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Reviewing the Levels!

Hey!

Ive got opinions and so do you! Lets give developers a piece of our minds!!!
Cmon, its fun to do.

Lets review the stages and why we Like/Dislike them. I look at things critically, and notice a pattern on whatever I myself am doing. Such as selecting Ocean House 80% of the time. Or Cat 95% of the time...

Character for me is too specific or easy to answer, but the Levels! They are complex! You can see a ton of work put into them, but im not so sure about Consideration.

Lemme begin!


Spa!

Spa is by far the most simple Level, but its simplicity and boring geometry probably has the strongest versatility! Its a god damn square! With a few roomy elements here and there (Candles!). The sundown and the glass probably makes the stages personality. But because of this personality, It has a very romantic mood, encouraging for something intimate, or... romantic. Placing a heck ton of BDSM in this stage would not fit. In any case, this stage has seen alot of use because it lended itself to be open, even with being so small.

8.5/10 - Simple, pure, most romantic of stages.



Locker Room!

This stage has a few flaws which I will point out, but that maybe because of being old? Keep it in mind atleast.

Locker Room has a bit of unnecessary space. The actual locker room is divided by that cozy little in-between, but the other side that which has the main entrance is totally empty. I havent seen anyone use that space. Which we then go over to the shower room, its too big! It comes off as a void of nothing for being way too big and dark. The sauna room is actually nice, it may come off as underused as it is under-represented due to being to the left of the shower.

I personally would flip the shower room to be a long hall of showers, or at least a hallway of showers pointing exactly as you enter the doorway. Then at the end of that hallway lies the sauna room, not only do you present the sauna room, you also force the showers to be visible across through the glass doors. That way, we make the sauna room look like the main event, despite starting the camera in the locker room, and of-course calling it the locker room.

6/10 - A nice excuse for nudity, but lots of waste of space. Maybe because of visioning the building/rooms too realistically?



Bar/Restaurant!

This stage feels a lot like a mix of Spa and Locker room. Romantic mood, with wasted space. But it isn't AS romantic, and doesn't waste AS much space. Kinda like it is watered down version of the two, but its still its own stage! One of the best things in this stage is the props are movable, making the actual environment change between each scene we play. Some people could stack the chairs, others used the restroom and having all doors open. Something is always different. Either subtle or extreme. Not only that, it is filled with nice detail you wouldnt have noticed before. Im not sure but it feels like they could update this stage with some new textures such as the paintings and posters. Just a hunch.

But the flaws are harder to see. The left toilet room is awefully big. The right one looks more realistic, but the left one just screams space. It has nice lighting and towels though.

But what the stage could REALLY use is Carpet texturing. The wasted space isnt as prevelant as Locker room, but that is because it feels like it. The floors spanning across the lounge chairs to the table chairs have the exact same texture. The lounge area could have carpets or something cozy to go along with itself. It honestly feels like props are plopped on it. Not only would it be cozier, it would separate it from the bar/restaurant part of the stage.

2 things I suggest for this stage, the carpet texturing and candles. A candle on maybe each of the small tables could really spice the stage up.

Currently, the stage feels predictably interesting. It isn't interesting, just predictable. Ofcourse theres going to be someone at the bar, or behind it. Or action happening at the restrooms. Maybe if the actual bar/restaurant was smaller, that smaller focus would saturate that predictable interest into something appreciated. Because currently it just feels bland, but then again definitely different from the other ones.

5.5/10 - nice but nothing favorable



Ocean House!

There are some things from Old Ocean House I wish could be brought back into New (Like cum on bed, i mean cmon, who do you think we are?). But overall, the New one is probably the BEST Stage in the app currently.

Ocean House New
is a stage with several stages. Every room in its own is basically Spa 0.7. Which means alot. Opening up most of the in-between doors and halls from the old one makes action happening absolutely anywhere, people can make the long hall way (From main doors to bed) interesting. The design and consideration brought into this map is insanely good. They connect and make use of each 'stage' feel natural. I dont see any real flaws, and adding more to ocean house would defeat the purpose of the other stages. Yet it has just enough space for more props for you to add. Its the quintessential stage and I dont know if anyone disagrees.

10/10 - Yiffalicious!



Fantasy
And this personally, is the complete contrast to Ocean house.
Tell me if I missed anything regarding fantasy and its further production.

This is the No Man Sky of Stages in the app, Huge but nothing to do. Countless times ive been flying around the map to look for good spots, but it kept repeating the same elements making one scene at one spot feel the same at another spot. I do not think this map will live up well unless it is updated or the devs happen to give us Medieval props (Non-sexual) like helmets, swords and just armor plating. Something to dress the characters up for the map.

Currently, the only areas to make something is at the center stage, in the cage, at the grass (Fantasy is the only stage with natural foliage)... Im literally flying around the map as i write this to come up with more spots. People found fun at the rooftops also. But it really is hard and it just doesn't feel intended or natural.

Left of the stage pointing at the castle, there is this training ground area, such a waste! Those dummies could have been props, or movable at least!

It is such a ghost town that, im afraid to criticize more. Like it really does feel unfinished.

3/10 - It has music



What can the team learn?
Well that is if you find this helpfull.

It is OK to make small maps/stages, and for stages that have infinite voids, you dont need to think too realistically.
Like my suggestion for Locker room doesnt make sense for a locker room but it makes the locker room sexy. It didnt come off as realistic anyway because of the wasted space. And that wasted space can only be filled by the user, so stuff like props is always encouraged.

But overall, small specific maps that probably can be made easy with burrowed elements will be used just as much or more than fantasy with alot less work put into. I know the next big thought is Farm, which allows for outdoor elements, which means Farm will be an entirely different kind of map.

But Im not sure how many people actually agree, do you like big maps like Fantasy? or small maps like Spa? I like the smaller maps, Ocean house is a monster of its own. Maybe each new stage should be a monster?

Comments

  • edited 2:55PM
    I agree with a lot of what you're saying but I'd probably score Locker Room and Bar a little higher. The Bar has the bathroom area with mirror which makes for a fun place to stage a scene. The bar itself also has its virtues. Locker Room is overall a solid level but I never really do much with the section opposite the benches.

    I think Fantasy looks great but there just isn't enough to it yet. Like you say the only real area of interest is the stage and some of the areas around it. I'd like to see some detail added to some of the alleyways to make them feel more interesting. Who doesn't like kinky public stuff in back alleys? Or maybe open up some of the homes. Leave them empty and let users add props for furnishing. Other than that my only other complaint with Fantasy is the light seems to make the characters look too bright compared to the sun in Ocean House. The feel of the place is still nice though which is why I'm looking forward to whatever they do with the farm.

    Big maps can work well if there are a lot of small areas inside those big maps that hold interest. I can go either way though. Big Fantasy style map or small Spa style. Either works as long as the mood lighting is right and there are nice detailed areas to play around in.
  • edited 2:55PM
    Okay, maybe locker room gets a 7/10 instead because it is so easy to favour. I mean its a locker room! How more fitting can we get?
  • edited 2:55PM
    Thanks, I appreciate the feedback :smile:  
  • edited 2:55PM
    I think the key to good maps in YL is variety and intimacy. Maps with a couple different lighting and layout methods and nice closed-off areas offering the illusion of privacy make setting up scenes more interesting (which is what I like in the ocean house and bar). I don't mind the fantasy setting but it probably would have been better off focusing on the castle interior + dungeon or just ditch all of that and do a whimsical wizard tower with floating furniture and an excuse for lots of crazy light effects (like something out of the Trine series). 
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