You can't plan for things you don't know exist, this is how all rougelikes work. Meta game knowledge is a key part of getting better at the game. In games like Slay the Spire of Binding of Isaac, the first time you encounter an enemy you're likely to do badly, as you're not aware of their patterns and what they can do. Same thing with Naked Ambition. The first time you see Evette coming up, you don't know what she can do besides vague ideas about what skills she likes and what signs she favors. So you'll probably fail but you'll learn and do better next time.
This game is meant to be played dozens and dozens of times. Once the game is finished even if you're perfect you'll have to play it over 35 times to get all the endings. You play the game, fuck up, play again, get better and fuck up less.
(just a warning to everyone, a rant is coming, because when it comes to game mechanics, i get heated, since i get sensitive about a field i actively work in and try to perfect, so i suggest you ignore this conversation unless you wan't to watch a game developer in training tell another game developer why game mechanics don't make sense.)
except this isn't something anyone would really consider a rogue-like.
A rogue like can still be overcome on your first try by a skilled player, the first time i picked up binding of issac, i had played plenty of other games like it and managed to get farther than most, it shouldn't be easy, but you shouldn't be slamming your face against a brick wall until the stars magically align, a rogue-like
is skill AS WELL as luck, this is just luck and clairvoyance.
a scheduling trainer game is not a rogue-like, rogue likes also don't have long, drawn out runs, in a rogue like
you die and restart very VERY fast.
you die and are already on a new run, you aren't bothered by the loss and can keep doing new runs without difficulty.
90% of rogue likes don't require a time investment, even FTL, one of the only ones that have runs drag on, doesn't dwell on failure and doesn't make consequences feel permanent.
this, is a trainer game, one that drags on
for a long time
with long lasting consequences
it cannot afford to be randomized, it needs hard rules and the player needs to know what they're dealing with on the first go, besides that, the places where it is randomized are FUCKING insane, things that should be player choices are card-based randomization.
which, again, makes no fucking sense, i will not let that point slide, i am still infuriated by that because it is so incredibly stupid, that it made me quit in frustration because it was so idiotic that the princess can choose to participate in something which she has done no training in.
i did not think a porn game, something people play to RELIVE frustration, could have such dreadful mechanics that it makes me shut the game down to take time to comprehend such poor decision making.
i understand building a game isn't easy, i get it, i made one myself and it was hell for a while, but with how much you have to play test these things, at some point, you need to think 'this event involves several possible paths to participate in, with a good chance that a majority of which does not work in the player's favor because they've been leaning on a small number of skills up to this point
maybe, i should let them choose whatever event involves the skills they've invested in, rather than drawing cards and making the protagonist possibly participate in something the player put no investment into.'
Especially if events are randomized, and these events can come in EARLY into the game.
(P.S, i talk allot of shit, but the game isn't actually terrible, i am just REALLY focusing on the negative parts because its the only way to get the message across, if people don't tear games new assholes, developers will never learn, this became obvious around the time one angry internet man in a fedora influenced the entire gaming industry into being less shit by swearing at it.)
