History SoYouWantTo / WriteADatingSim

DismissedGender: Be sure to read that entry for its suggestions on what your audience might find acceptable. Then strive to avoid a game in which a male lead character can pursue girls much younger than him... or at the very least, make sure there are consequences or challenges.

''VisualNovel/HatofulBoyfriend''. Marketed as a parody of the otome game genre, the player character is a human girl in a school for and by pigeons. [[{{Widget}} Weird as the premise may sound]], [[CharacterDevelopment the characterisation is really wonderful]] and there is a second, very intense second storyline that turns the game into a surprisingly dark mystery thriller and explains the relationships between and many a thing from the past of the respective characters.

Any of the above could conceivably be crossdressers. Any of them could have one or more [[DudeLooksLikeALady transgender people]] or {{bifauxnen}} as potential love interests. You could also make them bisexual if you want love interests of both genders, but don't put too many options or it can be overwhelming.

It's entirely possible to write a game which initially seems feature a harem, but once the player gets to know the story, it is much more like TrueCompanions. ThePowerOfFriendship might help in resolving conflicts which stem from love triangles. On other end, it can be much more like PsychologicalHorror as well. A cutesy conflicts which stem from love triangles might end with DownerEnding if resolved with LoveMakesYouEvil {{Yandere}} StalkerWithACrush.

It's common to find characters who are {{Moe}}, Bishoujo, Bishounen, or YaoiGuys. Not every character is what they appear at first. A WholesomeCrossdresser can exist, and even be an available character, in {{Bishoujo Game}}s.

# [[{{Yuri}} Gay female]]. A tiny genre. See also SchoolgirlLesbians.

''SeasonOfTheSakura''. One of the first H games in English, and thus arguably an Ink Stain Adaptation. It resembled a poorly disguised doujin game, since all of the characters were Expys of ones from established series. Furthermore, the male main character was a Marty Stu who could excel at several sports, yet felt bored.

Just like in the SoYouWantTo/WriteAMagicalGirlfriendSeries entry, a male main character may be an UnluckyEverydude. In other words, he may be quite dull. Also, a main male character can sometimes be a MartyStu who gets all the girls with no effort. Remember, you want your audience to sympathize with the main character, or perhaps imagine they could be him. So do your best to find an alternative to "boring" and "obnoxious" characters. You should ask questions such as, "Why would anyone like this person?" Remember, it could get worse -- if your story involves horror/dark themes, and if your main character is doing horrible things, [[DesignatedHero then your audience may want to see themselves as anyone but that character]]. Note that FeaturelessProtagonist is exception to this. However, there is reason why DatingSim use this character less and less.

If you don't want your story to start drifting into {{WAFF}} territory, consider adding an active antagonist. Or put the characters into threatening situations.

If you prefer a less realistic nerd character, or if you want to reduce potential YouSuck implications, then your main character might suffer from "nerdy" problems which are unlikely or impossible in RealLife. Is he/she AllergicToLove? Was he/she CursedWithAwesome, and thus their "problems" are things many people only dream about? A female main character who DoesNotLikeMen shouldn't have to trace her issues back to plausible causes.

Any of the above could conceivably be crossdressers. Any of them could have one or more [[DudeLooksLikeALady transgendered people]] or {{bifauxnen}} as potential love interests. If you're using a straight protagonist, you could throw in a member of the same sex as a GayOption, or even include a dateable member of the opposite sex if your protagonist is gay.

Unless you have a ridiculous amount of time, talent, and people ready to help you, try to avoid creating a bisexual main character, or multiple main characters. Stick with something simple unless you're experienced, or you're getting paid.

# Are you prepared to make a stat-driven dating simulation which approaches the complexity of ''TokimekiMemorial'', or a raising sim as intricate as ''VideoGame/PrincessMaker''? (If so, you better have a lot of time, resources, and assistants who are committed to work with you.)

# Are you prepared to make a stat-driven dating simulation which approaches the complexity of ''TokimekiMemorial'', or a raising sim as intricate as ''PrincessMaker''? (If so, you better have a lot of time, resources, and assistants who are committed to work with you.)

''Love Hina Sim Date RPG''. It's just a fan-made game, a ShallowParody and an InkStainAdaptation. The gameplay isn't bad at all, but the dialogue and characterization resembled a chat room or a junior high cafeteria. This also applies to the ''Galaxy Angel'' fan game, which might be a RecursiveAdaptation, except that the fan game creators probably did not play the untranslated games (and thought that prim loli Mint as a stoner was the funniest thing ever).

If you're weary of weak, bland main characters, then make him/her distinct. Perhaps the main character has NoSocialSkills. Or perhaps he/she is {{Badass}}. An innocent main character might be welcomed by the rest of the cast. But if the others perceive the main character to be a threat, then there will be some antagonism.

This section is hampered by the fact that several critically acclaimed ren'ai games not only lack official translations, but also lack fan translation patches. (To be more specific, as of September 2010, only one of the ''Sakura Wars'' games received an English localization, and by September 2012 only the first two ''Tokimeki Memorial Girl's Side'' game of the vast ''Tokimeki Memorial'' franchise has a complete translation patch.) Thankfully, some individuals on [[GameFAQs GameFAQs]] have created English guides for a variety of relationship games.

In ''ToHeart'', it's possible for the main character to build a relationship with Multi, who is a RidiculouslyHumanRobot. It might be possible for them to live together, but this could be awkward. Work with that idea, and think what might happen if your main character attempted to win the love of a humanoid being incapable of straight sex or procreation.

There's already several games which blend unexpected genres. ''[[VideoGame/GalaxyAngel Galaxy Angel]]'' is an RTS as well as a ren'ai game. ''Nanatsuiro Drops'' takes its story ideas and art from the Magical Girl genre. The ''Infinity'' series from KID (''VisualNovel/{{Never7}}, VisualNovel/{{Ever17}}, VisualNovel/{{Remember11}}'') have strong suspense and philosophic elements. ''SakuraTaisen'' brings together many different genres. Therefore, think up the most unlikely game genre fusion that you can. Can you combine a dating sim with an FPS? How about a PlatformGame? Then consider fiction genres. Would a genre like FunnyAnimal work? Would FilmNoir be acceptable? What about {{Toku}}?

This section is hampered by the fact that several critically acclaimed ren'ai games not only lack official translations, but also lack fan translation patches. (To be more specific, as of September 2010, only one of the ''Sakura Taisen'' games received an English localization, and by September 2012 only the first two ''Tokimeki Memorial Girl's Side'' game of the vast ''Tokimeki Memorial'' franchise has a complete translation patch.) Thankfully, some individuals on [[GameFAQs GameFAQs]] have created English guides for a variety of relationship games.

Who is your main character, and what is his/her sexuality? The following options will make a huge difference:

It's possible to create a multi-path game with an OfficialCouple. This might even make the other characters PrettyFreeloaders. Maybe you can even go as far as to create a story in which the two people are more than just casual acquaintances at the beginning. If the game is a simulation, and the OfficialCouple continues their relationship, then your game could emphasize time management and making friends. This would be different from the many games in which the main character is unattached at the beginning, and the story is all about his/her finding love.

Your game/story could be a (delayed?) ComingOfAgeStory. Consider writing a story in which the main character grows from an AccidentalPervert or a {{Fangirl}} into someone more mature. Or if your game will have statistics, see if you can portray your main character as someone who grows as his/her stats improve. On a similar note, your main character could grow in maturity as he/she changes from indecisive to committed to one person.

If you prefer a less realistic nerd character, or if you want to reduce potential YouSuck implications, then your main character might suffer from "nerdy" problems which are unlikely or impossible in RealLife. Is he/she AllergicToLove? Was he/she CursedWithAwesome, and thus his/her "problems" are things many people only dream about? A female main character who DoesNotLikeMen shouldn't have to trace her issues back to plausible causes.

'''Vacation:''' surely your main character can meet people away from home and his/her normal life. Time is short, and sightseeing can be quite distracting.

'''Reunion:''' after some time apart, the main character is once again meeting people from his/her recent past. Have they grown up? How have they changed over the years? (Are they unrecognizable?) Do they genuinely miss each other? Can their relationships improve now? This can be done very well, but be wary of making it too much like ''VisualNovel/{{Kanon}}'', considering how influential that game was.

'''Reunion:''' after some time apart, the main character is once again meeting people from his/her recent past. Have they grown up? How have they changed over the years? (Are they unrecognizable?) Do they genuinely miss each other? Can their relationships improve now? This can be done very well, but be wary of making it too much like ''{{Kanon}}'', considering how influential that game was.

If you don't want your story to drifting into {{WAFF}} territory, consider adding an active antagonist. Or put the characters into threatening situations.

''ElvenRelations''. A fairly serious fantasy story which is also a harem story. It contains optional RPG battles.

''KatawaShoujo''. It sounds like a sick fetish game, with your love interests being crippled, but it's actually a well written visual novel with characters that are interesting and fun, with an awesome soundtrack, themes that are well-researched and taken seriously, and moments that make you want to smile and cry at the same time.

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It's common to find characters who are MoeMoe, Bishoujo, Bishounen, or YaoiGuys. Not every character is what they appear at first. A WholesomeCrossdresser can exist, and even be an available character, in {{Bishoujo Game}}s.

Think about creating a multiplayer dating simulation. First, consider what sort of story and gameplay would appeal to fans who would be willing to compete or cooperate. Second, decide what sort of content you will include. Will you exclude the Otaku audience? Will you create the video game equivalent of board games for couples? Third, work on specific elements. Perhaps you could create a simulation in which players compete to win the hearts of 2D girls or guys. Maybe you could create a MoeMoe raising sim in which players raise characters... and perhaps have them fight!

Any of the above could conceivably be crossdressers. Any of them could have one or more [[DudeLooksLikeALady traps]]/{{bifauxnen}} as potential love interests. If you're using a straight protagonist, you could throw in a member of the same sex as a GayOption, or even include a dateable member of the opposite sex if your protagonist is gay.

If you think your audience doesn't know the difference between an H-Game and an all-ages game, then perhaps you should mess with their expectations. You can encourage the audience to use its imagination. You could present a scene where it first seems as though the main character is having sex, but then reveal that something else is happening. You could include a scene which suggests that the main character's friend or rival has a non-platonic love interest. Or you could surprise your audience with a trap.

1. Are you prepared to make a stat-driven dating simulation which approaches the complexity of ''TokimekiMemorial'', or a raising sim as intricate as ''PrincessMaker''? (If so, you better have a lot of time, resources, and assistants who are committed to work with you.)

2. Do you want to just make a simple VisualNovel?

3. Or are you ready to create a hybrid-genre game (for example, including RPG elements)?

1. Heterosexual male. Yes, you may have seen it already. However, there's more out there than sex romps. Boy-meets-girl(s) stories exist in all sorts of flavors. They can be silly, they can be cute, they can be tragic, they can be twisted...

2. Heterosexual female. As of 2009, the OtomeGame genre has been around for fifteen years. And unlike bishoujo games, it didn't begin with porn -- no, the first one was Angelique, on Super Famicom.

3. Gay male. If you're working in the BoysLoveGenre, then your characters will be somewhere between androgynous and feminine. If you're working in [[{{Bara}} the lesser known gay genre]], then your characters will be ManlyGay.

4. [[{{Yuri}} Gay female]]. A tiny genre. See also SchoolgirlLesbians.

''{{Sprung}}'', in addition to having few romance options and a mostly linear story, is also plagued with TrialAndErrorGameplay and GuideDangIt. Beyond some SugarWiki/FunnyMoments and the option to play as either a man or a woman, there is little to recommend it.

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1. Heterosexual male. Yes, you may have SeenItAMillionTimes. However, there's more out there than sex romps. Boy-meets-girl(s) stories exist in all sorts of flavors. They can be silly, they can be cute, they can be tragic, they can be twisted...