Finished the update, and some thoughts on it and game in general;
I'm ngl, I like the game. I like it a lot.
But having said that, I do think there are some issues that I can see.
So I'm listing them below.
Now
Lazy_Monkey this is not an attack on you in any way, and I'm merely putting these out as constructive criticism which you may use to improve your game going forward;
1) Branching
Now there is no easy solution to this problem. Some devs are just more skilled in this area than others, and I'd say devs like GleenXStudios with his EraStorm Saga games (SandStorm, SnowStorm), or TessSadist with her Karlsson's Gambit game are prime examples of devs who know their stuff with branching and paths.
They're able to provide paths with solid content at least for the main LI paths a player may take or the type of character the MC becomes (for e.g. with Tess's Karlsson's Gambit, player's decisions determine whether the MC gets into the Dom or Sub path).
Each path/route provides a very different yet substantially fulfilling experience.
But with this game, I find that the dev seems to be.....struggling with this.
We had a Major branch set with Cass's coup.
Now, I didn't bother choosing "Kill Cass option" (just couldn't bring myself to do it), so my 2 paths are Green Crown (join Cass), & White Crown (oppose Cass).
Since doing that, I thought these two paths will play out very different.
Alas, that was not the case.
With the update in December (which I somehow missed and didn't play until January lol) the update with the aftermath of Cass's coup, I played through the Green Crown route first.
I took some time reading so that took a bit of time.
However with my White Crown save, I used ctrl fast skip to whizz past all the dialogues and parts I've already seen.
And I was surprised that 97% of the White Crown save's aftermath played out exactly as same as Green Crown save's aftermath.
Other than the 2 or 3 scenes difference (which took like 1 minute or so, even with my slow reading), the entirety of going through the White Crown for v0.7 part 2 update (I think I got the number right, the December update) took literally 5 minutes.
And then v0.8 update came out.
Again, I went through the Green Crown path first.
While the story was good, I found Cass's involvement in the story way less than I was hoping for.
There were tons of
Queen Seraphina & Elin, Catalina, Josephine scenes but other than little bit in the beginning (where she wasn't allowed in Lord Argus's meeting) and that trip to Black Pit towards the end, there was very little of Cass.
It was Cass who in the previous update insisted to MC that she be present at his meeting with Lord Argus, so why didn't she meet up with MC right afterwards and ask him what happened? Also, what has she even been doing all that time from when she was refused entry to Argus's military meeting in the opening till meeting MC for go to the Black Pit?
It also made me think that MC had completely forgotten about Cass during that time.
Kinda ironic, given this is Cass Green Crown path, and it feels like she's in it......less compared to other characters.
Now with the White Crown path, I noticed there was literally no new content with that path.
Ctrl fast skip and I was already at end of update screen in 3 minutes since it was basically Green Crown Path minus Cass scenes.
Not to mention significant characters seem to act almost exactly the same with the White Path as they do with Green Path.
In the end, there's no easy solution to this.
One way might be taking a look at games of devs who do good branches and learn, but even that's no guarantee for success cause how each dev constructs story is different.
2) Multiverse
Before we get into this topic, I'm gonna be honest.
I am sick and tired of the multiverse.
The concept has been done to death in modern media lately, with MCU, other movies and different fiction.
So I wasn't a fan when the dev introduced the idea of multiverse with Elin.
And...... I am still not a fan.
I mean, is there even point to having multiverse arc with Elin in the first place?
Cause to me, that just feels like an unnecessary side story which has no influence whatsoever with MC's own story.
Even if that plotline was deleted, game's main storyline would work just fine.
Unless that storyline breaches heavily into the main storyline and actually changes direction of MC's saga of him ruling his Empire, I dunno perhaps I'm in the minority in this, but all of it just feels like is a waste of time and resources which could be better spent elsewhere (like having more path specific content for each route, instead of largely overlapping scenes).
3) Sex scenes
(tbh, this isn't as major as the first 2 issues I listed, but I thought, "Oh well, might as well. lol")
Others have pointed out as well, but I think the sex scenes could use some improvement.
Too many of your scenes you have the MC cumming in the LIs, and the angle of the scene is where it's always seen on the side and not in any direct view, with only cum trickling down the LI's legs seen after the act is done.
I'd say use of good angles is important, such as;
- back
- side
- front
- closeups of sex during and afterwards (of MC's dick and LI's pussy still connected when MC cums as well as when he takes his dick out, cum dripping from LI's pussy). Every single one of these 4 are important, but I'm guessing folks will enjoy this last one most.
Cause so-far, the sex scenes have been just very..... meh for most part (honestly? It feels like too many of the sex scenes use obscured angles and far away wide shots when they should be much closer)
And I have seen enough of how other devs do their games' sex scenes to understand what kind works in getting attention and what doesn't (and I'm guessing that's same for a lot of other player who tried out several AVN games as well).
