Role Playing Game with Visual Novel Elements and Vice Versa

[RedVampyr]

Hi, I'm new to this forum, and I have looked around, trying to consider which forum this would go in, so if I'm posting in the wrong category, please forgive me.

I've been interested in game design for 3 years now, and I consider it to be what I want to do with my life. I am a student, but not studying at a school that offers Game Design courses, unlike my previous insitution which had them. I study programming, art, and writing in my spare time. I also have a number of game concepts that I have been planning, and I am ready to start developing some.

Mostly what I am interested in is to develop games similar to jRPGs. When I was growing up, Final Fantasy games and others from the genre (Parasite Eve, Tales of Symphonia, and others I actually can't remember the name of) were favorites of my parents, and so I played these as well as a kid. When I consider the games I want to create, I'm more interested in story driven games that involve character building and adventure elements than copying platformers.

What I have to ask and find out so I can settle on a style for my game concepts is- Will Visual Novel fans accept a game with jRPG elements, and vice versa? I'm attracted to the Visual Novels because they offer the storytelling I want, however I dislike VN style games that are passive and simply involve selecting an option every once in a while without any other gameplay. I'd want to include things like exploring a map, finding and using items, a battle system, and so on. However, not many games that I've seen that are visual novels seem to have gameplay elements like these, and I've read many comments from VN players stating "I'm not a gamer". So I'm wondering if I should look into having VN elements in my games, and if I could market a game like that. Obviously, I'm also asking if a Ren'Py game would do okay with jRPG gameplay.

Thank you for reading, I hope this post isn't too long or misplaced on the forum, I just think it's time to directly ask people for their opinion.

[Asceai]

It's not rare for VNs to incorporate some JRPG elements. It's rarer for them to use all the ones you described - Leaf's Filsnown is one of the few that come to mind. If you go further than that you more get things like Sora no Kiseki which, while being very VN-esque, are really more RPGs with VN elements included than VNs with RPG elements included.

Personally I think it's an excellent idea - there is great synergy between JRPGs and VNs and there's many ways to mix this, even just making something that's primarily an RPG and just using VN-style narration for story sequences.

However, not many games that I've seen that are visual novels seem to have gameplay elements like these, and I've read many comments from VN players stating "I'm not a gamer". So I'm wondering if I should look into having VN elements in my games, and if I could market a game like that. Obviously, I'm also asking if a Ren'Py game would do okay with jRPG gameplay.

There's always exceptions and I think this is a niche you could find plenty of happy players in. Although I'd suggest to keep in mind that some people would rather play your game as a VN and to either make the JRPG not too hardcore or to offer selectable difficulty levels or something.

[RedVampyr]

Thank you for your feedback! I think the way you describe it in the second paragraph- a jRPG with VN narration, is what I want to do.

I think a difficult game is okay if it teaches the player how to play along the way. I'd want my games to offer challenge, but to not be repetitive (having to grind to level up). Sidequests are also a good way to change difficulty by offering more difficult routes through the game.

I think the games I like the most are ones in which the character(s) have stats that can be leveled up or changed through equipment and customization. I feel like I have more control over these games, and it's more engaging to have to actually think about how to make that character a better character.

[KittyKatStar]

I love both VNs and JRPGs, and I love the mix of both.

Some VNs that have RPG systems (or mini-games) even offer a 'story mode', so people who aren't really into battle systems (or want to replay through the game faster the 2nd time) can skip that stuff.

As for a (J)RPG system... Loren RPG and Seasons of the Wolf use Ren'Py, so a turn-based RPG game is possible.

[SundownKid]

I think it could definitely work, you don't have to market it to visual novel fans, instead you could try marketing it mainly to RPG gamers and calling it a jRPG. Since jRPGs are basically part visual novels anyway, it won't show much of a difference.

[gekiganwing]

Growing up, I thought that most of my peers liked video games that were fast-paced, constantly interactive, and graphically impressive. I knew few people who also enjoyed slow-paced and average-looking games such as SimCity, Dragon Quest, MULE, or Ultima. Most of the time, I played action games with friends, and RPGs alone.

However, not many games that I've seen that are visual novels seem to have gameplay elements like these...

I've played and often enjoyed a number of hybrid genre VNs/games. Some examples include:

* Thousand Arms: flawed but decent '90s romance game / RPG. I didn't like the combat much, and the pacing of the gameplay is often interrupted by the original Playstation's slow loading. However, I still have a copy in my collection.
* Sakura Wars (5): So Long My Love: I had been waiting over a decade to play just one Sakura Wars franchise game. It was enjoyable... though I'm pretty bad at strategy RPGs, and I found some of the quick-time events to be irritating and unnecessary.
* Persona 4: I had some complaints with how there were only a few random events in the main character's relationships. There were some frustrating-by-design choices, and I wasn't sure if I liked how the murder mystery plot wrapped up. Otherwise, this was one of my favorite story-driven games in the last few years.
* Brave Soul: A softer and lighter Diablo 2, but with some adult content. I remember liking this game, but also it had a tendency to crash when too many events were happening. I should find out if anything's changed.
* True Love ~ Jun'ai Monogatari: Back in the early 2000s, if you were looking for a complex romance game in English, this was one of the few options. It's been out of print for many years... Anyway, it mixed simulation gameplay with some story and adult content. Some aspects haven't aged well, but I thought it was a decent experience.
* Tokimeki Memorial Girl's Side: Another franchise that I had been waiting to play in English for more than a decade. All three Girl's Side games now have a fan translation. Anyway, I had some complaints with this simulation game -- mostly that it seems impossible to politely decline a relationship -- but it had plenty of comedy and a general sense of fun.
* Heartache 101: Freeware game created with an RPG Maker program. Not much story, but lots of stats and activities. I also appreciated that the creator included some customization features.
* Heart of Fire: Freeware Ren'py game that looks like a vintage console RPG, but has only a few battles and more story focus. Something of a curiosity, but worth playing for at least a few minutes.
* The Flower Shop: Summer in Fairbrook: Overall, this is my favorite Ren'py game from the indie scene. It has a plot-relevant gardening minigame, a relationship system that asks the player to befriend all the characters, and simulation gameplay. It's also good for the purpose of comparing and contrasting versions. The PC/Mac/Linux version has all the features mentioned. The iPod version that I played did not include any gardening or simulation aspects, and thus became a straightforward visual novel. (I don't know if it's changed since then.)

Finally, a couple of hybrid genre VNs that I would like to play in English someday...

* Real Rode. This PS2/PSP game combined RPG gameplay with girl x boy relationships. If you want to hear what an importer said about it, then read Hinano's review.
* Mitsumete Knight. Why does this PS1 game sound interesting? Read its entry on TVTropes!

[trooper6]

One of my first VNs after Chrictine Love's work was Magical Diary which has RPG elements...including first person dungeon crawling of a sort! So Ren'py can certainly do it.

As for audiences...I don't think you should fixate on that. I think you should work on making the best piece of art you can. Then work to find an audience for it. There is great diversity in taste. I came to VNs through art games, with my general preferred genres being Western RPGs and Adventure games. Others come here from Japanese VNs and anime. Others love VNs that they play on iOS, but don't realize they are playing VNs and would probably find this community off-putting. Others come here for hentai and don't care what game format it is wrapped around. Others are here because these games feel more welcoming to women. Etc. I don't think there is a homogenized VN audience...and you aren't limited to traditional VN audiences.

So make your art. Make it the best you can following your vision. Then find your audience.

[RedVampyr]

Thanks for your feedback, all! Reading what all of you had to write really cleared up some questions about how to classify at least one of my concepts, and a few others. I'm not sure if I will work in Ren'Py still (I'd need to at least give coding some of the interactive elements I have in mind a try to see what it's like, and I'm starting to get good at C++ anyway) but it really helps to know what others think of jRPG and VN genres.