Bells & Spires - New VN Horror/Suspense Game WIP

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spookyruthy
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Re: Bells & Spires - New VN Horror/Suspense Game WIP

#16 Post by spookyruthy »

pondrthis wrote:Ren'py, bleh. It's alright for mini-games (making python plugins is better than most alternatives), but for a straight ADV, give me KiriKiri any day. It's not too hard, either, as long as you "borrow" snippets here and there from other games.

I also stumbled on Novelty (http://www.visualnovelty.com) today too... haven't tried it yet though.

EDIT TO ADD: And, uh... shouldn't the caption on the home page be ベルスとスパイアス... if you absolutely refuse to use 鐘と尖塔 (かねとせんとう=kane to sentou)? スパイルス is just an awful transliteration of spires.
I always thought that with KiriKiri you'd need to pay money to use it for commercial games - how compatible is it within a Ren'Py/Python framework? I'm happy to use whatever is easiest to slip in with what I've already coded ^_^

Novelty is a VN framework designed for people with little or no coding knowledge or understanding. On quick inspection, looks like a GUI to let you drag and drop elements. I'm sure it's fine for some things, but I'm veeeery picky over my code, I hate things generated without my knowledge so would prefer to write it myself from scratch.

Thanks for the tip with the katakana - I spent a little while trying to work out what would sound the best and came up with putting the -ru in. -a is much better, thanks! The reason I don't do for the straight full Japanese is because I have a gripe with it. I see so many western developers making VNs with Japanese names, but they don't do the research behind it and end up with Wapanese instead of something authentic. I'd much rather make a VN about something that I personally know a lot about and seeing as I have not grown up in Japan, my understanding is limited to a foreigner's POV - and that wouldn't do my game any justice.
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pondrthis
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Re: Bells & Spires - New VN Horror/Suspense Game WIP

#17 Post by pondrthis »

spookyruthy wrote: I always thought that with KiriKiri you'd need to pay money to use it for commercial games - how compatible is it within a Ren'Py/Python framework? I'm happy to use whatever is easiest to slip in with what I've already coded ^_^
If you're good with Ren'Py, keep Ren'Py. KiriKiri2/KAG3 are distributed under the GNU General Public License, and according to Wikipedia, "commercial licenses can be acquired if somebody wishes to expand the software without disclosing the changes." I read that to say, "if you use KiriKiri commercially, you need to either obtain a special license or to redistribute the system files as GPL software." In other words, your game is yours, but the framework system files must remain public.

However, KiriKiri (TJS script with *.dll plugin compatibility) is pretty much completely incompatible with Python script to the best of my knowledge.
spookyruthy wrote: Thanks for the tip with the katakana - I spent a little while trying to work out what would sound the best and came up with putting the -ru in. -a is much better, thanks! The reason I don't do for the straight full Japanese is because I have a gripe with it. I see so many western developers making VNs with Japanese names, but they don't do the research behind it and end up with Wapanese instead of something authentic. I'd much rather make a VN about something that I personally know a lot about and seeing as I have not grown up in Japan, my understanding is limited to a foreigner's POV - and that wouldn't do my game any justice.

No doubt, and I completely agree on all points. Even the "to" for "and" is something that I wouldn't be sure of as a non-speaker (though it's not too hard to use kanji dictionaries). Then again, there are plenty of communities that you could simply pose the question to if you wanted.

As it stands, the katakana is already pretty Wapanese though... your game is an OELVN--and by the first glance, one to be proud of--so why put it in at all?

spookyruthy
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Re: Bells & Spires - New VN Horror/Suspense Game WIP

#18 Post by spookyruthy »

Shame about KiriKiri being non-compatible with Python - I'll look into it for future games. I like to use as many languages as I possibly can :3

With the katakana, because a lot of VN fans are Wapanese-inclined, it might encourage them to try my game. Also, the logo looks a little boring without it there ^^;

Looking at Philippa again, I might re-colour her so she's not so boring ^^;
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Sakura02
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Re: Bells & Spires - New VN Horror/Suspense Game WIP

#19 Post by Sakura02 »

Wow your character artwork is impressive. :D The designs are also very unique. :)
I can't wait till you finish.

Gingerbread&Arsenic
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Re: Bells & Spires - New VN Horror/Suspense Game WIP

#20 Post by Gingerbread&Arsenic »

Wow, this one looks awesome. I love your character art, and I think the menu screen is awesome XD I'd really love to play this one when it's done!

(I WOULD LIKE TO STEAL YOUR ART SKILLZ PLZTHNX.)

spookyruthy
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Re: Bells & Spires - New VN Horror/Suspense Game WIP

#21 Post by spookyruthy »

Thanks a lot guys, been working quite a lot on it! Have introduced new skills, and am going to work out an image map system for use in game so you can pick items up that will help you investigate the Cathedral's secrets :D A bit like how Phoenix Wright does it, when certain events occur, items appear.

Does anyone here have any relevant experience porting the pygame modules into the Ren'Py script? I'm struggling with it because the modules I want to use don't seem to be initialising. I've got all the relevant pygame.init() calls, but to no avail...

Also, made a mini promo image :3
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I flipped Sky's pose over. I thought it looked very strange that her and Jean were standing in the same way :/
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okonomiyaki
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Re: Bells & Spires - New VN Horror/Suspense Game WIP

#22 Post by okonomiyaki »

spookyruthy wrote: Thanks for the tip with the katakana - I spent a little while trying to work out what would sound the best and came up with putting the -ru in. -a is much better, thanks! The reason I don't do for the straight full Japanese is because I have a gripe with it. I see so many western developers making VNs with Japanese names, but they don't do the research behind it and end up with Wapanese instead of something authentic. I'd much rather make a VN about something that I personally know a lot about and seeing as I have not grown up in Japan, my understanding is limited to a foreigner's POV - and that wouldn't do my game any justice.
I'm not sure how mangling katakana is better than "doing straight full Japanese", both seem pretty weeaboo to me. Why not just cut it out completely if you're making a VN that you are specifically knowledgeable in? (And at any rate, most Japanese people could figure out a title like "Bells and Spires" anyway.) If you must use it, then I would transliterate "spires" as スパイヤーズ over either of the ones you've been given. "-ire" tends to become アイヤー in katakana.

spookyruthy
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Re: Bells & Spires - New VN Horror/Suspense Game WIP

#23 Post by spookyruthy »

Thanks for the katakana! In the end, the VN genre is from Japan. I think giving it a little bit of japanese, in katakana, is a nod to the genre.

Any pygame tips with the initialisation? I've got some sweet looking images, but no functional image maps on top and I'm almost 100% certain the code I've done would work if it could find the modules ¬¬
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spookyruthy
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Re: Bells & Spires - New VN Horror/Suspense Game WIP

#24 Post by spookyruthy »

Got the image maps working - woop woop! Also, realised my issue with the modules - poor linking ¬¬ Typical.

Also, have sketched out Ethan. He's a red head. Just like everyone who works at the Cathedral :D

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His more normal pose. He tends to do D: a lot.
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LondonIvy
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Re: Bells & Spires - New VN Horror/Suspense Game WIP

#25 Post by LondonIvy »

Ethan is very attractive (to me, haha). I like the little mole he has there. You don't see it on male sprites very often but it works.

Still, your artwork is beautiful and unique and I look forward to your game. I like the design of the art school girl the most. :D

spookyruthy
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Re: Bells & Spires - New VN Horror/Suspense Game WIP

#26 Post by spookyruthy »

@LondonIvy - Thanks very much! I'm still chipping away at the project, and I hope to have a playable first chapter very soon :)

Have added a lot to the script since the last post. I'm doing an unlock-mode feature, where when you play through the main arc for the first time, you 'unlock' the 'past' arc, where you can play as the woman fated to become a ghost to try and avert her fate - and discover some shocking truths about the present as well!

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I'm also looking into a 'Mysteries' screen, where you can review the various questions that Ethan will have in his mind during the game. Depending on how you play, you can uncover all of them (and hopefully solve them too!) or leave them greyed out as you never discovered them in the first place. I'll play with the colours and icon design because right now it's looking a little flat, boring and amateur. It gives people a chance to work out what they're missing, rather than playing blind constantly. You can get a 'Solved' stamp if you solve the mystery, but sometimes you don't work everything out first time... I'll make it so the game requires a few plays to get everything. Then the reward can be some behind the scenes work, maybe some more character CGs. I'll think of something :)
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LondonIvy
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Re: Bells & Spires - New VN Horror/Suspense Game WIP

#27 Post by LondonIvy »

Now THAT is an interesting, interesting addition. It works much better than a standard quest log would (and will feel much less useless and ill-fitting than the one used in Eileen) and actually fits the game. It will keep players focused.

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Re: Bells & Spires - New VN Horror/Suspense Game WIP

#28 Post by Lady_Arthemis »

Those are very nice looking graphics :)
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a webcomic

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Marcelo_Orlando
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Re: Bells & Spires - New VN Horror/Suspense Game WIP

#29 Post by Marcelo_Orlando »

This game looks amazing, well done. I look forward to the release.
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Re: Bells & Spires - New VN Horror/Suspense Game WIP

#30 Post by Chizurinomi »

Great shading, and pretty art. I am looking forward to this.

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