BxG, BxB, GxG??

[namastaii]

This is a really dumb question because I'm not up to date on the lingo.

I've noticed just about every game that gets posted has (what I'm assuming to be) the sexual orientation of the game. (BxG etc)
So What are all the ones available?

bxg and gxg and bxb? What if your game supports all of them?
What other abbreviations that are put by game titles are there that I probably don't understand?


edit*** Okay I just found this from a website:

Glossary: GxB = Play as girl pursuing boys; BxG = play as boy pursuing girls; BxB or GxG = I don’t think you need my help with this any more.

So.. what if my game literally supports all these? Should I say so and how? lol You can be a girl or boy and depending on the sexual preference of the characters in the game, you'll be able to pursue them or not. But homosexual and heterosexual are both present..

[mitoky]

If it where me i would either use:
"B/GxB/G" or "BxG/B & GxB/G"

Good luck with your project! ^^

[SundownKid]

I guess you could use [Everyone x Everyone]?

That sort of thing is extremely rare. Because well, usually there are wildly different audiences interested in each type of dating sim and being a jack of all trades means you have less content for each of the various groups. So you have a bigger potential audience but they're more likely to be disappointed in the options they have specifically.

[namastaii]

If it where me i would either use:
"B/GxB/G" or "BxG/B & GxB/G"

Good luck with your project! ^^

I like the first one

That sort of thing is extremely rare. Because well, usually there are wildly different audiences interested in each type of dating sim and being a jack of all trades means you have less content for each of the various groups. So you have a bigger potential audience but they're more likely to be disappointed in the options they have specifically.

Hmm..could you explain more? Disappointed in the options they have?

It's true that my game isn't focused on one storyline/path but ... I'm not so sure that it'll be too lacking.
The game is all about choices rather than reading about a relationship you have little control over.

[MoonByte]

Well, since my game even has characters that literally have no or multiple genders, I simply called it a Dating Sim without specification and added "LGBT" as tag to show that non-binary people are in the game
But in the end, it depends on your taste of what you think describes your game best and will attract the players you want.

That sort of thing is extremely rare. Because well, usually there are wildly different audiences interested in each type of dating sim and being a jack of all trades means you have less content for each of the various groups. So you have a bigger potential audience but they're more likely to be disappointed in the options they have specifically.

Hmm..could you explain more? Disappointed in the options they have?

I assume that they mean the following:
If you have two routes (GxB and GxG), then you can have a long and satisfying game with fully developed potential partners.
If you have 4+ routes and you make the script alone, then you will either have very few/stereotypic interactions with the characters or the game will probably end up never being finished because of the massive workload.
So limiting yourself is usually a lot easier than going all out.
Also the thing that if I am for example searching for BxB games and you have all kinds of orientations, then it might be that the BxB route is maybe the one that you added, but didn't really feel so much for. OR it feels stereotypical, because you're not used to it. Or I am simply disappointed because of the mere fact that I only have one person to chose from since the other is a girl.

[namastaii]

I, personally, don't find it a huge deal but I'm sure some other people do which is why I was wondering about it. My B/GxB/G approach just seems like...a realistic approach and not leaving anything out because of a preferred theme or something. Maybe instead of putting a tag by the title, they can open up the game or post and read more about it and know that way

[KittyWills]

I think the people in this thread have forgotten that bi/pan people exist. If you want to do multiple pairings go for it. There are dozens of games on here with 5-6 possible "attainable" partners. Making them vary isn't going to effect anything as long as you are a good writer. If you have to, find another writer who maybe is bi or is more comfortable writing that type of stuff to help proof.

[firecat]

its called {dating sim} because you control who you want to date and how you want the date to go. this also happens to be a big debate whether it can be consider a visual novel. if there's little story with trial and error to get that date, then people wouldn't call it a vn, at the same time if the story matchies what you did than maybe it's consider a vn.

more talk about it on: https://vndb.org/t7442/1

The recent changes to our game inclusion in the DB requirements made some things easier, but also left it harder to judge certain games.
On one hand we finally got rid of the narrative requirement for pure visual novels (good riddance), on the other hand, now I find it hard to determine if certain games with gameplay are or are not visual novels. Thus I would like if other mods and members of the community gave me a hand.

First game I want to point your attention to is Seiyuu Danshi, a recently funded yaoi dating sim on Kickstarter. There is a demo available to try it. The game is made up of pure dialogue with stat raising gameplay and some map movement. However, the gameplay seems to be relatively non-intrusive (at least as far as I saw from demo).
For now I slightly lean towards including the game in the DB, but would like a second opinion on the matter.

Another game is Planet Stronghold: Colonial Defense. It's a sequel to Planet Stronghold, which was removed from the DB, as it was just an RPG and not a VN. "Colonial Defence" strongly expands the story elements and reduces the gameplay. Additionally, it's actually possible to play the game without the battles if you choose the "visual novel mode". Still, the game is basically made up of dialogue with only 2 or 3 lines of narration within the first two hours during my demo playthrough.
I seriously have no strong opinion about this game and cannot make up my mind if it's a VN or not..

Additionally, you might want to take a look at this post by usagi t2108.1348. His mention of Long Live The Queen and Magical Diary: Horse Hall is especially noteworthy, as these games are primarily raising sims. I have tried the demo of Long Live The Queen, and really do not consider it a VN. The stat based gameplay totally consumes that game with very little of it that can be called a visual novel.

Anyway, I invite a discussion regarding these titles and others you might have doubts about.

[Hijiri]

I think the people in this thread have forgotten that bi/pan people exist.

Which make up a small minority in an already small minority. While we're the easiest to please with options, you have purists who won't stand for anything involving either the same sex (ex: most hardcore bishoujo and otome game fans) or the opposite sex (ex: pure-blooded yaoi/yuri fans) It's innocuous in games like ME because your choice in romantic partner isn't the driving force of the story (thus, more mature individuals can play through the game without being forced to experience something they don't want/like) while in a dating sim, it's the only driving force and, to get 100%, you'll have to deal with routes you may not like. Even if you get a writer who may be open to writing various encounters between characters of the same and opposite sex, you still have to contend with the fact that they'll (more than likely) be more comfortable writing one type than the other. (i.e. A more heterosexual-leaning bi person will write heterosexual relations better than their gay ones, and vice versa)

On a personal note, I'd like to see more M/F games with M/M options, seeing as how there are a lot of F/M games with F/F options coming out nowadays.

[namastaii]

Well in my games case..You won't have to experience a certain path unless you made it happen. That's the ultimate goal.

[Quelcezot]

On a personal note, I'd like to see more M/F games with M/M options, seeing as how there are a lot of F/M games with F/F options coming out nowadays.

This does seem rare. I plan on writing one for the next visual novel I work on, although that's currently impossible with my current project due to the protagonist being female. (Also, it is possible I'll never write for another one)

On a separate note, I actually think that with empathy anyone can write effectively about all kinds of relationships regardless of their own sexuality.

And just back to the topic at hand, I like the elegance of everyone x everyone. BxG, etc tags are popular because they're simple and often telegraph the demographic. For that reason, a more broad ExE could potentially have the same function for a potentially different audience.

[Klawzie]

ExE seems like the most elegant solution for how to indicate you can choose your gender and choose which gender to pursue. Some of the alternatives look like math problems. xD

[namastaii]

Lol yeah I mean..I think I'm just not going to include an actual tag and people can read it in the summary or something. (if we're going to be literal, you can't date anyone but there are girls that date girls or just boys or both and vice versa but it depends on the character in the game )