Konbini Life [Romance/Drama/Slice of Life][GxB] #ilujam DEMO

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2Birds
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Konbini Life [Romance/Drama/Slice of Life][GxB] #ilujam DEMO

#1 Post by 2Birds »

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~DOWNLOAD THE DEMO HERE!~

After flunking out of University, Natsu has been working the night shift at the local MegaKonbiniMart to make ends meet.
She's got an annoying co-worker who calls her "Flunkee-chan" whose sole purpose in life is to make her miserable.
There's the creepy businessman who's only interests are of the 2D persuasion, and he can't help scaring away other customers.
The foreigner who buys snacks in bulk and is hiding a secret. And there's signs of a customer with sticky fingers.

How will Natsu's Konbini Life unfold?


A Visual Novel by 2Birds for Ilujam
Follow us on Twitter! @2birdsgames

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Free (whoo!)
At least 15k words, and counting.
3 Character Branches - Grouchy, Glasses and Prince
6 Endings -2 per character

Stretch goals:
A fourth character branch - Hoody
2 more endings
CGs *bats eyelashes at Bird 2*

We are using the Ren'py Engine :)

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We're just a couple of birds with Visual Novel Development aspirations.

Bird 1 ★ Writer / Coder / UI Artist
Bird 2 ★ Character Artist / Background Artist
Follow us on Twitter! @2birdsgames

This is our first proper shot at a visual novel so wish us luck on our ridiculous endeavour!

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We'd appreciate any feedback or advice you have on the story/art so far.

- Are the characters interesting? Which one appeals to you?
- Does the premise seem entertaining?
- Do you feel the character are different enough to each other?

- Have you played anything similar?
- Anything we can improve?

All feedback welcome, if you have any questions feel free to ask us and we'll try our best to answer!
Unless you want to know about [insert character]'s secret, 'cause you'll have to play the game for that ;)
Last edited by 2Birds on Sun Jul 03, 2016 10:17 am, edited 6 times in total.

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Re: Konbini Life [Romance/Drama/Slice of Life][GxB] #ilujam

#2 Post by hoihoisoi »

Firstly, the art is gorgeous. Man, I really like it! XD Now on to the questions.

Are the characters interesting? Which one appeals to you?
Overall, I think you have a pretty healthy cast of characters to create a pretty fun comedic experience. Personally, I like glasses just cause he is so flexible to write about due to the overall contradictory nature of his character. (You've even described him as an 'Otaku Businessman')

Does the premise seem entertaining?

Personally, I think the premise is pretty entertaining from a comedic stand point since your cast of characters rivals those 4-koma gag manga. But for you to put up the 'Drama' tag means that it shouldn't be all fun and games through the script so it's going to be interesting to see how you'll pull these characters together to create some friction and conflict.

Do you feel the character are different enough to each other?
The characters seem all very different from each other.

Have you played anything similar? (so we can avoid it like the plague)
I don't play much romance VNs so I can't really say I've played anything on a similar premise however I've read quite a bit of romance manga and this description you're giving reminds me of one called 'Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun'. This premise I can say works for something like a romance/comedy script, so I think it's used quite often in those kind of manga but personally I don't mind it at all.

Do you think we have bitten off more than we can chew?
A month of development is a pretty short time however it should be doable for a script of 15k to 20k words. In terms of the programming and the editing it should be doable. Something which may be a bit tough to meet though with that kinda deadline is the character and background art. But if your artist is fully committed to the entire project for the next month, you should be able to meet the deadline.

Overall good luck with the project and hope it works out well for you! :D
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Re: Konbini Life [Romance/Drama/Slice of Life][GxB] #ilujam

#3 Post by 2Birds »

Introducing the main antagonist of Konbini Life (and potential branch if Bird 2 gets her way)
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@hoihoisoi
Thanks for filling out the questionnaire! When I put Drama as the genre, we are using it pretty lightly. There's "dramatic" points in the storyline but all the characters are all pretty wacky in their execution. I think likening them to the Nozaki-kun series is a perfect example of where our intentions are at, so that's great to hear! Thanks again :D

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Re: Konbini Life [Romance/Drama/Slice of Life][GxB] #ilujam

#4 Post by neuropsy »

- Are the characters interesting? Which one appeals to you?
I've never worked retail, but from the stories I've heard, the cast of characters seem to embody the quirkiness found in real life retail jobs as opposed to being overexaggerated caricatures common to visual novels. This is something I appreciate since character depth is of utmost importance to me. I'd have to say that the Otaku Businessman appeals to me the most; I'd love to see the trajectories our conversations take. So, yes, the characters seem interesting!

- Does the premise seem entertaining?
Something I appreciated about the premise is that I think the story of a college drop-out just trying to make ends meet is a relatable scenario many people are or at risk of experiencing. If readers aren't in that position themselves, it's quite likely they'd know someone in a similar situation. So, yes, the premise becomes extra entertaining for these reasons.

- Do you feel the character are different enough to each other?
I don't have enough information to say for sure, but it seems like it so far. Something I did initially notice was the lack of an overall friendly, happy guy sort of character, or one that's stereotypically "cute" in personality, which is the types I usually go for. However, it's definitely not enough to deter me, especially since I'm interested in what the Otaku Businessman's path will be like.

- Have you played anything similar? (so we can avoid it like the plague)
I've played games where protagonists held jobs or that a job was at the forefront of the setting, but nothing quite like this (that I recall anyway), though. At this point of development, nothing stands out to be as being overdone, so I wouldn't worry about desperately trying to avoid certain tropes or whatnot. I can already say I'm definitely going to play this when it comes out.

- Do you think we have bitten off more than we can chew?
Not at all. You have a realistic set of definite features and stretch goals, in my opinion. My only piece of advice is that perfecting what you have so far should take higher priority than just adding content. A shorter, polished game would resonate much more than a longer game that's lackluster in production quality.

Overall, I'm really looking forward to this game's release. Good luck! :)
"Everyone was jumping a giant jump rope, but I was too scared to join. I was hesitant, like a child, always waiting for you."
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Re: Konbini Life [Romance/Drama/Slice of Life][GxB] #ilujam

#5 Post by 2Birds »

Prince has been added to the first post, check out those dashing good looks :wink:

@neuropsy
Thanks for your answers! I'm surprised people are interested in Glasses, I thought that was just a me thing :lol:

The premise for our game actually came from a random word generator where Bird2 rolled 'Convenience'. It all kind of fell together from there :lol: Something that was important to us though, was that we create an MC that was grounded in reality. She needed to feel relatable, and have a backbone. Backbones are good!

If you are after happy-go-lucky, Prince is probably the closest you'd get but he's a little more on the playboy side :oops:

We are definitely excited to see how far we can get with this project and are aiming for a polished MVP, we just have to keep ourselves inline. We appreciate your feedback it helps us focus and gives great insight into others expectations!

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Re: Konbini Life [Romance/Drama/Slice of Life][GxB] #ilujam

#6 Post by Zelan »

daaaang I usually go after the people with glasses but Prince is looking fine. :p

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Re: Konbini Life [Romance/Drama/Slice of Life][GxB] #ilujam

#7 Post by Ran08 »

Hahahaha, the characters all sound like mini-villains, except for the prince. But then again, who knows what he's got up those hawt sleeves of his. :D They're all so handsome though. <3 Especially Hiroto! Omg.

My question is, is it just like a slice-of-life VN where we'll just see how Natsu's daily life will be as a konbini worker? Or will something exciting happen that will push the whole plot forward? Hahaha, but either way, I'll sure look forward to this game's release.

Good luck! :") I sure hope you guys can pull through. You can do it!

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Re: Konbini Life [Romance/Drama/Slice of Life][GxB] #ilujam

#8 Post by 2Birds »

@Zelan, I'd save the preference until you play 8) but Prince is a darling.

@Ran08, you can tell the kind of guys we levitate towards >.> shaaaame. And yay +1 for Grouchy!
As for your question, the game is set entirely inside/around the Konbini store and follows Natsu's interactions with the other characters. There are events that propel the story forward, but I won't spoil anything :P Thanks for your support!

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Re: Konbini Life [Romance/Drama/Slice of Life][GxB] #ilujam

#9 Post by SNSeed »

- Are the characters interesting? Which one appeals to you?
They do, the 2D loving otaku seems like he's going to be awkward & fun to interact with.
My type is the grouch so he appeals to me the most, but I look forward to seeing what the other two are like as well.

- Does the premise seem entertaining?
Yes, I enjoy when otomes don't feel the need to have a million things going on to hold your interest.
This one seems like it will be simple but entertaining so I am rather excited to play when it is finished :!:

- Do you feel the character are different enough to each other?
Not even close to being similar, don't worry.

- Have you played anything similar? (so we can avoid it like the plague)
Yes, actually. I played "Summer Special!" but the similarity is in the location.

- Do you think we have bitten off more than we can chew? (Seriously. We have no idea if our scope it too big we have until July 4th)
It does seem like that's a possibility but I wish you luck anyway~

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Re: Konbini Life [Romance/Drama/Slice of Life][GxB] #ilujam

#10 Post by Lizzie »

First things first... I fell in love with the art! It's simply amazing!

- Are the characters interesting? Which one appeals to you?
I think all the characters are pretty interesting in general, since they're not stereotypes. Prince is the one who caught my attention, probably because he seems to be really kind-hearted and a bit naive and since the guy with the longest hair is usually my favorite.
The protagonist seems very interesting too, since it's not the annoying kind of girl I usually see in these games.

- Does the premise seem entertaining?
Yes, very. The characters seem to have a weird relationship with each other so there may be really funny moments. I've never seen a game with this theme so I'm really excited to play it.

- Do you feel the character are different enough to each other?
From what I read, they don't seem to have much in common. They seem to have their own secrets to be revealed.

- Have you played anything similar?
There are many games in which the protagonist works at a café or something like that, but at a convenience store? I've never seen one, what makes me really look forward to playing it.

- Do you think we have bitten off more than we can chew?

I seriously have no idea because I haven't finished a single game yet. It may be tight, but I don't think it's impossible.

Good luck! :D

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Re: Konbini Life [Romance/Drama/Slice of Life][GxB] #ilujam

#11 Post by 2Birds »

Love all this feedback guys! Thanks so much for taking the time :)

@SNSeed I'm glad the artwork is conveying the personalities we are going for! Glasses is awkward and hopefully his dorkiness is appealing. He's a little gullible too :lol:

@Lizzie I'm in awe of the art too. We endeavoured to create an MC that wasn't a doll so hopefully people can associate with her 8)

Bird 2 is working on the backgrounds as we speak and I believe they are going to be A-mah-zing. The first pass of the game is almost done too! Next we can start to revise and refine, so everything is on track!

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Re: Konbini Life [Romance/Drama/Slice of Life][GxB] #ilujam

#12 Post by chocoberrie »

First of all, I have to say: oh my gosh the art is GORGEOUS *A*

Are the characters interesting? Which one appeals to you?
The characters are interesting! They each have their own personality, and the artwork of them here shows that they all have a different vibe... like they do things differently, live differently! If that makes sense XD Out of all of them, I'd say my favorite character is Hiroto ("Grouchy") - I'd think he would be very funny, but serious when he needs to be :D

Does the premise seem entertaining?
Definitely! :D I love slice-of-life stuff! And adding romance is a plus too~~ I wonder what kind of drama there will be though? If that's included, it shouldn't be too jarring, considering the funnies and romance you guys have going :D

Do you feel the character are different enough to each other?
Definitely! They're all their own characters for sure. I look forward to seeing how they interact with each other!

Have you played anything similar? (so we can avoid it like the plague)
Not at all!! I love the setting, it's very unique! :D I'm really excited to play this!

Do you think we have bitten off more than we can chew?
Perhaps... if your goal is to have it done by July 4th, that does sound a bit tight of a deadline! D: But I think it would be doable, considering the script isn't too long! Best of luck!! I await this game with excitement :D

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Re: Konbini Life [Romance/Drama/Slice of Life][GxB] #ilujam

#13 Post by 2Birds »

@chocoberrie
Thanks so much for your kind words :D Hopefully we have intertwined the drama well enough that it feels natural. I'll keep it in mind when I start refining the text (which I'm doing right now, so busy!)

Hi guys,

Dropping in to share some screenshots! Bird2 has finished 3 of the backgrounds and all the characters expressions, they're so good!

I'm busy plugging everything in now and cleaning up the writing, and it looks like we are coming in hot! But, I will do my best so that we can release a product by end of ilujam! Otherwise you'll get a polished demo :oops: we'll still work on it afterwards though for sure :D

Enjoy the pics!

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Re: Konbini Life [Romance/Drama/Slice of Life][GxB] #ilujam

#14 Post by Laera-chan »

Oooh this looks awesome! I love all three (Four? Hoodie is interesting... >.>) characters, and can't wait to play this. As I'm not a game maker (yet. I'd love to start making some but I can't figure out how for the life of me), I have no idea when ilujam ends. Or even begins. Anywho, any rough estimates on when this will be completed? I'm really interested!

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Re: Konbini Life [Romance/Drama/Slice of Life][GxB] #ilujam

#15 Post by 2Birds »

@Laera-chan ilujam runs for the duration of June and finishes up July 4th. There will be something for you to play come then :D Once you get your head around Renpy it's super simple to make a basic VN, don't let the tools scare you off! :) Do it!

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