Sunny South Seoul [Family][BxG][Free][Indefinite Hiatus]

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Broodelin
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Sunny South Seoul [Family][BxG][Free][Indefinite Hiatus]

#1 Post by Broodelin »

Edit: This project is currently on an indefinite hiatus. Please refer to this post for a few more details.

Since I've made real headway into my current project (The Death of Mrs. Macey), I've decided to debut the rough design for my next one: Sunny South Seoul.

Story:

Similar to Mrs Macey in the focus on family relationships, Sunny South Seoul is unlike my previous project in that it is not a tragedy with an inevitable outcome, instead being more of a hopeful story about how families and friends can come together to do what's best for those they love.

You play Ji-hoon Choi, a 45-year-old divorced sales representative living in Seoul, South Korea. After the accidental death of your former wife and her husband, your ten-year-old son (Min-jun) and his four-year-old half sister (Seo-yun) are brought into your care. Unfortunately, your son doesn't seem to like you in the slightest and his sister barely even knows who you are. Add in a possible romance with your landlady, and you've got yourself a pot full of drama.

Characters:

Ji-hoon Choi:

45; A rather humorless and stern man; divorced his wife shortly before his son's second birthday; unsociable but polite to his colleagues and acquaintances; lives in an old apartment in the southern neighborhoods of Seoul; lives a frugal and utilitarian lifestyle so he can save up for retirement; secretly enjoys idol music, fast food, and going to the zoo

Min-jun Kim:

10; changed his family name to his step-father's; resents his biological father for leaving both him and his mother; fiercely protective of those he considers family; unconsciously takes after Ji-hoon by being painfully serious; has a soft spot for plants and gardens

Seo-yun Kim:

4; the daughter of Ji-hoon's former wife and her husband; friendly and outgoing; dreams of being a professional martial artist; understands a little more than she lets on about her mother's and father's deaths

Sara Hwang:

50; daughter of an American woman and a Korean army officer; relies on Ji-hoon's reliable rent to keep herself out of bankruptcy; left college to plan for her mother's funeral and never returned; possible romance option for Ji-hoon; has a cordial, if cold, relationship with her father;
doesn't like previous relationships she's been in where her partner has children


Notes:

Since this is my second project, I'd like to hire on an artist to help with this game. I do have enough money to pay for at least a couple of sprites, so please contact me if you're interested in Sunny South Seoul.

EDIT: I've hooked myself a super great (and willing) artist, einari, for the character sprites. However, if you're interested in creating backgrounds for this, that position is still open! :)

EDIT2: After hiring Ezri to create the CGs, I've officially reached the amount I've budgeted for the art of this game and will not be hiring any more artists. It's money well spent though, considering who I've got on my team! :)

I'd also like a co-writer/idea bouncer. If you or someone you know might be interested, please PM me or reply to this thread. This would be an unpaid or fixed pay position.

Questions:

I do have a few questions for everyone, if you'll oblige me:

1) Should I keep the western name structure or revert to the traditional Korean structure?
2) Since I've only ever visited South Korea and Seoul, can anyone with more experience help me with the cultural differences that might come up? (Especially those of addressing people and interacting with others)
3) Does this sound interesting enough to be a full-fledged game, or should I make it a smaller kinetic novel?
Attachments
WIP main menu screen
WIP main menu screen
Ji-hoon sprite emotion sketches
Ji-hoon sprite emotion sketches
Concept sketches by einari
Concept sketches by einari
Last edited by Broodelin on Fri Jun 13, 2014 12:49 pm, edited 16 times in total.

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Mad Harlequin
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Re: Sunny South Seoul [Family][BxG][Free]

#2 Post by Mad Harlequin »

Gosh, your concepts are so refreshing! :) Family relationships need to be explored more in VNs, and not just as an accompaniment to romance drama or whatever.

1. I think the English name is fine, but if this were translated to Korean, then obviously the name would follow the structure of that language.

2. Can't help you much there, I'm afraid. I'm very interested in Korean culture, but as of now everything I know about it comes from reading books and watching television dramas.

3. I think it could definitely be a long game! The story itself might tell you what kind of structure is needed, though. Think about it for a while.

I don't mind being a soundboard for ideas. We can talk it over!
I'm an aspiring writer and voice talent with a passion for literature and an unhealthy attachment to video games. I am also a seasoned typo-sniper. Inquiries are encouraged. Friendly chats are welcome.
"Always do what is right. It will gratify half of mankind and astound the other."
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Re: Sunny South Seoul [Family][BxG][Free]

#3 Post by Broodelin »

Mad Harlequin wrote:Gosh, your concepts are so refreshing! :) Family relationships need to be explored more in VNs, and not just as an accompaniment to romance drama or whatever.

1. I think the English name is fine, but if this were translated to Korean, then obviously the name would follow the structure of that language.

2. Can't help you much there, I'm afraid. I'm very interested in Korean culture, but as of now everything I know about it comes from reading books and watching television dramas.

3. I think it could definitely be a long game! The story itself might tell you what kind of structure is needed, though. Think about it for a while.

I don't mind being a soundboard for ideas. We can talk it over!
Thank you so much, Harlequin. :)

I'm not planning on translating this into Korean, but it's a possibility should this actually get off the ground.

I'd love to have you as an idea bouncer. Is it alright if I PM you with some concepts later?

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Re: Sunny South Seoul [Family][BxG][Free]

#4 Post by Mad Harlequin »

Go right ahead!
I'm an aspiring writer and voice talent with a passion for literature and an unhealthy attachment to video games. I am also a seasoned typo-sniper. Inquiries are encouraged. Friendly chats are welcome.
"Always do what is right. It will gratify half of mankind and astound the other."
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Re: Sunny South Seoul [Family][BxG][Free]

#5 Post by gekiganwing »

Adult protagonist x adult woman: good idea. Lots of untapped potential. It's your call on whether it's just their story, or whether it's a love triangle.
Broodelin wrote: 2) Since I've only ever visited South Korea and Seoul, can anyone with more experience help me with the cultural differences that might come up? (Especially those of addressing people and interacting with others)
3) Does this sound interesting enough to be a full-fledged game, or should I make it a smaller kinetic novel?
The adage "write what you know" is a good idea. But doing *enough* story research is also wise. (In other words, don't make your story into a research paper, but make sure there are no glaring errors.)

Think about the scope of your project. How large or complex do you want your story to be?

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Re: Sunny South Seoul [Family][BxG][Free]

#6 Post by Broodelin »

gekiganwing wrote: The adage "write what you know" is a good idea. But doing *enough* story research is also wise. (In other words, don't make your story into a research paper, but make sure there are no glaring errors.)
Thanks for your advice on this! I have a basic idea of how South Korea works as a society but you're also right that I have to fill in the gaps with actual research. :)
gekiganwing wrote:Think about the scope of your project. How large or complex do you want your story to be?
I kind of have a thing for overly complex projects. :P

I think this'll be at least on the scale of my previous project (which was a decent size), if not bigger.

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Re: Sunny South Seoul [Family][BxG][Free]

#7 Post by Cafechan »

Hey, a VN about a middle aged man! That's a breath of fresh air!! With emphasis on family!? Sign me up. I can't wait for this. I love how well-rounded everyone's personalities already sound (that dad is too cute with his secret love for idol music). I'd be really interested to see how it works. I assume it'd center around building relationships with your kids? In any case, I'm excited!

One thing I might like to see (and this is just my two cents so feel free to ignore it!!) is that you aren't punished for not pursuing the romance option! So like, if you do successfully woe the landlady, you get together and you're a happy family, etc. But if not, the dad is still able to be a successful single parent. Unless that's what you already had in mind, heh!

As for your third question, I don't know how many plot bunnies you have going on for this work, but I'd definitely be interested to see it as more on the full-fledged side, maybe like a 2-3 hour long game? It sounds like a heartwarming family movie, so I imagine it'd wrap itself up nicely and concisely.

Anyhow, it sounds really good and I look forward to hearing more about it!

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Re: Sunny South Seoul [Family][BxG][Free]

#8 Post by Broodelin »

Cafechan wrote:One thing I might like to see (and this is just my two cents so feel free to ignore it!!) is that you aren't punished for not pursuing the romance option! So like, if you do successfully woe the landlady, you get together and you're a happy family, etc. But if not, the dad is still able to be a successful single parent. Unless that's what you already had in mind, heh!
This was actually one of my first ideas for an ending (romancing Sara + being in good standing with the kids = good end). It'll be harder to get than the ending where you're single (because of extra stuff you have to do and drama between the kids, you, and Sara) but it's certainly an option I have planned!
As for your third question, I don't know how many plot bunnies you have going on for this work, but I'd definitely be interested to see it as more on the full-fledged side, maybe like a 2-3 hour long game? It sounds like a heartwarming family movie, so I imagine it'd wrap itself up nicely and concisely.
To be honest with you, I can see it maybe lasting that long on a blind playthrough, but certainly not when you know what you're doing and you've seen the beginning already. :)

Thanks, cafechan, for your wonderful support!

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Re: Sunny South Seoul [Family][BxG][Free]

#9 Post by Cafechan »

Broodelin wrote:
This was actually one of my first ideas for an ending (romancing Sara + being in good standing with the kids = good end). It'll be harder to get than the ending where you're single (because of extra stuff you have to do and drama between the kids, you, and Sara) but it's certainly an option I have planned!
Awesome!! It makes sense for it to be a little tougher to achieve, too.
To be honest with you, I can see it maybe lasting that long on a blind playthrough, but certainly not when you know what you're doing and you've seen the beginning already. :)

Thanks, cafechan, for your wonderful support!
Of course! It doesn't have to be super long. I could even see it as a one hour game, you can surprisingly do a lot in just an hour of reading = )

No problem! I can't wait for it!

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Re: Sunny South Seoul [Family][BxG][Free]

#10 Post by Broodelin »

Cafechan wrote:
No problem! I can't wait for it!
To tide you over, I've attached the concept sketches that my artist einari has gotten done to the first post. I'd like to hear your thoughts on them! :)

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Re: Sunny South Seoul [Family][BxG][Free]

#11 Post by Cafechan »

Ooooohhhh, they're so nice! The daughter is so precious! And the landlady looks just how I pictured her = )

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Re: Sunny South Seoul [Family][BxG][Free]

#12 Post by Broodelin »

Cafechan wrote:Ooooohhhh, they're so nice! The daughter is so precious! And the landlady looks just how I pictured her = )
You're so nice! I'll be sure to pass on your compliments to einari. :)

Their designs based off some old artwork a friend of mine did that I recently rediscovered in the murky depths of my computer, so I'm really glad they translated so well into these sketches. Ji-hoon and Min-jun are a little bland, to be fair, but that's kind of the point - considering they're such straight-laced gentlemen. :lol:

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Re: Sunny South Seoul [Family][BxG][Free]

#13 Post by einari »

I...I received compliments, Thank you *blush*
I feel embarrassed so I don't know what should I respond..sorry.

Thanks to Broodelin to have old ref so I don't have to figure much
About the re-design, I read all character style on the top post and Broodelin told me
So in my opinion
Ji-hoon maybe look like old boring man? have "Ah...I'm a divorced man atmosphere" ????
Min-jun maybe look like acting "I'm tough" but inside he's soft and sensitive??
Sara maybe look attractive (so why Ji-hoon might fall for her)
Seo-yun is young and innocent so..yeah...just as I draw :)

Again, It's just my opinion

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Re: Sunny South Seoul [Family][BxG][Free]

#14 Post by Broodelin »

einari wrote:I...I received compliments, Thank you *blush*
I feel embarrassed so I don't know what should I respond..sorry.
Just take a bow! You deserve them! :)
einari wrote:Thanks to Broodelin to have old ref so I don't have to figure much
About the re-design, I read all character style on the top post and Broodelin told me
So in my opinion
Ji-hoon maybe look like old boring man? have "Ah...I'm a divorced man atmosphere" ????
Min-jun maybe look like acting "I'm tough" but inside he's soft and sensitive??
Sara maybe look attractive (so why Ji-hoon might fall for her)
Seo-yun is young and innocent so..yeah...just as I draw :)

Again, It's just my opinion
That fits exactly what I had in mind for the characters, so I'm glad we're on the same page. ;)

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Re: Sunny South Seoul [Family][BxG][Free][Update 5/20]

#15 Post by Broodelin »

Image

Here's a screenshot of the main menu UI that I've been playing with. :)

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