Rovering to Sussex - Devlog #6 (Non-linearity) (Patreon)

Welcome back to another devlog as we are getting closer to the first release of Rovering to Sussex! Before I start with the actual devlog, I want to apologize for being a little late this time. As a little compensation (and because there's no other image to show), I'll reveal another character today, Catherine:

Today we will see how the game differs from a kinetic novel where you don't have any choices, but also from a typical linear visual novel with limited choice or a sandbox game.

We decided to include these aspects to make playing the game more fun than just a linear story, with elements to keep you engaged. It should also add to replay value as you try different paths through the game and discover different things. We try to keep everything unobtrusive though, so if you prefer a more linear way of playing, it shouldn't get too much into your way.

Traits and relationships

We talked about this before (in our second and third devlogs) and you might know similar concepts from sandbox games. In Rovering to Sussex you don't have to grind through the same scenes over and over to get points that you need to unlock some scenes. Instead, choices that influence these two kinds of values are integrated into the game at appropriate places. Most of the time, they are just a natural part of the story.

Quizzes and minigames

This also was a topic before, in our fourth devlog. Quizzes and minigames are not only a way to gain (or lose) trait and relationship points, they also provide a change of pace from reading through the story of the game. There is also a minigame on your phone that you can play at almost any time if you need something different for a while. If you don't like quizzes or minigames, you can always opt out of them completely and play the game without them without any penalties (except for a few bonus images that you only get for winning them).

Free roams

In some scenes, it is up to you to decide which characters you want to talk to or not. They will either all be on one screen or a handful of places that you can easily navigate between (nothing too complex, so you won't accidentally get lost). Talking to different people will give you different information into their backgrounds, award (or cost) you points in your relationships and traits and give access to different (lewd) scenes. In most free roams, you will have a way to skip talking to anyone if you want to. Be aware that some free roams may change with time: while you spend time talking to somebody, opportunities to talk to others might open up or be missed. You will usually have the chance to talk to most people though, if you want to.

Spending time

While most choices for your personality traits and relationships are a direct part of the story, at other times, you might get a choice how to spend some time and that can influence your traits and relationships as well. But again, this doesn't lead to repeated scenes over and over. And if you don't want these at all, you can usually decide not to do anything. You won't get the effect on your traits and relationships, but unless you really want to get some values to the maximum, that might not matter too much.


See you next time!
RFB