AngelsAfterDark

Well-Known Member
Jun 11, 2021
1,199
2,289
Not sure if u fixed this yet but just a heads up, the android version crashes like crazy, especially during the text scene with Leah.. It's unplayable really.
 

otkmage

Member
Dec 4, 2018
170
168
Was Emma's model used in another game? There's something that vaguely reminds me of another character.
 

gregers

Forum Fanatic
Dec 9, 2018
4,755
6,074
Playing through this for the first time and so far it's well-written if a bit slow. But I've hit a dead end in the text converation with Emma after the first day of the chess tournament, it just opens with her texting "Hey" with no way to move on from there.

I'd attach a screenshot but the hotkey seems to have been disabled for some reason.


.... Huh, rolling back and forth a few more times seemed to fix it. Weirdness.
 

pantypriv

Member
Oct 9, 2021
150
167
So far so good, enjoying this game a lot :)
Haven't tried all possibilities or modes yet, but this is up my alley.
I actually appreciate some slow build up, but I really hope there will be more of Emma in the upcoming versions :giggle::cool:
 
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Rains43

Newbie
Apr 6, 2018
37
47
Amazing game! Unfortunately I can't support you financially right now, but have all the moral support I can muster!
 

MrSilverLust

MSL Games
Game Developer
May 22, 2021
454
3,090
MrSilverLust Just a thought, but maybe it's a good idea to add link to sigs in the OP?
I’ve also thought about that, but I’m not sure if it’s allowed to add more things in the 1st post. I’ve previously put there the solutions for the kink riddles so that everyone wouldn’t keep asking, but, at some point, they were removed by someone. Although, I think I’ve seen some sigs in other threads.

For now, I’ve added a link in my own signature. Maybe that’s easy enough to find for anyone looking for them. I’ll also be making/updating more signatures sometime. When that's done, I'll try to add them in the 1st post.
 
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Mister_M

Engaged Member
Apr 2, 2018
2,445
4,738
I’ve also thought about that, but I’m not sure if it’s allowed to add more things in the 1st post. I’ve previously put there the solutions for the kink riddles so that everyone wouldn’t keep asking, but, at some point, they were removed by someone. Although, I think I’ve seen some sigs in other threads.

For now, I’ve added a link in my own signature. Maybe that’s easy enough to find for anyone looking for them. I’ll also be making/updating more signatures sometime. When that's done, I'll try to add them in the 1st post.
Weird, there are some op in games threads with numerous links to sigs, walkthroughs and mods. Maybe it's better to ask a mod then. And speaking of sigs, I hope for a new fun one with Bri :D
 
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1337Bob

Member
Jan 31, 2018
239
1,113
Don't get me wrong, I still think the idea of the system is a good thing. I'm just unsure how to implement it good enough to avoid that kind of thing. As sad as this may sound, I start to think that Easy Mode is the way for me to actually "roleplay" because it'd allow me to choose dialogue choices that I want without having to worry about choosing the wrong choice and be locked out.
Sorry for the necro, but the most obvious solution to me would be to not let players unlock kinks from the menu, but they can only unlock them from choices they make in the story. i.e. in Emma's scene you can pick either Passive or Manhandle as long as you have enough points it will unlock it for you. While it wouldn't solve the issue of players not knowing which paths have content worth pursuing ahead of time (this would really be fixed by just having lots of content for everything), it would mean players can only invest in points that have a payoff in the story at this point. It would also make more sense for immersion, as your kinks are the result of you choices in the narrative, rather than choices made in isolation in some abstract menu.
 

MrSilverLust

MSL Games
Game Developer
May 22, 2021
454
3,090
Sorry for the necro, but the most obvious solution to me would be to not let players unlock kinks from the menu, but they can only unlock them from choices they make in the story. i.e. in Emma's scene you can pick either Passive or Manhandle as long as you have enough points it will unlock it for you. While it wouldn't solve the issue of players not knowing which paths have content worth pursuing ahead of time (this would really be fixed by just having lots of content for everything), it would mean players can only invest in points that have a payoff in the story at this point. It would also make more sense for immersion, as your kinks are the result of you choices in the narrative, rather than choices made in isolation in some abstract menu.
No problem in necroing anything. If I am understanding you correctly, your worry is that players can invest points in skills that don’t currently have any payoff, and then lack the points necessary for sex scenes that actually are already in the game.

I feel like your suggestion causes more problems that helps. Namely, you wouldn’t be able to know which kinks are behind which personality points, making it more likely that you get to a sex scene without the required points (I’m assuming you mean to get rid of the skills menu altogether). Knowing that information ahead of time by looking at the menu means you can more easily gather the points you need to get the kinks you like.

Alternatively, the way I used to address that issue was to explicitly recommend in game for the player to bank the points and only get the skills he needs before a given sex scene. Solves the same issue in a similar manner, without creating additional problems.
 

1337Bob

Member
Jan 31, 2018
239
1,113
No problem in necroing anything. If I am understanding you correctly, your worry is that players can invest points in skills that don’t currently have any payoff, and then lack the points necessary for sex scenes that actually are already in the game.

I feel like your suggestion causes more problems that helps. Namely, you wouldn’t be able to know which kinks are behind which personality points, making it more likely that you get to a sex scene without the required points (I’m assuming you mean to get rid of the skills menu altogether). Knowing that information ahead of time by looking at the menu means you can more easily gather the points you need to get the kinks you like.

Alternatively, the way I used to address that issue was to explicitly recommend in game for the player to bank the points and only get the skills he needs before a given sex scene. Solves the same issue in a similar manner, without creating additional problems.
You would still have the "menu" or the list of kinks visible, so the information is available, you just can't use it to unlock anything. Given your suggestion for the optimal way to play the game is to just bank the points until a relevant scene comes up then buy the kink you need, why not just cut out the middle man and make it so you can't buy kinks from the menu and just buy it through the choices you make in game anyway. It would just mean a better user experience, I think.
 

MrSilverLust

MSL Games
Game Developer
May 22, 2021
454
3,090
You would still have the "menu" or the list of kinks visible, so the information is available, you just can't use it to unlock anything. Given your suggestion for the optimal way to play the game is to just bank the points until a relevant scene comes up then buy the kink you need, why not just cut out the middle man and make it so you can't buy kinks from the menu and just buy it through the choices you make in game anyway. It would just mean a better user experience, I think.
Ah, I see. Yeah, I can see how that would be a better user experience in simple cases like the 1st lewd scene in the game with Emma.

There are more complicated situations though, and, as a game designer, you need to consider all cases. I took some time to think about that, which is always fun, and found some “problems” explained in more detail in the spoiler box bellow, in case you are also interested in thinking about this a little bit more.

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So, in conclusion, making that “small” change would result in a snowball effect and lead to:
  • Rewrite the whole skill system logic, which takes time that could be used elsewhere;
  • Remove some conditions currently in place to get advanced skills, possibly impacting character consistency;
  • Break save compatibility forcing every player to start from the beginning;
  • In the end, probably not even avoid the need to open the skill menu anyway;
Given that opening an abstract menu to buy a skill anytime the player wants is such a small issue - videogames are full of abstract menus, from all the skills in rpgs, to inventories, to weapon selection, to crafting, to system management in strategy games, to “excel sheets” in football manager – and the player can anyway already easily avoid the biggest of them all by banking his points, I don’t think it is worth implementing that change.

But thanks for taking your time to think of ways of improving the game and make a suggestion. I have changed things before (for the best, I hope) thanks to this kind of feedback.
 

DeedleConcord

Member
Oct 3, 2021
119
432
Really enjoyed playing this game. The point/skill system definitely makes this feel different than most visual novels, though I agree with the thoughtful discussion in this thread that it's an open question how well it will work in the end. The lead up to the sex scenes is also very good. I really felt the tension between MC and Emma. More impressively, the conversation with Deb and Carl was very...well, normal feeling. I would have expected cringe, or oddly transactional, or even too normal. It felt like adults discussing something a little out of the ordinary, but not anything to lose their minds over. A list of comments, some of which have already been addressed, but I still want to add to the chorus:

1: Most importantly, I think I have a bug. I just finished "listening" to the podcast about Jen's game that we discussed in text messages. (The game where she is black and just destroys her opponent with a 2 knight assault) When I exit the podcast, I am shunted back to the first "free roam" of the apartment back at the beginning of the game. I can go to sleep, and wake up to replay the first day of Jen's therapy again. No error message, no crash, just the game basically resets. And I already turned of shaders just to see if it fixed the problem. This seems wrong, unless it's a dream/flashback and I'm just missing the hint that this is the case.

2: On the chess note, absolutely loving it. Interesting games and good commentary. I even got to feel smart when I knew pushing the pawn and rook was the correct play during the bet. (I am horrible at chess.) Though, you're treading dangerous ground. Someone out there has a chess fetish, and they're going to be upset if Jen and MC don't play a game that ends with innuendo and Jen drawing attention to herself and her body while holding a captured piece. ;)

3: On the subject of fetishes, I appreciate your post in the smoking thread. Slightly disappointed it was joints and not cigs, but joints probably make more sense given the setting and characters of the scene, so whatever. I did stick out to me that the characters held the joints like cigarettes rather than how I typically see joints being held, but maybe I'm just out of touch with how the kids these days hold joints. Regardless, I prefer the cigarette style hold, and I want to call out you posed it well. Some devs just render the hand any old way and randomly stick the prop in the fingers. Your characters actually look like they're holding the joints, and it at least appears to me that you put particular effort in positioning Olivia's fingers and wrist. Or maybe I'm just seeing what I want to see. Please tell me you didn't just buy/pirate/download-a-free pose pack so I don't feel really stupid. Oh, and I know dev resources aren't infinite, but in the future, you might want to consider adding some smoke effects to the joints in post. Or, in my magical Christmasland, have Olivia visibly exhale.

4: And finally, what would a post on this thread be without concern over how a relationship will play out? While your statements that you don't consider a relationship with Lea(i.e. second best girl) particularly unethical ease my concerns over that relationship, I still worry about Jen(i.e. best girl). The problem is that MC (and thus, the player) must make a stupid, unethical decision to have this relationship happen. Which means MC (and thus, the player) must face some serious negative consequences for this relationship. Which if it's just finding a new career and enduring some scandal (for MC) and some lessons on why this is unethical (for the player), I can live with. But I don't want to play through this route, just for MC to be forever a pariah not just in the psychiatry world, but the world in general, all his friends abandoning him (because their business was destroyed by his stupidity), and Jen ultimately damaged even worse by the experience. Basically, I can handle the route being rough, but I don't want to set myself up for guaranteed misery porn.

Also, some typos, filenames say it all:
easy_win_for_BLACK.jpg Jen_moves_HER_knight.jpg
 
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