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 Hanako Games: Summer Session - Dating Sim 
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I'd like to review a game which is not really an adult game, because it lacks explicit scenes, but I wanted to mention it because I found the characters and the gameplay quite nice and memorable. I can't work out every detail because it was a few years ago that I played that game, so don't count on my descriptions too much, they might be inaccurate.

Here are links to the official sites:
Hanako Games Summer Session - Screenshots
Summer Session at Tycoon Games

Synopsis:
You're a student in college (as far as I can remember), and as the title of the game suggests, you are taking some summer courses. I haven't played that much dating sims, but I guess the gameplay is quite standard: You plan your week, all courses are in your schedule, but you can plan to work in the computer lab (to earn money for your dates), rest (reduces stress and makes learning easier), study and work out, all corresponding with your personal stats, for example strength, smarts, coolness, money. There are five girls to meet, each one of them has her own preferences and their own place where you can meet them. I don't want to spoil anything, so I'll just tell you that they are four students (Midori, Rachel, Tanya, and Emma is, let's say, special) and one teacher (Jenny) that you can date, but not all at the same time, you have to choose.

I mention this game because I like how the characters differ from each other, and although the gameplay mechanics were not that much challenging (plan your schedule and raise your stats), you had to make the right decisions to score with the girl you have chosen. I guess it is quite a downer that there are no h-scenes in this game, but if you look carefully, you can find some suggestions (as far as I can remember, there are some jokes about tentacle sex), like how Midori sneaks into your room in the last night. The game ends with a love letter of your girl (when you were successful) and a picture which shows you and your girl doing (non-sexual) activities.

I found the game fun to play, and I imagine that it would be even greater fun when there was more than just still frames of you or the other characters and you actually working in the computer lab with Midori or playing volleyball with Jenny instead of reading a description.

Maybe you guys from XMoon can find some inspiration in this little dating sim. :)

Thanks for reading!

EDIT: Added a link to Summer Session on Tycoon Games.


Last edited by DemoLotion Man on Tue Oct 29, 2013 4:16 pm, edited 1 time in total.



Mon Oct 28, 2013 11:20 pm
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DemoLotion Man wrote:
I'd like to review a game which is not really an adult game, because it lacks explicit scenes,


Just so you know, this is where most people stopped reading. Or at least started reading and then stopped when they noticed this.
Image

Anyway and ignoring the lack of adult content, I simply do not find myself interested in this. It sound like just another clickathon to me. It sounds like the outcomes are influenced by stats, but stats mean stat building with in turn means grinding. I've been trying to shy XStoryPlayer away from this kind of gameplay because I believe that in an adult video game, the only kind of grinding there should be is the kind that does not involve pants.

That is to say, I don't want any repetitive tasks to be introduce into XSP, that I don't want to do over and over again. That's not to say that grinding could never work in an adult video game, just look at Erotica Night. That game doesn't really have stat building but it does have grinding in the from of needing more money. But you don't really mind grinding for money in that game because you get it by bringing every monster waifu in you path to orgasm. With your penis.

Now look at the Summer Session by itself, I have to say, the ball is being dropped on a marketing stand point. Now there's the word of mouth that you have given here, but the first thing you say is that haven't played it in awhile which leads me to believe that your looking at it with nostalgia goggles or at least rose tinted glasses. And again, what you've described just sounds like another dating-sim clickathon. Now let's look at the Hanako Games site, Summer Session has the least amount of information of any product that they offer. In fact, there is almost no information! The other games have trailers on Youtube or at least a description that sows intrigue for the potential buyer. But Summer Session only gets a minimal description, 2 measly screen shots and a bunch of portraits. Now there's a demo they offer, but I'm not interested in downloading it, because why should I make the effort of downloading and playing a trail version of a 15 dollar game when all I honestly know about it is that I'm taking the role of a student who's currently in summer school.

You simply can't ask a potential buyer to advertise to himself like that. It's just not done.

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Tue Oct 29, 2013 1:55 am
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I admit you got some points, Pickled Cow.

I added a link to the presentation at Tycoon Games, but I won't justify their way of advertisement since I am not their salesman. You know, it is said that you learn most from mistakes, and if XMoon learns from Summer Session how you unsuccessfully present a product, that's okay.

I am not a professional game reviewer either. If you find the gameplay boring, that's okay, too, and I think it is good that you express your opinion about tedious gameplay mechanics. Maybe I enjoyed it because I haven't played that much dating sims before. I have not stated that XMoon should copy the gameplay or even the game as a whole, that would be complete nonsense. As far as I can see, the XSP has its own unique style. I said that they might draw some inspiration from it, which is not the same as copying something. Maybe I should have stated that they could draw inspiration from the setting and the characters, but they don't have to.

So, I played and enjoyed a game which has no sex scenes in it. Is there something wrong about having fun without sex (drugs and rock'n'roll :lol: )? Yeah, you could say that I posted it in the wrong category, so if an admin or operator decides to delete this topic, I would understand that. But before that I'd like to say that PWP (Porn without Plot) becomes tedious as well, otherwise there wouldn't be a need for the story-proposal-category.

Could you tell what's wrong with summer school?


Tue Oct 29, 2013 4:12 pm
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Pfffft! Games without sex is sooooo last year!


Tue Oct 29, 2013 4:20 pm
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Pickled Cow wrote:
[...]
Anyway and ignoring the lack of adult content, I simply do not find myself interested in this. It sound like just another clickathon to me. It sounds like the outcomes are influenced by stats, but stats mean stat building with in turn means grinding. I've been trying to shy XStoryPlayer away from this kind of gameplay because I believe that in an adult video game, the only kind of grinding there should be is the kind that does not involve pants.

That is to say, I don't want any repetitive tasks to be introduce into XSP, that I don't want to do over and over again. That's not to say that grinding could never work in an adult video game, just look at Erotica Night. That game doesn't really have stat building but it does have grinding in the from of needing more money. But you don't really mind grinding for money in that game because you get it by bringing every monster waifu in you path to orgasm. With your penis.[...]

Have you represented this point in the feature-request-category? I ask because I read a few posts that suggested the introduction of RPG and dating-sim-elements. Could raise the need for a poll or development strategy discussion.


Wed Oct 30, 2013 2:13 pm
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When I say "shying XSP away from", that means I've been passive aggressively attacking suggestions for stat-building by not responding to them. I would have done the same thing here if it was for the poor marketing by Hanako Games setting me off.

The reason I'm against stat building is because it have been done before in so many other adult games. XSP has simply not been done before, and I want it's game play progression to be as unique as the game itself, assuming that's possible.

Now to be fair, I have been working on a story-proposal that gives XSP an open world mode, and I may include stat building in that, but I'm looking at alternatives at the moment.

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Wed Oct 30, 2013 8:30 pm
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I have to jump in on this thread. I bought this game in February and have checked these boards everyday since. I have been keeping up with the game while (not-quite) patiently waiting for the next version.

First, I would like to see some sort of progression in the game. While stat building is one way of doing this, I want to toss out a few alternatives. if you like the ideas Pickled, they may work great for the story you are working on.

First - Money. In the first story, you are working at a gym. Set a dollar amount for the job (or jobs) you complete. These places could open up as you progress in the stories and the money earned would be used to purchase the sex toys/bondage equipment/apartment furnishings. To keep it from being a grind, each day/job site could have different possible women to meet/interact with. Maybe once you get Samantha, you have "X" number of dollars coming in from her even after you move on? lots to explore here.

Second - (More important to me fyi) Sexual progression. I would like to see more options to progress the stories and more realistic reactions from the women. Let me explain. In the first story, Samantha want to be dominated. While I loved the story, I would like to see the story able to progress without the spanking and clamps. For instance, using the vibrators/dildos to bring her to orgasms, or good old sex would also cause her to submit. I would venture to add that this method should require more effort (read orgasms). In addition, all of the girls say the large black dildo is going to hurt. Building something into the game to gradually use larger dildo until these are desired would also be fun. These would all be something to "work" towards. You could even require the players to "work" towards getting the girls to try (or enjoy) anal or oral.

Just some thoughts.


Thu Oct 31, 2013 12:13 am
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The stats/progression/reward gameplay is something most games have. Earning money/developing skills etc.

It is on one hand an attractive element for an adult game. But on the other hand I think it is also somewhat a simplification.

The stories are also meant to create a certain feeling/emotion and I think the stats element could get somewhat in the way of that.

But I can also see the attractiveness of the approach. But if done it would need a large world with lots of characters and scenes.


Thu Oct 31, 2013 8:44 am
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I think the stats as well as the stories could coexist in a sandbox-like environment (long-term objective), comparable to the GTA franchise, the Sims franchise or Wing Commander Privateer (WCP). There could be (somewhat standardized) "pedestrians" (like the Sims which are quite interchangeable, or the jump points/planets in WCP which only served as hubs for trading goods and ship upgrades), but also the more fleshed out characters that start the stories which are already in XSP, or additional stories from the proposal thread, like the missions in GTA or WCP.

EDIT: I would say, do one step after the other, first things first. Working out the existing stories and making their environment more interactive and detailed seems to be the prime directive for now. After that, the addition of new stories seems to make sense, and then we can think about open world and pedestrians you can interact with, and maybe integrating the stories as "missions".

Haven't played GTA 4 and 5, but as far as I can see, you can't interact with NPCs from the street except for beating them up (or these mini-missions), or am I wrong? You can do that in the Sims 3, but when you look closer, they are quite standardized.

2nd EDIT: Hm, seems as if this thread has become some kind of development strategy discussion. I'm okay with that, just noticed it. :)
Could be an idea to gather all topics which deal with this matter, read it in several categories.


Thu Oct 31, 2013 10:20 am
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