/htg/ - Harlot Trainer General

>>20470

>>20468

Oops, replied to the wrong post.

Basically, my idea is to have you play as a role similar to the antagonists in Kris P Kreme's "Trance-Tory" series, with gameplay somewhat inspired by Democracy 3.

You'd get the actual story content through dives into the society you're shaping through news reports or just fly-on-the wall observation of every day life.

The advantage of doing it this way I see is that I'd be able to get some actual content in there right away, and then be able to expand the story by fleshing it out, rather than telling it linearly.

I'd be looking at maybe using a database system like sqlite to store information about different demographics, such as their level of overall corruption, attraction to different fetishes, and your influence over them.

>>20472

As for return on investment on DAZ, pic related cost nothing, because I chose not to pay for the assets, and time-wise it took me about as long as between your post and this one to pose, render, squiggle on in MS paint, and type this up.

>>20473

I was thinking of the player as a sort of non-character acting as a company in itself, kind of like how you're supposed to be the mayor in Sim City, but that doesn't ever really matter.. Do you think this would be too weird a concept for anyone to pick up on it? I guess I could make a generic Mary Sue MC who could fuck his secretary, daughter, and just random women on the street or something, would that be better or worse?

>>20476

Yeah, that'd be crazy…

>>>/hgg/95889

Besides, messing with the default main character formula works very well for, say, Good Girl Gone Bad, so I don't think you need a bog standard teenage boy/dad/genie to enjoy the porn. If you specifically need someone to self-insert, I guess I'm just gonna have to gamble on that it appeals to someone else.

>>20477

>>20478

I get what you're saying, and if commissioning artists was an option for me, I'd take it, but I literally got DAZ yesterday, and I can churn out what is basically DMD-level material in an hour, providing I don't completely fuck up the lighting. Really, it's that or text-based. Which works too, I guess, it's just a bit more /hgg/ than /htg/.

For the record, I really appreciate your input, I don't mean to shut down everything you guys say. This is actually the first time I'm discussing this idea with anyone, I've been milling it over loosely in my head on and off since about this time last summer. Mostly I just want this game to exist so I can play it.

Also if anyone else is working on something or have questions relating to harlot trainer development, feel free to use this thread.

>>20467

I like this idea but absolutely number one fucking rule.

NO PATREON UNTIL YOU HAVE A DECENT DEMO

I can't count the number of times greedy artists have put up a patreon BEFORE they have a decent demo where people who are scared of their wallets can throw money at.

Number two would be no RPG maker unless you're making an RPG. Urgh, fucking adventures of tara and Lily in the valley would be infinitely better on Renpy because VNs don't really work on RPG maker.

Number three is remember rule one because when you release a demo for the first time, alot of people are going to judge it there and then, even if not completed. If it's something that has potential, then set up a blog or shit people can easily follow updates.

Number four is don't get greedy. You're allowed to make money off of it but then you end up like the Teacher's Pets dev or Tropic where you think you're entitled to do bugger all and people will support you. That's lazy and you know it. Don't do that.

A good way to limit your greed is to only charge "Per major update" on your patreon. You put out what's in the next version then release a sizable portion and only take one payment, instead of months where you sit on your ass promising more.

Also get the version numbers right, 0.1 is the beginning, 0.1.1 is an update. Don't use 0.28.5e, that's just confusing.

Rule number five is communicate with your people. Even a weekly update of what you've done over the previous week is enough for people, if they realize that you're actually working on it, they'd be more willing to "donate."

Number six is have realistic expectations. The thing about Oni and Rouge-Like is that he's a shit coder and his vision of a xmen dating game is one I like but he's proceeding at a snails pace because of how bad he is a coding. So with the money he should be earning from that Patreon, hire it out to a coder. Tell them what you want they should be able to provide for you. Don't be afraid to hire help.

Rule seven is… Practice. So Mr.zz and his Gift project started pretty good but then he launched a poll on his patreon where the people decided for him to restart from square one and remake it with better renders. Something like 3 months work gone in a flash and who knows how long it'll take to get back there. Don't expect to have good renders until you become proficient with the software. It's okay just to take a month or two until you feel adequate with it.

>>20483

Rule number eight is have something unique. Incest is a pretty common theme to fall back on when you don't have inspiration but like FCDev and his fetish for anal, doing it too much makes it become the new norm and it gets stale.

Do a fantasy adventure where you capture elves, do a cyber-punk adventure where you help an AI-waifu get a body, do a steampunk adventure where you explore Manifest Destiny style and make a harem out of all the native girls.

I guarantee you if you have a good premise, you're automatically above "Sim incest family life" game that seems to be popular right now.

Number nine is limit the scope of fetishes and do them well. Two example are Adorevia and "Noble Privileges" Now with Adorevia it started off fine. Some gangbang stuff, some incest, nothing that put me off and I thought it had potential. But now look at it, futa, furry, bestiality. Just one of these is enough to alienate a person because that's not my fetish but instead it's something I find abhorrent. Slavemaker 3 has futa and bestiality but I can choose to lock those out from the playthrough I go through.

Always give the player that choice if possible, as it will help suit the game to their fetishes instead of "Lol, here's a female party member with a dick, we're forcing you into a sex scene because "I <3 coxks" gave us $50 this month."

Back on point, "Noble Privileges" has you play as a merchant corrupting people and the main fetish is corruption but things like exhibition and orgasm denial are threaded into the training procedure. And there's a little variation, some girl might like getting tied up, another you might simply have to dick hard enough so she turns but you get my point. With Adorevia you have the smorgasbord of fetishes that are likely to alienate people because they're slaves to their backers, while "Noble Privileges" does one thing but does it really well which makes it stand out.

Rule ten is actually finish your project. This ties in with rule four but you'll eventually get sick of it, people waiting for the full version will get sick of waiting and people "donating" will eventually get sick of it because they've given thousands of dollars but have no tangible game. Don't just fart out another version that keeps people paying for another month. I guarantee you if you actually finish something, people will notice and they'll more likely want to "donate."

So there you go, 10 rules that I've seen multiple projects break over the years. If you keep it tight, in focus and actually finish it, holy shit, you actually did something 90% of these projects will never do and that's actually be completed.

It'll be hard work mate but if you've been around here for months and seen the shit that gets produced and thought "I can do better than that" and you actually do, then you deserve some recognition at least. I may give alot of shit but that's because they deserve it for ignoring this rules.

Follow the rules and you'll be surprised how receptive people can be to new projects.

Wow, didn't expect it to be that long.

>>20483

>>20484

Damn, that's a great list, and exactly what you want in a dev general, and if /htdg/ becomes a regular thing, this could be the basis for a decent pastebin even.

Most of these rules I know as well as any of you, and I could tell you them myself, having been around on /htg/ since it started, and tfgamessite and such long before that.

To respond to your points, and how they apply to my project:

1, 2, and 3 should be no-brainers to anyone who has ever visited this board. The number of Daz incest VNs v. 0.000001 previews featuring incest products themselves have not gone unnoticed.

4. Good tips about the "only major updates" thing, I'll keep that in mind when, or rather, if, I choose to get a Patreon. Also, 0.28.5e isn't necessarily a bad format. That would mean the 28th major pre-release update, 5th minor update, and 5th hotfix. Needing that many minor updates and hotfixes is however not something to strive after.

5. I'll try my best, but this seems like something that's easier in theory than practice.

6. Coding is my strong side, but I might want to hire a better writer/artist down the line.

7. Will do.

8. Those are some pretty good ideas, but my unique selling point should hopefully be the gameplay, with theme only being there to support it.

9. Selectable fetish inclusion is a great feature in games that include weird shit, and I'll make sure to use it if I ever do.

10. I'd like my game to expand "horizontally". That is, start with vertical slices showcasing some early-, mid- and late game content and then adding more of each as I go along, instead of having people wait four months for a boob to be visible.

>>20495

I dunno could be fun to have a dev here that we can talk to and REEEEE at when he eventually jews out.

>>20514

It's just a matter of time with these things, isn't it?

If anyone cares, I'm currently working on coding to make Ren'Py work for what I want to use it for. I abandoned the idea of using a database once I realized how the save files work in Ren'Py. Instead I'll probably use a combination of dicts and sets to do what I want. A real database was probably overkill anyway.

>>20484

Agree on the need for something unique. Your game needs a hook!

The market is full of bland porn games, so you need something to set it apart from the rest, and if you can’t beat the competition with better art, you need the better setting & writing.

Lovecraftian horror porn game when?

>>20495

>dev thread… retard with zero knowledge

I'll admit I have zero experience in making a game but I've played so much trash that I have experience of what makes them good or bad. So just laying out some basic fucking rules for people to follow and if actually adhered to will make their project successful, that I can do.

>>20558

As much as I appreciate that guy’s effort, I’m not a big fan of just lifting some names & ideas from HPL’s fiction. The ideal setting for a Lovecraftian horror/porn game would’ve been (pre-raid) Innsmouth.

>>21174

1) Non sex crap is alright if the sex stuff is worth it. What is worth it can be subjective though.

2) Depends. If you have a fuck ton of characters, having hardcore at the early parts with the throwaway characters might not be too bad. I haven't played a decent VN that just shoved hardcore shit into your face at the start and those japs have been doing this shit for a long time so maybe they know more. Then again, I haven't played all that many VNs too.

3) Do what you want. There are no rules when it comes to writing, just do it properly.

4) Shit, nigger, there are hentai games with horror elements tied to the sexual stuff and they seem to be doing fine. This depends on the scope of the project though, right?

5) See above.

6) When you describe a part of your gameplay as a grind, then you've already fucked up. The player should be having fun instead.

>>21174

>1

Yeah, I'm okay with it. You need to tie the sex into the story though.

>2

I'm playing this on the premise that there is sex. Having a few scenes early will assure the player that there is some and it isn't a waste of time.

>3

I wish. It's always the same "Corrupt a family" game with Incest being the main fetish to play. That's been done to death so I wish people would experiment more.

>4

Why not have it one and the same. A succubus who gets overly attached to you. Or and Old One who's been summoned and is hunting you but if you have sex with the vessel their in, you lose. If you want to see a game that does that right look up Arkham: The Dark Legacy by LoP. Pretty much their only good game for awhile.

>5

Ohhh, murder huh? Hmm. Kara no Shoujo's entire presence is around investigating a series of gruesome murders. Doesn't stop him from having a fling with the Pathologist either.

>6

Rewards have to justify the time spent. In Akabur's game it is a necessity to grind, not optional. If it helps me become stronger for the next area, I'll typically grind for awhile just so the next part is easier. Once it becomes mandatory, that's when all the fun goes out.