Posted February 01, 2022 by Minoh Workshop
#modding #fan games #fan creations
This post was originally written as a thread on our forum because we envisioned it as a starting point for discussion between everyone — which we still do, mind you. But after the initial positive reaction we decided it would be worthwhile reposting is as a DevLog, both for archival and to notify people about the relevant information it contains.
Let's have a talk about fan games and modding.
Right off the bat, let me say we love it. We love that people are taking the Minotaur Hotel characters and being creative with them, exploring their own ideas and preferences, adding new content and functionalities to the game. We love it, this is a dream come true.
Because we are so into this, we wanted to take a minute to set some guidelines. We think they will help you. You see, we noticed that you guys are so polite and considerate, you care a lot about not offending us, and with this we want to assure you about what's OK (which is a lot) and what isn't (there are only a few limits.)
We also want to make it so all the modding and fan games actually get seen. By keeping this thread we hope it'll make it easy for people to find and keep track of them going forward, which can be tricky with the current forum format we have going.
Without further ado, here's the excessively long list of things concerning modding and fan games.
Q: Can I add a cool new quality of life function, like a counter that keeps track of this or that? You know, some kind of tool that makes my sort of play style easier. A: Yes, sure. Have fun!
Q: Can I add an accessory, article of clothing, fur color, or any other sort of cosmetic changes to Asterion? A: Yes, go on right ahead. We actually love that sort of stuff, we were very happy to see it happening. I particularly like it because it goes well with the spirit of the game, and we've had so many excellent suggestions of accessories that we just can't put in because of time constraints.
Q: Does this include changing how the other guests look like? A: Yes, you can mod stuff for them too. In fact, I dare you to!
Q: Can I mod in NSFW/adult/horny content? A: Yes, you can add adult content, but exclusively for the main version of the game (don't go adding naughties to the SFW version.)
Q: How horny can it be, though? A: We are generally horny, kinky little gremlins ourselves so it'd be very hypocritical of us playing the moral guardian card. Generally speaking, you can go pretty horny but I'd ask you to refrain from adding scatological, gruesome and ethically questionable stuff. If you are in doubt about your idea you can ask us on this thread. We'd also prefer if people did not make mods that change the characters' gender and/or add outright heterosexual content. You can be creative and have fun with what genitalia the characters have (Matydos, for example, wrote a fan fiction where Asterion uses some labyrinth magic to experiment with having a vagina, and that's alright with us) but please keep the game gay.
Q: So, I can add kinky stuff like Luke being a slut but I shouldn't add basic straight content? A: Correct, and I'm very aware of how odd that is. Our reasoning for it goes back to our vision for Minotaur Hotel being uncompromisingly gay. We are making the excessively gay game we wish we had to play but never did, so we are making it with a lot of love and affection directed very specifically to LGBT players in general, and gay players in particular. If the content you want to make is still LGBT in nature while not being specifically gay, that's alright and cool.
Q: Can I add funny stuff, like more Speedrunner shenanigans or parodying some of the games weirder events? Will I offend you somehow? A: We have a sense of humor, we'll probably laugh along with whatever you come up with. Go ahead.
Q: Can I mod in another game's or visual novel's characters — for example, as guests in the hotel? A: That's a tricky one. Not all creators will be alright with their characters being added, and beyond that we'd worry about some modded characters bringing in the wrong crowd to the game. Mainly we're wary of anything that will attract minors and very toxic, immature people. We'd also be a bit apprehensive at the idea of someone adding in a character for commercial reasons — let's say, modding in an original character from their own visual novel so people will pledge to their Patreon. Overall, if you want to add a character to the game I'd appreciate if you ask us first with the mindset that we might say "no, please don't do this".
Q: What if it's a character from another work of yours, like nanoff's comics or Nemo's stories? A: That'd be alright, sure.
Q: Can I add a Nintendo character? A: Listen, I'm a basic bitch and I like Bowser too. I'm not gonna give you shit for it. I just might not promote it if we do something like a collection of mods, because I like everything being copyright-compliant.
Q: I saw a great piece of Minotaur Hotel fanart. I took it and used it on my mod without asking for permission from the artist. Is this alright? A: No. Don't do that. Respect authors' rights.
Q: Ok, but can I do something like... Recolor a character that's already in the game to make them look like a character I really like? Like making P look like that albino peacock from that one movie I really like? Or can I add some sort of Bloodborne or Dark Souls reference, like making Wolf look like Sif? Or make Robert look like a Doom-esque demon? A: That should be alright, it's distinct enough that it doesn't really infringe copyright to a serious extent. Plus, some of those ideas are pretty good (wink wink nudge nudge.) Just don't pull inspiration from other furry VNs, because of the reasons I outlined above.
Q: So, I can't remake the game changing it so Asterion is a top, but pairing P and Argos is alright? What's the difference? A: That's not it. The point is that you can explore ideas and have fun, you can make a little story where the characters are different in the ways you want. We just don't want people to take the original Minotaur Hotel game, copy it entirely to change this or that and then republish it.
Q: I'm really into Khenbish/Luke/Kota/Themba/Argos/P/Storm/Robert/etc. Can I do a game where I can date them? Or, like, can I make a game where I can date many of the characters at the same time, in an intricate polyamorous network of free love? A: Yep, go ahead. Have fun!
Q: I'm a novice game dev/artist/writer. I have this neat mechanic/idea in mind that I'd like to play with by making some sort of Minotaur Hotel fan thing, but I might also want to take this idea later and do something original of my own. Is that alright? A: Nothing would make me happier than seeing new artists, writers, developers flourishing and taking off on their own after experimenting with their craft with our work. Please go ahead, and I wish you all the success from the bottom of my heart.
Q: But what if my original idea is commercial? I mean, the Minotaur Hotel fan stuff is not commercial, but what if I want to take some of the code I wrote for it and turn it into my own commercial game? Is that alright? A: Similar to the point above, I'd be overjoyed if this sort of stuff goes on to improve your life financially. Achieve prosperity, my dude.
Q: MinoAnon, it's been 15 years since Minotaur Hotel was completed. We want to remake it, adapting it so it fits our modern sensibilities. We will also add some gratuitous 3D computer graphics on the background, and in our version we will be toning down how stereotypical Luke and Greta are. Is that alright? A: No. Stop right now.
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This may be republished at a later date if the guidelines are changed enough to warrant it. You'll find the version of the guidelines and its original publishing date below:
Version 1.0 || 30th of January, 2022.