Otome and Shoujo, Part II

[Crocosquirrel]

Okay, I've asked the question about BxG and GxB co-existing before, and the answer there was pretty much a wash.

So, I have a somewhat different question, and maybe the responses will put things in a little better perspective. That, and help make a final decision that's been nagging at me for weeks.

As you all might be aware, I've been working steadily for rather awhile now on Academy Daze-- the story of a mixed group of young adults starting military training. I'd originally planned it for a short one-off.

But, like all fun ideas, it ran on into a huge story arc, etc, etc. Pretty much got away from me and mutated into a story that somehow needs to be told.

At the time I wrote the original, I was trying to keep things to a fair minimum for already stretched-thin resources, and the planned GxB, BL and GxG possibilities were dropped. At least in part to an unwillingness on the part of the artist to draw characters that might be used for the latter two possibilities.

Long story short, most of that's not going to be a problem at this point, and I have an option available to me that I didn't quite before.

With some help (already recruited), it's possible to add in a second storyline for the original female MC, so that we get her point of view on the Male MC's storyline. That, and we get to see what she's up to while she's off-camera in the main storyline. It'll be an option when starting a new game (in the final version).

As for the Demo, we're going to go with the original storyline only (we're releasing it in late June or early July), but the Final has that option if there's the response is positive enough to make it worth the time to do it.

Secondary question: Because of the balance in the current game, there's currently one more obtainable path on the boy's side: There's one fewer boy than there are girls. Beyond adding another boy to the team in all iterations, what are the best options to try and address this? For the purposes of this question, assume that there's enough interest to make the changes.

For anyone that wants to review the original idea, the thread for it is here: http://lemmasoft.renai.us/forums/viewto ... 16&t=11505 .
There's additional information on my Blog (link in the signature)

[Gear]

Personally, if the game is something I would want to play, I would never turn down an extended storyline.

[Graph]

I completely missed the first question...

As for balancing male-female ratio, I'd say don't worry about it. Better to make what you do have good, than try to force another character that's barely connected to the story to make the number of love interests even. Besides, I'm getting the idea that in the military setting there's going to be interesting stuff going on even without considering the romance. Actually, I already see it as ambitious to try to bring in both crowds. If you guys know how to handle it, more power to you.

I might be expecting something different though. We'll see come June or July.

[Crocosquirrel]

Sorry, should have been more clear: The first question is whether or not we should do it in the first place, or if it'd just look like we're trying to draw in the Otome fans.

[Omnificent]

While I think that it could come off as pandering, it'll only really come off that way if it's not well-written/if not as much effort is put into it. Having a well-executed entire other half of the game could only add to it.

Since you told me there are six obtainables on male path and five on female, I would say that there's no need to do anything to adjust. As Graph said, it's better to refine what you have.

[Graph]

The first question is whether or not we should do it in the first place, or if it'd just look like we're trying to draw in the Otome fans.

Hmm, well... it's a bit of a tricky one, but I think that so long as you keep consistency it should work out. If there's something in the demo that even Otome fans would be interested in despite being BxG, that's a good sign. It's hard to say since the demo's not out yet, but so long as your game's not like mine it could work out.

Don't change the overall mood of the Academy Daze world just to fit what you think Otome should be, if you want it to be taken seriously. (Same reason why playing Final Fantasy X-2 can throw you for a loop after experiencing the first one...) If you find that you have to change a lot to make things fit, consider making a fresh otome game with a new setting instead. I understand feeling a bit of pressure since there's a lot of females following OELVNs, but I feel you shouldn't make something into something it's not, you know?

[sciencewarrior]

If I were in your shoes, I'd finish and polish the BxG side, release it, and then work on the GxB side. They are independent stories, that more or less intersect in only one of the possible routes, so I don't see the need to bundle them together. Better release them separately, like OSC did with Ender's Game and Ender's Shadow, to cite a famous example of a story in a military academy.

[Crocosquirrel]

If I were in your shoes, I'd finish and polish the BxG side, release it, and then work on the GxB side. They are independent stories, that more or less intersect in only one of the possible routes, so I don't see the need to bundle them together. Better release them separately, like OSC did with Ender's Game and Ender's Shadow, to cite a famous example of a story in a military academy.

Actually, they intersect quite a bit more than that, since the Female MC is an obtainable in the other story. The original's various paths have a common thread as well-- There are certain events that the characters see regardless of path, and she's present for all of those. Closer to what they did in Persona 3 Portable, except you'd be playing as... Yukari, say.

[Applegate]

I think it's pandering, unless both sides are equally interesting for your primary audience. If one character's storyline appeals to an entirely different audience, it's pandering.

[HikkiPanda]

If I were in your shoes, I'd finish and polish the BxG side, release it, and then work on the GxB side. They are independent stories, that more or less intersect in only one of the possible routes, so I don't see the need to bundle them together. Better release them separately, like OSC did with Ender's Game and Ender's Shadow, to cite a famous example of a story in a military academy.

My opinion is similar, but instead of release them separately I prefer if you release a patch/add on for the GxB route. Oh, and I will only release the GxB add-on if the game is popular enough

[gekiganwing]

It's a wise idea to make sure you can keep track of your game's scope. If the project grows too large to handle, that's not a good thing.

Therefore, if you believe you need to limit yourself to creating just general plot or just the BxG routes for now, then that's fine. Focus on writing and coding what you can currently manage. Save the other options until later.

Secondary question: Because of the balance in the current game, there's currently one more obtainable path on the boy's side: There's one fewer boy than there are girls. Beyond adding another boy to the team in all iterations, what are the best options to try and address this? For the purposes of this question, assume that there's enough interest to make the changes.

Want to balance out the romance options, but there is one less boy in the same age range at the academy? Then consider adding one who lives elsewhere. Maybe the girl main character knew him before leaving for the academy, and they stay in contact. Or if she's able to leave the academy from time to time, then perhaps she meets him in a civilian setting, and they stay in contact.

[Crocosquirrel]

It's a wise idea to make sure you can keep track of your game's scope. If the project grows too large to handle, that's not a good thing.

Therefore, if you believe you need to limit yourself to creating just general plot or just the BxG routes for now, then that's fine. Focus on writing and coding what you can currently manage. Save the other options until later.

Not worried about this part. The BxG side is already written and code nearly complete. The BxG uses the same series of common events, with some specialized scenes written specifically for Alexis and the various boys. As for that last bit, someone in the area might work. I'll look into that.