WEEKLY POST - February 2nd 2025 - Executive Decision?

Recap:

Quick recap, at the start of the week, I added a new Tier (which I later renamed to) "Gremlin". Gremlins will be allowed to vote on Critical polls/decisions, while I will limit Creative polls/decisions to Hobz & Gobz.

This week, however, I'm gonna share not one, not two, not even three, but FOUR of these Creative polls with the Hobs & Gobz! This time, they will be focused on story development.

Now, ontop the big question of this week!

Dilemma:

Last week, I published 2 Critical polls.

The poll between Plan A and Plan B poses me no issue. I'm perfectly fine with trying to push Dating Elena as far as I reasonably can. Although I would rather be done with the game by the end of 2026 at the worst.

In retrospect, the issue I have is with the other poll, between Option 1 and Option 2. As a reminder, here's what those entail to:

Option 1 : the game keeps going as it's currently going : more of a linear story where Elena would be Alex's girlfriend, and relationships with any other girl would be secondary.
Option 2 : the game allows for multiple girlfriend options, but has to be heavily re-written (and re-titled).

I realize that I failed to properly explain the implications, as I myself hadn't properly thought them through. So in this Weekly Post, I will go back on that.

I will be frank (no, not the name, leave Franklin out of this), I am far less willing to go with Option 2, even though, on paper, "multiple girlfriend options" sounds like the better option.

Here's why:

Realistic implications:

Let's say that each Date scene I plan on doing requires some unique poses/animations/outfits. I will be forced to make those for every girl option.
This implies that, every time I'll add a date, I will have to go back to every existing girl and add the related poses/animations/outfits, and vice-versa (every time I'll add a new girl, I will have to create her with all the poses/animations/outfits required by every existing date).

This means that every date/girl I will add will make the game exponentially harder to develop. Understand that I spent around 6 months of Chapter 1, roughly 4 of those were focused on art (backgrounds, sprites, animations, musics). With Option 2, I will quickly reach development times of 8 months between 2 updates, if not more! That is an enormous risk for the health of my operation and for my mental health. I'd rather avoid a burn out. ^^'

So, on a subconscious-level, I will have an incentive to do less. Less animations, less outfits, less uniques things. The overall game will be lesser.

The simple fact is that I'm not Larian (the devs of Baldur's Gate 3). I don't want to promise you the moon and then deliver a white bowling ball, if that makes sense.

Story implications:

On top of likely being forced to make a shorter game (for the person who only makes one playthrough), I won't be able to make tailor-made content for each girl (think of things like the Jojo-reference gag, if you've seen it -- things that would only make sense for one girl).

Think of a normal story involving Alex and Elena.
Triggering event, they go on an adventure together, story happens.

With Option 1, I can afford to make sure that EVERYTHING that happens in the story is designed/written/tweaked specifically with Alex and Elena in mind.

With Option 2, I will be forced to make sure that everything is designed/written to work with Alex and every existing and future girl.

Then, there WILL be a drawback. Either the story will feel secondary/shitty/bland, or the presence of Alex's girlfriend will feel optional, replaceable. There will be a disconnect.

That is why, if I go with Option 2, I won't try to make an over-arching story. The game will be : Alex gets a girlfriend, FMG / NSFW scene, date 1, 2, 3, 4, etc, with occasional NSFW content in there.

Story possibilities:

But if I go with Option 1, I would feel comfortable with exploring some fun and cool story ideas. Those COULD imply such things as the origins of the serum (or its composition), a conspiracy, a murder mystery, a rival to Alex and/or Elena.

I could also keep things light-hearted and explore what side-effects the serum might have. Maybe it affects the mind and causes mood swings?
Maybe there's a bit of a Jekyll & Hyde situation, with subtle mutations (fangs, pointy nails, pointy ears, longer hair, different eye-color)?

Maybe the serum gives powers like telepathy or telekinesis and the girls get to explore those changes. Maybe they instead become capable of draining life/stamina to grow bigger? Would the serum's effect be temporary? Maybe there's an addiction?

That would be decided by Hobz & Gobz in a multiple-choice poll.

Executive decision:

I get that, right now, it must sound like I'm trying very hard to squeeze myself out of going through with Option 2. Then again, I suppose that as the game's creator, it's fair for me to be able to change my mind...

But I think you'll agree that me pulling the card "I will disregard the poll and go with Option 1 whatever the results are" would be extra shitty.

So I'm on the fence about doing that.
Then again, there is still a week left on last week's polls.

I'd like to know your thoughts on the matter, so please, leave a comment below!