I don't think this has anything I would call spoilers in it. I mention some game mechanics and strategy but... not sure I can really spoil a game which doesn't really have a plot so to speak (at the moment.)
Here's my 50c worth of thoughts.
I'm going to be the dissenting voice here for all the nay sayers.
So let me get the negatives out of the way:
1. The clothing and models could use more work and variety. (Although that seems to be work in progress on both fronts.)
2. The game can use more story. This update is adding some and it is much needed.
3. The way skills/stats result in progress needs to be more hover over documentation or similar. It's not super obvious why one person makes 12/x's per phase and someone else makes 40. I've figured it out and have to keep a notepad around because it's not documented on all the screens you may need that information.
4. There is a lot of dead space on the current map where nothing can be done. We have an entire town that nothing can really happen in. I'd suggest marking a lot of that space "Under development" to prevent new players from wasting a lot of time trying to see if something MIGHT happen.
5. Relationships need rebalancing. It's hard to get started and then trival to harem everyone in sight. It's too slow at the start and too fast in the end.
Neutral things: Personally I actually like a lot of the models. Art is never going to make everyone happy all the time and maybe that's just the way of things.
But ok. Here's where I disagree with many of you.
Positives:
1. I enjoy building games and having lots of choices about how to approach the way the game unfolds. (The game needs more viable possibilities but much like Superpowered, there is an evolution. (And Superpowered is too grindy. This is too grindy RIGHT NOW due to lack of interesting stuff along the way but that seems to be coming.) This may sound like a negative but I see it as "headed in the right direction."
2. I agree that its hard to feel meaningful connections to many randomly generated people in the game. More special people/randoms with properties/personalities, etc... may help with that. A more meaningful interaction would be good. But this is evolving and it does appear to be getting better. (Although, I need to be able to improve existing people more easily. Right now, the best strategy is get basic people... then when you unlock more efficient people... fire all the basic people. It's hard to feel attached to someone you're planning on firing as soon as you find an improvement.)
3. The whole no content comment I sorta get but mostly don't. It wouldn't be the first game where you make the goals for your sandbox. You want to focus on corrupting Sue in accounting, you can do that. I like not having every choice spoon fed to me. (Frankly, there are a ton of games on here that offer no real choice in how to play them. Either the story unfolds linearly with no real choice other than some dialogue adjustments or there is only one correct line of play. Some forgo that and don't bother to allow player choice at all. This is a Sandbox. The first game wasn't. There were limited choices in the first game and more or less everything was going to unfold in a specific way with minor adjustments to the text and in a semi-randomized order at times. If you don't enjoy sandbox games then this would probably be a pass. I wouldn't ask someone who doesn't like Sports titles to review a new football game.
4. The game continues to get new enhancements actively. It is progressing to a place I think I'm going to really enjoy playing multiple times. (Which is part of what I love about sandboxes.) If there isn't enough for you to "do" in the game yet... come back after more development.
Frankly, I think hoping this was a clone of Lab Rats (1) was clearly stated to not be the goal. It's connection to the original is mostly in the concept of producing behavior altering chemicals. In the end, it's a business simulator with sexy time. If that isn't your type of game... there are about a million RenPy games on here with a plot of "corrupt your innocent Mom/Sister/Aunt" titles you may enjoy better.
Poopooing a new game concept based on the development state and it not being a retread of the old game is pretty lame. We need MORE variety in this space and MORE ideas tried. And bashing this one far more harshly just because the developer already had a successful game is particularly strange.
I have faith this is going to end up being a great and wholly unique game in this space. I wish it had some more kinks in play... but those may also come in time.
