Well I hope you're happy. I had planned on remaining a lurker indefinitely; and here you are with an open-ended, original, surprisingly immersive game, and to top it all off, it's not done, and you respond quite well to constructive feedback. Bah. I don't even know why I'm so invested in your game, but that's... probably true of everyone.
I have some constructive criticism to offer that I think you'll be able to get some use out of.
On your character-design:Hnyarly Wrote:I've tried to modify calves, and now look better. But I prefer your opinion. Just compare both bodies and decide what's better.
I think what makes the calves and legs seem out-of-place may actually be how prominent her knee features. It nearly looks like the upper leg is much fatter than the lower leg, and just toning down that line may alleviate the issue.
Her eyes disconcert me slightly, another poster's instinct on adding a little bit of sclera (white) may help.
The erect nipples when Horny>X is a wonderful touch, and I'll get to your use of variables soon. But think about what would happen anatomically if someone's erect nipples were circular like that, the areolae would be swelling around the actual nipple. More of a point would better portray arousal.
Her breasts portray quite prominently for someone wearing a bra, but this isn't unforgivable. Just pointing it out.
On Gameplay:Kinda sticky, kinda slow. A minimap is wanted, but not needed. Beth doesn't know where she is, why should the player? I don't have much to offer in terms of gameplay, any minor gripes I have would be too much work to fix for what they're worth, so I won't even mention them so you don't become distracted.
On the RPG elements:I feel the defining moment of the discussion is when you asked yourself how Beth would respond to a lupine violation.
Hnyarly Wrote:I haven't decided yet how rapes would influence sluttyness. I have two choices:
1) As you said, with a low sluttyness, rape is a bad experience that makes main character feel some kind of repulse for sex (and so rape should decrease sluttyness).
2) Sluttyness represents some kind of moral limit. So rape pushes this limit. I mean, Beth could think something like "I have been raped by a werewolf, so I don't mind be paid for sex".
What do you guys think about?
Before I veer off-course, your solution is wonderful. But before
you veer off-course, the question you just answered is, at least as I perceive it, the focal point of the game. How Beth responds to in-game events is what interests me most about your game. And I hope you don't simply try to "Solve" the issue, and instead leave it open to be explored.
Your solution IS, by the way, wonderful.
Hnyarly Wrote:I actually find a better approach to this:
I could use "Sluttyness"+"Horny". So, enemies could have a stat representing how disgusting is the sex with them. For example, with a slime could be like 80, and a handsome elf 20. When Beth get raped by one of them, if Beth's "Sluttyness"+"Horny" > that value, she enjoyed the intercourse (an increases sluttyness). Otherwise, she didn't enjoy (an decreases sluttyness).
This is exactly the right train-of-thought, let Beth decide.
Right now "Shyness" reads better to me than "Sluttiness," it might just be my way of thinking: "I'm too shy to walk around in my underwear" versus "I'm not slutty enough to walk around in my underwear." Shyness is the hurdle to overcome, rather than the quota to be met, but again that just might be my personality talking.
That said, you seem good with numbers. I've read a lot about your game, both here and your blog, and your instinct with how to use variables is good-- and you correct it when you're off.
The option, rather, the challenge for Beth to take her clothes off is a flavourful touch; but I don't think you're there yet. I don't feel the thought process has been followed to its conclusion. You were right to give Beth more of a say on the matter than to simply let the player strip her down for the remainder of the game, but there still isn't a reason she
should.
The big question is "why?" From what I've gathered, your current answer is "because her experiences are turning her into a slut." I feel you could do more do more with this mechanic, and with clothing in general.
She's in a strange new world with one change-of-clothes, so leaving them behind has to make sense in the setting.
Perhaps while traveling through a thicket of brambles (say, on her way to the old man/woman's house?) or fighting monsters (maybe a (scripted?) defeat?), her clothes tear.
Perhaps the local dress-code is less modest than what Beth is used to.
Perhaps Beth can purchase new wardrobe options, each with a shyness check in order to be worn, and maybe pushing Beth's boundaries a little with progressively more daring clothes.
Giving Beth a numeric personality is one of the most compelling features of your game, there's a lot of potential here, so I want to be sure you explore it to its fullest extent.
Some examples of things you could do.
Shyness: Beth's inhibitions towards adapting to her new world, and involved in clothing (or lack thereof) checks. Starts high-med*, decreases whenever a Shyness check is passed, increases when a shyness check fails.
Sluttiness: Beth's transformation. Involved in consent-checks. Starts low-med*, increases with consensual sex, decreases with rape.
Breakdown: Too much rape=game over.
Horney: Beth's current arousal.
Perversion: Beth's minimum arousal.
*-Dependent on character creation. Nice touch by the way, you did a great job giving Beth a background. I'd like to see this as non-optional.
There's a lot you could do here, and more. What you have now is fine, and will continue to be sufficient if you keep finding elegant solutions like Horney+Sluttiness. But there's more you could do if you felt like you wanted to.
On that topic, you've had Beth address the player on a few instances, "No Rune Equipped," "Where am I? I don't know this forest." Voicing Beth's opinion on her disagreements with the player regarding sexual acts and wardrobe choices would really help bring out her character, and her transformation.
One more important note on variables: There are two ways to raise Beth's horniness currently, and both are temporary. That's fine and good, but if you use the wolf solution without making changes to horniness, it may as well read "Sluttiness+0."
On ContentIn your quest for monsters, I'll endorse the proposal of using the Monster Girl Encyclopedia as a reference point. You might be able to find inspiration in the "Sophie's Journey" (there's two) games, "Castlevania" (good iconic monsters) Games and the "Lightning Warrior Raidy" games (also two games, most of the monsters are essentially monster-girls).
I fully recommend using Tropes, your character has been plunged into a torture devised by a nerd, so fantasy icons like Rat, Dire Rat, Slime, Orc, Werewolf, Skeleton, Elf, etc., while they may seem unoriginal, would actually sell your game better than something original (and unfamiliar) like a... ink-spitting Sleestag (or another creature of your own invention).
In summaryI notice you declined BlueLight's offer to help, you have an ambitious project ahead of you (especially if you take all of my not-necessarily-worthwhile advice), another set of hands would be a significant load off your shoulders, and I think you should reconsider.
Secondly, I'm sorry you had to read all this. I don't tend to get vocal, but you really have something here, and you respond so well to feedback that I thought I'd try to help point you in what I think is the right direction. I'll reiterate, you really have something here. There's not much to it, but there's a lot of potential, and I see you really trying to make it work, and I wish you the best of success.
also if you have a high sex level you make more money in prostitution? anyways this is just a idea.
