This is an outline for family gameplay that can be built onto with more interactions, animations, and gameplay over time!
Parenting Styles:
The traits and moods of a parent can put them into one of these parenting categories and this will affect the way they autonomously parent!
- The “Soft” Parent:
- Parents who do not discipline at all and usually creates spoiled/ entitled brats who throw a tantrum if they don’t get what they want.
- The “Strict” Parent:
- Parents who overly discipline their child to unfair lengths which often causes the child/ teen to be extremely sneaky/ rebellious.
- The “Well Balanced Parent”:
- Parents who aren’t on any extreme sides of the spectrum. They only discipline when necessary which usually creates a child who is well mannered and respectful.
Responsibilities/ Chores:
-Kids/ Teens have general responsibilities they are expected to uphold:
- Listening to parents
- Passing Classes
- Showing up to school/ No skipping
And chores are house duties assigned by parents through a “Chore Board” which is divided amongst the household:
- Washing the dishes
- Doing the laundry
- Mopping
- Sweeping/ Vacuuming
- Cleaning up their bedrooms/ making their beds
Discipline:
When a child/ teen doesn’t uphold their responsibilities or chores, it could result in these consequences:
- Grounding- no play dates, no hanging out with friends, no going out, and not staying out past the assigned curfew.
- Taking away personal belongings: The phones or TV can be taken away from adolescents and teens. And toys or TV-time can be taken away from toddlers and children.
- Time-Out: this is for toddlers to children to spend a few minutes of silence in their rooms by sitting alone on their floors and thinking about their actions.
- Lectures: this is when parents to talk to their children about their wrongdoings BUT, can be done either aggressively (“Strict” style), smiley (“Soft” style), or firm yet compassionately (“Well Balanced” style).
- Earlier Curfew for teens who get in trouble at school, get repetitive bad grades, or caught skipping school. This limits time they’re able to be outside of the house.
- Curfew Times: After school hours, after sunset, or any specific time the parents set. Past midnight is generally when ALL teens should be home.
- Teens can sneak out of their windows past curfew BUT will be brought back home in a cop car if they aren’t sneaky enough walking past a cop.
- If a teen tries to use a fake ID at an ADULT club it results in a hilarious scene of them being kicked out by the bouncers and the bouncers calling the cops​
- No Hanging out with Boyfriends/ Girlfriends: restricts access from teens hanging out with their “sweethearts”. Maybe the parent has seen horrible behavior of this sweetheart or the teen is already grounded… BUT, teens can also sneak out of their windows in order to hangout with their sweetheart… If teens are caught here well… let’s hope they have the “Soft” or “Well balanced” parent​
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- When teens are sneaking out with their sweetheart, they can be caught if seen by friends of their parents or actual parents.
- When teens are sneaking out with their sweetheart, they can be caught if seen by friends of their parents or actual parents.
Sibling Dynamics:
These dynamics form when the child is born and is based on the traits they were born with, can be changed with parent discipline, (or players playing the child) and actually affects the autonomous behavior between siblings​
6 Main Types​
Negative:
- “The Annoying Sibling” - likes to playfully tease their siblings
- “The Jealous Sibling” -one sibling jealous of parents affection to the other
- “Competitive Rivalry” -both siblings who constantly try to one up each other with everything from grades to skill performance.
Positive:
- “The Nurturing/ Protective Sibling” -wants to protect their sibling from anything or anyone that brings them harm .
- “The Best Friend Closeness” -siblings have a best friend closeness that continue this way into adulthood.
- “The Healthy Boundaries” sibling dynamic -siblings understand when to share and when to give space to each other.
I think these simple systems alone could add so much depth and storytelling potential to family gameplay in InZoi and would put InZoi ahead in family gameplay than any other life sim by far!