Lemma Soft Forums

I'm trying to find an alternative to Microsoft Word for writing and organizing scripts and research notes for visual novels.

I'm looking for a program with the following:

• -Is a freeware program for Windows.
• -Allows you to collapse text (similar the Word's collapsible headers).
• -Can strike-through text, highlight text, and change text font.
• -Has spellcheck (and preferably includes grammar check).
• -Search/Find Word tool.
• -Has a Dark Mode.
• -Lets you organize/separate your VN's script into different chapters within one file.

If you know of any recommendations, please let me know.

Notepad++ offers all those features and is even able to edit renpy files directly (with some modifications)

I know this may seem like an obvious answer, but have you tried looking into Google Docs and Google Drive?

• Drive allows for further project organization; asset lists, outlines, notes, etc can all be categorized into their own folders and shared as-necessary with other devs / team members.
• Both programs are free and can be accessed offline (I've never used this feature myself, however).
• By using the outline and header functions together, you can create chapters / scenes in a single document and navigate as-needed. It lacks collapsible headers / text, though.
• Its comment functionality is bar none the best I've ever seen, so it should serve no problem to make, respond to, or edit notes within the script.
• Its spell-checker isn't half bad. its grammar checker, however, barely exists and so a third-party extension (like Grammarly) may be better.
• It has the functionality you're looking for in terms of fonts, font features, and find/search.
• It does not have a Dark Mode, but you can install browser extensions via DarkDocs or an equivalent to enable Dark Mode? I'm not entirely sure how good it is.
• It has offline functionality, but I've never used it.

Notepad++, as noted, is a tool a lot of developers swear by as far as script writing and programming is concerned. I haven't delved much into its functionality myself, since I mostly use it for editing and not actual scripting, though.

LibreOffice is another option to consider; though I can't vouch for it (i only used it briefly about two years ago) I do think it has most of the functionality you're looking for - including Dark Mode, which many word processors seem to lack.

I don't know freeware that can do all that, but I agree with Google docs being the best freeware WP.

Otherwise, I use scrivener which isn't too expensive(and there are always coupons) and has a free month trial. It does everything you listed very well and it's the only writing program I use anymore.

Thank you all so much for your advice! I tried using LibreOffice at first, but the lack of collapsible headers and the lack of smooth scrolling (on a trackpad) was unbearable.

Then I tried Google Docs, but I didn't like how it required the internet to sync/load up properly, and it doesn't include a Dark Mode (though I tried getting around that using a Dark Mode Chrome extension).

So now I've switched over to Scrivener, and my goodness, I don't know how I organised things without it! It's so good! Highly recommend it.

hmm you may have to use multiple programs so get everything you want but some recommendations that come close would be
Microsoft Excel
google drive
notepad++

Equil wrote: ↑

Fri Feb 01, 2019 10:21 am

hmm you may have to use multiple programs so get everything you want but some recommendations that come close would be
Microsoft Excel
google drive
notepad++

Scrivener does indeed do all the things I listed in the OP. Thanks!

My favorite (free) Word Processor (suite): WPS Office
My favorite (free, open source) Text Editor (has Renpy extension): Sublime Text

You can certainly write in a Text Editor, and Sublime is great for that. I'm sure some devs would prefer writing that is primed for coding.

But if you are used to writing in a Word Processor WPS will hit the mark.

Either program creates many common file extensions.