The Sim Project

[goat]

lol, i think that could be arranged!

[Mariotx]

1 more of my questions that even I forgot will there be rank in professions, mini games, special titles, will there be achievements ex in the game multiple winnings in the casino they may ban you (it'll be like new vegas all over again) also I'd like to suggest a background skill: suits suit me best: start with extra charisma and a large selections of suits (but just one is enough too)

[goat]

there will be lots of ranks, though they are mainly hidden. so along with relationship points, there are 'ranks' with each character and their story line, so you can pick up all sorts of things that will effect the story, though again, most of that won't be visible but will give the game lots of replay value. as for the mini games, they are all different, but some of them will have levels that will let you earn more money for increased challenge. The casino is still getting figured out but you won't be banned from making money...LUNAR owns the whole island, so it's like winning big at vegas and then blowing it all in the gift shop, lol. As for background skills there are only three: Science & Math, Art & Music, and Mechanic and they effect more global things like opening new paths in dialog, relation ship bonuses and more money for some tasks.

[Mariotx]

I tought background skills were more like traits and perks in other games too bad

[littleredrabbit]

I think you may have missed my questions. It is understandable for some reason my post was very delayed it only popped up after you had moved to the next page. I hope you will go back and take a look, I would like know the answers to the questions please. ~^.^~

[goat]

Sorry i missed your questions and they are both really good ones, and I'm glad you like the direction we are going, this game is much more about romance than sex and in order for romance to build, and this might seems counter intuitive, but it's important to keep the lovers apart, at least at first and to add lots of challenges and problems to make the payoff 'real'. Red has done such a great job layering the personalities of these characters, making them real nuanced people and not just there as a toy for the player. In fact most of the time the NPCs are pursuing their own goals independent of the player, and an NPC might pursue you or try to date you for their own reasons, though this usually happens if you flirt with several of them and lead a few on, then ignore them.

Anyways as to the two questions:
1.) There is an 'end game' section for every relationship that ties into the reasons you were brought to the island and why your character is starting their life fresh. I really don't want to give this surprise away because it should be a great story moment. And yes there is a Relationship Point threshold for every character where they will consider you a partner/lover. This level is different for ever character and some will either ask you out, or you will get dialog to ask them out, exchange 'i love you's and things though some shy characters have very low thresholds and might not say much and assume you are an item and if you contradict this they will get upset. There's already at least one "Are you cheating on me?!" "No...I didn't think we were a couple!" scene lol.
2.) Every character is technically bi-sexaual, but some gay characters like Michelle and Lisa are extremely hard for opposite sex people to date. Same for some of the strait characters, but you can date them but you have to make them really fall in love with you so that they over look you gender which is easier for, say Michelle who is very emotional and cognitive and also rather submissive, vs. Bruce who is much more body focused and primal/carnal. It's not impossible, but you would need to play their quests almost flawlessly.

wow that was a long reply, hope that answered everything

[littleredrabbit]

Thank you this answers my questions and make me want this game now more than ever. But I do have one more question isn’t the mechanical and the science/math background kind of the same. I thought you were going for brains, soul, and brawn with the brawn being represented by an Athletics & Sports background.

[Mariotx]

What about perks? some random or use full perk here and there some qualify for the bed others in dates min games etc

[goat]

@littleredrabbit: Great idea, none of us have actually written any bonuses yet for the 'mechanic' background. It was supposed to be the 'brawn' background or a more hands on approach for fixing things and also so you could get free plays from the arcade and uses washers instead of quarters for the slot machines, but honestly everything is so automated on the island using math/science to hack the games would make more sense. And why didn't I think about Sports/Athlete (maybe because I'm clueless about sports) but that background would be much broader and we like each background to overlap with certain NPCs (science/math: Jess, Linn, art/music: Marli, Rita etc.) and Sports/Athlete would really help with Inti and Danilo and would also give you an edge with any character that is prone to the hot, fit type (which might just be all of them, lol!) Great suggestion I'll talk to the team about it.

@Mariotx: there are no perks other than the backgrounds that you can choose. Instead any bonuses or 'titles' you receive are behind the scenes and get them through actions vs. leveling up. The game is closer to a point and click adventure game than an RPG, though it has elements of the later. And the bed only has 2 functions: to pass the time/lower sleep debt and initiate special scripted dream sequences.

[Mariotx]

I meant about the sex part but it's alright plus maybe an underground fighting club which you DO NOT talk about nor the soap(don't ask) could be a place for the useage of brawn skill and train it, mini games for fighting couse why not plus some npcs could be more interested in the fighting types also a betting ground you could bet on your self or on NPCs, and some shady characters here and there I think it would be fun if added into the game and since I'm an MMA fighter it would make it even better for me but thats just me so I leave it up to you

[littleredrabbit]

I'm glad you liked it Goat that was truthfully just my OCD talking when you listed of Science & math, Art & Music, and then Mechanics and not Sports & Athletics it just looked wrong to me. I do hope that the others like it as much as you do just a word of advice a background in sports/athletics dose not necessarily mean that you tried to play a sport and fail (lets face it if you went pro athlete they would not be on the island).

There are lot of other jobs they could have that works under this background. Yoga instructor, personal trainer, gym teacher, fiscal fitness instructor, and wight trainer are just some examples.

though I'm not sure if that even maters I'm just offering encase someone asks what did you do before coming to the island. Mostly because goat said he knows nothing about sports.

[Red.Sheer]

Thank you for your continous input

Although we don't plan on actually having selectable "perks" or "achievements" of any kind in the game. Think of it more like an progressive adventure game instead of a grind-heavy stat-fest like most other games of this kind. There are certain variables which influence the outcome of interactions with the NPCs. For example if you interact with a science oriented NPC and do tasks that are associated with this one your character "background variable" will be set accordingly which sometimes opens up otherwise invisible dialogue options when facing certain situations. This way the game keeps track of your preferenced playstyle and rewards you with special content in some places while you still can finish other content regularily.

Keep in mind that most what we do is basic research. None of us have made games before and while we are creating this one we also learn how to. That said we also have to try to set boundaries. This project is already scaringly huge and we have to set priorities to avoid burning out too fast. That said, I have to assure you that there will no "fighting mechanic" in this game, though that doesn't necessarily mean the content will be easy. Regarding "minigames", we want to avoid too much of those and focus more on the interaction between you and the NPCs. I you will have plenty of different "minigames" to master when you progress through the story arcs, there are puzzles, creative tasks and even small arcade passages but in the end you don't play FML to pump weights all the time

[goat]

As Red says all mini games are story related and important parts of quests, many of them you can repeat and get money from, but most grind elements are removed in favor of more meaningful interactions with the characters. At the end of each character's quests most of them will have unlockable 'dates' which are a simplified version of the pervious dates so you can take them back to some if your favorite spots earn RP and replay sex scenes you enjoyed, this is probably the closest thing to 'grinding' but again I would much rather see a player replay the game as a new chachter and explore other lovers and story lines they missed in the first play through rather then spending all their tone grinding away mashing buttons (not that that can't be fun, it's just not what this game is about)

[Mariotx]

I like puzzels and such but can we get a small demo for a mini game?

[goat]

There are several in the thread already. There is a library/book sorting game that still needs graphics as well as a mini game for Marli where you stamp her autograph on pictures for fans because she's to 'busy' to be bothered, lol. There is also a graffiti tagging game at the end of the Spike dialog demo. There are many other ones like the casino games that have not been posted (have to save something fir the game lol)

[FMC]

I would have liked the idea of underground fights. Not ones that you control personally, mind you (because you stated you don't want to do fighting scenes), but it'd be a good way to earn money (more for a win, of course, but if the crowd got excited enough [or maybe just naturally], you'd get some for a loss). You could even meet characters there, that have the same liking for underground fighting -- whether to fight in it or to watch it. And it'd be a way to meet characters, because they could be your fan or they could be an opponent, whom you chat with later to go on dates with.

I guess the main reason I like the idea is because I have a background I like. If you want the details, look up "Shinshi Doumei Cross" -- or "Gentleman's Alliance Cross" in English. It's a manga about a girl who is trying to give her up her street ways to become a girl this guy at school likes -- because he's the 'head honcho' there and virtually untouchable. The reason for it and more of her background is explained later, and though the part I use is pretty much a spoiler, I won't say it in case you want to check it out. ^_^

[goat]

Well, I'll give it some thought if there are a lot of people who want it. I could certainly work it into Bruce's storyline as he's already going to be getting arrested for a street brawl, and I could be used as a reason to visit or be sent to the hospital. I think the mini game could be set up like punch out though moving and attacking without using onscreen buttons is a little beyond me and our programmer Katsu is very busy in school and I don't want to throw too much at him.

I'll bring it up with Red our story guru, but no promises, her word is pretty definitive.

[Mariotx]

PLease please just please make it happen plus some other new characters could also be met there or even people who you didn't expet too plus a small mini game wouldn't hurt it doesn't need to be too complicated just try please

[littleredrabbit]

I for one do not want a fight club to be on the island. I just fell that it has the wrong tone for the game. Everything is so bright and cheerful looking and most of the NPCs just look so nice. I can not see any of them (save for Spike and Bruce) going to a place to watch people get beat to a bloody pulp. And if it dose get put in it will just end up pushing the game even further back. Between drawing the place, working out how to make the mini-game, working in all of the protagonist sprites, possible new npcs, all the writing that will be needed to work in the lovers, this place just sound like it will eat up a lot of time.Just to add in something not everyone wants, and could easily do with out. And I know I sound like a hypocrite but like goat said they have not started on the mechanic background and my sports/athletic one works better for the story. Something I feel this Fight Club dose not, it just feels like a unneeded add on.

[Mariotx]

I think it in an other way yes I aggre that it will take more time but good things deserve the waiting right? plus even the brightest society has a dark side, things aren't always what they seem to be I don't know much about the main story but it must have some sort of a darker side that the whole image offers. I don't really mind if it doesn't get in the game is awesome as it is but I also think that the game would be better with it also I doesn't realy need to be an underground fighting club maybe a sport club is good enough but the underground fighting club appeals more to me. But in the end who are we to say what the game needs or doesn't I leave everything up to the team it's their game after all.