False End [fantasy][sci-fi][NaNo17]

NaNoRenO is an event where creators make a game from scratch during the month of March.
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HeartlessCharm
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False End [fantasy][sci-fi][NaNo17]

#1 Post by HeartlessCharm »

False End
(Working title)

When a world has reached the point where death is a thing of the past, how do you keep your population in check?
Enter the Harbinger family, masters of The End.

Synopsis

Algea is a world where death was cured. Science and magic have become one and the same and the Alchemists live in all but unbroken peace. However a population unable to reproduce grows stale and a population constantly growing will eventually be its own end. The answer to this problem was found not in death but The End.

Lee Harbinger and his twin, Em, are the latest generation to enter the family business. It’s their job to assess the choices made by those facing their End. They’re the ones who decide just what ending their clients deserve and see it carried out. Teamed up with healer, Tessa, and resource manager, Orion, they’ve not missed an End yet.

Two seemingly simple jobs have been offered to the team; a murderess and poisoner or a man simply chosen by the system.

Pick a case and get to work. Investigate their lives, their choices and their relationships and decide just what sort of End they’re to face. Be careful not to face your own End in the process.

Characters
(Art to come as it looks presentable)

Image
Lee Harbinger (Player character)
A tenth generation professional in The End. Not the sort to go looking for a challenge, Lee would rather just have an easy ride. Despite that, he’s diligent and efficient on the job. He’s kind and compassionate and tries to give people the benefit of the doubt. He has sympathy for those facing their End but there is no escaping it and Lee will do his duty no matter what.

Image
Em Harbinger
Lee’s older twin brother and companion in all aspects of life. There’s smart money on Em being the youngest person to ever receive the designation Rubedo - perfection. Proud as Lee is, he’s not sure perfection is really the best word for his brother. He’s sharp, intelligent and just a little bit sadistic. Not to mention fascinated by behaviour, the effect The End has on people and the limits of their End technology.

Image
Contessa Cure
Known as Tessa. From a family of healers, Tessa is a junior at the company. Her job is to see individual’s Ends are as quick and painless as necessary. The Harbingers and Cures have been family friends for generations, their roles often entwined, and Tessa is keen to carry on the family partnership, although always strictly by the book. Despite being the newest to the company, Tessa is usually the one keeping the twins in line.

Image
Orion Fisher
From a family who tended the waters and the creatures who lived in them. Orion is a rarity; after a terrible lab accident in his childhood, he’s terminally ill, and no one can figure out how to save him. He’s been a close friend of the Harbingers since a young age and works for the company as a way to comes to terms with his End. Despite Tessa and the twins insisting everyone has to face their End, they’d give anything and break any rule to save him if they could.

Image
Bella Amaryllis
A seemingly simple case for the company. Herbalist and gardener Bella has been convicted of poisoning dozens of her influential clients and the government has hired the company to investigate her and carry out her End appropriately. They have to tread carefully though; one wrong move with an individual like Bella and it could be their End instead.

Ian Minos
Chosen by the system to face his End. A man of wealth and power, not only is he one of the most respected judges, his family runs one of the most successful mines. The company has to investigate and evaluate his life and choices and see just what End he deserves. Ian is not all that cooperative. Despite encouraging the system for everyone else, he doesn’t seem that fond of it when the rules are applied to him.

About

Original sprites, BGs and CGs
Focus on the friendship and siblings
2 optional romances (possible 3rd if time allows)
2 distinct routes chosen from the start
Roughly 2 endings per route (more planned if time allows)
What I would call Dark Science-Fantasy but I've noticed Science-Fantasy isn't as widly recognised as a genre
Aiming not to go too dark despite the slightly heavy themes
More details as it takes shape and time allowances are figured out

This is a solo project. My first visual novel I’ve decided to share beyond just my friends and I thought Nano would be a good time to start sharing with a bigger audience. Hopefully I’ll keep on track.

Questions

What are your impressions premise/plot? Interesting? Done before? Any opinions/impressions in general?
What do you think of the characters? Any favourites so far? Are you interested in romancing? If so, who?
Any other questions/comments? (Ask about worldbuilding and I will gush at you.)

Good luck to everyone else participating too.
Last edited by HeartlessCharm on Mon Mar 13, 2017 8:01 pm, edited 2 times in total.

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Re: False End [fantasy][sci-fi][NaNo17]

#2 Post by Zelan »

What are your impressions premise/plot? Interesting? Done before? Any opinions/impressions in general?: It's very interesting! I don't think it's been done before, either. (I'm sure if I searched long enough I could find something similar, but the important thing is that nothing immediately comes to mind.)
What do you think of the characters? Any favourites so far? Are you interested in romancing? If so, who?: I like romance just fine as long as it isn't forced. Bella's intriguing considering she's a murderess, but who knows how well an actual romance would end up. (Probably with Lee dead.)
Any other questions/comments? (Ask about worldbuilding and I will gush at you.): Hit me up with that worldbuilding. I live for it.

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Re: False End [fantasy][sci-fi][NaNo17]

#3 Post by HeartlessCharm »

@zelan
Thank you so much for your lovely comments. I'm so glad nothing springs to mind instantly. I'm going to do my best to keep the romances natural, it's why most the focus is going to be on the friendships and siblings with romance optional. Bella will get a romance route if I get time, it's planned out but it's just going to be a matter of time. Although that's less romance and slightly more (as one of my idea bouncer put it) slightly murdery with lots of UST.

(Haha worldbuilding!) This is actually a world building exercise in itself. It's something of a prequel to the bigger piece I'm working on from the same universe and alot of the characters turn up older so its nice to see them young and mostly innocent (before pretty much their entire race is wiped out). One of my favourite things about this entire universe though it looking at ways magic and science would be used together since both are pretty advanced in this world. (Having to restrain myself from making suer huge posts about everything in the world)


Updates

So I've now got the rough outline complete along with all the extras that can be put in and taken out depending on time. What I want to definitely get done is the two cases with two ends each and then after that romance with Orion and Tessa and then Bella if time and then some extra endings.

Also got some character sketches looking half way decent. The sketches are full body but I'm still arguing with the details. Hopefully the antatomy issues (gosh Lee's arm is driving me insane) will be fixed in the next pass.

Image
Lee

Image
Em

Image
Bella

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Re: False End [fantasy][sci-fi][NaNo17]

#4 Post by Zelan »

Wow, pretty much everything you've just said has made me even more excited. Focus on siblings and friendship, a possible route for Bella, a world where magic and science collide, and a larger universe. Perfection.

I like Bella's sketch!

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Re: False End [fantasy][sci-fi][NaNo17]

#5 Post by HeartlessCharm »

Haha whoops go so distracted by the whole doing of thing I forgot to update here.

@zelan I'm glad everything sounds good. I'm a terrible sucker for creating large universes and complicated character relations and then having to figure out so many stories to show them off.


Updates

So, while I haven't been updating here I have been busy busy busy. Mostly on the writing and coding more than anything so not a lot to actually show off. However as far as scripting goes, barring edits we have:

Common Route: 99.99% Complete
Bella's Case Route: 20% (ish) Complete
Ian's Case Route: 10% (ish) Complete

All 4 endings that I really want to put in at the least have been written out and prepared and the framework for a secret unlockable route and romances are in place for if I get time to get them in.

Art updates I've got lots of background sketches by nothing worth showing there yet however I do have the character sketches finished ish.

Image
Tessa (you don't really see if from this context but I always describe Tessa as statuesque meets cute)

Image
Orion (and his dog-type-thing that there are more detailed sketches on but thats for another time, Sirius of course)

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Re: False End [fantasy][sci-fi][NaNo17]

#6 Post by HeartlessCharm »

Updates

So I've been slowly getting on doing little and often trying not to get bogged down and run out of steam. I've got the bare bones more fleshed out and more details worked out. Not done much on the art front yet. (I've got a completely free week next week so going to focus on the art then and hopefully get it to near completion or at least usable if I run out.)

The actual mechanics of the game are in place now. As I've mentioned, the romances are going to be optional (if I get time to put them in) and don't have any impact on the ends. Your end is actually determined by your relationshpi with Em and how much he trusts Lee. There is an actual playable story in place at the moment. I have conected the ends and start with the barest minium to be playable without romances or character development. So if I do run out there's that.

Rough guestimates of progress (aka I try to be organised with progress to keep me on track):

Basic scripting
Common route: 99.99%
Bella route: 99.99%
Ian route: 99.99%
Endings: 4/4 99.99%

Phase 1 Development
Bella route: 25%
Ian route: 10%
Orion Romance: 10%
Tessa Romance: 0%

I'm still soso about things like sounds and gui. I think gui wise, there's a perfect useable one already built in and it's probably my weakest area, so unless I get a fair bit of time I probably won't change it too much from what's already there. Sound is likely to be cc if I get to it.

That's all for now. Hopefully next well is the week is all sort of starts coming together and I can start showing how it's going to look.

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Re: False End [fantasy][sci-fi][NaNo17]

#7 Post by Zelan »

It's great to see you've made lots of progress! Good luck on that art next week. ^_^

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Re: False End [fantasy][sci-fi][NaNo17]

#8 Post by HeartlessCharm »

So, unfortunate update that really pains me.

Because I am a terribly unlucky person apparently, I have broken my drawing arm pretty seriously in a few places. Go me. So, while that is only a mild annoyance in the writing/coding section, it has really kind of ruined my plans for art. I'm going to be in plaster for a couple of months. That said, I have decided to use that time and expand the game into something fuller, get in the features I wasn't sure about because of the time limit and then hopefully once I have my arm back I can get the art done and have a great game.

It's disappointing but it's one of these things that just happens, seemingly always at the most annoying time. Hopefully the delay will lead to an even better in the future.

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Re: False End [fantasy][sci-fi][NaNo17]

#9 Post by Zelan »

Awww, I'm sorry, that sounds painful. :c I don't know much about broken bones but make sure you do what you need to do so that it can heal properly!

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