Real-time Combat like LonaRPG vs Turn-based Combat like Karryn's Prison

[UltimateDShardcorer]

Real-time combat like Lonarpg vs Turn-based Combat like Karryn's Prison. Which one do you guys prefer?Like for real-time, heart for turn-based. I don't know how to make a poll lol.

Im planning to make my first NSFW Unity game. I'm a professional game dev so I *think* I can replicate either LonaRPG or KarrynPrison sex-focus combat.

 

[Pretentious Goblin]

Definitely turn-based. Real-time is almost always janky in these games, including Lona. I prefer having time to think my next move, anyway.

But don't make it an overcomplicated, random mess like KP either. The player should know exactly what effect their next ability will have; only enemies should be unpredictable and even then, the player should have a good grasp of what each of their abilities would do.

 

[UltimateDShardcorer]

Definitely turn-based. Real-time is almost always janky in these games, including Lona. I prefer having time to think my next move, anyway.

But don't make it an overcomplicated, random mess like KP either. The player should know exactly what effect their next ability will have; only enemies should be unpredictable and even then, the player should have a good grasp of what each of their abilities would do.

I see. Do you think the majority would share your opinion ?

 

[Pretentious Goblin]

I see. Do you think the majority would share your opinion ?

People seem to like KP and not mind the messy combat, though I don't think anyone would complain if it were streamlined, with less RNG and more transparent game mechanics. Specifically, here are my main grievances with it.

 

[MarshmallowCasserole]

Real-time combat like Lonarpg vs Turn-based Combat like Karryn's Prison. Which one do you guys prefer?Like for real-time, heart for turn-based. I don't know how to make a poll lol.

Can I say it's... an unfortunate choice of examples to emulate. And yes, I know, KP is probably the go-to example of turn-based battlefuck.

So with lona, I think, there isn't much to say other than it's such a jankfest, it's pathetic. It does a lot of things that degrade the smoothness of mechanics as a pathway to "difficulty", and it probably does that intentionally. Don't do that, absolutely do fucking not. I think you can do real-time combat exciting, just look towards more dynamic and polished combat. Look outside of adult games altogether. If not, then look at adult platformers, metroidvanias. This is real-time combat, and we have some nice examples here. Bullet heaven is genre option too, although I can't name many successful examples in the adult space. Which is a shame, because I feel A LOT of interesting stuff can be done with bullet heaven, if each upgrade has a sex "price" attached for the heroine. (As a tangent, in a normal game I like twin-stick, but... it's an adult game, a single stick control scheme may be actually better, for obvious reason)

With turn-based, esp modeled in the vein as KP, the problem is often the grind, and surprisingly a lack of tactical options. To me, KP felt needlessly drawn out because A) multiple waves is just a form of a damage sponge B) multiple battle phases, ruled by nested menus is just drawing out stuff so needlessly. If you're looking for interesting turn-based combat, I'd say Going Deeper, EroDungeons, or Corrupted Saviors are better games to use as a source of inspiration.

Overall, I feel like turn-based combat is easier to implement decently in an adult game, and easier to innovate on it too. I'd love a porn version of 20 mins till dawn, but I feel it's just harder for a designer to make it happen.

 

[UltimateDShardcorer]

Can I say it's... an unfortunate choice of examples to emulate. And yes, I know, KP is probably the go-to example of turn-based battlefuck.

So with lona, I think, there isn't much to say other than it's such a jankfest, it's pathetic. It does a lot of things that degrade the smoothness of mechanics as a pathway to "difficulty", and it probably does that intentionally. Don't do that, absolutely do fucking not. I think you can do real-time combat exciting, just look towards more dynamic and polished combat. Look outside of adult games altogether. If not, then look at adult platformers, metroidvanias. This is real-time combat, and we have some nice examples here. Bullet heaven is genre option too, although I can't name many successful examples in the adult space. Which is a shame, because I feel A LOT of interesting stuff can be done with bullet heaven, if each upgrade has a sex "price" attached for the heroine. (As a tangent, in a normal game I like twin-stick, but... it's an adult game, a single stick control scheme may be actually better, for obvious reason)

With turn-based, esp modeled in the vein as KP, the problem is often the grind, and surprisingly a lack of tactical options. To me, KP felt needlessly drawn out because A) multiple waves is just a form of a damage sponge B) multiple battle phases, ruled by nested menus is just drawing out stuff so needlessly. If you're looking for interesting turn-based combat, I'd say Going Deeper, EroDungeons, or Corrupted Saviors are better games to use as a source of inspiration.

Overall, I feel like turn-based combat is easier to implement decently in an adult game, and easier to innovate on it too. I'd love a porn version of 20 mins till dawn, but I feel it's just harder for a designer to make it happen.

Thanks for the detailed response ! You guys are experts, so where do you guys recommend I post demos, devlogs and such when starting out ?

 

[Crimson Delight Games]

Real-time combat like Lonarpg vs Turn-based Combat like Karryn's Prison.

Turn-based for sure. Real-time is much harder to pull off.

 

[nulnil]

Turn-based combat is easier to make, but a lot harder to design to actually be interesting. Most turn-based games just kind of have the combat and don't do much regarding strategy. And the ones that do actually have strategy, well, they're pretty damn brutal. I'm sure you know of a game like that.

 

[UltimateDShardcorer]

nulnil Crimson Delight Games are you guys talking about the difficulty to implement? I solely meant the gameplay value from the start XD. I don't mind a good challenge.

 

[Anno123456]

I recently finished KP. At the end of the game, the game dev of KP gave some final thoughts about the journey of his game. Among other things, he said something like: "I saw a lot of other games and I did not like what those games did, so I did my own thing and focused on things that I personally thought were fun".
So, maybe the most important thing you should ask yourself is: "Is it fun for me? Would I like to play that?"

 

[MissCougar]

I think you do what you want!

LonaRPG is fun and refreshing in a unique way but the actual combat or sex system is next to impossible to do, at least for me.

The alternative being the more normative turn based, which then is usually RPGMaker stuff that I hold down whatever the action button and speed buttons are, and generally win because the combat is poorly done and boring to engage with. When you've been tentacle fucked by the unskippable slime attack for the 50th time it's kind of lost that magic and makes the combat sluggish and sloggy.

I think real time is great, but RPGMaker is terrible at it, and the necessary skill to go to some other engine for most devs isn't in the cards. There's a reason why most games are RPGMaker and not Godot, Unity or Unreal- it's because they can make a game faster and with less skill.

I'm fine with that too. I'm glad lots of people can get involved and do what they want to build. I'm not put off by RPGM games at all, but I also know what I'm getting into with one too usually before I even start to play it.

 

[Sin-xix]

I would think that most people who play porn games prefer playing with one hand.

unless your goal is to make a game that is "came for the porn, stayed for the game/feels/etc"

either way. Maybe plan your game's scope and selling point before committing to anything.

it ain't easy, being a game dev.