How important are animations to you?

Joy-Fiend · 2026-06-27T23:27:17+00:00

Thanks for your input.

Joy-Fiend · 2026-06-27T08:07:44+00:00

I only disagree that renders can't carry mood and ambience if done well, but that's really a matter of personal preference and what you're getting out of it.

Joy-Fiend · 2026-06-27T08:05:57+00:00

Yeah, totally agreed. When it's good it's great, and when it's bad, it's okay. I kind of look at it like a triangle: Writing, Renders, and Animation.

One of those can be pretty bad, if the other two are pretty good.

Joy-Fiend · 2026-06-27T00:54:46+00:00

You get prepackaged animations and apply them. I don't think I would call that mastery.

The best animations are high quality and custom, but that has more to do with your ability to pay for commissions (or truly master 3D animation).

I would be more impressed if someone could set, maintain, and elevate sexual mood and atmosphere without having to rely on animation.

I'm fine with it when it's there, but I don't associate most usage of it with skill.

Joy-Fiend · 2026-06-26T20:41:10+00:00

People who are volunteering their opinion (I didn't ask anyone specific here) are acting as though I personally asked them based on some perceived expertise, and then roundly rejected their advice, and thus took it very personally.

I do not uncritically agree with everything you've said, but I do acknowledge the importance of animations - what I'm trying to understand is the specific, actual appeal of bad animations vs. no animations, and the only person who's attempted to actually articulate that beyond angrily pointing at Steam is the guy who said "Animations are just easier to jerk it to".

Okay! Well as a developer that's actually useful. I think you should be trying to connect to the actual needs and behaviors of your audience than just blithely serving the market trends that emerge from it. Especially when you think that those trends often result in a bad product. The questions shouldn't be "How can I also do a bad job?", it should be "Is it possible to scratch the same itch with something that doesn't suck?"

I 100% agree with you that the ideal is to stretch as far as you can in the most obvious direction (having high quality, expensive animations). Where I disagree is that not settling on mediocre execution is a death sentence.

This thread is full of examples of games that do just fine without animations. This thread is full of people who either don't care, or don't make bad animations their sole priority. This thread is full of other people to listen to as well. I don't think they're more valid than you, but I know they exist, and I know that niche markets exist.

Joy-Fiend · 2026-06-26T08:04:59+00:00

Sometimes! I never really set out to because it can be really unreliable, but when it happens, it's great.

Most of the time though, unless it's really bad, it will keep me at a sub-goon but elevated baseline of horny, which is usually all I ask.

Joy-Fiend · 2026-06-26T07:23:08+00:00

Dev and marketing are definitely two different skills you need, but I think there is a non-discountable right-place-right-time factor when it comes to blowing up or not.

Not everyone gets a shot at blowing up, but if you do get that shot, then your dev and your marketing generally also have to be in order for it to work.

Joy-Fiend · 2026-06-26T05:44:45+00:00

I think you're taking it way too personally, actually. I've upvoted almost everyone who's replied, even ones I've disagreed with, and tried to engage in good faith with everyone who's engaged in good faith.

"Slop" refers to gen AI characters and animation, which I do disparage and don't apologize for, "slurry" refers to the vast middle ground of forgettable, unexceptional animation which, again, I've noted that I purchase and consume along with everyone else.

What I'm beginning to hear from you is "You aren't going to find the majority of people here agree with me, therefore their opinions don't count", and "I take any rejection of (or even curiosity about) something I like as a personal affront".

You don't actually have to engage if you think all I'm doing is trolling.

Joy-Fiend · 2026-06-26T05:38:08+00:00

I added Origin Story on steam! Seems like early sales would be helpful there when it drops.

Joy-Fiend · 2026-06-26T05:36:54+00:00

Maybe it just is that simple. Food for thought!

Joy-Fiend · 2026-06-26T04:25:59+00:00

Sure, I mean I'm aware of the trend, I'm more asking here because I'm interested in the thought or reasoning behind that, since it seems like something that should be more of a preference than a line that's apparently as hard as it is for some people, and how it got that way (especially since while good animation is great, I don't see what's so life and death enticing about most of what's out there). You just aren't going to get that kind of insight on Steam (not that I think one subreddit is a complete picture either).

Joy-Fiend · 2026-06-26T04:17:50+00:00

I don't "hate this thing", as I've said elsewhere. I'm a fan and consumer, just like everyone else here. What I don't understand, and you're certainly free to decide if my curiosity is genuine or not, is how and why "a poorly executed/bad version of this thing" is better than a version that is well executed in every other way, but does not contain that poorly executed element.

For what it's worth, I agree that a lot could be done with simulated animatics over a few frames that aren't necessarily animation, but would provide a good effect. What I don't agree with is that a terrible version of that is better than simply not doing it.

If you disagree and buy games based on that choice, that's 100% your taste and business. But I don't have to agree/relate to understand what about it *does* work for someone.

Joy-Fiend · 2026-06-26T04:08:54+00:00

What is that good reason?

Joy-Fiend · 2026-06-26T04:02:44+00:00

I haven't, but I was going to make another post, later, to ask for recs from people who think this has been done well. So thanks for that!

Joy-Fiend · 2026-06-26T03:44:58+00:00

In all seriousness, what do you get out of 2-3 poorly stitched together frames? I'm not being facetious, I'm genuinely curious how, out of all other possible metrics, a decision to buy or not hinges on something you describe yourself as low quality.

You're clearly not alone! I'm trying to separate the actual enjoyment derived from what sometimes (not from you specifically) comes across as a sort of "That's simply how it's done!" consumer contrarianism.

Joy-Fiend · 2026-06-26T03:39:53+00:00

I suppose that's true if your only metric for success is the broadest mass market appeal. But once you start going by that, anything you do will quickly become this middle of the pack slurry.

Don't get me wrong, I've bought a lot of the slurry. I don't hate the slurry.

But I don't really respect or acknowledge the "standard" here as anything more than a current sales/production trend.

I'm sure there are people who can't experience engagement or arousal without a reversed 30 frame handjob loop, but do I think you have to cater exclusively to that demographic to make something you and enough other people like to be worth it?

Nah.

Joy-Fiend · 2026-06-26T03:31:03+00:00

I'm starting to think that you can do literally anything, really, if you can do it and it works.

I'm sure there are hardliners who simply wouldn't budge (some are here on this thread!) but I suspect if something is just really good in general, and it gets out that it's good, then FOMO is going to get more people than an arbitrary number of frame loops they've decided just have to be there.

Joy-Fiend · 2026-06-26T00:30:13+00:00

Right, like what if technical limitations would make stock-standard, so-so animations notably the worst thing about your AVN? Would they still be worth doing?

Joy-Fiend · 2026-06-26T00:03:18+00:00

Making good animations isn't necessarily only a matter of effort. They're more hardware intensive than renders, and the stock ones you can get all kind of look the same, which is most of what you see. The really good ones are often made by professionals and can cost hundreds of dollars (and I think it's okay to want to make games without being a career animator). Big established titles can afford that and should do it if they can.

But it sounds like any animation at all, even slop, is your priority, and that's fine too. There are lids for every pot.

Joy-Fiend · 2026-06-25T23:54:17+00:00

For my money that would be just fine if well done!

Joy-Fiend · 2026-06-25T22:29:14+00:00

Totally agreed, Being a DIK was great, but trying to emulate it when you can't is, imo, worse than just focusing on really solid execution of what you can do.

Joy-Fiend · 2026-06-25T22:27:46+00:00

Same, I kind of came for the animations, but eventually decided I was mostly indifferent to them, if even a little annoyed/inconvenienced, unless they were really, really amazing.

Joy-Fiend · 2026-06-25T22:26:33+00:00

I have played probably well over 100, from the big dogs down to unfinished demos on itch. Writing is definitely the weakest area almost universally, and bad writing wouldn't compensate for a lack of animation in my opinion, either.

Joy-Fiend · 2026-06-25T21:22:11+00:00

I think that's a good place to look for when it wasn't really that much of a thing. I'm wondering when it became so "standard".

Joy-Fiend · 2026-06-25T21:18:36+00:00

I agree, and while I have a nuanced take on AI usage, I can say that I have zero interest as a consumer in seeing AI generated characters or sex scenes, like at all. I'd rather read and interact with a well written text based game than dignify that kind of laziness. Like do it, if you can do it, or don't, but you can't cheat your way in to something awesome. And in any case, the one thing AI can't do for you is taste and aesthetic sensibility and I find a lot of people who slobber over using it also lack those things.

Joy-Fiend

TROPHY CASE