Ren'Py Under Your Spell [v0.3.0] [Shady Characters]

[dontcarewhateverno]

This game is designed to make the first trial near impossible to score first-place in, due to RNG, even if you do all the correct training. It's just tedious. Remember that games should be fun. Not necessarily easy, but fun. Some rebalancing is in order. Even after opening the files to understand what to train in, it still seems impossible to get first.

A typical dev reaction (not saying this particular dev, but in general) would be "well actually, there is a wa-" Well, yeah. Of course. If you programmed the game. That's a disconnect from the end-user experience and your design job is to understand that user-experience.
Or "well, it doesn't really mat-" Nah. It actually does, if you understand that the concept of game design is for a fun, rewarding & engaging experience. For those willing to put forth a little extra effort in gameplay, such things should be reasonably achieveable. The carrot on a stick motivation just won't pull you through to the end of the game. You gotta throw down a carrot or two along the way or the rabbits are likely to just hop away and munch some cabbage instead.

 

[Klab040855]

This game is designed to make the first trial near impossible to score first-place in, due to RNG, even if you do all the correct training. It's just tedious. Remember that games should be fun. Not necessarily easy, but fun. Some rebalancing is in order. Even after opening the files to understand what to train in, it still seems impossible to get first.

A typical dev reaction (not saying this particular dev, but in general) would be "well actually, there is a wa-" Well, yeah. Of course. If you programmed the game. That's a disconnect from the end-user experience and your design job is to understand that user-experience.
Or "well, it doesn't really mat-" Nah. It actually does, if you understand that the concept of game design is for a fun, rewarding & engaging experience. For those willing to put forth a little extra effort in gameplay, such things should be reasonably achieveable. The carrot on a stick motivation just won't pull you through to the end of the game. You gotta throw down a carrot or two along the way or the rabbits are likely to just hop away and munch some cabbage instead.

If you focuses only on knowledge stat you can clear the first trial pretty easily.

 

[dontcarewhateverno]

If you focuses only on knowledge stat you can clear the first trial pretty easily.

In first place each time focusing 100% on knowledge, or merely passing? I have no problem clearing it each attempt, but keep coming in Second.

[According to some game-files info, there are a few doors where knowledge will not easily pass. So I've focused mainly on knowledge with Imagination (better for those few specific trials) as a secondary back-up. Other potential back-up options are Prowess to get to the doors quicker or spellpower to bypass certain doors entirely].

 

[Karnewarrior]

Before that, this is a porn game, I'd like to be able to fuck all the pretty girls you're parading in front of me, not just have a cheeky chicken choking to a flash of panties and maybe some cleavage thanks

 

[Klab040855]

In first place each time focusing 100% on knowledge, or merely passing? I have no problem clearing it each attempt, but keep coming in Second.

[According to some game-files info, there are a few doors where knowledge will not easily pass. So I've focused mainly on knowledge with Imagination (better for those few specific trials) as a secondary back-up. Other potential back-up options are Prowess to get to the doors quicker or spellpower to bypass certain doors entirely].

Having learned the animal form spell, you can do it i think with just knowledge

 

[dontcarewhateverno]

Having learned the animal form spell, you can do it i think with just knowledge

Need to focus on Spellcasting (or whatever the wand-practice skill is) too then for that. Your animal forms are not strong enough to pass through any doors just focusing on knowledge unless the RNG is ridiculously on your side.

I just got first by trying mainly knowledge, but then getting Prowess above 30. That way, when you come to a door there is no good knowledge option for, you can quickly go back and choose the other door with high prowess without sacrificing much of any time.

The other poster is also correct. Teen witch vag sorely needed.

 

[_Grim]

I did some snooping in the game files and started to make some pictures for myself with the files of the girls. Made some with the different outfits and expressions for Bassant, Hope, Rosie and Violet so far.

They have nothing to say about the story, I just added them together as I thought looked good. Enjoy!

View attachment Under Your Spell - Girls.zip

 

[Bran99]

I did some snooping in the game files and started to make some pictures for myself with the files of the girls. Made some with the different outfits and expressions for Bassant, Hope, Rosie and Violet so far.

They have nothing to say about the story, I just added them together as I thought looked good. Enjoy!

View attachment 4575055

View attachment 4575014 View attachment 4575017

Nice. You have furthered my desire for a Bassant route.

 

[lazydude]

encountered a glitch in the mind trial when after clearing door 2 it looped to the other door 2 this happened 5 times in that run

 

[_Grim]

I did some snooping in the game files and started to make some pictures for myself with the files of the girls. Made some with the different outfits and expressions for Bassant, Hope, Rosie and Violet so far.

They have nothing to say about the story, I just added them together as I thought looked good. Enjoy!

Finally done, here is the rest of the pictures. Each girl has around 4-5 images with their different outfits. Enjoy and have fun!

View attachment Under Your Spell - Girls.zip

 

[lazydude]

encountered a glitch in the mind trial when after clearing door 2 it looped to the other door 2 this happened 5 times in that run

in hindsight it was door 3 that was looping

since i kept seeing the "character last name has cleared door 2 message"

another glitch that has popped up getting second place even if thorgny finishes before me

edit

 

[GIlgamesh753]

BTW this page is behind by several versions, the itch.io has the 0.2.3 release which includes one of the first nsfw scenes in the game albeit the art is still incomplete.

 

[Knuffle]

How do I find/interact with Violet? It's like she doesn't exist in this game.

 

[GIlgamesh753]

How do I find/interact with Violet? It's like she doesn't exist in this game.

Do study actions, have the appropriate knowledge level and don't be House Ruachan or possibly any other house than Dunagall. If she approaches you in the library than you can get the rest of her events, if she sends some unnamed girl to you instead, then you can't. Devs haven't added an alternate route to meeting her yet.

 

[Knuffle]

Do study actions, have the appropriate knowledge level and don't be House Ruachan or possibly any other house than Dunagall. If she approaches you in the library than you can get the rest of her events, if she sends some unnamed girl to you instead, then you can't. Devs haven't added an alternate route to meeting her yet.

Damn, I'm House locked.

 

[Karnewarrior]

Imagine having a porn game with one (1) sex scene and you lock it behind a decision the player makes at the very beginning of the game with no context.

The devs are geniuses, 10/10 game design.

 

[lazydude]

Do study actions, have the appropriate knowledge level and don't be House Ruachan or possibly any other house than Dunagall. If she approaches you in the library than you can get the rest of her events, if she sends some unnamed girl to you instead, then you can't. Devs haven't added an alternate route to meeting her yet.

i didn't know that but i also chose my house rolling a d4 and my trait as lucky(i almost always choose lucky when it's a option)

 

[bigshawn8820]

i normally pass on it if theres no sex thumbs in the promo pics and ill do the same here

 

[PDP19]

First impressions (v2.0. The latest public build is 2.4 in itch.io but nothing major, end point is still end of Nov)

- Storywise, its fine. More effort could be made to introduce the characters and indicate quite clearly who youre chasing when you choose the curriculum.
- Not a fan of stat decay, especially in an unfinished game. Given how short it is (with a set deadline) the decay rarely ever matters other than annoy the shit out of its playerbase.
- There is, to my knowledge, no real H scenes thus far.
- Its not a sandbox. You dont really go around seeking characters and passing statchecks. The scenes are tied to specific stat exercises if that makes sense. You'll never meet Violet if you never study for example, instead of being able to progress her storyline only if you have sufficient knowledge stat.

The game at present is simply showing too much ambition but without the content to keep its playerbase interested in its development. I know many H games tend to start out as early access but I cant help but feel that it would be better if the game is released to public having a clear start and end, with placeholder sketches that'll be polished up in time.

In any case, at present this looks very much like something that'll only be worth playing after 5 years or so of development.

 

[Karnewarrior]

tbf, sandbox is far from required. Indeed, a non-sandbox game is usually more fun, imo. Too many sandboxes these days that spread themselves thin as hell trying to account for every possible player (which is impossible).

However, a porn game without porn or much game is just an empty program. And I've been waiting for months for this game to actually deliver on the porn aspect.

I do not think it ever will.