In Search of Dustin

[Kurb]

This is a yaoi story using non-anime graphics. In Search of Dustin is about a guy named Wes (You) who wakes up the morning after a party in which he met the man of his dreams: Dustin. Unfortunately, he's gone. You have to track Dustin down by navigating through various obstacles and ultimately convince he that he was more than a one night stand. The story focuses on the third phase of the typical boy-meets-boy, boy-looses-boy, boy-gets-boy sequence of romantic dramas.

You can download what I have done so far here:
http://rapidshare.com/files/15540188/Du ... 1.zip.html

Things to keep in mind when you're playing:

* The game is incomplete, so some selections will end up nowhere.
* The selection menu is bugged. A problem that Blade Engine is looking into. Instead of normal text, it appears as gibberish.
* If you want to skip the movies, right click the screen.

The games made using the visual novel program Blade Engine. In many ways it appears to be a simplified version of Ren Pi. Its quite clearly trying to rival Ren Pi. I'm posting here because I think Ren Pi may be a better software, and I'm thinking of doing the game with Ren Pi instead of continuing with Blade.

I've been making regular updates on my blog.

Incidentally, I've embedded two somewhat erotic videos in the game, just so you know. I'd rate the game thus far as 17+. You can also watch one of the videos through my blog (or youtube).

All comments are welcome. Tell me what works, what doesn't. Beta testing is really appreciated.

----------------------------------

I'm also including here an older game called Gaydar I was developing before I started on Dustin. This was my first crack at making a game, so I did alot of experimenting in this game. I have to warn you, this included throwing in a sex scene in my latest version of Gaydar just to see how I'd go about it. Many people may find this particular scene kind of wrong on many fronts, so you've been warned! I'd give this game a 18+ rating.

http://kurblick.blogspot.com/2007/01/vi ... html#links

[mugenjohncel]

Hi and welcome to the forums... looking forward to your finished project (Non anime... meaning true pictures?... this is a must see.)...but wait...

Did you just say that your project contains 18+ rating content?...

......

...Hmm... it seems I am no longer alone in my pursuit.

Anyway, Good Luck and looking forward to your finished project.

Goes back to work (Running)... and lock myself inside with enough food to last for a couple of days.

(Must... hurry... and... finish... my... project... for... I... am... not... alone... anymore... in... my... pursuit)

[Kurb]

Yes, I suspect Dustin will be 18+ rated eventually. I intend to include a bonus clip at the end which will be accessible by password only if you win the game.

I don't think you have to worry about me finishing before you, though. I haven't even started putting the game on Ren Pi, and I'm incredibly slow. I don't know if I'll ever finish the game. I also doubt your game is yaoi.

[mugenjohncel]

I don't think you have to worry about me finishing before you, though.

Ahh...

I haven't even started putting the game on Ren Pi, and I'm incredibly slow. I don't know if I'll ever finish the game.

But you definitelly have a lot of good looking photos at your disposal based on what I saw in your blog site and artwork is the most time consuming part of making VN so I think your chance of succesfully finishing your project is quite high.

I also doubt your game is yaoi.

Umm... yes you're right on that one... my objective right now is to produce quality game that can rival commercial made ones within a limited time bracket and budget.

[Recca Phoenix]

I think the use of "real-life" graphics for this kind of game is pretty innovative..... I can't imagine there being much of a market for this kind of game (even among yaoi-obsessed 13 year old girls) but go for it!
This is the beauty of fan-made games, they can go beyond what's typical.
Not that yaoi is my cup o' tea.....
But still, bravo.

[Kurb]

Actually, I'm not even targetting girls. From what I know of Boys Love comics, cinema and games, the vast majority are created by girls for girls, with nothing to do with the gay male audience. That might be changing, however, with the recent emergence of "Bara" comics and games like "ie, Tatemasu" being directed principally at men. Though seriously, I can't imagine any straight girl not finding guys like these a little hot:






Still, I recognize its still fring stuff, with none of them being translated into english, which I find frustrating. Which is why that while I'm explicitly targetting this game for the gay males audience, I hope there will be broader interest than that (such as the 13 year old girls you mentioned). I'm fairly optimistic that I can find a niche if I ever get it done.

[DaFool]

Though I'm not the target audience, I applaud this project.

Count me in also as one who's going all out.

Lets push the medium. I think it has the potential for more variety than even OEL manga, because it tends to be less commercialized and more experimental.

BTW, love reading your comments regarding Blade and Ren'Py (LOL).

[DrakeNavarone]

This certainly looks and sounds like an interesting project. Using real people instead of drawn characters is definitely an original idea. I'm not a part of the targeted demographic either, but I do wish you luck on your project. And ya know, despite all its flaws, Blade is actually a good thing. After all, how many more users and projects have emigrated over here from their camp?

Though seriously, I can't imagine any straight girl not finding guys like these a little hot

This comment was probably way funnier than it should have been, having just watched the Genshiken OVA two days ago... (spoiler tagged to not ruin the joke).

Ogiue: "I am the otaku-hating Ogiue. I especially hate female otakus. Why do you like those homos so much?"
Saki: "Hey, Ohno! You should say something too!"
Ohno: "Eh? O-Okay..."
Ohno: "There aren't any girls who hate homos!!!"

[Kurb]

Yeah, Blade isn't all bad. I haven't played Ren Pi in depth yet, but already I know there are things in Blade that I'm going to miss.

For example, I don't think there's any possibility of adding a moving text to Ren Pi, is there? Instead of just appearing on the screen instantly with a click (as in Ren Pi), you actually see it type out, and its generally at the speed in which I read. Its also subtly tweaked such that texts coming from the narrator are typed out a little faster than the character texts, which is kind of clever.

One thing that I think will annoy me with Ren Pi is the need to reload the game each time I want to see my latest edits take effect. Blade, on the other hand, allows me to see those changes just by backscrolling until just before the edit and running the game from there. With the exception of character coloring and naming, the changes you made to the script are effective immediately. I suspect this may become increasingly problematic as my story gets longer.

Also, on a personal note, I justthink Blade's a cooler name than Ren Pi (Maybe because I keep forgetting it, or maybe because it reminds of Ren and Stimpy).

[DaFool]

For example, I don't think there's any possibility of adding a moving text to Ren Pi, is there? Instead of just appearing on the screen instantly with a click (as in Ren Pi), you actually see it type out, and its generally at the speed in which I read.

That's just PyTom's playing style (preference for instantaneous characters per second) embedded in the default for the engine. You can set it to a default initial speed (http://www.renpy.org/wiki/renpy/doc/coo ... ed_Setting).

Its also subtly tweaked such that texts coming from the narrator are typed out a little faster than the character texts, which is kind of clever.

That does seem clever. I'd like that feature, to have a declared character have their own cps (but it might be a nightmare to juggle).

One thing that I think will annoy me with Ren Pi is the need to reload the game each time I want to see my latest edits take effect. Blade, on the other hand, allows me to see those changes just by backscrolling until just before the edit and running the game from there. With the exception of character coloring and naming, the changes you made to the script are effective immediately. I suspect this may become increasingly problematic as my story gets longer.

I think that was addressed already with a not-too-old changelog in developer mode. Although I don't use developer mode so I can't confirm it.

Also, on a personal note, I justthink Blade's a cooler name than Ren Pi (Maybe because I keep forgetting it, or maybe because it reminds of Ren and Stimpy).

LOL

[Kurb]

Thanks DaFool. Another question:

Is there any way to import the beautiful varigated-grey text box used by Blade into Renpy? Its just a PNG image. Renpy's grey text box seems like a generic. I've been looking for the image for the text box in my file so I can replace it but I haven't found it yet. Maybe I'm not looking in the right place?

[Kurb]

The link you gave me: http://www.renpy.org/wiki/renpy/doc/coo ... ed_Setting

I posted the script it shows as indicated below. The text is still appearing instantaneously, however. What is Python anyway?


# You can place the script of your game in this file.

init:
# Declare images below this line, using the image statement.
# eg. image eileen happy = "eileen_happy.png"

image bg morning room = "morning2.png"

# Declare characters used by this game.
$ Y = Character('You', color="#FFFF66")
$ N = Character('Narrator', color="#FFFFFF")


# The game starts here.

python:
if not persistent.set_text_cps:
persistent.set_text_cps = True
_preferences.text_cps = 1

label start:

scene bg morning room
Y "You wake up to the sound of your alarm."

N "..."

[DaFool]

Code: Select all

# You can place the script of your game in this file. 

init -1:
    python:  

        if not persistent.set_text_cps:
            persistent.set_text_cps = True
            _preferences.text_cps = 50    #Setting a type-as-you-read default speed

init -1:
    python hide:  #I still have no idea what makes python different from python hide

        ## The background of the window. In a Frame, the two numbers
        ## are the size of the left/right and top/bottom borders,
        ## respectively. By default, it should be 788x138, but that can be changed

         style.window.background = Frame("window.png", 12, 12)
         
init:

    # Declare images used by this game.
    image bg morning room = Image("morning2.png")  
    #I just used windows.png for testing purposes, new renpy is stricter with declaring images that don't exist...it took a while for it to sink in LOL

# Declare characters used by this game. 
    $ Y = Character('You', color="#FFFF66") 
    $ N = Character('Narrator', color="#FFFFFF") 


# The game starts here. 

label start: 

    scene bg morning room
    Y "You wake up to the sound of your alarm." 

    N "..."

[DaFool]

Couple of comments:
CPS issue and custom text background box addressed in the code above already. Assume you rename and resize the Blade textbox to "window.png"

image bg morning room = "morning2.png" also works; been looking at the script for Drawn To You so it kinda rubbed off

Python is the programming language Ren'Py is based on.

[DaFool]

Cleaner code (just cut and paste to scite):

You can use forum tags "[ c o d e ]" and "[ / c o d e ]"(without the spaces in between) in the future

Code: Select all

# You can place the script of your game in this file. 

init -1: 
    python hide:  

        ## Setting a type-as-you-read default speed 

        if not persistent.set_text_cps: 
            persistent.set_text_cps = True 
            _preferences.text_cps = 50    

        ## The background of the window. In a Frame, the two numbers 
        ## are the size of the left/right and top/bottom borders, 
        ## respectively. By default, it should be 788x138, but that can be changed 

        style.window.background = Frame("window.png", 12, 12) 
          
init: 

    # Declare images used by this game. 
    
    image bg morning room = "morning2.png"

# Declare characters used by this game. 

    $ Y = Character('You', color="#FFFF66") 
    $ N = Character('Narrator', color="#FFFFFF") 

# The game starts here. 

label start: 

    scene bg morning room 
    Y "You wake up to the sound of your alarm." 

    N "..."