I didn't particularly enjoy changing the shop's name before, as the sign still said the Magical Boutique
Noted. I think there won't really be any customization this time around, so...
If you mean when the dialog goes over the whole screen, I think the thumbnails would be cool.
I've shown how it looks in screenshots : you get thumbnails of the characters on the screen, showing faces. They're not next-to-text thumbnails.
I would say more emphasis on events/story, then quests, and then gameplay—in that order.
Gameplay is going thinner and thinner, so this should be granted ^^;
(Even if the fairy won't love me back...think the elflady and the catgirl will?)
The catgirl will be all over you even if you don't want to XD... And the elf lady will certainly like you, in a quiet and reserved kind of way ^^.
Hmm, I'd rather have him pre-defined and more fleshed out
I kept that one for the end since it's my new dilemma :
MB2 will show events of what happens to your workers when they're on the field. This means I can't keep going with Dalma narrating, since he's not there. Yet, I like having a few glances at what your workers think, so it's sort of a 3rd point of view, yet with some thoughts displayed between brackets (àla comic books?)
And now I just thought of how I'd write a Dalma scene and realized going full 1st person view might be strange (since it's 3rd person the other times). So the logical reflex would be to go 3rd person all the time, right? But I realize it might mean losing the usual connection to the protagonist. And at the same time, it seems like an interesting opportunity to try this full-3rd-person concept. I've always wondered if we could make a game/VN that tells the story of multiple characters the anime/manga way. You won't always know what they think... and sometimes you will. Freedom for the writer to put surprises in this way ^^. For example, you might see Pom thinking about how something is surprising, but it doesn't mean you'll read in his thoughts that he actually knows the person that just entered the boutique.
Ahem... I hope this is clear enough ^^;...
A little problem remains... when it comes to romances and such. Obviously, Dalma is supposed to be the main character and most romances are meant for him... but will it feel like playing a romance for yourself... or playing a romance for Dalma? Will it still feel rewarding if you get a romance with Dalma or will it feel "yeah, eh, good for him >.>..."? ^^;...
Another point : this will allow me to introduce secondary characters romance too (I don't know if I will but I could). It's always you playing for the romances to work out, but we end up with the same question : will it feel rewarding?
I suppose managing to put Pom and Framboise together, for example, might feel rewarding... but I felt a lot of MB1 players wanted Framb for themselves, so...... ^^;... If Dalma gets her, is it better? Does it feel more like *you* got her, instead of Pom?
== EDIT ==
Note that going 3rd person mode also means you would see Dalma's face as a thumbnail, just as others, and that he would have visible expressions. It could make the connection harder (though it worked in Gloria) but it'll allow me to make visual humour more easily ^^