It's a suggestion regarding the second version of the default sex animation, the more intense one that takes your breath bar away. I don't know or don't remember its name, so I'm going to call it EXTREME MODE!! I like using EXTREME MODE!! during gameplay—it's risky and somewhat engaging—but it doesn't take long to realize that the only advantage of using it is a slightly different animation. This is interesting for a while, but eventually, it becomes a button that is not only mechanically useless but also punishing.
Of course, I imagine you have more planned for EXTREME MODE!! So, while experimenting with the mechanic, I wondered how it could translate into something useful and rewarding for the player. I knew it shouldn't make the recording bar fill up faster—the core gameplay takes place during these sex moments, and a mechanic that reduces their duration would diminish the part that makes the game engaging (and I already think the time it takes to complete recordings is perfect).
That's when I had an idea that might be very complicated to implement or might not align with the game's simpler design philosophy, but I think it could bring a very interesting way to engage with the gameplay loop: a score-based ranking mechanic.
It would work similarly to the Devil May Cry franchise and its style combos—a ranking system ranging from F to S, depending on how interesting what you recorded was. F would symbolize a total failure, whether by interrupting the sex midway or getting caught. An S rank would be awarded to players who engage the most with the game's mechanics, for example, by using EXTREME MODE!!
Of course, it would be necessary to implement or adapt other mechanics to influence the score beyond EXTREME MODE!! So here are some suggestions for mechanics that could help increase or affect a player's recording score besides EXTREME MODE!!:
- Idle Time: Instead of the idle button simply preventing the recording bar from progressing, the longer the player remains idle, the greater their points penalty.
- Outfits: I'm not referring to some outfits outright increasing the final score (though that's a valid option, particularly for "special outfits," but that would require careful consideration to avoid limiting player expression). Rather, I'm suggesting the game reward players for wearing different outfits, encouraging experimentation with new looks instead of always using the same one in every scene.
- Partners: This would work similarly to outfits but applied to the characters you record alongside. Reward players for not using the same partner repeatedly (and, like outfits, you could include "special partners" that grant more points and higher rankings—but again, consider this carefully).
- Video Duration: I noticed that the recording bar is divided into segments. This doesn't seem to affect gameplay in any way, but I think it would be interesting if each segment represented points for the ranking. A player who only completed two segments in a scene with three wouldn't fail but would receive a significantly lower ranking than someone who completed all the bars.
- Positions: Currently, all public places where the player can engage in sex offer just one position. I’m not sure if it makes sense to change this, but perhaps in areas with multiple poses available, players could be rewarded for switching and using all the poses—not switching constantly like a maniac but experimenting with each one.
Overall, that's all I have. Of course, all of this is just a suggestion, and it's 100% up to you to decide how valid it is. That said, I believe this point system should reward and, consequently, encourage variety and risk: a player who takes more risks in their scenes and experiments with all the game's mechanics should feel validated for doing so.
In general, thank you for the game. I've said this in the past, but to me, this is the most interesting thing to come out of the adult gaming scene in recent years, and I’m very excited for your new demo.