As We Know It [GxB][GXG][VN][Romance|Drama|Apocalypse][KS FUNDED][RELEASED]

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Scribbles
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As We Know It [GxB][GXG][VN][Romance|Drama|Apocalypse][KS FUNDED][RELEASED]

#1 Post by Scribbles »

As We Know It

Available Now!

We were funded on Kickstarter!

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The full game is now available for purchase at Itch.io and Steam!


Itch.io

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As We Know It is a post-apocalyptic visual novel with heavy branching. Set in a future where the world has become too hot to be safe. Those who can, move underground. You get to experience life as a new resident of Camden, the local underground oasis. Get a job, make friends, find love. Just as you start to get used to this new, protected life everything begins to fall apart.

Will you fight on the side of chaos or structure? And how will that affect all of your relationships?

Make friends. Make enemies. Everything you do matters.
Features:
  • Become friends, or enemies with a diverse, fully fleshed out set of characters!
  • Branching paths from day one, making each playthrough unique
  • Every path promises different sides of the story, encouraging replay
  • 4 potential love interests
  • 3 potential friends
  • 4 career options with separate events outside of the love interests
  • Spend time with any- and everyone, no matter who you romance, or which job you pick
  • Several endings
  • Customize your name and appearance (different skin tones and hair colors)
Camden
An underground utopia with fresh food, filtered air, and the coldest water you’ll ever taste. Enjoy your spacious living quarters with enough room for the whole family! We have all the amenities you could ever dream of: a gym for your fitness, a library for your mind, and a bar for socializing. Our community center is a hub of activity. Stop by in the mornings for affordable coffee and a friendly chat with your neighbors. All events and meetings are held there as well!

Our massive space is taken up mostly by an impressive collection of greenhouses that provide a wealth of resources for Camden. From clothing to medicine, if we can grow it then it’s here. Never worry about fatal power outages again. We use an advanced Geothermal energy system that is as safe as it is efficient. Our impressive security and medical departments keep us protected and healthy.

Camden welcomes you to your new, better life.
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You play as Ashlynn Phillips. Ashlynn is suspicious, but desperate to make this new life work. Her life on the surface was hard. She spent most of it fighting for everything and going without. Now she's safe. Her mother is safe. They have food, water, and shelter. Nothing will get in the way of that ever again, if she has anything to say about it. Or will she change her mind when she sees just what living in Camden can mean?

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Camila Phillips - Your mother, despite her airy optimistic nature you know she’s seen some very dark times. You can hear her whimper in her sleep, though she’ll vehemently deny it. Shes content to read romantic stories and daydream until reality catches her attention.

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Mayor Rick Davidson - The man in charge. Will do whatever it takes to ensure Camden's future success and prosperity. Many of the residents are enamored with the charming mayor, but he seems to have finally taken a personal interest in the doe-eyed Camila Phillips.

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Jude Myers
You can usually find him at the bar with Sam, the closest thing to family he has left. Or in the greenhouse tending to the plants with loud grunge music from the 1990s shaking the walls. If you see him with any tech, you should probably assume it’s contraband and say nothing. Romanceable

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Eva Turner
An overly friendly security officer full of charm, and a sad smile. She'll tackle criminals all day, and then sweep you into her arms and sing karaoke with you all night. Or she’ll challenge you to a race, then feel bad that she didn’t let you win. Romanceable

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Gloria Miller
The sweet Community Affairs Supervisor who wants to keep everyone's spirits up in these dark times. Born in Camden she isn't fully aware of the harsh realities of the surface. Bored of living underground she wants to either shake things up or escape. Romanceable

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Micah Everett
A perfectionist with an eloquent way of speaking, and a quiet voice. Can seem distant at first, but will open up as you get to know him. Tries to throw himself into work as much as possible, and as the community’s head doctor no one tries to stop him. Romanceable

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Vince
Head of security, strict at work, but a caring and sensitive father and friend. Adores his daughter, single but not looking (Sorry Iris), acts as a father figure to Eva, good sense of humor

Tabby
Sweet little Tabby, likes to study in the gym. 8 years old. Lonely. Smarter than other kids her age. She may think you’re a bit dumb, but is happy to tutor you. Friendable

Iris
A man crazy flirt with a big smile and a lot of sass. Fun, outgoing, likes just about everyone but her ex. Acts like the southern-belle of Camden.

Sam
Bad-ass bartender who's been to hell and back. Runs Icarus. Took a young Jude in when she was 17 and they have been family ever since. Don’t steal from her or she will stab you. No really. A lot of attitude and sass. Protective of her loved ones. Friendable

Bryan
Handsome, charming, friendly, and utterly useless at his job. Has a huge crush on the grumpy librarian, and spends his time at the library when he isn’t napping at work.

Trevor
Grumpy librarian, not a people-person, may like Bryan more than he seems to, likes books and hates people, would prefer if you just never went to the library ever, dislikes Gloria Miller. Friendable

Background art:
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GUI:
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Screenshots:
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Credits:
  • Development, Writing, Programming: Me (Scribbles)
  • Collaborator: PMscenarios
  • Sprite Art and Illustrator: Kate Frizzell
  • Logo and GUI Artwork: Sasquatchii
  • Background Art: Exit Mothership
  • Music: Matthew Myers
Everything is still being planned out and worked on! I will update periodically. Feedback would be great, and feel free to ask questions!

Questions:
  • Any characters that you are particularly interested in?
  • Any characters you don’t really like?
  • Does the idea of a heavily branching visual novel appeal to you?
  • If you're interested(or not) in the project let me know why/why not :)
feel free to add anything!
Last edited by Scribbles on Thu May 09, 2019 2:33 pm, edited 53 times in total.
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Re: As We Know It [GxB][GXG][VN][Romance|Drama|Apocalypse]

#2 Post by bobconway »

Those backgrounds are gorgeous!

It would be interesting to hear more about what's happened above ground, as well. What do the other people that don't get spots in underground cities do? (Presumably your character had to bide her time somehow while waiting.)
How is law and order maintained above ground in the apocalyptic (and likely doomed?) above ground cities, or how do the underground cities defend themselves?
(I guess that'd kind of a tangent from the story, but when I read your summary, that's strangely the first thing I wonder about.)
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Re: As We Know It [GxB][GXG][VN][Romance|Drama|Apocalypse]

#3 Post by Scribbles »

bobconway wrote: Fri Oct 27, 2017 1:06 pm Those backgrounds are gorgeous!

It would be interesting to hear more about what's happened above ground, as well. What do the other people that don't get spots in underground cities do? (Presumably your character had to bide her time somehow while waiting.)
How is law and order maintained above ground in the apocalyptic (and likely doomed?) above ground cities, or how do the underground cities defend themselves?
(I guess that'd kind of a tangent from the story, but when I read your summary, that's strangely the first thing I wonder about.)
let's see if I can sum it up ^^

on the surface people huddle in thrown together towns and cities made from the ruins of well... us. So modern structures sort of cobbled together into shelters from heat and weather.

It's fairly lawless, lots of gangs/warlords/thieves roam and create chaos while everyone struggles to not die from the sun or limited resources. Population is greatly decreased, everyone is too spread out for any kind of universal form of government.

It's something you can survive, if you're strong and can find a way to stay cool during the hotter times of day.

Obviously the underground cities are preferable, but space is limited. Once a year Camden replenishes it's lost population, and luckily Kat and Mary were next on the list! :) Hope that helps answer your questions?
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Re: As We Know It [GxB][GXG][VN][Romance|Drama|Apocalypse]

#4 Post by PMscenarios »

A lot of the backstory/setting is currently organically revealed through Kat in Scribbles' script - as we get to know her we also learn more about how her life was before, and how the city works.

God, I love how Scribbles has written Kat so much! :wink:
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Re: As We Know It [GxB][GXG][VN][Romance|Drama|Apocalypse]

#5 Post by Scribbles »

ah! how could I forget the wonderful UI Kit @Sasquatchii made for the game!

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#6 Post by Doomzilla »

I got excited when I realized it was you since I really enjoyed Pinewood Island, then I saw the name of the protag and got anxious cause past blah blah with a person of that name would make it harder for me to enjoy, then I saw that the name would be customizable and got excited again! Even more so because we'll get to customize our appearance too.

Love the setting and background story, but I'm almost more focused on the Mayor trying to date my mom. My traumatized mom. I'm watching you, Mr. Mayor.

I like the variety in the appearances of the love interests. I think I'm most interested in Gloria at this point (which is a pleasant surprise because I usually lean towards guys). I love the curves and smile, and I feel like her route could be really interesting with the contrasting backgrounds between MC and her. Jude is also of great interest. I'm a sucker for 90s music and he's very pretty. I know she's not a LI, but I love Sam too. Her hair is fun and she has a very expressive smirk going.

I like the clothing designs so far, they're a good blend of current and futuristic fashions. That is definitely the most gorgeous gray meeting room I've ever seen. The attention to detail is impressive, including things like a snack table adds a lot of visual interest.

Sketchy art is okay in a demo, but now that you mention it I realize that no color is a deal breaker for me. I tend to skip demos without colored art. Writing quality is also very important, but I don't think you'll have an issue with that.

You mentioned multiple jobs options, is this going to be a sim game or a pure visual novel or something else?

Your last game was refreshingly mature and dealt with some heavy and horrific stuff, will this game deal with themes of a similar nature? Do you have an intended rating that you're aiming for?

In case it wasn't clear from my enthusiastic babblefest, I'm very much looking forward to seeing more!

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#7 Post by Scribbles »

Doomzilla wrote: Sun Oct 29, 2017 11:56 pm I got excited when I realized it was you since I really enjoyed Pinewood Island, then I saw the name of the protag and got anxious cause past blah blah with a person of that name would make it harder for me to enjoy, then I saw that the name would be customizable and got excited again! Even more so because we'll get to customize our appearance too.

Love the setting and background story, but I'm almost more focused on the Mayor trying to date my mom. My traumatized mom. I'm watching you, Mr. Mayor.

I like the variety in the appearances of the love interests. I think I'm most interested in Gloria at this point (which is a pleasant surprise because I usually lean towards guys). I love the curves and smile, and I feel like her route could be really interesting with the contrasting backgrounds between MC and her. Jude is also of great interest. I'm a sucker for 90s music and he's very pretty. I know she's not a LI, but I love Sam too. Her hair is fun and she has a very expressive smirk going.

I like the clothing designs so far, they're a good blend of current and futuristic fashions. That is definitely the most gorgeous gray meeting room I've ever seen. The attention to detail is impressive, including things like a snack table adds a lot of visual interest.

Sketchy art is okay in a demo, but now that you mention it I realize that no color is a deal breaker for me. I tend to skip demos without colored art. Writing quality is also very important, but I don't think you'll have an issue with that.

You mentioned multiple jobs options, is this going to be a sim game or a pure visual novel or something else?

Your last game was refreshingly mature and dealt with some heavy and horrific stuff, will this game deal with themes of a similar nature? Do you have an intended rating that you're aiming for?

In case it wasn't clear from my enthusiastic babblefest, I'm very much looking forward to seeing more!
I'll keep in mind what you said about color!

The jobs will define your route, I removed any kind of 'stat' building I had considered. (You can romance the love interest you work with, or not it won't make a difference in the outcome)

This game will also have some dark and mature themes, but won't fit in the horror genre so it won't be so heavy. I tend to write for an adult audience, so this will likely have an 'R' rating if it was a movie.

I'm glad you're looking forward to the project! and I'm glad you liked Pinewood Island :)
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#8 Post by Scribbles »

new logo art by @Sasquatchii

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#9 Post by Scribbles »

Added some more background art sketches! (in the OP)
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Re: As We Know It [GxB][GXG][VN][Romance|Drama|Apocalypse]

#10 Post by LateWhiteRabbit »

Scribbles wrote: Fri Oct 27, 2017 8:06 am Questions:
  • Does sketchy, work-in-progress art in a demo really annoy you? Or any aspect that it *has* to have? (Like it must be color, but sketchy is ok)
  • how do you like the romance interests, do you have a favorite?? if so why?
  • If you're interested(or not) in the project let me know why/why not :)
Sketchy art for a demo doesn't annoy me. I'm used to working with storyboards that are similar from when I worked at a studio. What you are showing is plenty good enough for a WIP demo IMHO. The characters' personalities are already coming through in the current art.

I love post-apocalyptic settings. And I find it interesting to see one done as the result of climate change. In fact, I'm currently working on my own Ren'Py visual novel that takes place in a post-apocalytpic setting caused by runaway climate change! (But it appears that is where the similiarities end between our two stories.)

Can't wait to hear what horrible dark secret Camden is hiding.

I do admit it feels a little weird to have a post-apocalyptic setting with a young MC named Kat after a certain famous post-apocalyptic franchise got so popular ....

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#11 Post by Scribbles »

LateWhiteRabbit wrote: Fri Nov 03, 2017 1:54 pm Sketchy art for a demo doesn't annoy me. I'm used to working with storyboards that are similar from when I worked at a studio. What you are showing is plenty good enough for a WIP demo IMHO. The characters' personalities are already coming through in the current art.

I love post-apocalyptic settings. And I find it interesting to see one done as the result of climate change. In fact, I'm currently working on my own Ren'Py visual novel that takes place in a post-apocalytpic setting caused by runaway climate change! (But it appears that is where the similiarities end between our two stories.)

Can't wait to hear what horrible dark secret Camden is hiding.

I do admit it feels a little weird to have a post-apocalyptic setting with a young MC named Kat after a certain famous post-apocalyptic franchise got so popular ....
Thanks ^^ I took some inspiration from Mad Max and the Fallout series, and I've heard people compare it to a YA book series that I have not read. Hopefully it will stand out as it's own unique thing. I'm hoping to have some art further along before Demo time but, it's relief that people won't mind the wip too much. Her name is change-able, if it's very similar to something that's already been done then I might go ahead and change the default too lol. I tend to pluck names from the air and run with them.
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#12 Post by LateWhiteRabbit »

Scribbles wrote: Fri Nov 03, 2017 3:43 pm Thanks ^^ I took some inspiration from Mad Max and the Fallout series, and I've heard people compare it to a YA book series that I have not read. Hopefully it will stand out as it's own unique thing. I'm hoping to have some art further along before Demo time but, it's relief that people won't mind the wip too much. Her name is change-able, if it's very similar to something that's already been done then I might go ahead and change the default too lol. I tend to pluck names from the air and run with them.
I guess the comparison people are jumping to is the Hunger Games books and movies, since the main character in that post-apocalyptic setting is a young girl named Katniss who gets referred to as Kat a lot. It's not bad - like you said, it's changeable, and that franchise doesn't own a name. It's just similar to naming a guy in a post-apocalyptic story with cars 'Max'. Comparisons are going to spring to mind, warranted or not.

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#13 Post by Scribbles »

LateWhiteRabbit wrote: Fri Nov 03, 2017 4:01 pm I guess the comparison people are jumping to is the Hunger Games books and movies, since the main character in that post-apocalyptic setting is a young girl named Katniss who gets referred to as Kat a lot. It's not bad - like you said, it's changeable, and that franchise doesn't own a name. It's just similar to naming a guy in a post-apocalyptic story with cars 'Max'. Comparisons are going to spring to mind, warranted or not.
Oh jeez how did I forget that? lol

I might change it then, not sure to what though but I'll come up with something. I'm glad you pointed it out.

The ya series other people mentioned was something else completely, Glowing ember? Something like that I believe.
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#14 Post by LateWhiteRabbit »

Scribbles wrote: Fri Nov 03, 2017 4:09 pm The ya series other people mentioned was something else completely, Glowing ember? Something like that I believe.
Haha. So there are TWO young adult series with the same named protagonsit, huh? Maybe young girls in post-apocalyptic fiction are just supposed to be named Kat. I might need to change the name of the young girl in my post-apocalyptic story .... :lol:

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#15 Post by Scribbles »

a few changed names! lol
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