BL4NK x RE4DER [Otome | GxB] [Meta] [SHELVED]

[Harle]

Thought I'd throw in my own two-cents as well. I'm intrigued by fellow artists tackling solo-projects, so I'll be rooting for you in your endeavors!

► Do you find the guys attractive? How do the new sprites compare to the old ones?
I'd say yes, and it seems like you have a pretty good variety to appeal to different interests. I do like the new sprites. As others have said they are crisper/cleaner and I'd say a lot more mature - you can tell you've improved your style in the past year or so. And as you said, this new style will definitely help speed up your work flow! Have you applied a similar style to your BGs?

► Which guy do you find the most attractive...?
Nial (something about black/blue... and asymmetrical hair *pets*)

► Which guy do you find the most interesting...?
Nial in the fact that it seems the waiters won't be able to see him. Curious things keep me playing. And Kole's alternate description... gives me that mental image of him doing that shadowy *pushes glasses up* thing.

► How would you feel if you were rejected/friendzoned/etc. by otome guys?
Disbelief. Followed by a "Wait... WHAT?!" And then the "oh no you didn't!" *tries even harder.*

► Do you think it’s important for an otome game to define its endings (good/bad, friendship/love)?
No. Sometimes it just makes me mad. I don't always agree with what they call good and bad.

► Do you think happy/fulfilling endings are important in otome games?
Hmmm... if by "fulfilling" you mean all your loose ends are tied, make sense, and the very end result isn't a cliff-hanger... why, yes! If, however, you mean "fulfilling" as in it ends when we smash faces with our chosen beau and skip happily into the sunset... nope! Not at all.

I did want to add that I like the idea of one save and no rollback. Like an otome version of Dark Souls... but hopefully tamer. And not as brutal.

~Harle

[Zelan]

Like an otome version of Dark Souls... but hopefully tamer. And not as brutal.

I like this description. *nods*

[Alcor]

Hey there! Thanks for taking the time to comment

Do you find the guys attractive? How do the new sprites compare to the old ones?
I'd say yes, and it seems like you have a pretty good variety to appeal to different interests. I do like the new sprites. As others have said they are crisper/cleaner and I'd say a lot more mature - you can tell you've improved your style in the past year or so. And as you said, this new style will definitely help speed up your work flow! Have you applied a similar style to your BGs?

Thank you! I haven't started on BGs yet, but they'll probably also be in this style. I imagine that they'll take a long time to lineart, ahaha... BGs are probably my least favorite part of soloing a VN, and they always take the longest to finish. >_<

Do you think happy/fulfilling endings are important in otome games?
Hmmm... if by "fulfilling" you mean all your loose ends are tied, make sense, and the very end result isn't a cliff-hanger... why, yes! If, however, you mean "fulfilling" as in it ends when we smash faces with our chosen beau and skip happily into the sunset... nope! Not at all.

I did want to add that I like the idea of one save and no rollback. Like an otome version of Dark Souls... but hopefully tamer. And not as brutal.

Thanks for your input on that! I'm somewhat worried that some otome players will feel disappointed (or even baited?) if their love interest in-game doesn't, well, have a happy ending with them. But hey, at least they don't all die!

I haven't played Dark Souls, but now I'm curious. Maybe I'll look into it

[Harle]

BGs are probably my least favorite part of soloing a VN, and they always take the longest to finish.

Agreed. I especially dread architecture and interiors.

I'm somewhat worried that some otome players will feel disappointed (or even baited?) if their love interest in-game doesn't, well, have a happy ending with them.

As someone who also loves otome~ I think that, so as long as you don't purposely mislead or omit those aspects, it should be fine. You've made it pretty clear that it's a core element to your game. If someone feels wronged with the end result because they really wanted that super happy ending, I'd say: good job you made a lovable character.

[pelmeniki]

I have to admit, I'm very drawn in by the concept! Can't wait to see more~

> Do you find the guys attractive? How do the new sprites compare to the old ones?
OH YES, very. I think the newer sprites are definitely more refined -- both the art and the designs have matured a lot.

> Which guy do you find the most attractive (judging by the sprites)?
Bryn~ I just have a thing for tall guys with long hair.

> Which guy do you find the most interesting (judging by the descriptions)?
Definitely the Narrator. He seems like the most mysterious figure of them all, really. Plus I'd really like to know why Bryn dislikes him.

> How would you feel if you were rejected/friendzoned/etc. by otome guys?
Really... uncomfortable. Even betrayed, perhaps. When I play otome games, it's to have cute guys swoon over me, not get friendzoned >:0

> Do you think it’s important for an otome game to define its endings (good/bad, friendship/love)?
Not at all. It's fine when they are, since it's sort of a stylistic choice common in otome games, but it's by no means necessary. Personally, I prefer writing that's truer to life, in the "if a person was put in this situation inrl, this is what they'd do" sense. And real life doesn't have labelled endings.

> Do you think happy/fulfilling endings are important in otome games?
Not happy endings, no. And it really depends on what you mean by "fulfilling". If you mean "the guy gets together with MC and everyone feels good", then no, not at all. But endings that do leave you with a sense of completion are necessary. Like, it's the worst thing ever if you spend energy and time playing a game just to be left with a dissatisfying cliffhanger that never gets resolved oTL......

[Alcor]

Hey pelmeniki! Thanks so much for the response!

I'm really happy to hear that you think the art has matured a lot (this project has come a looooong way from where it began!). And woot, another point for Bryn! (I personally think his sprite turned out the best :'D)

> How would you feel if you were rejected/friendzoned/etc. by otome guys?
Really... uncomfortable. Even betrayed, perhaps. When I play otome games, it's to have cute guys swoon over me, not get friendzoned >:0

Hmmm, I'll keep that in mind (and try not to overdo the friendzoning ahahaha)

> Do you think happy/fulfilling endings are important in otome games?
Not happy endings, no. And it really depends on what you mean by "fulfilling". If you mean "the guy gets together with MC and everyone feels good", then no, not at all. But endings that do leave you with a sense of completion are necessary. Like, it's the worst thing ever if you spend energy and time playing a game just to be left with a dissatisfying cliffhanger that never gets resolved oTL......

I completely agree with that, and I'll try hard to resolve everything by the (final) end!

[Alcor]

Happy Valentine’s Day from the cast of BL4NK x RE4DER! We’re jumping on the crappy Valentines train and presenting these eyesores just for you! (I hope your eyes aren't bleeding...)

In other news: A new logo has been added to the page, and GUI previews are coming soon(ish)! However, BL4NK x RE4DER will be on hold until after NaNoRenO. For a sneak preview at one of the NaNo projects I'm working on this year, please see http://studio-dipper.tumblr.com/post/15 ... ipper-meet!

As ever, thank you for your support!

[Agashi]

I'm late to the party, but man do I love this. The humor, the meta premise, all of it!... This sounds like it's going to be a blast to play when it's finished.

Do you find the guys attractive? How do the new sprites compare to the old ones?
There's a lot to be said for the clean, simple style. It definitely fits with the tone of the game that you're going for and I think they all look pretty attractive.

Which guy do you find the most attractive (judging by the sprites)?
I REALLY like the big dumb clover on the narrator's hat. ♥ It's adorable. I think he's the one I'd be the most attracted to at first, but Bryn sounds the most like my type of guy over-all. I have a hard time judging appearances separately from personality, sorry...

Which guy do you find the most interesting (judging by the descriptions)?
Kole. I'm so intrigued by his struggle. Mainly because it makes so. much. sense. Like, if I was to take a survey and ask 100 guys which character they would most want to see themselves cast as in an otome game, I'm almost positive that the friendly, considerate, boy-next-door type would tally up dead last. Aside from him, I'm interested in seeing how much of a sadistic streak the narrator has (it might be none. He just strikes me as a sadist...) and I feel the most sympathy for Luke. That's my worst nightmare; being forced to pander to the unrealistic expectations of others (guess I shouldn't have become a game dev)...

How would you feel if you were rejected/friendzoned/etc. by otome guys?
Psh... I'm too fabulous to be rejected. And I don't really mind being friendzoned. I like a good friendship route almost as much as a good romance.

Do you think it’s important for an otome game to define its endings (good/bad, friendship/love)?
Not at all. Defined endings can be good, but so can more nebulous ones. The only thing that's important is figuring out which kind of endings suit YOUR game the best, imo.

Do you think happy/fulfilling endings are important in otome games?
I think that it IS important to have a fulfilling ending, but fulfilling and "happy" aren't always the same thing. I think the important thing is to give the player a chance to "win", because at the end of the day, otome games are still games.

[Alcor]

msg

Thank you so much for your kind comment!

I REALLY like the big dumb clover on the narrator's hat. ♥ It's adorable. I think he's the one I'd be the most attracted to at first, but Bryn sounds the most like my type of guy over-all. I have a hard time judging appearances separately from personality, sorry…

I’m REALLY glad to hear that you like the clover, haha. The entire game kind of revolves around the number 4 (BL4NK x RE4DER, 4 love interests, 4-letter names for everyone, and more to be revealed later), so I thought giving the narrator a shamrock motif would emphasize that even more

And I totally understand! I have a hard time judging appearance and personality separately for otome love interests as well.

Kole. I'm so intrigued by his struggle. Mainly because it makes so. much. sense. Like, if I was to take a survey and ask 100 guys which character they would most want to see themselves cast as in an otome game, I'm almost positive that the friendly, considerate, boy-next-door type would tally up dead last. Aside from him, I'm interested in seeing how much of a sadistic streak the narrator has (it might be none. He just strikes me as a sadist...) and I feel the most sympathy for Luke. That's my worst nightmare; being forced to pander to the unrealistic expectations of others (guess I shouldn't have become a game dev)…

It’s nice to hear that someone understand Kole’s struggles! The narrator sure doesn’t, and he doesn’t seem to care much for Kole overall. And wow, yes, the narrator definitely has a sadistic streak! It’s awesome that you’ve caught onto that (I’m don’t think it was hinted at much or at all)!

Psh... I'm too fabulous to be rejected.

mwahahaha we’ll see

I think that it IS important to have a fulfilling ending, but fulfilling and "happy" aren't always the same thing. I think the important thing is to give the player a chance to "win", because at the end of the day, otome games are still games.

I definitely do agree with that! I wouldn’t want to let the players down, haha. As much as I enjoy messing with the players… well, the narrator should have that covered, anyway!

[Alcor]

Here are some mockups of the game’s user interface. The screens have not yet been programmed in, so they may look slightly different in-game. The background shown in the previews is temporary and will be replaced by a new background illustration.

BL4NK x RE4DER will be temporarily on hold during March as the studio works on a(t)rium, but I hope to complete the demo in late April or early May.

For larger images, please see http://studio-dipper.tumblr.com/post/15 ... version-of!