VN Ren'Py Completed Lab Rats [v1.0] [Vren]

[matsc]

According to the creator, the "Major" events (IE anything involving giving someone a serum) only trigger once. So, if you pop em the first time they show up with blue juice alone.... you will likely get a tit flash and nothing else. Enjoy the next 12 weeks of nothing.

And yes that is horribly communicated to the player, and ultimately pointless from both a narrative and gameplay standpoint. (And will most likely be the first thing modded out if this silly behavior makes it to the live version). If he wants to keep the "Repeated uses may be detrimental" schtick, just have repeat uses lower the targets "slut score" by the serum value. Boom, problem solved.

 

[EsotericBanana]

According to the creator, the "Major" events (IE anything involving giving someone a serum) only trigger once. So, if you pop em the first time they show up with blue juice alone.... you will likely get a tit flash and nothing else. Enjoy the next 12 weeks of nothing.

And yes that is horribly communicated to the player, and ultimately pointless from both a narrative and gameplay standpoint. (And will most likely be the first thing modded out if this silly behavior makes it to the live version). If he wants to keep the "Repeated uses may be detrimental" schtick, just have repeat uses lower the targets "slut score" by the serum value. Boom, problem solved.

I fail to see how its pointless. The thing that would be pointless from the creator would be allowing you to rinse and repeat the major scenes, you'd just keep skipping days until you get the night time scene for example, use serum, and repeat. That kind of ruins the game and would kind of be rather boring imo. At least this way, the game Isn't an entire cake walk and requires you to think before you actually start a sex scene.

 

[matsc]

QUOTE="Purgy, post: 21909, member: 4658"]I fail to see how its pointless. The thing that would be pointless from the creator would be allowing you to rinse and repeat the major scenes, you'd just keep skipping days until you get the night time scene for example, use serum, and repeat. That kind of ruins the game and would kind of be rather boring imo. At least this way, the game Isn't an entire cake walk and requires you to think before you actually start a sex scene.[/QUOTE]

Yeah but the game doesnt articulate this in anyway. There should at least be the ability to attempt to use a serum a second time and see it fail so you are aware that nothing will happen. In its current state its like the protagonist just forgets he has the ability to spike their drinks. You can still run through the scenarios again, with identical dialog, just without the ability to do the drugging. I can buy Coffee for the lab as often as I like, but never seem to realize I can add some blue after the first try. Its a bit... contrived.

 

[EsotericBanana]

QUOTE="Purgy, post: 21909, member: 4658"]I fail to see how its pointless. The thing that would be pointless from the creator would be allowing you to rinse and repeat the major scenes, you'd just keep skipping days until you get the night time scene for example, use serum, and repeat. That kind of ruins the game and would kind of be rather boring imo. At least this way, the game Isn't an entire cake walk and requires you to think before you actually start a sex scene.

Yeah but the game doesnt articulate this in anyway. There should at least be the ability to attempt to use a serum a second time and see it fail so you are aware that nothing will happen. In its current state its like the protagonist just forgets he has the ability to spike their drinks. You can still run through the scenarios again, with identical dialog, just without the ability to do the drugging. I can buy Coffee for the lab as often as I like, but never seem to realize I can add some blue after the first try. Its a bit... contrived.[/QUOTE]

I agree that it doesn't really make sense and is unrealistic.

 

[kiren]

I agree that it doesn't really make sense and is unrealistic.

People also like these kind of games to be kinda sandboxy, where you can revisit events later without restarting the game. Hence why the first comment is almost always for cheats of some kind.

 

[Dekix]

so the only event which is constant is the weekly mom event where i give her money ... all other events only appear once ? so i can only fuck mom weekly and nothing more, right ?

 

[EsotericBanana]

People also like these kind of games to be kinda sandboxy, where you can revisit events later without restarting the game. Hence why the first comment is almost always for cheats of some kind.

I see where you're coming from, but this isn't a sandbox game... The creator never intended it to be, if people want to play a sandbox H type style game then this isn't for them.

But yh, I personally get more satisfaction when a scene is hard to get, makes me feel like I've achieved something. That's just me though.

 

[seden]

..
Here to, the way all event out of the weekly mom are once only is designed as trap, at least a warning at start of the game ?

To be seen, given the number of placeholder and version number the game could still have quite a way to go ?

 

[seden]

Hm, bugged again ?

So, if the scenes are to be once only, at last a warning would be useful.

Otherwise, to be seen. Given the number of placeholder and version number, there should be quite some changes coming in ?

 

[randomguy]

But yh, I personally get more satisfaction when a scene is hard to get, makes me feel like I've achieved something. That's just me though.

But doing it this way makes it impossible to get every scene without playing through the whole game 5 times per event scene. Once for each event scene there is, that is if you play it without cheating and/or saving before each scene. Which is ultimately a shit way to make scenes "hard to get" IMO.

 

[Hryme]

Why don't you just watch porn if you just want the scenes to jump out at you without any effort? For it to be an actual game there should be some kind of decision-making involved. There seems to be a split in the audience of people who follow these games. Some want the erotic material to be as accessible as possible, and some (like me) prefer it to be hidden behind some kind of gameplay element so that it feels more rewarding when you achieve it.

 

[EsotericBanana]

I see where you're coming from, but this isn't a sandbox game... The creator never intended it to be, if people want to play a sandbox H type style game then this isn't for them.

Why don't you just watch porn if you just want the scenes to jump out at you without any effort? For it to be an actual game there should be some kind of decision-making involved. There seems to be a split in the audience of people who follow these games. Some want the erotic material to be as accessible as possible, and some (like me) prefer it to be hidden behind some kind of gameplay element so that it feels more rewarding when you achieve it.

My point exactly.

 

[btpirg]

Why don't you just watch porn if you just want the scenes to jump out at you without any effort? For it to be an actual game there should be some kind of decision-making involved. There seems to be a split in the audience of people who follow these games. Some want the erotic material to be as accessible as possible, and some (like me) prefer it to be hidden behind some kind of gameplay element so that it feels more rewarding when you achieve it.

My point exactly.

If I may add my two cents on the matter, I don't so much think people are complaining about the difficulty being there, so much as the actual LACK of difficulty and decision making. When you set up a game this way it takes all of that away because you end up save spamming. Whereas setting up, lets say, a decline in the efficiency of those syrums, instead of the events themselves, your far more likely to keep playing to find out if you made the right choice. For example, lets use the mom, the way its set up now you do the movie at home scene, or edit the file, save reload, lather rinse repeat, but if the dev were to switch it so the scene happened every weekend, but this time the blue syrum, worked the first time at full strength, worked the second time but she resists a little, (all the while the lust/obedience/control number keeps going up at varied rates) the third time she realizes "Why am I showing you my tits?! (without him paying me lol)" (and the lust # goes down ) And the forth time she gets downright angry at you, vows youll never see her tits again. (and the lust # drops to negative numbers.) And yes, I realize you can still save spam but your far more likely to keep playing if your invested in the other characters as well. "Oops, I screwed up the mom but I can still get the sister or the teacher. So I wont reload just yet." As it is, you do something once, KNOW youll never be able to make any further progress and reload your save. But the alternate way I suggested, youd have to debate to try to push your luck with each girl or stop until youve got a better syrum. (Especially if you randomize the outcome of the effect the syrum has in reguard to the lust number, then hide the lust number so the player never quite know where they are at. )

And honestly there are a lot of other ways to make the game hard, that dont involve save spamming. Of course my opinion is worth a shit or Id make these games myself. lol

 

[docclox]

When you set up a game this way it takes all of that away because you end up save spamming.

Basically, this. Having each event as a once-only deal makes mistakes costly. The intention seems to be that we should play the game multiple times to see all the variant events. In practice though the game feels far too grindy for that level of engagement, and I suspect most players will save scum and/or outright cheat instead which rather defeats the intention.

The problem is, or so it seems to me, that the game as it stands is missing a key dynamic from most trainer games. Generally, you start out with an action that works poorly if at all, and by working to affect the NPC's behaviour you see a gradual change in what you can make them do. That's where lies the addictive quality of these games; in the feeling of increasing dominance over the game's characters.

Here, that addiction never gets a chance to develop. By forcing every event to be a one-off, you never get that sense of feedback, and all that remains is grind for comparatively little reward. It's a brave attempt to do something a little different, and who knows? Maybe all it needs is some more content to it carry off. But right now it falls rather short of the creator's ambitions.

 

[seden]

Add to what is alrexy said that the point the girls get are of very limited use. Maybe used as to allow for further deep demand ? But then, should not the girls properly change step by step (pant to skirt, skirt length, lingerie and then, interest and motivation switching (sister dropping her BF has to promote the build upon relation, same going for the others girls in différents ways.
(Master / manager of the friend, lab social engineer (once both are personally + commonly been used). Etc.

Also, they are quite some errors in the text, has the Dev a blog so these could be followed with ?

 

[EsotericBanana]

Add to what is alrexy said that the point the girls get are of very limited use. Maybe used as to allow for further deep demand ? But then, should not the girls properly change step by step (pant to skirt, skirt length, lingerie and then, interest and motivation switching (sister dropping her BF has to promote the build upon relation, same going for the others girls in différents ways.
(Master / manager of the friend, lab social engineer (once both are personally + commonly been used). Etc.

Also, they are quite some errors in the text, has the Dev a blog so these could be followed with ?

I mean, the game supposedly has "80 000 words of dialog" according to his Patreon, so a couple mistakes are understandable. Regarding your question, no there isn't a dev blog of any kind unfortunately :/.

Basically, this. Having each event as a once-only deal makes mistakes costly. The intention seems to be that we should play the game multiple times to see all the variant events. In practice though the game feels far too grindy for that level of engagement, and I suspect most players will save scum and/or outright cheat instead which rather defeats the intention.

The problem is, or so it seems to me, that the game as it stands is missing a key dynamic from most trainer games. Generally, you start out with an action that works poorly if at all, and by working to affect the NPC's behaviour you see a gradual change in what you can make them do. That's where lies the addictive quality of these games; in the feeling of increasing dominance over the game's characters.

Here, that addiction never gets a chance to develop. By forcing every event to be a one-off, you never get that sense of feedback, and all that remains is grind for comparatively little reward. It's a brave attempt to do something a little different, and who knows? Maybe all it needs is some more content to it carry off. But right now it falls rather short of the creator's ambitions.

I agree with what you're saying, but the creator is getting a measly $114 a month. If I were him, then that $114 a month wouldn't motivate me to make a game to the best of my ability, not even close. I'm surprised he hasn't just "Vanished" like most other H game developers and I'm glad that the small income that he makes from this game hasn't deterred him. I personally thoroughly enjoyed this game, it wasn't perfect but I've played worse games that are receiving over 10x the amount of cash this one is. Judging from his recent posts on his Patreon, the dude has been working hard all over December, making like 2 posts a day with extra art and stuff.

Anyway, I'm not here to berate anyone or anything, they're your opinions after all. I guess I'm just giving my input :3

 

[seden]

Indeed, with that small income it is clear he is resilient.

Still, going only with a patreon mean that communication over is game is limited at best (if no an available, depend on the setting used for his posts there). Same going as to reports handling.

 

[muttdoggy]

Head over to LOK here ->

You must be registered to see the links

Artist is fairly active there.

 

[be_eezy]

does any know the command script to change lily influence

 

[docclox]

Judging from his recent posts on his Patreon, the dude has been working hard all over December, making like 2 posts a day with extra art and stuff.

Anyway, I'm not here to berate anyone or anything, they're your opinions after all. I guess I'm just giving my input :3

Oh I agree. I don't have a problem with the creator or his Patreon funding. I just wanted to point out that the game has some real structural flaws as it currently stands. Good potential though, and I'll look forward to trying a later release.