VN HTML Jessica's Plight [v2.2.2] [FlimsyLegs]

[Boomer07]

Just a little hint for the creator.
If you provide a hint file, then people will look in it because they either want to finish faster or look up options they might have missed during their playthrough.
So people open that file deliberately and would really like to be able to read the hints in it.

Unless you have a sponsorship by an eyedoctor light grey text on white is really a terrible choice.
Reminds me of the old copyprotecions with black on red where you had a little lens to be able to read it.

 

[L7Bear]

After finishing the game there doesn't seem to be any way to restart and try other paths.
Even refreshing the page doesn't work.

 

[Spooned]

Tripping a pretty adamant windows security threat detection from multiple download sources.

 

[ker]

As for the comment above "ugly", yes I 100% agree I'm not a great artist and the focus is on the story (text) of the game. The images are simply a tiny part of the game that attempt to enhance the text.

Lead with your text then. You have 7 teasers on the OP, 5 of which are just generic images (to put it nicely), 1 erotic image, and 1 piece of poorly formatted generic text. Screenshot/snip your game in action so you see both the text and images together and post them as your teasers instead.

 

[male7104]

plz use real images i bet that this game will get more views by that

 

[FlimsyLegs]

After finishing the game there doesn't seem to be any way to restart and try other paths.
Even refreshing the page doesn't work.

This seems to be an issue with chrome: You can open it in incognito browser mode instead (just copy the local URL after opening the file in a new incognito browser mode).

Lead with your text then. You have 7 teasers on the OP, 5 of which are just generic images (to put it nicely), 1 erotic image, and 1 piece of poorly formatted generic text. Screenshot/snip your game in action so you see both the text and images together and post them as your teasers instead.

I did not have control over the pictures chosen in this thread, someone else here on the forums created it for me.

Good feedback thus far in the thread, thanks everyone. This is indeed my first game ever, and I would absolutely love to add a sort of save-mechanic into the game, but haven't had time to check the twine engine how that'd work.

 

[L7Bear]

This seems to be an issue with chrome: You can open it in incognito browser mode instead (just copy the local URL after opening the file in a new incognito browser mode).

FYI. I'm using Firefox. I've found that I can close that tab and open the game in a new tab to restart the game.

 

[fried]

Tripping a pretty adamant windows security threat detection from multiple download sources.

This is an HTML game, there have been no viruses detected and that especially goes for a non-executable archive file.

Windows Security has been flagging many false positives lately.

 

[nooneknows17]

Good Luck

 

[DrDerpington]

After finishing the game there doesn't seem to be any way to restart and try other paths.
Even refreshing the page doesn't work.

Yes, there is no way to restart the game.
When game finishes, people should have an option to start again.

 

[FlimsyLegs]

Yes, there is no way to restart the game.
When game finishes, people should have an option to start again.

Opening the game in a new tab, or a new incognito mode, will restart the game. For now, this is the only work-around until I have time to do a proper update with a dedicated restart-button.

 

[FlimsyLegs]

Thanks again for everyone's feedback! Here's an update for you all:

Actions already taken:

1. New hints_v2_1.pdf is available on the game's itch.io page (

You must be registered to see the links

). I sent a request to this thread's OP to update the attachment here too.

2. New teaser images taken from screenshots, I contacted the OP of this thread with the images, hopefully they can update the first post and replace the images with proper game screenshots instead of just images without context.

My backlog, in order of priority, looks like this:

1. Make a restart-button for all ending pages

2. Make an image toggle on/off switch option at beginning of game

3. Add option to have "cheat mode" on, which enables a "go back" button

4. In chapter 2: Add some inner thoughts from Jessica when player is doing something right, so that the player knows an action they chose helped. Add inner thoughts from Jessica when player is doing something wrong (repeatedly).

5. Implement a save and load functionality

6. Add a short (skippable) background story that follows Jessica during the week leading up to the events

7. Address the "unrealistic scenario" -> have Jessica ponder inner monologue if that's even legal, and to her understanding it's not, but the company representatives have sat her down multiple times and explained things to her... So it must be legal.

What I will not be addressing:

1. The "potato" art - I don't have the skill to make anything better, and I absolute want to keep a relatively consistent art-style on the 3D assets, the real porn, etc. Thus, the images on/off is the option I will

2. Chapter 2 "randomness" - I will keep the randomness for now, but add some inner-thought type hints from Jessica when the player is doing something right.

3. Security threats - It's an HTML file and some .jpg / .png images, there shouldn't be any threats there. Getting a flag for a threat is a false positive.

 

[LadyFilesse]

Chapter 2 is pretty much impossible without the walkthrough. I tried doing things a few times before I opened up the hint file - but particularly the first step, where you try everything, recieve no encouragement or response, and then try things again, just makes no sense. Nobody is going to figure it out without the walkthrough file, unless you include hints of progress when you follow the right steps. Until I "gave in" and opened the hint file, after trying it several times, I assumed the second chapter was just a placeholder to lead a bad end with no actual content in it.

I think you strongly need to reconsider the amount of steps to accomplish things in Chapter 2, particularly the first scene, as well as include some kind of evidence to let people know they're doing the right things. You may feel that this is artistically accurate to prsent the feelings of helplessness that Jessica would feel, however, as a player, I am NOT helpless and I can just close the window when the game stops engaging me. You need to find a way to bridge this divide. The typical way to do this in text games has historically been to alter the 'scene' text. For instance, once you try and fail to struggle free of bonds, you'd add a line to say that Jessica found that the bonds she'd struggled against (so far) felt very secure, or inescapable, or something.

 

[FlimsyLegs]

I was excited to try but goes from 0 to 100 too fast.

Thanks for your feedback. Going back to chapter 1 and the very beginning of the game, you're 100% right, the pacing could be better. In update 2.1.0 I changed the order of events to be more gradual, which hopefully fixes the 0-to-100 issue. If you have time, I would love to know your thoughts on the current version of the game.

Update on these forums is pending review, but the 2.1.0 version of the game is available and offline version downloadable from the itch.io page:

You must be registered to see the links

All changes in 2.1.0:


1. Added an option at start of game: Show/Hide images. Some players felt the artwork is so bad that it's distracting - now you can hide all images and play purely text-based. Default: Images enabled.


2. Added an option at start of game: Enable/Disable the "undo/redo" button: Some players really like to have the option to go back in time. Those players can now do that. Default: Undo/redo buttons disabled.


3. Changed the order of things requested by the man at the beginning of the game: Some players pointed out that the game goes from 0 to 100 too fast. This is an attempt to make it less 0 to 100, whilst still keeping all the content. Only the order of the things the man asks Jessica have changed.


4. Added in-game hints for player (Jessica's thoughts, etc.) in Chapter 2, to the two first scenarios - should be clear when something is not worth attempting: Some people did not like how the game gave no hints if the player was doing something right in chapter 2. Now, there's feedback for the player's actions (not all, but most) in the two first scenarios. Should feel like the player has some actual agency in the scenario.


5. Address feedback on "unrealistic scenario that company can sue Jessica for negligence" - Jessica now thinks about her situation at the company and reflects that she's consulted with three different people at the company, and they all are of the opinion that they can sue Jessica for negligence.


6. Added a "Restart game" button to all ending: Pretty much all players commented on the lack of a restart game button. A new tab or incognito mode previously served the purpose, but now there's actually a dedicated restart game button in all endings.

 

[tardford]

these images are just fine considering its mostly a text game, dont cheapen it with those shitty stolen images. Besides that there is some valid criticism, will be following this, good job. didnt like how the first chapter ended but its your game, I thought private office slut would be better.

 

[Lurker1001]

No meaningful choices means no player agency.
If everything seems to lead to a bad end... why bother making it a game with choices at all?

Okay... wow. Who is supposed to actually figure out that sequence of choices to escape? Following a walkthrough to do it once again means no meaningful choices as if you don't follow a script, you don't get the options.

 

[FlimsyLegs]

No meaningful choices means no player agency.
If everything seems to lead to a bad end... why bother making it a game with choices at all?

Okay... wow. Who is supposed to actually figure out that sequence of choices to escape? Following a walkthrough to do it once again means no meaningful choices as if you don't follow a script, you don't get the options.

Chapter 2 has been re-done to contain a lot more hints for the player as to what to do. Version 2.1.0 and later contains these fixes. Unfortunately this thread has not been updated yet. Version 2.1.1 is available on the itch.io page:

You must be registered to see the links

If chapter 2 in version 2.1.1 still seems impossible without a walkthrough, further tweaking can be done.

 

[Joe Steel]

Chapter 2 has been re-done to contain a lot more hints for the player as to what to do.

That is a HUGE improvement. Nice job responding to constructive criticism.

 

[Prankeh]

Eh I find the art kinda unique and hot, dunno why is everyone losing their mind

 

[rllog]

I love this. Chapter 1 is honestly amazing; I would love more chapters with willingly submitting to whatever the other side wants without a "you're sold as a sex slave, game over" cop out.
Also, while I get the appeal of escaping I feel it kinda kills the submissive erotic vibe from the first chapter if you decide to follow this path. There probably should be a way to continue the story somehow without it being a complete 180 to your behavior.