Played a bit with the current version, damn nice, especially considering the scripting limitations. Really looking forward the procgen girl generation.
Some random observations:
- Morning BJ does not seem to improve either oral skill, or predisposition toward it. Which is... odd, because even with capped "likesoral," at least oralXP should increase. Also, 1 hour long blowjob? Those girls must have jaws of steel. Personally would definitely lower that to 15-20 minutes max, maybe with less skilled blower taking longer with breaks in between.
- really dislike the Follower Interaction limit. Interactions limit with individual characters I get from balancing point of view (though, even then... if someone wants to spend the entire day with their favorite mercenary to get into her pants, why not?), but really think time should be the only constraint on how many followers MC can interact per day with, if so desired.
- If possible (not sure if you can set up an "owned slave" AV number array, and didn't really think much about another way to implement this), would be nice to get arrows in Prostitution, House Rules, and Inventory panels to cycle through all slaves in the Annex. Also, could you add active character name in House Rules, for consistency? Bugs me more than it probably should
- Stat/skill gain from combat feels extremely limited. Around 12 points spread across 5 characters for 70 kills (the tribals outside the city), though from what I dug out it's heavily RNG dependent. Maybe in addition to using critical hits to trigger gain it would be possible to also trigger it based on damage inflicted during a fight, or number of actions taken, or any other trigger?
I can fully appreciate that you're trying to avoid "master in a day" implementation, but for combat skills in particular the balance feels really off. Especially since the gain itself is very limited (melee/ranged skill, maybe STR) in the first place. Dexterity could use some love, too, particularly since it's more "Agility" than "Dexterity" as it's used. Definitely something in active use during combat, even when not dodging enemy attacks.
In general, physical stat (STR/DEX/stamina/hp) gain through combat is... extremely disappointing.
- Stealth armor as a choice for mercs would be nice, if only to allow dedicated "tank" builds even with followers present.
- Some brief explanation of potential gains/effects of assignment in Follower's duties screen. Would make decision on assignments that much easier (as an aside, the "Current Trait Values" popup in slave Overview panel is excellent, thank you very much for that one!)
-Slaves "sharing" Respect with other slaves - some fraction of value from each slave being applied to others daily. I've only ever seen it increase through combat, which in itself is somewhat limiting for non-combat characters. Would be helpful if there was some mechanic to spread the respect you build up with your combat team. I'm not taking Fragile Lovissa out shooting Raiders...
-Not sure if I missed it somehow, but didn't see an option for bulk ration purchases at the Market to stock up on when the price is low.
Some broader comments/suggestions:
-Daily summary of skill gain/employment results panel, or similar notifications when activity/assignment ends. I know you initially intended limited number of slaves, and the interface was built around it, but it's somewhat cumbersome to track right now. It's not even a matter of immediately necessary information, but seeing "level up!" screens is a good way to trigger player's sense of achievement/progression. Also helps with learning what you can effectively do at what stage. Been waiting for a month now for Mai-Lynn to learn another point in Domestic at the Academy for her "over 60" Head Maid bonus... still waiting. I'm starting to think she's not going to lectures but to tend to some secret flower garden of hers somewhere...
-Girls asking for interactions (both sexual and events/activities) on their own. I assume that's something you have planned once the necessary base systems are in place (combat rework's another thing definitely looking forward to), but feels worth mentioning. Personal bias, but I like seeing "living" characters that "act" on their own, not just respond to player's actions.
-Likewise, some vinegette interactions between slaves and/or followers without immediate (or any) involvement of the MC. Flavor and character presentation, depending on the variables considered.
-Girls giving hints of specific sex activities they'd prefer during sessions. Or outright demanding, with high Willpower. See above
-Daily schedule panel? Showing allocation for both slaves and household members, and their location/availability during specific hours. Again, a lot more slaves/followers around now, even with the the limited number of followers I had (four) it'd have been very handy to have all of that in one place, just to figure out when someone will be available to interact with without the need for checking each character individually.
Also, would be massively handy if you could use it for "default" assignments for everyone, including training sessions. Just to have all of that information and options in one screen would save a lot of time clicking through things, especially if it included household management summary changes as well. Not much of a problem before, but definitely would be useful with the increasing number of characters.
-House upgrades allowing basic skills training in-house. Home shooting range (uses crossbow bolts), home library (intelligence, academics/medicine/science), gym room (str/dex, STAMINA, combat, acrobatics), higher living room upgrades allowing dancing/performing, garden allowing gardening/survival. Only useful for raising low skills (up to ~30?). Something you can assign a girl to do even if MC is doing other things. Again, more characters, more time pressure. Training sessions as existing now probably should have better effect, though.
Hell, while on the subject, it might be helpful if skill gain method and rate was based on their current value.
Not sure if something as elaborate would be something you'd consider/could implement, given what you're working with, but my personal preferences (doesn't mean the best approach, or even desirable depending on your design goals) would be something like this:
No/low skill slaves can get assigned to try to learn on their own (assuming they are obedient/affectionate enough), albeit at relatively slow pace. MC involvement through "homeschooling" makes the gain faster, and more reliable.
"Average" skill values require a trainer. Either MC through homeschooling sessions, if own skill high enough, or assignments to some reasonably-priced trainers. Capped at around 50-60.
Above that, specialist training. Again, if MC's skill is high enough, homeschooling, or -expensive- professional training.
Allow some degree of home training for physical stats. Without a trainer, or, for higher values, requiring superior values for MC to be an effective trainer. Maybe some heavily capped possibility for self-improvement at a sufficiently upgraded home (no house's complete without a library, damnit) for Intelligence, and the more demanding mental skills (Academics/Medicine/Science).
In general terms, I'd see "practical" stats/skills to be much easier raised through use. For combat skills, training should likely come with a somewhat low cap beyond which, without actual combat experience, no character could improve (~70? Still trying to get a feel for what values you consider average and desirable).
Also, gain through use should be much easier at lower levels, whereas training - as long as still possible - give reliable and steady improvement, at the cost of taking longer to achieve, aside from direct expenses involved.
Just to clarify, since I'm not sure I'm not making out things more complicated than they are - basically I'd generally see skill gain through direct use to be a much faster approach for low skill characters, professional training being more effective for someone with a notion of what they are doing, and differentiated between direct use and specialist training being the best approach depending on the skill itself at high expertise level, however you define the desired values.
By the fourth slave my MC had spent at least an order of magnitude more time on girls' education and physical training than having sexy time with them, and, for the game MoR purports to be, that just ain't right, mister
Hell, at this point, with six slaves, the only time I start sex scenes is when MC desire gets too high. "Ain't nobody got time for dat!"
-Weapon mods. Not sure what your plans are for the combat rework, but it would be nice if it was more than just "keep on clicking on specific enemy until they are dead, switch to the next."
Especially if some specialist mods were quickest obtained through self-production. Assuming high enough competency of the character involved, would give another reason to specialize a slave as a science/tech type.
-The Retreat. Would prefer to see it as "alternate housing" type of a deal (until you let us buy an even larger property somewhere as primary hosing for EVERYONE >.>) that would still allow at least some assignments. Basically education/jobs, and be present (and interract with) annex slaves if it's at player's residence (maid, floor crawler, nanny, whatnot)
Way I'd imagine is the Retreat to be used for slaves on back-burner, or assigned to tasks that do not require player interaction (prostitution, jobs, education), while the Annex has whomever you interact with daily or want to train up.
Personally I'd probably even leave my combat team at the Retreat, if possible to still "gather the party to venture forth," once I'm happy with their stats/skills. Leave Annex slots open for others.
Also, whatever upgrades you intend for it, I absolutely demand an option to aim for Happiness 90 with the three stooges there acting like actual servants to the girls. And if they don't like it, I can always (cheaply) hire a replacement for all of them.
Preferably a female one, at that. The Mad Preacher has it all figured out.
Anyways, stray thoughts out of the way, definitely appreciate what you're doing, especially in this medium. Ticks off all the right things on my RPG-management-junkie list, so, for the lack of capacity for tangible financial support, and for what it's worth, heartfelt "thank you."
Some random observations:
- Morning BJ does not seem to improve either oral skill, or predisposition toward it. Which is... odd, because even with capped "likesoral," at least oralXP should increase. Also, 1 hour long blowjob? Those girls must have jaws of steel. Personally would definitely lower that to 15-20 minutes max, maybe with less skilled blower taking longer with breaks in between.
- really dislike the Follower Interaction limit. Interactions limit with individual characters I get from balancing point of view (though, even then... if someone wants to spend the entire day with their favorite mercenary to get into her pants, why not?), but really think time should be the only constraint on how many followers MC can interact per day with, if so desired.
- If possible (not sure if you can set up an "owned slave" AV number array, and didn't really think much about another way to implement this), would be nice to get arrows in Prostitution, House Rules, and Inventory panels to cycle through all slaves in the Annex. Also, could you add active character name in House Rules, for consistency? Bugs me more than it probably should
- Stat/skill gain from combat feels extremely limited. Around 12 points spread across 5 characters for 70 kills (the tribals outside the city), though from what I dug out it's heavily RNG dependent. Maybe in addition to using critical hits to trigger gain it would be possible to also trigger it based on damage inflicted during a fight, or number of actions taken, or any other trigger?
I can fully appreciate that you're trying to avoid "master in a day" implementation, but for combat skills in particular the balance feels really off. Especially since the gain itself is very limited (melee/ranged skill, maybe STR) in the first place. Dexterity could use some love, too, particularly since it's more "Agility" than "Dexterity" as it's used. Definitely something in active use during combat, even when not dodging enemy attacks.
In general, physical stat (STR/DEX/stamina/hp) gain through combat is... extremely disappointing.
- Stealth armor as a choice for mercs would be nice, if only to allow dedicated "tank" builds even with followers present.
- Some brief explanation of potential gains/effects of assignment in Follower's duties screen. Would make decision on assignments that much easier (as an aside, the "Current Trait Values" popup in slave Overview panel is excellent, thank you very much for that one!)
-Slaves "sharing" Respect with other slaves - some fraction of value from each slave being applied to others daily. I've only ever seen it increase through combat, which in itself is somewhat limiting for non-combat characters. Would be helpful if there was some mechanic to spread the respect you build up with your combat team. I'm not taking Fragile Lovissa out shooting Raiders...
-Not sure if I missed it somehow, but didn't see an option for bulk ration purchases at the Market to stock up on when the price is low.
Some broader comments/suggestions:
-Daily summary of skill gain/employment results panel, or similar notifications when activity/assignment ends. I know you initially intended limited number of slaves, and the interface was built around it, but it's somewhat cumbersome to track right now. It's not even a matter of immediately necessary information, but seeing "level up!" screens is a good way to trigger player's sense of achievement/progression. Also helps with learning what you can effectively do at what stage. Been waiting for a month now for Mai-Lynn to learn another point in Domestic at the Academy for her "over 60" Head Maid bonus... still waiting. I'm starting to think she's not going to lectures but to tend to some secret flower garden of hers somewhere...
-Girls asking for interactions (both sexual and events/activities) on their own. I assume that's something you have planned once the necessary base systems are in place (combat rework's another thing definitely looking forward to), but feels worth mentioning. Personal bias, but I like seeing "living" characters that "act" on their own, not just respond to player's actions.
-Likewise, some vinegette interactions between slaves and/or followers without immediate (or any) involvement of the MC. Flavor and character presentation, depending on the variables considered.
-Girls giving hints of specific sex activities they'd prefer during sessions. Or outright demanding, with high Willpower. See above
-Daily schedule panel? Showing allocation for both slaves and household members, and their location/availability during specific hours. Again, a lot more slaves/followers around now, even with the the limited number of followers I had (four) it'd have been very handy to have all of that in one place, just to figure out when someone will be available to interact with without the need for checking each character individually.
Also, would be massively handy if you could use it for "default" assignments for everyone, including training sessions. Just to have all of that information and options in one screen would save a lot of time clicking through things, especially if it included household management summary changes as well. Not much of a problem before, but definitely would be useful with the increasing number of characters.
-House upgrades allowing basic skills training in-house. Home shooting range (uses crossbow bolts), home library (intelligence, academics/medicine/science), gym room (str/dex, STAMINA, combat, acrobatics), higher living room upgrades allowing dancing/performing, garden allowing gardening/survival. Only useful for raising low skills (up to ~30?). Something you can assign a girl to do even if MC is doing other things. Again, more characters, more time pressure. Training sessions as existing now probably should have better effect, though.
Hell, while on the subject, it might be helpful if skill gain method and rate was based on their current value.
Not sure if something as elaborate would be something you'd consider/could implement, given what you're working with, but my personal preferences (doesn't mean the best approach, or even desirable depending on your design goals) would be something like this:
No/low skill slaves can get assigned to try to learn on their own (assuming they are obedient/affectionate enough), albeit at relatively slow pace. MC involvement through "homeschooling" makes the gain faster, and more reliable.
"Average" skill values require a trainer. Either MC through homeschooling sessions, if own skill high enough, or assignments to some reasonably-priced trainers. Capped at around 50-60.
Above that, specialist training. Again, if MC's skill is high enough, homeschooling, or -expensive- professional training.
Allow some degree of home training for physical stats. Without a trainer, or, for higher values, requiring superior values for MC to be an effective trainer. Maybe some heavily capped possibility for self-improvement at a sufficiently upgraded home (no house's complete without a library, damnit) for Intelligence, and the more demanding mental skills (Academics/Medicine/Science).
In general terms, I'd see "practical" stats/skills to be much easier raised through use. For combat skills, training should likely come with a somewhat low cap beyond which, without actual combat experience, no character could improve (~70? Still trying to get a feel for what values you consider average and desirable).
Also, gain through use should be much easier at lower levels, whereas training - as long as still possible - give reliable and steady improvement, at the cost of taking longer to achieve, aside from direct expenses involved.
Just to clarify, since I'm not sure I'm not making out things more complicated than they are - basically I'd generally see skill gain through direct use to be a much faster approach for low skill characters, professional training being more effective for someone with a notion of what they are doing, and differentiated between direct use and specialist training being the best approach depending on the skill itself at high expertise level, however you define the desired values.
By the fourth slave my MC had spent at least an order of magnitude more time on girls' education and physical training than having sexy time with them, and, for the game MoR purports to be, that just ain't right, mister
Hell, at this point, with six slaves, the only time I start sex scenes is when MC desire gets too high. "Ain't nobody got time for dat!"
-Weapon mods. Not sure what your plans are for the combat rework, but it would be nice if it was more than just "keep on clicking on specific enemy until they are dead, switch to the next."
Especially if some specialist mods were quickest obtained through self-production. Assuming high enough competency of the character involved, would give another reason to specialize a slave as a science/tech type.
-The Retreat. Would prefer to see it as "alternate housing" type of a deal (until you let us buy an even larger property somewhere as primary hosing for EVERYONE >.>) that would still allow at least some assignments. Basically education/jobs, and be present (and interract with) annex slaves if it's at player's residence (maid, floor crawler, nanny, whatnot)
Way I'd imagine is the Retreat to be used for slaves on back-burner, or assigned to tasks that do not require player interaction (prostitution, jobs, education), while the Annex has whomever you interact with daily or want to train up.
Personally I'd probably even leave my combat team at the Retreat, if possible to still "gather the party to venture forth," once I'm happy with their stats/skills. Leave Annex slots open for others.
Also, whatever upgrades you intend for it, I absolutely demand an option to aim for Happiness 90 with the three stooges there acting like actual servants to the girls. And if they don't like it, I can always (cheaply) hire a replacement for all of them.
Preferably a female one, at that. The Mad Preacher has it all figured out.
Anyways, stray thoughts out of the way, definitely appreciate what you're doing, especially in this medium. Ticks off all the right things on my RPG-management-junkie list, so, for the lack of capacity for tangible financial support, and for what it's worth, heartfelt "thank you."
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