How do you prefer your game plots?

[HalGLC]

As a disclaimer, I wholeheartedly believe devs should be free to make the games they want to make (within reason) and if you don't like it, just don't play it. But there's a lot of games with varying plots that rub gamers the wrong way

There's fun and campy like Icstor's games, My Sweet Neighbors, Man of the house, where everything just goes your way and you just stroll through life fucking all viable females you see. Then there's games with drama and such, Depraved Awakenings, Dreams of Desire, Acting Lessons which sometimes (often) go dark, and even depressing.


I've seen a lot of people commenting in those threads (most recently Acting Lessons) stuff like "man, I'm done with this game. I play these to get off and have fun but this just depressed me." Conversely while I don't see many complaints in the 'fun and campy' threads, a lot of times the dramatic game threads have people defending it saying they're glad it's not just some happy-go-lucky game where everything magically works out for the MC.

So what kind of plot do you prefer in the games you play? I didn't include it but of course the idea of "i like both" is viable, though imagine you could only pick one.


And of course an option for those that literally play these games for the sex as a substitute for porn or whatever.

 

[Agent HK47]

I like both. It all depends on whether the tone of the game fits the story it tries to tell. I have played most Icstor games, Man of the House, My sweet neighbors, Acting lessons & Dreams of desire, and I like all of them, but for different reasons.

Playing Man of the house is quite a cheerful experience, and it is entertaining to slowly corrupt your family into submission (okay, I am pretty much only interested in Veronica and the mother, but who cares ) but the game oftens feels.... bland, due to lack of true opposition. You have nothing standing between you and your goal - no enemy to overcome.
I will admit, when I played Big Brother, I hated the Eric character. He pissed me off, and I wanted him out of my game as soon as humanly possible. He seemed like something straight out of Dark Souls, towering over me and seemingly unable to be beaten. However, nothing can describe my satisfaction when I finally was able to give him the swift kick in the ass and get rid of him for good. It really felt like I had accomplished something - something that I had really had to fight to achieve. And that felt awesome.

Like I said, I like both of these kinds of games. But if I had to choose, then it would probably be the darker tone of games. I really enjoy acting lessons right now, because there is something to work to overcome, instead of just being a walk in the park. I like to work for my reward, cause it feels so much sweeter.

 

[GuyFreely]

Yeah I don't mind either approach. I prefer a serious game to a non-serious one. One of my favorite games so far is Depraved Awakening. It has a darker tone and is more dramatic, aside from an in-joke or two. An issue I see sometimes is that campy games end up having grinds in them, because they don't really have a strong plot to move forward. As always, good writing makes any game more enjoyable regardless of style.

 

[FranceToast]

I am pretty new to playing these games, but I like both approaches so far (third one, not so much-I don't think the medium lends itself that well compared to other options)
Again, haven't played that many games yet (I have started a *bunch* of them just to get an idea what is out there), but so far the two that have really caught my attention are Man of the House, from your first choice, and Acting Lessons, from your second choice.

What would you classify Melody/DmD/DFD in this poll?

 

[Akatriel]

For me, the plot itself is subservient to the paragraph to paragraph quality of writing. Your plot can get your characters into all sorts of sexy situations, but if you haven't got the linguistic chops to draw your audience through each sentence, then I'll walk away when I see the next wall of mediocre text. The plot entices you, but it's the text that's delivering moment to moment enjoyment.

That's not to say there aren't other way's to tell a story without walls of text, dialogue or pre-renders. But environmental and emergent game mechanic storytelling are not well explored in our little niche... yet.

 

[kimoo]

i think if you dont play for the story and just for sex you have comic and porn sites (it easier)

 

[filochard]

What would you classify Melody/DmD/DFD in this poll?

Surely not in the third proposal !

 

[DarthSeduction]

What would you classify Melody/DmD/DFD in this poll?

In the initial framing of this, definitely all 3 will be "Fun/campy" however, I think after my post, I'd move DmD, at least, to the "I just play these games for the sex category." I haven't played melody, because I know how slow to develop Dots is with his plots, but it might land there too, you decide.

So, to the initial poll and question, I think there's a problem with your framing.

Fun/campy - Babysitter(This one could go either fun or dramatic), My Sweet Neighbors, Mythic Manor (I'll explain), Chloe18(again, I'll explain), Sisterly Lust, Parental Love, I Love Daddy,

Dramatic and Thrilling - Coceter Chronicles, Depraved Awakening, Wicked Choices, Zoe's Temptation, Long Live the Princess (potentially), Dual Family, Dreams of Desire, and my current project Seraphim Academy, Kingdom of Deception

Just 4 porn - Big Brother, Milfy City and anything else ICSTOR, anything ICCreatoins, DmD, Man of the House, Summertime Saga (I almost put this in fun/campy and I'd entertain an argument to put it there), My Summer with Mom & Sis,

So, if you're looking at those lists and thinking "wtf?" here we go. To me, if the game is meant to be fun and campy then it has to tell a story that in itself is fun and campy. If the game merely exists as a framework on which you attain sex without much in the way of actual plot or character development, then it's just porn that you have to work hard for.

Somewhat long rants here, so I'll use spoilers:

Spoiler: Fun/campy

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Spoiler: Dramatic/thrilling

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Spoiler: Just for sex

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So, in the end, each type of game has an audience and each type of game can be good or bad. But the less work you put into the game's plot, and in developing its characters beyond basic tropey archetypes, the more that game becomes a straight up fuckfest with no other purpose. At least if you take the time to make it entertaining in a campy way it can break free of that, like it does in some of the games I mentioned, but in the end, some games really are just about the porn.

 

[LewdCatgirl]

I prefer happy porn where no one's life is ruined or anything and everything is ok in the end. So I guess I'm leaning towards 'fun and campy'.

But serious isn't actually a synonym for depressing so if you have a serious plot that isn't a big downer that's fine too.

 

[Deleted member 167032]

Innocence... DMD has it.
Our Fate has a very dramatic feel and good story especially at the beginning.
Acting Lessons well that just fucks you up emotionally but its real.

Handcock games are My Cute Cousin and Milfy City and many more.
Great emotional story one's are AL, Depraved, Our fate and Life with Mary etc...

All in all VN quality definitely on the up. Look at Jessica O'Reily Hard News, De luca Family & Areas of Gray all well made in every aspect.

list goes on really.

 

[rk-47]

dramatic and thrilling engages you with the charatcers more like badik

 

[TheHighSpire]

It depends a lot in my opinion. I sometimes like the fun and campy but I generally find them a bit too easy.

I like it when there are consequences to my actions and where I need to do something to achieve my goals. I also think that some drama, proper characters and such helps me get closer the characters. And yes, sometimes that just happens to become a little dark. But honestly; it is often you, the MC, that put the various characters in that position. Granted, you don't always get the choice to take another route, but still.

I like it when I have choices. I don't necessarily even want all the girls in the games to spread their legs for the Male MC, neither do I want all the men to crave and try to abuse the Female MC. I like a believable world and I like choices where I can play a strong and smart MC that aren't tricked to get stuck in a glory hole etc, lol.