I decided to go with a theme close to my heart this year. I love hockey. I've watched and played it since I was little, so I figured making a visual novel about dek hockey/street hockey would be interesting. I'll add in a bit of my own personal experiences along with some otome flavor and general silliness. This year, there will be three romanceable guys. It will be my first game with multiple romances, but I'm coming in with a lot more experience, so I'm hoping I can do it.
Synopsis
Paige loves hockey. She's studied and played on and off the ice for as long as she can remember. Her knowledge and toughness are top notch. While she's never been gifted in natural skill, she's one of the best when it comes to adapting to opponents and teammates. There's only one problem, her temper. Paige has racked up innumerous suspensions and even been kicked off teams for her legendary bouts of rage.
However, she finally feels like she has her temper under wraps and she's ready to give her favorite sport another go. Her brother has agreed to bring her to practice with his dek hockey team to see if she's ready to handle competition once again. First step, making sure she can get along with her new teammates!
Characters
Defender - 27 yrs old
Strengths - Knowledge of the sport, teamwork, physical toughness
Weaknesses - Shooting, speed, short temper
Paige knows she'll never be able to light up a scoreboard, so she does her best work in the background and keep her team from breaking under the pressure. Unfortunately, she doesn't deal well with insults, especially when they are aimed at her teammates.
Winger - 29 yrs old
Strengths - Shooting, ball control, experience
Weaknesses - Passing, defense, confidence issues
Colt has the most experience in hockey out of everyone, playing from almost the time since he learned how to walk. He's naturally gifted in offense along with towering over most of the other playes. He's also a bit of a flirt and will be the first to compliment Paige in anything she does. However, he's strangely easy to frazzle on and outside the rink, and he's always been a bit of a ball hog.
Defender - 27 yrs old
Strengths - Toughness, power, and endurance
Weaknesses - Teamwork, knowledge of the sport, ego
Despite his shorter stature, Blake has no issues knocking his opponents out of the way and playing long periods. However, he is notoriously hard to work with thanks to his abrasive personality and undisciplined style. Paige is the first person to accept working with him as a defensive partner without incentive.
Goaltender - 26 yrs old
Strengths - Flexibility, Reflexes, and unflappable composure
Weaknesses - Communication, toughness, lack of a will to win
Jordan has only been playing goalie for a few years, but he is a natural at the position and one of his team's few bright spots in games. Unfortunately, he's also incredibly shy and blunt when he does choose to speak, so his defenders don't know how to best help him in the midst of a game. He enjoys playing with Paige because he never has to tell her where she needs to be.
Center - 31 yrs old
Strengths - Passing, leadership, ball control
Weaknesses - Shooting and toughness
Paige's brother, Ethan, is the likely the best all around player on his team. While not super talented in any one aspect, he rarely misses a set up and he's always the first back to help cover defensively. Even his weakest skills are better than most. He always looks out for Paige, dealing with and covering for her when she loses her temper.
Winger - 31 yrs old
Strengths - Shooting, screening/deflections, speed
Weaknesses - Defense, power, discipline
Leah's height makes her perfect for standing in front the goalie and blocking their view, as well as deflecting shots to make them harder to save. However, she often moves on first instinct instead of analyzing the situation, which can get her in trouble outside the rink as well. She is Ethan's long time girlfriend.
Plan
The game will have 6 sprites, 4 CGs, 7 backgrounds and ~ 20 - 30k words. Right now, I'm thinking there will be 7 total endings (two for each guy and one normal end). This may be adjusted if I have extra time, but this is my plan for now.
Writing/Coding - 90%
CGs - 70%
Sprites - 100%
Backgrounds - 90%
GUI - 100%
Questions
1. Which character are you most interested in and why?
2. How do you feel about the sports theme in general?
3. How much time do you think I should spend explaining the rules of hockey?
Thanks for checking out my game!