Dating Sim or Vn?

[Fenrir34]

Parallel Hearts feels like it could be a dating sim and not just a plain VN but I don't know if I'm capable of doing that. I was just wondering what people like doing more. Writing a common Vn with having choices or making it dating sim style.

[MaiMai]

If you think your story is better suited as a dating sim then go for it. No one is going to make you do so otherwise, it's very clearly your choice.

[Fenrir34]

If you think your story is better suited as a dating sim then go for it. No one is going to make you do so otherwise, it's very clearly your choice.

That's very true. It's just, though a part of me wants to do it, it's rather confusing. I'm a visual person so I need either a video or code examples, but there is so much. I kind of want to do it that way though but don't know if I could

[chocojax]

Righto, if you feel like you want to, go ahead. Don't worry about whether or not people will enjoy it. (A percentage of them will like plain, and another percentage will like a dating sim. You can't win them all!)

You don't know if you're capable right now, but there's no harm in trying, right?

[Googaboga]

I personally prefer games with sim or other gameplay elements. I just find that to be extra fun.

However, don't add more to your plate if you don't think you can handle it. Remember people would much rather play a VN than hear about an idea for a dating sim that never comes to pass. Basically you can't please everyone so don't try adding dating sim elements just because other people like that feature. Only add it if you still have a reasonable chance of completing the game even with the extra work or if you think it will really make the game better/it's something you truly want to achieve.

[Fenrir34]

Righto, if you feel like you want to, go ahead. Don't worry about whether or not people will enjoy it. (A percentage of them will like plain, and another percentage will like a dating sim. You can't win them all!)

You don't know if you're capable right now, but there's no harm in trying, right?

That's true. Might as well try it

[Fenrir34]

I personally prefer games with sim or other gameplay elements. I just find that to be extra fun.

However, don't add more to your plate if you don't think you can handle it. Remember people would much rather play a VN than hear about an idea for a dating sim that never comes to pass. Basically you can't please everyone so don't try adding dating sim elements just because other people like that feature. Only add it if you still have a reasonable chance of completing the game even with the extra work or if you think it will really make the game better/it's something you've always wanted to achieve.

That's true thanks. I'll test it on a sample game and it it's bad I won't go through with it. I want to make a good game. If people don't like the way it is, they don't like it. Thanks again

[Elmiwisa]

Actually, dating sims can be very easy or very hard, depends on how much complication you want to handle.
Easy because it is a way to increase the length of the game without actually having to add any extra contents for that.
Hard because player will get frustrated if they play through long stretch of game without content.
Adding too much content means more work for you at writing those contents out, so you need to balance it well to give the illusion of content without having to work for it.
Additionally, due to the amount of choice dating sims have, complexity will increase extremely fast with more contents. There are tricks to make the complexity manageable of course (most well known trick is the character's route trick), but players who see through it might find the game worse for trying to trick them (pretty much anyone who play a dating sims/romance VN before know the character's route trick already).
Some people overemphasis the amount of coding work needed. I think that if your mechanics is simple, it is very easy to code. And a lot of commercial game have very simple mechanics.

[Semienigma]

I've had the same problem with my first game I"m making. It seems it could totally be a dating sim but the story really would be award if it was. My solution, keep my first game non-romantic and make a sequel that's a dating sim XD

[LVUER]

Additionally, due to the amount of choice dating sims have, complexity will increase extremely fast with more contents. There are tricks to make the complexity manageable of course (most well known trick is the character's route trick), but players who see through it might find the game worse for trying to trick them (pretty much anyone who play a dating sims/romance VN before know the character's route trick already).

What is this character's route trick?

[Obscura]

Parallel Hearts feels like it could be a dating sim and not just a plain VN but I don't know if I'm capable of doing that. I was just wondering what people like doing more. Writing a common Vn with having choices or making it dating sim style.

I didn't know there was a distinction? I thought dating sims generally do have choices.

[LVUER]

In dating sim, you usually have to manage stats and daily schedule. Usually, the objective is getting your stats enough to "get" the girls before the deadline. And as it's called dating sim, you DATE the girls (while you're not always dating the girl in VN though you may end up with that said girl).

[Obscura]

Thanks for the clarification! I think for some reason I read that incorrectly as dating sims don't have choices, hence the confusion. The stat part I agree with.

[Elmiwisa]

Additionally, due to the amount of choice dating sims have, complexity will increase extremely fast with more contents. There are tricks to make the complexity manageable of course (most well known trick is the character's route trick), but players who see through it might find the game worse for trying to trick them (pretty much anyone who play a dating sims/romance VN before know the character's route trick already).

What is this character's route trick?

Uh, the most ubiquitous trick in the history of romance VN and dating sims...It is hard to explain out in word without resorting to a lot of clarification on word definition, but I will try my best.

Note that I also try to phrase things in a way that make it applicable to both VN and dating sims. The character route trick consist of the following component:
-A defining trait of "essentially linear": a sequence of event is essentially linear when: between any 2 events such that if their temporal order were to be different it would make logical sense for these events to be played out differently, then the game will make sure that their temporal order are fixed, whether explicitly, or implicitly through the stats/calendar mechanics. Also, any choices made will be mainly about changing some variables - their direct effects would be either just a few lines of different dialogue, or a quick trip to an abrupt end. Note that "essentially linear" do not apply to the game as a whole, but rather than each part, as describe below. The game as a whole tend to have 1-2 significant exception, usually the first branching point and the ending.
-A common route: a sequence of event starting from the beginning. This part is essentially linear.
-A route for each character: associated with each obtainable character is a sequence of event that is essentially linear until close to the end. At near the end, it can branch into multiple type of ending. In each of these sequences of events, the associated character is at the spotlight. Each of the ending is revolve around the final state of relationship between the associated character and the main character.
-A branching point: somewhere in the middle the story continue by enabling one or more character route. Which route to enable is calculated based on the variables set by choice during the common route, with the 2 most popular method of calculation being affection points winner-take-all and one single choice determine everything. The common route does not necessarily end at this point, but it is for many games. Some games allow the possibility of 0 route enabled, in which case the story quickly end with a bad ending if the common route also end here, or continue with just the common route. Some games allow multiple character route to be enabled, in which case all of the enabled one are played in parallel, together with the common route.
-Lack of inter-route interaction: if multiple routes of multiple characters are played, they are essentially independent from each other. That is, with insignificant exception, no events from one route can change the outcome of event of another route, nor do one route depend on the event from another route to proceed to its own next event, nor can choice made in one route affect the ending of another route, whether directly on indirectly. Also, no extra events are enabled as a combination of progress from multiple route. Note that this only talk about interaction between routes of characters: it is perfectly fine for each character's route to interact with the common route, if there is still a common route; however, events on common route do not get affected by a combination of result from 2 or more routes at once.

Rule-of-thumb: if you can use the term "on X's route" and everyone who played the game know exactly what you're talking about, this trick is in play.

Funny how TvTropes does not seems to have a page on this. They have one on Story Branching but that is way way more general. Someone should make a page there. This trick is already so ubiquitous that company can even build their marketing strategy around this (ie. selling individual route for each character). Though I have not heard of the term being used in place that would place it under legal scrutiny however (advertisement and product name and description), but it had come close.

[Katta]

Why is it a trick?