Not sure how I feel about
Faerin adding the story mode here to remove all gameplay aspects. He can certainly do what he wants since it's his game, but it just seems like it's catering to people who don't even care enough, or in my opinion respect him or his work enough, to play the game as intended.
He even made the system that would automatically plan everything for people also. I've never used it, because part of the fun is doing it manually. You know, setting up and building your staff, equipping them with cards and items, and running your hotel optimally. That system, which he said was a lot of work to do, now kind of feels like it was time that could have been better spent elsewhere. The people who complained probably will just skip everything anyways and just watch the new scenes. That's time and effort that could have been put towards something else.
Anyways, I do think it's a disservice to not play the game the way it was intended. The first time I played this game was about two updates ago or so, and this game was literally the only thing I played during that time until I finished the current content. I had a blast with managing the hotel, unlocking new staff members, collecting cards and making "builds" in a way for each of my staff members.
It was genuinely fun for me, and I was very engaged in the gameplay loop and of course the gorgeous women working under me. The reward for leveling up the hotel and staff, unlocking new variations of their outfits, new renders, and winning over the women always felt great and rewarding. It never felt like a chore to get to that point because of bad gameplay or excessive grinding. I'm sure that first playthrough of mine was very sub-optimal also, hell, I didn't even know items existed in the current version I played or how to get them until I read some tips after I had already finished the content.
I'm debating if I should play through this version now since there's a bunch of new Tier 5 events for the girls, or just wait until it's actually finished before playing again. If I do, it'll be interesting to see how well I can do with management this go around. I have a better idea of how to play, how to get items now, what rooms and expansions work well earlier and later in the game, and so on.
It really is a great game that Faerin created here, it's such a huge step up from Man of the House, and it really shows in all areas. To be honest, I wasn't a huge fan of how a lot of the women looked in MotH, but some the girls here in Mystwood Manor became instant favorites of mine. The mother in particular was done so well and she's the one who's probably my favorite. She actually looks like a milf with some age to her, but at the same time a complete knockout with an amazing motherly figure. There are not many adult games where I can honestly say that I enjoy all the women present, same thing with gameplay for that matter, but I can really say that here. It's the kind of game that earns a permanent spot on your hard drive, because you know you'll be going back to it often to enjoy your favorite scenes or just play through the entire thing again.
Sorry for the long post. Wasn't my intention when I started hitting those keys, but this game is totally worth the praise, and playing through the way it was intended!
And to you, Faerin, keep up the great work! This really is an absolute gem you've been creating here, and one of the best Patreon funded adult games I've ever played.
