manyeyedhydra
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HoHH: Coins and Mulligan Tokens
🕑 Added 2021-09-16 12:12:29 +0000 UTCThis one's just for the patrons.
I'm currently working on adding a few fixes to put out a new, more player-friendly public demo. As people have suggested, I've added an option to skip The Madam's mulligan token explanation and also implemented a way for players to use mulligan tokens to be able to buy any charm.
There is one item on the todo list that has a question mark next to it:
Rename currency and mulligan tokens?
This was something I forgot about for the last public release. When I was putting the skeleton code together, I didn't have the names for everything, so I used variables to represent them so that I could change them later without having to rewrite tons of passages.
(This is true for all the NPCs and why they have generic names like "The Madam" and "The Elegant Woman". Those probably aren't going to change, because I quite like them as they are, but it does leave room to replace them during the game run should the player learn their real names after visiting them as a harlot.)
"Coins" and "Mulligan Tokens" are both generic names. They describe what they do, but are not exactly evocative.
"Coins" is the standard currency inside the House. That would be your "gold", "gp", "souls", or "gil" of fantasy RPGs.
This one I might leave as is. It's what they are and the text mostly reads fine with them as they are.
I did think about naming them "Succubus Hearts" to allude to the heart design on them, and that it seems both a plausible and evocative name for a token system in a succubus brothel. "Hearts" could work as an abbreviation. "SH" also, but that would require code changes for the various checks to use "Coin" or "Coins".
"Mulligan Tokens", yep that's a purely functional name that needs to go. It's named because the primary use is to 'mulligan' a bad round of harlots. Within the setting, it should probably have a fancier name like "Fate Tokens".
Again, there is a slight restriction here. In terms of coding change, it's trivial to change "Mulligan Token" to "Fate Token" across the whole project (as it's set once in one of the House Init passages). "Token of Fate" not so much, as I'd have to change an awful lot of things just to get the plural to show up correctly as "Tokens of Fate" rather than "Token of Fates".
Because I've been focused on pumping out faction-specific harlots, I haven't had much opportunity to run patron-participation like the various polls I put out in the first half of the year (and they will mean something when I get around to implementing the popular harlots.
I haven't forgotten!). I was thinking I might be able to do something here.
So here's an opportunity to suggest names for both the currency within the House, and a better name for The Madam's token system. Maybe I'll run a poll to pick if there are a lot of good suggestions.
Or just keep them as is if people like that.
Comments
Many-Eyed Hydra
I love this. It's similar to what Nyte does with her skulls. My initial thought is that the tokens are a little too numerous and the harlots would be the ones keeping the souls. However, it is a really good way to hint that - as dangerous as the harlots and their rooms are - running away and not playing by The Madam's rules is far worse. If I don't use it for the Tokens, I might find some way to include that - a trophy cabinet in the bar or one of the side rooms, maybe.
Many-Eyed Hydra
I think I prefer Succubus Hearts over Hell's Hearts, but it's a nice one. The main thing I have against Hearts is the confusion with the Bleeding Heart gift, but I think I'm just being picky there. I'm not sure "Succubus Hearts" or "Hell's Hearts" is right. I think " Hearts" would work, with "Hearts" replacing "Coins" in the text. Marker is interesting. Gives me John Wick vibes. Not sure if it fits here as this is a token handed out by The Madam. I might store that away for future game ideas. A H-space type setting where a human survives by earning markers from various succubi and monster girls could be an idea worth playing around with.
Tiber Septim
Just a quick thought but maybe if you wanted to add a little extra mood and feeling to the mulligan tokens, you could have them given out by the angelic barman instead of the mistress, along with a brief "good guy" mini speach about whenever things are at their bleakest and all that. Or you could just copy and paste from fellowship of the ring "Galadriel : [to Frodo] I give you the light of Eärendil, our most beloved star. May it be a light for you in dark places, when all other lights go out." ;-)
Nightshade
For the "mulligan" tokens, why not fated desire? Because you might desire to engage with a particular succubus or desire to change a succubus "wall" event. You take fate into your own hands where your desire leads.
Wakozi
I just had an idea when it comes to the Mulligan Tokens. Just imagine the tokens are trapped souls that tried to escape the House via shady ways. After all, it is mentioned that if a player tries to dodge the Harlots by staying in the bar for too long, or by waiting in front of their rooms for too long, the House is going to do something to them. I think it would emphasize the danger of the House itself if the Mulligan Tokens are actually people that didnt play by the rules, trapped forever inside the coin, being traded away over and over again. Kinda twisted. That would also give you a nice way of describing the coins. Something like: "For a moment you felt the presence of someone. It looked like something tried to escape the coin, but the next instant everything returned to normal." Kinda like Nurse Honey in a way.
Kenneth Eaton
How about naming the coins “Hell’s Hearts”. It’s nice and descriptive, and adds a fun bit of cheek. As for the Muligan Tokens to “Harlot Markers” to signify what they’re suppose to used for, and the fact that they’re essentially traded for favors.
