Missing Pages (a second version of the pre-game + hiatus)

[risingdreams]

I posted a "daydream" about this project a while ago and started writing it. The prologue is already done and I'm about the start writing the first route, unfortunately English isn't my native language, so I need an editor. I'm not that confident about my writing style, either. I was told it doesn't suck, but I'm not that sure about that.

A few days after writing the prologue, I changed the setting from Japan to generic western setting, even though I'm not sure if it was a good move.

I would also like an artist, if that's not asking much. If I don't find one, I'll use freeware resources I found on the internet.

Thank you for reading this and for helping me. I'm a bit nervous and I think maybe my project is a bit too ambitious for a game.

Story
The protagonist is a very shy girl and insecure girl who enjoys cooking and reading. She's studying in a boarding school because her parents are working overseas. She only has a friend, an outgoing young woman. The protagonist wants to join the book club, but it's too shy for that. One day, she's hit by a car. She's badly injured and spends six months in a coma.

Her parents visited her a few times while she was comatose, but returned to work already, even though they called her doctor every day. Her friend transfers to another school, but not before leaving her a letter. The protagonist is pretty upset, for obvious reasons. she learns from the nurses that a boy from her school visited her a few times. He left him a letter and a book. The letter hinted he belonged to the school's book club. But the protagonist has no clue on who he is and being very curious, she decides finding out.

She joins the club, so she can investigate, and also because she always wanted an excuse to join and now she had one.

There are four people in the club: three boys and a girl: a flirty and energetic guy, a helpful yet secretive young man, a proud and arrogant but not so bad rich boy and a very restless girl who's in most of the school's clubs. The protagonist will try to make friends, even though this is very hard for her.

As if things weren't complicated enough for the protagonist, she has been having deja-vus and two of the club members are awfully familiar to her, even though she doesn't remember ever talking to them.

The librarian also said something about a ghost, but this isn't important, is it?

Update 1 - 01/21

This is the second version of the pre-demo. Many changes were made and it was edited. Thank you for those who are helping me to with this game, and forgive me if I'm doing anything wrong or slacking. The graphics are just temporary.

The demo is fairly short and right no, there are no original resources (unless stock pictures count).

I'm learning to mix NVL with ADV. Once I manage to to this, the parts where the protagonist speaks a lot will be in ADV format.

I changed a few names. I might change my mind again, if my editors think that was a realy bad move.

Sometimes I feel I shouldn't be making this VN. I think maybe I'll fail, something will keep from finishing or maybe I'll upset those in the team (maybe even because I'm extremelly paranoid about offending and upsetting people)..

And once again, forgive me for anything.

Update 2 - 01/21
A bug was found in the pre-game, even though it works just fine in my computer. I believe it has something to do with the font, so I changed it back to Deja Vu sans.

Update 3 - 01/21 I tested in another computer. It seems to be working now.

Update 4 - 01/22 I just realised that using the word "demo" made it sound as if the game wasn't free. It's free.

Update 5 - 03/5
Hiatus. Forgive me, but I'm having a very busy time with work right now, so all my big projects (read this as: this and Memento Mori) are now frozen.

[Suzumiyaandy]

This seems like a very interesting project. I could very easily help you with editing, grammar, spelling and the such.
PM me with the details, if you would like.

[happysnowXD]

I fell in love if this was a manga or anime I would so love it but since this is gonna be a game I'm even more estatic

[JinzouTamashii]

I really love the title, it's great.

[Tsundere Lightning]

Character designer here. Tell me what you want, and I will post a sketch in this thread. I ask only that my sprites be available to other artists under a Creative Commons - Attribution license.

[risingdreams]

Alright. I'll post it in a short while. And thanks a lot for helping me out.

[risingdreams]

Should I post a demo, with temporary graphics?

[JinzouTamashii]

Why not?

[Danichuu]

Umm, still looking for a character artist? ^^; If so then I'm willing to help.

But I'm not sure if a cutesy-style would be okay with you...
If it helps lessen the workload for the main character artist, I can help with line art and the flat colors.

[Tsundere Lightning]

Sorry I haven't gotten back to you: will print out and work. British style uniforms, yes?

[risingdreams]

Why not?

I'll post it soon. I'm such a n00blet I probably did everything wrong, though, haha.

Umm, still looking for a character artist? ^^; If so then I'm willing to help.

But I'm not sure if a cutesy-style would be okay with you...
If it helps lessen the workload for the main character artist, I can help with line art and the flat colors.

I love cuteness. Tsundere said s/he would help, but I believe you could do that, if s/he agrees. Thank you very much ^_^.

Sorry I haven't gotten back to you: will print out and work. British style uniforms, yes?

Yes. ^_^

[Danichuu]

Glad to help! ^^ I-is there anything I could try drawing, for now, to see how the characters come out in my style?

[risingdreams]

I'll send you the descriptions. By what I got (forgive me my n00biness) you will be helping me and Tsundere Lighting?

Forgive if I made some kind of confusion.

[Tsundere Lightning]

Your coloring is good enough that I would much appreciate your doing color and inkwork for my pencils and lineart.

[JinzouTamashii]

It's fun working in a team, isn't it?

I'll drop in from time to time to see how it goes. I've had some experience on completed eroge/dating sim ONscripter doujin circles under a pseudonym. Even though it was in Japan, the same advice probably applies here to...

It's better to divide up the work cleanly: one sketch artist, one inkist, one colorist, one for shading, one for clean-up, one for backgrounds, one for character designer doing modelsheets, one team coordinator to make sure everyone is on-style and motivated. With a smaller team, duties are shared, and the tasks boil down to: drafts/sketch, lines, color. If you don't do this, people will fight over who gets to do what and drama is usually the death of any good project.

Play the game or read the script from start to finish so you can get a feel for what you'll be illustrating. It's better to start with a complete script or programming before everyone starts, so that the author doesn't change his or her mind halfway through and screw up everything.

Everyone will go nuts before the deadline trying to get everything done at once then collapse. We would always rushed, rushed, rushed right before the con to get the installers built and the CDs burnt and packages. I guess in Ren'Py, it would be lint, archiving, and ZIPping. Sometimes, you have to leave things out to get it done.

Your artists are the writer's best beta-testers because they'll be the ones "selling" your characters to the players and should be your friends by the end of the project.

Keeping a blog or a journal can really help cement everyone together. Communication is really important, and it's up to the leader of the project to make sure the team is on task and working or thinking about things. Without immediacy, the sense of urgency fades and ennui starts to set in.

Extras! Artists, once they get into a certain mindset, love to draw. Use those in a customized manual or poster to really help get people to notice your project.