So. I have a lot of choices for my game thus far. Will probably put it up on the works in progress for feedback at some point. Prob in the next few weeks or so.
Anyway. I am a little unsure for the relationship stats.
I have a lot of 1- on 1 interactions right now, and am planing to do a romance thing. Though, just working out the macanics. 4 ROS.
However. I am unsure if I want to have each choice you make with that RO, or to that RO, alter your relationship, or have several larger choices and each of them, have larger relationship changes.
Right now, I have +3,+5, -3 and I think I will do -5, though. I am not quite sure?
Anyway. Thoughts? I can see the benafits of both, just don’t want to have 1 ROS stat go up to quick. This also works for some of the other side chars, who also have relationship stats. Sister, kid, best friend, crazy wooman in all black with a respirater, ETC. Anyway. Feedback would be apreteated on this, if possiible.
I’m not entirely sure what you’re asking specifically, but one thing I personally think is that it’s okay for different situations to have different impacts on how characters perceive you. For example, it makes sense that the RO finding out you have the same favorite color is +1, while the RO finding out you saved their mom from a burning building would probably be bigger.
But I also think that it’s okay for relationship variance to change based on character. Some people are easier to impress or disappoint than others, some people are more willing to trust new people than others, people have different priorities, and so forth. I think it’s reasonable if Morgan’s relationship increases faster or slower than Aaron’s if that fits the characters they are, as long as you change your reputation checks to reflect that a bit.
I think both of these things give the different relationships a different, shall we say, flavor. But I don’t know if that’s what others might think. I hope that answered at least part of your question.
I completely agree. Not everyone has the same tastes or goals, so if you do smething in the larger story, maybe on character now hates you while another doesn’t really care either way but then another now adores you. It depends on the character you are building
Your both correct on both counts. Now, just have to figure a good dinamic. Though, guess it will only really hinge on the actuall RO, part.
Not going to do a choice. It’s going to be decided in the code. Don’t like haveing an actual choice. I feel like. Your takeing advantage of the other characters? Though, I guess you could get around that by having your char choose say 1, but if the relationship isn’t high enough, they tell you to screw off. Something to that. Hmmm.
This might actually help in hammering out the char’s personalities anyway.
I think this is the way to go. I agree with what you’re saying as far as making a choice that forces an NPC into a relationship with you independently of their current attitude towards you. But I think the *choice has to exist rather than just some piece of code, because by taking the *choice away, you’re also taking the ability to consent to a relationship away from the player, taking it as a given that they’re on board with romancing whatever character the algorithm tells them to. Keeping the choice, but having a mechanic that creates a situation where the NPC can turn you down for whatever reasons they might have seems like the best answer for both worlds.
I am a noob when it comes to write a story so aside wishing you all the best with your project Righter and hope to read it one day the best suggestion I can give you from my perspective is to not get too many characters in the story that the player can influence at the same time…or at least limit the paths to allow a focused play
As for me The player should not be able to pick everyone from the start or be forced to meet character and make it possible for him with his choices to decide on wich of the characters you created he should know and so who he could impact in the story.
Example to give an idea. I am a student and I’m transfered to a new school is my first day of class as I enter in my new classroom I take a moment to look my options on who I can seat near. I can decide to sit either near the charming Blond male student or near the geeky girl in the front row or in the back with the emo looking girl with her black polished nails and heavy boots or that kid who looks with his redhair and his smiling/knowing grin like the class clown.
They are all aviable options However Whoever the player choose first impact the relationship as that will be the character that my player will befriend (or hate) for example sitting next the geeky girl will allow the player to meet Jenny and close another option (like meeting the prankster, let’s call him Benny) Oh and always give the “third” option aviable like: “screw them I sit near the window” that will open another path were I the author decide the player maybe will lose point with the various options but catch the attention /unlock another character that could not be so obvious to have a “affection meter” like the Teacher or someone else.
Don’t make it possible for the player to meet Jenny, then the next day Benny, then blond guy, then next day Classman number 30 etc. but built a “path” in the characters line of option (I meet Jeeny she allow me to meet another side character but I lost the “Prankster” path) and as I suggested built everything around 4/6 characters at top (lesser the better as it can be hard to track each score with too many but more easy if you limit the time the player spend with one character closing some options and allow replay value if the same situation is played with a different character FRIEND: let’s say in my example there is the “exams chapter” I let the Player pick Geeky girl she will increase his chances with getting a high vote while the prankster will give him a chance to cheat, or if I picked the charismatic blond guy will just tell the player to “chill dude come to the party I organized at my home, It will be sick!”).
You can always add minor side character (you want to add a point system affection for how many times The Player give food to his/her fish at home? You could do it) but I think in that case you should divide this different characters by the impact they have on the story…for the example i given If I have low score of affection with my pet fish worse it could happen to the player is a mini chapter that the fish die and parents let him throw it in the toilet is not like Player suddenly will drop the school and fail to graduate.
Is tricky to work around this or come out with the right method but with your system you should always keep in mind “the positive score” level your player have (the benefit he get from that score) and the “The negative” score (the penalty the player gets) with each character he interact with
that means that even if you put 100 as maximum score of affection You have to decide what will be a bad score ? 10% , 20% ? what will be a good level where the character like you ? 40 %? so you have to decide a Base score at the start for everyone
In my example Player meet Jenny ? let’s say she reacted positively I set 40 % of affection while The other stay at a neutral 25 and 1 option Benny the class clown start negative like 15% (for some reason He like to make fun on Jenny and so when the Player decide to sit next to her He start to mock him too. Player could respond and Benny didn’t really liked your response). This way you create a dynamic between characters. And from there you decide how difficult is to increase one or the other character affection. Do the player need a special skill? (like If he’s more charming will he score better with one character or another? what Happen if he’s ugly?) I as the author don’t want the player as you sayed “rushing” in getting to much points (Is not like Player wouldn’t be displeased for his first day at school to score a 100% with Jenny and officially getting her on his feet at the first “hi my name is …, say want to go lunch toget…” jenny: “shh say no more…” but I want the story to make some kind of sense ) so I pace the story to make sure the player reach around that maximum score by the time I the author decide is the right moment (let’s say I know by chapter 8 where there is the school dance I given plenty of time and choices for the player to score a 80% with at least 1 or 2 characters and the player is put in front of the option to choose his partner I know what ending I will give to him) I don’t know if what I write down could make some kind of sense but I hope it could be useful in some way to what you asked for. 
You’re right that the player definitely needs a choice. Another way to do it is you could make it so that once the player has a high enough relationship with a character, that character would then approach the player about a romance and then the player can make a choice from there. That could make it feel less like the player is taking advantage of the characters, but it definitely isn’t for all characters or all stories. But say you have a very bold RO who is known for going after what they want; it would make sense that they would approach the player with a high relationship. It’s a bit trickier to code and to account for, but it can make it feel more realistic for the characters to interact that way.