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How do you plan a VN? How do you organise the progress and when do you start coding?
I am asking because I am realising that my first VN is a bit off a mess because I just jumped into coding the game instead of planing it before. So whats your way of aproaching the planing of a VN?

Usually I use something like this



its always more simple

I'm using Twine, and simplifying the process instead of outright programming everything. Basically I'm only using links so that I get the full story mapped out without embedding logic.

Twine can be found at twinery.org and will lay out everything in a map that you can interact with.

ArachneJericho wrote:I'm using Twine, and simplifying the process instead of outright programming everything. Basically I'm only using links so that I get the full story mapped out without embedding logic.

Twine can be found at twinery.org and will lay out everything in a map that you can interact with.

I have a question for you. Since Twine itself is a game engine...why don't you just keep the finished game in Twine? Why then transfer it over to Renpy?

I'm just curious!

trooper6 wrote:

ArachneJericho wrote:I'm using Twine, and simplifying the process instead of outright programming everything. Basically I'm only using links so that I get the full story mapped out without embedding logic.

Twine can be found at twinery.org and will lay out everything in a map that you can interact with.

I have a question for you. Since Twine itself is a game engine...why don't you just keep the finished game in Twine? Why then transfer it over to Renpy?

I'm just curious!

Twine definitely doesn't do everything I want it to do. I have found it much easier to just use Twine to define the decision branches without implementing the logic that would determine which decisions are shown. Twine is far more limited than Ren'py is in so, so many directions, and frankly, implementing any complex logic in it is a freaking headache.

ArachneJericho wrote: Twine definitely doesn't do everything I want it to do. I have found it much easier to just use Twine to define the decision branches without implementing the logic that would determine which decisions are shown. Twine is far more limited than Ren'py is in so, so many directions, and frankly, implementing any complex logic in it is a freaking headache.

Thank you for this answer! I haven't used Twine before and finding out more info on it is really helpful!

So all you do is a flowchart? Or do you only start with the flowchat do see hom many sprites and backgrounds you need?

Thanks for the link. But what can that programm do that can not be done with a pen and a paper?

Anastylos wrote:So all you do is a flowchart? Or do you only start with the flowchat do see hom many sprites and backgrounds you need?

Thanks for the link. But what can that programm do that can not be done with a pen and a paper?

A flowchart isn't all I do, but it's good to get a high-level overview of the plot and to work out what links where.

As for Twine, the program will automatically create links for you if you [[put the name of a scene in double square brackets]]. It allows you to easily change that, whereas with paper and pencil you would be constantly erasing. Also you can move blocks around --- something not easily done with paper and pencil. You can even encode rudimentary logic if you need it.

For detail after that, I write a screenplay for each scene.

I start writing plot notes in a notebook, then transfer to document, usually on google drive so I don't lose anything.
Once I have an idea for how I want the plot to go, I use a program called yED Graph Editor to make a graph. yED is really great because it can automatically organize everything into hierarchies.
Here's a sample of my latest plot outline:


After that, I have a document where I roughly fill out the bits in between plot points on the graph, and then I go over it and flesh it out.

As for figuring out how many BGs, Sprites, and other assets. I need, I fill that out in my script notes and keep the details in spreadsheets on google drive. That's also where I keep a budget or cost of production estimation, which you can check out here.


Hope this helps!

I write all my notes into my own wiki using wikidpad portable paired with dropbox so it's accessible anywhere. I just love keyboard shortcuts, and wikidpad offers that and more, so I can easily access any notes or page in my wiki. I also use Excel to list all the art and other assets I need.

I am using Celtx, an software for several kinds of writing. It's some kind of an "organized version" word. You can list up all your charactes, some information about them etc. you can plan scene, writer whole novel etc within it.
Since my next project includes a lot of paths (yeah, multiple choice^^V), I'm thinking about using Twine for the structure. It's free, simple to learn and you can build your first structur in a HTML document and then you can "bring" your work to Ren'py^^

The rest includes writing down notes and put them together. I'm not really that organize, but what about Celtx is that you can "structure/label" your notes (it should be a freeware btw^^, just in case u'd like to give it a try). Well and another friend of my is my notebook (good old paper thing^^) and sheets of paper lying around while I get a nice idea (and when my notebook isn't around).

So, basically I:
- take down notes (a lot^^)
- and then I organize those ideas (and develop more content) to create my story^^


And now the truth:
My characters tend to tell me everything and I'm just writing it down... I'm not an author but their writing/drawing/programming slave OTL

How do I plan out my games?

I start by looking through all my Assets, and my asset sources to see what I have vs. what I don't:
-- music, images, sound effects.

Then I consider my Artistic limitations:
-- What I can create vs. what I can't create.

Then I consider my Coding limitations:
-- What I know how to code, or have the cheat-sheets to code vs. what I know I can't do.

Once I know what I have to work with, I then decide what kind of story to write that will go with those resources.
-- The idea being that it's pointless to write a story I don't have the resources, or skill, to turn into a VN.

I then use FreePlane, a free mind mapping program to plot out the main paths/options in the game. FreePlane has the option to link bubbles (green arrows) so that it will Jump from one path to another depending on the options chosen. This is also where I do a lot of my writing. I just copy/paste it from there straight into the game.

Can this be done with pencil and paper?
-- Sure it can, but using pen & paper means a lot of erasing which becomes very tedious very fast. A mind-mapping program also allows one to Test Drive the whole game to see if it'll actually work before you commit your time and/or money to asset creation and coding.

After I have a workable outline, I open PhotoShop to create the graphics and backgrounds needed.

Once I have at least 80% of the graphics created, I open Renpy and begin putting the game together. With a set outline to work from, the writing moves very fast. With the graphics ready to use, figuring out what kind of coding you'll need for them is as easy as simply checking the Cookbook section of the forum, though I have most of that set up already in template games that I can copy/paste from. Because I tend to write the story & code simultaneously, I can put a whole game together in only a matter of weeks.

I write all my ideas into notebook.