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Hey everyone! Do you have any advice about organizing your dialogue and in-game menu choices as you write? I'm writing my dialogue and plot straight in Ren'Py, but my menu choices are multiplying like crazy. It's like a tree with branches that keeps on multiplying...

What is your process when you write a game, to keep things organized? Do you have any tips or techniques? Do you use lots of #comments? Do you try to fill out all dialogue options as you go along, or leave loose ends for later, after completing the writing for a particular storyline?

I'm also drawing and doing artwork as I go. I've got placeholders right now, but I'm interested to know other people's workflows for creating a game. (Having all art work first, then writing....doing a skeletal plot first, then filling in....or just writing by the seat of your pants after having a general concept.)

Your insight is much appreciated. Thank you!

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Before I start writing, I outline just about everything (all the choices, all the branches, etc) so I can keep myself organized and focused. Creating a visual of it helps, too - that way I can follow along on the picture. I code as I write the story directly into Ren'Py. I use a ton of #comments when I write. The amount of #comments I use is pretty ridiculous, actually, but it helps me a whole lot. I can't recommend using them enough, even if you only use them to keep track of your word count at certain points.

I prefer working on every option as I go. For example, say Choices A through C will all eventually lead to Plot Segment 2. I write A, B, and C before I start writing Plot Segment 2. I've already got the plot outlined out at that point, so it's a matter of adding meat to the skeleton, so to speak. It's made me have to write my unannounced visual novel with three different mindsets (the choices have an effect on his personality), but it's cool. I like it.

As evidenced by my NaNoReNo project, I'm not an artist, so I leave art for last if I'm not paying for it. So yeah - first I outline, then I write/code everything without narrowing in on a specific storyline.

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Main Website * Tumblr
Play: In This Dream of Ours (5/7/2012)
Working on: Skylines, Dream's Dénouement, The Girl in Red
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I diagram the "best" path for a basic story unit (if your chapters are relatively self-contained, then that's the basic unit) on paper. Then I go back in and add branches. I use a lot of variables, so I include those on the diagram so it's easy for me to say, "How many x points can they have at y point?"

I usually end up redrawing the diagram a few times, but I don't mind because it helps me stay organized and I like watching the storyline shape up. When I actually start scripting I do the main branch first before working on other branches.

I use a bunch of placeholder images for testing purposes. I'm not an artist so I'd rather have a solid script before figuring out the art stuff.

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Lucky Special Games - Locked-In - Young Earth Road Trip - The Censor (Nano 2013) WIP

Repost:
When I'm writing a Visual Novel, I use a handy little freeware Mind-mapping program to outline all the major turning points and menu branches. FreePlane: http://freeplane.sourceforge.net/wiki/index.php/Main_Page

Options Closed


Options Open.


All the bubbles are collapsible and it allows Jumps to any other bubble (the green arrows). This way you can have multiple branches jump to one result without needing to repeat yourself.

Even better, with this little program you can test-drive paths, menu choices, and results simply by clicking a bubble open, or clicking a green arrow to another bubble. If you've missed or forgotten something it's quickly obvious.

This program also has a spell-check, (you have to turn it on,) so you can write the entire thing out and copy-paste the text directly into Renpy. It also allows hyperlinking, file connection, and images so you can figure out exactly what your game will need before you even open Renpy.

I wouldn't have been able to make my game FaeryTale without it.

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Ookami Kasumi ~ Purveyor of fine Smut.
Erotic Visions ~ Visual Novels

• What kind of Fiction should YOU Write? [Quiz Game] ~ PG
• The Erotic Story Generator ~ R-18
• The Visitor ~ Classic Horror/Vampire ~ PG-13

"No amount of great animation will save a bad story." -- John Lasseter of Pixar

Thanks for the insight, guys!!!!

I'm going to try that tool tomorrow, OokamiKasumi.

I'm hoping I can also find a similar tool for my ipad/ipod so I can write while away from my computer.

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FreePlane has made designing my plot-lines a snap, seriously. I can even test drive each branch individually to make sure all options actually reach their results.

I don't know if it'll work on an ipad, but it couldn't hurt to try!

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Ookami Kasumi ~ Purveyor of fine Smut.
Erotic Visions ~ Visual Novels

• What kind of Fiction should YOU Write? [Quiz Game] ~ PG
• The Erotic Story Generator ~ R-18
• The Visitor ~ Classic Horror/Vampire ~ PG-13

"No amount of great animation will save a bad story." -- John Lasseter of Pixar

Played around with both Freeplane and Freemind yesterday. It will take me some getting used to! Thanks for posting up your outline in Freeplane, by the way. The outline is kind of incredible!

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In case anyone is interested, I installed IthoughtsHD on my iPad, which exports to free plane and free mind.

It was around $10...not free, but it's been amazing to use so far, if anybody has an iPad and wants to mindmap their plots. Thanks again for the tips!

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I started out with Freemind, but went to Freeplane because it does everything that Freemind does, (they even save as the same document types.) However Freeplane also has a Spell-check, you can format the Text in different sizes and fonts, and you can set up links that will pop you from a bubble on one side of the diagram to the other without needing connectors. Freeplane just does More.


Glad you liked it.
-- Just so you know, that wasn't all of it. Plotting, after all, is my specialty.

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Ookami Kasumi ~ Purveyor of fine Smut.
Erotic Visions ~ Visual Novels

• What kind of Fiction should YOU Write? [Quiz Game] ~ PG
• The Erotic Story Generator ~ R-18
• The Visitor ~ Classic Horror/Vampire ~ PG-13

"No amount of great animation will save a bad story." -- John Lasseter of Pixar

Besides FreePlan, a friend suggested this program:

Yed Graph Editor
http://www.yworks.com/en/products_yed_about.html

I haven't used it but he says it's pretty good

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Come see what we're making in the labs! Project Updates, Artwork, and more at http://luminouslabs.blogspot.com/
Visual Novel Project:Liquid Metal Angel

Thank you for that! I'm really enjoying writing out everything in FreePlane, and your model was pretty helpful to get me started. Thanks for posting it!

I'm glad you like it!
-- I've found that FreePlane makes figuring out menu options, and their results, amazingly easy. The hyperlink connectors (green arrows) are particularly useful when several options end up in the same place.

I'm glad my model is proving helpful. Just remember that its not the only way to do it!
-- This style of story mapping has a tendency to make for a huge game.

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Ookami Kasumi ~ Purveyor of fine Smut.
Erotic Visions ~ Visual Novels

• What kind of Fiction should YOU Write? [Quiz Game] ~ PG
• The Erotic Story Generator ~ R-18
• The Visitor ~ Classic Horror/Vampire ~ PG-13

"No amount of great animation will save a bad story." -- John Lasseter of Pixar

I sure learned that! XD I needed a few more locations to fill out the fourteen days of the story, and suddenly the choices kind of exploded. That's alright, though, it gives me lots to work with.

I have *no idea* how you do anything with more than three characters! The choices, the choices!

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blog | deviantart
Working on Charmed, an otome based on Particle Physics.
Aubade, where Egressus works on vns WITH SCIENCE.

I use Chat Mapper (http://www.chat-mapper.com/) for my complex dialogues and scribble down flow-charts for my scene 'blocks' in a book.

I also use a big whiteboard with lots of sticky notes for my development, a hold-over from my time using a Scrum methodology for project management.

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Recent work - iSchool Dreams: First Semester / iSchool Dreams: My Valentine (iPhone / iPad, dating sims)