MISSING STARS is a visual novel focusing on a group of students in the fictional “St. Dymphna Privatsonderkolleg,” a school in Vienna for students with needs. The main character is Erik Wilhelm, an 18 year old student who transfers to St. Dymphna’s after an accident. There, he meets the novel’s female protagonists: Annaliese, Isolda, Jeanne, Lena, Katja and twin sisters Natasha and Natalya. Though Erik faces his own challenges, he also attempts to help the friends he meets at St. Dymphna’s cope with their own unique life situations. Depending on the choices he makes, some friendships may grow into romance.
The topic of psychological illness isn’t usually discussed in modern media, and even when it is, it often isn’t handled very well.
MISSING STARS deals with many psychological disorders and what those disorders mean for the people who suffer from them, in terms of personal difficulties, social stigma, as well as struggle to find a place in the world.
We want to be as honest in this portrayal as possible, which means not shying away from taboo. In particular, MISSING STARS challenges the too-often held belief that people with mental disorders are incapable or undeserving of romantic relationships. Our goal is to dismantle prejudice and misconception in favor of respect and understanding.
While Somnova has many dedicated and passionate members, we are still looking for talented artists to reinforce our art department. As an artist you would be assigned to a certain character and help in the completion of their assets (BG's, Sprites, CG's), though at times you may asked to work with another character. You may be asked to help with background art, CGs, or with a stage in the creation of sprites (such as sketches, line work or coloring). The division of tasks helps us ensure a unified art style across the entire visual novel, but also place our artists in areas that highlight their strengths and make the best use of their talent. You'll also be encouraged, though not required, to participate in general story development and have a say in the game's overall direction. Please note that this project does include explicit sexual content, though its creation isn't necessarily expected of each artist.
There isn't a strict deadline or estimation for when the project will be completed. Of course, we understand that this game is most likely not going to be your only, or even top priority. However, we do expect that a member be productive and motivated, as well as good at maintaining communication.
Most discussion and team activity takes place on the IRC channel. We have five formal meetings each week, and while you aren’t expected to be present for all of them, the more you can attend, the better. Nothing helps keep the team strong more than communication. Even if there isn’t a meeting going on, you’re invited to stop by and chat.
PLEASE UNDERSTAND THAT WE CANNOT OFFER ANY FORM OF PAYMENT.
No one on the team will be making money off MISSING STARS. All we receive for our efforts is the satisfaction of working with other talented people, improving our craft, and creating
something we can be proud of.
We’d love to have you on board with us, but we also understand if your schedule or situation means you can’t afford to work on a volunteer basis. If that is the case, we wish you good luck in all your future endeavors.
As with any project, we strive to maintain a somewhat consistent style across our work.
Right now, we're fortunate to already have a small but dedicated art team. Only a few of them have public galleries, however. That list includes, but is not limited to: Morthiasik and Angry Evil and Clivenart on sprites, Myuto (NSFW) on CG's, and the legendary Mike Inel providing the opening animations.
Therefore, it's important that any new artists be able to replicate the necessary style at least somewhat decently (final consistency edits will be handled by a member of the current team). This primarily applies to anyone interested in applying to work on sprites - there's a bit more freedom with CG's and BG's. Below is the rough lineart of one of our character sprites, representing what a final product will roughly look like. Interested applicants must be able to pull this off.
If this seems like a project that you'd like to be a part of, you can post in this thread, PM me, or feel free to add me on Skype (same username there as on here) if you'd like to discuss expectations more in-depth. When applying, please be prepared to complete a brief assignment which will consist of drawing to some certain specifications.
Need more information on the project itself? Check out our website to visit our forums, dev blog, IRC channel, or extensive art gallery, full of concept and guest art.
Thank you for taking the time to check us out, and we look forward to hearing from you soon.
