How much do you look for assets?

[Sayuui]

Hi guys!
So I had a great idea and I want to know from you all: How much do you look for sprites that have already been made for your game? I know most people like to make something original for their game, but some people don't mind using art that's not original.

I've been thinking of opening a patreon with different options for the same sprite. Like, for example, a cheaper package for a few expressions+outfits+pose changes and rise the prices as the options come. I might include some things like pixel sprites for RPG maker developers as well.

By the way, of course I intend to make these cheaper than my sprite standards, since it's not going to be unique material ^^'
As long as you buy it, you have the right to use it in what project you want, commercial or not.

so I intend to start with a set of high school characters, and then start looking for something more unique and less cliche.

Looking forward to your feedback!

[KittyWills]

I think you have a market for sure. Though instead of Patreon, maybe sell pre-made packs on ich.io instead. I see RPG packs sold over there from time to time. Chances are someone will want a pack but not be willing to stay on a patreon long term. That way you don't have to worry about people subscribing for a pack then ditching right away. But thems just my thoughts.

[Sleepy]

I think it couldn't hurt to have both options. With a system like that, you could have a patreon to support ongoing sprites (possibly with priority, access to exclusives, and an option to suggest or vote specific themes for new sprites) and an ich.io which gets the premade packs. That way, you give people an incentive to stay on Patreon while also giving access to people who might just be looking for a one-time pack.

[rito]

I, too, think you might have a market there. What about offering each part (i.e. hair, skin, each color in the outfit) as different layers that can be recolored? Would do wonders for customization and not add any work unless you normally paint in a single layer.

That said, since you also asked for our opinions, I must say sprites are the one thing I'd never use non-unique assets. Not that you should take it into consideration if there are folks who would, just my two cents.

[Katta]

Sprites are a cheapest part, so it's possible (I first wrote easy, but it may be not very easy depending on your wishes) to find an artist within a budget. I've seen people having a different opinion, but for me character images stand out the most when I play a game, so it's pretty fine to use stock bgs (most people won't recognize them anyway), but sprites are different.

[Zelan]

I believe that Deji's Patreon actually does something similar? But it doesn't seem to be too widespread, so you would likely have a market there.

Whether or not I would use premade sprites would depend on two things: the scope of my project and the setting. As for setting: Like you said, high school settings are common, so I likely wouldn't have a problem finding those. On the other hand, if I was looking for a bunch of really specific half-human half-beast sprites for a fantasy VN, I'd have trouble with that. And concerning scope, the projects that I delegate as "bigger" or "more important" would likely see me contributing more of my own resources (i.e. money to commission sprites with) as oppose to settling for cheaper premade sprites or even just creative commons sprites.

[Aviala]

How about unity asset store?
https://unity3d.com/asset-store/sell-assets

The link basically has all the info you need, but it sounds like what you're doing is exactly what the asset store is meant for. There are probably other asset stores out there too, but Unity's seems to be the most prominent one.

[Sayuui]

You guys are awesome! Thank you very much for the suggestions ! <333

[Tyrantauranox]

I think "extras" would be nice to have. So many VNs feature weirdly unpopulated environments. An extras pack could have stuff like shopkeepers, two neighbors chatting, kids playing, businessperson on the phone, person walking a dog, person fixing a bicycle, and other selections to make a scene feel more "alive." Fantasy and sci-fi versions would be great, too.

[Sayuui]

I think "extras" would be nice to have. So many VNs feature weirdly unpopulated environments. An extras pack could have stuff like shopkeepers, two neighbors chatting, kids playing, businessperson on the phone, person walking a dog, person fixing a bicycle, and other selections to make a scene feel more "alive." Fantasy and sci-fi versions would be great, too.

That is a great idea! It could work as an additional to backgrounds!

[Sleepy]

I think "extras" would be nice to have. So many VNs feature weirdly unpopulated environments. An extras pack could have stuff like shopkeepers, two neighbors chatting, kids playing, businessperson on the phone, person walking a dog, person fixing a bicycle, and other selections to make a scene feel more "alive." Fantasy and sci-fi versions would be great, too.

That is a great idea! It could work as an additional to backgrounds!

Adding onto backgrounds/extras, I know one thing that I'd look for would be extras for props or background details. I usually have backgrounds, but I might be missing some stock background props to fill out the scene (which can vary between something like street lamps to crates and so on). You can find stuff like that on opengameart or the unity store, but it'd good to have stuff like that for VNs too.