You can download the demo here: https://visualgothic.itch.io/carmilla-demo
Length of the demo is around 45 minutes.
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- A kinetic visual novel interpretation of the mother of all lesbian vampire stories.
- length: min 5 hours
- free
- state of affairs: done, apart from a few stubborn Ren'Py issues
After a few months of working on PP, having finished its code, another monster had been born and I had grown surprisingly fond of it and couldn't bear to see it devalued by crappy PP-level artwork (I'm no artist, by the way, nor do I aspire to be one). I decided to promote it from practice— to my real first game, with "real" art. But, before I could approach "real" artists, I needed a practice game, a really small one this time (small practice project, pp).
I chose Sheridan LeFanu's In A Glass Darkly - Carmilla as a source. A short story, few characters and settings, what could go wrong? (Oh, the follies of youth!)
More importantly, it would serve as a fine introduction to the themes PP and GG would be exploring.
"Surely a month will suffice to get pp online with improvised artwork", is what I thought, years ago. Needless to say, lil' pp quickly grew into juvenile delinquent pp and —out of hand.
Although I actually managed to create a perfectly functional kinetic visual novel within a month this time, I naïvely began tinkering with the art. (You're not face-palming, are you?) That set me on an endless loop of: -> improving an image -> getting better -> seeing how bad everything looks -> needing to improve image ->... To this day, I am a prisoner of this vicious cycle.
However, although I levelled up a few times since the last out-improving-about-session, the urge to change EVERYTHING! AGAIN! has not overwhelmed me this time. Yet. This may be my only chance, my one window of opportunity.
I present to you: pp,
Ada Brunswick edits and translates the doctor's manuscripts.
Under the name Visual Gothic they publish those cases that may interest —as well as benefit— a wider public while illuminating the interplay between the rational, the supernatural, and the superstitious.
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Nevertheless, life at the castle becomes increasingly overshadowed as Laura starts to experience disquieting nightly visions and strange physical symptoms...
The editors appended a collection of Notes that might serve to illustrate how this new paradigm came into being and perhaps assist in carving a path to the real heart of the story.
- few persistent RenPy issues need to be fixed
- a website (there goes another year)
- my main concern: an overwhelming mountain of tiny little details that never go away and stand between me and the publishing of this novel.
How does one let go of these projects? When is it okay enough for "pp"?
Finally, for your entertainment and my embarrassment, some before after images.