I'd agree with a lot of that. The sheer drop in stats from asking for oral completely discourages me from ever picking it. It does take days and weeks to get anywhere in the game, especially at first when you can't hire anyone (or you quickly go broke and game over). In the first game, you got to the serum making and dosing the girls pretty quickly. Here, it can take several in-game days to get any kind of serum, let alone one that's worth a damn. Also, in the first game there was a pretty fluid transition from just making out with a girl to handjob to oral to sex. In this game, you basically just make out until you can get a girl's panties off, switch to missionary, and bam, you're done. It's only much later on that you can experiment with other stuff, because you can't even get to the sluttiness required before you cum and it ends. There's not even a point to doing anything but missionary after you've seen all the different scenes, currently, because the other sex variants don't do anything tangible, and when you have to grind sluttiness to get to the final level of serum options, you don't have the luxury of choice.
Another thing: I still don't like how employees in this game are basically blank slates. What I end up doing in every run is hiring a few people to get things going, and then firing them and replacing them once I have the high sluttiness/work stat perks. I have no attachment to them because they're just a collection of numbers that are easily replaced. Granted, it's nice finding ones that are into public sex or slutty outfits, as they're the easiest to passively improve sluttiness, but still, I could drop them and replace them with a different girl without hesitation.
All that said, I know this game is a work in progress, and I look forward to seeing what you add in the next release.
Lab Rats 2 - Down to Business (v0.49.1, 2/8/2022)
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This forum is for posting and collaborating upon third party work. Please do not post request-threads, and avoid posting artwork that is not your own unless it is being used as a reference.
When posting content, please consider including a screenshot to help users to see what a game is like.
Re: Lab Rats 2 - Down to Business (v0.12.1, 8/1/2019)
by dannub » Sat Jan 12, 2019 4:05 pm
- dannub
- Joined: Tue Jan 10, 2012 5:08 am
Re: Lab Rats 2 - Down to Business (v0.12.1, 8/1/2019)
by vrengames » Fri Feb 01, 2019 7:13 am
v0.13.0 is Live! If you're already a patron you can download it here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/24378713
Lab Rats 2 v0.13.0 focuses on improving the introduction of the game and better explaining the mechanics of the game. A new, optional introduction to the lab explains the basic tasks that lead to a successful business. New tutorial overlays also explain the key parts of different screens, including the outfit designer and the serum designer. The final main addition are tooltip overlays for the key stats of characters that explain what they influence and how they can be changed.
Beyond the new introductory material there have been several other improvements. A new process for rendering character bodies is being introduced which will improve overall character quality. A new sleeveless top and a suit jacket have been added to the game, and the old suit pants image set has been replaced with a model less prone to clipping. As the game size grows the size of the image gallery was beginning to be a concern. Some minor image compression has been applied to the game images and has resulted in a 50% reduction of file sizes with no noticeable change in quality. Finally, a few events, mainly concerning your sister and mother, have been expanded.
Lab Rats 2 v0.13.0 focuses on improving the introduction of the game and better explaining the mechanics of the game. A new, optional introduction to the lab explains the basic tasks that lead to a successful business. New tutorial overlays also explain the key parts of different screens, including the outfit designer and the serum designer. The final main addition are tooltip overlays for the key stats of characters that explain what they influence and how they can be changed.
Beyond the new introductory material there have been several other improvements. A new process for rendering character bodies is being introduced which will improve overall character quality. A new sleeveless top and a suit jacket have been added to the game, and the old suit pants image set has been replaced with a model less prone to clipping. As the game size grows the size of the image gallery was beginning to be a concern. Some minor image compression has been applied to the game images and has resulted in a 50% reduction of file sizes with no noticeable change in quality. Finally, a few events, mainly concerning your sister and mother, have been expanded.
- vrengames
- Joined: Thu Dec 08, 2016 8:06 am
Re: Lab Rats 2 - Down to Business (v0.12.1, 8/1/2019)
by MaxTheDark » Tue Feb 05, 2019 2:49 pm
How long till public?
I believe text dump is not a valid form of storytelling in video games. Video games are for interaction, not reading, therefore the story should be woven into gameplay instead.
- MaxTheDark
- Joined: Thu Mar 08, 2018 12:34 pm
Re: Lab Rats 2 - Down to Business (v0.13.1, 8/2/2019)
by vrengames » Fri Feb 08, 2019 11:16 am
Lab Rats 2 v0.13.1 is finished and available to everyone! Get it here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/lab-rats-2-v0-13-24555928
The focus of the v0.13 update cycle was improving the new player experience and general UI feedback throughout Lab Rats 2. A new, optional introduction explains the basic tasks needed to get business running. New tutorial overlays now offer additional information about the various game screens. These explain the outfit designer, the serum designer, the employee hiring screen, and the research screen. The last piece of the UI improvements is the introduction of a flexible tooltip system. Hovering over a menu button or character statistic gives more information on what it is, why it's important, and what can be done to change it.
In addition to the improved UI there are a number of other major changes in this version. A new process for rendering the character images for LR2 has been introduced, and it has both improved the quality of the characters and reduced the overall file size. At the same time two new clothing times have been added - a suit jacket and a sleeveless shirt. A couple of new outfits using these items have been added to the default wardrobe, but you can always add more of your own! Finally, there have been tweaks to the seduction mechanic of the game. There is now a wider range of responses a character can give when you succeed or fail to seduce them, and they are more aware of when you're seducing them in an inappropriate location.
I hope you enjoy the update, I'll be back with another one the same time next month!
The focus of the v0.13 update cycle was improving the new player experience and general UI feedback throughout Lab Rats 2. A new, optional introduction explains the basic tasks needed to get business running. New tutorial overlays now offer additional information about the various game screens. These explain the outfit designer, the serum designer, the employee hiring screen, and the research screen. The last piece of the UI improvements is the introduction of a flexible tooltip system. Hovering over a menu button or character statistic gives more information on what it is, why it's important, and what can be done to change it.
In addition to the improved UI there are a number of other major changes in this version. A new process for rendering the character images for LR2 has been introduced, and it has both improved the quality of the characters and reduced the overall file size. At the same time two new clothing times have been added - a suit jacket and a sleeveless shirt. A couple of new outfits using these items have been added to the default wardrobe, but you can always add more of your own! Finally, there have been tweaks to the seduction mechanic of the game. There is now a wider range of responses a character can give when you succeed or fail to seduce them, and they are more aware of when you're seducing them in an inappropriate location.
I hope you enjoy the update, I'll be back with another one the same time next month!
- vrengames
- Joined: Thu Dec 08, 2016 8:06 am
Re: Lab Rats 2 - Down to Business (v0.13.1, 8/2/2019)
by MaxTheDark » Tue Feb 12, 2019 1:00 am
I moved Stephanie to Supply Procurement and I have permanent 0/0 supplies, can't get new ones, and cant produce anything. Am I doing something wrong, or is it your fault?
[EDIT]
MY FAULT! I've set the 'keep stock level' at 0 because I wasn't sure what it means, and there was no option to cancel. That's because it uses the phrase 'Serum Supply' instead of 'raw supply'.
[EDIT]
MY FAULT! I've set the 'keep stock level' at 0 because I wasn't sure what it means, and there was no option to cancel. That's because it uses the phrase 'Serum Supply' instead of 'raw supply'.
I believe text dump is not a valid form of storytelling in video games. Video games are for interaction, not reading, therefore the story should be woven into gameplay instead.
- MaxTheDark
- Joined: Thu Mar 08, 2018 12:34 pm
Re: Lab Rats 2 - Down to Business (v0.13.1, 8/2/2019)
by vrengames » Fri Mar 01, 2019 7:09 am
Lab Rats 2 v0.14.0 is live! Patrons can get it here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/25044252
Lab Rats 2 v0.14.0 is finished and ready for a week of bug testing by patrons! This month was a productive one, bringing a ton of new additions and changes to the game. Love, as opposed to general sluttiness or obedience, is now a tracked statistic for characters. Girls who love you are more willing to have sex in private, go out on dates, and otherwise be friendly with you. The UI of the game has been updated to give more feedback to players and to provide more information about choices they are going to make.
Large chunks of new content have also been added. New love based interactions allow you to build a relationship with a girl without corrupting her, or use that trust to corrupt her more quickly. Four new sets of underwear and two new bras have been added to the game along with several new default outfits that make use of them. New events that take place at home have also been added.
I hope you enjoy the new update and everything it adds!
Lab Rats 2 v0.14.0 is finished and ready for a week of bug testing by patrons! This month was a productive one, bringing a ton of new additions and changes to the game. Love, as opposed to general sluttiness or obedience, is now a tracked statistic for characters. Girls who love you are more willing to have sex in private, go out on dates, and otherwise be friendly with you. The UI of the game has been updated to give more feedback to players and to provide more information about choices they are going to make.
Large chunks of new content have also been added. New love based interactions allow you to build a relationship with a girl without corrupting her, or use that trust to corrupt her more quickly. Four new sets of underwear and two new bras have been added to the game along with several new default outfits that make use of them. New events that take place at home have also been added.
I hope you enjoy the new update and everything it adds!
- vrengames
- Joined: Thu Dec 08, 2016 8:06 am
Re: Lab Rats 2 - Down to Business (v0.14.1, 8/3/2019)
by vrengames » Fri Mar 08, 2019 9:31 am
Lab Rats 2 v0.14.1 is finished and ready for its public release! Get it here!
https://www.patreon.com/posts/25224710
v0.14.1 is a major update that introduces a main statistic for girls: love. Love is a measure of a girls individual devotion and relationship with you, as opposed to their general sluttiness or obedience. The higher the love value the more willing a girl is to have a friendly chat, go out on a date, or have sex with you in private. New events and conversation options have been added to give ways to raise a girls love and old events have been modified to make the stat relevant.
In addition to this new mechanic there have been a number of other important changes and improvements. UI improvements continue with new tooltips being added for most actions when their button is hovered. Performance has been improved by removing a highly inefficient drawing method. Girls now have unique, individual houses. These locations are unreachable by default, but can be unlocked by taking the girl on a date and being invited back to her place. Several new events taking place at home have been added. Four new panty sets, two new bras, and a collection of new outfits that make use of them round out the new content in this update.
Enjoy!
Oh, and of course a changelog:
https://www.patreon.com/posts/25224710
v0.14.1 is a major update that introduces a main statistic for girls: love. Love is a measure of a girls individual devotion and relationship with you, as opposed to their general sluttiness or obedience. The higher the love value the more willing a girl is to have a friendly chat, go out on a date, or have sex with you in private. New events and conversation options have been added to give ways to raise a girls love and old events have been modified to make the stat relevant.
In addition to this new mechanic there have been a number of other important changes and improvements. UI improvements continue with new tooltips being added for most actions when their button is hovered. Performance has been improved by removing a highly inefficient drawing method. Girls now have unique, individual houses. These locations are unreachable by default, but can be unlocked by taking the girl on a date and being invited back to her place. Several new events taking place at home have been added. Four new panty sets, two new bras, and a collection of new outfits that make use of them round out the new content in this update.
Enjoy!
Oh, and of course a changelog:
Spoiler (click to show/hide):
- vrengames
- Joined: Thu Dec 08, 2016 8:06 am
Re: Lab Rats 2 - Down to Business (v0.14.1, 8/3/2019)
by Briheas » Mon Mar 11, 2019 12:44 am
The game crashed immediately after an employee quit due to being unhappy:
Full traceback:
File "game/script.rpy", line 7341, in script call
call talk_person(person_choice) from _call_talk_person
File "game/script.rpy", line 7419, in script call
call advance_time from _call_advance_time_15
File "game/script.rpy", line 8539, in script call
$ crisis.call_action()
File "game/crises.rpy", line 1242, in script
$ mc.business.remove_employee(the_person)
File "D:\Program Files (x86)\Lab_Rats_2-v0.14.1-pc\renpy\ast.py", line 862, in execute
renpy.python.py_exec_bytecode(self.code.bytecode, self.hide, store=self.store)
File "D:\Program Files (x86)\Lab_Rats_2-v0.14.1-pc\renpy\python.py", line 1912, in py_exec_bytecode
exec bytecode in globals, locals
File "game/crises.rpy", line 1242, in <module>
$ mc.business.remove_employee(the_person)
File "game/script.rpy", line 761, in remove_employee
the_person.special_role.remove(employee_role)
File "D:\Program Files (x86)\Lab_Rats_2-v0.14.1-pc\renpy\python.py", line 713, in do_mutation
return method(self, *args, **kwargs)
ValueError: list.remove(x): x not in list
Windows-8-6.2.9200
Ren'Py 7.0.0.196
Lab Rats 2 - Down to Business v0.14.1
Sun Mar 10 16:40:04 2019
Full traceback:
File "game/script.rpy", line 7341, in script call
call talk_person(person_choice) from _call_talk_person
File "game/script.rpy", line 7419, in script call
call advance_time from _call_advance_time_15
File "game/script.rpy", line 8539, in script call
$ crisis.call_action()
File "game/crises.rpy", line 1242, in script
$ mc.business.remove_employee(the_person)
File "D:\Program Files (x86)\Lab_Rats_2-v0.14.1-pc\renpy\ast.py", line 862, in execute
renpy.python.py_exec_bytecode(self.code.bytecode, self.hide, store=self.store)
File "D:\Program Files (x86)\Lab_Rats_2-v0.14.1-pc\renpy\python.py", line 1912, in py_exec_bytecode
exec bytecode in globals, locals
File "game/crises.rpy", line 1242, in <module>
$ mc.business.remove_employee(the_person)
File "game/script.rpy", line 761, in remove_employee
the_person.special_role.remove(employee_role)
File "D:\Program Files (x86)\Lab_Rats_2-v0.14.1-pc\renpy\python.py", line 713, in do_mutation
return method(self, *args, **kwargs)
ValueError: list.remove(x): x not in list
Windows-8-6.2.9200
Ren'Py 7.0.0.196
Lab Rats 2 - Down to Business v0.14.1
Sun Mar 10 16:40:04 2019
- Briheas
- Joined: Sat Jan 28, 2017 3:10 am
Re: Lab Rats 2 - Down to Business (v0.14.1, 8/3/2019)
by MaxTheDark » Tue Mar 12, 2019 12:37 pm
vrengames Wrote:Lab Rats 2 v0.14.1 is finished and ready for its public release! Get it here!
https://www.patreon.com/posts/25224710
v0.14.1 is a major update that introduces a main statistic for girls: love. Love is a measure of a girls individual devotion and relationship with you, as opposed to their general sluttiness or obedience. The higher the love value the more willing a girl is to have a friendly chat, go out on a date, or have sex with you in private. New events and conversation options have been added to give ways to raise a girls love and old events have been modified to make the stat relevant.
In addition to this new mechanic there have been a number of other important changes and improvements. UI improvements continue with new tooltips being added for most actions when their button is hovered. Performance has been improved by removing a highly inefficient drawing method. Girls now have unique, individual houses. These locations are unreachable by default, but can be unlocked by taking the girl on a date and being invited back to her place. Several new events taking place at home have been added. Four new panty sets, two new bras, and a collection of new outfits that make use of them round out the new content in this update.
Enjoy!
Sounds interesting! Is it compatible with old saves, tho?
[EDIT]
Nope.
I believe text dump is not a valid form of storytelling in video games. Video games are for interaction, not reading, therefore the story should be woven into gameplay instead.
- MaxTheDark
- Joined: Thu Mar 08, 2018 12:34 pm
Re: Lab Rats 2 - Down to Business (v0.14.1, 8/3/2019)
by RunningAroundInCircles » Fri Mar 15, 2019 2:09 pm
- Added new nightime crisis involving mom at moderate sluttiness and love.
Could you define "moderate", please?
The game is grindy to a certain amount and trying to trigger a random event with uncertain variables is quite troublesome, given that love is hard and sluttiness impossible(?) to lower.
I NEVER run against walls.
-
RunningAroundInCircles - Joined: Sun Oct 27, 2013 7:41 pm
- Location: always running round and round and round and round
Re: Lab Rats 2 - Down to Business (v0.14.1, 8/3/2019)
by vrengames » Mon Apr 01, 2019 9:20 am
Lab Rats 2 v0.15.0 is finished and out for bug testing! Patrons can find it here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/25782224
Lab Rats 2 v0.15.0 is finished and ready for its week of bug testing by patrons. The major change in this update cycle is a refinement of the serum design system. Each serum trait, the building blocks of the mind altering serums your company produces, now has a mastery level associated with it and a chance to generate a side effect. The higher the mastery level of a trait the lower the chance that trait will introduce a side effect if it is included in a serum. Your mastery of a trait can be improved by your R&D department over time or by testing a serum with that trait on someone and spending time with them to observe the effects. The UI surrounding the serum design system has been updated alongside this new gameplay element. Serum effects are now streamlined and in a more easily understood way.
In addition to the new serum mechanics there have been a number of new events written for the game and a class of events that can trigger. Some random events now take place only in the morning at the start of a new day, when you wake up. These events are written to involve your mother or sister. Two new workplace events provide the chance to dramatically increase your mastery over a serum trait or create a serum design not normally possible. New serum traits have also been added, unlocking new serum possibilities. Finally, a new sex position, "cowgirl", has been added and is used for one of the new random events. It is a test of the new code making girl lead sex possible and other positions and options will be included in the future.
I hope you enjoy the new version!
And of course, a changelog (v0.14.1 to v0.15.0):
Lab Rats 2 v0.15.0 is finished and ready for its week of bug testing by patrons. The major change in this update cycle is a refinement of the serum design system. Each serum trait, the building blocks of the mind altering serums your company produces, now has a mastery level associated with it and a chance to generate a side effect. The higher the mastery level of a trait the lower the chance that trait will introduce a side effect if it is included in a serum. Your mastery of a trait can be improved by your R&D department over time or by testing a serum with that trait on someone and spending time with them to observe the effects. The UI surrounding the serum design system has been updated alongside this new gameplay element. Serum effects are now streamlined and in a more easily understood way.
In addition to the new serum mechanics there have been a number of new events written for the game and a class of events that can trigger. Some random events now take place only in the morning at the start of a new day, when you wake up. These events are written to involve your mother or sister. Two new workplace events provide the chance to dramatically increase your mastery over a serum trait or create a serum design not normally possible. New serum traits have also been added, unlocking new serum possibilities. Finally, a new sex position, "cowgirl", has been added and is used for one of the new random events. It is a test of the new code making girl lead sex possible and other positions and options will be included in the future.
I hope you enjoy the new version!
And of course, a changelog (v0.14.1 to v0.15.0):
Spoiler (click to show/hide):
- vrengames
- Joined: Thu Dec 08, 2016 8:06 am
Re: Lab Rats 2 - Down to Business (v0.14.1, 8/3/2019)
by MaxTheDark » Tue Apr 02, 2019 12:48 am
Can you just release 0.15 it for free? It's not even finished, why the delay?
Pwetty pwease?
Pwetty pwease?
I believe text dump is not a valid form of storytelling in video games. Video games are for interaction, not reading, therefore the story should be woven into gameplay instead.
- MaxTheDark
- Joined: Thu Mar 08, 2018 12:34 pm
Re: Lab Rats 2 - Down to Business (v0.14.1, 8/3/2019)
by hoboy » Tue Apr 02, 2019 4:59 am
Let them bug test - releasing things early like you want is what gets a game a bad rep as "buggy"...
-
hoboy - Joined: Fri Jan 18, 2013 7:51 am
Re: Lab Rats 2 - Down to Business (v0.14.1, 8/3/2019)
by MaxTheDark » Tue Apr 02, 2019 3:49 pm
hoboy Wrote:Let them bug test - releasing things early like you want is what gets a game a bad rep as "buggy"...
Normally I would, but it seems the game finally has some fun elements in it
I believe text dump is not a valid form of storytelling in video games. Video games are for interaction, not reading, therefore the story should be woven into gameplay instead.
- MaxTheDark
- Joined: Thu Mar 08, 2018 12:34 pm
Re: Lab Rats 2 - Down to Business (v0.14.1, 8/3/2019)
by Yllarius » Tue Apr 02, 2019 7:52 pm
MaxTheDark Wrote:hoboy Wrote:Let them bug test - releasing things early like you want is what gets a game a bad rep as "buggy"...
Normally I would, but it seems the game finally has some fun elements in it
I wouldn't quite go that far, while I feel it's a step in the right direction, it's still pretty...meh.
about 10%+ negative status modifiers, which is decreased by research or spending time with them.
While it does give stephanie more things to do (As you can't really remove her as head researcher anyways), since it doesn't seem like the compounds get any more 'effective' it feels more like a gate than something to really play around with.
TBH, The game still feels like a grindfest for some 'meh' porn value.
That said, I'm still keeping an eye on it, as it does have potential, and I don't want to discourage the devs from continuing their work.
- Yllarius
- Newly Registered
- Joined: Tue May 31, 2016 4:31 am
Re: Lab Rats 2 - Down to Business (v0.14.1, 8/3/2019)
by MaxTheDark » Thu Apr 04, 2019 10:32 pm
Yllarius Wrote:TBH, The game still feels like a grindfest for some 'meh' porn value.
Oh yeah, that reminds me.
Fix the characters faces during blowjob. They look like the fucking Hannibal Lecter:
Also characters seem to be lowering their eyes in angry expression a lot. That's weird.
I believe text dump is not a valid form of storytelling in video games. Video games are for interaction, not reading, therefore the story should be woven into gameplay instead.
- MaxTheDark
- Joined: Thu Mar 08, 2018 12:34 pm
Re: Lab Rats 2 - Down to Business (v0.14.1, 8/3/2019)
by vrengames » Mon Apr 08, 2019 10:45 am
Lab Rats 2 v0.15.1 is live! Get it here! https://www.patreon.com/posts/lab-rats-2-v0-15-25956496
Lab Rats 2 v0.15.1 is finished its week of patron bug testing and ready to be released to everyone, absolutely free! Version 0.15.1 brings with it a major overhaul to the serum design system. Each serum trait, the building blocks of the mind altering trait your company produces, now has a chance to generate a side effect. By assigning your R&D division to the task or by testing the serum out on people yourself you can improve your mastery level of a serum trait and reduce the chance it creates a side effect in future serum designs. The serum design UI has been updated to include information about mastery levels and much of other serum related UI has been refined to more conveniently display useful information.
In addition to the new serum mechanics there are a number of new random events and refined old events in the game. New workplace events provide a chance to create serum designs that are normally impossible or to quickly boost your mastery level of a serum trait. At home there are multiple new events that involve your mother and sister, both as loving family members and convenient test subjects.
I hope you enjoy the new version!
Changelog(v0.14.1 to v0.15.1)
Lab Rats 2 v0.15.1 is finished its week of patron bug testing and ready to be released to everyone, absolutely free! Version 0.15.1 brings with it a major overhaul to the serum design system. Each serum trait, the building blocks of the mind altering trait your company produces, now has a chance to generate a side effect. By assigning your R&D division to the task or by testing the serum out on people yourself you can improve your mastery level of a serum trait and reduce the chance it creates a side effect in future serum designs. The serum design UI has been updated to include information about mastery levels and much of other serum related UI has been refined to more conveniently display useful information.
In addition to the new serum mechanics there are a number of new random events and refined old events in the game. New workplace events provide a chance to create serum designs that are normally impossible or to quickly boost your mastery level of a serum trait. At home there are multiple new events that involve your mother and sister, both as loving family members and convenient test subjects.
I hope you enjoy the new version!
Changelog(v0.14.1 to v0.15.1)
Spoiler (click to show/hide):
- vrengames
- Joined: Thu Dec 08, 2016 8:06 am
Re: Lab Rats 2 - Down to Business (v0.15.1, 8/4/2019)
by dannub » Tue Apr 09, 2019 3:38 am
Some feedback on this version:
1. It's still WAY too grindy! And somehow even more so, because you can now only talk to people a very limited amount, especially in the beginning (also when it's the most grindy). Happiness is way too hard to accumulate, and in fact seems to go down immediately after I talk to someone. Case in point, Stephanie was at 65 happiness, I complimented her up to 67, talked to her immediately afterward and she was at 65.
2. The new formula system doesn't really make sense. Why does my product have a bad reputation that's killing its profitability (making it literally cost me money to sell it) and how do I recover that? Make a new product? Shut down the business and start a new game (again)?
3. Again, too grindy. Because of the changes to the serum profit system, it takes even longer to reach the point where you can even hire someone without losing a ton of money. In the first game, you could at least count on a reasonable income while you increased your standing with the girls, but in this game I spent weeks going from one department to the other with only Stephanie to do automated research. The one time I managed to get what seemed like a profitable serum, it lasted for a week before getting a bad rep and I went out of business.
1. It's still WAY too grindy! And somehow even more so, because you can now only talk to people a very limited amount, especially in the beginning (also when it's the most grindy). Happiness is way too hard to accumulate, and in fact seems to go down immediately after I talk to someone. Case in point, Stephanie was at 65 happiness, I complimented her up to 67, talked to her immediately afterward and she was at 65.
2. The new formula system doesn't really make sense. Why does my product have a bad reputation that's killing its profitability (making it literally cost me money to sell it) and how do I recover that? Make a new product? Shut down the business and start a new game (again)?
3. Again, too grindy. Because of the changes to the serum profit system, it takes even longer to reach the point where you can even hire someone without losing a ton of money. In the first game, you could at least count on a reasonable income while you increased your standing with the girls, but in this game I spent weeks going from one department to the other with only Stephanie to do automated research. The one time I managed to get what seemed like a profitable serum, it lasted for a week before getting a bad rep and I went out of business.
- dannub
- Joined: Tue Jan 10, 2012 5:08 am
Re: Lab Rats 2 - Down to Business (v0.15.1, 8/4/2019)
by Briheas » Tue Apr 09, 2019 4:21 am
First off, a worker quit on a Saturday. Is that supposed to happen?
Now that the details of each trait are even more important, I think there needs to be a reworking of the descriptions for each trait. For starters, the text saying what the trait actually does (the green and red text) should be much bigger and easier to read than the flavor text. Having flavor text is fine and all, but I shouldn't be having to strain to see what the gameplay functions of the trait do when the flavor is easily readable and taking up 1/2 to 2/3 of the text box.
I'm not quite sure what the point of mastery is for something like basic medical applications. It's only added to increase the value of the serum, so why should I care about side effects? I would suspect no one adds it to a serum they're actually giving characters (it eats up a slot and would cause side effects). If anything, it should also increase the value of the serum, which would give me an incentive to research mastery for it and make sense in-game: a drug with decreased side effects would be worth more money. (This could be applied to the value of all traits as well)
I usually wait until tier 2 or 3 before I start making serums to give to people, so it's going to be a while before I can really test the side effects. But, I will just remind you of the rule of video game probabilities: if it's something bad, and the odds of it happening aren't 0%, assume it's 100%. So I really really hope that every trait can be brought down to 0% side effect with enough mastery, or else serums are going to be essentially useless.
Now that the details of each trait are even more important, I think there needs to be a reworking of the descriptions for each trait. For starters, the text saying what the trait actually does (the green and red text) should be much bigger and easier to read than the flavor text. Having flavor text is fine and all, but I shouldn't be having to strain to see what the gameplay functions of the trait do when the flavor is easily readable and taking up 1/2 to 2/3 of the text box.
I'm not quite sure what the point of mastery is for something like basic medical applications. It's only added to increase the value of the serum, so why should I care about side effects? I would suspect no one adds it to a serum they're actually giving characters (it eats up a slot and would cause side effects). If anything, it should also increase the value of the serum, which would give me an incentive to research mastery for it and make sense in-game: a drug with decreased side effects would be worth more money. (This could be applied to the value of all traits as well)
I usually wait until tier 2 or 3 before I start making serums to give to people, so it's going to be a while before I can really test the side effects. But, I will just remind you of the rule of video game probabilities: if it's something bad, and the odds of it happening aren't 0%, assume it's 100%. So I really really hope that every trait can be brought down to 0% side effect with enough mastery, or else serums are going to be essentially useless.
- Briheas
- Joined: Sat Jan 28, 2017 3:10 am
Re: Lab Rats 2 - Down to Business (v0.15.1, 8/4/2019)
by vrengames » Wed May 01, 2019 8:07 am
If you're already a patron you can find the download links here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/lab-rats-2-v0-16-26497451
Lab Rats 2 v0.16 is ready for it's round of patron bug testing! This update cycle had two major components: first, character titles were introduced and integrated with all of the existing dialogue and narration for the game. Second, rendering support and a few initial designs were added for clothing patterns. On top of that there has been a major optimization made for the start up time of the game, new clothing items and a hair style have been added, and a handful of bugs have been tracked down and squashed.
Character titles have replaced all of the direct uses of a characters name in Lab Rats 2. A character title can be thought of as the name you know that person by, or the name you are choosing to call them. For most characters this is the same as their first name, but others may prefer a more formal title such as "Mrs.Girl". As you corrupt a girl there will be more titles she thinks are acceptable for her. Girls also each have a title they use for the main character in a similar way. Your mother might call you "Sweetheart" or "Son", while your employees may call you "Sir", or "Boss". Finally, there are used in narration when talking about a girl in relation to you; "your employee" or "your friend". Character titles are now formatted throughout the game to use the same colour and font as that character's dialogue. While looking through menus or reading through narration it is much easier to remember what character is being talked about.
Rendering support for patterns along an initial test batch has been added to the game. A pattern is a section of an existing piece of clothing that can be drawn as a different colour. Patterns make use of a mask to recolour clothing, which makes them much faster for me to render and a smaller file size when added to the game. Going forward more clothing items will receive pattern variants as a way of increasing the variety in the game without significantly increasing file size. This new functionality called for a redesign of the outfit designer. When selecting a pattern you can now alternate between changing the primary or secondary colour. A colour swatch has also been added to let you store and load colours by right or left clicking on the spaces available. These colours are saved and persistent between games, so you can now match colours for different pieces of clothing or create themed uniforms.
Lastly, the release of the v0.16 update will mark the start of phase 2 of Lab Rats 2 development. Previous updates have been focused on the internal mechanical support for a number of different game mechanics: dynamic outfits, character personalities, goals, etc. Future updates will now focus on introducing new, unique characters and producing a detailed storyline to make use of all of these mechanics and tie the game together. Rendering improvements will also be taking top priority. Facial styles and emotions in particular are going to be reworked completely to achieve better results. New body types/models will also be worked on to widen the variety of base bodies in the game. Lab Rats 2 characters may have a different style than they did in Lab Rats 1, but I want to achieve the same level of quality with them.
I hope you enjoy the update, and here's a changelog going from v0.15.1 to v0.16.0:
Lab Rats 2 v0.16 is ready for it's round of patron bug testing! This update cycle had two major components: first, character titles were introduced and integrated with all of the existing dialogue and narration for the game. Second, rendering support and a few initial designs were added for clothing patterns. On top of that there has been a major optimization made for the start up time of the game, new clothing items and a hair style have been added, and a handful of bugs have been tracked down and squashed.
Character titles have replaced all of the direct uses of a characters name in Lab Rats 2. A character title can be thought of as the name you know that person by, or the name you are choosing to call them. For most characters this is the same as their first name, but others may prefer a more formal title such as "Mrs.Girl". As you corrupt a girl there will be more titles she thinks are acceptable for her. Girls also each have a title they use for the main character in a similar way. Your mother might call you "Sweetheart" or "Son", while your employees may call you "Sir", or "Boss". Finally, there are used in narration when talking about a girl in relation to you; "your employee" or "your friend". Character titles are now formatted throughout the game to use the same colour and font as that character's dialogue. While looking through menus or reading through narration it is much easier to remember what character is being talked about.
Rendering support for patterns along an initial test batch has been added to the game. A pattern is a section of an existing piece of clothing that can be drawn as a different colour. Patterns make use of a mask to recolour clothing, which makes them much faster for me to render and a smaller file size when added to the game. Going forward more clothing items will receive pattern variants as a way of increasing the variety in the game without significantly increasing file size. This new functionality called for a redesign of the outfit designer. When selecting a pattern you can now alternate between changing the primary or secondary colour. A colour swatch has also been added to let you store and load colours by right or left clicking on the spaces available. These colours are saved and persistent between games, so you can now match colours for different pieces of clothing or create themed uniforms.
Lastly, the release of the v0.16 update will mark the start of phase 2 of Lab Rats 2 development. Previous updates have been focused on the internal mechanical support for a number of different game mechanics: dynamic outfits, character personalities, goals, etc. Future updates will now focus on introducing new, unique characters and producing a detailed storyline to make use of all of these mechanics and tie the game together. Rendering improvements will also be taking top priority. Facial styles and emotions in particular are going to be reworked completely to achieve better results. New body types/models will also be worked on to widen the variety of base bodies in the game. Lab Rats 2 characters may have a different style than they did in Lab Rats 1, but I want to achieve the same level of quality with them.
I hope you enjoy the update, and here's a changelog going from v0.15.1 to v0.16.0:
Spoiler (click to show/hide):
- vrengames
- Joined: Thu Dec 08, 2016 8:06 am
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