How do you plan a Visual Novel? I mean really, I've tried making one and it wasn't going really well for me and youtube isn't helping anymore, I have a gist on programming, a basic photoshop know how, and a not so bad skill with my hands. Any guides or advice you can give me? Plannings and Preparations?
- May 3, 2018
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My limitation is mostly due to art. I don't know about you but I basically want to get closer and closer to just making an animated series than anything else. I have had to learn to control myself just because of art and actually trying to make a game that is small enough for me to actually complete. To be honest, I feel like this is something that you just get a feel for as you become more experience and realize how much work it would take to do a particular scene. Then you have to do risk analysist and figure out just how much energy you are willing to spend per part of the game.
I guess I actually organize around how much time and energy I would want to work on parts/whole thing. I want to feel like I am making progress.
beyond that I guess for actual planning, it depends on the game. I would want to say how game mechanics influence the story, but really I don't follow that rule. I always just change the game/gamemechanics to fit the story I want. My isssue is I can never agree on how to actually deliver the story, I can never write a middle or end I am happy with, and my beginnings are always way too long for what I want them to be.
So I don't get much done, just theorize and spin in circles.
but answering your question, I plan mostly in google docs, write down thoughts, eventually go through them again and try to re write again and again as I better understand my own plans, make lists, drawings, ect. and maybe eventually reach the point of mapping out all the actual work to do, but despite all that, the story changes eventually as I work and think about it more and start to struggle to fill in the holes and thus the work changes as i rework the story to fix the holes.
Now one solution is to just ignore these issues and bang out something. Something is better than nothing, no matter what. you are not a creator until you share your work, at least so I am told. most of the time audiences will follow along and get the gist and ignore issues in the plot (star wars plot holes for example), and not be too critical. perfection doesn't really mean that much, but I'm a terrible person so I can't say since I still hide most of my work. rather than allowing poor writing by saying I am trying to be stylize, exaggerate, or cartoony, I am actually trying to study what it means to deliever cartoony or exaggerated storylines so that I can correctly deliver non real life conversations and situations. Thus I study and think but never do.
I guess I actually organize around how much time and energy I would want to work on parts/whole thing. I want to feel like I am making progress.
beyond that I guess for actual planning, it depends on the game. I would want to say how game mechanics influence the story, but really I don't follow that rule. I always just change the game/gamemechanics to fit the story I want. My isssue is I can never agree on how to actually deliver the story, I can never write a middle or end I am happy with, and my beginnings are always way too long for what I want them to be.
So I don't get much done, just theorize and spin in circles.
but answering your question, I plan mostly in google docs, write down thoughts, eventually go through them again and try to re write again and again as I better understand my own plans, make lists, drawings, ect. and maybe eventually reach the point of mapping out all the actual work to do, but despite all that, the story changes eventually as I work and think about it more and start to struggle to fill in the holes and thus the work changes as i rework the story to fix the holes.
Now one solution is to just ignore these issues and bang out something. Something is better than nothing, no matter what. you are not a creator until you share your work, at least so I am told. most of the time audiences will follow along and get the gist and ignore issues in the plot (star wars plot holes for example), and not be too critical. perfection doesn't really mean that much, but I'm a terrible person so I can't say since I still hide most of my work. rather than allowing poor writing by saying I am trying to be stylize, exaggerate, or cartoony, I am actually trying to study what it means to deliever cartoony or exaggerated storylines so that I can correctly deliver non real life conversations and situations. Thus I study and think but never do.
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I guess you have a point, finish something first, then complain later. Never thought of it that way...I've been into criticizing my own work lately thinking that nobody will like it coz of my lack of style and such. Welp, I'll give it a shot and come back to this thread after I've something to show. :3
- Jun 10, 2017
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I would add that it also depend of you.
Some people need a strong guidance, while others feel better when they have a certain amount of freedom. And obviously the way to plan the game making process totally depend of this. Therefore, go with what fit better for you, not with what is said, by others, to be the best solution.
- May 3, 2018
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Thanks!
An interesting talking point I thought I would bring up is the idea of inspiration.
Not just being inspired, but what people do to be inspired, what they do with inspiration, and how inspiration influences our work. There are many newer users who I see join because they were inspired by some of the top nsfw games made, such as summertime saga, orange/witch/princess trainer, or some VN. Some people could build to mimic their inspiration, maybe some people just have a particular favorite genre, maybe they were just inspired enough to join the nsfw community. everyone responds differently.
I feel skill and experience can dictate this reaction, however. maybe someone is supper motivated by a game, and want to focus on just a replica, or just that specific style of game. maybe at first, they are cheap imitations, poor. maybe they get better and pull it off perfectly, and maybe they learn along the way and start to explore other types of game or game making.
I feel like these could also be stages of development as you become more experienced, you've collected some skills and tools and no longer need guidance until you are trying something new again.
I bring up the term, exploration, a lot in other talks. often referring to people experimenting and finding what they like. but I feel an important thing to point out is also, self-exploration, beyond just finding what you like. I think this is the stage I am constantly stuck in. it's not so much about guidance or freedom at this point (but freedom is important when considering game making options, ie C# monogame is my go-to, daz/blender art, etc.), but more trying to understand what I as a player and developer want. I thought I had it figured out years ago, and each month I still make new observations.
Just this past weekend, I was with friends, and we were trying to figure out my perfect mtg deck, or trying to figure out more specifically, how do I want to play mtg? This isn't the first time I've sat down with friends and explored this, but this time we reached a new conclusion. And with those new ideas and revelations, I was able to reflect and improve on my game idea just the other night (just spent all morning making notes of my ideas). so now I may sink into the same pattern again, I figured out my idea, my mechanics, next I just need to start fleshing them out, filling in the details and the specifics, and then get to work. but continued exposer to my ideas could show flaws I hadn't seen before.
it's like a writer who takes a 6 to 8-month break to reread their work for errors. art is never complete when it goes out the door. we have to find what the line is, i guess is what i was saying. and exploring what line in the sand fits us. I sometimes think an art technique is nothing more than a set of tricks and compromises to save time and maximize quality, but it is never perfect, just a tool to force artist to be practical with their time. I guess since I only do this stuff on the side, I don't mind wasting time twiddling my thumbs, but if I want to prove my weight, I need to deliver something eventually.
- Jun 10, 2017
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Writers are a good comparison point.
There's those who write an certain number of pages everyday, while other write for a certain amount of time. There's also those who live isolated when they write, in a place they rented for the occasion, or already own, while some prefer to live in a hotel to not even be distracted by daily tasks, and those who just stay at home with their family. There's those who pass one week writing night and day, and it's done, while other write few pages time to time.
None of them is better than the other because of the way they works. It's just the way that suit them the best, the way that let them give the best of themselves.
When one start to works on a personal project, here a game but it can in fact be anything else, the first thing to do is to try many way to do it, many way to plan it, to found the "one for him". And like you said, with the growing experience, it will change, adapt, until it become "the Way" for him.
I'd like to retrack my earlier statement, it was like charging to a battlefield without any weapons.
Yes, preparation is also, always, a necessary when talking about games, I know that now, and us new in the game always tend to forget that, e.g. my earlier statement, which is a bad habit. Maybe we're too hyped to make a game and then later facepalms for not finishing anything, which led me to making this thread. :3
Struggling to find that "One" for some reason, though some say changing pace from time to time tend to help. I hope I find mine sooner though. -_-
I believe to doing it right you need Art, Literature and Science. Art for the visuals, Literature for the plot and Science to assemble the thing. I have good experience on the earlier two but very weak on the last one.
I'm trying to reach the desired level of improvement in my weakness and the other two will float.
I suggest you normalize your abilities (if you are doing it solo), then start your masterpiece.
If your art is 3D you need to practice on your comp and for 2D paper and ink should be your loyal friends.
you always will have time to imagine and create the story. In bed, In car or break and remember to write some of it when you can. they fly fast.
And for coding, I better not advice you and let you advice me
