Ren'Py or Adventure Game Studio for Point-and-Click/VN Hybrid?
Posted: Thu Mar 21, 2024 7:28 pm
Hello folks,
I'm an Adventure Game Studio user trying to determine whether AGS or Ren'Py would be the better choice for me to make a point-and-click/visual novel hybrid type game (akin to something like a Phoenix Wright in terms of mechanics, with VN-style dialogue views but P&C-style world interactions).
I know that Ren'Py has a leg up over AGS for a few of the aspects that I want (native HD resolution, the dialogue format, etc.), but there are a few elements perhaps more commonplace in AGS that I'm curious about how would be done in Ren'Py. So if you'd be so kind as to: A) tell me how difficult (or not) these things are to implement in Ren'Py, and B) direct me where to look or what terms to search for in the documentation to see how I'd go about doing so, I'd very much appreciate it!
Here's what I'm wondering about:
1. Branching dialogue trees, with the ability to remove options once read, return to previous topics, and have in-game variables dependent upon choices made.
2. Objects in the background/room that can be hidden or shown on command (e.g., character images which would transition to the dialogue view upon clicking).
3. Other points of interest in backgrounds that can be interacted with. In AGS, these are called "hotspots".
4. A P&C-style inventory system with items that can be picked up from the background, combined together, and used on other background elements or characters.
5. For those with knowledge on the topic, how good are companies like Ratalaika Games at porting Pen'Py games to console? They list porting of both Ren'Py and AGS games in their services, but I'm just wondering how cumbersome this is or isn't.
Thanks in advance for any input you can offer on these points (and any others worth considering).
I'm an Adventure Game Studio user trying to determine whether AGS or Ren'Py would be the better choice for me to make a point-and-click/visual novel hybrid type game (akin to something like a Phoenix Wright in terms of mechanics, with VN-style dialogue views but P&C-style world interactions).
I know that Ren'Py has a leg up over AGS for a few of the aspects that I want (native HD resolution, the dialogue format, etc.), but there are a few elements perhaps more commonplace in AGS that I'm curious about how would be done in Ren'Py. So if you'd be so kind as to: A) tell me how difficult (or not) these things are to implement in Ren'Py, and B) direct me where to look or what terms to search for in the documentation to see how I'd go about doing so, I'd very much appreciate it!
Here's what I'm wondering about:
1. Branching dialogue trees, with the ability to remove options once read, return to previous topics, and have in-game variables dependent upon choices made.
2. Objects in the background/room that can be hidden or shown on command (e.g., character images which would transition to the dialogue view upon clicking).
3. Other points of interest in backgrounds that can be interacted with. In AGS, these are called "hotspots".
4. A P&C-style inventory system with items that can be picked up from the background, combined together, and used on other background elements or characters.
5. For those with knowledge on the topic, how good are companies like Ratalaika Games at porting Pen'Py games to console? They list porting of both Ren'Py and AGS games in their services, but I'm just wondering how cumbersome this is or isn't.
Thanks in advance for any input you can offer on these points (and any others worth considering).