Sheltered [GxB][Romance][Drama][Magic][Non-Profit]

[quiltedcorgi]

I don't know if I should wait longer to post this or not, but I'd love to hear feedback on the idea...

[GxB][Romance][Drama][Magic][Non-Profit]

At Furever Homes Animal Shelter, fostering a homeless dog or cat is an important part of the rescue process.
Because we are a no-kill shelter, we gets dozens of calls from others in the area requesting we take an animal from them,
who may be euthanized very soon. We can only take in as many animals as we have space for - which is where you come in!

Your becoming a foster family not only means we can free up a kennel here at the shelter, but you get the rewarding
experience of saving two lives! The animal you take with you may only stay for a few weeks, but during that time,
you allow them to go from being unwanted to a cherished companion. This is especially helpful for those with special
needs or our depressed animals who’ve been here a while.

We could not exist as a rescue and do the work we do, if not for the great assistance our foster families provide.
Thanks for everything you do. We hope you will continue to support the work we do here.


When the director of Furever Homes Animal Shelter asks if you are interested in fostering one of the more depressed dogs
for a few weeks, you agree with little hesitation. Besides, you’ve been interested in getting a pup of your own for a while.
You have been studying up on animal care and this will be a great chance to experience being a dog owner.

However, no studying could prepare you to wake up the morning after you bring your new companion home -
only to find a naked human in your bed! And...is he wearing a dog collar!?




You’ve been working at Furever Homes Animal Shelter for a little over six months now, and we are grateful for the
dedication you’ve shown. It’s volunteers like you who come in every week that help keep the rescue operating. And now
you want to volunteer as one of our foster families? Amazing! We couldn’t be more pleased.

We hope your new animal companion and you get along well. Whether you only spend a few days or a few weeks
together before he goes to his furever home, the impact you have on each other will be life changing. With a little bit
of effort and care on your part, you will come to know the deep and unconditional love only a dog can give.

Rina* (default name) has always been a little introverted and awkward around people. She thought college would bring
her out of her shell and, while Helen introduced her to some other students, no one's has really stuck. Now she's
in her sophomore year and her days are spent in class, at work, or volunteering at the animal shelter. It's not the
worse thing in the world; she's content. However, it would be nice to make a new friend or find a boyfriend...


Sully, the Pit Bull

Sully’s the fun loving companion most people imagine when they say dogs are "man's best friend". He's affectionate
and loves cuddling with the shelter’s volunteers. He seems well trained, knows several different commands, and doesn’t
beg - which is always a plus! So far, he seems to love everyone and everything.

Zane, the Border Collie

Zane is a bit distant and will take a while to warm up to you. Before coming to Furever Homes, he had some problems
with his previous owner, but part of that is just speculation based on how he acts here at the shelter. We’ve tried to work
with him on socialization, and hope you can continue to be patient with him.

Bailey, the Beagle
Bailey is a ball of energy and loves to be on the go - whether by foot or wheel. He enjoys the car rides when volunteers
take him to our adoption events. However, even if you have a fenced in yard, you need to keep him under supervision.
He is a hound, and will follow his nose into mischief.

Grim, the Black Labrador Retriever
Grim is an athlete whose favorite activity is chasing tennis balls. He’s a bit of a flirt and seems to favor the ladies.
He will need ample exercise in any household he goes to. He's our social butterfly and enjoys spending time playing
with the other dogs.

Ace, the Chihuahua
Ace is definitely one of our ‘big dogs in a small dog’s body’. He seems to have no idea how short he is in comparison to
our bigger dogs, and will rough house when he plays. He needs a little more help than others as he hasn’t been properly
trained with the usual "sit-stay" commands.

Marx, the German Shepherd
Marx is a bit on the shyer side and prefers a quiet environment. This is in part because he’s one of our special needs dogs.
He suffers from myopia - nearsightedness - and gets jumpy about things moving quickly out of his range of vision.
You'll need to stay close to him on walks as he worries if he can't see you. He is exceedingly gentle.


Helen is your best friend, and has been ever since she punched a bully for picking on you during lunch nearly 10 years ago.
Sometimes you’re not quite sure how you’ve stayed friends for so long, as she can be a bit intense. She’s outgoing, upbeat,
and loyal to her friends.

Oliver is the director in charge of animal care at Furever Homes Animal Shelter, a privately owned and operated 501(c)3 nonprofit
organization involved in animal welfare. He is one of the few individuals responsible for creating the much needed rescue.
He’s a kind man with a passion for helping animals find a place worth belonging to.

Nameable MC (Default: Rina*)
Estimated 75k+ wordcount, or about 1-2 hours per route*
6 Obtainable Bachelors (Possibly 1 unlockable)
18+ Possible Endings
Education: Learn as characters discuss among themselves
the state of American animal shelters and rescues, the different
dog breeds, and ways to be involved.
Extras include: Unlockable CG gallery, music playlist, and more!

This game was created with charity in mind!
Once this game has been fully funded/developed, I do have plans to commercially sell it -
however, all profit will be donated to support a national animal welfare charity.
There are three currently in mind.

Considering:
Humane Society of the United States
Banefield Charitable Trust
Best Friends Animal Society

Music comes CC by 4.0 from Music is VFR. Main Theme currently is Tekuteku Arukou
Ideally I’d like to get custom music, but that’s a low priority at this moment.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B0fkUQ ... sp=sharing

All images right now are subject to change. The GUI will probably change and the placeholders
(park day by Fox Lee and male student 1 from Elze) come from the Creative Commons here and will not be
included at all in the end project. But you can start to get a feel for the atmosphere I’m trying to create at least.





Script - 12%
Sprites - 3%
CG Backgrounds - 0%
Backgrounds - 0%
Music/SFX - 90%

Once I get the script finished (or at least 75% completed), my top priority will be to hire a few artists to create
sprites, cg event, and possibly a GUI…As you can see, I already have a custom GUI I personally designed, but
while it looks okay, I don’t believe it is professional enough for something I plan to market commercially…

Following that, I would need a programmer to program the GUI and do any leftover complicated stuff I’m not capable
of (Maybe I should do this earlier?). I tried to program the GUI I have now, and it ended in tears. No one was happy,
haha. However, I can manage adding images to a script and in-game menus/flags.


When do I hope for this game to come out?

I plan to have a script 100% finished by early 2016 (maybe sooner), along with a good portion of the coding.
The Demo would be released as soon as I have the artwork. Demo is currently planned to be about 20-25 minutes,
featuring the prologue and the first chapter for every obtainable character route.

Is this is your first Visual Novel? Do you have any completed work prior to this for us to see?

This is indeed my first. I know I took a plunge here, instead of easing into things. Ultimately, I don’t imagine I will
be able to raise the funds needed to hire artists by myself without crowdfunding. Since I want to market commercially
for charity, I want Sheltered to be as clean and professional a project as possible and I just don’t think that is possible
unless I find some very generous artists offering to work for free.

Because of this, I do plan to produce a non-related, short (<30 minutes), freeware VN before I completely finish
Sheltered to show people a completed product with my name on it. I know someone may not want to get involved/fund
Sheltered without seeing some finished work of mine.

Do you think you can handle something of this scale? What is your biggest concern/risk with something so large? Can you even complete it?

Very valid question. I do think I can get this done, but I know some parts will be hard. I don’t have the same restrictions
with my time as many others do, so I’m able to devote large amounts of my day to working on this...But I may get
discouraged or get writer’s block from time to time. I think everyone creative feels that way about their work sometimes.
However, the premise of this and its message mean a lot to me, and I don’t want it to die before it reaches its audience. I will finish it.

What is the screen resolution for this?

The display I’m working at currently is 1024 x 768.

First impressions? Would you be interested in playing this game? Why or why not?
Which dateable character are you most interested in? Why?
Would you buy this game? What price would be reasonable to you?
Does the fact that the proceeds are for charity make it more appealing?
Any additional questions or concerns?

PLEASE, if you have taken the time to read this far, I’d love to hear a critique!

Updates:
10/3/2015 - Created Thread for Sheltered in WIP: Ideas section
10/9/2015 - Updated with progress to Sully's route (Chap 1); Announced sprite/cg artist
11/1/2015 - Updated progress on Sully's route; Along with Riiko's progress on sprite sketches
11/4/2015 - Added Information about MC into introductory post

[Charlie599]

First impressions? Would you be interested in playing this game? Why or why not?

The "s" as a lead is quite clever, as is "Furever Homes".
"...only to find a naked human in your bed! And...is he wearing a dog collar!?"
//Omg// That caused a mixed response from me. Kinky but adorable? Pfft. XD How old are these...dog-men?
The combination of magic, romance and animals sold me (especially as yours will be dogs - I <3 dogs) I loved Dandelion Wishes Brought To You so the whole animal-turned-man idea definitely appeals to me.
Lovely and ambitious of you to do this as your first game! Good luck.

Which dateable character are you most interested in? Why?

Zane. I'm curious about his past. He seems like he'll be the guy that takes forever to like you but once he does you can be sure it's forever. Also because he sounds exactly like my boyfriend and that makes me biased.

Would you buy this game? What price would be reasonable to you?

Yes, I would ^-^ Well, going off Dandelions' price - $29.99 (I got it on special for $20 though)

Does the fact that the proceeds are for charity make it more appealing?

It really, really does. Not that commercial works for profit are bad or anything. But the fact that it'll be for charity would make would-be investors and consequent buyers feel good - they get a lovely game and support a worthy cause. Win-win.

Any additional questions or concerns?

I know it's ridiculously early but I'm offering to beta test this now because I'm already an impatient? fan. :3

[Agashi]

1. The concept sounds interesting, and you have some fresh ideas here. I'm eager to see more of the execution, but as far as first impressions go, I am definitely interested!

2. Marx. I'm a sucker for quirky, neurotic characters and he sounds like he might be a little bit of a woobie, which I really, REALLY can't resist. Also, German Shepards are a breed of dog I've always been fond of, they are so beautiful and noble-looking.

3. I would buy this, especially considering the proceeds will be going to charity, however, how much I'd pay for it would largely depend on the quality. If you cut corners here and there to lower production costs, I'd consider paying upwards of $9. For a high-quality, well-written, professional-looking game, I would pay no more than $30.

[quiltedcorgi]

@Charlie599: Haha, thanks! As humans, they will generally act/appear as 18+yo in age. Their actual dog ages will differ, but Zane is the oldest. Actually I've heard of Dandelion Wishes Brought To You, but had never looked much into/played it. After your comment, I started to watch a Let's Play of the game. It looks fun, but I'm also quite happy to say the two will be different. And I will definitely let you know when I get far enough along for testers! I hope to live up to your expectations!

@Agashi: Thank you for your input, and I'm happy to at least attempt adding something new to the community. I do hope to produce something clean and professional, especially as I'm very aware of what *I* would spend on a game. Since this is more for charity than myself, I want to make sure I do the best I can.

[quiltedcorgi]

Writing progress: I now have the first section for Sully's Route complete. Then after some research and a play through by some friends, I've gone back and fine tuned some stuff with the prologue. I think it will help set the stage to create a much more compelling MC.

Visual progress: I have an artist!!!! I'm very excited to be working with Riiko08. You've probably seen her work here on LSF, and she's gearing up to complete her own game, Locked Heart. The demo is already out, so you should go play it! You can also find her work at http://kooriiko.deviantart.com/. Riiko will be working on human sprites and cgs.

[quiltedcorgi]

I am so terrible at weekly updates, I'm sorry! I've been trying to remember to report something every week, but as this is in the beginning stages, nothing groundbreaking has really happened yet. Maybe it will come easier/faster when more substantial progress has been made. Here IS what I can report on though:

Riiko has sketched out five of the characters. We now have a basic design for our MC, Oliver, Helen, Sully, and Zane. All of them fit so well with who they are as characters.

I will still need an animal sprite and background artist. I have my eye on a few possible candidates for the dogs' artist, but I wanted to get further in the story before I send out a few notices for recruiting - considering I don't have much to offer with this being a non-profit game. I'm playing with doing the backgrounds myself since there are a lot of scenes I want, but I'm not positive. Story is my #1 priority, after all.

I've switched over from using a regular word document to using Twine, which has been very helpful with the writing and reviewing process. I can visualize how the story branches and comes together, following paths in the same way you would in Ren'Py.

The story format takes place within day to day progressions, which will vary in length but each day should play a minimum of 4-5+ minutes (of course this differs based on reading speed). Each game route will be approx. the prologue + 30 days. The demo will be the prologue + 5-6 Days.

There will be a game mechanic for viewing how well you are relating to your chosen bachelor. There are both friendship and romance endings. Your goal in the story will be to build both his relationship with you and his understanding of humanity.

I'm currently writing Sully the pitbull's route, and am working at getting to the end of demo sequence. The hardest part? It would probably be choosing when to include choices. I want each decision to matter, even if it's in some small way. So I'm actively working on finding points I can create moments worth deciding something, and not railroading players into choosing what I feel is important so they don't missing something vital to the story. There is no true ending in this. It is 100% up to the players what endings they get.

] I've mentioned this before, but it bears repeating - while this is a standard otome game, it's ALSO an educational tool/game. There's a lot of research I do while writing to make sure I'm not spreading false information. It does make writing go a little slower, but it's worth it. The biggest challenge here is taking that information and breaking it down into bite-sized pieces worth reading. Riiko's been super helpful with this. The first draft I sent her was a bit of an information overload as I dumped all this knowledge regarding shelters and pitbulls on her.

Things you can learn from this game (so far):

What's the role of animal shelters in America (where story takes place), and briefly touches on how some of them operate
Different dog breeds - origin of the breed, health concerns, dogs in the news, temperments, and exercise/grooming levels
How animal fostering works, and why it's important
What to do when welcoming a new dog to your home

I hope to send the next section of story to Riiko for reading though tonight.

[anon2045]

First impressions? Would you be interested in playing this game? Why or why not?

This is such a cute concept and you have fleshed it out in an interesting way. I'm interested to see the execution, but from what I've seen so far I'm definetely interested in playing this. I'm also impressed by the presentation, organization, and detail of your first post. You already have screencaps up and while I can tell that it's very much a work in progress (esp. with the placeholder sprites), I still get the impression that you made a lot of progress, which is great as first impressions go.

Which dateable character are you most interested in? Why?

Marx and Zane. Their personalities sound the most appealing since I'm always inclined for the more introverted types. I also have a weakness for playing routes where the dateable character is more distant and takes a while to take a liking to you. It makes it more fun and rewarding when they do. Marx sounds very quirky and sweet and his situation pokes at my heartstrings, so I'm definetely interested in his route as well. Definitely a tie.

Would you buy this game? What price would be reasonable to you?

As others said, it will depend a lot on the quality of the game. For high quality game, twenty bucks would be reasonable, but I think many people are okay with paying more considering it's for charity.

Does the fact that the proceeds are for charity make it more appealing?

Definitely a yes.

Any additional questions or concerns?

One concern I have was there was not much detail of the MC's personality on this post. Most of the time the MC's character is what makes or breaks the game for me. It's very important for her to feel like an actual person, not a self-insert and not just a tool to advance the plot. It is my hope that you spend as much time developing her persnality and appeal as you do with the other characters. Other than that, I have no other concerns.

Also, if you're ever looking for an idea-bouncer, proofreader, or beta-tester I will be happy to help. I know it's absurdly soon to volunteer myself as tribute, but I like the idea too much to pass up the opportunity.

I look forward to seeing the completion of your VN.

[cath-mg]

Oh my. Whoever it is up there has finally listened to my wish about pets-turned-to-human otome game. By any chance, was this inspired by the cd series 'I Love Pet'? No? Anyway. Definitely would play this once it's out.

First impressions? Would you be interested in playing this game? Why or why not?
Yes! I love the main concept for the game and I can't wait to see the sprites. Also, I'm a dog person so anything with dogs gets my attention immediately heheh

Which dateable character are you most interested in? Why?
Marx. He's gentle and it's a trait I love love and love. Also German Shepherd? Heck yeah.

Would you buy this game? What price would be reasonable to you?
That would depend on the final product. I would have to see some arts and concrete evidence that the story's appealing. $20-$30 seems like a reasonable amount if you're putting forth effort equal to professional game-making companies.

Does the fact that the proceeds are for charity make it more appealing?
YES! Although I don't live in America, it's good to know that I can help animals somewhere else on the part of the world.

Any additional questions or concerns?
I'm a little disappointed that there's no Golden Retriever or Siberian Husky, but that's okay ^^
I hope you find a programmer soon. Best wishes to you and your future team!

[quiltedcorgi]

@anon2045 - Thank you! Haha, I don't feel like I'm far enough along to consider myself more than just an idea. With only a small portion of the script written, I'd like to get at least 2 routes completed before I say I have a definitive end in sight.

You made a very good point about the MC! You're not the first person to comment on it, so I went back to the original post and wrote in some more details about her. She's a fun character who I hope most players can relate to. I just wasn't 100% sure how to write her into the intro post since she is nameable. That's sort of why I went the 'you' route, even though she does have some personality traits you-as-a-player may actually not.

@cath-mg - It actually wasn't, but I might take a look at it! This all was inspired by a combination of a few things...I had a dream I had a few years ago, where my dog was a male librarian in the 1800's. The idea popped back into my head after playing Hatoful Boyfriend and getting hooked on VNs. I've also been thinking about animal shelters a lot lately, and it all just came together from there.

So, game dev secret (lol, not really) - all the breeds in the game are among the top 10-15 dogs least likely to be adopted from a shelter. I love golden retrievers (my pet which inspired the idea!) and huskies, but they didn't quite fit the profile. One of the things I want to do by using this as part of an educational tool is to talk about WHY those specific breeds don't get adopted as often, and address concerns people may have with taking one of them in.

[cath-mg]

all the breeds in the game are among the top 10-15 dogs least likely to be adopted from a shelter

Oh, I didn't know about that! So there's a reason behind having those breeds as the characters

One of the things I want to do by using this as part of an educational tool is to talk about WHY those specific breeds don't get adopted as often, and address concerns people may have with taking one of them in.

I'm looking forward to that! Personally my family never adopted dogs from shelters (I'm not even sure we have a dog shelter in our city hmmm) but sometimes we picks up strays and mainly get them from owners who doesn't want them anymore. I would like to adopt a dog sometime in the future (once I have a steady income that can support both me and my pet), so those mentioned above could become useful information! Again, good luck with the game! <3

[Delany0714]

I can't with how cute this is. I just can't.

However, I would totally play it because I'm the type of girl that people question if she loves her dog more than her significant other... (Hint: I totally do. I just know he would actually do the dishes if I asked him to.)

And it is absolutely a worthy cause. I like the type of games that bring up a point about reality, and yours will, so extra bonus!

I am absolutely excited for this and would love to help if you need anything