Using Ren'Py for a text adventure/IF

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Kokoro Hane
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Using Ren'Py for a text adventure/IF

#1 Post by Kokoro Hane »

So I was wondering if anyone has used Ren'Py to make a purely text based game? I am experimenting with it since it is so easy, it's like writing a regular VN just without visuals. I got interested in making one (despite not having the privilege of playing one--I want to) when I watched a video about the origins of visual novels, and how early inspiration was probably drawn from text adventures, such as Deadline. I had no idea that early video games were nothing more than text and a parser. Now I have no idea how to implement any form of parser--right now I am making it where you have a choice based menu system like a visual novel does, I just write the whole thing out in NVL mode against a black screen. I have tried using the reply code, that uses renpy.input to type your choices rather than select, but the only problem with that is it'd appear in the ADV window, or I can centered it in NVL window. I have yet to figure out how to have an input appear with NVL text above it, in time maybe. Choice based works just fine anyway.

But yeah, anyway, anyone else interested in using Ren'Py for these types of story based gaming? ^^
I just got so many ideas that can be done with such simplicity!
PROJECTS:
Operation: Magic Hero [WiP]
Piece By Piece [COMPLETE][Spooktober VN '20]
RE/COUNT RE:VERSE [COMPLETE][RPG]
Since When Did I Have a Combat Butler?! [COMPLETE][NaNoRenO2020+]
Crystal Captor: Memory Chronicle Finale [COMPLETE][RPG][#1 in So Bad It's Good jam '17]

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Imperf3kt
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Re: Using Ren'Py for a text adventure/IF

#2 Post by Imperf3kt »

There's this.
viewtopic.php?t=40435#p428984

It makes use of the legacy GUI and doesn't work well on newer versions of renpy (trying to write more than one word is impossible) but maybe you could use it as a base to build a new project from?
Warning: May contain trace amounts of gratuitous plot.
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Kokoro Hane
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Re: Using Ren'Py for a text adventure/IF

#3 Post by Kokoro Hane »

Imperf3kt wrote: Thu Mar 28, 2019 2:47 pm There's this.
viewtopic.php?t=40435#p428984

It makes use of the legacy GUI and doesn't work well on newer versions of renpy (trying to write more than one word is impossible) but maybe you could use it as a base to build a new project from?
Thank you for linking me to that code!!! It will be very useful in my future endeavors ^^
I am cool with it being for legacy projects. Actually, when I need to implement older forms of code, I usually just go back to older versions of Ren'Py that I have on hand. My favorite is Ren'Py 6.18.3 when I make older games since it is pretty stable and if I wanted to play videos, it runs well, etc. 6.15 was alright but it had a few weird issues. And if I need to go back any older, I still have the first version I ever used, version 6.12!
PROJECTS:
Operation: Magic Hero [WiP]
Piece By Piece [COMPLETE][Spooktober VN '20]
RE/COUNT RE:VERSE [COMPLETE][RPG]
Since When Did I Have a Combat Butler?! [COMPLETE][NaNoRenO2020+]
Crystal Captor: Memory Chronicle Finale [COMPLETE][RPG][#1 in So Bad It's Good jam '17]

But dear God, You're the only North Star I would follow this far
Owl City "Galaxies"

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Kokoro Hane
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Projects: Fateful Encounter, Operation: Magic Hero
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Re: Using Ren'Py for a text adventure/IF

#4 Post by Kokoro Hane »

Imperf3kt wrote: Thu Mar 28, 2019 2:47 pm There's this.
viewtopic.php?t=40435#p428984

It makes use of the legacy GUI and doesn't work well on newer versions of renpy (trying to write more than one word is impossible) but maybe you could use it as a base to build a new project from?
Thank you for linking me to that code!!! It will be very useful in my future endeavors ^^
I am cool with it being for legacy projects. Actually, when I need to implement older forms of code, I usually just go back to older versions of Ren'Py that I have on hand. My favorite is Ren'Py 6.18.3 when I make older games since it is pretty stable and if I wanted to play videos, it runs well, etc. and this version is still new enough to run well on newer computers. 6.15 was alright but it had a few weird issues. And if I need to go back any older, I still have the first version I ever used, version 6.12!
PROJECTS:
Operation: Magic Hero [WiP]
Piece By Piece [COMPLETE][Spooktober VN '20]
RE/COUNT RE:VERSE [COMPLETE][RPG]
Since When Did I Have a Combat Butler?! [COMPLETE][NaNoRenO2020+]
Crystal Captor: Memory Chronicle Finale [COMPLETE][RPG][#1 in So Bad It's Good jam '17]

But dear God, You're the only North Star I would follow this far
Owl City "Galaxies"

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Imperf3kt
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Re: Using Ren'Py for a text adventure/IF

#5 Post by Imperf3kt »

You may find this of interest / use as well.
viewtopic.php?t=35856#p394396
It's essentially an artificial intelligence for renpy.

In my experiments, I found its responses rather crude (as if picked with a random generator) and it doesn't hold a conversation (it kept asking me if I liked Movies, despite me telling it no several times) but otherwise was pretty impressive.
Warning: May contain trace amounts of gratuitous plot.
pro·gram·mer (noun) An organism capable of converting caffeine into code.

Current project: GGD Mentor

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Kokoro Hane
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Re: Using Ren'Py for a text adventure/IF

#6 Post by Kokoro Hane »

Imperf3kt wrote: Thu Mar 28, 2019 4:26 pm You may find this of interest / use as well.
viewtopic.php?t=35856#p394396
It's essentially an artificial intelligence for renpy.

In my experiments, I found its responses rather crude (as if picked with a random generator) and it doesn't hold a conversation (it kept asking me if I liked Movies, despite me telling it no several times) but otherwise was pretty impressive.
Oooh neat! An A.I. code. I should play with that sometime. I had thought of doing a mockup with the reply code and the random generator, lol, but maybe this code may be easier we shall see~
PROJECTS:
Operation: Magic Hero [WiP]
Piece By Piece [COMPLETE][Spooktober VN '20]
RE/COUNT RE:VERSE [COMPLETE][RPG]
Since When Did I Have a Combat Butler?! [COMPLETE][NaNoRenO2020+]
Crystal Captor: Memory Chronicle Finale [COMPLETE][RPG][#1 in So Bad It's Good jam '17]

But dear God, You're the only North Star I would follow this far
Owl City "Galaxies"

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Imperf3kt
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Re: Using Ren'Py for a text adventure/IF

#7 Post by Imperf3kt »

This may have been posted in response to seeing this thread, but here's another option.
viewtopic.php?f=51&t=54520
Warning: May contain trace amounts of gratuitous plot.
pro·gram·mer (noun) An organism capable of converting caffeine into code.

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Re: Using Ren'Py for a text adventure/IF

#8 Post by papillon »

If you want a true text adventure (walk around, interact with objects) there are a lot of free cross-platform tools designed just for that - you'd be better off working with them as many, many years of effort has already gone into making things work sensibly with complicated nouns and verbs. (Look up Inform and TADS for starters. I used to use TADS way back when iirc)

If you are interested in text-only games made with RenPy though, one that you might find interesting is this:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/9901 ... st_of_You/

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Kokoro Hane
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Joined: Thu Oct 27, 2011 6:51 pm
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Projects: Fateful Encounter, Operation: Magic Hero
Organization: Tofu Sheets Visual
Deviantart: kokoro-hane
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Re: Using Ren'Py for a text adventure/IF

#9 Post by Kokoro Hane »

papillon wrote: Fri Mar 29, 2019 3:56 pm If you want a true text adventure (walk around, interact with objects) there are a lot of free cross-platform tools designed just for that - you'd be better off working with them as many, many years of effort has already gone into making things work sensibly with complicated nouns and verbs. (Look up Inform and TADS for starters. I used to use TADS way back when iirc)

If you are interested in text-only games made with RenPy though, one that you might find interesting is this:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/9901 ... st_of_You/
Thanks for the suggestion~ ^^
PROJECTS:
Operation: Magic Hero [WiP]
Piece By Piece [COMPLETE][Spooktober VN '20]
RE/COUNT RE:VERSE [COMPLETE][RPG]
Since When Did I Have a Combat Butler?! [COMPLETE][NaNoRenO2020+]
Crystal Captor: Memory Chronicle Finale [COMPLETE][RPG][#1 in So Bad It's Good jam '17]

But dear God, You're the only North Star I would follow this far
Owl City "Galaxies"

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