Ordinary Weapon [GxG] [Comedy, Sci-fi]

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Smudgeed
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Ordinary Weapon [GxG] [Comedy, Sci-fi]

#1 Post by Smudgeed »

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Genres: Romance, Comedy, Sci-Fi, Light-hearted fun
Rating: 16+ (crude humour, sexuality, blood...)
Quick Note: After Mysterious Friend and I made Winter Lover, we wanted to challenge ourselves again and make a new game in a short amount of time (though longer than 48 hours lmfao). We wanted to make a thread for it since we're releasing a demo VERY SOON

STORY:
You're just a regular boring person; you work at a bank, you're looking for a roommate to help cut costs, you eat burritos for lunch. When you get some odd responses to your roommate listing though, your life changes forever. Starting with the fact that you're actually a weapon of mass destruction.

MAIN CHARACTERS:
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FEATURES:
  • 4 romance options
  • 5+ endings
  • FREEEEEEEE
  • It's just a fun ol' game about having fun
  • retro theme, chiptune music and old school GBA game vibe
  • It'll be done soon, before summer ends...hopefully :')
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NOTE ABOUT THE GAME MECHANICS:
There is a part of the game were your character checks their email to see responses for their roommate posting. To make it easier on the writing and planning of the game, which ever email you respond to is the path/ending you set your character down! So if Eliza emails you, and you respond, you'll be on Eliza's path. There are no bad endings (unless you die but we're not counting that as an actual ending lmao), but your choices do have an effect. They create a variance in the story. But this also means you're free to choose whatever dialogue/choice options you want! We want people to have fun with the game and not worry about if they've chosen the "right" option or not. There are "bad" endings in the sense that you end up with no one but they exist for humorous effect and are actual fleshed out endings. -We will add more to this/make a proper post about the mechanics closer to release! If you have any questions, please feel free to ask us :)

THE TEAM:
  • Smudgeed: writer, creator, shitty coder, crying into abyss
  • Mysterious Friend: artist, editor, prays to the lettuce gods everyday that she might one day be able to pixel art properly
QUESTIONS:(answer as many or as little as you like!)
1. What are your thoughts so far? Would you like to know more about anything?

2. Is there anything you'd like to see in this game (as the creator of the game, I have a lot of fun tossing in other people's ideas in some way lol)?

3. When it comes to older GBA-era games, is there anything in particular you like about them that you think we might be able to bring to the game (or we will try to, at least)?

4. What do you think about endings/routes that unlock as you beat the game? Is this something you'd rather we opt out of?

5. This is a game that we'd like people to replay through a couple of times, are there any factors that you think make you more likely to replay through a game to test different options and explore other endings?

6. We know that our character information is a little lacking (read: practically non-existent) but is there any character that you like so far (or is there any character you want to hear more about)?

Once we release the demo, we'll have more questions for demo-players but please let us know any comments or concerns or questions you might have :) Have a great day!!
Last edited by Smudgeed on Mon May 08, 2017 7:06 pm, edited 5 times in total.

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Re: Ordinary Weapon [GxG] [Comedy, Sci-fi]

#2 Post by Mysterious Friend »

Heyo, I'm the artist and I WISH I COULD DO PIXEL ART SO BADLY OMFG we both spent WEEKS trying to draw good pixel art before we finally gave up and I made the spites non-pixely. One day I'll be able to pixel art ONE DAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Anyway, here are the spites currently! They're in their night-gear, except for Leah, who's in her regular-gear.
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Aaaaaand here's a scrapped CG (since we decided that to get the game done quicker we're not doing CGs) RIP
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If we have some extra time we're going to see if we can make custom GUI for the game, but the GUI is another area where we're going to save time by just re-colouring the basic renpy GUI

EDIT: I forgot to add this in before but the reason the main menu has those pink figures is because when you beat through all the endings for a character it unlocks so a fully completed main menu should look like this
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Re: Ordinary Weapon [GxG] [Comedy, Sci-fi]

#3 Post by Sonomi »

1. What are your thoughts so far? Would you like to know more about anything?

I'm interested in the light-hearted bits. Um, you said this is sci-fi? I'd love to hear more on this!

2. Is there anything you'd like to see in this game (as the creator of the game, I have a lot of fun tossing in other people's ideas in some way lol)?

Lots of character interactions. Try to avoid making the relationships move too fast, I want to see them get to know each other and work their way into romance. And please do expand scenes! If they're going to have breakfast together, tell me what they're eating, show them cooking, let them talk in between bites. Even if it's only a couple of sentences, I much prefer that over "We ate breakfast then..." I'm weird, I like seeing this stuff.

3. When it comes to older GBA-era games, is there anything in particular you like about them that you think we might be able to bring to the game (or we will try to, at least)?

Pixel art. That is primarily what I liked about GBA games. I was going to add gameplay, but me personally, I would prefer the option to skip hardcore minigames if I'm playing a visual novel because I mostly just want to read the story. lol Some people like them though.

4. What do you think about endings/routes that unlock as you beat the game? Is this something you'd rather we opt out of?

Mmm. Well, my answer is yes, I would opt out. However, I know for a fact that a lot of people here love to play through all the routes, unlock things, and such like that so I'm not going to tell you not to implement those features.

I'm usually the type who plays through once, to pursue the character I'm most interested in. If I got curious about another character's route or messed up and got a bad end, then I would go for another playthrough for sure.

5. This is a game that we'd like people to replay through a couple of times, are there any factors that you think make you more likely to replay through a game to test different options and explore other endings?

Whoops. I think I covered this already in my last answer. The thing that would make me replay a visual novel is having interest in more than one pursuable character. If I liked their personality, I'd try for their ending as well. It's mostly a personal thing!

6. We know that our character information is a little lacking (read: practically non-existent) but is there any character that you like so far?

Corine seems like a cool character. Very nice sprites, by the way. :)
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Re: Ordinary Weapon [GxG] [Comedy, Sci-fi]

#4 Post by Smudgeed »

@Sonomi
1. I was unsure if sci-fi was the right genre but since the MC IS a weapon of mass destruction the game features advanced technology. Like killer robots and a machine that harasses those postmen who just leave a slip at your door instead of ringing the doorbell to check if you were home because you cLEARLY WERE HOME, COME ON. It's sci-fi in a more comedic way, none of the technology will make any scientific sense. We want to make sure that this is a feel-good kind of game so I'm glad that you like the light-hearted bits :)

2. YES. I agree with you 100% on that. I hate when romances feel rushed and I will be trying my best to pace the romance out in a good way. The trick here is that the game isn't meant to be too long, so fleshing out romances in a short amount of time is a bit of a challenge (having the game lock into one route from the beginning makes it a lot easier but you know), I am enjoying it so far though! Also I'm a fan of those mundane scenes too lmfao

3. and the sound of the artist screaming in the background can be heard lol. We both tried really hard on the pixel art end, we have those heads, but that's it. Alas, our poor art skills will bit a damper on the pixel art end of things here. And that's an interesting point! There's no minigames since I can't even begin to think about how I'd code that. There is some kind of gameplay but it's not at the caliber to even be considered a minigame (when the demo releases, if you'd like to play it, you'll see what I mean).

4. Would you rather then that we have more endings unlock if you beat that specific character's end? For example, if you were to beat Corine's ending once, you'll unlock her next one (rather having to play through some other character's ending)? I can understand not wanting to go through the story of a character you're not interested in, and this is not something we want to force our players into. So it's kind of a middle ground there. We're discussing this, as we're both the type of people to try and unlock everything in a game so we'd like to get other perspectives on it (we'll have to see which way the demand leans)

5. Haha that's fine! I love to hear different opinions on this stuff and I am definitely making note of this. The dream is to make it as accessible to a variety of types of players as possible

6. I am not the artist but I will take the thank you for that lol

Thank you so much for stopping by to drop a comment and your opinions! It was very insightful to read :)

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Re: Ordinary Weapon [GxG] [Comedy, Sci-fi]

#5 Post by Sonomi »

Smudgeed wrote:@Sonomi
1. I was unsure if sci-fi was the right genre but since the MC IS a weapon of mass destruction the game features advanced technology. Like killer robots and a machine that harasses those postmen who just leave a slip at your door instead of ringing the doorbell to check if you were home because you cLEARLY WERE HOME, COME ON. It's sci-fi in a more comedic way, none of the technology will make any scientific sense. We want to make sure that this is a feel-good kind of game so I'm glad that you like the light-hearted bits :)

2. YES. I agree with you 100% on that. I hate when romances feel rushed and I will be trying my best to pace the romance out in a good way. The trick here is that the game isn't meant to be too long, so fleshing out romances in a short amount of time is a bit of a challenge (having the game lock into one route from the beginning makes it a lot easier but you know), I am enjoying it so far though! Also I'm a fan of those mundane scenes too lmfao

3. and the sound of the artist screaming in the background can be heard lol. We both tried really hard on the pixel art end, we have those heads, but that's it. Alas, our poor art skills will bit a damper on the pixel art end of things here. And that's an interesting point! There's no minigames since I can't even begin to think about how I'd code that. There is some kind of gameplay but it's not at the caliber to even be considered a minigame (when the demo releases, if you'd like to play it, you'll see what I mean).

4. Would you rather then that we have more endings unlock if you beat that specific character's end? For example, if you were to beat Corine's ending once, you'll unlock her next one (rather having to play through some other character's ending)? I can understand not wanting to go through the story of a character you're not interested in, and this is not something we want to force our players into. So it's kind of a middle ground there. We're discussing this, as we're both the type of people to try and unlock everything in a game so we'd like to get other perspectives on it (we'll have to see which way the demand leans)

5. Haha that's fine! I love to hear different opinions on this stuff and I am definitely making note of this. The dream is to make it as accessible to a variety of types of players as possible

6. I am not the artist but I will take the thank you for that lol

Thank you so much for stopping by to drop a comment and your opinions! It was very insightful to read :)
lol That sounds silly (in a good way). There are a bunch of serious stories out there so I feel like a comedy would be a nice change of pace. I don't mind if things make no sense.

About the pixel art, I actually read the artist's comments on that earlier and had a nice giggle. Really, I was only answering your question in a broad sense. Pixel art is totally not a necessity.

Would I rather unlock more endings for the same character? Absolutely! I don't think I've seen that feature in many visual novels and I like the notion of unlocking more content specific to the route I chose.

I'm glad my commentary was helpful! Just so you know, of course I would play the demo. :oops:
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Re: Ordinary Weapon [GxG] [Comedy, Sci-fi]

#6 Post by Nuxill »

Love the concept and the character designs! I'm a little sad that you guys opted out of putting in CGs, but I totally understand wanting to finish the project quickly. How long do you plan the game on being, rough estimate wise?

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Re: Ordinary Weapon [GxG] [Comedy, Sci-fi]

#7 Post by Zelan »

ANOTHER ONE YES I LOVE IT

1. What are your thoughts so far? Would you like to know more about anything?:
So our main character (is she renameable?) is a weapon of mass destruction? I'm guessing that's a spoiler but I'm very curious about what's up.

2. Is there anything you'd like to see in this game (as the creator of the game, I have a lot of fun tossing in other people's ideas in some way lol)?
jiyun and yoona cameo please?? <3 <3 <3

3. When it comes to older GBA-era games, is there anything in particular you like about them that you think we might be able to bring to the game (or we will try to, at least)?
uhhh... I think I'm too young for this whoops (that or I was REALLY living under a rock)

4. What do you think about endings/routes that unlock as you beat the game? Is this something you'd rather we opt out of?:
I wouldn't mind it as long as it makes some sort of sense (i.e. you learn something in one route that makes the unlocked one make more sense). I usually play every route anyway, though, so it's not a huge deal for me either way. (I do really like the title screen idea of the heads being colored in! That'll make it easier to get every ending.)

5. This is a game that we'd like people to replay through a couple of times, are there any factors that you think make you more likely to replay through a game to test different options and explore other endings?: Like I said, I usually completionist the fuck outta games anyway, but if the game is on the shorter side I'll be able to do it in less time. That tends to be a plus because hahaha what even is free time?

6. We know that our character information is a little lacking (read: practically non-existent) but is there any character that you like so far (or is there any character you want to hear more about)?
Leah is really cute and I love her. But then Eliza's tattoo is also really nice.

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Re: Ordinary Weapon [GxG] [Comedy, Sci-fi]

#8 Post by Smudgeed »

@Sonomi ooh, we'll keep that in mind then. We're liking the way that unlocking more content for the same character sounds. And I hope you'll enjoy the demo once it's out :')

@Nuxill Thank you! Well, we're trying to see if we can have some small pixel-y animations instead of CGs for certain scenes.

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the artist apparently can't let go her lack of skill in the pixel art department so she's trying really hard to add it in :')
Our goal is that we want each big ending (that is to say, one of the character endings) to take roughly an hour to get through. We don't want it to be too long of a game, but we certainly don't want it to be short. When the demo gets out, we'll have a better estimate to give out for this :)

@Zelan AYYYYYYY my homie :') Always great to see you
1. Yes, she is renameable! We couldn't decide on a name (or even a default name) so there's that. Yes. She's a weapon of mass destruction. Think of her as being like a nuclear bomb but in human form. I won't spoil exactly what she is, but hopefully I'm getting the point across lol

2. LMFAO I'll do that for you haha

3. haha don't worry about it! I meant Game Boy games, if you've ever played those. Or I guess older DS games have that kind of look too (Ace Attorney comes to mind) But don't worry about it lol, hopefully the old-school pixel aesthetic won't be a turn off to those who aren't fans of it/aren't too aware of it

4. We're going to keep that in mind! We're discussing what we want to do for unlockable endings for now. But there's a good story reason for it.

5. Lmfao I feel you on that

6. I am so glad you're a fan of the tattoo, I had to almost beg for it lol And Leah is well...she's an interesting character...and that's all I'll say about that

As always, thank you for stopping by to comment :) Always a delight to read what you have to say

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Re: Ordinary Weapon [GxG] [Comedy, Sci-fi]

#9 Post by Mysterious Friend »

artist coming in for the regular game update.
I've been drawing some pixels-ONE DAY PIXEL ART I WILL TAME YOU AND YOU WILL BE MINNNEEEEEEEE-but ahem, here's the main character's computer
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and Smud posted the sleeping animation in the above post.
here's a new character to introduce to you all!! and a screenshot of the game behind her
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and Corine's fully coloured sprite and her dog, Sully + a notice
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other than that, I just finished playing the first like five minutes of the game and I'm really liking how it's coming together! I think the writing gives off a nice relaxed feel and the music and sound effects are the best :) if only I could draw proper pixel art I think the game would really feel like a retro gba game

Hope you all are having wonderful days, thanks for readin'!!! this has been your regular update with mysterious friend B)

EDIT: We have the ITCH.IO page up for ordinary weapon now too.

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Re: Ordinary Weapon [GxG] [Comedy, Sci-fi]

#10 Post by Mysterious Friend »

mORE PIXELS. that probably won't be used but it's practice for me!
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In other news our demo outline is done, because apparently it wasn't fully outlined before XD And the MC spite is fully done so here's a preview of some expressions and states :)
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well, that's it for now, have a great day folks :)

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Re: Ordinary Weapon [GxG] [Comedy, Sci-fi]

#11 Post by Nuxill »

Ooh I love the expressions! What made you decide to go with the head tilt though?

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Re: Ordinary Weapon [GxG] [Comedy, Sci-fi]

#12 Post by Mysterious Friend »

Nuxill wrote:Ooh I love the expressions! What made you decide to go with the head tilt though?
Thank you!! Oh the head tilt is an interesting, thought not really, story. Initially it was just my concept sketch to test colours that had it because it made the hair more visible—she also had shoulders so it was less disembodied head—but to save time we figured I could just clean up the concept sketch and use it. Days of looking at the head tilt had made my own neck hurt but hopefully it won't be too hard on players. We take no credit for future neck pains. So in truth I guess the head is tilted because it makes the hair look better/easier to see.

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Re: Ordinary Weapon [GxG] [Comedy, Sci-fi]

#13 Post by Mysterious Friend »

apologies for all the updates, this will be the last update for a while unless I have something super cool to show but I've completely finished Corine's sprite!! I can't show EVERYTHING because it would spoil some stuff but I can show you want "future corine" AKA literally Corine from the future looks like. And I know I already showed off Corine's dog but there he is again. what a good boy. As a side note, I enjoy how we keep saying this is a light hearted game and then show the characters in beat up states XD
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Here are the androids, which to save time kind of all look the same but they were fun to design
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and lastly, though I'm still working on this sprite...I need opinions...important opinions
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and hope you're all having wonderful days, of course ;)

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Re: Ordinary Weapon [GxG] [Comedy, Sci-fi]

#14 Post by Sonomi »

Zelan wrote:3. When it comes to older GBA-era games, is there anything in particular you like about them that you think we might be able to bring to the game (or we will try to, at least)?
uhhh... I think I'm too young for this whoops (that or I was REALLY living under a rock)
Whoa, seriously? :lol:
Smudgeed wrote:Well, we're trying to see if we can have some small pixel-y animations instead of CGs for certain scenes.

Image
the artist apparently can't let go her lack of skill in the pixel art department so she's trying really hard to add it in :')
This is REALLY cute. If you want to include these in place of CGs, by all means!
Mysterious Friend wrote:I've completely finished Corine's sprite!!

-snip-

and lastly, though I'm still working on this sprite...I need opinions...important opinions
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Oh, I love the finished artwork you've posted so far. And my opinion: with the beard. It's so rare to see guys who have facial hair in visual novels; I guess everyone is clean shaven, I don't know! Both of them look great.
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Re: Ordinary Weapon [GxG] [Comedy, Sci-fi]

#15 Post by Nuxill »

Mysterious Friend wrote: Days of looking at the head tilt had made my own neck hurt but hopefully it won't be too hard on players. We take no credit for future neck pains. So in truth I guess the head is tilted because it makes the hair look better/easier to see.
:lol: The hair does look very nice, so I guess any potential neck pains will be worth it lmao.

Also I like the sprite with a beard. Like Sonomi said, you don't see a lot of characters with beards in visual novels. The 5-o'clock shadow beard is even rarer.

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