One thing we agree on is in wanting a real harem ending and not just harem build up and a forced choice at the end, but we'll see. Based on RobertDeath's previous game, this first release, and his comments on the thread so far this is meant to be more lighthearted and wholesome. Not that there won't be any conflict, but it won't be forced or out of place and, as I understand it, anything dark and gritty, like random NTR or rape or anything. There are a lot of seeds for conflict already; Katherine needing this show to work no matter what it takes, the girl's interpersonal relationships can bring conflict as they all grow to care about the same guy, the character's internal conflict on wanting so many women all at once and knowing the world will see it, and that's not even including the types of "challenges" the show will make them perform as the story goes on.
This isn't meant to be an insult, just an observation, but the need for sexual antagonists and sexual conflict being the only kind people want is why so many games here get so repetitive. You can't see a reason for a male character in a game unless he is a sexual threat, that is why so many developers cave and either have no other men in the game (unless they make them gay) or add NTR into games that don't have it or need it. This is the first release, Richard will have a purpose, maybe he'll be a wingman, but I think his purpose is even more than that. He may even be an antagonist and try and sabotage the MC's relationships just not with sex, that would be new and interesting. The developer is not a coward for not taking the easy way and just cutting Richard out or making him an NTR villain. That would be easy and cowardly because it is what every other developer does.
RobertDeadth is trying to do something a little new, introducing a male character that isn't a gay guy, or a sexual villain. Yeah, some people are giving him crap for it because they can't see plot build up past what is right in front of them. They only think about, "What effect will this character have in the sex part of all this." A developer can advance the story in a porn game in ways other than sex.
Also, keep in mind that it's the first release, let the story develop a little before saying it was cowardly and stupid to include Richard as he is, because we don't know how he fits in yet. I've already theorized that he isn't really asexual and that his wife is likely cheating on him because of his disability and the MC will likely help him and Richard will become a good friend to the MC helping him in some way too. Is that what is going to happen? I don't know but there are a lot of possibilities, give the developer time to tell his story.
And bringing up Eric from BB is not a good argument for your case, only hard NTR fans liked that. Even casual fans of NTR and people who don't hate it but like it in some contexts are pretty vocal about hating Eric. He is the textbook example of false NTR just there to create false drama, he isn't realistic or believable. He is the classic stupid NTR villain that in many ways created the troupe of "You made one wrong choice after days and weeks in game of doing everything else right? Well, now she's a whore and will fuck this other guy she knows is an asshole despite you never being anything but good to her. It's all for drama and realism you know?" You don't need a NTR villain for a story to have conflict, it just bogs things down and makes another game that will end up dead because that story never lasts. BB is a dead game, despite many attempts to revive it, so perhaps developers should not be taking too many lessons from it. And, just my opinion but, the death of that game was in no small part because of forced pointless NTR.
I hope you have enjoyed another JoeTheMC essay...
