Ren'Py Daz To Devs that have games using Daz, Blender or both and Ren'py!

[WarpedGaming]

As most know, if you've been reading my post since I've been here, I'm developing my first AVN from totally knowing nothing about the genre but I do know 3D modeling/animating, Filmmaking, and a music producer "on YouTube" and love 3D porn so I think I can put together an intriguing story that's character-driven and it's NEW from what I'm seeing in my research. Which is the point of this post.

I'm in the story outline stage right now so haven't even started writing but I am playing a lot of games to get an idea of what's available in the type of VN I like and specifically those who prefer Daz, Blender, and Ren'py as their toolset.

I've been going through the "Latest Games" forum here looking for such games to download and get to playing. I'll be giving reviews on each game "if the dev is listed here" some that I have played already are not here.

To give those interested in the games I've played, and like, so far here is a list:

• How To Fix The Future !
• Lost At Birth !
• Halfway House (My Favorite) !
• Name88's Triangle !
• A Shot In The Dark
• The Awakening !
• Tales From The UnEnding
• Shadows Over Solomon Falls
• Going Rogue
• Witch Craft
• Defending Lydia Collier
• Love And Magic

The ones with '!' I have started already but haven't finished. Most of these are the FREE release. There is only one that I'm a Patreon supporter of and that's "Halfway House" so far.

So I will be going through all the others the rest of this week and hopefully get through enough chapters, or finish the FREE ones that are short enough to.

If anyone want to suggest their game for me and it fits (Daz, Blender and Ren'py) then feel free to comment. Would love to take a look.

WarpedGaming.

 

[anne O'nymous]

I'm in the story outline stage right now so haven't even started writing but I am playing a lot of games to get an idea of what's available in the type of VN I like and specifically those who prefer Daz, Blender, and Ren'py as their toolset.

The sky is the limit...

There's absolutely no limit in terms of story. No need to play other games for that, write what you want to tell us. Seeing what other are doing can only be useful to be sure that you'll not tell the same story ; yet due to the number of games, you'll never know for sure. But for this to have an effective interest, you should play tons of them ; exactly like great book authors are reading tons of books.
Playing only few of them will have no positive impact. It's more the opposite, it will be mostly confusing, because you'll be tempted to change everything each time you'll found a new interesting story. It's only with the help of time passing, therefore after years, that it can have a positive influence, mostly because your own style will be the result of everything you liked in those games. But as I said, this need time ; it's something that slowly grow in you.

As for the game mechanism, of course, with Ren'Py the limit is a bit lower than with an engine like Unity or Unreal, but still it's more your coding ability and your imagination that will limit you, than the engine itself. Globally speaking the games you're testing are the most basic possible approach. For some they have a good story, but it's mostly all they have for them.
Look at The DeLuca Family and its quest mechanism, or hmm, Damsels and Dungeons and its unique approach. All games by Amaraine have a different approach, all relatively unique, like Lucretia's Legacy or Leather and Steel. There's also some interest in the abandoned games, like High School Crush Simulator, that had and interesting approach in its story telling, or Bright Sun's Card Adventure, that was promising an interesting game mechanism.
Plus, by only looking at 3DCG you will miss games like Planet Stronghold 2 and its interesting combat system, coupled to a basic map exploration. Talking about combat system, there's the RGP one in Sakura Dungeon, but what's really interesting with this game is its old school 3D dungeons.
And those are just the Ren'Py games that cross my mind right now. You can tell a story without needing to follow the Choose Your Own Adventure approach. There's other way to tell an interactive story.

Playing others game isn't necessarily a bad idea, but you should choose them by looking at the screenshot, playing ones that show unusual game mechanisms, or game mechanisms that you haven't played yet. It's how you'll find what approach you want for your own game.
As for the story, like I said, write whatever you want to tell us. And do it with your own approach, not by trying to copy what someone else is doing.

 

[WarpedGaming]

Thanks for the feedback anne O'nymous but I won't be copying any writing style or anything. I started watching the games because I have NEVER even heard of them and had no idea what they looked like, operated, etc. Being a 'Visual' novel and not something you play like a normal conventional game "WASD" keys, etc. This is why I got to watch them.

But that I have I have gotten into them and like them which is probably a good thing too since I want to create one.

I do use UE5 but not for developing games, I use it for my filmmaking and study. To be honest I'm not much of a gamer (in like to Dune, WoW, etc) games, although I do love X-Plane (A flight simulator) and now I like VN because it's like reading a book but with visuals. My wife read Sex books ALL DAY (like Aliens, werewolves, dragons, vampires, etc) and loves the hell out of them. I showed her an AVN and wasn't interested at all in it.

But I will take your advice to heart. Hopefully you'll at least start my novel when it's out. Would love your opinion.

WarpedGaming

 

[Domiek]

Just to be clear, are you looking for games that use Daz + Blender, or is it an either/or?

My game is mainly made in Blender but uses Daz models. I think the main thing somewhat visually distinguishing it from Daz is more due to post-proc work rather than Blender itself.

 

[WarpedGaming]

Domiek you are correct. Blender mostly and using Daz for to create characters. This is how I create for the novel I'm making. Although I don't think this workflow works if you are going to sell anything on Daz store, Renderosity, and even Renderotica because even though things can be created in Blender and imported into Daz to be able to sell it as a Daz product it will have to be set up and finished in Daz and probably iRay compatible preferably.

For something like a visual novel, it doesn't matter whether you finish in Daz or Blender. But I do work in both and create will be creating content for Daz and Blender too.

WarpedGaming

 

[JuniorTheJunior]

Those are some pretty solid games you've got on your list!

Not to side-track your thread here; but I applaud anyone who would even try pipelining anything out of Daz3D, to be honest. Without official bridges, there's just way too much tweaking to be done, and way too many holes to patch afterwards for every single render, that efficiency goes out the window when making a VN. At least that's been my experience - Daz3D is a pile of garbage, but it works "best", when it's contained within itself... when it does work, anyway.

Working on One Night Stand, I sparingly use ZBrush and Cinema 4D to make custom morphs/objects here and there (and some custom locations that are coming up in the next update). And render everything in Iray.

If you're looking for something "out of the ordinary", check out City of Broken Dreamers, I believe Philly_Games uses the OctaneRender plugin for Daz3D, much like BaDIK by DrPinkCake.

Otherwise, Red Lucy by LeFrench and Acquainted by Yuno Gasai come to mind, which I believe both use Iray. Both have excellent visuals.

 

[xXx_BingChillin_xXx]

I won’t beat around the bush.

MILFs? Will it have a mommy?! Show me the fire!!

 

[WarpedGaming]

There could be a HOT MILF in it with some crazy stuff happening but then again? Maybe not. It depends on if I write a path for that and then if you choose to go down it I guess. But there definitely is a spot for one.

WarpedGaming

 

[anne O'nymous]

Did moderation just remove my post?

lmao, I can't even (there is zero insults nor ad hominem?).

It was a bit shitpost, but honest and realistic, with valid and legit arguments :/ I guess someone felt a bit butthurt by the fact that Daz Studio isn't just a pile of shit, and his complain ended in the end of a cooperative moderator.

 

[Deleted member 1121028]

It was a bit shitpost, but honest and realistic, with valid and legit arguments :/ I guess someone felt a bit butthurt by the fact that Daz Studio isn't just a pile of shit, and his complain ended in the end of a cooperative moderator.

How petty is that shit, I can't even.
Is there ego more fragile than a glorified slide show maker ?

All things considered, I should expose those frauds into public light.

 

[Deleted member 1121028]

sounds to me like ur the ones butthurt by someone saying something you don't agree with lmao??
so you resorted to shitposting and trying to insult them and got bonked for it m8.learn how to argue without talking shit i guess

Pick your battle bro. You ain't equipped for that one yet (with all due respect).

 

[WarpedGaming]

Hmm, it seems my original inquiry has digressed into a shitfest about how good or bad Daz is? Interesting.

Well, being I'm the OP, personally doesn't matter to me. I have been in the business for maybe longer than some of you've been alive and now I'm 60 and retired. I do still freelance once in a while for some large companies I have contacts with that need someone to fill in when someone is fired suddenly, has to go on vacation and their behind, etc. They find it's a real convenience to be able to reach out and have me get up to speed quickly and they don't miss a beat and stay on track.

But I'm able to do this because I have worked with every 3D package available since about 1992. I got into 3D with Lightwave and moved onto 3DS and Maya and just over the years worked at firms, design houses, or game companies that had other software or customized software they've had made or software like Maya, Houdini that has been highly customized and added to for they unique pipeline.

Now I teach Blender to newbies on YouTube and my advice to them is "don't get caught up with the idea that it is the software that's responsible for the work you put out. Great renders can be made with every piece of software out there. It all depends on what you can do with what you got. Sometimes you have no choice such as you don't have the money to buy a top, or good quality, 3D software and have to deal with Blender, Wings3D, Daz, Hexagon, or any of the others. It's either that or you don't do 3D at all because you can't afford to. Hell of a situation.

2005 I got a chance to work with a top game company, at the time, and my wife said "what if you're not familiar with what they're using?" I simply told here, I got into this in 1992 and have already worked with a lot of software on a good number of different projects from games, software add-ons, marketing assets, etc. If I can't handle whatever they have, by now, then I need to change careers.

And now I have my own projects and sometimes hire freelancers from Upwork and if someone tells me they don't like Daz, or aren't comfortable with Daz, then I would assume they need to work to pay bills and support themselves so I'd give them some advice. It is not Daz you're not comfortable with it's your own abilities. Because there is no 3D software out there that is perfect in all respects of everything you need to do to complete a project from beginning to end. I'm talking modeling, texturing, shading, rendering, animating, rigging, compositing, etc. This is including Daz, Blender, Maya, Houdini, etc but know what each one IS good at, and if you need to work at a company that uses something else and this is what the staff at that company is comfortable with then it's you that has to adapt or continue to not work when a job is available and you call yourself a 3D artist? debatable at best.

Now it's probably my turn to get bashed at, which is fine. At 60 years old, if you feel the need you need to satisfy your ego and please your self-esteem then by all means go for it. I'll laugh, we'll all laugh, and life goes on. Nothing new on an internet forum really. SOP!

WarpedGaming

 

[Deleted member 1121028]

>All things considered, I should expose those frauds into public light.

 

[noping123]

Oh man I love these shitstorms

Is daz as bad as some people make it out to be? No. It's not. Like some of the "complaints" listed above (20 minutes to load, limbs flying off the screen, etc) they're all nonsense complaints, and ridiculously exaggerated. I produce my game on a fucking potato, and I've never had any issues with anything that isn't animation (and even that, I don't have too many troubles with). Am I very experienced? No. Am I producing top tier quality images/animations? Also no.

Bigger question: Is daz the best software out there? Still, no. But how about instead of shitting on things that work just fine for what they're made to do, focus on what other things do better? Going around shitting on stuff (or shitting on other people) just makes you look bitter and obnoxious. It'd do everyone who reads this shit a lot better to be able to read what other software does well that daz doesn't, rather than your personal gripes and bitches about what you think it's problems are - particularly when you're over-exaggerating to the point of spouting nonsense. I know shitting on everything is some ppl's favorite past time, but honestly, find a new hobby if that's what does it for you. Daz is good for what it is, and what it's meant to do - it's pretty garbage for almost everything else, but that doesn't make it a shit program - more it makes it a niche one. It's like saying a toaster is a shit appliance, because it can't cook your chicken. It makes toast just fine - if you try to cook a chicken in it, of fucking course you're gonna run into problems. Maybe you never learned to use an oven so you try to force that chicken in anyway. I mean.... with enough determination it'll work - but it's pretty silly to start bashing toasters because it gave you so much trouble cooking that chicken. In a similar vein, if you try to make toast by laying the bread flat across the top of the toaster.... it won't come out very well. Don't blame the toaster because you never figured out how to properly use it. And there are tons of appliances that can make toast! Some can (believe it or not) do it better than a toaster! And it's fine to go around hyping up other appliances that you think are far superior to a toaster, because hey they make toast AND do all sorts of other stuff well! Even cooking chickens! But that still doesn't mean the toaster is shit.


As to the OP:

The idea of "What's available" is only limited by your imagination and skillset. If you're as good, and experienced as you claim, then what you can do is pretty unlimited. Renpy is also fairly powerful in that, while the core of the engine is designed strictly for a visual/kinetic novel, it's built on top of python and allows you to write python code in it, giving you flexibility to do a LOT - which again, is only really limited by your skillset.

For an actual VN, you won't find anything better than renpy to work with, flat out. The further from "VN" you want to stray - mostly in terms of game mechanics - the more you want to look at other platforms. (Personally I advocate looking towards UE if you're moving away from renpy. Some people will suggest - and some do use - unity, but I'm not a fan of unity at all).

Your original question seemed to be a combination of "What can I do in these platforms" plus "Hey gimmie a list of games to try out". Well, as far as games go, everyone is gonna have recommendations, but there's so fucking many you could be at it forever. I'd just go through some other posts here (Look in general forum, there's a ton of recommendation threads there filled with people giving recommendations based on various criteria. Just pick what criteria interests you). And as far as what can you do? Well, given your claimed skill set, pretty much whatever you want.

 

[Deleted member 1121028]

Yo modos can I claim 3D GIGA CHAD?

 

[Domiek]

Daz is a pile of garbage when compared to any DCC, but that comparison shouldn't really be made to begin with. It's like comparing a commercial fishing fleet to a guy with a fishing pole on a row boat enjoying their day off.

Daz is a posing software reliant on a huge asset library. It's not meant to compete with Blender, Maya or anything else.

 

[Deleted member 1121028]

Daz is a pile of garbage when compared to any DCC, but that comparison shouldn't really be made to begin with. It's like comparing a commercial fishing fleet to a guy with a fishing pole on a row boat enjoying their day off.

Daz is a posing software reliant on a huge asset library. It's not meant to compete with Blender, Maya or anything else.

>random guy clicking the render button
>"LOOK I M DOING 3D MOM"

Give me a fucking break + call a moderator.
Guy spoonfed -everything- to such an extreme for years, the become the butt of the joke.
"But I'm using Blender y'know, am myself somewhat of an artist ".
What a fucking joke.

 

[WarpedGaming]

And as far as what can you do? Well, given your claimed skill set, pretty much whatever you want.

Yea, but there is one thing that I am lacking in "as far as creating a novel" and that is writing and storytelling. And from my research story is a BIG thing in the success of your novel. So this is yet another reason I am playing games to get an idea of story, plot, twist, etc.

So this falls in line with all that is going on with Daz here. It doesn't really matter how good you are with "everything" dealing in completing one project, there will always be something "or maybe a few things" that you are not good at. It's just a fact of life. But I do love learning new things, that I am interested in, because no one can become good at something that they are not motivated about learning.

I already have some people that have seen my VNDB and post here on the game and can't wait to see how it turns out. But I just hope that I'm good enough and putting it ALL together to not disappoint. But I'm going to give it my best shot for sure.

WarpedGaming

 

[Turning Tricks]

Hey, I'm just learning this as I go. And I am having a blast doing it, but I might need to reign in my expectations a bit as I am finding out how hard it is to get all this work done in a reasonable time frame.

As for Daz, I mean... it's great ... and it sucks , lol. But as someone who has used computers since the early 80's, that's just another day for "free" software. Right now, it allows me to release my imagination in 3D without having to have a background in digital art. I have a fine arts and graphics background from 35+ years ago, in college, but it was all traditional materials and methods. I then spent 3 decades as an engineer in a highly technical field, and I have found my fine art skills have completely faded. So that's why I am loving Daz honestly. It lets me express myself.

Funny reading some of the posts in this thread though. A couple of years ago, I had the opportunity to take some courses in Autodesk Inventor Pro. I mean, this is like the space shuttle version of 3D CAD/CAM design. I think a single license goes for almost 6 grand. You could design a part and it would do the animations automatically for you, evaluate all the stresses on the materials and even print the blue prints and create a parts order list. But you know what? I still prefer Sketch-Up for all my amateur designing, lol.

A lot of the best art in the world was created with the pointy end of basically a burnt stick

 

[Deleted member 1121028]

Hey, I'm just learning this as I go. And I am having a blast doing it, but I might need to reign in my expectations a bit as I am finding out how hard it is to get all this work done in a reasonable time frame.

As for Daz, I mean... it's great ... and it sucks , lol. But as someone who has used computers since the early 80's, that's just another day for "free" software. Right now, it allows me to release my imagination in 3D without having to have a background in digital art. I have a fine arts and graphics background from 35+ years ago, in college, but it was all traditional materials and methods. I then spent 3 decades as an engineer in a highly technical field, and I have found my fine art skills have completely faded. So that's why I am loving Daz honestly. It lets me express myself.

Funny reading some of the posts in this thread though. A couple of years ago, I had the opportunity to take some courses in Autodesk Inventor Pro. I mean, this is like the space shuttle version of 3D CAD/CAM design. I think a single license goes for almost 6 grand. You could design a part and it would do the animations automatically for you, evaluate all the stresses on the materials and even print the blue prints and create a parts order list. But you know what? I still prefer Sketch-Up for all my amateur designing, lol.

A lot of the best art in the world was created with the pointy end of basically a burnt stick

Ay, you never seen those big brained 'devs' at work.

The most hilarous with these people, it's they are using Blender as they would use Daz3D. They really think importing an asset they didn't made, setup its shader nodes and pressing F12 is mindblowing "work". Mind you they basically ignore 99% of software features (even without creating anything!). Consider yourself being lucky if you see a clean 5sec keyframed loop.

Some cool VFX? Ah, nope.
A small dynamic/animated shader? Hola, maybe later.
How about some camera projection stuff? One day.
Maybe some landscape using simple geometry nodes? Oh, god no.
Grooming some hair? Yikes.
Some funny physical sim? Tomorrow.
And so on & on.

And yet what make even things more hilarous, it's that they are failing at those very basic things. Despite being spoonfed 99% of everything critical they need, results are completely subpar. It's like making a garbage crappy slide-show in UE5, and asking why those dumb motherfuckers still use Renpy (Renpy is such a pile of garbage!).

I could share a ton of anecdotes I've seen over the years here or some Discord, but someone will call moderator lol.

Don't get me wrong, Daz3D has many flaws (I could write a long list), it will never be some 3D powerhouse with rich features (not it ever wanted to be, nor have the workforce). Yet it's succesfull at two things : being time/quality efficient (everything build on a single framework), being very easy to use (low ticket entry, everyone can give a shot). And it's already quite a lot.