QTE is the dumbest mechanic ever

[Bondage Queen]

In my opinion, QTE is the single worst mechanic you can include in your H-game, but for some mind-boggling reason, devs can't seem to get the memo. Unfortunately for me, it's fairly common among rape, battlefuck, and bondage games like the ones I prefer.

I'm going to break down the reasons why QTEs are awful, mainly just to get it off my chest. For reference, there's typically two implementations of QTE in H-games: Avoidance, and Escape. Avoidance is when something bad would happen and you need to quickly do a QTE to avoid it. Escape is afterwards, when you have to do a QTE to escape the predicament, usually while your health or some other resource is draining. These are both bad for somewhat different reasons, but they are both definitely suck.

1. QTE is impossible to balance. This is the biggest problem - 90% of the time, QTEs are either trivial, or way too hard. Let's say you have two players - Gwen and Michael. Gwen has fast reflexes, and Michael has slow reflexes. Okay, so how do you want to balance the QTE? Let's say you make it difficult, so that Gwen can have a decent challenge with it. That's good for Gwen but now it's impossible for Michael. Okay, so what if you make the QTE easy? Well then it's trivial for Gwen. No challenge for her. And this is an H-game, Gwen doesn't WANT to always win - she wants to see the H-content sometimes! Okay, how about balancing the difficulty exactly in between Gwen and Michael's skill level? This doesn't fix anything - while not impossible for Michael, it's still too hard, and while not trivial for Gwen, it's still too easy. There's no solution, because QTE sucks!!

2. I can't enjoy the H-content. Ugh, how many games now have I played where there's some enemy grappling the protagonist, and it's super hot, but I have to do some stupid QTE to escape. How am I supposed to enjoy what I'm watching when I have to focus on mashing a bunch of buttons?? You're just undercutting your own work. It makes everything frantic so I can't enjoy what's in front of me. So if I want to enjoy an animation, I guess I have to go watch it in the gallery? So then what is the point of the game itself?

3. It's just tiresome. I don't know about anyone else, but like the third or fourth time I have to mash buttons for a QTE, I'm just so over it. I don't want to mash like a cracked out monkey, I'm a human, and my fingers are tired, and I just want to enjoy the immoral game you made without having to play Dance Dance Revolution on the keyboard!

/rant

 

[Pretentious Goblin]

QTEs are a mechanic for toddlers. Japanese devs in particular seem to think it adds a sense of urgency, or engagement, or whatever the hell, but all it does is annoy me.

 

[Duke Greene]

QTE is a cancer that should have died in 2001 but what can you do.

 

[Hagatagar]

I would say Lootboxes and Microtransactions are the dumbest mechanics.

But yes, QTEs are like those ready-made seasonings that people like add to all kinds of dishes because they think it makes it better (or more professional), without having any clue how and when to add them.

 

[Bondage Queen]

To be fair, there is a good reason why devs throw it in. It can be hard to figure out what is the best way to handle something like bondage or grapples in a game, and most people who make H-games don't have any game design experience. What's funny is that in many cases, a literal pure RNG system is better.

My favorite H-game, for example, all it does for struggle mechanic is prompt the player with two different options that have differing odds of freeing you. So you have some agency, but it's still random. It's fun that way because it means you'll HAVE to engage with the H-Content from time to time, and can't simply always avoid it. Is it a brilliant system? Nope. Does it get the job done and serve its role? Yes.

 

[gman1119]

I think they're thrown in to break up non stop reading and try to make it feel a little more interactive.

 

[Andonthatday]

No mechanics is dumb, only implementations suck.

QTEs were done amazing in Naruto games. Obviously porn games may never get there.

 

[Choo-choo]

Press "UP" or click left - right arrows better than typing "fluggegecheimen"
Simple "struggle" button best variant with random number generator calculate success chances
i am trying avoid or cheat QTE in games, skip option even better

 

[Meaning Less]

Quick time events are the easiest way to add some gameplay, that's why you see it often, they do the job they are supposed to do regardless of how silly they are.

 

[nulnil]

QTE's can be done well if used very sparingly, as in they shouldn't be at the center of a combat system (looking at you, BaD). I think the best example of QTE's are the finisher sequences in MGR:R, but again they're mostly there to add a sense of urgency.

One thing you must make sure in porn games though, is that the player can enjoy the sexual content. Adding an escape minigame almost certainly makes it alot harder to enjoy the sex.