Builders Mind (previously: Mind of Builders) - now in progre

[DaFool]

So this was the script I wrote for the Animax competition.

It's a complete playable game in Ren'Py, except it has no art nor music.

Also, due to getting ridiculously busier these past weeks, I don't think I will ever have the time to get to it.

See, the problem is that though it's a short game (6K-7K), it has cinematic pacing... it was written to be an anime, after all. And there is just no way I can provide the graphics for it.

So, the question is, should I follow the examples of Mr. E and DrakeNavarone and project-dump it, with the (vague) hope that it will get picked up? Thing is though, these guys are writers, and I don't think my story is really that good in hindsight, that was why I was relying on the art and music to carry the weight in quality.

Additional info is that it's a sort-of GxB, All-ages, relatively straightforward VN (I think around 5 menus).

[Otaku Dash]

IMO you don't have to feel pressured to finish it just like that... you can set it back a little then finish it when you feel you are capable. If you feel your story would have the same impact with other people's art and music on it, withought your supervision... then dump it... but otherwise you could try to put it on stand by mode. Story and programing are done right? So it's up to weather someone you think it's of confidence can do it or not....

Sorry if I didn't make much sense (my head is a mess right now ^^; )

[lordcloudx]

Cinematic pacing you say. Interesting.

[Nafai]

Well, if you dont think youll ever go back to it, then placing it out there and making it available to be adapted by others seems to be the best thing to do If you have time later on and no one else has snapped it up, you can always take it up again

[DaFool]

Another idea I'm contemplating is to do a couple of lazy but not altogether 'cheap' tactics:

*grabbing a couple of photos (what? heresy!) for BGs,
*make squared-off headshots (such as found in the Silent Maiden games, Loyal Kinsman, early tests of MagBou 2), these are easiest and fastest to draw,
*grab the soundtrack off Hardcastle and Cromwell since the music sort of fits the motif(H&C itself needs serious redoing in all aspects since I am no longer satisfied with what I have so far, so back to the backburner for you! I think this is what happens when a writer matures or something.)

...and presto! This can even take just a single weekend, perhaps. Too bad for the cinematic pacing though, with all its scenery introductions. Part of the axe-ing process from screenplay to VN.

[DaFool]

I figured out a way to do unique backgrounds in 5 minutes that do the job adequately.
I will be using some tracks from H&C. The bitrate will be 96, I think this will be a better soundtrack than NT, though it's just 3 long tunes.
Just need to draw a couple of headshots and a few CGs.

I just cannot not release it... so I'm going to release it.

[DaFool]

Sheesh, my weekend just disappeared...

But nevertheless, some progress on this project:

Sprites: 5/8 characters done. Yep, eight characters! A lot for a short project. But remember, this was written to be a self-contained 30-minute OVA.
Backgrounds: 50% estimated.
Event CGs: Dropped. I plan to replace the necessary scenes with object sprites.
Music and Script and Programming are of course done.

I am not releasing any details to the story or characters (except for hints I may have spilled while talking about this project many months ago), I am very tempted to release character designs but everyone will have to wait... I am really happy how they turned out and am very near professional quality now.

The backgrounds, of course, are cheap and crappy this time due to time constraints.

There are lots of images, so much that it will overtake NT in megabyte size (but hopefully still stay under 8mb) I could have replaced some images with composites and using ImageSwitch, but there were instances where no character was talking and I wanted an image put up, so I just stuck through with gazillions of show / hide statements.

At my current pace I should be able to finish this by next weekend, assuming nothing major takes up all my time. I am really in full production now so there's no way this project will be postponed by lack of motivation.

[monele]

*cheers* ... Can't do much more ^^