Re: Valentina's Story Ver. 0.01 (Corruption sandbox rpg) [Patreon]
First of all I'd like to congratulate you on an absolutely fantastic game. I've fully played through it about four times now, and I don't know which part I like the best.
The pacing is incredibly good. I specifically appreciate how difficult it is to get any of her stats moving in the beginning, and how much of a slippery slope it becomes later on. Valentina is completely adorable at the beginning and a filthy slut at the end, and we get to guide that transformation.
The simplicity of it all. By just using two stats and having them play off of each other like you do, you avoid distracting complications while still maintaining an interesting, immersive mechanic.
Your game environment doesn't feel too big or too small, and Val's first day does a great job of touring it. You've already done an excellent job laying out new expansions with her mom's trading company, 5th street bar and the gentleman's club. By using a subway as a transportation device, you could easily add additional stops and even more space if need be.
I really appreciate the diversity of situations you've setup with the main character. While you've mentioned that you've only started two story arcs, I've taken the liberty of graphing all of Valentina's relationships in a play through. There is A LOT of room to explore and develop story here without even introducing new characters. That graph is attached to this post. I would expect that ALL of these characters (with the exception of the kid) are going to have their own story arcs that end balls (or clit) deep in Valentina when you're finished with this masterpiece.
And finally, the idea of a corruption sandbox game. I have been working on the general premise of an MMO PBBG off and on for around six months and this game just blew my mind. You've executed it incredibly well within the context of RPGMaker, and your work is definitely an inspiration that has completely changed my direction of thought on how to setup conflicts within my designs.
Some additional feedback:
- You could possibly implement character fetishes and kinks as status effects on Valentina. This would allow you to write forking story arcs, which would improve re-playability, as available player options may vary depending on the character's state. This would also allow your game to cater to specific fetishes if they're pursued by the player.
- If you're going to implement pregnancy, be sure you have contraceptive or abortion options in the game, preferably both. Birth control such as condoms can be one-time use, while the pill could be a status effect, each reducing the chance of pregnancy (which shouldn't be 100% with unprotected insemination). Could you implement it as something Val has the option to address for a few weeks before it becomes an ending condition?
- I had no problem finding Zac's story arc. Once you have more story arcs in game, it's good to have some easier and some harder to find. On that topic, Sam could continually steal Val's shampoo (I have yet to test if he does that) to provide an entry into his story arc. If not, you could setup secondary or even tertiary entry points into deep story arcs.
- Could you possibly have the students and teachers milling about before and after class (before Val sits down and after she stands up)? This introduces options for interacting with students and teachers (like scheduling extra-curricular rendezvous).
- Remember: you can't rape the willing.
- I don't think you need to be overly explicit with the beginning of story routes. "Wait ... I should get dressed first ..." being said by a freshly showered towel-clad 18 year-old right before bursting into her older brother's room was enough of a hint for me, and "(start of sam route)" would have just ruined it.
- Inviting a family member to the beach would be cool, as would visiting your mother or father at work.
- Normally sized chests aren't normal in these sorts of games. Lets be different!
TL;DR: Thank you for inspiring me!