VN Ren'Py My Dorm [v0.23.1 S3 Ch.3] [Tropecita Games]

[FatGiant]

I have a question for all you collect them all harem players. Do you collevt them all because you are generally attracted to them? Or do you do it just because you can?

Oh boy, you don't pull the punches...

I've spent my adult life having to control and pretend I didn't see the temptations and interested looks (not as few as modesty dictates, not as many as pride wishes), having to say clearly NO to some more decisive interests.

So, when I started playing Harem Games, I simply can't say No anymore. Even if I can, I don't want to. My only regret is that there are so many games where you can only have ONE. Fuck that, I don't need a game for that.

This is a fantasy, and the most important lesson that my Mother made sure that I learned was that I should never put limits in my dreams.

My answer would have to be "Because I am attracted to the fact that I can have them all".

Peace

 

[snakeplisskin]

Thanks you guys for all the answers was nice reading everyones opinions. For me personally i have yet to play a harem game where i collect them all. There is always 1 or 2 girls that i am just not interested in.

The nice thing for me with harem games is there is no penalty for going after everyone, so i can experinece everyone and then start over and only pick the girls who i like.

 

[MarsUltor]

I have a question for all you collect them all harem players. Do you collevt them all because you are generally attracted to them? Or do you do it just because you can?

I think this is an excellent question, as it seems you are trying to understand the paradigms and thought processes of the pro-harem folk.

Personally, I agree with Tropecita Games in that I generally find them all more or less attractive; I have my favorites, but there are only maybe 1 or 2 potential LIs in all of the games that I currently or recently play(ed) that I would tend to consider seriously unattractive from a combined appearance and characterization standpoint. FWIW, I have absolutely no desire to engage in polyamory/polygamy IRL (and I think it's highly likely the same can be said for 99%+ of the players here).

I look at playing these erotic adult games as a form of roleplaying, where I take the general MC characterization created by the developer and add certain aspects of my personality and my "virtual" fantasies and kinks tailored to the particular game. There are certain "lines" I won't cross, but beyond those, I embrace the opportunity to explore the various roles I play in these digital worlds.

 

[Trope95]

I think this is an excellent question, as it seems you are trying to understand the paradigms and thought processes of the pro-harem folk.

Personally, I agree with Tropecita Games in that I generally find them all more or less attractive; I have my favorites, but there are only maybe 1 or 2 potential LIs in all of the games that I currently or recently play(ed) that I would tend to consider seriously unattractive from a combined appearance and characterization standpoint. I have absolutely no desire to engage in polyamory/polygamy IRL (and I think it's highly likely the same can be said for 99%+ of the players here).

I look at playing these erotic adult games as a form of roleplaying, where I take the general MC characterization created by the developer and add certain aspects of my personality and my "virtual" fantasies and kinks tailored to the particular game. There are certain "lines" I won't cross, but beyond those, I embrace the opportunity to explore the various roles I play in these digital worlds.

As you say, I won't engage in polygamy. I have enough with only one wife ordering me around
I played AVNs as the good guy. If I was not forced into it by the dev to continue the story, I preferred to not rape, molest in their sleep, or make anyone unhappy. At least in my first playthrough (what I considered canon for that AVN).
I see (A)VNs as an advanced version of a collection of books that were published in Spain when I was a teenager called "Elige tu propia aventura" (Choose your own adventure). You were reading and got to a point where you got (f.ex):
* If you go into the forest go to page 65
* If you go to the beach go to page 134
A book like those had like 5-10 different endings (and the good ones even had completely different stories) and I even did a kind of walkthrough or map with all the options.
When I discovered AVNs they reminded me of those books, and I wanted to read all the things the writer had thought for every girl, so my first playthrough always is a catch'em all. That's why I don't like the games where you can start a relationship with X girls but in the end, you should only choose one. I feel like I've forced the MC to cheat on his "true love" all the playthrough.

But that is only a personal opinion.

 

[TigerWolfe]

I have a question for all you collect them all harem players. Do you collevt them all because you are generally attracted to them? Or do you do it just because you can?

In real life I'm a strict monogamist. In AVNs I collect them all, generally I find something appealing about all of them, even if I have to squint and tilt my head sideways to ignore what would be irl deal breakers (smoking for example). If a game lolis (squicks me too much) too hard I'll drop the game before abandoning my collect them all approach. I don't know why that's how I play but it is.

 

[Zeruelll]

I have a question for all you collect them all harem players. Do you collevt them all because you are generally attracted to them? Or do you do it just because you can?

I like harems because usually I like them all and want to collect all of them since I don't want to/can't choose. I rarely dislike/pass up on an LI unless they're just very unbearable with no hope of redemption. That, or a specific kink I don't like is tied to that LI and it's not optional so I have to avoid an LI just so I don't encounter that kink. I hate it when that happens specially if that LI is considered a Main LI and it greatly affects the story.

There are a LOT of great VNs here where you have to choose which is sad. There are some I like since the story is actually pretty good, but if pure harem games can have a mono-route, surely the opposite is possible and monogamous VNs can also have harem endings. But I guess most devs don't know how to handle and make it so they never bothered making harem endings most of the time.

 

[TigerWolfe]

As my wife and I joke, my 'perverted power fantasy' is being protective, kind, and loving to all the girls and having them love 'me' back.

Same the ability to be infinitely caring is a big part of the appeal of these games for me.

 

[MarsUltor]

As you say, I won't engage in polygamy. I have enough with only one wife ordering me around
I played AVNs as the good guy. If I was not forced into it by the dev to continue the story, I preferred to not rape, molest in their sleep, or make anyone unhappy. At least in my first playthrough (what I considered canon for that AVN).
I see (A)VNs as an advanced version of a collection of books that were published in Spain when I was a teenager called "Elige tu propia aventura" (Choose your own adventure). You were reading and got to a point where you got (f.ex):
* If you go into the forest go to page 65
* If you go to the beach go to page 134
A book like those had like 5-10 different endings (and the good ones even had completely different stories) and I even did a kind of walkthrough or map with all the options.
When I discovered AVNs they reminded me of those books, and I wanted to read all the things the writer had thought for every girl, so my first playthrough always is a catch'em all. That's why I don't like the games where you can start a relationship with X girls but in the end, you should only choose one. I feel like I've forced the MC to cheat on his "true love" all the playthrough.

But that is only a personal opinion.

I also generally play as the good guy, or at least as "the likeable rogue" (e.g., Flynn Rider, Indiana Jones, Han Solo, Peter Quill/StarLord, Capt. Jack Sparrow... well, you get the idea).

To your other point about "choose your own adventure" stories, and with the earlier discussion about starting out with early/old computer hardware (an Atari 400 in my case; I'm older than dirt), I was reminded of having played text-based adventure games BITD, particularly ones by a company called Infocom. I had Zork I, II, & III (probably the most well-known ones), The Enchanter Trilogy (Enchanter, Sorcerer, and Spellbreaker), and Wishbringer.

 

[muschi26]

I have a question for all you collect them all harem players. Do you collevt them all because you are generally attracted to them? Or do you do it just because you can?

Both. Even if I'm less interested in a girl at first, her story may be interesting or entertaining later on. If I don't get a good read on the girl's personality early, or if she has the potential to change later, that's another factor, since physical appearance isn't everything. Bonus points if I (as the MC) get to save or rescue the girl from some peril, danger, or abuse, no matter what I think about the girl herself.

As my wife and I joke, my 'perverted power fantasy' is being protective, kind, and loving to all the girls and having them love 'me' back.

Oh, and I forgot to add the other factor: I don't want to miss any of the story, if the game's well-written, including the stories with all the girls. That's why I really hate it when a game has a girl who's just too annoying to deal with, especially if she starts interfering in other girls' stories (like the horrible, obnoxious sister in Scarlet Law).

I include only girls I'm interested in to some extent. The few times where I haven't, it was because of story requirements; or to see alternate paths or endings. That being said, most devs try their hardest to make all the girls in their games physically attractive and not completely unlikeable, so it's rare to stumble upon a character which is just wholly unattractive. It's true that having the option to “collect” them all influences my judgment:—in theory, I could spend some time deciding which girl I ultimately like best—but hey: it's a lot simpler to sort them into just two categories: “like” and “don't like”.

It's true also that the power fantasy is more than just getting to have sex with multiple women: it's providing and caring for them as well; and that's why I generally dislike games where the player has sex with twenty different women, but they're all one-night stands. In a harem game, I'd also take one well-written character who sticks around till the end over two or three side-characters who only show up once or twice.

I couldn't give a definitive answer as to whether or not I'd be interested in a real-life harem, because in real life there are a lot more constraints. Even brushing those away, and supposing one had all the time and money in the world, there would be a hard cap on the number of women one could be with while still maintaining a meaningful relationship with each one.—That, to me, is the main appeal of a harem game: getting the fulfillment of having a girlfriend or wife, multiplied by however many girls there are. Anyway, I have heard stories of people who got into triads and made it work long term; so if ever the stars align, I might be tempted.

 

[Deathcon1000]

See, this is why I like coming into these forums every once in awhile just to read what people are saying. All this talk makes me think of the good ol' days as well. I agree that those old choose your own adventure books are a precursor to a lot of games like this today. But fuck, did you have to bring up the Zork series!!! That shit makes me laugh so much. To believe I actually looked forward to the next title in that series way back when. I also grew up starting with an old Atari, then Intellivision, a Colecovision, and believe it or not I still have a working C64 stashed in my basement along with all my old floppies (yeah, I'm kind of a hoarder when it comes to older tech). When I got my first "true" PC, I learned how to code as well, and in the early stages of the internet my brother, myself and a few other friends actually made an online game, back when programming was so easy anybody with basic knowledge could really do it. Those were the days.
Anyways, to all of us who are also older than dirt, I raise my glass to you!!! May we all still be playing games like this until we're in our 90's!!

 

[Elhemeer]

I have a question for all you collect them all harem players. Do you collevt them all because you are generally attracted to them? Or do you do it just because you can?

I'm a collect them all "unless", but I haven't met an LI I didn't like on some level. That said, not all kinks are for me, so there are a few I've turned down if I can't avoid them ... and if I can't avoid them, that game isn't for me.

The "Harem vs Not Harem" part ... I guess that depends on how much I'm enjoying the story. But my favorite Non-harem games make it clear early on that if you don't want everyone mad at you, then choose. On the other hand, being a player in a non-harem game is fun on the fantasy side of things, but those are also games I tend to give up on if that play-style starts hurting the girls.

So yea, as a famous 'playah' once said ...

 

[TigerWolfe]

But my favorite Non-harem games make it clear early on that if you don't want everyone mad at you, then choose. On the other hand, being a player in a non-harem game is fun on the fantasy side of things, but those are also games I tend to give up on if that play-style starts hurting the girls.

So yea, as a famous 'playah' once said ...
View attachment 2542284

I hate when hours in suddenly I have to pick one of several girls. If I know it's a monogamous game from the start I make my choice early, usually one of the first girls, and stick with it til the end.

I don't replay these after "beating" them usually, so I like gotta catch them all as it let's me see the most. Ain't nobody got time for that (that being playing through an AVN over and over to solo end every girl, too many games).

 

[FatGiant]

I hate when hours in suddenly I have to pick one of several girls. If I know it's a monogamous game from the start I make my choice early, usually one of the first girls, and stick with it til the end.

I don't replay these after "beating" them usually, so I like gotta catch them all as it let's me see the most. Ain't nobody got time for that (that being playing through an AVN over and over to solo end every girl, too many games).

The last time that happened to me was in a game with a famous model and her sister, suddenly, I had to choose one of them. F that. I quit instead, deleted all saves and the game. Yes they were all HOT as hell, even the 2 daughters of the model. Nope, not falling for another of those. I fell for one, one with 2 sisters a milf mom and some friends and models and shit, it broke my heart to choose one. Then suddenly my saves disappeared. No, not gonna go through that again.

Now if a game is like that, I'll either not play, or if I do, I refuse EVERYONE.

I had to go through that IRL many years ago. It was a choice between 2 jumps into the unknown. I'll die without knowing if I chose right or wrong. I'll die knowing that whatever choice I made I would regret it forever. Now some games want to make me relive that? Why would I want this?

That specific plot element needs to die as the Terminator did. And never resurface again.

Peace

 

[MarsUltor]

The last time that happened to me was in a game with a famous model and her sister, suddenly, I had to choose one of them. F that. I quit instead, deleted all saves and the game. Yes they were all HOT as hell, even the 2 daughters of the model. Nope, not falling for another of those. I fell for one, one with 2 sisters a milf mom and some friends and models and shit, it broke my heart to choose one. Then suddenly my saves disappeared. No, not gonna go through that again.

Now if a game is like that, I'll either not play, or if I do, I refuse EVERYONE.

I had to go through that IRL many years ago. It was a choice between 2 jumps into the unknown. I'll die without knowing if I chose right or wrong. I'll die knowing that whatever choice I made I would regret it forever. Now some games want to make me relive that? Why would I want this?

That specific plot element needs to die as the Terminator did. And never resurface again.

Peace

Amen! I'm sure you (and most everyone here) knows this, but what you are describing is called "opportunity cost" -- the condition where choosing one option eliminates all of the other competing options -- and real life is filled with opportunity cost choices (and occasionally with "

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", "

You must be registered to see the links

", and "

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" decisions), so I prefer that my interactive entertainment have as few of those type of choices as possible.

A while back, I played an AVN game that was very well written and with good graphics, that appeared to be working toward a 2-LI bigamous (bi-amorous?) conclusion, when it took a sudden dark turn and presented me with an unavoidable Sophie's Choice/

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decision, and everything spiraled downward from there. I finished the game since I was already so close to the end, but I found it to be a traumatic experience and vowed to avoid that type of game in the future.

 

[TigerWolfe]

I think I've played both of the above as some of my early forays into the genre and yeah... They were formative I guess.

 

[FatGiant]

Amen! I'm sure you (and most everyone here) knows this, but what you are describing is called "opportunity cost" -- the condition where choosing one option eliminates all of the other competing options -- and real life is filled with opportunity cost choices (and occasionally with "

You must be registered to see the links

", "

You must be registered to see the links

", and "

You must be registered to see the links

" decisions), so I prefer that my interactive entertainment have as few of those type of choices as possible.

A while back, I played an AVN game that was very well written and with good graphics, that appeared to be working toward a 2-LI bigamous (bi-amorous?) conclusion, when it took a sudden dark turn and presented me with an unavoidable Sophie's Choice/

You must be registered to see the links

decision, and everything spiraled downward from there. I finished the game since I was already so close to the end, but I found it to be a traumatic experience and vowed to avoid that type of game in the future.

Yes, THAT game was gut wrenching. The same author is doing it again on his newer game. It makes you fall for all 6 of them (so far) but you can only choose one. And after the choice, they still hang around, rubbing your nose on the lost opportunities. It will BE a painful experience again, we can count on it.

IRL is chock full of those type of choices. Some are VERY traumatic and have long lasting consequences, lifelong lasting. That some authors find and explore the impact of these choices is unavoidable, but extremely uncomfortable. What boggles the mind is that so many people love to be tormented so. It adds a lot to my feeling like an alien.

Thanks for the reflection.

Peace

 

[Uthuriel]

I played an AVN game...

Nice... another one that got baited by the trash DPC makes...

 

[snakeplisskin]

Outside of Tora productions games i cant think of a game where one LI was handled well.

Usually i play as a manwhore with the expectation it will blow up in my face while i decide who i want to solo romance. If the game makes me decide super early on then i usually drop it, I cant make that kind of decision when i barely know any of the characters.

As for harems there is always at least 1 girl in every game i dont want to include in my harem. It doesnt mean they are a bad character, they just arent my cup of tea.

 

[Defenestrator.for.traitor]

Amen! I'm sure you (and most everyone here) knows this, but what you are describing is called "opportunity cost" -- the condition where choosing one option eliminates all of the other competing options -- and real life is filled with opportunity cost choices (and occasionally with "

You must be registered to see the links

", "

You must be registered to see the links

", and "

You must be registered to see the links

" decisions), so I prefer that my interactive entertainment have as few of those type of choices as possible.

A while back, I played an AVN game that was very well written and with good graphics, that appeared to be working toward a 2-LI bigamous (bi-amorous?) conclusion, when it took a sudden dark turn and presented me with an unavoidable Sophie's Choice/

You must be registered to see the links

decision, and everything spiraled downward from there. I finished the game since I was already so close to the end, but I found it to be a traumatic experience and vowed to avoid that type of game in the future.

You may like Bare Witness then. The choices you make does not have gut wrenching effects but you have to choose one or another, though you can still have harem endings. I like the story of it, handling of choices also good. Also on the plus side, they have Erika like character and that is always enough reason to try a game. Erika for life.

 

[FatGiant]

You may like Bare Witness then. The choices you make does not have gut wrenching effects but you have to choose one or another, though you can still have harem endings. I like the story of it, handling of choices also good. Also on the plus side, they have Erika like character and that is always enough reason to try a game. Erika for life.

You know, I almost drop BW when the first expulsion came about. Only after I went to the thread to say goodbye was when I learned that there was still a chance. Now I've dropped all the 3 exclusivists. They want a solo story? Too bad, go away...

<Rant>
I wish all games gave us that option. Tell them to F off, and they disappear. Or have the option to tell that you're not there for solo stories. I don't even care what their story could be, not interested in anyone that wants to bind me into a monogamist relationship, I already have enough of that IRL.

The bad part of this mindset is that when authors don't plan for Harems, the only way to do it is by being a fucking cheater with no possible chance of coming clean and be open and frontal about it. I hate to be put into the cheater role.

I get it, Harems are NOT for everyone. Both players and Devs have the right to not liking it. I HATE cheating way more than they hate Harems tho. Yet, it is common place to have multiple LI's and common place to go with them all. Why not block cheating if you don't want Harems? Allowing cheating is the BAD guy Harem. It feeds the fantasy of being a Don Juan, a Casanova, a Playaaaar. Or in my view a Dirt Bag with no self respect. Any Dev should learn this, if you have multiple LI's, besides the Cheating, you should give the Harem option, heck you can even use the same renders, just change the text.

By doing things this way, you may be pandering to all those proto cheaters but you are throwing away all the Harem players that want a self-respect way of playing.
</Rant>

Peace