What is your ideal otome game?

[Aceline]

I thought it might be helpful to all the indie game designers on here (as well as interesting for curiosity’s sake) to find out what people really look for in an otome game. I wrote some questions to get you started, but feel free to answer or ignore them as you see fit, or mention things I forgot to ask. This is also on tumblr if you prefer to answer that way.

Age:
Gender (if any):

Do you prefer…

Games for Android/iOS or Computer?
Being able to buy individual routes or pay a fixed price for several?
Stat raising games or story driven?
Fantasy based or “real world” games?
Games that hint at licking the lamppost in winter or ones that go into detail? (i.e. smut level tolerance)

What are…

Qualities you like to see in an MC?
Qualities you like to see in romantic interests?
Must-haves for you in an otome game?
Things you don’t like seeing in an otome game?

Is it important to you…

That there be several romanceable genders?
That there be “bad” endings?
That the MC be female?
That the MC look a certain way?

[rainbowcascade]

My personal bias is that I greatly prefer yuri games (which the current existence of such games are a desert).

Do you prefer…

Games for Android/iOS or Computer?
Computer. My phone blows because its a Windows. People with Android or iOS should be having a much better time with gaming than I am.

Being able to buy individual routes or pay a fixed price for several?
Buying individual routes is a terrible idea. I want a full game!

Stat raising games or story driven?
I find a lot of stat raising games are really just padding. If I buy a story driven game, I want a good story. If I buy a stat raising game, I'd like it to be fun gameplay and NOT padding. I want good games.

Fantasy based or “real world” games?
Fantasy, Sci Fi, whatever, I want a world that's interesting and intriguing. "Real World" games I assume are slice of life stories which I am not that interested in unless something exciting is happening in it.

Games that hint at licking the lamppost in winter or ones that go into detail? (i.e. smut level tolerance)
I like smut. Bring it on.

What are…

Qualities you like to see in an MC?
An MC with hopes, dreams, and is quite attractive herself. Please, no more "average" beta doormat schmucks. That is the most boring character type. I want the MC to be a badass with a Honors B.A. in Asskicking.

Qualities you like to see in romantic interests?
Romantic interests who also have their own interests, hobbies, life in general. They are interesting characters with talent and drive pursing something other than the MC.

Must-haves for you in an otome game?
Pretty art, good music, good writing.

Things you don’t like seeing in an otome game?
Romantic interests violating the MC, being shitty to the MC and not being called out on for their horrible behavior. MCs who are doormats. Or outright rape but the writer tries to excuse it.



Is it important to you…

That there be several romanceable genders?
I'd prefer an all yuri game. But since we are talking about otomes, at least one romance-able female route would be great.

That there be “bad” endings?
I don't mind if there are no bad endings. If there is only one ending, it's got to be that's satisfying and answers all the questions.

That the MC be female?
I'd prefer it.

That the MC look a certain way?
She just has to be good looking. A pretty MC grabs my attention, but her personality makes me stay.

[Sharm]

Age: 35
Gender (if any): Female
Games for Android/iOS or Computer? Computer. All that pretty art is wasted on a tiny screen, and I don't use my phone for any gaming except puzzles. Anything else drains the battery life more than I like.
Being able to buy individual routes or pay a fixed price for several? I'm a pay once sort of gal. I mean, what if I pay for a route I hate? I'll feel cheated even if I would have paid the same price for getting them all at once.
Stat raising games or story driven? Story driven. Stat raising games make me feel nervous, I never have enough time to do what I want.
Fantasy based or “real world” games? Fantasy. No more school games please. I hated high school when I was doing it, I have no nostalgia for it.
Smut level tolerance Um, low I guess? I like my romances super clean and focused on the emotional interactions.

Qualities you like to see in an MC? I like them to not be idiots and not be cruel. Other than that just an interesting personality is all I want. So sick of doormat main characters.
Qualities you like to see in romantic interests? I like all sorts but if there's at least one who's super sweet and one who's flirty I'm happy. I also really like to see characters who feel like they have an actual life outside of wooing the main character.
Must-haves for you in an otome game? A solid plot and pleasing art. In fact, if the plot comes first and the romance is secondary that's okay by me.
Things you don’t like seeing in an otome game? The whole "rescue the main character from rape" sequence. Or just any sort of physical violation being treated as a casual tool to make the guy look good. Yuck.

Is it important to you that there be several romanceable genders? Nope.
Is it important to you that there be “bad” endings? Well, it depends on what the focus is. Failure endings are importing in a gaming sense, but a lot of VN's aren't about the gaming, they're about the narrative. It really depends on what you're trying to accomplish with it. It also depends on what kind of story is being told. A horrible ending in a cute fluffy romance is jarring and can ruin the whole thing. I can think of one Otome I played in particular where in the bad ending the love interest does some serial killer level scary stuff and it ruined his good ending for me. All I could think of was that it was only a matter of time until he snapped in that ending too.
Is it important to you that the MC be female? Yeah, that one's important to me. I play Otomes for specific reasons, if it's got a male lead then I don't get what I want out of it.
Is it important to you that the MC look a certain way? I don't care one bit. Just make the design fit the plot, if the main character is pasty white and everyone else is dark, I'll want it to be that way for a good reason. If the gal's ugly and everyone's telling her how gorgeous she is, they'd better be under a spell or something. You know, stuff like that. Visual design should be a part of the narrative, not completely separate from it.

Here's one that you didn't ask but I think you might be interested in.

Is it important that one of the romanceable characters look a certain way? You know, as long as they're attractive I don't care if they have characteristics that are often considered unfavorable. They could be fat, short, deformed and/or whatever and I wouldn't care as long they were drawn in an aesthetically pleasing way. My favorite is the geeky type but I don't need that type to be in the game for me to be interested.

[papillon]

... I really wish we could pass a ban on this sort of 'poll' topic. Nothing against your questions, OP, but this sort of thing tends to give a false impression of what people 'really' want because the subset of people answering is so tiny compared to the audience that's actually out there. And gets progressively smaller as more people get sick of answering the questions AGAIN. And many people's answers will just be 'do what's right for your game'.


(anyway, this is not me saying that no one should answer! Answers are interesting, especially with personal detail. Just a warning against taking a handful of responses as proven fact of what everyone wants.)

[fioricca]

... I really wish we could pass a ban on this sort of 'poll' topic. Nothing against your questions, OP, but this sort of thing tends to give a false impression of what people 'really' want because the subset of people answering is so tiny compared to the audience that's actually out there. And gets progressively smaller as more people get sick of answering the questions AGAIN. And many people's answers will just be 'do what's right for your game'.


(anyway, this is not me saying that no one should answer! Answers are interesting, especially with personal detail. Just a warning against taking a handful of responses as proven fact of what everyone wants.)

Or maybe a separate forum section dedicated to polls/surveys so it's easier for people to find old research data?

*

Do you prefer…

Games for Android/iOS or Computer?
Mobile. I hardly have any time to sit down and play games for a stretch of time these days -- the last game I played was Rhyme or Reason but I set aside time because a) I'm a fan of Ludeshka and b) it's short. I also appreciate not having to strain my neck/back while playing on my PC.

Being able to buy individual routes or pay a fixed price for several?
Give me aaaall the boooysss.

Stat raising games or story driven?
Story-driven; I'm not very fond of gameplay in narratives that come with multiple endings. (If the story's linear then yes interactivity please).

Fantasy based or “real world” games?
I love both. Setting has never been an issue for me; otome games are all about the characters.

Games that hint at licking the lamppost in winter or ones that go into detail? (i.e. smut level tolerance)
Worksafe stuff.

What are…

Qualities you like to see in an MC?
I love all MCs, but witty or flawed MCs have a special place in my heart. I love it when she gets to grow as a character.

Qualities you like to see in romantic interests?
It generally helps if they're voiced by a seiyuu I like... :'D But I love honest, airheaded boys and mature ojisans that smell of money. OTL

Must-haves for you in an otome game?
Megane, embarrassing amounts of fanservice, awkward moments, drama and romance. I'm super old-fashioned.

Oh, it'd be great if there were some voice acting too.

Things you don’t like seeing in an otome game?
Lack of art, lack of CGs, lack of coding polish or bugs ): I've never encountered bugs but having to sit through a long narrative with only one static sprite without a whole lot of expressions = no. CGs are also important to me because I'm a visual person. Finally, poor voice acting.

Is it important to you…

That there be several romanceable genders?
No, but again I'm old-fashioned and when I see the tag otome game I expect to be a girl who's chasing after hot dudes. There are lots of games that are catered towards girls like dress-up games, cooking games, etc etc, but they're not called otome games for a reason.

That there be “bad” endings?
I'm actually a completionist only for characters that I like, but I have to admit that bad endings make the good ones seem more meaningful in the sense that they're like victory conditions. In a game, if there's a victory condition, there would also be a losing condition.

That the MC be female?
Yes. If I want to play as a boy I'd play either BL games or galges. Also: see above.

That the MC look a certain way?
If you mean art styles, yes. I do believe that some styles lend themselves better to the mood/setting/culture. I'm accepting of most styles but as I've always been more exposed to manga/manhwa/asian stuff, I never really liked cartoons and never really understood the visual language. I have to admit that I've never played an otome game that's not drawn in anime style and I have observed that when I walk into a games shop, I'd pay more attention to games with anime box art than games like Halo. I'm not saying western art is bad, but I grew up learning certain visual cues and so have developed preferences the same way I develop palettes for food. There are certain food I just can't eat, there are certain art styles I can't digest well.

On the other hand, quite a few of my favourite developers here -- Obscura, Ludeshka, Saguaro and Donmai -- don't have anime art in their games but I enjoy them all the same? Then again, they're not otome game developers...[/quote]

[MaiMai]

... I really wish we could pass a ban on this sort of 'poll' topic. Nothing against your questions, OP, but this sort of thing tends to give a false impression of what people 'really' want because the subset of people answering is so tiny compared to the audience that's actually out there. And gets progressively smaller as more people get sick of answering the questions AGAIN. And many people's answers will just be 'do what's right for your game'.


(anyway, this is not me saying that no one should answer! Answers are interesting, especially with personal detail. Just a warning against taking a handful of responses as proven fact of what everyone wants.)

Or maybe a separate forum section dedicated to polls/surveys so it's easier for people to find old research data?

A separate forum might be interesting to store old surveys and such, but again the audience here at LSF isn't what I would call the most reliable survey takers, even if new polls/surveys were put up to update new data. As Papillion implied, here we're a concentrated amount of VN fans/developers so sometimes you're just getting the same answers from the same people. We've had similar surveys in the past and if anything, I don't think they really determined the outcome of most VNs that were released (hell, I'm pretty sure the people who put up the polls in the first place have yet to release their own game)

If anything, to get better varied answers a place like Tumblr would probably be better. You'd be able to reach out to people who have never played otomes/VNs and also find people who are fans of such, but don't necessarily go here.

[bellice]

Age: 20
Gender: Female

One that exchanges the male romance options for female ones.
(The question about romancable genders is a bit confusing, since otome games are usually, you know, about romancing guys.)

Lacking that, what can make me intersted in an otome game is:

1. When the love interests are MEN, not boys. All those sparkly bishie dudes are so uninteresting to me I swear to god...gimme someone older, someone hairy and manly and I'm happy.
2. A more realistic art style. Typical anime art holds no appeal for me anymore.
3. The game doesn't have to involve all-out smut, but alluding to it (and maybe having a few make-out sessions and tense situations or whatever) would be great. I wouldn't mind trying out an 18+ otome game either, though. As long as it doesn't involve rape or any of that nasty business.
4. For the love of god, please don't have the MC be some kind of innocent, naive girl who swoons at the mere sight of a shirtless, prepubescent boy. I don't know, I'm probably just not the right target group.

Other than that, I have few priorities. (I'm not really interested in BxB games, though, so unless there's something about it that really interests me, I'd vastly prefer playing a female MC.)

[kisa]

Age: 18-23 (I'll let you guess)
Gender (if any): I think I'm a girl... *looks down*

Do you prefer…

Games for Android/iOS or Computer?: I prefer ones for the computer. They're usually easier for me to play and have much more in the way of free games.

Being able to buy individual routes or pay a fixed price for several?: I want all the choices in one price, bebe. Paying for a bishie is like paying for his love (I swear I don't think of them like real men)

Stat raising games or story driven?: I like a good balance between the two... If I have to choose one... I'd rather see a good story with shitty gameplay than a shitty story with good gameplay. (Unless it's about the minigames... I looove minigames.)

Fantasy based or “real world” games?: Fantasy all the way. I find real life boring.

Games that hint at licking the lamppost in winter or ones that go into detail? (i.e. smut level tolerance): I'm not looking for Hentai... But, I won't shy away from a game that has sex in it unless my family is around.

What are…

Qualities you like to see in an MC?: Customizability and/or spunkiness.

Qualities you like to see in romantic interests?: I love me some bad boys... But, there has to be some brain behind that attitude or I'm just not going for it. A cute face never hurt anyone either.

Must-haves for you in an otome game?: Cuties. Cuties everywhere.

Things you don’t like seeing in an otome game?: Bad art plus a bad plot... ewwwwwww. Also, men who get away with being downright abusive because they're a little cute. (Also, bitchy girls who never get what's coming to them.)

Is it important to you…

That there be several romanceable genders?: Nah. I'm fine with romancing either gender. But, I'm not interested in yuri. X'D
That there be “bad” endings?: Bad endings make the world go 'round. But, there shouldn't be only bad endings... Add at least one fluffy one.

That the MC be female?: Nah, I'm manly enough to play a guy. OuOb (Especially if he's adorable)

That the MC look a certain way?: Nope. Customization is fun... But, if you don't get that choice, it shouldn't change your gameplay.

[Shinoki]

Gender (if any): Girl.

Do you prefer…

Games for Android/iOS or Computer? Computer. Mainly because I hate those Apple and Android touchscreens since I grew up on DSi touchscreens where you can use a pencil.... even though that's bad. Though, having a big image is important too since I love good art.

Being able to buy individual routes or pay a fixed price for several?
I prefer to have the full game. Like I like to play the deeper or dark types of visual novels-otome or not... and well, having to pay for each separate route.... well, no. It'd suck if I hate the main character of the route.

Stat raising games or story driven?
Story driven, I guess. When it comes to stat raising, I never know which stat... Though I honestly prefer character driven stories, but... that might be under the story driven part.

Fantasy based or “real world” games?
Either one works. I like an in between. I enjoy a good school life story~ even though it's cliche. Though it has to be good and appealing enough to pick up.... because if it seems overly generic... no.

Games that hint at licking the lamppost in winter or ones that go into detail? (i.e. smut level tolerance)
Both are great. But, I'm a yuri loving person.... so, like, either one is good. The licking at the lamppost in the winter type gets me more excited. I have no problem with smut though. But, CG = important.

What are…

Qualities you like to see in an MC?
I'd want a jerk. Someone self-righteous. Believes in what they do. Strong. Crazy is good too.
That type of character doesn't really come along that often... but I've never cared much about the exact details of the main character.
As long as she isn't sad... like, harem-king level dense, stupid, deprecating.... self-pity is fun though.... and useless, that's good enough for me.

Qualities you like to see in romantic interests?
They must have some sort of problem with their personality, background....or beliefs. I like screwed up people. But, the main thing is that they have to look good. Guys must not be too girly... but that's just me.

Must-haves for you in an otome game?
A girl route? I don't have much of a must-have... though good art is well, expected.

Things you don’t like seeing in an otome game?
Bad main character. A good character being thrown to the side and having his/her route in a sad, un-refined state for the sake of some other character's super epic route.... that I might not like.

Is it important to you…

That there be several romanceable genders?
Yes. I typically don't play otome because... well, I want my cute... kawaii.... girls, and well, that doesn't always happen in otome. And the typical otome isn't always as attractive as something unique like Hatoful Kareshi for example.

That there be “bad” endings?
If it's a fluffy story, no. Otherwise, yes... but I'd prefer it to be more mellow and not horrible, dying, despair, agony, and that type of thing for most otome unless it's in that sort of setting.

That the MC be female?
I don't do BL. So yes. Though I have nothing against BL.... I just don't get it that well. *shrugs*

That the MC look a certain way?
Not ugly? That's my main concern. I do like a flat (not personality...but, just no huge oppai and that's good) main character~ But, that's just me and my fetishes.

[Coughing_Gekko]

As of the moment, I am procrastinating from making my own otome game... I may as well provide my input here.

Age: College-age. (...yeah.)
Gender (if any): the only confident and straight-forward answer I can ever give is that I am female. And I see most people replying to this thread is of the same gender so woo?


Do you prefer…

Games for Android/iOS or Computer?
Computer because I love my laptop and wouldn't trade it for anything in the world (besides a gaming laptop, but shhh don't tell her). Also, it's just... easier, I guess? And available?

Being able to buy individual routes or pay a fixed price for several?
I'd say neither and go with free but if I really have to choose, I'd choose the latter. I'm a notoriously impatient person, after all. I'd rather eat it all up in one go than slaver for days, waiting for the next route to come out.

Stat raising games or story driven?
It depends on the game, really. I like stat raising games because it feels like I have much more control over the character (and I am a bit of a dictator). At the same time, I really like a good story. Uhhh. Yeah. I don't know.

Fantasy based or “real world” games?
Depends on the plot and it depends on my mood. I could go either way.

Games that hint at licking the lamppost in winter or ones that go into detail? (i.e. smut level tolerance)
I'm gonna go out here and proudly pronounce my utter love for description. I'm addicted to that stuff.
(and to answer that smut level tolerance, it's not even tolerance anymore. I go out of my way to look for it )


What are…

Qualities you like to see in an MC?
I'm not entirely sure what you mean by this, but I'll give it a shot.
Problems that I can relate to, for one. I like to pretend that I have the same options as them.
A personality? would be nice. I'm just bad at stepping into someone else's shoes, probably.
I don't care if they're annoying or not, as long as it's consistent.
There's not really one type of MC I would look forward to, but it would be really interesting to see someone pull of an MC that is horrible and sadistic with flair. (actually, can someone do that please? without it being japanese and filled with porn?)

Qualities you like to see in romantic interests?
Muscular Latinos.
...Wait, in game. Yes. Just kidding. hahaha... > _ >
I like the standard bad-boys who are secretly soft and cuddly inside. Don't tell anyone. It's a secret.
But seriously, though. (not that I was lying earlier. I do like bad boys argh OTL) I like my romantic interests having more than three personality traits. I like them having depth, no matter their personality.
I like knowing their favorite food, color, whether they're afraid of ketchup or not.
That kinda thing.

Must-haves for you in an otome game?
Males.
Kissing.
Romance.
but it would be weird without those, so...
Plot? That makes sense?
Good grammar?
Likable bachelors?
Image gallery, for sure. Which means CGs. CGs feel like I've achieved something.
That's really all that I can think of at this second.

Things you don’t like seeing in an otome game?
Bugs are a bit of a no-no. Not like I can help them or anything, but...
Inconsistent art.
Weird transitioning.
idk.


Is it important to you…

That there be several romanceable genders?
I guess it's cool to others, but to me, not so much. It's just not my thing (...leading to an implied heteronormative world argh sorry)

That there be “bad” endings?
Not really. When I look at endings, I think of them as possibilities rather than 'bad' or 'good'.
If what you mean by 'bad' ending is somewhere along the lines of being alone, dying, or utterly failing... I remain with my answer.
It's not that important, as long as it fits.

That the MC be female?
Again, not really. It's a preference but it is not a necessity. If it matters, I'm alright with bxb.

That the MC look a certain way?
As long as it's not always in the same direction...
Joking aside, not really. Any appearance is fine. As long as it is consistent with the rest of the art styles. (unless it has a point behind it...?)

...and that's the end.

[Asceai]

Age: 26
Gender (if any): Male

Do you prefer…

Games for Android/iOS or Computer? --- Computer in general, but I like to play stuff on the go, so... both?
Being able to buy individual routes or pay a fixed price for several? --- For me the ideal situation is that all routes contribute to the larger story, so it wouldn't make sense for them to be sold separately. On the other hand some games originally sold as one whole title have been chopped up along route boundaries and sold separately for lower prices on DLsite, even titles where it's not ideal to only play certain routes, so I guess it's doable even when it doesn't make sense? My answer is 'fixed price for several' anyway.
Stat raising games or story driven? --- Story driven, but you know, you can do both!
Fantasy based or “real world” games? --- Either. Honestly fantasy is kind of refreshing in that it is relatively rare, but it's also harder to do well.
Games that hint at licking the lamppost in winter or ones that go into detail? (i.e. smut level tolerance) --- I haven't heard that euphemism before. I'll say 'detail' although I can do without things like incredible detail focusing on certain elements that seems to be specifically trying to appeal to a kind of fetish I probably don't have.

What are…

Qualities you like to see in an MC? --- I'm going to echo Shinoki here:

I'd want a jerk.

Asshole protagonist. We see them in bishoujo games all the time and they're mad fun to play. I'd like to see them in otome games.
Qualities you like to see in romantic interests? --- Run the gamut of personality types across the characters and you should be okay. I'm going to specifically speak out against tsundere/kuudere characters, though. They're about 20-30% of bishoujo game romanceables, tops, but it's more like 80-90% of otome game romanceables, and frankly I don't like them all that much. It's okay for the protagonist to be tsun/kuu =P
Must-haves for you in an otome game? --- Honestly, decent story and/or entertaining/interesting/touching character interpersonal dynamics. I don't like listing 'must-haves' because for every rule there's an exception. The only must-have is that the game be good (or at least bad in an entertaining way, so I guess even that's not a must-have)
Things you don’t like seeing in an otome game? --- I'll reiterate the point about tsun/kuu characters. Most of the things I'm tired of in otome games are tired character dynamics. There aren't really any specific settings or anything I'm specifically sick of.

Is it important to you…

That there be several romanceable genders? --- It's nice but not important? Don't trick me with way-too-close interactions with the female best friend character if she's not winnable, though, or I'll get mad when I find out she's not!
That there be “bad” endings? --- Nope. Honestly, poorly thought out / bolt-on bad endings are worse than having no bad endings at all.
That the MC be female? --- Well... given that this is an otome game survey, don't I have to say yes? There's nothing wrong with male protagonists, but it's not an otome game if you have one =P ("but what about enby protagonists!" yeah yeah...)
That the MC look a certain way? --- Nope. Look, I'm not a huge fan of the hair-always-over-the-eyes-and-indistinct-face model, but other than that, no; variety is a good thing.

[yuucie]

Age:24
Gender (if any): female

Do you prefer…

Games for Android/iOS or Computer? Either is fine to me, I like playing late at night when I'm done all my duties for the day so I'm usually in bed. With that said, I've played more PC OTOME games than mobile and I find their quality of story to be better.

Being able to buy individual routes or pay a fixed price for several? I rather pay for the entire game once

Stat raising games or story driven? Story. It IS called a Visual Novel am I right. Also stat raisers get repetitive after the 3rd playthrough, and it feels like I'm grinding for things I don't care about. However I understand that the majority of western based players do not like reading walls of text with limited interactivity (I know a lot of my friends refuse to play certain otome games because of this). So while I prefer not to have them, I begrudgingly understand why a lot of English made otomes have it.

Fantasy based or “real world” games? Doesn't matter as long as the story is interesting just for the love of god no more high school themed games there is a saturation of this already
Games that hint at licking the lamppost in winter or ones that go into detail? (i.e. smut level tolerance) If we're talking about the presence of smut, I honestly don't care if it's there or not. I'm old enough to not hide my blushing face at the thought of sex acts . If we're talking about the description of sex, I don't like cheesy metaphors. I find them to break my immersion with thoughts of "Seriously?? You described it as /that/?" If you're gonna cut to black, cut to black. If you're going the full way, go all out.

What are…

Qualities you like to see in an MC? My only requirement is that she is relatable. I'm tired of angelic, naive clumsy protags too, but going the extreme end (like making a complete asshole ) is just as stereotypical (if you don't understand why this is the case, please refer to the anti-sue trope page here). I know people have been asking for anti-sues, but I cringe horribly at them too. I hope people understand that when people ask for change they don't mean a complete reversal with no thought of what makes an interesting character good.
On that note, I also want to see less confusion between strong female characters and strong female characters who are actually masculine-men-placed-in-the -body-of -a-female. You don't have to act like a man in order to be considered tough. This is all just my opinion though!

Qualities you like to see in romantic interests? That their lives consist of their own problems and stories to tell than just existing for the sake of being the MC's love interest. That's why I never trust the love interest whose life revolved around the MC from day 1.

Must-haves for you in an otome game? Interesting story! Romance, because when I play an otome game this is what I want to see too. Also , a variety of age/race for the guys. Can't always just date white male teens.

Things you don’t like seeing in an otome game? This is a tough question because I'm open to anything in an OTOME game (sorry for the capslock my iPod likes to be excited about OTOME). Hmm...flat generic villains or bullies? I also am not too interested in parody OTOME games (dating fish, plates, furniture, Tetris blocks...any random thing). I still consider them otome of course, and I've been told the pigeon one has a deep story, but I don't know. I guess if the novelty of dating random objects/animals is your selling point, I'm not that interested.

Is it important to you…

That there be several romanceable genders? I don't care. I never play the GxG route anyway, so it doesn't bother me if there are girls to romance or not. In fact, I am appreciative to games that do include it. If it doesn't detract from the writing why should it be a problem ?

That there be “bad” endings? I'm on two sides for this. I like bad endings in complex stories because it gives depth to the story, teach me more about the world and characters, and give me a sense that not everything is peachy and okay. If, however, it's a simple game and the bad end is getting rejected, then I don't think it's necessary. I don't think romance is all there is to life (even if I'm playing this game for it), and having a bad end like that feels so superficial.

That the MC be female? Yes? I've never played an OTOME game where the MC isn't. Aren't those BLge/Galge?

That the MC look a certain way? That she is or resembles a human. I'm not into parody games much. Also, please have a face. Why do so many Japanese otoges have faceless MCs I don't understand

This was fun to fill ovo

[Taleweaver]

Gah, sorry it took me so long to notice this thread.

We DO have a ban on poll-like threads. It's in our rules:

11.) Poll-Like Threads
Poll-like threads are open-ended threads that ask a user for their personal opinion, without requiring that they justify that opinion.

The administration asks that you not post poll-like threads on the Lemma Soft Forum. When such a thread is posted, we will change, edit, or lock it as we deem appropriate, to ensure that polls do not take the place of discussion. There may be exceptions for "get to know your fellow forum members" type threads.