Re: [WIP] Maid of Midsummer - updated JULY 11, 2012

Ideas and games that are not yet publicly in production. This forum also contains the pre-2012 archives of the Works in Progress forum.
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babyfish
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Re: [WIP] Maid of Midsummer - updated JULY 11, 2012

#1 Post by babyfish »

NEWS:

***Update - July 11th, 2012***

Sign-ups for Beta-testings and Proof-reading: OPEN!

Here is the list of the people who have signed up so far! If you would like to be added, removed, or have your category changed, inform me ASAP! Thanks!

beta-testers:
Arcanum
sayuri
azureXtwilight
selenity136
phantomphan31
manga_otaku
Snowflower
reni344
Carmentis
Azora Tenshi
RemnantDream
HeavenlyJoker
HikkiPanda
SilverxBlue
Vynuxys
Tenxinori
therealrose
spiritsongtress
Hiddlestoners
LadyLylalie

proof-readers:
ririruetoo
manga_otaku
Snowflower
RemnantDream
Snow Blossom
Veniae
kersplode
Kay
Rewritten Ennui
spiritsongtress
bubblegumsmile
meruthewingly
shanie019
birthdaylion
Otonari

Thanks to everyone who signed up so far! The demo is still a ways to go, but check this thread for updates!

***

Hello everyone, I'll begin by saying that I'm pretty new to this whole Ren'py thing, but I've tested out some things and have been gradually climbing up that learning curve. Needless to say, after I've experimented a bit to see the sort of things Ren'py is capable of, I'm quite pleased, and excited.

So naturally, I've decided to start a project. Given the size and scope, there is absolutely no way I'll be able to finish this in time. My goal is simply to see how far I can go with this, and hopefully learn a few things along the way. I'd improve my art, my writing, and pick up some new skills, and I'll probably have fun along the way, even if I only make it halfway. Of course, if I ever finish, that too would be dandy.

I've got a premise, a basic idea of how the gameplay works, and a few resources... and that's about it. As such, this thread still start out by being little more than an artwork gallery, but hopefully this project will grow and something will come of it.

So far, I'm doing pretty much everything by myself. Any comments and support will be greatly appreciated.

So, here is my project.

Image

Project Title(Working): Maid of Midsummer
Genre: Lifesim/Worksim/Datingsim

Art, programming, writing, etc. so far all by babyfish


The Premise

Perhaps you were born the daughter of a noble, or maybe you lived in an orphanage. Perhaps your parents were of the middle-class, or maybe you grew up in the countryside. Regardless of your childhood, fate suddenly dealt your lifestyle a crippling blow, leaving you with no connections and poor prospects.

... And one day, a mysterious and benevolent gentleman finds you crying in the gardens. Not only does he offer his comfort, but he convinces you to pursue your dream, no matter how difficult the road may be.

With his guidance, you pick up your things and head for the prosperous city of Lyndonel. There, you begin your life as a maid at a grand estate, serving the resident nobility as well as his various guests.

You will be surrounded by persons of prestige, most of whom would pay little attention to an ordinary housemaid as yourself. But there are a certain few will gladly ignore all difference in rank, and notice you instead for the virtues they value the most - dedication, courage, cleverness, honesty, and even kindness. In time, you may gain their favour, even their friendship, or perhaps even their unwavering loyalty.

You will face many hardships, but your path is still open to all sorts of opportunities. As the Midsummer Ball approaches, your luck may change for the better. You may start to carve a path to a completely different profession. You may soon find the love of your life. Perhaps you may even meet that nameless gentleman again. Though magic exists only in fairy tales, there are few things more powerful than the determination fueled by a pure and simple dream.


*Lowers cuecard and clears throat*...In other words, guys? EARN YOUR HAPPY ENDING.


And now for the character summaries and their respective portrait:
(all resources related to this game are (c) myself unless given specific mention. Please do not under any circumstances use them in any way without my consent)


The Resident Nobility:


Image

Seth
Age: 26
Sign: Aries
Blood Type: AB
The eldest son of a prestigious and well-respected lineage of nobles. He has little interest in the meaningless luxuries and privileges widely enjoyed by those of his rank and wealth, and instead dedicates himself with tireless zeal to the management of the Earldom he will someday inherit. Having no use for flowery language, he is straightforward and no-nonsense, to a fault. He is respected by his subjects, but is often accused of having workaholic tendencies.


The Guest List:

Image

Alexius
Age: 20
Sign: Libra
Blood Type: B
The Crown Prince of the realm and its future ruler. Life at the palace has left him with want of nothing. That said, he thirsts to learn and experience more of the world than what can be read from books, or taught by tutors. That world beyond the palace walls fascinates him to no end, and he tires of a sheltered life where he is treated with all the pretenses deserving of a Royal Prince. His personality is impulsive and idealistic, even a little naive.

Image

Gabriel
Age: 24
Sign: Aquarius
Blood Type: O
A noble ambassador hailing from an exotic land brimming with culture and decadence. His charm and apparent nonchalance to most things proper have earned him many friends, but has also garnered him an unenviable number of enemies. Despite being an ambassador, his only apparent aim in staying abroad is to indulge in frivolity, along with the company of the local womenfolk. Some say he is incapable of sincerity. Others say he has simply forgotten the meaning of the word.

Image

Luke
Age: 27
Sign: Taurus
Blood Type: B
A courteous, yet socially-detached gentleman who, through his own industriousness, has earned enough wealth and property to rival that of royalty. Through unknown circumstances, he has become engaged to a young woman of near-equal prestige and wealth, though it is rumoured that little love exists in the pairing. He also possesses a peculiar forgetfulness that may simply be a quirk of personality, or perhaps rooted to something deeper and more troubling.

Image

Dante
Age: 22
Sign: Cancer
Blood Type: A
The Knight Captain of Elysium, once a common soldier who rose to heroism on the battlefield. That said, his words and actions suggest a certain disdain, even resentment, to his own fame as a hero of war. If anything, he appears to despise the attention, preferring to assume the humble duties of a guardsman, looking after the people from behind the front lines. He possesses a stoic and taciturn demeanor, easily mistaken for arrogance when he possesses none.


Co Workers:


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Edward
Age:27
Sign: Sagittarius
Blood Type: B
One of the butlers of the household. As a departmental head, he is in charge of the dining room and the wine cellar, though his duties extend to the stillroom as well. He is well-liked among the staff for his cheerful and worry-free manner, yet still gains all the respect of his tenure and position. His experience in both life and work is his most valuable asset, and one that he shares gladly with his juniors.

Image

Katya
Age: 21
Sign: Virgo
Blood Type: O
An ambitious parlour maid with an eye for the Housekeeper position. Cool-mannered and composed, her demeanor is one that most find unapproachable. She often earns both the resentment and respect of her fellow staff, namely the current Housekeeper herself, for performing her duties with utter perfection. Her esteem is earned only by those who strive to do the same. She is considered difficult to deal with by even the haughtiest of nobles.


Other Persons of Note:


Image

Molly
Age: 22
Sign: Pisces
Blood Type: AB
The childhood friend of our heroine. They have not met during the years since Molly married the son of an Earl, but Molly yet still cares for her friend's success and well-being.

Image

Samuel
Age: 26
Sign: Aries
Blood Type: AB
The younger twin brother of Seth, and his opposite in personality, being much more laid-back and romantic. Currently married to Molly Gardner, a young lady born to a common family.

Image

Nadine
Age: ???
Sign: ???
Blood Type: ???
A charming and lively, albeit somewhat mysterious young lady who appears to be new in town. She claims to be a freelancer, but there might be more to her than meets the eye.

and finally, NOT last, and certainly NOT least...

Image

"The Heroine"
Age: 20
"Default" Sign: Capricorn
"Default" Blood type: A

The newest maid of the household, and a curiosity to the residents to be sure. Her success in love and life will depend on her dedication to her duties, the development of her skills, her ability to make friends, and the choices she will have to make.

As far as characters go, these are the most notable ones. But there will be a heapload more, mostly minor ones.

There will be around six dateables(...as far as males go). Maybe you can spot them in the list above.

I'll update this thread whenever I've reached a notable progress point. Until then, I eagerly await your input and hope you like what you've seen so far.






(' )< babyfish
Last edited by babyfish on Sun Jul 15, 2012 11:53 pm, edited 32 times in total.
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Re: [WIP] Maid of Midsummer

#2 Post by carosene »

HOLY CRAP PRETTY ART.
I'm loving the classic-ish shoujo look. :) Very pretty.
Your game sounds like a lot of fun, and thankfully, as a new person, you sound like you've done your research and are well-aware of what you're getting into, and for that, I tip my imaginary top hat to you.
But please! Find a way to finish it. o.o Whether that's shrinking the scope of your project or putting in years into the thing, (my vote is for the first option, it has a much higher success rate) please, don't set us up with awesomeness and leave us dry. o.o

Also, there will be girls that can be dated? 8D Katya, perhaps? LOVE her character design. Holy crap. o.o Based on her profile it doesn't sound like this is what you were going for, but her sprite looks totally badass. XD
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Re: [WIP] Maid of Midsummer

#3 Post by babyfish »

Katya? Oh yes she's a pretty intense one. :) I also enjoyed her design, so I'm glad you like it too.

....Well. As far as her dateability goes... I'll throw this one out to the forum-goers: Yey or Ney? ^^


And yes, I will do my best to finish it, or make enough progress to put out something that's actually playable. If I feel burnt out, I might just ask for help or encouragement along the way. :)
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Re: [WIP] Maid of Midsummer

#4 Post by carosene »

Go ahead and ask for help. I'd say people around here are pretty good at that, more or less. ;)

I VOTE YES!!
I think writing some female romances will broaden your demographic, plus it makes you look accepting. ;) (And female homosexuality is a little underrepresented around here... :\ )
If you don't want to write one for Katya (I mean, obviously you know a lot more about who these characters are and where they are headed than we do and who could possibly click with who) I think it'd be cool if you did romances with any of your girls. :)

*so says the one who said narrow the scope of your project*
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Re: [WIP] Maid of Midsummer

#5 Post by SilverxBlue »

Wow the art is sooooooooooooooooo, freaking pretty! The guys are just so hot and the girls are so cute!
The game sounds really interesting.
Will start stalking this NOW!
Good luck~
And don't hesitate to ask for help from the others, kay?
I'm sure all of us here are nice people. :)
Seth and Dante are fighting for my favorite now. :mrgreen: <3

And for the voting of female obtainables, I'd vote for yes...
It'd be pretty nice to try it out. :)
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Re: [WIP] Maid of Midsummer

#6 Post by babyfish »

Hehe~ Well I'm proud to say that I do accept female (and male)homosexuality, and I am interested in writing at least one GxG romance for the game. To be honest, I was definitely leaning on the 'yes' for a Katya romance from the very beginning, and if people don't mind the added complexity of the storyline and the increased number of endings, then we'll roll with it. :)

And I'm glad the guys are getting some love too. X3 I'm working hard to do them justice as far as the writing goes.

Thanks for the support thus far, guys. :)
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Re: [WIP] Maid of Midsummer

#7 Post by SilverxBlue »

I'm sure they won't mind, and if some do, then don't pursue the girl then, they'd be able to live with that. :)

Working hard is nice but don't work yourself out too much. :)
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Re: [WIP] Maid of Midsummer

#8 Post by broken_angel »

*dies from prettiness overload*

I'll definitely be looking forward to this. *o*
Not only is the art gorgeous, but the characters all sound so interesting!
Plus, I have a thing for prince/princess stories...x___X

If you need any programming help, I'd be happy to assist. ^^
Good luck!

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Re: [WIP] Maid of Midsummer

#9 Post by Camille »

Looking forward to this! :D The art looks really pretty and the premise sounds interesting. The heroine is adorable and the guys are all so good-looking and varied in their personalities. <3 Best of luck finishing!

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Re: [WIP] Maid of Midsummer

#10 Post by babyfish »

Here's some extra stuff that I didn't think of showing initially, but now I've decided to, namely some character designs.

First of all, let me introduce you to Vitriol, Venom, and Cyanide.

Image

... XD Okay, so I kid, those are not their real names. But admit it, they do look rather toxic, don't they? XD This old crone ... I mean, this fine lady is quite desperate ambitious in finding husbands for her pair of daughters. Nothing wrong with that, right? A woman's gotta do what she's gotta do to do well financially and socially, yes? Even if she is telling them to aim as high as they can, particularly for the crown prince while he is still innocent and impressionable single and eligible.

There's a pretty good reason why these two haven't been able to snag husbands yet. I think you guys can figure out why.


Secondly, and lastly, is one of my sprites for Dante, with his helmet on.

Image

Dante really likes his helmet for some reason. He wears it a bit too often than is polite, so he's often mistaken for an on-duty guardsman than the Knight Captain himself. Maybe its a force of habit. Or maybe he's just shy.

Either way, now you know where he gets the do from. It's helmet hair! XD

That's all for now. :)
Last edited by babyfish on Sat May 21, 2011 10:19 am, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: [WIP] Maid of Midsummer

#11 Post by Snow Blossom »

Wow this looks professional O_O
I like that each character's sprite has a pose corresponding to his or her personality :)
And Dante will definitely be the first one I go after >:3
Keep the good work up but don't push yourself too hard!

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Re: [WIP] Maid of Midsummer

#12 Post by RemnantDream »

Does Dantes have a scar? o_O I have a thing for scars..:3
My favorite is either Dantes or Gabriel. I also like long hair. xD
And Gabriel's eyes are soooo pretty :D

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Re: [WIP] Maid of Midsummer

#13 Post by babyfish »

Yeap, that's a scar below his right eye =3, I'm glad that people seem to like his design so much XD
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Re: [WIP] Maid of Midsummer

#14 Post by RemnantDream »

Yes, I believe Dantes is my new favorite ^_^
I can't wait til this is released.
*continues lurking*

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Re: [WIP] Maid of Midsummer

#15 Post by Boniae »

Yes. Hell yes. This game is going to be good. :D

I love maids, and I love victorian-esque things. (Which the clothing looks to be)

As for female date-a-bility, I vote yes~ :D

I will keep a close eye on this game! Good luck! <3

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