discussion How important are gameplay mechanics in a porn game?

[Zuze7]

I don't know gents. If the next 500 games that get uploaded to this platform have AAA level game design/mechanics gameplay wise with 0 porn, people would probably spam 1 star reviews at them (at least on cuckzone where folks review games a lot) vs if those 500 games where all kinetic VN's with zero gameplay. We are here for one thing and one thing only.

So no i don't think gameplay is essential. While some people do appreciate the gameplay, there's way more mechanically engaging games out right now on steam/psn/gamepass. We are looking here because those games don't offer us what these ones do. The horny MUST come first in a horny game

 

[rozensoundtrac]

I prefer a classic AVN. There have been some with fight mechanics that felt fresh, but didn't necessarily add anything. Money management will just get modded. sometimes position selection for scenes is good. choices matter, when done well, i think is the best

 

[kjq]

Interesting question. It depends on the story i guess. Even without gameplay a good story game is still a good game. But can be awesome with good gameplay. And mid story can make good game with good gameplay. So in my opinion it's really important because it can transform game into masterpiece but the main element is still story.. a shitty story with great mechanics still hard to play till the end

 

[dolmayob]

• If the game identifies itself as porn game primarily then there shouldnt be any retarded unique brand new super interesting mechanics which will eventually stretch out the play time for absolutely nothing. People come to porn games to jerk off first and foremost lmao why would you want to masturbate and play some OSU or 4d chess at the same time just to see some low quality rendered pussy wtf. Even if you have some cool plot or characters or renders it wont help u to overburden the AVN or sandbox porn game with some starcraft microcontrol minigame

• If the game instead identifies itself as more of some other genre like a really interesting quest or rpg or tower defence idk anything where there's something more interesting in game design/gameplay/plot/atmosphere all at once then just girls showing their bodies (in this case u can add some spicy stuff, so people would feel even more satisfied with their results but as a just a bonus, thats the difference between a porn game and a game with some porny stuff) so it feels that the game is exciting not only for ur dicknballs but for everything else then do what you wanna try to do

If you are making a porn game pls just sit and think a bit - would it be really interesting to play this minigame and masturbate or am i just a nerd?
Just stick to what is more easy, comfortable and rewarding bro pls

 

[djtoenail]

I'm a writer, working on a game right now with someone, and I would like to make my own game at some point. I'll probably go with a simple VN for the first, but as a player, I've always enjoyed gameplay elements, like daily stat tracking, actual movement around a map, needing to balance who you spend your time with versus an antagonist, or competing, up to more complex elements like platforming and interactive realtime chat options or time trial components.

How much do ya'll think other people actually care about that kind of stuff, though?

I'm honestly not sure, since I myself often get annoyed at over-featured sandbox games or old-school turn-based games. Sometimes it can feel like a big time waster when you just want to fap, other times it makes the overall game much more fun, imo.

Hear me out, wasd for naviagtion, space for ok and shift for back. All controls left handed so that the right hand can get to work.

 

[Emirkaninga]

It could be so good if it's mixed good with the main fetishes of the game.

 

[ekusan]

Depends on the type of game I guess, but generally the gameplay needs to be interesting enough to want to engage with and also ideally have payoffs for doing so during your progression. If the H scenes and/or story are good enough I can put up with some grindiness/monotony.

 

[pituitaur]

I have not been much of a fan of straight VNs, I like the inclusive gameplay but not to the point of some where it is hours of grind per LI. I don't know if that fully answers this here. I do enjoy puzzles are problem solving as challenges which helps make the result feel more rewarding.

 

[Succubussy]

A thing a lot of hentai devs ignore are hentai mechanics. Battle fuck, sex stats, clothing state. All these can be actually turned into a gameplay mechanic which can make the game feel more organic and facinating. Of course some hentai games "only need a bit of text and good cgi art" but if you want to make a game that sticks in peoples memories and boners than you should think deeply about how these stats could turn a game more interesting. "punish" your character for going back naked into the city (or reward the player with lewd scenes depending on how you want to weave it), Include hentai parts directly into gameplay itself instead of having gameplay just for the sake of moving your character towards the next scene. Intertwine sex stats into actual mechanics like chances or maybe new scenes to be discovered. It gives people who want to search for the good stuff an even deeper rewarding feeling when they notice things like "Hey, the merchant npc actually gives a discount if i say yes to show him my characters tits" or "Wow, the female side character really is coming on hard to have sex after she fought almost naked."

Now gameplay mechanics can also be negative though. I don't wanna play a mario party when i play a hentai game, a game full of quicktime events put in literally every action can become tedious after a while. Why do i have to learn 5 different elements shifting in different rotations to actually defeat an enemy or progress the story? Things like these can make a game worse, making a game feel like it is not respecting your time or that it requires you to learn a whole different genre of games you would usually find in hardcore simulation type of games on steam

 

[Skrub34]

I need *some* kind of mechanics to keep me engaged, even if it's just a well written VN with choices that feel like they matter. Otherwise I could just be reading a book. There's a reason 'kinetic novel' is on my blacklist.

 

[peach17]

Any kind of grind is a killer. I'll usually just find a save if its too egregious.

 

[Alice_2]

i absolutely love H games with solid gameplay or story, they tend to be the ones that stick with me the longest. after all ill still recommend MGQ and its sequel MGQ paradox all these years later.

 

[kroman]

Pretty important. If I wanted to just watch, I’d open a video. Give me actual gameplay, choices, and progression — I didn’t download an RPG to become a spectator

 

[dangerbeach]

If you consider visual novels "games" then they aren't super necessary, poor gameplay mechanics are just annoying walls with H scenes behind them.

 

[goobertion]

I'm a writer, working on a game right now with someone, and I would like to make my own game at some point. I'll probably go with a simple VN for the first, but as a player, I've always enjoyed gameplay elements, like daily stat tracking, actual movement around a map, needing to balance who you spend your time with versus an antagonist, or competing, up to more complex elements like platforming and interactive realtime chat options or time trial components.

How much do ya'll think other people actually care about that kind of stuff, though?

I'm honestly not sure, since I myself often get annoyed at over-featured sandbox games or old-school turn-based games. Sometimes it can feel like a big time waster when you just want to fap, other times it makes the overall game much more fun, imo.

In my opinion as long as the gameplay makes sense within the game then I would love to see more gameplay like that. I dont think I would like stuff which doesnt make sense within the universe like a random platformer or unrealistic shennanigans. In a game I have played before there was a minigame where you were being ambushed and you had to react to the attacks and counter back. I think minigames in universe like that really add to the immersion and story!

 

[flipoff42]

I think the biggest thing is avoiding tossing in mechanics and gameplay just for the sake of it. Degrees of Lewdity, Soldier's Life, and Strive for Power all are great games with fun and engaging gameplay that I will replay for the sake of the gameplay itself. Labrats 2 and Summertime Saga are engaging with their gameplay, and the mechanics add to the fun rather than detracting from it. But on the other end are the endless "games" where the "gameplay" is just figuring out which room you need to enter to find a new scene or walking up to an npc to start the next event. In those cases, the gameplay is just something that has to be done to get to the porn, rather than something enjoyable in itself. The RPGM version of Office Wife is an example of that problem, and eventually it was remade in Renpy as a standard AVN.

TLDR: The gameplay is important and fun if you actually make a game, but a distraction at best if you're making an AVN.
Personally, I love to find adult games that are actual games, but most adult games are just interactive porn delivery systems.