@Doriana-Gray – Before doing too much work, I would suggest contacting Choice of Games directly by sending an email to support@choiceofgames.com and asking them about your plans.
Remember, this publisher is built around certain ideals (found in the FAQ) and things that go against those ideals may need to be changed or removed before being published.
The decision makers will most likely need to see what you write, but establishing if your ideas meet the base-lines before anything else is advisable.
They allow a lot (ie, jun/junko in SoH) but there have been projects delayed or not published as well.
Oh–then I will! Thanks! I was thinking of doing this anyway, about how far the vices can go, and, more specifically, what language is allowed around the “legal medicaments” vice. Currently I try and be a little coy with the terms/vice, but maybe that isn’t good enough.
I found this on the faq on the regular site:
Games must not contain deeply offensive material, such as scenes that glorify sexual violence or racist attitudes.
I can’t see my game doing either of these things nor would it reach near jun/ko levels (with what I’ve heard that that romance contains). Hopefully, there’s some clarification to be found in an email, or perhaps there are more specific rules somewhere. By the way, do you have any examples you remember that are “no-no’s” that I should look out for already?
Thank you for the warning
Edit: Btw I saw this rule on the site: “The title of the game must be 30 characters or less. This is a hard requirement of the Google and Apple platforms.” — but, I saw a game that was published despite having more characters. Do you know if this is only a requirement if the game is published outside of the omnibus?
I suppose the game’s title could be
sherlock - affair of the heart
(if spaces count)
or
sherlock - an affair of the heart
(if spaces don’t count) (ignore this. This is just me thinking out loud.)
If Jun/ko manages to be published in a COG game, and they are forced upon the player no matter what. I don’t think you have anything to worry about, especially if it’s content that can be toggled off / avoided.
I didn’t think you were planning to glorify sexual violence or racist attitudes, but when it comes down to it, that is the staff’s call on what they will or will not go through with in publishing.
So, as you say, better to go to the source of the decision-making for clarification.
They most likely will say “come back with something to show and we’ll say then”… things often change from conception, implementation and submission, after all.
No, this is an area where I do not provide feedback because it is ultimately something that is fully decided by staff. I hope that makes sense.
As far as I knew, this was still something dictated by the stores, but this is something support should be able to answer as well.
That would make an interesting two choice poll. How many do vs don’t use the surname Holmes for their MC. “Sherlock” is just a nickname for mine, but the surname is definitely Holmes.
Yeh, I’ll send an email during the week and hope for the best
Ah, okay
thanks!
Like, with the initials? Like a lil riddle for newcomers in the name, haha, might fit the theme even
true true, and that was my idea with my proposition
Ohhh I should! I also wanna ask people their vice–tho I might wait until I’ve updated the next chapter; I fear people might not remember what they chose right now since it’s been a while
I can’t officially add it as a preset name—but I hope some people are playing as Enola! That would be so cute I’ve even put in a small Enola Holmes reference in chapter 4
I’m okay with all 3. As long as I have a choice there’s very little I’m not fine with in an IF and I always like more stuff. Just depends on how you want your villain to be I guess.
If it’s mandatory, it’s another story and that would really depend on how it fit the story and characters or not rather than about the content or how problematic / unproblematic it is.
I’d say once it start detracting from the overall story. If I can’t go two pages without it happening, it’s gonna be tiring fast. Same if I can’t go two pages without being asked how I felt about the one time it happened. That’s when it would be too far for me.
Also I like the idea of the content, if only because I have never seen that in an IF before and I like variety.
There was something like that in form of Jun / Junko, but this option seems more tame in comparison. Many books, with Mecha Ace and Soul Stone War as prime examples, allow you to romance the villain, but, again, with the exception of Mecha Ace they still feel very tamed and safe.
I think Hawkins also makes some moves on you, if only once and in a specific situation. If you decide to smash their armature with Caliburn’s missiles and aren’t fast enough, I believe, Hawkins will act somewhat flirty after catching an armature with insufficient speed.
Soon, the Imperial is almost on top of you. Hawkins lunges in, grabbing your machine’s arm with the Vallier Custom’s off-hand.
“Tell me something, pilot,” the Imperial says, ${hawkinsex3} expression sly as ${hawkinsex2} poises ${hawkinsex3} monosaber to strike. “Are you always this much of a tease or are you planning something special just for me?”
I think another example is Angel from Aegis Project. They throw you to metaphorical wolves after seducing you in the prologue and openly say they’re planning to use your infatuation with them in an ending which I got for my character.
No need to worry about either point–it would be very optional and at a specific part of the game. The only thing to worry about is how “obvious / direct / omniscient” the related choices should be–did you see this: post 893 – on how much distance the choice should/can be from the action? I think that is also one of the main things to consider. It seems the second choice is currently the favourite of the options.
I can confirm, based on what people have told me about jun/ko, that it would be much tamer. How I feel is that it would, hmmm, how do I explain it? It would be quite tame compared to jun/ko, yes. But I still want the MC to feel like the villain has a level of unpredictability–even in the romance. I want to have that tension that one has in a movie when you know something might explode any second. And while I have no want to write very dark things, I find the unknown necessary (for the MC not so much the player) to give the villain the right weight.
Then I feel toggle could be easily removed to keep this element of unpredictability or scenes changed a bit in order to avoid accusations of sexual assault. Jun felt unpredictable and stubborn, you were stuck with him and tried to overpower each other as much as you possibly could, Hawkins felt like they were always hiding something from you, always dangerous and unpredictable even when they change sides and start working with CODEC. Maybe not a forcible kiss, just the sensation they aren’t truthful with you, if you’re worried about bad reviews.
Thanks! I was thinking of doing this anyway, about how far the vices can go, and, more specifically, what language is allowed around the “legal medicaments” vice. Currently I try and be a little coy with the terms/vice, but maybe that isn’t good enough. 
nor would it reach near jun/ko levels (with what I’ve heard that that romance contains). Hopefully, there’s some clarification to be found in an email, or perhaps there are more specific rules somewhere. By the way, do you have any examples you remember that are “no-no’s” that I should look out for already?
I hope so 
