The game is currently in pre-alpha with the common route almost completed. It is a long game, but we would be working sporadically at our own pace since there's no deadline or rush at the moment. If anything else, if you are interested in me helping your game (i.e., coding or art) as a return favor, please also let me know, since I would be happy to do so.
Update 5/2/18: Found co-coder and proof-readers!
Update 5/3/18: Musician found!
Update 5/6/18: Background artist found!
The Castle of Vassago
Otome, Fantasy, Adventure, Thriller, Vaguely Gothic and Steampunk (Horror and darker elements in later parts)
15+ rating due to some sexuality and violence
600,000 projected words
GxB and GxG
Developer Blog: covdev.tumblr.com
15+ rating due to some sexuality and violence
600,000 projected words
GxB and GxG
Developer Blog: covdev.tumblr.com
The Story
"When you wish upon a star, that dream can come true..."
Born into a society that favors safeguarding stability over meaning, the heroine becomes overburdened with the prospects of her future. No matter how much she ruminates, she cannot come up with any possibilities for change. Even dreaming or wishing on the strange falling stars does nothing to alleviate her troubles…
Until her world literally comes crashing down.
The heroine awakens to an apocalypse caused by the meteor shower, saved by a group of magical warriors called the Somnonauts. Their mission: to stop the vicious Anomaly monsters from destroying other worlds, or "dreams", like the heroine's.
Flung into adventures across multiple worlds, the heroine must recover from her destroyed world by reevaluating her meaning. As well as solving the enigmas present within the depths of the Somnonaut’s castle…the Castle of Vassago.
“Even as you try to gather those fallen stars, they can never be set into the sky again…”
Born into a society that favors safeguarding stability over meaning, the heroine becomes overburdened with the prospects of her future. No matter how much she ruminates, she cannot come up with any possibilities for change. Even dreaming or wishing on the strange falling stars does nothing to alleviate her troubles…
Until her world literally comes crashing down.
The heroine awakens to an apocalypse caused by the meteor shower, saved by a group of magical warriors called the Somnonauts. Their mission: to stop the vicious Anomaly monsters from destroying other worlds, or "dreams", like the heroine's.
Flung into adventures across multiple worlds, the heroine must recover from her destroyed world by reevaluating her meaning. As well as solving the enigmas present within the depths of the Somnonaut’s castle…the Castle of Vassago.
“Even as you try to gather those fallen stars, they can never be set into the sky again…”
Current Features
- Around 600,000 projected words total
- 3 Chapter common route
- 4 Love interest routes and a true route each with two endings, save the true route
- 4 Love interest epilogues in the true toute
- Around 7-10 Dead Ends
- A short micromanagement exploration mini-game
- Highly re-playable with variations in the common route depending on which character is romanced
- Surprises and mysteries. Everything happens for a reason. Takes a new meta spin on otome games.
- Lots of story and lore-building with an encyclopedia function
- Heroine "thoughts" mechanic that allows for players to put down the game for an extended period and be reminded of the current story progress
- Multiple CGs, including battle ones
- 3 Chapter common route
- 4 Love interest routes and a true route each with two endings, save the true route
- 4 Love interest epilogues in the true toute
- Around 7-10 Dead Ends
- A short micromanagement exploration mini-game
- Highly re-playable with variations in the common route depending on which character is romanced
- Surprises and mysteries. Everything happens for a reason. Takes a new meta spin on otome games.
- Lots of story and lore-building with an encyclopedia function
- Heroine "thoughts" mechanic that allows for players to put down the game for an extended period and be reminded of the current story progress
- Multiple CGs, including battle ones
Characters
You can view the heroine and four love interests characters here. Please note that their sprites are colored drafts and not finalized or fixed.
What Is Currently Done
Scenario: 25%, although everything is outlined
Artwork: Currently in pre-alpha stage so everything is a draft and will be reworked once the full scenario is completed and coded. Most of the CGs cannot be completed until backgrounds are done.
Coding: 25%, Common route and mini-game coded
Backgrounds: Using placeholders
Music: Using placeholders
GUI: Placeholder created for now
Other: Such heroine "thoughts" and encyclopedia entries are created as needed in the code
Artwork: Currently in pre-alpha stage so everything is a draft and will be reworked once the full scenario is completed and coded. Most of the CGs cannot be completed until backgrounds are done.
Coding: 25%, Common route and mini-game coded
Backgrounds: Using placeholders
Music: Using placeholders
GUI: Placeholder created for now
Other: Such heroine "thoughts" and encyclopedia entries are created as needed in the code
Positions and Recruitment
What I am doing: scenario, sprite and CG artwork, coding
How I have been working on this project is writing a chapter at a time, proof-reading it, coding it, and then creating the draft art assets. With a team, I can focus more on writing the scenario and finalizing artwork.
Who I am looking for: First of all, people who are highly motivated such as myself. The Castle of Vassago is an ambitious game but I have already made lots of progress on my own without help, so it's doable. Once again, this will be a long term project, but there is no rush and most of the work is already being done by myself.
Of now, I cannot pay anyone for helping. I do plan to look into making the game a commercial project in the future due the sheer amount of work needed to put into it. So, that possibility is there, but not set in stone at the moment. For now, it will be a free project.
If it does become a commercial project, we can discuss revenue sharing and reimbursement for previous free work such as the GUI and art. By the least, once the demo is created, we can also look into crowd-funding such as Kickstarter. Like I also stated above, I can trade my skills (writing,coding, and/or art) for a project of yours in exchange.
If there's any consolation, I have been working on this for almost 6 months straight on my own time from scratch without payment, so it is a rather permanent project.
Co-writer/proofreader(s) (somewhat needed): Will be working with me closely to look at the script for any discrepancies and pitching ideas that would help the thematic elements. Also checks for grammar and syntax errors. Must be ok with some horror elements later on in the script, GxG content, and the length. The horror parts are more akin to classic gothic fiction (i.e. The Mysteries of Udolpho) or Lovecraftian themes. There are darker themes, such as suicide, in one of the routes and true route.
GUI artist (needed): I'm using placeholders created by myself and I'm not the best at it, but I would like someone more skilled to create the GUI for the game alongside the affection screen and encyclopedia. I can provide specific examples, ideas and assist with implementation. The overall theme is a gothic baroque with steampunk sort of inspiration.
Co-coder (not really needed but would be nice): To check the code script for inconsistencies and assist with coding, although I would be doing most of it. CoV is programmed in Ren'Py.
Background artist (needed): Self-explanatory. There is a lot of fantasy backgrounds, however, I can provide references and explicit ideas. Your style must match/mesh with mine. There's no rush to complete several backgrounds at once and you can go at your own pace.
Musician (highly needed): Self-explanatory. I can provide plenty of references and ideas. Soundtrack will probably be orchestral-type arrangements with a gothic sort of flair.
In the future, I will need a SFX artist, but it will be probable to gather Kickstarter and Patreon funds to buy these assets.
How I have been working on this project is writing a chapter at a time, proof-reading it, coding it, and then creating the draft art assets. With a team, I can focus more on writing the scenario and finalizing artwork.
Who I am looking for: First of all, people who are highly motivated such as myself. The Castle of Vassago is an ambitious game but I have already made lots of progress on my own without help, so it's doable. Once again, this will be a long term project, but there is no rush and most of the work is already being done by myself.
Of now, I cannot pay anyone for helping. I do plan to look into making the game a commercial project in the future due the sheer amount of work needed to put into it. So, that possibility is there, but not set in stone at the moment. For now, it will be a free project.
If it does become a commercial project, we can discuss revenue sharing and reimbursement for previous free work such as the GUI and art. By the least, once the demo is created, we can also look into crowd-funding such as Kickstarter. Like I also stated above, I can trade my skills (writing,coding, and/or art) for a project of yours in exchange.
If there's any consolation, I have been working on this for almost 6 months straight on my own time from scratch without payment, so it is a rather permanent project.
GUI artist (needed): I'm using placeholders created by myself and I'm not the best at it, but I would like someone more skilled to create the GUI for the game alongside the affection screen and encyclopedia. I can provide specific examples, ideas and assist with implementation. The overall theme is a gothic baroque with steampunk sort of inspiration.
In the future, I will need a SFX artist, but it will be probable to gather Kickstarter and Patreon funds to buy these assets.
Screenshot Progress
Imgur album. Please note that some have the background removed due to being a placeholder and that the screenshots are compressed.
Contact
Please apply to me via a PM here or an email to rosaregalius@gmail.com. If interested, I can send you some excerpts of the common route. Thank you! Once I've recruited a person or two, I can make a Discord server and send links!
