Posted April 21, 2022 by VictorSeven
So I just had something interesting happen, and it really got me thinking.
On Patreon, I do these little posts in a Spend the Day series. It's basically, what would you do if you were to spend a day with x character. After I got some feedback on Druthari, I realized something, and it sent me down a wormhole of research.
You see, I ended up including characters with mental and emotional trauma as part of the game's storyline. And to portray this effectively and faithfully without making light of it, I need to do some research. Okay, a LOT of research.
You see, many of you may have already realized that our Dark Elf girl, Druthari, has issues with males. It's written all over her in her mannerisms. But there is a scene coming up in which she will have to spend some time with the player. This seems like a perfect spot for a panic attack, and a perfect spot for an emotionally intelligent response from the main character.
She seems fine outdoors, if a little rushed, but what happens when she enters a room and you close the door behind yourself? That click would echo, resound in her mind, and all sound would disappear as the ringing in her ears begins. Her fingers tingle, her heart speeds up, she's suddenly short of breath... the telltale signs of a panic attack.
One game that absolutely showcased panic attacks/anxiety attacks in a way that I FELT as a player was Light of my Life. One character, Denise, has acute anxiety attacks whenever she's in public and a lot of people are around. I really want to learn to recreate that feeling, but I also want the player to feel like they help the character in question with an emotionally intelligent response, and something that helps develop both of the characters.
It was at this point that I realized I forgot I was writing a Hentai game lol. I'm getting so into these characters and crafting their stories that I keep forgetting to put the sexy bits in hahaha. But honestly, I love emotive writing, and I've gotten a lot of good feedback regarding how emotionally attached you folks are getting to some of the characters. And if you like the kind of depth I'm used to putting into each character I bring in, then I shall keep doing things this way.
I just gotta stop forgetting the sexy bits. My bad, y'all. :P