Idea I keep thinking about doing a dating sim rp

[bastion]

Update: I now just want to discuss the concept with people. It's fun to think about and I wanna be able to have fun thinking about ways it can be done, the ways characters could be used, and all that rather than get encouragement.

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This idea keeps popping into my head, and I just want to share it with people and hopefully get to take about it with others.

I have so, so, so many characters. Just an obscene amount, really. I also really like dating games. Naturally, this has lead to me thinking about making a dating game using my characters, but that would take a lot to actually do.

What would be much more feasible is a roleplay, where I play all the potential love interests in a dating game scenario while my partner is the protagonist winning them over / being pursued. Also as someone polyamorous, naturally that would be an option.

 

[Sorin]

Mood.

I've honestly been on the fence about creating a similar interest check myself. I have an ungodly amount of OCs and I refuse to write in games with just one. I've also played a concerning amount of otomes in my life, so I've been thinking about writing something similar myself. I think if it interests you, you should pitch it. I'm not sure if it'd work in a group setting, but you may have some luck in a one-on-one setting. I also think it's important to consider what your backdrop or plot would be. Most otomes I've played have had some sort of gimmick, like the Days series by Pachetsis often being themed around a central idea, X-Note following a girl that is solving a murder mystery, the Halloween Otome being about a masquerade, most of azuretwilight's games being focused on a fantasy realm (save for Doppelganger which is also more of a mystery murder), etc.

 

[bastion]

Mood.

I've honestly been on the fence about creating a similar interest check myself. I have an ungodly amount of OCs and I refuse to write in games with just one. I've also played a concerning amount of otomes in my life, so I've been thinking about writing something similar myself. I think if it interests you, you should pitch it. I'm not sure if it'd work in a group setting, but you may have some luck in a one-on-one setting. I also think it's important to consider what your backdrop or plot would be. Most otomes I've played have had some sort of gimmick, like the Days series by Pachetsis often being themed around a central idea, X-Note following a girl that is solving a murder mystery, the Halloween Otome being about a masquerade, most of azuretwilight's games being focused on a fantasy realm (save for Doppelganger which is also more of a mystery murder), etc.

Oh I definitely plan it to be a 1-on-1 thing if I do pitch it. The plot would definitely be the biggest challenge for me since I'm not quite sure what I want for it...

Most my characters are magical in some way, so I'd probably due either fantasy or urban fantasy (maybe hidden magic world. Could do an Isekai set-up where my partner's character is the one who got isekai'd for a fantasy setting...

I'm not sure yet, I just love shipping my characters though and romance games so it could be really fun, if I can figure out the plot that would make it exciting for me.

 

[Idea]

If I may offer a suggestion, have you heard of quest RPs? They are an RP format here on RPN that emulates choose-your-own-adventure books. The one running the RP writes the entries and creates a set of options for the players to vote for. As a format it’s quite a good fit for this visual novel-esque concept.

 

[bastion]

If I may offer a suggestion, have you heard of quest RPs? They are an RP format here on RPN that emulates choose-your-own-adventure books. The one running the RP writes the entries and creates a set of options for the players to vote for. As a format it’s quite a good fit for this visual novel-esque concept.

I've heard of them, but I'd want to do something more freeform for this. I just want the vibe of otome games where there's lots of romance candidates but not the restriction on the protagonist's decisions.

Plus I would want to have someone to play off of, while the quest format seems like it would mostly be solo.

 

[Rusty of Shackleford]

I've been brainstorming an idea for my ideal dating sim for almost a year but...yeah might be easier to just do an RP with it lol

Basically, you'd get to customize your character. Gender, sexuality, name, etc. Alongside that, you'd be able to determine your background, which would alter dialogue and open up new choices. Might be more difficult to get close to the mysterious rich recluse if you're not from the upper echelons of society, but it would be easier to get close to the delinquent, and maybe you'd even get some extra dialogue/scenes

But if there was an average number of rkmancable characters, say 4-5, you'd have so many things to worry about the time it would take to write would be wayy too long

So yeah, probably should just make the RP and leave my developer dreams stay dreams

 

[bastion]

I've been brainstorming an idea for my ideal dating sim for almost a year but...yeah might be easier to just do an RP with it lol

Basically, you'd get to customize your character. Gender, sexuality, name, etc. Alongside that, you'd be able to determine your background, which would alter dialogue and open up new choices. Might be more difficult to get close to the mysterious rich recluse if you're not from the upper echelons of society, but it would be easier to get close to the delinquent, and maybe you'd even get some extra dialogue/scenes

But if there was an average number of rkmancable characters, say 4-5, you'd have so many things to worry about the time it would take to write would be wayy too long

So yeah, probably should just make the RP and leave my developer dreams stay dreams

See that's my exact issue with wanting to make a romance game. I also want there to be all these factors effecting relationships and creating diverging narratives as a result that would make it so hard to write. Not to mention the amount of art assets and such I'd need to make to be happy.

Of course, the fact I have yet to figure out the overarching plot for it doesn't help.

 

[Rusty of Shackleford]

See that's my exact issue with wanting to make a romance game. I also want there to be all these factors effecting relationships and creating diverging narratives as a result that would make it so hard to write. Not to mention the amount of art assets and such I'd need to make to be happy.

Of course, the fact I have yet to figure out the overarching plot for it doesn't help.

I mean, visual novels are uniquely suited to making games with a ton of choice snad branchign storylines, because you can reuse assets, but that would be a LOT of writing.

 

[bastion]

I mean, visual novels are uniquely suited to making games with a ton of choice snad branchign storylines, because you can reuse assets, but that would be a LOT of writing.

Yes, but I always get bothered when VNs don't at least have the body language change to reflect the different emotions. So even if it's just drawing a different portrait for each emotion that's still quite a few art assets, especially since you then need to add in date and event variations and such.

 

[Daisie]

That sounds like so much fun, lol, I could definitely see myself playing the "player" in that scenario.

 

[StrawberryAvalanche]

This sounds like so much fun! I would definitely love to try something like this out. I tend to play a lot of dating sim and visual novel games. :') I'm just a nerd like that. I especially like the idea of it being very free-form as well.

 

[bastion]

Ugh all the positive responses make me want to do it all the more, I just don't know what I would do for the overall plot. Romance games need more than just the pursuit of romance after all.

I'd love to hear what kind of plots others would do for this (or would like to play in, I suppose, in the case where you'd be the protagonist.)

 

[Willowmere]

There's plenty!

Perhaps they are all monster girls / boys or some such, struggling in different, specific ways and the player has to help them with solving / coming to terms with those issues.

Perhaps it's a sort of competitive treasure hunt for some sort of MacGuffin, where all the love interests have the same goal but only one can succeed- i.e a specific, rare medicine / jewel / esoteric artifact.

Perhaps the love interests are all initially hostile towards the player, such as being assassins sent against them as a sort of take on the enemies-to-lovers trope.

Really, though, I would just pitch the idea as it is and let the players propose plots of their own if you're going for an 1x1. RP is a collaborative effort after all.

 

[Daisie]

Question that just occurred to me
Isn't this just a harem RP? XD

Like those harem animes where the protagonist has to choose between the many romantic options around them

 

[bastion]

Question that just occurred to me
Isn't this just a harem RP? XD

Like those harem animes where the protagonist has to choose between the many romantic options around them

Kinda, yeah. Dating sims / otome games differ by introducing several potential love interests to the protagonist for them to choose from, but it's usually the protagonist that's pursuing the relationship more than the love interest. At least that's how I see it based on my memories, it's actually been a while since I've engaged with either.

Also I'd personally also have it where multiple characters can be romanced since I'm polyamorous so I'm always gonna make non-monogamous relationships an option.

 

[Sign]

I'd say, do it. I've had my fair share of otome-like roleplays, and it's pretty hard XD but it's fun at the same time.
Do it however you'd vision it to be and enjoy it with others ^^

 

[bastion]

I'd say, do it. I've had my fair share of otome-like roleplays, and it's pretty hard XD but it's fun at the same time.
Do it however you'd vision it to be and enjoy it with others ^^

Yeah, that's fair. In the end I need to do it my own way.

 

[bastion]

I guess the first thing I need to figure out is which of my characters I'd want to offer up as love interests. I have so many I'd love to ship, but actually wanting to play them right now is it's own thing.

Definitely my lorg tiefling himbo dad who adopted a half-dragon kobold. He's pure fluff and awkward interaction fodder, as well as plenty of interspection.

There's also my tall af chaotic bimbo aasimar trans man. He's got a whole religious family drama thing going on.

Definitely others that aren't coming to mind at the moment.

 

[bastion]

Okay, I think I've figured out what I'd need to do to actually create a pitch / be able to roleplay this as the love interests!

I have so many characters, but I need to figure out which characters that I'd like to offer for shipping can be used as part of the same cast. Then I can build a plot around the cast!

I have a lot of D&D and Naruto characters in particular that I can pull from to work into something. I'd probably do versions of them in alternate settings. I think I'll actually make a list of all the characters I'd want to use in this kind of roleplay tonight / tomorrow, and start drafting up an interest search!

 

[bastion]

I'm thinking I'll end up with a few sets of characters and different plots for potential partners to pick from. Most likely a modern / urban fantasy one, a traditional fantasy plot, and maybe something else as well.

 

[Hirquitickitty]

I'm running a dating sim DnD campaign, they're super fun :3
I think the best idea is to chit chat w people beforehand and find out what they like to incorporate it into viable dating options ^__^

 

[bastion]

I'm running a dating sim DnD campaign, they're super fun :3
I think the best idea is to chit chat w people beforehand and find out what they like to incorporate it into viable dating options ^__^

That makes sense

 

[AnimesFavoriteWeirdo]

Oh my gosh, I would love, love love to do something similar to this, or even this exactly! I find that writing different situations and having and writing different dynamics and stories can be really rewarding especially when you’re writing characters with an emphasis on romance or different kinds of relationships!