Would like some opinions on my future RAGS game

[XJ347]

*** My computer died three months ago... While I had chapter 1 around 90% coded I now lack a computer to finish the last little bit and also to make the pictures for it. Until I get a new computer this is on hold. 

 

 

I really like rags games generally because they are a medium that people can express game concepts that others don't touch. Everyone understands that a bit... we are all here at Lovers Lab after all.

 

So after being inspired with many other amateurs (/cough alako) making games for others I decided to try.

 

Note: I would like your honest opinions but having said that, certain things I will not do. I have an artistic vision that I will not compromise, but there is still plenty of room to tweak my game to the community's preferences.

 

Lets get into a few of the details!

 

My game is a medieval fantasy of a world of my own imagination. I plan to use Skyrim to generate pictures to create a consistent art style. (examples below...) The plan is to have a logical story with sexual elements, and not an excuse to have porn with a story attached. Now where to draw the line? Well that can be figured out later.

 

The protagonist is going to be female, like most of these game, which is the only child of a powerful noble. Obviously this lifestyle will not stay with her for long... Who doesn't like to role play a virgin trying to keep their pride in a cruel wold?

 

So what you think about these..

 

I currently envision 3 play styles, you pick one at the start of the game. I was thinking of each having their own unique paths to a good end, outside the normal path(s) to a good end.

 

I was thinking of having limited combat. To continue on the choose your own adventure theme, combat would be more descriptive rather than being about numbers, and would be decided based the upon options you choose. I see that personally more enjoyable but I might be the only one...

 

I plan to have the player portrait animated, this will increase the size of the game 4megs a picture I make, and I plan to have one per styled look... Is size a big deal? I also plan to make the background of the portrait transparent so I can change the background picture to the area you are in. That also will increase file size.

 

Amusing the animated portraits are liked, would you guys like to see animated sex too? I could only animate what the mods allow but I can create a clean loop that repeats. File size really starts to matter here since I use a larger size and resolution for non portraits. Not everything would be able to be animated though, since the lack of skyrim adult animations... Would that bother people to have some but not all? I personally am an all or nothing type but I do not feel strongly on it, easily made if there is enough demand for it.

 

As for sex, I want it to be around but never the main focus of the game. Now how much is to much and how little is to little? That is a line not easily drawn. I was hoping actually to have one good ending where you stay MUST stay a virgin, well I might change that to vaginal virgin. Now saying that I also plan on having some good endings where it would be impossible to stay a virgin... Needless to say if you act like a whore you will end up a whore is my feeling, but like I said if enough demand I can make an ending path for that, but that requires planning and hence I am asking about it now.

 

Hows the main character look? (image below) I wanted young without the loli. I gave her larger breasts than I wanted, but figured the masses wanted them big and so I compromised on this size between large and small. I go to far or not enough?

 

Guess that's it for now

 

Here are a few examples of the images I plan on using.

 

Edit: portrait of the player. Hows the hair color?

 

 

 

 

Picture of the player's room (slightly compressed), with your personal bed warmer on it!

 

 

 

Opinions?

[Kagarus]

First off, great to see another RAGS game (with female protagonist to boot).

 

Regarding the questions:

• 3 playstyles: Sounds promising... although without information as to what those will be (Warrior, Diplomat, Thief?), can't really say too much
• Choice-based combat: While I don't mind the normal combat systems, this should be fun (and something different for a change) - will some choices require certain skills/flags?
• Animated vs. still(both portrait and sex) : Quite frankly, I don't care one way or the other - animation usually doesn't give me anything stills don't already, but I'm not too concerned about size either (within reason - under 1gb or something would be preferable ;-))
• Sex: Where it feels appropriate? ;-) (Defeated by bandits -> Nothing happens... yeah, does not follow). A bigger concern for me is what kind of sex - from what you said I assume there will be prostitution? And I hope RoL?
• Endings: The option of a no-sex playthrough is definitely a plus. As for whoring... if you choose the right people, manipulate them at the right time, you could end... like an empress. Personally, not my kind of thing, but...

Looking forward to the game.

[alako]

Great to hear you start making the game. Feel free to pm me if you have any question!

Remember to buy the RAGS Designer instead of using the free Beta version, that one sucks!! 

 

Edit: Animations (GIF files) won't work in player portrait. However, it will work as a normal layered picture.

[XJ347]

Great to hear you start making the game. Feel free to pm me if you have any question!

Remember to buy the RAGS Designer instead of using the free Beta version, that one sucks!! 

 

Edit: Animations (GIF files) won't work in player portrait. However, it will work as a normal layered picture.

 

I already did buy the full version. I have many elements in game for the opening scene, mostly missing the dialogue.

 

As for the player portrait and layering. I swore it worked last time I tried it... Yeah I just tested it, I currently have my gif on top and the background portrait so you see both.

 

 

playstyles: Sounds promising...

Magic user

Tactician

Diplomat

 

 

Choice-based combat:

I wanted it to feel like a choose your own adventure book. So in combat you will have a list of actions instead of the shoot button. Note I was planning your play style to effect your choices. Magic user, and Tactician have tools to use in combat, the diplomat style has no melee skill and will depend on her wits and others for protection.

 

 

Defeated by bandits -> Nothing happens

Well sometimes yes sometimes no. Some might take you into slavery, and selling your virginity would be a hot commodity, if you let them know your a virgin. Note that doesn't stop them from using your mouth and possibly your ass... Some might not care...

 

 

I assume there will be prostitution?

I do want that option, but you are put in that situation because you failed something. I really like the situation where you have to abandon your dignity and choose to do it. I will have to plug that into my timeline somewhere... Thanks for making me think!  

[alako]

As for the player portrait and layering. I swore it worked last time I tried it... Yeah I just tested it, I currently have my gif on top and the background portrait so you see both.

Weird...it doesn't work on mine. @__@ Oh well, I wasn't planning to add any gif anyway. ^^

[XJ347]

Screenshot of how I am trying to modify the RAGs interface.

 

 

[alako]

Ohhh! I know what you mean. Layer imagine does work with gif. 

[XJ347]

Just discovered you can not add a layer to the media main compass picture... =( ruins my plan for how to make a low memory usage map.

 

I could still do it, but the map image has to be remade for each room, rather than just changing the text layer.  Will have to think about it, I just might make a filler image since the default compass isn't ascetically pleasing to me.

 

Option 2 is to make a map object or a player ability, and you can inspect it to see where you are on the map. I can add layers to the normal display media.

 

After that is to make a dynamic choice list... Rather not have to make a billion if then statements if I don't have to.

[alako]

I was thinking about that as well, I thought you are going to make lots different maps and change the compass picture whenever the player moves.

 

By the way, a general tip about rags; it tends to go wonky for no reason sometimes. If you review your code and everything is perfect, but it just won't work in the game, try to do the codes. Sometimes RAGS has some internal problems that doesn't show the "real" code correctly, especially when you copy and past stuff around.

[helgea]

This seems to be very interesting.

One thing about the how the main character looks though, I don't like the hair colour. I mean, I like blonde, but in the portrait (not the one in the room), the hair colour seems to be too yellow-ish and fake to me.

[XJ347]

This seems to be very interesting.

One thing about the how the main character looks though, I don't like the hair colour. I mean, I like blonde, but in the portrait (not the one in the room), the hair colour seems to be too yellow-ish and fake to me.

 

 

Was going for a Lannister golden locks, like in Game of thrones, I can always remake and do a new gif. Takes only an hour or so. It is actually quite tricky to get a good hair color, since the exposure from light changes the tint so much and I want a bight light to make the skin look pale.

 

Thanks for the input, I will probably redo the hair . I will desaturated the hair so it looks more natural then update.

[Kagarus]

 

 

playstyles: Sounds promising...

Magic user

Tactician

Diplomat

 

 

Nice, that should make for an interesting variety.

The diplomat especially should be interesting, especially from a sex-PoV (you'll need allies, as well as talk yourself out of situations - and besides the normal interest there's also the fact that (assuming your house wasn't condemned or similar) certain parties would be interested in you for your blood. Of course there should be other things you could get them as well, or you could imply potential reward later (as a diplomat, you'd be capable of implying not only competently but subtly as well, right? ;-))

Will the tactician be more like a frontline commander or a skilled fighter instead of a behind-the-lines-coordinator (else they'd also have to primarily rely on allies)?

 

 

 

Choice-based combat:

I wanted it to feel like a choose your own adventure book. So in combat you will have a list of actions instead of the shoot button. Note I was planning your play style to effect your choices. Magic user, and Tactician have tools to use in combat, the diplomat style has no melee skill and will depend on her wits and others for protection.

 

 

Yeah, this would be fun.

(Random nostalgia: The Lone Wolf series actually had combat that resembles most RAGS games - there were a few options now and then, but the core was rolling (well, randomly picking results from the last page with closed eyes, but close enough) for damage repeatedly, with special skills you took at char creation (and between books) modifying that)

 

 

 

Defeated by bandits -> Nothing happens

Well sometimes yes sometimes no. Some might take you into slavery, and selling your virginity would be a hot commodity, if you let them know your a virgin. Note that doesn't stop them from using your mouth and possibly your ass... Some might not care...

 

 

In the case of slavers that are going to sell you no rape would probably be appropriate (depending on the characters involved), yes - I meant the basic "take your money and your valuables (and possibly your life)" kind of bandits without slavery, and mostly as an example. Except for extremes (barely no relevant scenes) I personally don't notice a lack of sex scenes due to the numbers; what tends to get my attention really quickly though is when there are situations which should have at least an option to result in sex, but nothing happens (cue me playing through DA:O Female City Elf Prologue twice to see if there's an option to lose/revolt later orz).

 

 

Anyway, sorry for rambling.

[XJ347]

This seems to be very interesting.

One thing about the how the main character looks though, I don't like the hair colour. I mean, I like blonde, but in the portrait (not the one in the room), the hair colour seems to be too yellow-ish and fake to me.

 

How is this for toning the hair color down? to much? not enough?

Sadly that makes the headband change color too and I wanted it to look like gold, since it was supposed to be gold hehe.

Hmmm I might turn up the red a bit on the lips when she is supposed to be more formal looking.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Will the tactician be more like a frontline commander or a skilled fighter instead of a behind-the-lines-coordinator (else they'd also have to primarily rely on allies)?

I want the tactician to be the thinker of the three options. While she is the only one that knows how to use weapons she is still a young women, she lacks the brute strength men have. So she will have to win with a mix of strength and intelligence.

 

The magic user is the brute, using magical force to solve problems.

 

Now that's how I see the archetypes... can I actually pull them off that way? Only time will tell.

 

 

As for the story, I have pretty much finished story boarding the first chapter last night. I think I plan to break the game into 4 chapters. That leaves me trying to outline the good endings which is roughly done but still working out a few details so there is a logical progression and things make sense. Once that is done I will start scripting and writing the dialogue for chapter 1. Of course mix in picture creation from time to time to break up the monotony.

[Sparlimb]

Fantastic! I know zip about programming/coding, but I am pretty good at 'drooling in anticipation'... hehe!

Great stuff, you've attracted another eager player.

[teremaster]

ok, good to see a new development coming.

 

first off, i am an absolute SUCKER for clothing options, just putting that out there.

 

secondly, stuff like a reputation system or a sort of variable representing the players status of mind would be nice.

 

thirdly, i am here if you need any bitch work done.

[XJ347]

I should note, my computer is currently dead, and until i can replace it I cant continue, using an ipad for internet sucks...

 

 

[cih]

Hello,

 

Great news that someone is working on a RAGS game with female protagonist (sort of my favorite lately, too bad not many such games are around).

 

Playstyles - Different playstyles sound ineresting. The downside to it is in your field though, you will need to make them meaningful and that can be a lot of work on your part.

 

Limited Combat - I am not a fan of random combat in RAGS games. It is "random" and sometimes you want to loose on purpose. Winning sometimes is really hard (due to the lame RNG in rags - I remember reading somewhere that it is really weak). If you have text combat with few choices that determine the outcome, I am all for it. Writing those combat scenes can be a lot of effort as well though, so limited combat sounds about right .

 

Portraits - I like consistent game art. Skyrim looks like a good source for pictures, both character and landscapes. Weather you are going to animated them or not isn't really important to me. I know though, that RAGS is very buggy sometimes. I played some game that was trying to play something, no idea what it was because it never played properly, I haven't seen anything besides normal 2D stills in any RAGS game I have played. You should consider game size as well. I don't have problem with downloading big chunks of data, but for some people it is a problem, also you will need some upload service that might have to be payed (I have no idea about that to be honest). I am just pointing out some downsides, I think no one will be displeased if the game has animated portraits.

 

Animated Sex - This has some common points with the animated portraits and everything I have said for them applies for animated sex. What I would like to add though is how are you planning to implement it in the game. Is it going to be replacer for the text or addition to it. People read with different speed and the visuals will draw the attention from the text. If you plan for the animated text to be few seconds long *.gif that loosely describes whats happening it can work well. For example - you have a scene in three parts - foreplay, main course, creamy desert - you divide the scene in 3 parts of text, and you have a gif for each of those. Keeping the animated sex simple will help the player to not loose focus from the text (if the animation is awesome, loosing focus isn't bad).

 

Amount of Sex - I am fan of meaningful sex, but I am also fan of "a lot of sex". I think the player has to be able to chose that depending on his choices. If he pushes the game more toward "a lot of sex" he should be able to get it in one form or another. This also depends weather or not you will have sandbox elements in your game. I assume you have some very complete vision of the main quest for the game and I am sure you can't add sex as an option to all of it. Using side quests can balance things if you/players feel the game lacks sexual content. As I said though, if there is sex, it should be for a reason, not for the sex itself. For example, you mention prostitution - getting that "low" for a noble woman should be devastation for her reputation (if discovered), it will also affect her mentally.

 

Main Character Looks - I like it a lot, if i have to find a flaw I'd say she is a bit too pale. On the other hand though, pale is common for nobles. You can even play that to your advantage. For example, the player gets enslaved and send to work in the field - her skin will become darker due to the work in the sun.

 

Those are most of my thoughts at the moment. I am patiently awaiting your progress on this project and I wish you good luck on it (purely selfish reasons - I will play the game ).

 

cih

[RPGSexGames]

can we see a trailer and play a demo ,OP ? 

[cih]

Hello,

 

I am curious if there is some progress on this project. The setup is intriguing and I would love to see this game come to life.

 

cih