Something else I meant to write about earlier, but with one thing and another I forgot.

I did a review of the prologue and episode one of OPlay’s Dragon Academy, and had concerns about the cost. Well, it’s now been over a month since this was released, and still no sign of episode two. Not a good start for a game that was apparently supposed to be monthly.

One of the key things needed for something like this to succeed is consistency, people need to know that it’s going to be released on time, at the same time every month. Most people would have had at least three episodes of the game ready to before launching, giving them a three month breathing window after the launch.

Sadly though it looks like it’s going to be a while longer before the next episode is released. How long? Well, you guess is as good as mine I did ask if there was a time frame for the next chapter, but as of yet have had no reply to my email, and to be honest I haven’t really felt motivated enough to chase it up >.<

One of the things a friend of mine who played it commented about was the lack of a female interest. She’s a rabid yuri fanatic (she makes my fanaticism over Yen Press look like a normal thing lol) and she thinks the game needed a yuri element.

Initially I didn’t think much on this, but then I realised how great an angle this would be. Rather than being the generic go after the boy murder mystery, we could mix in yuri elements and have her go any way. This could add some interesting twists to the story, and possibly make it worth getting (though I still feel it’s over priced).

I was about to head on over to the OPlay forum to post it as a suggestion, when I found someone had already beaten me to it, and this was the answer given by AudryT:

…..In regards to yuri, Dragon Academy is not gender-restrictive when it comes to budding romances.  So far, you’ve only met guys, but in later episodes when there are female schoolmates, they can be pursued as well.

If this turns out to be a full blown route, as in the girls get the same sort of route plan as the two boys we’ve been introduced to already have, then this will be something to check out.

However if the girls end up being nothing more than diversions, then it will fall flat on it’s face. The other concern is if there are to many characters. The more suitors there are the more work involved. I think it’s better to set a certain number, 2 male possibilities with 2 female possibilities, for example. Keep it balanced, but not with to many of either.

The other thing I noticed about this is that they’ve listed episode one as having a play time of 45 minutes. When I saw that I wondered who was playing when they timed it, a blind old granny?? It took me a mere ten minutes to play it through, and at best fifteen to twenty minutes for all the extra possibilities. Over half the time they have listed.

For me to buy any more after episode three though, they’ll need to motivate me. Something in episode three will have to make me go WTF in a huger way, and make me want the next episode. However the next episode has to be released in a timely fashion as well. As time goes by peoples desire to buy will dwindle as they get into other things.

OPlay is breaking into a new area, and the next three months will make or break it.