manyeyedhydra
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House of Hellish Harlots - Thoughts on Player Stats
🕑 Added 2019-10-23 16:40:53 +0000 UTCOddly, this is one aspect of the game I haven't nailed down yet.
Player stats in HoHH work differently than in the previous CYOA scenarios I've posted. They can influence a harlot encounter, but the outcomes aren't stated directly to a player. Because there will be so many hidden influences on a scenario, I felt having random stat check rolls in there would make it too difficult for the player to pick apart what stat, gift, or other thing was causing them to get their soul sucked out by the succubus.
So, the checks are all fixed and of the "Is your Dex higher than 2?" variety.
The question then is, what set of attributes would a player have?
In the original CYOAs I had Strength, Agility, Willpower and Cunning.
Strength and Willpower are obvious inclusions. It's easy to understand what they represent and how those values would be used.
Agility was a little tougher. The player won't be battling the harlots in their room as such, so dodging isn't going to come up. While I was brainstorming Sapoonis's scenario and her rather horrifying punishment for clumsy people, I realised Dexterity was a better stand in here. It's also easy to understand what it represents and where to use it. (It's already been used.)
Intelligence is an interesting case. It's another stat where it's easy to understand what it represents, but I haven't really thought of how to 'test' it yet.
Constitution is essentially poison/drug resistance. I have some ideas that will use this, but I could see the functionality being split between Strength and Willpower if I need to cut an attribute.
Then we get to the bits I'm working on now. These are 'personality' associated attributes. One of the choices the player has before entering the room is how they're going to interact with the harlot. Are they going to be the sub or dom if they think the harlot likes BDSM? Do they want to try to be funny? Or suave? Are they going to try to be romantic, or treat it as a filthy porn-star fuck? These are more knobs for the player to turn as they try to puzzle out what's needed to walk out afterwards alive.
Originally I was going to have these be modifiers for existing player attributes, but I think this could lead to more annoying obfuscation. The attitude setting I like, but I think I'll bundle the personality attributes in with the other stats.
The current list of attributes looks something like this:
Strength
Dexterity
Intelligence
Willpower
Constitution
Confidence
Charm
Style
I think that might be too many and some can possibly be bundled together into one attribute (Constitution as I've already mentioned, also Style into Charm).
Of them, I already have examples using Strength, Dexterity, and Willpower. So, those will stay.
As for the rest, probably the best thing to do is to keep creating harlot scenarios. Those should naturally suggest what attributes a player character should have before entering the room.
Thankfully, because of the way I've been programming the game, I can keep these flexible for the time being without worrying about some horrific refactoring nightmare jumping out on me further down the line.
If you have any thoughts, stick 'em below.
(Same for questions.)
Otherwise, don't be put off if the player 'character sheet' undergoes a few changes as I put the game together. It's (sort of) under control.
-manyeyedhydra
Comments
Many-Eyed Hydra
Yep, I'm thinking 8 might be too many as well. Charisma also sounds better than Charm. I'll see what feels sensible to use as I create more harlot scenarios.
Eight seems like a cumbersome number of attributes. Confidence, Charm, and Style would fit under the umbrella of Charisma in my opinion. Alternatively, separate physical attributes from personality traits, giving the latter more weight or frequency in the outcome of scenarios.
Wakozi
Yeah, Intelligence being able to influence your dialogue options makes sense. I would also simply put Confidence into Willpower. But the biggest and most useful addition I would make is an option to change stats. Maybe you unlock it once you complete the game, or you get some kind of currency and can change it when talking to the Madam. Also, maybe have some kind of consequence if the stats are too high? Like for example someone who is too confident or intelligent for his own good.
Tsarius
Intelligence can run a check to allow more dialogue options. Possibly use it as a side stat for players with a stat that's too low somewhere else?
