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

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minyan
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Re: Arena Circus [GxB][BxB][GxG][Fantasy] DEMO AVAILABLE (1.

#121 Post by minyan »

Pace wrote:Ooooh now you are just teasing us! For shame!


Can I haz more?! :o
Yes you can!
Screen Shot 2016-04-13 at 2.34.24 PM.png
One of the writers has to drop the project due to RL issues, so I'll be writing Chapter 2, but it will be a little slower in coming. Also still looking for a background artist (viewtopic.php?f=59&t=36811), as I plan to prioritize sprites and CGs. Once I finish those though I'll do the backgrounds if one still hasn't been found!
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Re: Arena Circus [GxB][BxB][GxG][Fantasy] DEMO AVAILABLE (1.

#122 Post by DraculaVarney »

Did you enjoy it?

I really loved it! At first I was a little turned off from it because of the foreign terms (which is not your fault, that always happens for me with fantasy books) but the characters really drew me in, and I really loved the unique set up you had. You didn't go for the straight up "here are your three options, this is a linear story for each, go forth and romance" thing that most visual novels do, which was really great. It felt more like an interactive adventure story than a traditional vn, which was really great because it got me way more engaged in the story.

What was your favorite part?

I really loved the side arch with the noodle shop owner. His plot isn't exactly central looking but it was really nice to interact with him and try to help him out. I ended up pretty invested with the poor guy's issues.

How do you like the battle system? Were the right/wrong choices obvious, too subtle, or just right?

The battle system was really, really fun. The right choices weren't completely obvious, in fact I'm sure if two of them weren't fixed I would have lost all three. But I liked the style you went with because it wasn't too much of an intense RPG battle style moment, but it was something fixed that I did look forward to during my play through. The idea of having a battle system in a vn is pretty awesome!

Were there enough scenes? Did you find yourself with a lack of things to do? Were the scenes long enough?

I loved the scenes that you had, but I would always be up for longer/more of them! I didn't really find myself lacking in things to do because of the side quests and the multiple locations to find people. I really loved the side quests because they were so cute! It would be kind of nice (but totally not necessary) if we had the option to go to a place and occasionally challenge people to a battle. Maybe like a training ground? This could also work to allow players to obtain a little more money. I know when I saw the clothes shop my money flew away. XD

Did you enjoy the clothing options?
There are moments where characters will comment on what you wear. Should I add more of this or did you have a lot of moments like that?

I LOVED the clothing options. I literally could not say that enough. I LOVED THEM! Customizing characters and playing dress up is the bomb and I was totally addicted to that clothes shop. The interaction over what you wear is EXCELLENT! I have never seen a vn attempt to do this before and if I haven't made it clear yet, it's really, really great. I would totally love if you had a ton of moments like that.

Were the story/mandatory scenes paced well?

I thought the pacing was really good. It didn't seem too jaunty or out of place.

Who is your favorite character?

Leslie! A thousand times over. He's such a cutie. After first meeting him I immediately wanted to seek him out again for more interactions.
Also the noodle shop owner. By the end of the play through I became very attached. I love side characters, especially when there are CGs for them.

Who did you start to romance? Were the romantic scenes paced well considering this is only the first chapter?

I may or may not tried to tentatively romance Leslie as Lilie. >,> I didn't really read the page before I played, so I kind of just assumed that you could romance anyone. Not a fair assumption, I know, but now I wish it was an option because their interactions were just so cute!

Really looking forward to your next update! And I hope your having a really nice day!

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Re: Arena Circus [GxB][BxB][GxG][Fantasy] DEMO AVAILABLE (1.

#123 Post by minyan »

Small update

I've gotten about 5,000 of an estimated 40,000 words for chapter 2 written! Updates will be slower as the writing goes, but when I start working on art again I'll post lots of pretty pictures for you guys. c:

I've also put the game up on itch.io, the link is in the first post! Any future updates can be found there. And I'll do my best to keep my twitter updated with stuff about the game... I'm so bad with social media OTL
DraculaVarney wrote:Did you enjoy it?

I really loved it! At first I was a little turned off from it because of the foreign terms (which is not your fault, that always happens for me with fantasy books) but the characters really drew me in, and I really loved the unique set up you had. You didn't go for the straight up "here are your three options, this is a linear story for each, go forth and romance" thing that most visual novels do, which was really great. It felt more like an interactive adventure story than a traditional vn, which was really great because it got me way more engaged in the story.

What was your favorite part?

I really loved the side arch with the noodle shop owner. His plot isn't exactly central looking but it was really nice to interact with him and try to help him out. I ended up pretty invested with the poor guy's issues.


How do you like the battle system? Were the right/wrong choices obvious, too subtle, or just right?

The battle system was really, really fun. The right choices weren't completely obvious, in fact I'm sure if two of them weren't fixed I would have lost all three. But I liked the style you went with because it wasn't too much of an intense RPG battle style moment, but it was something fixed that I did look forward to during my play through. The idea of having a battle system in a vn is pretty awesome!


Were there enough scenes? Did you find yourself with a lack of things to do? Were the scenes long enough?

I loved the scenes that you had, but I would always be up for longer/more of them! I didn't really find myself lacking in things to do because of the side quests and the multiple locations to find people. I really loved the side quests because they were so cute! It would be kind of nice (but totally not necessary) if we had the option to go to a place and occasionally challenge people to a battle. Maybe like a training ground? This could also work to allow players to obtain a little more money. I know when I saw the clothes shop my money flew away. XD




Did you enjoy the clothing options?
There are moments where characters will comment on what you wear. Should I add more of this or did you have a lot of moments like that?

I LOVED the clothing options. I literally could not say that enough. I LOVED THEM! Customizing characters and playing dress up is the bomb and I was totally addicted to that clothes shop. The interaction over what you wear is EXCELLENT! I have never seen a vn attempt to do this before and if I haven't made it clear yet, it's really, really great. I would totally love if you had a ton of moments like that.

Were the story/mandatory scenes paced well?

I thought the pacing was really good. It didn't seem too jaunty or out of place.

Who is your favorite character?

Leslie! A thousand times over. He's such a cutie. After first meeting him I immediately wanted to seek him out again for more interactions.
Also the noodle shop owner. By the end of the play through I became very attached. I love side characters, especially when there are CGs for them.

Who did you start to romance? Were the romantic scenes paced well considering this is only the first chapter?

I may or may not tried to tentatively romance Leslie as Lilie. >,> I didn't really read the page before I played, so I kind of just assumed that you could romance anyone. Not a fair assumption, I know, but now I wish it was an option because their interactions were just so cute!

Really looking forward to your next update! And I hope your having a really nice day!


I'm so glad you think so! I really wanted it to have that sort of feel. An adventure story that just happens to have romance involved.

Basil yes, I felt so bad for him xD In the original demo he was less present, but in the rewrite he took the reins for a bit and I was like okay Basil, lets see what you got. It was depressing. I'm hoping to give his arc some resolution in chapter 2~!

Some people complained about the choices not being obvious, but I was kind of happy they weren't... it kind of forces you to really think about it, while at the same time playing through and living with the choices you've made rather than immediately knowing- okay if I pick this I win the battle and will get to do this, etc. Or at least that's what I was going for xD

There will be something similar to a training ground in later chapters! And heh heh, I had so much fun designing the clothes. >w< I'll be sure to include a lot more moments where the characters comment in future chapters!

Yaaay Leslie's my favorite too <3 Yes Leslie's romance arc won't be available until I can get around to writing Aldrich's part... He ah, wouldn't be interested in Lilié, unfortunately...

Thanks for your feedback and I'm so happy you enjoyed playing!
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Re: Arena Circus [GxB][BxB][GxG][Fantasy] DEMO AVAILABLE (1.

#124 Post by Pace »

They do really need to add a like button here...Awww she's a cutie alright!

Sorry to hear about your writer, but hopefully thing will start looking up for you! I might be quiet but I am definitely following this project!

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Re: Arena Circus [GxB][BxB][GxG][Fantasy] DEMO AVAILABLE (1.

#125 Post by Kcici »

I wanted to play though this a couple of times before answering but here goes!

Did you enjoy it?
Yes, definitely yes! The story setting and array of characters made playing through it really enjoyable.

What was your favorite part?
ahh it's hard to pick. Looking for the ghost and running into Natalia was fun but also seeing Fenris' cute side while looking for the ribbon was adorable to see. I also liked the time spent dealing with Basil and his issues. I wasn't expecting to have discussions with characters outside the main story group. It helped make me feel like I was invested in the world besides the main part of the story.
How do you like the battle system? Were the right/wrong choices obvious, too subtle, or just right?
I think it was just right. I actually won the second battle and while I wasn't too sure whether I'd win it did feel like I was in a real battle (mentally) and I could trust in Aldrich. Of course trusting in him didn't help with the 3rd battle but hey, the poor guy can't win against a game mechanic. :p It's too early to say how the battle system is since the few we had now were mostly scripted but I can say I am looking forward to more battles!

Were there enough scenes? Did you find yourself with a lack of things to do? Were the scenes long enough?
I think there were plenty of scenes for the length of the chapter. I actually didn't notice there were extra scenes until I started randomly exploring. I'm so used to stat games have a need to click on areas that I figured there wasn't a need here so it was a nice surprise to find extra scenes. I found myself going through them to see what I could find next.

Did you enjoy the clothing options?
There are moments where characters will comment on what you wear. Should I add more of this or did you have a lot of moments like that?
As a person who used to play dress up games a lot I LOVE the clothing options lol. While it's not a necessity in a game it does help add a bit more interactivity to the game play. I like having the characters comment on what I wear because it helps pull me into the story more.

Were the story/mandatory scenes paced well?
yes! they felt like the perfect length and had the right level of interaction.

Who is your favorite character?
For right now I'd had to say Aldrich. I just love those optimistic type of characters.

Who did you start to romance? Were the romantic scenes paced well considering this is only the first chapter?
My first play through I didn't romance anybody. :'D I guess I don't really notice romantic queues well enough. I'll try to see on my next play around.

I did run into a few errors while playing though. My game crashed when trying to put on the 'simply shorts.' And another time it happened when I was in the clothing shop. I'm not even sure what caused that one. It might be because of my computer. If it helps my OS is windows 10. If you need any more info just pm me.
Other than that I had fun playing this. I'm looking forward to seeing how the game continues to develop!

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Re: Arena Circus [GxB][BxB][GxG][Fantasy] DEMO AVAILABLE (1.

#126 Post by minyan »

Update

Chapter 2 is about halfway done! I'm hoping to get it done sometime in June, but since I'm participating in a game jam with Gourmet Visual that might slow me down a tiny bit. But, either way, it shouldn't be too long now!
Pace wrote:They do really need to add a like button here...Awww she's a cutie alright!

Sorry to hear about your writer, but hopefully thing will start looking up for you! I might be quiet but I am definitely following this project!
Thanks! I'm happy to hear that :D Things are looking up I think, and whenever I get down I have all of you guy's encouraging remarks to keep me going ^^


Kcici wrote:I wanted to play though this a couple of times before answering but here goes!

Did you enjoy it?
Yes, definitely yes! The story setting and array of characters made playing through it really enjoyable.

What was your favorite part?
ahh it's hard to pick. Looking for the ghost and running into Natalia was fun but also seeing Fenris' cute side while looking for the ribbon was adorable to see. I also liked the time spent dealing with Basil and his issues. I wasn't expecting to have discussions with characters outside the main story group. It helped make me feel like I was invested in the world besides the main part of the story.
How do you like the battle system? Were the right/wrong choices obvious, too subtle, or just right?
I think it was just right. I actually won the second battle and while I wasn't too sure whether I'd win it did feel like I was in a real battle (mentally) and I could trust in Aldrich. Of course trusting in him didn't help with the 3rd battle but hey, the poor guy can't win against a game mechanic. :p It's too early to say how the battle system is since the few we had now were mostly scripted but I can say I am looking forward to more battles!

Were there enough scenes? Did you find yourself with a lack of things to do? Were the scenes long enough?
I think there were plenty of scenes for the length of the chapter. I actually didn't notice there were extra scenes until I started randomly exploring. I'm so used to stat games have a need to click on areas that I figured there wasn't a need here so it was a nice surprise to find extra scenes. I found myself going through them to see what I could find next.

Did you enjoy the clothing options?
There are moments where characters will comment on what you wear. Should I add more of this or did you have a lot of moments like that?
As a person who used to play dress up games a lot I LOVE the clothing options lol. While it's not a necessity in a game it does help add a bit more interactivity to the game play. I like having the characters comment on what I wear because it helps pull me into the story more.

Were the story/mandatory scenes paced well?
yes! they felt like the perfect length and had the right level of interaction.

Who is your favorite character?
For right now I'd had to say Aldrich. I just love those optimistic type of characters.

Who did you start to romance? Were the romantic scenes paced well considering this is only the first chapter?
My first play through I didn't romance anybody. :'D I guess I don't really notice romantic queues well enough. I'll try to see on my next play around.

I did run into a few errors while playing though. My game crashed when trying to put on the 'simply shorts.' And another time it happened when I was in the clothing shop. I'm not even sure what caused that one. It might be because of my computer. If it helps my OS is windows 10. If you need any more info just pm me.
Other than that I had fun playing this. I'm looking forward to seeing how the game continues to develop!


Fenris' ribbon quest is definitely my favorite part, it's so short and simple but it gets me every time. And Basil did end up worming his way in there more than I expected xD I'm glad you enjoyed it, I really wanted to try and make the world as immersive as possible! Thank you for the bug tips and I'll definitely be PMing you. I hope you enjoy chapter 2 just as much when it comes :D
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Re: Arena Circus [GxB][BxB][GxG][Fantasy] DEMO AVAILABLE (1.

#127 Post by minyan »

Got a little over 20,000 words of chapter 2 done! I planned for it to be around 30,000 words, but it might end up being a little longer just considering where I am in the outline now. We shall see~!

Once that's finished I'll give you all more art updates.
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Re: Arena Circus [GxB][BxB][GxG][Fantasy] DEMO AVAILABLE (1.

#128 Post by minyan »

I feel so pathetic with this tiny update but I thought I'd keep you guys posted- got a little over 2000 more words written, and am officially writing the free roam stuff now, so it shouldn't be too much longer before I can start arting again. This is just the rough draft, but I'm expecting the finished word count of chapter 2 to be around 30,000-35,000 words.
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Re: Arena Circus [GxB][BxB][GxG][Fantasy] DEMO AVAILABLE (1.

#129 Post by crystalscm »

minyan wrote: One of the writers has to drop the project due to RL issues, so I'll be writing Chapter 2, but it will be a little slower in coming.
Sorry to hear that. I'd love to join in the project, but the demo is already out and all. So, good luck (unless something else happens...). I haven't played the demo yet, but I think the only thing/feature stopping me is the timed choices; I always tend to mis-click when I am pressured on time, so I don't know if I'm going to play the demo for a while. God, I'm so sorry; I'm scared of something like this...

If you're still looking for background artists, I have a friend who is decent at artwork (the only down to it is that she can't color digitally; she can do line art). I don't know if she will accept, because she is pretty busy... but I don't know: this is something that would probably look interesting to her.

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Re: Arena Circus [GxB][BxB][GxG][Fantasy] DEMO AVAILABLE (1.

#130 Post by Zelan »

minyan wrote:I feel so pathetic with this tiny update but I thought I'd keep you guys posted- got a little over 2000 more words written, and am officially writing the free roam stuff now, so it shouldn't be too much longer before I can start arting again. This is just the rough draft, but I'm expecting the finished word count of chapter 2 to be around 30,000-35,000 words.
Free roam hype! ^_^
This is pretty exciting to hear (although I still have yet to romance either of the romance able characters...cx Forever alone, I guess).

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Re: Arena Circus [GxB][BxB][GxG][Fantasy] DEMO AVAILABLE (1.

#131 Post by minyan »

crystalscm wrote:
minyan wrote: One of the writers has to drop the project due to RL issues, so I'll be writing Chapter 2, but it will be a little slower in coming.
Sorry to hear that. I'd love to join in the project, but the demo is already out and all. So, good luck (unless something else happens...). I haven't played the demo yet, but I think the only thing/feature stopping me is the timed choices; I always tend to mis-click when I am pressured on time, so I don't know if I'm going to play the demo for a while. God, I'm so sorry; I'm scared of something like this...

If you're still looking for background artists, I have a friend who is decent at artwork (the only down to it is that she can't color digitally; she can do line art). I don't know if she will accept, because she is pretty busy... but I don't know: this is something that would probably look interesting to her.

crystalscm
Oh man, sorry about that xD Well there is no 'game over', so that makes it a little better? Maybe? xD
I am always looking for background artists OTL
Zelan wrote:
minyan wrote:I feel so pathetic with this tiny update but I thought I'd keep you guys posted- got a little over 2000 more words written, and am officially writing the free roam stuff now, so it shouldn't be too much longer before I can start arting again. This is just the rough draft, but I'm expecting the finished word count of chapter 2 to be around 30,000-35,000 words.
Free roam hype! ^_^
This is pretty exciting to hear (although I still have yet to romance either of the romance able characters...cx Forever alone, I guess).
xD Maybe in chapter 2

WHICH!

Since the ilujam game I was working on is pretty much done, I'm coming back to this. I'm gonna get my but into gear. I'm tentatively planning for a September release date, this has been sitting on the back burner for too long and I want to get it out there! I've started programming sprites and such for the content of chapter two that is written, and I have lots of ideas for new free roam scenes, so hopefully it won't even take me that long :D
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Re: Arena Circus [GxB][BxB][GxG][Fantasy] DEMO AVAILABLE (1.

#132 Post by minyan »

Slowly trucking along!

Preview of one of the cg's for chapter 2:
Screen Shot 2016-07-03 at 8.18.36 PM.png
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Re: Arena Circus [GxB][BxB][GxG][Fantasy] DEMO AVAILABLE (1.

#133 Post by minyan »

Finished one of six CGs for chapter 2! So happy I'm finally making progress on this. Next up will be the new backgrounds as I keep programming what I have written!
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Re: Arena Circus [GxB][BxB][GxG][Fantasy] DEMO AVAILABLE (1.

#134 Post by minyan »

Oh ho ho, I bet you're all on pins and needles. Well here it is, the first background for AC chapter 2!
Screen Shot 2016-07-13 at 5.35.41 PM.png
Slow and steady :D I've been doing a little bit every day, so hopefully I'll reach my September goal!
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Re: Arena Circus [GxB][BxB][GxG][Fantasy] DEMO AVAILABLE (1.

#135 Post by Zelan »

I told you your backgrounds were fantastic! ^_^ That double staircase looks awesome.

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