Good day to you! I go by the name Admiral Styles. I enjoy video games, the occasional animé series, and settling down to read with a good book every now and then. 'Hajimemashite', I believe it goes in Japanese.
My first reason for posting here was to express my congrats on the making of the "Ren'Py" program. I wondered whether anyone was ever going to attempt the construction of a Visual Novel maker, and as the years passed and nothing turned up, I figured no one would. But one day while browsing the Information Superhighway, I found myself clicking on a link, then another link, and another, until before I knew it I was downloading "Moonlight Walks". I went on to play "Garden Society Kykuit" and "Metropolitan Blues" (all fun, well-written works). Heck, they've made me consider creating a visual novel of my own, as a side project of sorts. Who knows? A genuine "hip hip hurray!" to the creator of Ren'Py and the makers of all these games, large or small. You deserve a pat on the back.
My second reason for posting here was to do a bit of advertising and hopeful recruiting! I'm a bit of a "Game Maker" myself; I've been working on a RPG series (using the RPG Maker 2000 program) named "Love and War" for a number of years now. The first Act is done and out, it was released last year. Work continues on Act II and beyond. Now, it's not a Visual Novel by any stretch of the imagination, but after perusing a number of the "Ren ai" games offered I realized there were quite a few similarities. One of the features I most hoped to implement (and thus of course, the one that proved the most troublesome) was the adding of "picture cutscenes". Basically, at certain points in the RPG, a picture would appear to convey a moment in a scene, perhaps an intense battle, or a romantic moment, or a character quietly reflecting.
Unfortunately, I've had some poor luck with artists; they all seemed to more or less disappear after providing me with only a sketch or two.
For Act I, I had the "bright" idea of using a few pieces of Google-found art as placeholders, to be replaced when a reliable artist was found. This never happened, and I was forced to go forward with the Google art still there, much to my regret. Flash forward to today. I'd like to avoid making the same mistake, and this time secure an artist in advance. I thought this might be a place with possible interested recruits.
So, if there are any artists around here who find themselves interested in such a project, please let me know, either via e-mail (ofloveandwar@hotmail.com), or by replying here. If RPGs are your kind of thing and you'd like to check it out, you can find Act I here: http://www.gamingw.net/games/420?l=downloads
Comments, questions, kudos or constructive criticisms would be nice to have as well.
(Oh, and, if you're unfamiliar with RPG Maker 2000, you will probably need to download and install the "RTP" as well, which provides needed graphics and sounds. You can find it here: http://www.antiochforever.com/antwars/files/RTPe.zip )
Here's Lavender Regale, one of the major characters of my RPG! Drawn by one of the seemingly "lost" artists, and colored by me, with the help of a friend. Judging from the e-mail I've gotten, she seems to be one of the most beloved characters. Hmm, I wonder why?
Anyhow, that concludes my post. Regardless of what happens, I wish you all well, and the best of luck with any projects of your own.
