No problem at all! I’ve actually been going through a writing internal struggle the last few days. My last two games have focused heavily on romance, and have fallen fairly flat. I read a review once that Adam Cadre wrote where he said ‘The author writes as if he had seen humor before but doesn’t know what makes it funny’. I feel the same way about romance! I’ve seen good romance games before (several of which I’ve really enjoyed) but don’t know what makes it work. I had even thought of incorporating romance into my big game next year, but now I’m doubting.
So, while I’ve had some success with science fiction and comedy writing, I now find myself doing quite poorly in a new area. I can’t tell if it’s a fundamental disconnect I have, a lack of practice, or the fact that both games were mostly-untested jam games.
So talking to you has actually been therapeutic, helping me sort out my thoughts. After reading what you said, I think I’ll take more special care to read through other successful romantic games and see what I can learn about them, rather than trying to be quirky and break rules I hadn’t even learned yet.
So, thanks, and feel free to comment all you want in the future!