VN Ren'Py Is it bad game design to have free roam sections where it’s just side characters

[Mr. Mayhem]

So I was thinking that my visual novel game could have these free roam events during periods of the game where there’s not much going on in the story. I thought those sections can be for side characters where the MC can talk to them. Every free roam event will progress multiple side characters story in that specific free roam section. Thinking about it, isn’t that bad game design? Even though it’s optional to talk to the side characters? Would a player feel forced to talk to the side characters and some may want to just progress with the main story but don’t want to lose out on the side characters so again they may feel forced to do it. Looking for some opinions if that would annoy players.

 

[woody554]

yes it's bad design because it's not really free roam if it's an event. I've never seen an implementation of it that wasn't super annoying.

either make your game full free roam or full VN. there's only downsides to having both, and the whole point of freeroam is providing the FREEDOM of playing in the order you like and even ignoring content you're not interested in.

also any time wasted on side-characters is pointless and super aggravating. either give them full scope or cut them altogether.

and this one is just my own opinion, but give me an option of shooting side-characters in the face when I first meet them and I'll pull the trigger without hesitation every single time. focus on telling your ACTUAL story, don't waste your and my time with completely random cum-buckets. anything that doesn't directly connect to your MAIN story is making it weaker.

 

[khumak]

any time wasted on side-characters is pointless and super aggravating. either give them full scope or cut them altogether.

I wouldn't go that far. To me there's kind of a spectrum for side characters ranging from a bit less important than your core characters down to throw away characters you only meet once. The throw away characters I would agree don't add much value, but I think there's still plenty of room for minor characters to play an interesting role.

To me I think it makes sense to have the majority of your content focused on the central characters and then have progressively less content for characters that are less connected with your core characters.

A big part of it depends on whether MC is allowed to have more than 1 love interest or if he is forced to choose 1 and be blocked off from the others when he does so. If he can only have 1 then side characters are pretty pointless. If he can be a player then minor characters are a good way to allow you to pace the game so that major characters require significant development while some of the minor characters are easy fucks.

A stripper would be an example of a good minor character that is easily fuckable without needing much of a story justification for it. The party girl friend of the "nice girl" would be another good option like that. The nice girl might be your real goal but if her slutty friend is ready to jump you right away, why not? There might be negative consequences so whether you take her up on it might depend on whether it's the type of game where "mistakes" are fixable.

 

[woody554]

but I think there's still plenty of room for minor characters to play an interesting role.

...as long as they're directly connected to the main story.

I mean the stripper and strip joint must be somehow connected to the main story or otherwise there's no point in creating that location in the first place, right?

I really hate the generic slut friend character. the stripper or a hooker at least have a reason they're loose, and it would be REALLY easy to write them an interesting background with abusive step-dads etc which made them become prostitutes, then humanize them to make player feel for them and maybe even develop genuine empathy. where as the slut friend is always just an empty shell of a character. would be far better making her a prude and a challenge, even if her scope would be minimal.

 

[khumak]

...as long as they're directly connected to the main story.

I mean the stripper and strip joint must be somehow connected to the main story or otherwise there's no point in creating that location in the first place, right?

I really hate the generic slut friend character. the stripper or a hooker at least have a reason they're loose, and it would be REALLY easy to write them an interesting background with abusive step-dads etc which made them become prostitutes, then humanize them to make player feel for them and maybe even develop genuine empathy. where as the slut friend is always just an empty shell of a character. would be far better making her a prude and a challenge, even if her scope would be minimal.

Some girls are easy. Toss a few extra bucks to that stripper after buying a couple of lap dances and it's an easy way for MC to get some sex from a girl who doesn't really matter to the story. She needs to be hot but other than that she doesn't need much development.

The slutty friend does need to tie into the story more but there's plenty of girls out there who have no problem sleeping with their friend's BF behind their back. She can still have an interesting story despite being easy. There's also plenty of girls out there who will sleep with you on the first date. So the sex could come very early in the relationship and her story could develop slower. I do prefer that at least some of the girls, including the primary love interest be more of a challenge though.