Sidechicks are a quick way for devs to stretch out the content early, but they are a double-edged sword, because, naturally, after their integration, they become the favorites of some people, and are the reason for some people to look forward to future updates. So once the relationship with the main girls do pick up pace you still have to include these sidechicks and give them the time of day, because people have been expecting them. The same is happening right now in "No more money", where you too many sidechicks left over from the early stage of the game and they are now bloating in an unhealthy way (imo).
In my opinion, the best way is to make the progress with the main girls slow, but steady, the steps meaningful and "realistic" all the while keeping the tension with every step in tact. Having sex scenes too early ruins it a bit for me, but I also understand that the devs put them mainly in to get a broader audience quicker. But there are also games like "A wife and mother" and "Jessica O'Neil's Hard News" who managed to keep an excellent pace for years and have been wildly succesful, without ever the need to resort to sidechicks.
My feelings on sidechicks is compatible with you 2 i think.Or the side girl become completely distraction for some players and make them broken heart later because they're not Main Girl hahahahaha
Well what you describe is slow-burner type stories, i also find it better if the story development is depth, slow and steady. But like people said, sadly not many players enjoy slow-burner type, this is why many great AVN with slow-burner type have very few fanbase or at least "not yet".
Sidechicks are brought in to fool people into forgetting that plot is developing "too slowly", and it works.
Players get a sex scene, some easy satisfaction... and they stop thinking about "how come this game has no action yet?", never mind that the actual main plot stood still while you banged this girl who has no long term relevance.
Sidechicks are a diversion that only slow things down further.
And yeah, this happens sometimes
No More Money definitely tossed a ton of sidechicks at us while we patiently waited for Charlotte and Tris scenes, now the dev wants to end the game and is being forced to "waste time" giving these sidechicks some closure.
Not sure i agree with AWAM being an example of good pacing, it definitely feels like a project that is not meant to end in my lifetime some days... but the dev has stayed away from putting sidechicks for cheap sex.