I thought 'Possible Archetypes' was pretty direct in saying these are the possible archetypes this character can change to. Any suggestions to make it clearer that doesn't take up too much UI real estate?
The easiest way I can think of would just be to add a button to the computer that explains all the base mechanics and lists all the skills so the player can know which direction to pursue with their character. Sure, you can't build yourself a "broken" or useless character because you can learn all the skills, but depending on which skills you go after, and which secondary interests you force on the girls, you can most certainly make the game harder on yourself quite accidently. That might cause folks to think there's no real content here, because they don't know that, at least initially there's only one path "forward" toward the content, despite being numerous things to get sidetracked on that aren't going to be productive for quite a while. Perhaps on that page, or perhaps a tab on each of the ladies could be a flowchart style list so you can more visually track your progress toward the AT you desire them to have, that would let someone know more easily that they are going to need to progress thru likely more than 1 AT before they are getting an family fuckbuddy.
People that have been playing a game and following it's development for a while already know the ins and outs of the mechanics and often take that knowledge for granted, where a new player won't have that and may very well get bored/discouraged at a seeming lack of progress and confusion over some issues. I was one such, because as I mentioned, because I kept expecting the "Possible Archetypes" list to change based on which secondary interests were encouraged. It's not to much "Possible" as "Next" and "Previous" from what I've managed to see.
I am enjoying the game, no doubt, but would have enjoyed it sooner if I'd been explained in game a little more about the mechanics, without heavy spoilers on things. Just to get a grasp on the fundamentals of how things work. That's the problem with a lot of walkthrus, they are just "do this, then do that, now do something else" they tell you what to do, but don't tend to tell WHY you're doing them specifically that way. The old teach a man to fish vs feed a man a fish adage.
*EDIT: The archetype map pdf included in the .06 revision is exactly what I was wanting to see for the characters when I spoke above about a flowchart for the AT paths. Awesome.
