Vinfamy
Can't get the image via url to work so whatever.
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Check this out. Instead of having everything in that single drop down box on the world map.
Why not add basic floor plans (link above). That way we can "enter/exit" the world map?
This will shrink and focus the contexual menu greatly. And make the game feel much more playable rather than just scrolling through an actions list and watching said actions play out.
Bonus points if you can choose different floor plans (3 bedroom, 1 bedroom, etc for how many people you plan on having).
This would be nice to have for everywhere BTW. Not just your home, well mostly everywhere. Any place that could potentially have more than one activity linked to it, or just to add flavor.
Example, movie theater, probably not top priority of needing a floor plan (interior) to explore. But your home, well that should be first and foremost. For example you go looking for an apartment and you now have a list to choose from ranging in capacity. Single bedroom or family sized for example. This would determine if others could live with you or not.
Also the ability to assign rooms would be nice. Once assigned contextual actions would be available. If you ever played HHS+( or any QSP game), the way they have "exploring" setup I think would be a good way to handle it with this game. For now basic floor plans will work. Maybe add "background packs" in the future, similar to how world maps are added.
I think this would help immerse people into actually "playing" the game as a life sim. For example the more its developed the more options could be added to each building type. I think workplace/office would be the next logical thing to have a floor plan for example. Inside the office you have different rooms like "Boss office" "Meeting room" "Bathroom" "breakroom" "your office (if earned I guess). This leads me to the other benefit, tighter random events. If I go to the break room, I have a chance at a "gossip event" if i go to the boss office I get a higher chance with events involving the boss or the boss's kid or whatever. This would really help with the actual "playing" of the game. Because as it stands now, just sitting on an overworld and scrolling through a page of actions is very uh, not fun. Just feels like trying to sort through an animation UI really, not playing a life sim.
Secondly, an expansion on this "instanced" idea for locations; would be things like "suburbs" and "countryside". Considering most maps are for cities. It makes sense to have each "map" have these generic "other locations". I would say just make them generic clones and not try matching the surrounding suburbs of each individual city map.
The goal would be to expand on the scenarios and scale, as well as expand the setting to give better variety.
Cucking some guy who had some city slut girlfriend is basic bitch stuff if you ask me. City life is like college life. People just fuck around and its very hum hum.
BUT
Finding a housewife in the suburbs, with a family? Cucking some 20 year marriage salary man? Now THAT is an adult life sim.
Or
Maybe you want to raise a family. Raising a family in the big city? Pretty impractical. In the suburbs you have extra options like a backyard, a pool, neighbors with their own families. Your kids start dating the neighbors kids. Basic life stuff.
Not to mention the "countryside" would make the horse addition a lot more practical. Countryside could be split up into a rural poor and countryclub rich perhaps? While suburb is the middle class. And city is well, city.
Mix this all together and what do you get? A whole lot of variety and gameplay opportunities.
Maybe you want to start a family? But get tired of your wife, so you cheat on her with the neighbor, drama ensues, families are torn apart.
How bout corrupting your neighborhood into a swingers club?
Maybe you wanna be a normal family mom, but you are huge fucking klepto and even go around at night breaking into peoples houses. Or better yet, you are serial rapist/murderer/thief, with whole neighborhoods to explore. Steal/sleep rape/kill. Maybe roleplay a family man who kills anyone who bullies their kids? Or fucks your daughter? Or wife?
Aside from the additions to the overworld and instances (floor plans/interiors). Expansions on existing mechanics would be nice. Like the crime system. That could be an interaction you only get while inside businesses (including your job).
Say you go into a grocery store or clothing store, you can choose the "steal" option and depending on your skills you gain or don't gain "suspicion". I admit, I haven't explored what is currently in the game for crime, but it seemed fairly RNG to me, rather than anything backed up by mechanics, for the few instances i tried it. I know stealth is a thing but more specific things like a wanted meter or suspicion level would help expand crime, and using that an example, expand other side mechanics. Like corruption, dating, whatever.
Lastly. With these extra "settings" it would be nice to have some "origins" or something. I noticed there is a transgender start or something, never tried it. But being able to select a starter build so to speak, would be nice.
City kid - 20 something in the city trying to start a life
Rancher - live on a ranch in rural countryside
Family man - Start in suburbs with a house and created family
Country club member - Older person who is a rich member of the countryclub/rich countryside
The ability to make custom starts would be cool too. Like "teacher" "ceo" "criminal" stuff like that.
But ya, main point I wanted to get across was the whole idea of an "interior" for all the different locations. Having contextual options for each individual room or building rather than just scrolling through pages of options on a never changing overworld.