Is it sad that the only game I ever would say "git gud" is a porn game?
Anyway, if you feel like the 0.20 version is too hard, you might be doing something wrong, or you misunderstand the current available game mechanics.
1. Making money
The game tells you the ways to make money. Basically that's (for now) Referring and In-House Models. The Big Money is in Referring, as you can grow the cash multiplier by referring suitable models. The more of the left-side factors do match, the more money you get, and the more the multiplier will raise.
The In-House models are more like your favorites and projects, and you can basically hire an amateur girl for 90$ a week and train her, OR you hire a professional and pay 9000$. Obviously, the first option is for making money, while the second one lacks the suitable jobs to earn her wage for now.
2. Campaigning
So, for running the game, you need to run campaigns and refer to the other Agencies. In this, SMA is basically a rogue-lite puzzle game. First, you need to figure out the left side (positive) traits the agency of your choice wants. Then you set up a campaign profile that hopefully gets you into the right ballpark of phase 1 models. So, your first tries are likely relatively random, until you unlock one or two traits that fit an agency. (Or look them up.)
With that profile you get a selection of phase 1 models with a high variety, from which you now have to select the one model that fit your "buyer's" expectation best. It is essential to understand that as soon as you end a phase, one of the model with the best scores gets selected to spawn the next variety of models from (Or the ones with 10s). If you don't give models that fail your goal a 0, they might also get into that pool and end up the "mother" of all the new models. There is always only one model acting as "seed" for the next phase, so be aware as you rate them.
I can't overstate how this is NOT properly explained in the game. You can basically choose ONE model you like from the portraits, drag her score to 10 (which makes her certain to be chosen, and randomly among other 10s), end the day and get to the next phase over the Campaign Info menu. Some Phase 1s are so random, you might decide to change a different target agency on the fly, because you get that super fit girl with wide hips, that would be creating two more phases for the Fitness Agency.
3. Interviews
I read many people complain that the models are too squeamish and even professionals are overly sensitive. But it is important to understand, that the multipliers that affect the fear, anger and pain reactions are linked to the favorability (green), max favorability and arousal (+max in red). It is basically their trust, and how it influences them to stop the interview based on what you do. Imagine going into a room, and the first thing that shady guy does is a naughty comment or grabbing your boobs. In that regard, the simulation is merciless. As well as the random properties of the body areas.
Yet, the reaction changes depending on favorability, so taking pictures of all body parts, and slowly undressing them doing that does move the bar up enough to proceed into more. This is also true for making them walk around, move them in custom posing or pulling body parts in custom posing. Touching and Poking is not the only thing you can do to increase arousal. While stopping to touch or looking away can indeed slightly raise favorability. (As well as not forcing them to do stuff they ask you about).
You can even exceed the shielded fav value by making her orgasm. You might want to try that before talking about salary.
It is a puzzle game though, and mercilessly rogue-like in that. So if you mess up, use your second chance to send her so some other agency. Spending a moment to increase favorability also increases her chance of going to the other agency without problem when you create a campaign phase that gives you suitable models. Be too fast, and the number of models not showing up increases.
4. Training
Especially as we currently can't fire models without soft locking the game, it is important to choose wisely who to hire. My advice is to not hire abve 200$ per week, and it is possible to go really cheap, as long as the model is not totally disgusted by you. The rest is just a matter of patience and grinding (I will let that stay there like this...).
Even though I haven't found a way to increase the base favorability with a model, it is certainly possible to improve all kinds of reactions that push up fav and arousal quickly. You also get to know the model and should experiment how to get her into doing what you like or need for a shooting. Also keep in mind, that with the bigger money from the modeling contract or different build, the max fav of a model is a lot higher during a shooting. Thus, you might want to let the photographer change their values enough to create new traits or influence their Desires (making it easier to get Sex related actions). Some of the resulting effects will only relate to the person, but others carry over and help you in In-House Training.
But the more often you proceed to raise their favorability and arousal, finish the objectives as good as you can, and then end the session on your call, the more positive effects will add up. Things like how much fav they gain by being looked at or simply having you stand them near you with your shirt off or pants down. That's all the aura stuff you want above x1.00. But also traits like Submission that get + by them not talking back, you moving them etc.
The goal should be to increase arousal and favorability without raising anger or pain as full bars. Even though anger and pain can be lowered by pleasing (or pulling, yet I don't know if that is a glitch), they do add to the fatigue level together with sex and carry over to the next sessions of the week. So, by knowing how to avoid stress, and training the model to like what you do, you can increase the number of activities they can undergo in a week. It is also useful to not push low fav models too far, and instead slowly build them up, as they often only use up 5 to 10% of fatigue per In-House-Training.
Yet, those In-House models are not really able to be a cash cow compared to what is possible by campaigning, so you better treat them as your personal favorites. Thus, again, better choose wisely until we can fire them.
