need to go into game mode, would be if a new event were added, and after that, it would be available in the gallery.

Personally, I don't like using the gallery, but I love repeatable scenes. It feels like I am actually doing something, rather than just loading an old save or whatever.

 

[Strike-10]

The girls are nice, the kinks are fun, the MC just seems to be sort of forgettable. I've been around long enough with these types of games I'm just comfortably numb. But what keeps me around actually is Runey's world building and faction plot lines. I have great enjoyment in watching his imagination at work.

The MC is a ”Self insert” … so the forgettable-ness of the mc is by design there isn’t supposed to be too many details regarding them to help facilitate the reader immersing themselves as the MC to a greater degree.

It’s not completely uncommon and is used to varying degrees in other stories.

The funniest one I’ve ever seen discussed is of the character
”Bella” in the Twilight books … that author gives almost zero details regarding “Bella” so the reader can self insert as LI of the vampires & werewolves. (Which made me laugh cuz those books were mad marketed at tween girls so “Bella“ could easily be anything)

The reason I mentioned Twilight was because the author spoke about how the movie casting ruined the ”self insert” aspect that was so central to the written story.

 

[Strike-10]

The problem with sandbox games, is that if there is a gallery option that allows you to replay events, then there is really no need for the sandbox.
Once you play through an event, you can just go to the gallery, and replay any event that you want to replay.
The only time that you might need to go into game mode, would be if a new event were added, and after that, it would be available in the gallery.

There are two types of events …
the repeatables (with multiple options) such as outfits and/or locations.
and the one time events which are then captured in the gallery.

So Runey’s implementation with BOTH types and the separation between the two is something unique and I find it quite impressive and fun. It also helps “the gallery” be somewhat more focused & less cluttered … think about how fugly and ridiculous the gallery would be to capture all the events everywhere that are scattered all over. (lobby,kitchen,shower,dungeon,onsen,LI bedroom,mc bedroom) not to mention that some characters ONLY have repeatables and therefore have zero presence in the gallery (like the side sanctuary elves) the barfly girl & the girls out in the onsen.

As of right now there are a couple of one-time events that got missed in the gallery.
The sandbox aspects are always available and since those repeating sandbox events have “options” it is quite an imaginative and creative implementation.
This also gives folks like The Devian the opportunity to rack up ridiculous amounts of head-pats in the 4-5 digit range.

 

[TheDevian]

This also gives folks like The Devian the opportunity to rack up ridiculous amounts of head-pats in the 4-5 digit range.

Hey, it's only 8200!