Match Made in Heaven [GxG, BxB][Parody][Matchmaking Sim]

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femslashfatale
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Match Made in Heaven [GxG, BxB][Parody][Matchmaking Sim]

#1 Post by femslashfatale »

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Match Made in Heaven is a dating sim (though in a different way than you might expect), being developed by me. I have dabbled in making visual novels/games before, but I've yet to complete a full original project. Hopefully, this one will be my first!! I'm planning to write 10k+ words and at least three endings for a demo.
EDIT: Updated character descriptions!
S U M M A R Y

You play a nonbinary junior high school student in the throbs of puberty, who's just transferred to a new school this year. You're worried, because you're not.... you're not the smoothest person around. In fact, you have generalized anxiety/social anxiety. It suuucks. You just want to make friends, honestly. It was hard enough at your old school, but now you've got start all over again. Maybe, if you're lucky, you'll even get a girlfriend! All of your old friends had girlfriends. Plus, your mom's been pestering you about it, too. ...Sometimes you feel like you just don't want a significant other, maybe, but you figure you'll grow into it.

Later, after some life-changing personal realizations and getting to know some of your classmates, you decide you'd be better off helping others with their love lives instead of trying to get yourself a girlfriend. Thus, the fun begins!

C H A R A C T E R S

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Julie Chase
Your neighbor. A nice girl. Clumsy. She stutters, which makes her insecure about speaking out. She has a looot of bitter, pent-up feelings, but she's too nice to do anything about it.
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Alyssa Head
The student council president. She wants to be "ruler of the world" when she's older, which for some reason everyone believes is absolutely possible?? Honestly what's wrong with this school

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Tsui Li
A smart and popular guy. Your first friend, hopefully. Always surrounded by people, so it's hard to find a moment to get to know him alone...

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JT Holmes
Drama club star. Seems like a playboy who's broken a lot of girls' hearts. Best friends with Tsui Li, which you find odd because they seem like total opposites! There's a rumor that they share an ex-girlfriend. Whoever it is, poor her. (But also, she has good taste.)

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Na-Hyo Jung
Your mom finally got remarried after a divorce when you were in 1st grade. This is your new little nonbinary step-sibling. Loves cereal and aliens. Hates your guts??

Progress
Plot Planning: 90%
Writing: 20%
Sprites: 100% (Woohoo!)
CGs: 1.5/8
BGs: 100% (Yay Creative Commons!)
GUI: 100% (Probably default for the demo, besides text box/font.)
Programming: 40%
Questions:
- Thoughts on the summary/plot? Would you play it when it's complete?
- Which characters seem most interesting? Keep in mind that no one is exactly what they present themselves as. ;)
- What are some silly romance/harem/dating sim tropes you hate/think are unrealistic? (ex: falling perfectly on top of another person, accidental groping, trapping someone against a wall, etc)
- Any other suggestions/critique?
Last edited by femslashfatale on Sun Mar 27, 2016 2:22 am, edited 34 times in total.

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Re: Match Made in Heaven [GxG, BxB][Parody][Matchmaking Sim]

#2 Post by keelan »

Matchmaking!!! One of my favourite past times x) I was excited to read 'parody' and 'matchmaking sim' tagged in the same game.

1. Thoughts on the summary/plot? Would you play it when it's complete?

It looks super interesting so far! As someone who's more interested in pairing others up than finding love for themselves, I'm pretty pumped about the story line. I'd definitely play it if it's complete.

2. Which characters seem most interesting? Keep in mind that no one is exactly what they present themselves as. ;)

Aah, mystery. I'm interested about Kap (childhood friends??? awkwardness??? personality changes??? how intriguing; sign me up!), but I think I like Yvette the most so far. Striking designs and music geeks are always a favourite :D

3. What are some silly romance/harem/dating sim tropes you hate/think are unrealistic? (ex: falling perfectly on top of another person, accidental groping, trapping someone against a wall, etc)

Oof, that's a tough question ('I'm easily amused + I don't hate a lot of things + this is a parody' do not go well together). Realistic-wise, I guess a lot of the coincidence tropes don't make sense, like the first two you mentioned (a bunch of meet cute's tend to fall under this). And I'm on the fence when it comes to stealing kisses when someone's sleeping especially since i like my kisses taken with permission. plus, when they dash out and leave the victim all confused, nothing good comes out of it D: if they catch the kisser in the act though, then i'm all game ^_^

4. Any other suggestions/critique?

Not much else to say, tbh. The art's nice and I'm liking the plot, so I hope to hear more about it soon!

Oh yes! And TV Tropes might be able to help out. A lot of the listed tropes are more plot device-y than 'casual,' but maybe you'll find something useful there? (that is, if you haven't already checked it out :P). The Romance Arc section is particularly useful for how a romance plot can progress!

Other stuff: I was wondering how long the game's going to be. You mentioned the demo was going to have 10k, so does that mean there'll be a longer version after NaNo? Also, does the game focus more on GxG? I see a few male characters there, but it's a predominantly female cast by far. Can we matchmake some boys together too?

Good luck and have fun~!

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Re: Match Made in Heaven [GxG, BxB][Parody][Matchmaking Sim]

#3 Post by MimirollCookie »

The concept looks cute, btw!
Good luck with NaNo!

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Re: Match Made in Heaven [GxG, BxB][Parody][Matchmaking Sim]

#4 Post by Nekobako »

femslashfatale wrote: [sprite unfinished]
Alexan Murose
Kind of a weaboo. Ambiguous gender.
It me. Esp the [sprite unfinished] part.

- Thoughts on the summary/plot? Would you play it when it's complete?
Sounds interesting! I've never played a matchmaking game, but I'm willing to try almost anything at least once :D

- Which characters seem most interesting? Keep in mind that no one is exactly what they present themselves as. ;)
Alexan-- I was gonna say JUST KIDDING and pick somebody else, but actually.

Yvette sounds fun though!

- What are some silly romance/harem/dating sim tropes you hate/think are unrealistic? (ex: falling perfectly on top of another person, accidental groping, trapping someone against a wall, etc)
Yeah, accidental groping, esp when combined with falling perfectly on top of somebody is pretty annoying. You can use basically anything though as long as you do it right. In skimming, I saw somebody mention tvtropes. Seconding that.

Also subversion/inversion of cliches is really great; could be fun if it looks like you're gonna play a trope straight but then it goes in a different direction.

- Any other suggestions/critique?

Phew! Not much. Just be careful with writing color guard/marching band girl because it requires research. Don't wing it. Please don't wing it.

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Re: Match Made in Heaven [GxG, BxB][Parody][Matchmaking Sim]

#5 Post by gekiganwing »

I saw "matchmaking" in the subject line, and this project got my attention right away. I have been hoping for quite some time that someone would create a visual novel or a complex romance game in which the main character acts as a matchmaker for other characters.
femslashfatale wrote: - What are some silly romance/harem/dating sim tropes you hate/think are unrealistic? (ex: falling perfectly on top of another person, accidental groping, trapping someone against a wall, etc)
I enjoy comedy, but I also acknowledge that creating it is not as easy as it might seem. It helps to be specific. Take notes, and then think about what you want to write. I also recommend having a detailed knowledge of several recent series. Some jokes and concepts become outdated quickly. One example: it seems like yesterday when there were many series in which a female main character used an oversized hammer to pummel a male main character... but I believe the idea faded out in the 1990s.

Making a humorous story about romance comedies isn't easy. Sometimes it's more amusing to play things as straight as possible.

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Re: Match Made in Heaven [GxG, BxB][Parody][Matchmaking Sim]

#6 Post by femslashfatale »

keelan wrote:Other stuff: I was wondering how long the game's going to be. You mentioned the demo was going to have 10k, so does that mean there'll be a longer version after NaNo? Also, does the game focus more on GxG? I see a few male characters there, but it's a predominantly female cast by far. Can we matchmake some boys together too?
I'm hoping to make a longer version later, yes! The plan right now is to make three pairings available (2 GxG & 1 BxB) to match and get endings with, while the full version would have more options with different pairings. Maybe in the full version I'll put in more BxB pairings?
Thank you for your suggestions!
MimirollCookie wrote:The concept looks cute, btw!
Good luck with NaNo!
Thank you! I'm really really excited to make this game. :D
Nekobako wrote:- Any other suggestions/critique?
Phew! Not much. Just be careful with writing color guard/marching band girl because it requires research. Don't wing it. Please don't wing it.
Don't worry, I've got experience behind me. ;) I'm pretty sure I'll be able to accurately portray what I've done for six years.
Thank you for your excitement! Seeing other people like my ideas gets me really motivated!!!
gekiganwing wrote:I enjoy comedy, but I also acknowledge that creating it is not as easy as it might seem. It helps to be specific. Take notes, and then think about what you want to write. I also recommend having a detailed knowledge of several recent series. Some jokes and concepts become outdated quickly. One example: it seems like yesterday when there were many series in which a female main character used an oversized hammer to pummel a male main character... but I believe the idea faded out in the 1990s.

Making a humorous story about romance comedies isn't easy. Sometimes it's more amusing to play things as straight as possible.
I'll make sure to take all of this into account. Thank you!!

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Re: Match Made in Heaven [GxG, BxB][Parody][Matchmaking Sim]

#7 Post by femslashfatale »

Alexan Murose's sprite has been finished! I'll update the original post, too, but here they are:
Image
Last edited by femslashfatale on Fri Mar 04, 2016 8:48 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: Match Made in Heaven [GxG, BxB][Parody][Matchmaking Sim]

#8 Post by Lesleigh63 »

You're very busy is your soloing.

I like the sound of a match-making game.

At least the MC doesn't sound suave enough to try to pat some girl on the head (I hate that trope).
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Re: Match Made in Heaven [GxG, BxB][Parody][Matchmaking Sim]

#9 Post by femslashfatale »

Leslie is finished. :) It's pretty nice to have zero extracurriculars.
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Re: Match Made in Heaven [GxG, BxB][Parody][Matchmaking Sim]

#10 Post by Hi.In.Ni »

Oh, nice! To be honest I felt since the beggining that this was going towards the "you play as an aromantic character", which is great because it means you did a good job setting the mood!

Once thing I will advice you to change is the whole writing that you are not romantic and instead will help people get together in hiden spoiler because that's not a spoiler but the real premise of the game. You cannot promote this game as a game in which the character will find multiple partners and then have the players discover that because they ll be angry: that's not what they wanted. I recommend you remove the spoiler thingy and instead make it bold and more enthusiastic. Something like "What a surprising turn of events when you discover you are actually
aromantic
and will be helping others with their love lives instead!!!" . Something corny and overpowered that will get people saying "HECK YEH! IMMA GET THOSE TWO GIRLS TO SMOOCH! YEAH!", that's what you need.

I really like this, I can't wait until there s something playable, ugh, I want it already. I'll jsut sit here until the game is released...

Side Comment: I just finished my degree in videogame developement, and I'm really good at finding loopholes in story, character and design, and also providing solutions. I'm like a beta tester but for design instead of mechanics, haha.
If you need any review or feedback with the script, lore or whatever, be sure to message me because I'd love to help you with this project.
Last edited by Hi.In.Ni on Sat Mar 05, 2016 7:48 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Please, check my NaNoRenO entry!
That was easy!! [NSFW] [BxG/B] [NaNoRenO2016]
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Re: Match Made in Heaven [GxG, BxB][Parody][Matchmaking Sim]

#11 Post by Nekobako »

Hi.In.Ni wrote:Oh, nice! To be honest I felt since the beggining that this was going towards the "you play as an aromantic character", which is great because it means you did a good job setting the mood!

Once thing I will advice you to change is the whole writing that you are not romantic and instead will help people get together in hiden spoiler because that's not a spoiler but the real premise of the game. You cannot promote this game as a game in which the character will find multiple partners and then have the players discover that because they ll be angry: that's not what they wanted. I recommend you remove the spoiler thingy and instead make it bold and more enthusiastic. Something like
"What a surprising turn of events when you discover you are actually aromantic and will be helping others with their love lives instead!!!"
. Something corny and overpowered that will get people saying "HECK YEH! IMMA GET THOSE TWO GIRLS TO SMOOCH! YEAH!", that's what you need.
I don't think that's really a problem, considering the tag [Matchmaking Sim] is literally in the thread title. So everybody know that's what it is, not a dating sim. It's not misleading. I think it's fine that they decided to hide
the MC's orientation
, since it's not a given and it could be significant to the narrative. Sure, you figured it out immediately but everybody might not, and the novel is already marked properly, and people are already checking it out, so your suggestion is a little redundant.

Also since the author put it under spoiler tags, please also put it under spoiler tags or just say "bold what's in the spoiler"-- in any event, you could definitely suggest OP do it differently rather than to just...throw it out there yourself. That's actually a little rude. ;;

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Re: Match Made in Heaven [GxG, BxB][Parody][Matchmaking Sim]

#12 Post by Hi.In.Ni »

Oh, sorry, I didn't mean to be rude. I am sorry. I actually felt like this was the best for the project so had to say it, I didn't mean to sound like the author's choice is wrong at all, just what I felt would be best.
Of course it's my personal opinion and it's okay to disagree!!
Please, check my NaNoRenO entry!
That was easy!! [NSFW] [BxG/B] [NaNoRenO2016]
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Re: Match Made in Heaven [GxG, BxB][Parody][Matchmaking Sim]

#13 Post by Kumiho »

- Thoughts on the summary/plot? Would you play it when it's complete?
I love it! :) Of course I'll play it when it's complete! Good luck <3 I seriously love the matchmaking idea. It sounds like it'll be super fun to read about *u* Also I'm super found of how there will be GxG/BxB elements 8')

- Which characters seem most interesting? Keep in mind that no one is exactly what they present themselves as. ;)
My favorite character is Alyssa! Her World domination, baby! Although my next fave would be Na-Hyo, because... like, Korean annoying sister girl with pigtails? Count me in 8'D

- What are some silly romance/harem/dating sim tropes you hate/think are unrealistic? (ex: falling perfectly on top of another person, accidental groping, trapping someone against a wall, etc)
Definitely all the ones you mentioned, and... hmm, probably accidental kisses and love at first sight?

- Any other suggestions/critique?
Not that I can think of! :) The plot twist is the best thing ever, seriously, and I also really like your art style *u* It's really unique and adorable and I love it. Also I want Alexan's hair.

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Re: Match Made in Heaven [GxG, BxB][Parody][Matchmaking Sim]

#14 Post by femslashfatale »

After reading Hi.In.Ni and Nekobako's comments, I think I'll modify the summary a bit to make it clearer and take out the mentions of specific orientations entirely. Thank you for your thoughts!
Kumiho wrote:- Which characters seem most interesting? Keep in mind that no one is exactly what they present themselves as. ;)
My favorite character is Alyssa! Her World domination, baby! Although my next fave would be Na-Hyo, because... like, Korean annoying sister girl with pigtails? Count me in 8'D
Just to clarify, Na-Hyo is not a girl (nor a boy). I tried to make that clear by their shirt and by saying "step-sibling" instead of "step-sister," but I'll add it in their description to make it completely apparent.
Thank you for your comment, though! And I'm glad you like my art!! :D

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Re: Match Made in Heaven [GxG, BxB][Parody][Matchmaking Sim]

#15 Post by femslashfatale »

I did some mock ups for a text box. Which of these three do you prefer? Colors and text font subject to change, probably.
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