Arena Circus [GxB][BxB][GxG][Fantasy] Beta update 4/27, ch 4 coming soon!

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minyan
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Arena Circus [GxB][BxB][GxG][Fantasy] Beta update 4/27, ch 4 coming soon!

#1 Post by minyan »

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Download chapters 1, 2 and 3 (out of 6) for free now!

https://minyan.itch.io/arenacircus

+ Please send all bugs to aferalcircus@gmail.com


ch 4 progress:

Outline
Writing: 50,000/???
Sprites: 2/2
Bgs: 14/14
CGs: 2/2

The chapter 4 beta is available for patrons. It currently features:

10 days of chapter 4

45,000 + words

7 CGs

3 new quests

Next build (Release date TBD):

7 more days of free roam

More clothes

3 new quests

11 new scenes




Current release stats:

Lilie's route (only, Aldrich currently unavailable)

Rating: 16+ for language and suggestive themes.

Gameplay time: 4 + hours

83,000 + words

18 CGs

38 clothing items

Some questions for those who have the time:

Did you enjoy it?

What was your favorite part?

There are a lot of comedic moments, but was the drama included in a way that was able to put the comedy aside, or did it just seem an odd jump from comedy?

How was the pacing, did everything flow well?

Who is your favorite character?

Who did you start to romance?

And I'd love to see screenshots of the outfits you guys put together!


About
Short
A dramatic adventure set in a fantasy world where appearance is everything and humans are at the bottom of the totem pole.

Long
Arena Circus is set in a fantasy universe where
physically superior beings knowns as ‘Reavers’
rule over high society and have established a strict
caste system, with humans at the bottom. In order
to have any sort of nice lifestyle the humans seek out
strong Reavers and allow themselves to be bonded
as a ‘Harlequin’. Some humans then are used as servants,
jesters, pleasure slaves, etc, but most are forced to
duel in arena-styled tournaments.

To the Reavers, fighting is thought of as seen as for
lesser beings, so disputes are handled through political
power moves. But they're not above a little violence. Duelists
known as 'ringmasters' use the humans in battle, by
channeling their energy through use of a special collar the
bonded humans are forced to wear. These collars, known as
'rings', were invented by the royal families ancestors a century
ago, and are distributed through the government to any
reavers that decide to take a harlequin. The collars allow
the humans temporary use of their power, and any damage
taken is transferred to the reaver's more durable bodies
through the technology in the collar so that humans are
able to battle over and over again with limited damage.

The two protagonists are Aldrich and Lilie (the player will
be able to give them their own names depending on who
they choose). The two are trying to battle their way to the top
of a world that looks down on them- and soon it becomes
far more than just a matter of pride.
Features
(For the full game)

> A story filled with drama, comedy, romance, and two distinct branches. Which side will you choose?
> Two characters you can play as, one male one female.
> 3 possible romances, one G x G, one G x B, and one B x B
> A battle system featuring timed choices.
> 6 chapters
> 35 CGs (tentative number)
> Two main characters with clothing available for the head, torso, leg and feet, as well as accessories.
> Quests to earn money to buy clothing, accessories, and change small things in the world.
> Free roam with characters to talk to, quests to do, and clothes to buy!

Characters
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Lillie's play through will be done first.

I again just want to thank everyone who's followed this and added your comments, it means so much to me and has really been motivation to keep going.

Check the end of the thread for more detailed updates!


Thank you!
Last edited by minyan on Thu May 28, 2020 10:07 am, edited 170 times in total.
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Re: Arena Circus [GxB][BxB][Fantasy]

#2 Post by Poyox4 »

A circus and fantasy-ridden tale promising romance? I'm interested! I think it's great that you're planning on making this a gxb/bxb game -- there's simply not enough VNs of this genre out there. I adore the artwork.

As to your questions...

1. Does this sound like something you'd be interested in playing?

Absolutely.

2. Is the premise confusing?

I'm not a fan of stories that throw a bunch of foreign terms at me, like "Reavers" and "Sacrifices," but I don't think the premise is confusing.

3. Would a VN with a battle system turn you off?

Actually, that sounds great! There's little to no VNs with battle systems out there, so this idea would bring something new into the mix.

4. Would you like seeing a romance develop between the MC's, or would you rather it had a more dating sim style where you could choose
who you were with?

Not a fan of the phrase "dating sim," but I would like to have a choice between who the main character(s) could romance. I think it'd add tons more playability value to the game.

--

This sounds like a great game in the making, and as an avid lover of VNs, I'd love to jump on board if you need any assistance, like with editing. Just PM me if you need help. :-)

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Re: Arena Circus [GxB][BxB][Fantasy]

#3 Post by minyan »

Poyox4 wrote:A circus and fantasy-ridden tale promising romance? I'm interested! I think it's great that you're planning on making this a gxb/bxb game -- there's simply not enough VNs of this genre out there. I adore the artwork.

As to your questions...

1. Does this sound like something you'd be interested in playing?

Absolutely.

2. Is the premise confusing?

I'm not a fan of stories that throw a bunch of foreign terms at me, like "Reavers" and "Sacrifices," but I don't think the premise is confusing.

3. Would a VN with a battle system turn you off?

Actually, that sounds great! There's little to no VNs with battle systems out there, so this idea would bring something new into the mix.

4. Would you like seeing a romance develop between the MC's, or would you rather it had a more dating sim style where you could choose
who you were with?

Not a fan of the phrase "dating sim," but I would like to have a choice between who the main character(s) could romance. I think it'd add tons more playability value to the game.

--

This sounds like a great game in the making, and as an avid lover of VNs, I'd love to jump on board if you need any assistance, like with editing. Just PM me if you need help. :-)
Thanks for the feedback! I appreciate it- I'm glad you like it ;u; I was a little worried about a battle system being a deal breaker for people because it's not seen a lot, but it's good to know that it is something people enjoy.

And thank you again for the offer- you will definitely be getting a PM from me in the future! xD
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Re: Arena Circus [GxB][BxB][Fantasy]

#4 Post by Demetis »

Aaah tbh the first thing that drew me in was the word "Circus" XD Like literally throw that term anywhere and I come flying 8D
The premise sounds interesting so far though!

1. Does this sound like something you'd be interested in playing?
Yep >w<b I am pretty much into fantasy RPGs so this is definitely something I look forward to!
2. Is the premise confusing?
Well there were a lot of foreign terms thrown in (that will take me a while to remember when I play the game) but that's natural and the overall plot sounds pretty clear to me! >w<
3. Would a VN with a battle system turn you off?
Nope! XD There aren't many of those out there to begin with. And I am really interested in seeing what kind of system it is >w<
4. Would you like seeing a romance develop between the MC's, or would you rather it had a more dating sim style where you could choose who you were with?
Uhm tbh dating sim style XD I kinda love the freedom to get close to any other character I want XD But that's just a nice-to-have XD I would try out this game even without that XD

This game might be still in very early development stage but I wish you the best luck with it >w<! Slow and steady wins the race 8D As long as you don't slack off lol 8DDDD //slapped

PS: Btw the term "Covevnent 9" threw me off track XD Maybe it was the working title of this game or so Idk XD?

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Re: Arena Circus [GxB][BxB][Fantasy]

#5 Post by Harliqueen »

Love the logo and style you got going on with this :)

1. Does this sound like something you'd be interested in playing?
Very interested. I'm more interested generally in story and romance than battle stuff, but that's a very personal preference. I find the stories in VNs or even games in general far more compelling than grinding through battles! :D

2. Is the premise confusing?
I didn't think so. Sounded very clear to me.

3. Would a VN with a battle system turn you off?
It wouldn't turn me off, as long as it had a solid story and characters behind it :) And the battle stuff was spread out between story.

4. Would you like seeing a romance develop between the MC's, or would you rather it had a more dating sim style where you could choose
who you were with?
Hm, I have to say as long as it has some romance, I don't mind :D Having one love interest means you can develop the romance deeper, but having multiple means people are more likely to replay it.

This sounds like a brilliant VN!
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Re: Arena Circus [GxB][BxB][Fantasy]

#6 Post by minyan »

Demetis wrote:Aaah tbh the first thing that drew me in was the word "Circus" XD Like literally throw that term anywhere and I come flying 8D
The premise sounds interesting so far though!

1. Does this sound like something you'd be interested in playing?
Yep >w<b I am pretty much into fantasy RPGs so this is definitely something I look forward to!
2. Is the premise confusing?
Well there were a lot of foreign terms thrown in (that will take me a while to remember when I play the game) but that's natural and the overall plot sounds pretty clear to me! >w<
3. Would a VN with a battle system turn you off?
Nope! XD There aren't many of those out there to begin with. And I am really interested in seeing what kind of system it is >w<
4. Would you like seeing a romance develop between the MC's, or would you rather it had a more dating sim style where you could choose who you were with?
Uhm tbh dating sim style XD I kinda love the freedom to get close to any other character I want XD But that's just a nice-to-have XD I would try out this game even without that XD

This game might be still in very early development stage but I wish you the best luck with it >w<! Slow and steady wins the race 8D As long as you don't slack off lol 8DDDD //slapped

PS: Btw the term "Covevnent 9" threw me off track XD Maybe it was the working title of this game or so Idk XD?
Oops, yea that was the working title xD I'm considering opening up the romance between the main characters so you can choose one to romance, or creating new characters entirely for that side of it while still having the original pairing option available. Not sure what I wanna do yet :v And I do plan on introducing at least a couple more characters regardless, so we'll see if they feel like being romanced xD

Thank you! I will try my hardest not to slack off vT^T


Harliqueen wrote:Love the logo and style you got going on with this :)

1. Does this sound like something you'd be interested in playing?
Very interested. I'm more interested generally in story and romance than battle stuff, but that's a very personal preference. I find the stories in VNs or even games in general far more compelling than grinding through battles! :D

2. Is the premise confusing?
I didn't think so. Sounded very clear to me.

3. Would a VN with a battle system turn you off?
It wouldn't turn me off, as long as it had a solid story and characters behind it :) And the battle stuff was spread out between story.

4. Would you like seeing a romance develop between the MC's, or would you rather it had a more dating sim style where you could choose
who you were with?
Hm, I have to say as long as it has some romance, I don't mind :D Having one love interest means you can develop the romance deeper, but having multiple means people are more likely to replay it.

This sounds like a brilliant VN!
Thank you! I'm going to try and make sure there's a good battle to story ratio. As of now most every battle is plot relevant, so there won't be like, level grinding to beat the next boss or anything xD

Thanks again for the feedback and I hope it lives up to your expectations. ;u;
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Re: Arena Circus [GxB][BxB][Fantasy]

#7 Post by Hazel-Bun »

Love the art so far!
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Re: Arena Circus [GxB][BxB][Fantasy]

#8 Post by minyan »

Hazel-Bun wrote:Love the art so far!
Thank you! I can't wait to get to work on the sprites. ;u; I'm forcing myself to wait though- until I have a more concrete character count so they can all be as unified as possible xD So for now just GUI!

Also, I've decided to add more romance-able characters! I added more info in the first post. (:
I also finished the rough draft of the script! It came in at just over 9,000 words. I'm aiming for 30,000 for the demo so I have a lot to do xD I planned out a lot of new scenes to add, and am in the process of making four new characters, two of which will be dateable, so there should be enough content to make that goal a reality! It's coming along. Slowly but surely. ;u;

Update!:

editAll the Gui has been redone done~
Last edited by minyan on Sun Feb 21, 2016 11:46 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Arena Circus [GxB][BxB][Fantasy]

#9 Post by minyan »

With the GUI done, I'm gonna start on the sprites! I thought about drawing the backgrounds too, but I think I'll just stick to free ones xD I'm really not a background artist.
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Re: Arena Circus [GxB][BxB][Fantasy]

#10 Post by minyan »

Got Aldrich's sprite done! Just need some expressions.

I went more simplistic on the shading because I wanted a more anime-ish feel to it, and wanted it to match the relatively simple shapes and colors of the GUI. What do you guys think?
aldrich sheet.png
Edit: adjusted his hair to be less cell-shady~
Last edited by minyan on Sun Feb 22, 2015 3:58 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Arena Circus [GxB][BxB][Fantasy]

#11 Post by Demetis »

OMG can you make him pout a little more pls //slapped So cute waaah 8'D

I really like the GUI so far! >w< It suits the logo's color palette and the Circus / Carnival theme so well <3

4. Mhhhhm at the moment I am really interested in Natalia waaah 8'D I would (for a change) totally play the female character first to go for her >w< But Leslie sounds interesting too! He's my type okay 8DDDDDDD Before I go for anyone I should totally stop shipping NPCs together basing on their description though waaaah //slapped out of window

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Re: Arena Circus [GxB][BxB][Fantasy]

#12 Post by minyan »

Demetis wrote:OMG can you make him pout a little more pls //slapped So cute waaah 8'D

I really like the GUI so far! >w< It suits the logo's color palette and the Circus / Carnival theme so well <3

4. Mhhhhm at the moment I am really interested in Natalia waaah 8'D I would (for a change) totally play the female character first to go for her >w< But Leslie sounds interesting too! He's my type okay 8DDDDDDD Before I go for anyone I should totally stop shipping NPCs together basing on their description though waaaah //slapped out of window
Pfft oh my gosh right I love his pout /w\

I can't wait to draw Natalia, her design strikes me as that 'simple classy' I guess. xD Writing her romance is gonna be fun. Thanks for the feedback! And I've been shipping NPC's too... *cough* SantanaxLucy *cough*
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Re: Arena Circus [GxB][BxB][Fantasy]

#13 Post by Wide Mouth Ink »

This piqued my interest if solely for the circus theme and interesting battle system that goes hand in hand with the story and setting (I'm a bit of a gear head when it comes to game design).

Loving the GUI design and hope to see a demo of this soon.

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Re: Arena Circus [GxB][BxB][Fantasy]

#14 Post by minyan »

Wide Mouth Ink wrote:This piqued my interest if solely for the circus theme and interesting battle system that goes hand in hand with the story and setting (I'm a bit of a gear head when it comes to game design).

Loving the GUI design and hope to see a demo of this soon.
Thanks! I'm thinking I'll have something out by the end of April, since I'll probably have to take a little break for NaNoRenO xD

Question guys!
So like I said part of the gameplay is being able to buy different outfits to dress up Aldrich and Lilie. Because... I like dress up games xD Right now I was thinking of letting hats, shirts, and bottoms be changeable for Lilie, and earrings, shirts, and bottoms be changeable for Aldrich (he doesn't like wearing hats).
Do you think that I should also have shoes be changeable? Accessories? (scarfs, hairbands, bows, etc) What other things would you like to be able to dress them up with? Do you think instead I should just have whole outfits? (hat, shirt, pants, shoes, all predetermined)
This part of the game is purely for fun, although people will comment if you're wearing something strange and different characters like different types of clothing, so if you wear an outfit a character likes, you can raise their affection towards you.

Just curious. ^^
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Re: Arena Circus [GxB][BxB][Fantasy]

#15 Post by Demetis »

Aaaah I could smell the Santana x Lucy romance from mileeees away wait whut //slapped

As for your question, I think seperated parts of the outfits are good! I mean it only makes a small difference in both programming and drawing >w< ( A bit more work) But that way you can still have a whole outfit! Ppl can either choose to wear the outfits the way they are or mix and match them 8DDD (Which I will do for the "You look weird" comments!!! //slapped 8D)
I think this is a really cute idea btw XD Just...mentioning //slapped out of window
Last edited by Demetis on Mon Feb 23, 2015 6:02 am, edited 1 time in total.

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