Can You Recommend a Simple Game Story For A Beginner Dev?

Kane_Freeman

Member
Dec 10, 2020
457
613
Hi, I am planning to develop a VN game. But I'm quite a novice, so I don't think I can use the stories I have in mind to my game that I'm doing. I want to make my game with using Honey Select 2. And I'm planning on having my game include harem. Do you have a simple story in mind that you want to share and that fits all this?
 

anne O'nymous

I'm not grumpy, I'm just coded that way.
Modder
Donor
Respected User
Jun 10, 2017
10,398
15,312
Hi, I am planning to develop a VN game. But I'm quite a novice, so I don't think I can use the stories I have in mind to my game that I'm doing. I want to make my game with using Honey Select 2. And I'm planning on having my game include harem. Do you have a simple story in mind that you want to share and that fits all this?
Go for the basis: MC just graduated college and start his first job in a new town.
And do it like a sitcom: He strangely don't have a strong imperative to effectively works, and despite this being his first job and it having started just few days ago, he can already afford a "better than average life".
From there you can do whatever you want.

He can use the "new guy at work" and "new kid in town" cards to befriend girls. The first one through the, "I'm not sure yet how to do it, can you show me", pretense, and the second one through the, "what is interesting here", one.
He can have a peaceful life, or be seen like a threat by someone at works if you want to put some tension ; by example he come from a prestigious college and anyone see him climb the ladder faster than anyone before.
He can be a dick pretending to be nice, a repentant bully, or whatever you want since no one knew him few days ago.
He can be dominant if you give him an interesting degree that make him starts in a position of leadership, or a good slave if he start at the bottom and have a bitch boss.

Just use your imagination. What you need to learn before you can do your main big project isn't just how to make a game. It's also how to develop a story from a limited premise.
 
  • Thinking Face
Reactions: Kane_Freeman

Deleted member 1121028

Well-Known Member
Dec 28, 2018
1,716
3,296
>download 1st crappy hentai material
>render it
>done
Sorry for quoting myself lmao.
But it's not as hilarous as you may think.
You got full story board with every shots, it's very valuable.
You only have to flex your rendering skills and your own take on it eventually, and not to think everything else.
 
  • Like
Reactions: anne O'nymous

Kane_Freeman

Member
Dec 10, 2020
457
613
Sorry for quoting myself lmao.
But it's not as hilarous as you may think.
You got full story board with every shots, it's very valuable.
You only have to flex your rendering skills and your own take on it eventually, and not to think everything else.
I've been thinking about this advice for a long time. But I wasn't sure if hentai's producer could sue me for anything.
 

79flavors

Well-Known Member
Respected User
Jun 14, 2018
1,585
2,229
My usual suggestion is to grab a short story from somewhere like that appeals to your own preferences, and then write a small RenPy game to recreate that story in VN form. When it's finished, DELETE IT.

I'm not advocating plagiarism - I'm merely suggesting that to create a game, you need to learn what's involved in the game creation process. Creating a game is a balance of programming, artwork and story telling - and some people just aren't good at story telling. So if story telling isn't your strength... take it out of the equation and focus on learning the bits that you personally might find easier.


By the time you reach the point where you delete your test game, you should have some idea whether writing a story/game of your own is something your want to do. My impression is that most people who post similar threads here, ultimately don't ever produce a game.

At the very least, adapting someone else's story to RenPy script might give you an idea of the sort of rhythms and themes that need to be reflected in your own game.

There's also the slight possibility that if you message the original author - they would grant permission to recreate their story in AVN format. I guess it will depend on whether the author sees themselves as a professional requiring payment for their work or an amateur who's willing to be flexible with other amateurs.

I hope it goes without saying that you should never plan to sell plagiarized work.

Edit: Since it was picked up upon, I'll clarify that I mean "word for word" or "scene for scene" plagiarism. Very few concepts are unique. I read a lot of fantasy based "young man gets sucked into virtual game" GameLit novels. The differences are what make them enjoyable, whereas the similarities are what draw me to them. Taking a single example, Shakespeare's Macbeth has been recreated in multiple films and series and reimagined many, many more. Sons of Anarchy for example. I'm merely suggesting to not wholesale copy/paste anything except for the purposes of training.
 
Last edited:
  • Thinking Face
Reactions: Kane_Freeman

TDoddery

Member
Apr 28, 2020
170
160
I'm quite a novice, so I don't think I can use the stories I have in mind to my game that I'm doing.
Why not? Is it just too complex or freaky or what. There's a little bit of freaky shit in some games already you know.

Just try out a version of it. Might be really good.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Kane_Freeman

Kane_Freeman

Member
Dec 10, 2020
457
613
Why not? Is it just too complex or freaky or what. There's a little bit of freaky shit in some games already you know.

Just try out a version of it. Might be really good.
I just don't want to ruin those ideas with my newness. First, I want to make a simpler game and make games that contain my ideas after I have underdeveloped it.
 

DnDfan

Newbie
Apr 1, 2018
26
31
I think you're looking at this sideways. Instead of a plot, think about the characters driving that plot. For a harem game you need at least four: the Main/ Player Character (MC) and three love interests (LI). I'm assuming you're going 1 guy and 3 hot gals. Tell me about these 4 people. Let's start with superficial details on the love interests. We can go broad: bimbo, milf, girl-next-door, goth, or combine some types, say bimbo goth milf. Ideally we should be able to tell them apart, but still, think about hot chicks. Cause if you don't like them, how will the players?

Now, I don't want to explain character arcs right now; I don't think I'd do well and would come off presumptuous. But I want to mention our 3 LI all end up at one very specific place : She wants to fuck the MC, but she doesn't expect/ want exclusive claim to him. This is an interesting mindset, and the (hopefully different) paths that get them to that point is something you need to think about.
Two other points:
1st, I agree that you shouldn't worry too much about your basic skill as A) you get better with practice B) have you seen some of the shit out there?

2nd, there are plenty of books, articles,videos, etc. about writing. Read up on the basics if you feel that will help.

Hope that helps and best of luck.
 

GNVE

Active Member
Jul 20, 2018
703
1,159
Start with something small. Just a simple 10 - 30 minute game to get your feet wet. Something that allows you to make a load of mistakes and figure out what not to do. when you complete a couple of those go with one of the stories you really want to work on.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Kane_Freeman

coffeeaddicted

Well-Known Member
Apr 13, 2021
1,765
1,432
I just don't want to ruin those ideas with my newness. First, I want to make a simpler game and make games that contain my ideas after I have underdeveloped it.
Just go for it.
I do the same in making my fantasies a reality in form of clips. Not a game. For my enjoyment. As crappy as it is, as arousing it can be. We shouldn't be afraid to ruin things. We learn from it.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Kane_Freeman