NaNoRenO - Make a Ren'ai Game in 1 Month!

[mikey]

Is everyone okay with March? Speak now or forever hold your peace. =P

March it is. I will have less time, but I will do it (or fail). But I will definitely participate. Amen.

[Jojo]

March? I think I'll try my hand at that. In the meantime I'll admit I'm going to familiarize myself more with what I'll need to know and maybe even come up with a simple game--one unrelated to the contest. But I won't work on the true project until March.

My biggest problem is going to be art...I'm no artist, not in the least. But I do have ideas rattling around inside my head. So I'll try to cobble something together. You did say this isn't a competition, right?

[rioka]

Yay, another participant! ^_^

And yes, it's not a competition. As for art, you can use photo backgrounds from royalty free sites like morgue file.

[mikey]

After reading Jojo's post I have to admit I am already doing research, experimenting with graphics, gathering ideas and the like, still undecided whether to use RenPy or not... It's definitely going to be a small Kaori-style game (can't do more in one month) for which our standard program is perfectly suited... We'll see.

My questions would be if it is against NaNoRenO rules to:
- design a flowchart of the script (no actual script written)
- collect idea snippets
- take my digital camera for a walk and make some unspecific pictures

Because that's what I'm doing now...

[rioka]

My questions would be if it is against NaNoRenO rules to:
1. design a flowchart of the script (no actual script written)
2. collect idea snippets
3. take my digital camera for a walk and make some unspecific pictures

Because that's what I'm doing now...

1. No. It's perfectly fine. It was agreed that folks can write up an outline before the month or start it when the month begins (if they want to make it a truly full month of ren'ai development)
2. That's fine as well. It's part of #1 in a way, not to mention it's just ideas and nothing concrete like dialogue, etc.
3. Hmmm, this is where it gets a bit shady. If you don't know for sure if you're going to put it in the game, I guess it's alright.

lol Looks like you weren't being bad after all.

I'll start putting together my things in February. So far, I already have pics I took years ago, a title, a very sketchy story idea, and I'm currently forming ideas for my characters. And I think I'll use Ren'Py.

[mikey]

Phew, good, good.

I usually take many pictures and then sort of select which one suits the game. Though it may happen that I will just take the pictures from a single day's work (like Kaori). But yes, it's nothing specific.

So far, I already have ... a title ...

Me too!!

The BGs should be fine, characters as well, the story script should be doable and the engine too. My problem is the music. This will kill me, I swear. I have downloaded some MIDI trackers and the interface is really user-unfriendly! Still, I have two months to learn it, so hopefully I'll be ready in March.

[rioka]

You're going to add music? Wow, mikey. You go! That's the last thing on my mind. I don't even think I'll put in music. ...But do have a midi composer just in case I change my mind. =P

What will you do with character images, mikey? Your previous games were drawn by others and you haven't yet mentioned learning on your own...

[mikey]

What will you do with character images, mikey? Your previous games were drawn by others and you haven't yet mentioned learning on your own...

*gulp* you mean... *faint*
Goodbye NaNoRenO...


It's good this gets mentioned now, because my original plan was to have music done by other people as well. The finalization of the code can also be only done by non-me. And the characters as well. I can't do it alone. The people I work with never do more than I ask (assemble, draw), sometimes they don't even play the games. Their cooperation is on a "I need 2 characters" basis. So normally, I have full control over production. Still, even though their help is very small, they are the little screws that hold together the machine. I'm afraid I can't do it without them.

But see this: Is it really against the rules when more people cooperate?

Then it would not even be allowed to take free goodies from the net, like pictures or MIDIs, because those would not be from me. Is it like that?

Basically all I'm asking is being able to work with the people I usually work with. It may add an unpredicatable element to NaNoRenO, since one is dependent on their output as well...

[PyTom]

I personally think the true hidden purpose of NaNoRenO (hmm... that acronym doesn't really work, does it? I propose IntRenAiMo...) should be to promote the creation of more games, rather than the creation of games in a certain timeframe, or as a character-building challenge. So I personally think teams should be allowed to form.

Heck, if someone was working on a game for years, and just decided to release it during the appropriate month, I personally wouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth.

[Grey]

Ja, since it isn't a competition (well formally anyway ) I'd say it's daft limiting it to one persons efforts alone. 'Twill just lose participants.

[Tage]

Sounds interesting, I think...since it's not a competition...allowing a team to create a game in one month is just as good as allowing one person to do it alone. We could get a MUCH better game within that month if the team is organized well enough. I would love a lot of good games, lol.

[rioka]

lol Of course, I wasn't expecting a one man (or woman) team. I was just pulling your chain. Making a ren'ai game on your own is tough enough but to do it solo in one month - yikes!

Heck, if someone was working on a game for years, and just decided to release it during the appropriate month, I personally wouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth.

I wouldn't mind that as well come to think of it. Hmm, do you want to make it into:
IntRenAiMo - Release a ren'ai game by this month or take the ultimate challenge and make a ren'ai game in one month.

[mikey]

lol Of course, I wasn't expecting a one man (or woman) team. I was just pulling your chain. Making a ren'ai game on your own is tough enough but to do it solo in one month - yikes!

You!! No amount of smilies can express this...

IntRenAiMo - Release a ren'ai game by this month or take the ultimate challenge and make a ren'ai game in one month.

How about this:
March 2005 is the official IntRenAiMo. You can participate either with

- an IntRenAiMo project (release a ren'ai game by this month)
- a NaNoRenO project (make a ren'ai game in one month)

NaNoRenO would be the tough guy's IntRenAiMo. The kind of challenge you take is up to you. Hmmm... basically, IntRenAiMo could be quite effective IMO. There should be a lot of people with half-done projects and IntRenAiMo could boost their determination, since all others will be rushing to meet that 03-31 deadline. You got my voice.

[Tage]

Heck, if you did that, I might try to complete my game by the end of March... Although, for what purpose? I dunno, a solid date I couldn't choose for myself? I just was like...I'll finish it when I finish it, lol...

[chronoluminaire]

Cool, good idea. Encourage everyone to finish games by March, or those who want to take the challenge, write one completely in March. I'll be going for the latter The only thing is, I have this idea that is completely off the wall and different to any game I've ever seen, and if I don't get Elven Relations finished by March then I'll move my energy to NaNoRenO (RenAiWriMo?)... and then everyone will think my games are really weird when Elven Relations is actually fairly normal...