Ideas Dump

[papillon]

@megatuga - Some similarities with Glass Heart Princess there (And Katawa Shoujo, but you didn't have to actively manage your heart rate in that afaik)

[gekiganwing]

Their only way to become boys again is to form a pop band and win a local contest. Will they be able to succeed in their mission? Or will they stay in that state forever?

Now I'm wondering *who* tells the guys that they need to do win a band contest, and *why* the curse happened. Also, can the person who relays this information be trusted? (I think it might be easier to forego magic and transformations. Get the guys into a situation where they want their band to be most triumphant, but they can't make a video, or get Eddie Van Halen, or decent musical instruments. And since the next competition is strictly girls only...)

The game HUD has a gauge/number showing his heartbeat rate...

Reminded me of this Safebooru picture. Or the edutainment game Captain Novolin, which I tried once and which I can't honestly recommend.

[lemonscent]

[Reminded me of this Safebooru picture. Or the edutainment game Captain Novolin, which I tried once and which I can't honestly recommend.

I'm trying to figure out what exactly the "wild meter" does and what the freaky looking mask is for. And I'm failing miserably. So what is it, what does it do, and what's the game called?

[ShippoK]

I'm trying to figure out what exactly the "wild meter" does and what the freaky looking mask is for. And I'm failing miserably. So what is it, what does it do, and what's the game called?

Weeelll, it obviously a metaphor for a man's-- -Shot-
(I also think it's obvious somone drew that as well.)

[megatuga]

@megatuga - Some similarities with Glass Heart Princess there (And Katawa Shoujo, but you didn't have to actively manage your heart rate in that afaik)

Ah yeah, I completely forgot about katawa Shoujo there. Sure the concept is not implied but the MC does have an heart illness after all.

[lemonscent]

I'm trying to figure out what exactly the "wild meter" does and what the freaky looking mask is for. And I'm failing miserably. So what is it, what does it do, and what's the game called?

Weeelll, it obviously a metaphor for a man's-- -Shot-
(I also think it's obvious somone drew that as well.)

LOL. I thought along the lines of that at first, but that doesn't explain the mask...

[gekiganwing]

You are a Protagonist: one day, you can suddenly see choices in front of you. They only appear when you're talking with other people, or when you're trying to make a challenging decision. Do these visible options make your life easier? Do they leave you frustrated, and perhaps full of regrets?

I'm trying to figure out what exactly the "wild meter" does and what the freaky looking maskall is for. And I'm failing miserably. So what is it, what does it do, and what's the game called?

I should have explained this earlier... The picture is a fake screenshot. It shows someone talking with Sawako Yamanaka, who is a teacher and the music club advisor in K-On! When she was younger, she was part of a band called Death Devil. I'm not all that knowledgeable about the series, but I think the mask has *something* to do with the character and her in-universe band. (It might help to use image search and look for "k-on sawako mask.") Anyway, sorry for getting off-topic...

[megatuga]

You are a Protagonist: one day, you can suddenly see choices in front of you. They only appear when you're talking with other people, or when you're trying to make a challenging decision. Do these visible options make your life easier? Do they leave you frustrated, and perhaps full of regrets?

AKA 4th wall break? That would be epic for a parody VN

I should have explained this earlier... The picture is a fake screenshot. It shows someone talking with Sawako Yamanaka, who is a teacher and the music club advisor in K-On! When she was younger, she was part of a band called Death Devil. I'm not all that knowledgeable about the series, but I think the mask has *something* to do with the character and her in-universe band. (It might help to use image search and look for "k-on sawako mask.") Anyway, sorry for getting off-topic...

..., ohhhhhhhh I get it. Yes. when she was younger she had a crush on one guy that liked more "wild" girls. So she joined that band in the hopes of being more "wild" in his eyes... when she started wearing that mask, she was way over the limit of "wildness"
...
I know I realized that I'm expanding the off-topic (having in consideration that it began because of me, it is fair that I should be the one ending it.)

[ShojiAmasawa]

You are a Protagonist: one day, you can suddenly see choices in front of you. They only appear when you're talking with other people, or when you're trying to make a challenging decision. Do these visible options make your life easier? Do they leave you frustrated, and perhaps full of regrets?

It would not necessarily need to be a parody. If anything, it sounds like it would make for an amazing sci-fi/cosmic horror story. The protagonist would see the different options of what to say because he/she can somehow see alternate realities. The possibilities of what he/she might say could be quite frightening at times, and show him/her doing anything from destroying hard earned friendships to outright murder. The only problem is, the choices would be constantly changing places. You might want to make one choice, but make another by accident, reflecting how the protagonist might not have much control over their choices. I wonder if that could be done with Ren'Py code?

[LVUER]

You are a Protagonist: one day, you can suddenly see choices in front of you. They only appear when you're talking with other people, or when you're trying to make a challenging decision. Do these visible options make your life easier? Do they leave you frustrated, and perhaps full of regrets?

It would not necessarily need to be a parody. If anything, it sounds like it would make for an amazing sci-fi/cosmic horror story. The protagonist would see the different options of what to say because he/she can somehow see alternate realities. The possibilities of what he/she might say could be quite frightening at times, and show him/her doing anything from destroying hard earned friendships to outright murder. The only problem is, the choices would be constantly changing places. You might want to make one choice, but make another by accident, reflecting how the protagonist might not have much control over their choices. I wonder if that could be done with Ren'Py code?

Agree, it can be a great serious sci-fi story. How if the world is actually just a computer simulation and we (human) are all a sentient computer program/AI. The creator decides to mess around a bit or may be have something on their mind and want to test something by influencing protagonist decision or whatever. This can explain the menu that appears only for the protagonist and no one can see it.

And how if we make the choice can truly changes physical law or can make anything become real. Like if the choice is "he is annoying, let's make him dead in a car accident". If the protagonist choose it, the next instant that man was hit by a speeding car.

[jhernandezgames]

I have ideas to dump
I eventually plan to make these into something, so critiques would be awesome.

Art Of Love: This is what my first V.N was supposed to be, but sadly it was canceled.
Characters:
Kensei Matsuo, 17 year old male. Kensei is lazy, perverted, average studennt. After
skipping school, he gets expelled. With no where else to go, his parents turn to his aunt, Dean of the all girl boarding school; ( Insert School Name Here). Let in on special permission, Kensei aims to graduate.. and to have some fun!
Akane Hashimoto, 17 years old female. Akane is the girl's soccer team's captain. Very athletic. Akane was Kensei's penpal back in elementary school.
Umi Fujimara 17 female. Being a top student, Umi is considered to be one of the school's smartest student. President of the art club, she is very creative. Best friends with Akane.
Sophie Sahaku 16 female. She is Kensei's under classman. Self proclaimed "School's top beauty", member of the drama club. Small, even for her age, is constantly questioned about her age.

[jhernandezgames]

Here's another one that's been on my mind.
Its a comedy, looking at about 10,000 words, so not that long.
Basically, the whole V.N spans a day, but each hour is a chapter
The main character (insert name here), gets the surprise of his life when he gets an invitation to the Starfall Mega Party. A legendary party, which is famous for spanning the length of an entire city. Filled with whacky characters, crazy moments, and the occasional romance, this part will blow (Insert Name Here)'s mind and change his life.

[gekiganwing]

Other ways to use the "You are a Protagonist" idea:

1. The ability to see choices is a mild form of precognition. It doesn't tell you exactly what will result from the options, and it's rarely clear as to who will benefit from what choice. Is the main character the only person in the world who can see options? Does someone else also have this ability (or will soon have it), and how does it affect them?

2. The main character has always lived in a fictional world, and has become accustomed to visible choices. One plot twist later, he enters the real world... and they no longer appear. How will he deal with having to deal with complex situations?

3. The MC has a quirky friend who's always offering out-of-the-blue suggestions. It turns out that *she* is a protagonist, and she usually benefits from being able to see choices. The problem is that the main character wants to be her boyfriend, while the girl considers the MC to be just a friend.

I eventually plan to make these into something, so critiques would be awesome.

Art Of Love: This is what my first V.N was supposed to be, but sadly it was canceled.
Characters:
Kensei Matsuo, 17 year old male. Kensei is lazy, perverted, average studennt. After
skipping school, he gets expelled. With no where else to go, his parents turn to his aunt, Dean of the all girl boarding school; ( Insert School Name Here). Let in on special permission, Kensei aims to graduate.. and to have some fun!

What if you played up Kensei as a delinquent? Make him rebellious and antisocial. Then consider what it would take for him to help a girl, or for any girl to trust him. Will he benefit from moving to another town or school?

If you're looking for another way to use the school transfer angle... what if Kensei has to obey a strict code of rules at the new school in order to graduate? For instance, he can't even touch a girl until graduation day. He might want to have fun, but if he doesn't learn self-restraint quickly, then he will face expulsion once again.

I don't think it would be necessary for your main character to enter a girls only academy.

[jhernandezgames]

What if you played up Kensei as a delinquent? Make him rebellious and antisocial. Then consider what it would take for him to help a girl, or for any girl to trust him. Will he benefit from moving to another town or school?

If you're looking for another way to use the school transfer angle... what if Kensei has to obey a strict code of rules at the new school in order to graduate? For instance, he can't even touch a girl until graduation day. He might want to have fun, but if he doesn't learn self-restraint quickly, then he will face expulsion once again.

I don't think it would be necessary for your main character to enter a girls only academy.

Ok, that sounds good.. let's see..
Enter the life of Kensei Matsuo, a 17 year old Japanese student. Neglected as a child, he developed a rebellious attitude, opposing any and all authority. Entering his 2nd year of Secondary, Kensei got into a violent fight, which ended with his expulsion from his school. Now with no where to go, Kensei was kicked out of his house. After a week of laying low, he received a phone call from his Aunt, inviting him to attend ( Insert School Name Here), an exclusive private academy. The only thing he had to do was to keep a clean sheet, no fighting, no perverted activities, nothing. In return he would get free housing, food, and education. Will it work? Will Kensei finally be able to shape up his life? Find out in The Art Of Love.

[SHiNKiROU]

You have $100,000:
You won the lottery, and you can do anything you want with the money. Do you make your love possible, solve a world problem, fund (and work for) a project, build something, or buy coffee? Be careful, you are being chased by thieves.

To make the game interesting, the personality and the set of goals of the main character are randomly generated in each playthrough.

Another variable to alter is the amount of money, maybe scale down to $1000 and spend rest of the game avoiding buying coffee and potato chips.