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Circus Circus
Type of Game: Visual Novel/Management Sim/BxG Dating Sim
Word Count: 29,000 words

Short Intro
Circus Circus is about a black, albino child born from infidelity to wealthy and career minded parents. It is obvious the main character is not the son of the husband, but the couple does not break up because they do not want to ruin their careers. The mother is a lawyer and the father is a politician. So they squirrel this child away to be raised by nannies and caretakers for the rest of his life. The mother and father want nothing to do with him because in their eyes, he ruined their lives. So the main character runs away and lives on the streets. Through a series of events he is taken in by a stranger that runs a circus that is down on hard times and that is only the beginning of the adventure.

Meat and Potatoes
1. The game many different environments feature a variety of unique places you can visit. Each location has special character events that are specific to each NPC and some of them will have minigames that you can play.
2. To add to replay value there will be a special mode that you can unlock once you beat the game with a specific set of requirements fulfilled, but we aren't telling what they are
3. There will be multiple endings to the story that will depend on the choices you make in the game. In total there are 12 different endings...at least that is the last time I counted.
4. The player will have to manage their time carefully when playing because there is a in game clock that tracks the time. You will have to complete your job duties each day or suffer the consequences. Each job will consist of a series of mini-games that will get harder as you progress through the game. This feature will prevent the mini-games from becoming boring and tedious. It adds an element of challenge to the game.
5. The game will feature 5 possible pairings all of which are centered around the chase than the actual catch. You will have to work to get these girls ;P
6. The game focuses on the main characters interactions with the other characters in the game. By developing bonds, both positive and negative you can unlock tons of content. There is going to be a relationship system that gauges your relationships with every NPC. The harder the NPC is to get along with, the more rewards in store for you if you win over their heart.

Character count
30 Characters written so far (I told you it would be a massive game

Credits
Art and CG : WolfenAmphithere
Writing, Programming: Friendbot2000

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Sorry about the links everyone. I didn't know that the site doesn't acxept standard html links. I will fix them when I get home because I am currently at work posting off of my phone.

Edit: Post is now fixed!

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Sadly WolfenAmphithere is all tied up in schoolwork at the moment. The irony is that it is all Game Design homework, but not OUR game design stuff XD

However I have made progress on the script. I have written the scene where the main character was born and the initial shock of the infidelity. The scene gives you an insight to what the parents are like. It will be kind of graphic because I have made it very realistic to what goes into childbirth on the medical end and on the parent end. There will be no nudity, my artist is not comfortable with drawing nudity and quite frankly neither am I. I am lucky to have a mom as a nurse so she can give me all the details on what goes on medically. There is a little humor in the scene too along with a bit on intrigue that will leave your imagination thirsting for more. However that thirst will not be quenched because it is a purposeful unresolved intrigue that is only there for character development. Oh, and I created a badass nurse character that has really grown on me.

I have also gathered all the sound effects I need for the scene: hospital ambience, intercom noises, curtain closing sounds, doors shutting and opening, baby cries, you name it I have it. I am very aware of the importance of sound effects in VN's. I have have some I created myself with Audacity.

This is only a drop in the bucket though. The VN is going to be very long with lots of character subplots. Actually the VN is a little bit like a life-simulation with an overarching story. It is a very strange life simulation though XD

Another update to the blog will come soon. I updated once today with a writing tip for all of you that want to get better at writing stories. Here is the link. You might want to read this post because the newest one references it.

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So we had our first group meeting at Silver Diner and WolfenAmphithere and I came up with a whole bunch of features we are adding to Circus Circus. I am posting from my phone right now so I will just post a link to our blog. It will explain the rest. Feel free to comment on our ideas. I would really like to get some feedback from you all. Also, if you follow us I will give you a cookie. If a cookie doesn't satisfy you then do it for my feeling of self worth

Edit: All of our ideas are posted up in the first post. They are generalized mind you, we can't have you knowing everything

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I just realized that I had our blog's settings set to only allow google users to post comments. It is fixed now so if you want to comment you can. I would really like to hear from you all so I can get your input on some of the stuff we have planned. Please support us also by liking us on Facebook. We need all the support we can get to get our company off the ground.

Art will be coming soon. My partner finally has a break from school so she is churning out some concept art. She will be posting some of it soon so stay with us. Also we are going under a major site redesign so that is something to check out as well. I have also added some posts about character fluff.

Thanks for your support!

I will post the plans for the website and the progress we have made when I get home. Don't want to get carpal tunnel from posting on my phone too much

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Visit my game development group's Facebook page : Timekeeper Games
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 Here are some members of the supporting cast for your reading pleasure! You can also find more content on our team's blog. It is linked in my signature.

Amelia Taggot
Amanda Taggot has always been around horses. In fact the Taggot family has been breeding and raising horses for generations. Amanda is an excellent horseman and she performs in her parents act as a horse bound acrobat. She is a bright and cheery Southern gal that always looks on the bright side of life. She spends most of her time with the horses, but when she gets some time off she always goes and hangs out with Bill Reston, the pyrotechnics and special effects manager. She has a heavy interest in special effects, most of all explosives. She is very accepting and is kind to everybody. She doesn’t however know how to read very well. Since she has been traveling with the circus for her entire life she never got to go to school like a normal kid. Her parents tried to teach her themselves but they were not very knowledgeable either. Mickey Tavish, the costume designer and seamstress is trying to teach her, but she is finding it difficult since Amanda has some difficulties learning.

Wednesday Blake
Wednesday Blake is the fortune teller, Mathilde’s, daughter. She has four other sisters and no father. No one really knows what happened to him and no one has really bothered to ask. Wednesday comes from a long line of vagrants and gypsies so traveling and performing is in her blood. She is the center of the act that involves her sisters and her pet mob of crows. Her sisters add to Wednesday's performance by singing eerie melodies and performing skillful dances, while Wednesday's crow perform daring feats. Wednesday has many other talents outside of her crows. She is a fantastic actor that is in love with old Shakespearean plays. She is also a fencer.

Billie Halliday
Billie is from Uganda and emigrated here a little over 3 years ago. She is a phenomenal make-up artist and hair dresser, though her designs are quite weird. She came to the States because she wanted to be in the big city serving thousands of people and doing their hair and makeup. Unfortunately most places she applied to did not like her quirky sense of style and kicked her to the curb. She found a home among the circus folk at Handratty’s Circus and has been working there for a year. She is best friends with Mickey Tavish, the head seamstress. Billie is very hospitable and has a weird way of showing you that she likes you. It usually ends up in disaster, but she means well.
Mickey Tavish
Mickey is, for the lack of a better word, a midget that works as the head seamstress and costume designer at the circus. She has worked with the Handratty Circus for as long as anyone can remember and she certainly isn’t telling you her age. She subscribes to all the beauty magazines that she can find and has all sorts of creams and ointments to erase wrinkles and reviltalize skin. She is a hopeless romantic and hopes to one day find her “prince”. She reads a lot of trashy romance novels and constantly swoons over strapping young men that she sees in the crowd. She is a total flirt that isn’t bashful at all. She is good friends with Billie Halliday and they spend most of their time together.

Frank Handratty
Frank Handratty is the 70 year old owner of Hanratty’s Circus Emporium. The circus has been in his family for generations, but lately it has fallen on hard times. Handratty is doing his best to keep the circus afloat but he needs something big to come his way to turn the fortunes of the circus around. Handratty is a very witty, old man. He constantly wears a sly grin that means he is up to mischief. He is kind to children and sympathetic to the plights of others. However he often lets these sympathies get the best of his better judgment. He no longer has any family left so he considers his circus his family. Everybody respects and honors Frank, he is just that kind of guy that commands respect as soon as he walks in the room.

Lucius Bale
Lucius is a huge Samoan that performs as the STRONGEST MAN IN THE WORLD. He has been with the circus for several years and so far he loves it. At first glance one might think he is just a stupid muscle head but he is actually very intelligent and has a dual Masters in History and British Literature. His mobile home is filled to the brim with books on all sorts of different subjects. He travels with Handratty’s circus because he thirsts for the open road and new experiences that teaching in a stuffy classroom could never offer him. His major flaw is that he has a temper. He does not like disorderly conduct and tardiness. If you piss him off, watch out!

Yumi Tanaka
Yumi is a trapeze acrobat that comes from a very traditional Japanese family. On the surface she is very prim and proper but underneath that composed exterior lies a rebellious youth just waiting to burst out. Trouble is that her father and mother are very strict and keep her under a close watch lest she fall down the wrong path. Yumi has to keep all her wants and desires a secret from her family. For instance she is actually a very good violin player, but her father will have none of that so she hides her violin somewhere safe and plays it in secret. She wishes she could go to a conservatory to study music, but her parents do not have the money or the desire to send her to college. She has to partake in the family tradition of becoming an acrobat.

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So this week I really buckled down and wrote like a boss! 29,000 words in total and there is much more to come! I started working on some of the endings. So far I have one super good ending that is really hard to get too. Well, not hard persay. You just have to put a lot of time into developing other characters stories to get there. Let me tell you though, it is probably the happiest ending I have ever written. Writing happy endings is kind of a weird feeling for me because I am usually a Debbie Downer when it comes to endings. Anyways, tons of progress on the script, but not so much on art.

I have a question for you all. As you know our game is set in a circus. We plan to have a lot of minigames to break up the gameplay, but I am stuck on what kind of games we should use. What kind of minigames do you think belong in a circus VN?

I would appreciate feedback too. I am not really feelin the love here

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FEEL THE LOVE

There ya go! This thread needed way more color. Your game is about a damn Circus! Have you no concept of how theatrical a Circus-themed thread should be!? That's why you're not getting a lot of replies. Visual aids, man!

CIRCUS CIRCUS! THE MOST FANTASTICAL SHOW IN THE WORLD!


STARRING Yumi Tanaka as the DARING TRAPEZE ARTIST!


Amelia Taggot as the GRACEFUL HORSE TRAINER!


Wednesday Blake as the MYSTIC FORTUNE TELLER!


Lucius Bale as the STRONGEST MAN IN THE WORLD!


Frank Handratty as your GRAND RINGMASTER!


Billie Halliday as the TALENTED MAKE-UP ARTIST!


and last but not least ... Mickey Tavish as the ARTISTIC COSTUME MISTRESS!



xD I know these are not, at all, accurate representations of your characters. But hopefully it will tickle the reader into looking up who these guys are. A circus is a heart-racing idea for a story, and right now, just blocks of text. Spruce up this thread, and you will feel the love. Heck, I want to play this game now.

*I will delete this post if you want me to *

My genuine feedback: Right now, it looks like too complicated a game. Starting a project big is basically a nail in its own coffin. Small projects expand, how much bigger do you think this one will get? Just because you think of a feature, doesn't mean you should include it. I agree it would be totally awesome to have all the aspects you are listing, but I doubt their plausibility, considering I have not seen any other game from you (I could be dead wrong and you're a seasoned game developer -- I just don't know). Am I saying stop? No, not at all. Projects don't need to be completed to be worth anything. You're going to have a shit ton of fun making this, because, hell, it's a circus game. Just know when to limit yourself, or to at least say "we'll see" on some things, if you're the type of person who'd be heart broken not to see this leave the gate. If you're doing it for fun, who cares!? Just make a game you like! (Beware when you involve other people though; they'll lose respect for you if you waste their time.) I'm vastly interested in these characters, as they seem very deep and I want to know all about them. I can't wait to see what they really look like so I can complete the picture in my head.

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Hahahaha You are right about the visual aids. Did you have all of those on your computer Aleema? Or did you just pull them off of the Internet? You are right that this game is ambitious, but my artist and I have been making games for several years now. We just finally decided to go public with them. We are not really comfortable with releasing some of our old stuff because it mainly consists of inside jokes between our circle of friends XD

Right now all my visual aids are on hold because my artist is up to her eyeballs in school work for finals week. So as a writer and a programmer I ain't got much to show

I am having so much fun writing my characters. My main skills as a writer are dialogue and character creating, my skills with exposition are limited. That is why I usually stuck to writing screenplays when I first picked up a pen and put it to paper. Yet another reason why VNs are such a great fit for me

I have two binders chock full of notes, doodles, ideas, and snippets of conversation. You can count on this game being completely knock your socks off awesome.

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I'm all for a great long game, but I also worry that it will end up tossed upon the pile of ambitious dead projects if the scope isn't pared down. More story = more art, and then minigames, and it adds up sooooo quickly! Have you decided where the game story ends and exactly how it gets there?

I'm not trying to discourage, but trying to warn you of the path I've gone down so many times, as have many others @_@

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The plot definitely sounds interesting, and it would be a great VN
but
I agree with Aleema and Blue Lemma. Because it's such a long project, you might overwork yourself, and get tired.

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Look at that, a circus! *excited*

I like this idea. As in really do. Looking forward to more, colourful, stuff~

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I agree that it is an ambitious projects for someone that is new to actually producing games for the general public, but I am not new to programming games and neither is my partner. We have been programming video games since we were in high school. Most of them aren't releasable because they are centered around inside jokes created by our group of friends. It was only recently that we decided to take our partnership to the next level.

I have already planned out the entire story. I always do that before I start a project. I think it is important to know where you are going with a story. So that is not an issue. Art will be the biggest hurdle we will have to overcome, but I don't think it will be too much of a problem.

I think that we got what it takes to finish this. I assure you that this will not go into the bin of broken dreams. This story is my baby actually, and I am not going to let myself give up on it.

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I don't know your completion rate on projects of this size, but as for me, I've been making games for 17 years, and I still end up with this pitfall (less so lately, at least, but still @_@ ) You might consider writing the main parts and then adding extra scenes if time and energy allow. Then you'll have a complete game, even if you don't finish every scene originally planned.

However you decide to go forward, good luck

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- Napoleon Bonaparte

I've retired from forum administration. Please direct admin/mod issues to PyTom or the other mods : )

You make a lot of good points Lemma and don't think I am not taking them into consideration. The main parts are being developed first, programmed first, and drawn first to make sure that if we do need to abandon the project as a whole, we have a complete game to fall back on. You always have to lay down contingency plans for these kind of things.

As for completion rates, my artist and I are very good at completing big projects like this. We have done 3 similar sized games like this one and have worked on several computer applications too. We will be alright

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