Queen's Crown [Romance/Fantasy/Drama/GxB] DEMO UP!

[Agashi]

“...A world is supported by four things...the learning of the wise, the justice of the great, the prayers of the righteous and the valor of the brave. But all of these are as nothing without a ruler who knows the art of ruling.” - Frank Herbert

- Nameable, customizable protagonist whose personality is determined completely by you!
- A stat-building system made up of 3 different stats: Intelligence, Combat, and Charisma
- Opportunities to build stats manually as well as in casual conversation for heightened role-playing potential!
- 4 romanceable characters with routes that branch heavily depending on your choices
- 17 planned endings, including about 11 romance related and 6 non-romance
- At LEAST 120,000 words of content. I thought I'd have a more accurate estimate, but I really don't.
- World-building out the wazoo!

Agashi - Project Lead, Creator, and Writer
Nero279 - Sprite Artist, Adorable Minx
Saitoki1582 - Secondary Sprite Artist
Harliqueen - Graphic Designer, All-Around-Peach
ShojiAmasawa - Logo Designer
Potouto - GUI Artist
Lady_Luck94 - Character Concept Artist
Noyemi K - Composer
Barzini - PR and Marketing
Atomic-Invasion - Promotional Artist
Bonesy - Programmer Extraordinaire
THANK YOU TO ALL THE BEAUTIFUL CONTRIBUTORS WHO ARE MAKING THIS GAME POSSIBLE!...

UPDATED - 02/14/17
Writing (Not gonna do percentages, because I write until each chunk is finished. Some take me longer than others):
Emry - 3/15
Teiran - 3/15
Noah - 3/15
Desmond - 1/13
Common Route - 6/20
Stat-Raising Events - Fuuuuuu.....

Art:
Sprites: 50%
CGs: 65% (most of what's left is accounting for MC variations)
BGs: 70%
Epilogues: 1/10

More to come...

The demo is now available for download! Get it right HERE.

Our Kickstarter is over now, but feel free to keep checking there for development updates! We also try to keep our facebook, tumblr, and twitter pages up-to-date.

1. Who is your favorite character and/or love interest so far?

2. Did the story hold your interest? What was your favorite part about the demo? If your answer contains spoilers, please use tags!

3. (This one is purely to satisfy my curiosity) What options did you choose for your princess? What were her looks and personality like?

4. Finally, what are your overall thoughts on the game, so far?

[gamerbum]

Ohhhh, this looks great!

1. What do you think of the role-playing possibilities? Do you think the more dialogue options, the better? Or do you prefer your MC to have a preset personality and voice for easy play-throughs that don't require as much input?

I actually prefer VNs that allow me to make lots of choices when there's a self-insert MC. Overall, I also like predefined MCs but I'd have to say that it's a little more fun with the self-inserts.

2. Favorite character so far? More info on them can be found HERE, for those interested.

Probably Jeisa because she's so cute.

3. The demo will lack a lot of pretty art assets like hand-drawn BGs and CGs. Will this effect your enjoyment?

Not at all. Look at how well 7kpp's demo was received and it lacked those as well. It definitely didn't deter me.

4. Finally, any requests as far as Kickstarter goals? My own priorities are, in order, MOAR CGs, pretty BGs, customizable MC sprite with different CGs based on preferences, original music, voicing, and additional character route. I'd like to hear what potential players would want to see first!

I don't really have any suggestions here, except maybe to move the additional character route ahead of voicing in priorities, but that's just my recommendation.

[Alice PH]

Wooow, this look interesting!

1. What do you think of the role-playing possibilities? Do you think the more dialogue options, the better? Or do you prefer your MC to have a preset personality and voice for easy play-throughs that don't require as much input?
RPG FTW <3 I wouldn't want someone to preset myself > <

2. Favorite character so far? More info on them can be found HERE, for those interested.
Gonna have to go with Noah since he seek knowledge and is beasty at the same time, gives me excitement ^w^


3. The demo will lack a lot of pretty art assets like hand-drawn BGs and CGs. Will this effect your enjoyment?
Naww, it's just a demo, as long as the overall storyline is good, I'm in for it!

4. Finally, any requests as far as Kickstarter goals? My own priorities are, in order, MOAR CGs, pretty BGs, customizable MC sprite with different CGs based on preferences, original music, voicing, and additional character route. I'd like to hear what potential players would want to see first!

C-C-CUSTOMIZABLE MC? OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-- And additional character route would be niceeeeeeee!!

[Auro-Cyanide]

As a quick aside, the idea that a blank protagonist equals more choices compared to a defined protagonist is an incorrect one. Blank protagonists are difficult to do and despite the attempt to use them to give the player agency, they are almost always limited in some way by the writer because of both time and effort limitations. Keeping track of the variables required for a good experience can often become prohibitive, especially for indie developers. One of the biggest pitfalls of blank protagonists is not being able to provide enough range and thus isolating some of their audience. I've played a number of games with blank protagonists that simply did not provide choices I would naturally make which made me much less inclined to relate to the protagonist especially since usually there was nothing else in the way of a personality for me to care about. This impacted my ability to care about the story as a whole.

As for defined protagonists, yes their choices will be restricted to their personality, but that doesn't mean that there needs to be less choices by default. We as humans do not follow pre-determined scripts. We make choices constantly. We are even capable of acting 'out of character' when we choose to. While this means the writer has to put effort into considering a number of relevant actions per choice that make sense given the character's personality, the pay off is that there is a personality for people to relate to and role-play through in the story, meaning there is can be less of dissonance when the choices presented aren't ones the player personally feels they would make. It gives them a new point of view, which is also a unique ability of games.

Neither way is right or wrong and both have their own difficulties when writing them, but it's important to consider both their full potentials as ways of telling a story. As far as choices go, they both provide the same number, but in different ways so they have different pros and cons. A huge range of choices isn't always the best way of going about telling a story, sometimes it's better to have a more focused but deeper look.

[Agashi]

Ohhhh, this looks great!
I actually prefer VNs that allow me to make lots of choices when there's a self-insert MC. Overall, I also like predefined MCs but I'd have to say that it's a little more fun with the self-inserts.

Thanks! It's good to know I'm not the only one out there who likes lots of choices. I also enjoy defined MCs for the most part, but I find it harder to step into their shoes when their thoughts and feelings don't match my own.

Probably Jeisa because she's so cute.

Jeisa has a soft spot in my heart. She's an amalgamation of my three sisters and my best friend so I'm predisposed to love her. Hopefully she appeals to players too!

3. The demo will lack a lot of pretty art assets like hand-drawn BGs and CGs. Will this effect your enjoyment?

Not at all. Look at how well 7kpp's demo was received and it lacked those as well. It definitely didn't deter me.

Good to know!

4. Finally, any requests as far as Kickstarter goals? My own priorities are, in order, MOAR CGs, pretty BGs, customizable MC sprite with different CGs based on preferences, original music, voicing, and additional character route. I'd like to hear what potential players would want to see first!
I don't really have any suggestions here, except maybe to move the additional character route ahead of voicing in priorities, but that's just my recommendation.

Oh, you know what, I had originally planned this but figured that voicing would be more popular. It would work out well for me if more people fall into this camp, because even with added sprites, CGs and possibly backgrounds, it would still be less expensive to produce than hiring a full cast of voice actors. Something to consider, definitely... Thank you so much for all the input, gamerbum!

Wooow, this look interesting!

1. What do you think of the role-playing possibilities? Do you think the more dialogue options, the better? Or do you prefer your MC to have a preset personality and voice for easy play-throughs that don't require as much input?
RPG FTW <3 I wouldn't want someone to preset myself > <

Haha... thank you! And I agree that while predefined characters can be a lot of fun to play, it's nice to have the chance to be yourself sometimes... I haven't found many with the breadth of RPing options that I like, so I decided to create one! Hopefully other people can enjoy it too!

Gonna have to go with Noah since he seek knowledge and is beasty at the same time, gives me excitement ^w^

3. The demo will lack a lot of pretty art assets like hand-drawn BGs and CGs. Will this effect your enjoyment?
Naww, it's just a demo, as long as the overall storyline is good, I'm in for it!

I'm putting a lot of effort into the story for just this reason! I hope that, lacking those finished art assets, the story will still be interesting enough to leave an impression.

C-C-CUSTOMIZABLE MC? OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-- And additional character route would be niceeeeeeee!!

That's two votes for extra romance route. And yes, the customizable MC is something that I feel really strongly about. So much so that if there is enough interest, I'll probably make it the first of the Kickstarter stretch goals. Thank you for your input, Alice PH!

[Agashi]

My response started to get really long, so I figured this was deserving of its own post...

As a quick aside, the idea that a blank protagonist equals more choices compared to a defined protagonist is an incorrect one. Blank protagonists are difficult to do and despite the attempt to use them to give the player agency, they are almost always limited in some way by the writer because of both time and effort limitations. Keeping track of the variables required for a good experience can often become prohibitive, especially for indie developers. One of the biggest pitfalls of blank protagonists is not being able to provide enough range and thus isolating some of their audience. I've played a number of games with blank protagonists that simply did not provide choices I would naturally make which made me much less inclined to relate to the protagonist especially since usually there was nothing else in the way of a personality for me to care about. This impacted my ability to care about the story as a whole.

As for defined protagonists, yes their choices will be restricted to their personality, but that doesn't mean that there needs to be less choices by default. We as humans do not follow pre-determined scripts. We make choices constantly. We are even capable of acting 'out of character' when we choose to. While this means the writer has to put effort into considering a number of relevant actions per choice that make sense given the character's personality, the pay off is that there is a personality for people to relate to and role-play through in the story, meaning there is can be less of dissonance when the choices presented aren't ones the player personally feels they would make. It gives them a new point of view, which is also a unique ability of games.

Neither way is right or wrong and both have their own difficulties when writing them, but it's important to consider both their full potentials as ways of telling a story. As far as choices go, they both provide the same number, but in different ways so they have different pros and cons. A huge range of choices isn't always the best way of going about telling a story, sometimes it's better to have a more focused but deeper look.

First of all, THANK YOU so much for the thoughtful/insightful response. I'm actually a big fan of the Cyanide Tea-m (haha, sorry) and I consider Taaradhin one of the best VNs I've played. Definitely Top 5, easily.

Now that I really think about it, I agree with the main thrust of your comments: that making a defined protagonist doesn't necessarily mean that a player is given less player choice. I would go so far as to say that among the VNs I've played, blank protagonists and defined ones average out to have roughly the same number of choices across the board. Even the more commercial ones. My wording of the first question I posted could use some work. I'll try to change it and explain what I really meant...

My preference for the "blank" MC stems more from the fact that while a lot of players have no problem stepping into a defined character's shoes, I really can't. I can enjoy reading about them like a character in a book, but the minute they start narrating or thinking in a way I wouldn't, the experience loses most of its immersion for me...

It's less about the choices and more about the fact that my thoughts and feelings almost never seem to align with those of most defined protags. Maybe I'm weird... I find it less jarring to be put into the shoes of a "blank," but like you said, there are pitfalls with this too, as these types tend to rely solely on the player to give them personality, and a lot of games don't offer enough opportunities to do so (at least for me. I could easily be alone on this).

THAT'S the reason I keep emphasizing the amount of choice I'm offering here. I'm trying to address a running problem I've encountered with blank protagonists, not a problem I have with defined ones. It's also the reason I'm writing the entire game in 2nd person. No internal monologues to clash with what the player is thinking/feeling. I mean, she's still human. If something jumps out, she'll be surprised. If something bad happens, she'll be upset. She thinks about what is happening, but mostly in a rational way that won't get emotional until you choose how she feels about it.

I'm trying to find a balance between VN and role-playing game... I'm hoping that by the time I'm finished, the game will play like a text-only Bioware game. You'll have to let me know if I succeed or not.

Anyway, sorry for this wall of text. Hope you understand where I'm coming from, and again, thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts. I shall edit the first post shortly.

Also, here are two more completed sprites:

[Katta]

The sprites are so beautiful)

4. Finally, any requests as far as Kickstarter goals? My own priorities are, in order, MOAR CGs, pretty BGs, customizable MC sprite with different CGs based on preferences, original music, voicing, and additional character route. I'd like to hear what potential players would want to see first!

Personally I don't care about voice acting - too much work with a doubtful result - I've seen many times that the game was delayed for a long time because of problems with VA and it's rarely good too. So that would be the last in my preferences.
First one would definitely be additional character routes, more story=more fun.
Then BGs, CGs, music.

[Lady_Luck94]

1. What do you think of the role-playing possibilities? Do you think the more dialogue options, the better? Or do you think too much could mean that replays would become cumbersome? Also, what do you think of the 2nd person narrative? Too weird or worth giving a shot?

My preferences will be game with more dialogue options. After I finish all the endings in the game, I will always come back to play it and just choose any dialogue options (that seems true to myself) without a care for endings!
But since some VN offered little options, sometimes it hard to relate the main character to myself(which I enjoy doing very much).

2. Favorite character so far? More info on them can be found HERE, for those interested.

Emry <3 His face will be the death of me.

3. The demo will lack a lot of pretty art assets like hand-drawn BGs and CGs. Will this effect your enjoyment?

Its just demo, so it won't. And the sprites are awesome enough to keep me entertained!

4. Finally, any requests as far as Kickstarter goals? My own priorities are, in order, MOAR CGs, pretty BGs, customizable MC sprite with different CGs based on preferences, original music, voicing, and additional character route. I'd like to hear what potential players would want to see first!

"Customizable MC sprite with different CGs based on preferences" sounds nice

[Agashi]

Personally I don't care about voice acting - too much work with a doubtful result - I've seen many times that the game was delayed for a long time because of problems with VA and it's rarely good too. So that would be the last in my preferences.
First one would definitely be additional character routes, more story=more fun.
Then BGs, CGs, music.

Lovely to see you here, Katta, as always! Sorry I didn't reply sooner, but I wanted to have some significant progress to report as well. Since a lot of people seem to want the extra route, I might shift it upward on the list of stretch goals. It'll still have to be behind the MC sprite (just because I feel REALLY strongly about that) but I might wind up putting it ahead of extra art and music. I can't help but feel the same way about VA. It can be great if done well, but a single less-than-stellar performance and it yanks the player right out of their immersion. If there's enough demand, and I get the funding on Kickstarter, I'll do it, but it's by no means a priority.

My preferences will be game with more dialogue options. After I finish all the endings in the game, I will always come back to play it and just choose any dialogue options (that seems true to myself) without a care for endings!
But since some VN offered little options, sometimes it hard to relate the main character to myself(which I enjoy doing very much).

YAY! Saiqa, you're here! Added you to the credits by the way, so sorry I nearly forgot! I am the same way with regards to dialogue options. I like being able to get all the endings first, and then play a few runs where I role-play just as myself. It's nice when games allow you to do that, and it's what I'm hoping to do with QC.

Emry <3 His face will be the death of me.
Its just demo, so it won't. And the sprites are awesome enough to keep me entertained!

ME TOO... and I'm glad the lack of CGs and BGs don't seem to be scaring away too many players.

"Customizable MC sprite with different CGs based on preferences" sounds nice

Yeah, I'm pretty sure this is going to be my number one priority once the bare bones of production costs are covered. I really want players to be able to take the role-playing a step further.

Thanks for your comments and support, guys!

UPDATE:

Noah's first encounter has been finished and I still have a little bit of momentum, so I'm going to try and knock out the second one as well before this weekend. The wordcount came to around 2700, which is almost a thousand more than Emry's first encounter Can't help it though, Noah's a talker... Emry not so much.

ALSO! Another sprite for your viewing pleasure! Progress report has been updated.

[Kapiu]

1. What do you think of the role-playing possibilities? Do you think the more dialogue options, the better? Or do you think too much could mean that replays would become cumbersome?

Personally, I love dialogue. I think people play interactive stories, in this case visual novels, to immerse themselves as a character. (Whereas if they were in it just for an interesting story, there's some pretty magnificent books out there). They don't necessarily have to be that character but for whatever character they want to create, the more chances to do so the better! While I find that, surprisingly, a lot of people don't replay games, even in games where there are a ton of options, I think adding enough options to make the first run-through spectacular is always a plus. And for those who do enjoy different options, (you could be me and play through a game so many times you practically memorize every option) I personally find more options are like a treasure that reward me for my second play rather than a nuisance. However, I certainly don't speak for everyone and am just noting by personal opinions and observations. :> (I've read so many polls across different types of games. So many my head is going to explode!) However, working on a game of my own I know how much effort it takes to make meaningful choices that actually impact the story, and have found by trying to add too many I wear myself out. Whatever you do, make sure it's fun for you. c:

2. What do you think of the 2nd person narrative? Too weird or worth giving a shot?

Actually, a lot of the games I've been reading/playing have been written in second person. The first time it was a little bit odd but I really fell in love with it. It really gives you the sense that you're controlling and participating in the game rather than playing as a pre-defined character. I say, if it's what you want to do, go for it!

3. Favorite character so far? More info on them can be found HERE, for those interested.

Emry! >u< Everything about him from his previous and current blurb speak to me on a spiritual level. Also, having such an attractive sprite can't hurt... :'3

4. The demo will lack a lot of pretty art assets like hand-drawn BGs and CGs. Will this effect your enjoyment?

Nope, not at all! As long as the writing is captivating I will be good to go.

5. Finally, any requests as far as Kickstarter goals? My own priorities are, in order, MOAR CGs, pretty BGs, customizable MC sprite with different CGs based on preferences, original music, voicing, and additional character route. I'd like to hear what potential players would want to see first!

I pretty much agree with your order but would perhaps move up the additional character route. Only because I'm selfish and would always go for more content.

I just wanted to say this looks fantastic! There aren't that many otome games that allow for a protagonist to be left for the player. (Meaning, most have a protagonist with a set personality. While they're still fun, I'd love love love a game where it's actually interactive to that extent). Or that have meaningful choices that don't just affect which character route you end up, but the story too. Or that many English otome games in the first place /shot When I read that you said you play Dragon Age and Baldur's Gate I went; YES! Dragon Age Origins is my all time favorite game so anyone who takes even slight influence is going to have my support 100%. I'll totally buy this, and hopefully support your kickstarter (I'm a broke student but it'd be so worth it). Can't wait to play the demo! ^-^

Also, gorgeous art. @.@

[Agashi]

Personally, I love dialogue. I think people play interactive stories, in this case visual novels, to immerse themselves as a character. (Whereas if they were in it just for an interesting story, there's some pretty magnificent books out there). They don't necessarily have to be that character but for whatever character they want to create, the more chances to do so the better! While I find that, surprisingly, a lot of people don't replay games, even in games where there are a ton of options, I think adding enough options to make the first run-through spectacular is always a plus. And for those who do enjoy different options, (you could be me and play through a game so many times you practically memorize every option) I personally find more options are like a treasure that reward me for my second play rather than a nuisance. However, I certainly don't speak for everyone and am just noting by personal opinions and observations. :> (I've read so many polls across different types of games. So many my head is going to explode!) However, working on a game of my own I know how much effort it takes to make meaningful choices that actually impact the story, and have found by trying to add too many I wear myself out. Whatever you do, make sure it's fun for you. c:

Thanks for taking the time to comment, Kapiu! Your perspective on dialogue options is a relief to hear and it mimics my own... Also, on the last part of what you said: I'm trying really hard to find a balance between getting tired and overwhelmed by the choices, and writing enough to be true to my vision of the game. I LIKE stepping into different shoes, but yes, it's a struggle to keep things fun sometimes when I'm trying to come up with dialogue options for personalities that aren't like mine.

Actually, a lot of the games I've been reading/playing have been written in second person. The first time it was a little bit odd but I really fell in love with it. It really gives you the sense that you're controlling and participating in the game rather than playing as a pre-defined character. I say, if it's what you want to do, go for it!

You should totally send some of those games my way if you can. I'm having a really hard time tracking down 2nd person VNs and it's my favorite perspective so I always knew I would have to write mine in it.

Emry! >u< Everything about him from his previous and current blurb speak to me on a spiritual level. Also, having such an attractive sprite can't hurt... :'3

He is very pretty, isn't he? But yes, if you enjoy bittersweet love stories full of obstacles and pining, Emry should hopefully keep you entertained.

I pretty much agree with your order but would perhaps move up the additional character route. Only because I'm selfish and would always go for more content.

Haha... Well, I suppose it's settled then. Character route will precede voicing for certain, and probably additional CGs/BGs as well.

I just wanted to say this looks fantastic! There aren't that many otome games that allow for a protagonist to be left for the player. (Meaning, most have a protagonist with a set personality. While they're still fun, I'd love love love a game where it's actually interactive to that extent). Or that have meaningful choices that don't just affect which character route you end up, but the story too. Or that many English otome games in the first place /shot When I read that you said you play Dragon Age and Baldur's Gate I went; YES! Dragon Age Origins is my all time favorite game so anyone who takes even slight influence is going to have my support 100%. I'll totally buy this, and hopefully support your kickstarter (I'm a broke student but it'd be so worth it). Can't wait to play the demo! ^-^

Also, gorgeous art. @.@

Thank you so much for the support and the kind words. I hope that the finished product meets all of your expectations! Also, I will happily pass your compliments on to Nero, if she hasn't seen them already.

UPDATE:

So, Noah's route is almost complete for the demo. I have about 1/2 of his last encounter left to write, then it'll be back to the main plot.

New contributors galore!
- New art for the GUI from the lovely and talented Semide!
- 3-4 original songs are being composed by Noyemi K
- A programmer has tentatively come aboard in the form of Ibukichan, aka Aiko!

I'm blown away by how open-hearted and generous the people of Lemma Soft are. Seriously, ya'll give me hope for humanity... The credits post will be updated soon!

[Noyemi K]

I'd play it! I've been playing Witcher 3, so I've been in the mood for some post-antiquity dramas for a bit now.

And dear threadgoers, I really do hope you'll find the songs a treat when you get a hold of the demo

[Harliqueen]

Have to say first off how excited I am for this game! Everything looks and sounds amazing You have obviously put so much work into it that I think it's going to blow people away!

1. What do you think of the role-playing possibilities? Do you think the more dialogue options, the better? Or do you think too much could mean that replays would become cumbersome?

I always enjoy choice, so the more the better in my case!

2. what do you think of the 2nd person narrative? Too weird or worth giving a shot?

I've played a couple of VNs with 2nd person, and I think the medium suits it well.

3. Favorite character so far? More info on them can be found HERE, for those interested.

It was Noah, but I'm leaning towards Emry (Heavily leaning )

4. The demo will lack a lot of pretty art assets like hand-drawn BGs and CGs. Will this effect your enjoyment?

Not for the demo. A demo is just a demo after all, just a way of getting to see more about what the story and gameplay will be like

5. Finally, any requests as far as Kickstarter goals?

More CGs always go down well!
Voice acting is never something that overly appealed to me, and I don't miss it when it's not there.

[AntiquedFae]

I hope you don't mind my short comment, but I just wanted to stop in to say that I am following this happily! I'm extremely eager to get a chance to try the demo, since much of this game's appeal seems based on (at least for me) gameplay, and that's always something that you just need to experience to decide on. I've fallen in love with the incredibly specific 'historic politics with oodles of world building and definable protagonist written in second person narrative' games as of late, and I think this game is stepping towards filling that niche admirably.

Also, a small suggestion for your concerns about the blank protagonist not having enough choices of response, or perhaps too similar of choices: play-testing by a variety of people could do wonders for this, I think. It is nearly impossible for a writer, even the most skilled of storytellers, to write from a drastically varying collection of perspectives in one story. This is just natural and human; we write from our own experiences and from ourselves. I'd say, unless they are inordinately skilled at seeing and expressing things from a variety of different viewpoints, a writer hoping to accomplish this pretty much needs to work with others who can point out possible responses that would have been missed with just one person working on it. I'd really encourage you to get some volunteers for this purpose. I'm sure finding them would not be hard at all. (Like me. Cough.) A few perspectives on natural responses to a situation would definitely provide more variation than one, which would be super beneficial in a game with a blank MC.

I'm looking majorly forward to seeing more from this game because what is out so far looks fantastic!

[Erikka]

I wonder how the MC will look in the game? I hope she' ll be shown in the game??
p.s. so far wonderful work!