Hey guys, here's the changelog for today's update:
Some definite improvements to gameplay this time. I can't speak to the level 2 upgrade progression since I started from an old save, but I appreciate that you don't have to grind quite as much through guests for the needed cash. I did have some trouble with the new rooms since level 2 guests have satisfaction requirements that are sometimes too high for Riley at level 1, and there needs to be an indicator that a maintenance room is needed; as I opened the sauna I basically got to watch it fall apart since I didn't have enough cash to fix it. Kay is a godsend for keeping stuff afloat, so you may want to tweak her energy drain since she's almost always useful to put to work.
Some other thoughts:
- The "low-heat" infrared sauna request is a touch confusing at first, maybe you could phrase it like "I'd like something a little less vigorous than a normal sauna" to differentiate it
- The satisfaction bar is still unsatisfactory *rimshot*. I don't think it's the overall time interval so much as it's the way it goes up, since having it slow down at the end when you can clearly see you won't clear the requirement is just frustrating. Maybe try having the bar start slow and then accelerate?
- There's still a lot of repetitiveness even though the grind has been lessened a bit. I think most players will probably do what I did and just hammer the "skip" button after the first couple of times they see a guest event. You don't really need separate and subsequent text boxes for "Good morning, Mrs. X!" and "Can I get you something to Y?", or the resulting thanks and expressions of delight/disappointment. You can also probably cut out the lone text boxes for each girl when they're sleeping or performing a job, since they're also the same every time and the renders themselves do a perfectly fine job of displaying their current mood and activity. A picture says a thousand words, after all.
- Maybe implement some sort of strategy into the guest requests. For instance, rather than having them straight up ask you for a menu item, have them say something like "Surprise me! Bring me something I haven't had during my stay" to keep players invested in what each guest has been doing. It'd be nice to incorporate individual personality types into properly fulfilling requests as well, to show that treating a guest right isn't always going to be plastered under their schedule
Good progress, I'm looking forward to seeing how the new girls develop! I'm a sucker for redheads, so Riley is pushing my buttons already. We need renders of her enjoying that sauna!