Nailing down a definition can be tricky but it's generally used here as distinct from visual novels (where events happen in a particular order and the player is occasionally asked to make choices that lead them down various branches). A 'sandbox' lets the player roam freely through an environment, finding and triggering events around the setting in a less defined order.
Some people enjoy sandbox gameplay, but it has a lot of very vocal critics on this site, not least because a lot of the games on here that try to implement it don't do it very well. It can involve a lot of empty clicking around e.g. a map or a phone trying to find the way to trigger the next event, and the story risks becoming disrupted and disjointed if events don't proceed in a logical order.
Thank you, that makes sense (SA's response also came in as I was writing this). I also did some research in the meantime. So where does The Roommate fit in that spectrum?
Clearly, there's a broad story arc of the MC's life from moving into the apartment and assuming the leadership of the company.
My original premise was that Kari was the primary love interest and that the player might have the occasional dalliance on the side. Then Lois took on a life of her own, and it's hard to imagine the game without her now. So the two of them are central, although it's conceivable that either or both could exit the story at some point IF that's the player's preference.
I always wanted to break away from a purely linear format, but that's mostly with respect to the side stories and the exact timing of things. So you might decide, for example, to spend a Tuesday evening at home watching a movie with Kari or go out with Ashley or Mallory.
People have criticized the early part of the game for being boring - too many nights watching TV in the apartment, for example. The system I'm working on now would have helped alleviate that, assuming I had the time to create the relevant content!
There are also story arcs for side characters like the receptionists. They can be pursued, or not, without impacting the main story in any way (apart from the visual annoyance when I cock things up and you end up talking with the voice of one character and the image of another).
So, without giving too much away, in the next release Lois wants to hire an additional receptionist to help provide cover for lunch breaks, days off, etc. There are two girls from the previous pool of candidates and with the help of the phone book (and a little serendipity) some additional options are made available. To my mind, it provides a little bit of variety and spontaneity to the experience. But there are no quests or whatever and it's certainly not my intention that people go blundering through the game skipping days at a time.
Whatever its faults, I think the game provides entertaining interaction with key characters, and there's more to come on that side.
I also think it's fair to say that I make myself accessible and that people's opinions are heard and taken into consideration. Certainly, the game would not be what it is today were it not for feedback (and help) I've received here.
I'm not what you might consider a serious gamer. I came across "Princess Trainer" when I was looking for pictures of Princess Jasmine for my daughter to colour! After that, I tried a couple of CG (rather than comic-style) games, but wasn't thrilled about the clothes that were apparently sprayed onto sagging boobs and the incest (which I found amusing at first) wore a bit thin.
Foolishly, I thought I could do better. Looking at the docs for ren'py had me imagining a system where you'd use layers to switch clothing, expressions, etc, and the early graphics reflect that. As I said, there's been a learning curve.
It seems like I've been saying this forever, but I really would like to do a Gold Edition (or whatever) and properly integrate all the changes that have been shoehorned into the structure over time, but people will only complain that their saves don't work!
Anyway, time's a wasting, and I have a lot to get done!
hehehe
