Cat's Cradle [GxB] [A Haikyuu!! doujin game]

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peroxidehead
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Cat's Cradle [GxB] [A Haikyuu!! doujin game]

#1 Post by peroxidehead »

Image
STORY
You play as Nekomata Yasuko (Name changeable) , granddaughter to Coach Nekomata of the boy's volleyball team. You're not a part of any club and you're perfectly happy to keep it that way. However, certain circumstances has you begrudgingly agree to become the manager of the Nekoma volleyball team.It’s no easy task but you somehow manage (pun intended) regardless. Unfortunately, the cultural festival is coming up and it's definitely the biggest challenge you’ll be facing in the time you’ve been a part of the volleyball club.
Between juggling managerial duties and dealing with quirky (and painfully good looking) volleyball players, do you even have the time to fall in love?
CHARACTERS
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Nekomata Yasuko
(Name Changeable)
The protagonist.
In her 2nd year of high school
Current Concern: Too many cat puns in Nekoma
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Takahashi Rio
(Name Changeable)
Your best friend! A big chatterbox who means well.
She affectionately calls you 'Tama' , a nickname you have begrudgingly come to accept because she won't stop calling you that.
Current Concern: How can I get sensei to notice me?
ROUTES
Sprite to follow
Kozume Kenma
A quiet classmate of yours. Prior to joining the volleyball club, you never really talked to him much since he has a rather unapproachable aura about him. Perhaps now is the time to get closer to him?
Sprite to follow
Kuroo Tetsurou
The captain of the volleyball club. You're not really sure what to make of him.
Sprite to follow
Yaku Morisuke
A responsible 3rd year who you look up to. Prior to your membership , it was Yaku who was the de facto manager. (But only because he's one of the few members responsible enough to keep track of things.) You joining the club has definitely lifted a load off his back.

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Haiba Lev
A cheerful and occasionally scatterbrained 1st year. Causes you a lot of trouble, despite not really meaning to. However, he does make up for it by lending you an extra hand , which often causes more trouble. But it's the thought that counts right?
FEATURES
3P route, similar to TokiMemo3
Message system, wherein the members of the Nekoma volleyball team can text you and you can reply in return
'Quacker' mobile app where the guys will 'quack' random shenanigans that they do.
Choose a personality between Sweet Devil or Pure Angel
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Sweet Devil : Your choices and dialogue will lean towards a more devilishly sly and cheeky direction.
Pure Angel : Your choices and dialogue will lean towards a more pure and innocent direction.
SCREENSHOTS
ImageImage
ImageImage
QUESTIONS
  1. Would you prefer choosing your personality before starting the game, for a more consistent writing? Or would you prefer having your choices eventually define your personality?
  2. Would you appreciate 'locking on' a certain guy's route , similar to the Dot Kareshi series?
  3. What is better having a side sprite for the MC or not?
  4. Would you like the protagonist to have a small backstory? Or would it ruin the immersion for you?
  5. Would you prefer the vn having an actual plot or is slice of life/ school life already enough?
  6. Who is your favourite character in Nekoma? Whose route are you looking forward the most?
  7. And finally, is there anything you would like to suggest for this game?
And just in case anyone's interested, I'm kind of recruiting writers over here: http://nekomacradle.tumblr.com/
Last edited by peroxidehead on Sun Feb 07, 2016 10:34 am, edited 5 times in total.

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Re: Cat's Cradle [GxB] [A Haikyuu!! doujin game]

#2 Post by gekiganwing »

Please keep in mind that there is a risk involved when creating fan fiction. There is a possibility that you could get a cease-and-desist letter from one of the copyright holders of Haikyuu! In the recent past, I have seen some promising fan labor projects get cancelled because of a C&D.

Would you benefit by creating an original story about a girl who manages a sports team? I don't know. However, I would advise *against* writing a story with the Haikyuu characters in mind, and then just changing their names and a few details. If you want to create a story that is your own, then do not base its characters and setting on any existing intellectual property.

Currently, I can only think of one visual novel with a girl sports team manager protagonist and her relationships with the guys on the team. It's an untranslated title called Asuka! ~Bokura Seitou Koukou Yakyuu Dan~
peroxidehead wrote: Would you prefer choosing your personality before starting the game, for a more consistent writing? Or would you prefer having your choices eventually define your personality
There are a lot of options to consider. Let me try to explain...

* Player chooses whether main character is either sweet devil or pure angel: This would give the MC a modest amount of personality. I'm not sure if it would encourage the main character to grow or change as the story goes on.
* Main character's personality is determined by their actions: This lets the player do some role playing, and create the type of MC that they want. There is a possibility that the main character might seem more like a collection of stats than a person.
* The main character is a clearly defined individual with a backstory. There is a possibility that the MC might not be likable. This can discourage players from pretending that they are this person. But in my opinion, I believe that a distinct main character can be an interesting part of a story. (Just recently, Lemma Soft forum member Faithbestill talked about this notion in an unrelated thread.)
* Let the player choose whether they will be Nekomata Yasuko or Takahashi Rio. Give both of them different personalities.
peroxidehead wrote: And finally, is there anything you would like to suggest for this game?
Make sure to plan ahead. Determine when you will write, code, draw, and check for errors. Ask yourself how much time you can commit to your story. Consider giving yourself deadlines -- this can help with procrastination and perfectionism. Think about how to persevere even if writing becomes boring or frustrating. Back up your work often, and on several computers.

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Re: Cat's Cradle [GxB] [A Haikyuu!! doujin game]

#3 Post by VocaloidsRCool »

I would like choosing my personality before the game.

I would love to be able to lock on a guy's route~ Dot Kareshi's system was very effective, and made getting on a guy's route easy.

Do you mean a sprite facing to the side? Because I would like the MC to be facing forward, but that's just my opinion.

I think that even though a backstory would be helpful in letting the player get the know the MC's history, it would ruin the immersion for me. However, you should still do it if you really want to.

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Re: Cat's Cradle [GxB] [A Haikyuu!! doujin game]

#4 Post by peroxidehead »

Please keep in mind that there is a risk involved when creating fan fiction. There is a possibility that you could get a cease-and-desist letter from one of the copyright holders of Haikyuu! In the recent past, I have seen some promising fan labor projects get cancelled because of a C&D.
Thank you very much for that bit of advice! Before starting this project, this was honestly one of the things that I was worried about. But over the years, I've seen a lot of fanmade games released for popular series (like Kuroko no Basuke and Katekyo Hitman Reborn!) , but I haven't really heard of any C&D being directed towards any of the fangames released for them. So I suppose it's more or less safe?
Would you benefit by creating an original story about a girl who manages a sports team? I don't know. However, I would advise *against* writing a story with the Haikyuu characters in mind, and then just changing their names and a few details. If you want to create a story that is your own, then do not base its characters and setting on any existing intellectual property.
I don't really think I'd benefit from writing an original story haha. One of the reasons I decided to create Cat's Cradle as my first short VN was because I felt that it's easier to write and draw pre-existing characters with already established personalities. Creating characters from scratch requires more brainstorming and time . Not to mention, designing from scratch as well.
There are a lot of options to consider. Let me try to explain...

* Player chooses whether main character is either sweet devil or pure angel: This would give the MC a modest amount of personality. I'm not sure if it would encourage the main character to grow or change as the story goes on.
* Main character's personality is determined by their actions: This lets the player do some role playing, and create the type of MC that they want. There is a possibility that the main character might seem more like a collection of stats than a person.
* The main character is a clearly defined individual with a backstory. There is a possibility that the MC might not be likable. This can discourage players from pretending that they are this person. But in my opinion, I believe that a distinct main character can be an interesting part of a story. (Just recently, Lemma Soft forum member Faithbestill talked about this notion in an unrelated thread.)
* Let the player choose whether they will be Nekomata Yasuko or Takahashi Rio. Give both of them different personalities.
Again, thank you very much for the advice! I'll be sure to take these into consideration during the development of Cat's Cradle. Your input is very much appreciated! I'm honestly debating between the first two. I've played some games with the 2nd option but I feel like the protagonist, even if they are the player proxy can come off as inconsistent. (Since I know that some people don't actually see the protagonist as their own proxy but as a defined character. I'm one of those people.) Which is why I thought of having the players choose their personality beforehand for a more consistent writing but I guess I'll see depending on feedback. :D

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Re: Cat's Cradle [GxB] [A Haikyuu!! doujin game]

#5 Post by peroxidehead »

Thank you very much for taking the time to respond to this! :D
Do you mean a sprite facing to the side? Because I would like the MC to be facing forward, but that's just my opinion.
One of my aims for Cat's Cradle is to balance the way the protagonist's written so that people who enjoy immersion while playing the game will enjoy and while those who prefer a distinct protagonist can also enjoy it as well. So to be honest, I'm not really sure if adding a sprite of the protagonist next to the textbox would ruin the immersion for the players?

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Re: Cat's Cradle [GxB] [A Haikyuu!! doujin game]

#6 Post by VocaloidsRCool »

peroxidehead wrote:Thank you very much for taking the time to respond to this! :D
Do you mean a sprite facing to the side? Because I would like the MC to be facing forward, but that's just my opinion.
One of my aims for Cat's Cradle is to balance the way the protagonist's written so that people who enjoy immersion while playing the game will enjoy and while those who prefer a distinct protagonist can also enjoy it as well. So to be honest, I'm not really sure if adding a sprite of the protagonist next to the textbox would ruin the immersion for the players?
Oh, I see what you mean. If this game didn't have a sprite, I would definitely be able to immerse myself into the game better. A sprite, well, it seems like it would only make the player feel as if they are playing as a character and not themselves. The point of immersion - in this case, at least, is to let the player feel as if they themselves are the MC, or protagonist, right? If that is the case, I would go with no sprites, but the decision is yours since it is your game.

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Re: Cat's Cradle [GxB] [A Haikyuu!! doujin game]

#7 Post by Unicorn_Magic »

1.Would you prefer choosing your personality before starting the game, for a more consistent writing? Or would you prefer having your choices eventually define your personality?
Ans. Personally I would like my personality to be determined as and when the game progresses.
2. Would you appreciate 'locking on' a certain guy's route , similar to the Dot Kareshi series?
Weeell, usually what I like is my choices deciding which guy is for me, that way it seem somehow more intercative I guess?
3. What is better having a side sprite for the MC or not?
Ans. Hmm, that doesn't make a difference for me, sometimes sprites are actually important to understand the emotions of the words, ya know?
4. Would you like the protagonist to have a small backstory? Or would it ruin the immersion for you?
Ans. I actually like the idea of a backstory, that way I feel like the protag isn't too blank.
5. Would you prefer the vn having an actual plot or is slice of life/ school life already enough?
Ans. Either way is good if the story-telling is intriguing :D
Hope I helped and btw I like the design of the protag and her friend, it's cute ♥

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Re: Cat's Cradle [GxB] [A Haikyuu!! doujin game]

#8 Post by peroxidehead »

Updates!
Here's how the navigation map and phone in Cat's Cradle will look like ,obviously inspired by Storm Lover's Map :
Image

Image

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Re: Cat's Cradle [GxB] [A Haikyuu!! doujin game]

#9 Post by peroxidehead »

VocaloidsRCool wrote:
peroxidehead wrote:Thank you very much for taking the time to respond to this! :D
Do you mean a sprite facing to the side? Because I would like the MC to be facing forward, but that's just my opinion.
One of my aims for Cat's Cradle is to balance the way the protagonist's written so that people who enjoy immersion while playing the game will enjoy and while those who prefer a distinct protagonist can also enjoy it as well. So to be honest, I'm not really sure if adding a sprite of the protagonist next to the textbox would ruin the immersion for the players?
Oh, I see what you mean. If this game didn't have a sprite, I would definitely be able to immerse myself into the game better. A sprite, well, it seems like it would only make the player feel as if they are playing as a character and not themselves. The point of immersion - in this case, at least, is to let the player feel as if they themselves are the MC, or protagonist, right? If that is the case, I would go with no sprites, but the decision is yours since it is your game.
Thank you very much for the feedback! Those are points that I'll definitely be keeping in mind on deciding if I should add a sprite for the protagonist or not. Though I am sort of leaning on deciding not to put one at all since I want there to be more immersion for players. :)

Unicorn_Magic wrote:1.Would you prefer choosing your personality before starting the game, for a more consistent writing? Or would you prefer having your choices eventually define your personality?
Ans. Personally I would like my personality to be determined as and when the game progresses.
2. Would you appreciate 'locking on' a certain guy's route , similar to the Dot Kareshi series?
Weeell, usually what I like is my choices deciding which guy is for me, that way it seem somehow more intercative I guess?
3. What is better having a side sprite for the MC or not?
Ans. Hmm, that doesn't make a difference for me, sometimes sprites are actually important to understand the emotions of the words, ya know?
4. Would you like the protagonist to have a small backstory? Or would it ruin the immersion for you?
Ans. I actually like the idea of a backstory, that way I feel like the protag isn't too blank.
5. Would you prefer the vn having an actual plot or is slice of life/ school life already enough?
Ans. Either way is good if the story-telling is intriguing :D
Hope I helped and btw I like the design of the protag and her friend, it's cute ♥
Thank you very much for taking the time to respond to this! :D Your feedback has definitely helped me out a lot! And again, thanks! I'm glad you liked the protag and her friend's design. <3

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Re: Cat's Cradle [GxB] [A Haikyuu!! doujin game]

#10 Post by peroxidehead »

Another update! Decided to add a twitter quacker system wherein you can read the guy's tweets quacks.
Image

if you're interested in seeing the full image, here ; FULL

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Re: Cat's Cradle [GxB] [A Haikyuu!! doujin game]

#11 Post by peroxidehead »

Update! Haiba lev's sprites are 2/3rd done!
levuniform.png
levsample2.png
Levsample.png

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Re: Cat's Cradle [GxB] [A Haikyuu!! doujin game]

#12 Post by Baky »

I'm so glad I found this!!!!! I hope the amount of exclamation points proves it!!!!!!

1.Would you prefer choosing your personality before starting the game, for a more consistent writing? Or would you prefer having your choices eventually define your personality?

I would like to leave my personality up to my choices or as i like to say, Lady Luck. i just think it would be more natural and fun that way (though probably more extra work????I have your back go you)

2.Would you appreciate 'locking on' a certain guy's route , similar to the Dot Kareshi series?

This honestly does not really matter to me since I replay the game for all the routes :D

3.What is better having a side sprite for the MC or not?
I really like your art so I don't think a side sprite would hurt, but perhaps no side sprite would let the player immerse in the story more :D

4.Would you like the protagonist to have a small backstory? Or would it ruin the immersion for you?
Would not ruin if it's not too forced onto me in the first few seconds of the game.

5.Would you prefer the vn having an actual plot or is slice of life/ school life already enough?
I think slice of life/high school is already enough, but if you plan for a plot I'm interested to see what you have planned!

6.Who is your favourite character in Nekoma? Whose route are you looking forward the most?

Is it weird to say that I'm looking forward to ALL THE ROUTES!?

7.And finally, is there anything you would like to suggest for this game?
Nope :D I only want to wish you luck and to have fun on your project! <3
♡I write things for fun.♡

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