Opinions on complexity/depth in adult games? - Poll

[Pretentious Goblin]

all stellaris players know the odds of that happening

"Oh god, it's 2260 and I already control 1/4 of the map with 2 of the AIs under my thumb, a treasure hoard of resources I can't find enough ways to spend and an outliner the length of the average harem MC's cock. Do I really want another 240 years of playing Galactic Empire Resource Management Simulator? Y'know what, I'll do it next time, this civilization is getting boring anyway."

 

[Deleted member 440241]

Actual games will definitely become my favorites, but in the realm of adult games sometimes I do just want to fap. Something deep enough to enjoy as a game while still shallow enough I can turn my brain off sometimes is the perfect balance.

 

[CaptainBipto]

Well, if I am playing a game or a VN, I do enjoy having some mechanics to play around with. It gives me something to do between searches for porn scenes.

If the mechanics are Dwarf Fortress level of skill wall or games where the bar is so low people in vegetative states can complete them, I tend to pass them by.

Some challenge is fine, but when I am cruising for a PORN game, challenge isn't exactly at the top of the list of things I am interested in.

 

[gunderson]

I think people are cofusing two different categories of porn game here, and it's worth disambiguating:

1) Patreon/Subscribestar games, aka games that you play monthly (or less frequent) updates for. It's pretty uncommon for such a game to be able to pull off gameplay and be a good porn game at the same time without making players super frustrated with the potential long wait time between updates. Generally, the only kinds of games that can work in this fashion with anything like gameplay are resource management-focused visual novels with very minimal actual gameplay elements (Mystwood Manor, Straitened Times, Summertime Saga), the lo-fi run-or-rape sidescroller games, and HTML games where the bulk of new additions is usually writing or easily-sourced IRL porn images. If you want something more complex, either the gameplay systems are added very slowly (World After War's combat still is barely implemented, and that game has existed for almost four years) or updates are months apart (SuperPowered/Loser, Peasant's Quest, Legend of Queen Opala Origins). Since most devs aren't good programmers anyway, that tends to mean that you're waiting a long time for them to learn how to put something as simple as flappy bird into their game (which is usually out of reach of such devs' skill and patience).

2) Porn game studios. These either already exist, or they build up their resources releasing smaller games before they're able to make a bigger game, or the dev is just multi-talented and recruits more people. People seem to forget these exist, but c'mon. Leisure Suit Larry. Brave Soul. Kamidori Alchemy whatever (and the better Eushully games, of course). The Lula games. True Love. Either the porn games you play or the inspiration for the porn games you play probably come from the work of these studios, and some still exist. When what you release is a full porn game for full price rather than depending on keeping a subscriber's interest, you get the time and flexibility to make something closer to actual gameplay, and that's awesome. Not every Patreon/Subscribestar can make those, and that's fine, but I'm not here to support Patreon or Subscribestar or whatever. I'm here to find good porn games. And sometimes I find out about a game made by a good studio and buy their game instead of playing some monthly-updated thing here. Variety is good. That being said, studio games tend to be a little wussier on tags like incest, and their sex tends to be less hardcore, so there are still trade-offs.

Still, I clicked 3. I'm actually fine going up to 1 if the game has good enough gameplay and porn, but 3 is the sweet spot for me.

 

[anne O'nymous]

It's a minority who want an effective game ; and most of them will prefer to play a modded Fallout or Elder Scrolls, because they are better.

What do you get from modded Fallout or Skyrim? There isn't that much difference from playing Honey Select straight.

I wonder, what of the two you've never played, is it modded Fallout/Elder Scroll or Honey Select ?
There's obviously generic mods, but many among the adult mods for Fallout/Elder Scroll are full DLC, including quests and multiple routes, when it's not game mechanisms.

And half of the games here are based on Honey Select or Koikastu, your point is?

I really wonder how you can come to such question totally out of topic...

 

[nulnil]

I wanted to say that this isn't about working for the porn, just the mechanics of the game. The visual novels I've played (that have something resembling a story) make you work hard for the sex, albeit through boring and unrelated QTE/minigame/point and click events. Some games on the more complex side of things make it really easy to get to scenes or sex.

 

[Droid Productions]

I voted "No Gameplay" for one reason: most Patreon devs don't have what it takes to make games with actual good gameplay. I.e. unless you can deliver Mass Effect / Dragon Age / Cyberpunk 2077 levels of gameplay and 3d graphics / motion captured animations or at least something on the level of Greedfall (indie game level) just don't bother trying it in my opinion. And for that you need a team with at least dozens of people and lots of money.

Cyberpunk 2077 was 500 people, and approximately $316 million dollars to make and market. If I could make something that complex on my lonesome I'd also be able to walk on water

 

[darkduck09]

Cyberpunk 2077 was 500 people, and approximately $316 million dollars to make and market. If I could make something that complex on my lonesome I'd also be able to walk on water

I'm not the original guy that mentioned the AAA titles, but I'd accept something as simple as Vampire Survivors. It's simple, fun, and rewarding and mechanically speaking it's not complex in the slightest.

The problem is most game developers in the lewd industry are going to use RPGM, Renpy, and Twine which are great engines to tell stories in but not so great engines to make gameplay in.

 

[Geralt_R]

If I could make something that complex on my lonesome I'd also be able to walk on water

I play LoM for the story (which I like a lot), not necessarily the poker minigame, but I appreciate the effort, at least it's never annoying (it does get very easy when you level up though) and assembling a team does actually make a difference. Trying out various team members is fun, at least early on, until you find your OP combination. It certainly helps that I like poker. While the gameplay is a bit simplistic I spent a few hours grinding stats. But I think LoM would lose little without the fighting, well most of the time it's optional anyway.

 

[dexter111]

3 and somewhat 5.
I like the addition of sandbox / time-money-resources management / simple (emphasis on simple) mini-games and some other elements that are making these games closer to, you know, games.
I have a bias against VNs and especially kinetic novels because I don't like it when a developer assumes I'm a windowlicker.
However, game elements can be added just to make the game longer without substance and sometimes they're poorly designed.

Basically: good game >>>> good VN > bad VN >> bad game.

 

[FacelessVixen]

Sometimes I just want to nut. But there have been times where I found myself saying "Hey, the story in the porn game is actually pretty good".

 

[DuniX]

I really wonder how you can come to such question totally out of topic...

Because they are the same thing in essence?
Honey Select and Koikatsu are a dispenser of sex scenes, and Skyrim/Fallout are a dispenser of sex scenes.
And some brilliant developers and modders thought to add "Story" to that.
How are the Skyrim/Fallout mods any different?
My point is precisely that it doesn't integrate into the gameplay.

 

[Deleted member 440241]

The problem is most game developers in the lewd industry are going to use RPGM, Renpy, and Twine which are great engines to tell stories in but not so great engines to make gameplay in.

RPGM is designed for that old school JRPG gameplay. It's not creative (although it certainly can be used creatively) but it's sole purpose is still gameplay. When you remove that aspect it just ends up being the main character walking around in circles activating scenes.

 

[anne O'nymous]

Because they are the same thing in essence?

Playing a game (what I'm talking about), and using a studio to make a game (your last answer), are the same thing in essence ? Are you seriously this dumb ?

Honey Select and Koikatsu are a dispenser of sex scenes, and Skyrim/Fallout are a dispenser of sex scenes.

You should phone Bethesda, they are convinced that they are making FPS-like games.

My point is precisely that it doesn't integrate into the gameplay.

What prove that you never played a modded fallout/Elder scrolls.

 

[DuniX]

Playing a game (what I'm talking about), and using a studio to make a game (your last answer), are the same thing in essence ? Are you seriously this dumb ?

What a slippery bastard.
Define what you mean by "playing" in Skyrim/Fallout if they are that different.
Yes you can play the game with its "original gameplay" but that has nothing to do with the lewd mods.

 

[darkduck09]

RPGM is designed for that old school JRPG gameplay. It's not creative (although it certainly can be used creatively) but it's sole purpose is still gameplay. When you remove that aspect it just ends up being the main character walking around in circles activating scenes.

Exactly. Better for story telling rather than gameplay. Most RPGM games made in the lewd genre should have just been made in Renpy.

 

[denil380]

Looks like lots of people are casual gamers, surprised the second place prefer visual novels, which I generally avoid. You folks demand good story, good sex, and gameplay as the third priority.

Ero Witch admittedly I can't figure out how to defeat the first dungeon boss, but gameplay idea solid, just need nerfing the enemy and debuff. Overwhored, I complete that once. Sure its rpg maker, but the story twist leave me surprised and the erotic stuff is fitting the overarching story, and Ero Dungeon manage to slim the bulk that make me not want to buy Darkest Dungeon: four resource type to upgrade my manor!? At least each warrior personal development goal make for a good challenge that also manage to be sexy, like this one goal where that specific warrior should not inflict single damage, but tanking damage is OK.

The only visual novel I admittedly like is this wholesome Kindred Spirits on the Roof. If some of you folks have family today, you know how sweet yet inspiring your life is. Finding love while somehow working in a way or another, have agreements and disagreements, having kids either born or adopted and the ensuing challenge, and despite all those trials the love relationship matured.

Kindred Spirits on the Roof is the young love, there should be tales that lewd but involve older lovebirds that need to balance whatever bullshit adulthood throwing at all us folks. Not to mention how some of those grannies and gramps still manage to get into hijinks, although not everyone willingly subject themself to see a centenarian doing the nasty.

 

[Deleted member 2595272]

Looks like lots of people are casual gamers, surprised the second place prefer visual novels, which I generally avoid. You folks demand good story, good sex, and gameplay as the third priority.

Players don't really know what they want until the devs show their works.

 

[anne O'nymous]

Looks like lots of people are casual gamers,

The fact that there's people who play adult games for their entertainment value, and not for a possible challenge, do not mean that they are casual players who do the same with none adult games.

You folks demand good story, good sex, and gameplay as the third priority.

The question is about the complexity or depth and, as hinted above, those games being mostly played as pure entertainment, the complexity is what matters the most for many. If what they wanted wasn't to fill a space in their free time, or to fap, they would just play a more "regular game" since anyway no adult game, whatever how complex it can be, can reach their level.

 

[desmosome]

There is room for everything. I like my Venus Blood, but I also like VNs. It depends on my mood, but obviously, actual legit gameplay that is fun for me is quite rare. Bad gameplay is worse than no gameplay.