Help with a lil' experiment

[NtMe]

Hey, everyone.

I need your help, as said in the title. I'm planning to make a 2D visual novel in Ren'py, but here's the thing:

I DON'T HAVE ANY EXPERIENCE, not only programming but in anything related to making a visual novel. So no experience in drawing, writing a story or designing characters.

I need help with ideas and any tips that you can give me. From technical things like recommendations of programs for drawing/animating and tips for programing in Ren'py to things you'll like to see in a visual novel, ideas for the plot and for character design.

For now I only have and idea for the plot that isn't even original (I saw it in a meme in twitter). It's basically Twilight but BETTER!

Two monster girls (one goth vampire girl and one tomboy werewolf) fight for the atention of a high school dude. I know it's not great so that's why I'm creating this thread. If anyone got some ideas to improve the plot or even change it totally, you're welcome to send them.

To conclude:

• I'll be making all of the game all by myself (I know it's a terrible idea to not have a team but I don't know anyone who can help me and I don't got the money to pay)
• I won't be asking for any money
• All ideas and tips are welcomed
• PLEASEHELPB'CUZIMREALLYEXCITEDTOMAKETHISBUTICANTDOITALONE

That's all, thank you and have a great day.

 

[Hagatagar]

I DON'T HAVE ANY EXPERIENCE, not only programming but in anything related to making a visual novel. So no experience in drawing, writing a story or designing characters.

Are you prepared to do the same little things for hours and hours and to redo everything again and again in the case of minor discrepancies?
Are you prepared to search the internet for hours to get a little bit of help or advice for something that later turns out to be unnecessary?
Are you prepared of just practising stuff for literal days and weeks without anything to show off afterwards?
Are you prepared to put actual money into this?

If not, you'll just end as another abandoned v0.01.


I don't try to be mean, just realistic.

 

[NtMe]

Are you prepared to do the same little things for hours and hours and to redo everything again and again in the case of minor discrepancies?
Are you prepared to search the internet for hours to get a little bit of help or advice for something that later turns out to be unnecessary?
Are you prepared of just practising stuff for literal days and weeks without anything to show off afterwards?
Are you prepared to put actual money into this?

If not, you'll just end as another abandoned v0.01.


I don't try to be mean, just realistic.

Yes, I'm aware that this isn't going to be any light work, and I'm ready to enslave myself to this project. And who knows? If me and the people playing it like what's coming out of it, I'll even consider hiring a team.

This is something that has been on my mind for years and I finally got the time to do it.

Thank you for the heads up.

 

[Insomnimaniac Games]

Yes, I'm aware that this isn't going to be any light work, and I'm ready to enslave myself to this project. And who knows? If me and the people playing it like what's coming out of it, I'll even consider hiring a team.

This is something that has been on my mind for years and I finally got the time to do it.

Thank you for the heads up.

I'm gonna second what that Hagatagar said, but throw in a little dev perspective, because I feel this point needs to be emphasized. It took me around 400 hours to learn enough and have enough content to release my first version. That's around 17 full days of work, for about a half hour of playtime. That's with my workflow, when I already had a bit of knowledge in RPGM and an artists background. You're starting from absolute zero, it'll take WEEKS to get anywhere with programming alone, not even mentioning art.

Having said all that, I'm not discouraging you. It's the opposite, actually. I just want to stress that this will really not be a quick learning process. Now, to move on to the helpful bits.

For art, I've always found Jazza's old tutorials really helpful. He uses photoshop, but something like

You must be registered to see the links

works just as well. Keep in mind, though, that there is NO substitute for just practicing. A sketch, doodle, or just basic line practice. Doesn't matter what it is, just DO something everyday.

You must be registered to see the links

You must be registered to see the links

You must be registered to see the links

I'm not so well versed in Renpy, at least not as much as dedicated devs, but I've learned the basics from these videos.

You must be registered to see the links

It's going to take a lot of time and effort, but I wish you the best of luck!

 

[NtMe]

I'm gonna second what that Hagatagar said, but throw in a little dev perspective, because I feel this point needs to be emphasized. It took me around 400 hours to learn enough and have enough content to release my first version. That's around 17 full days of work, for about a half hour of playtime. That's with my workflow, when I already had a bit of knowledge in RPGM and an artists background. You're starting from absolute zero, it'll take WEEKS to get anywhere with programming alone, not even mentioning art.

Having said all that, I'm not discouraging you. It's the opposite, actually. I just want to stress that this will really not be a quick learning process. Now, to move on to the helpful bits.

For art, I've always found Jazza's old tutorials really helpful. He uses photoshop, but something like

You must be registered to see the links

works just as well. Keep in mind, though, that there is NO substitute for just practicing. A sketch, doodle, or just basic line practice. Doesn't matter what it is, just DO something everyday.

You must be registered to see the links

You must be registered to see the links

You must be registered to see the links

I'm not so well versed in Renpy, at least not as much as dedicated devs, but I've learned the basics from these videos.

You must be registered to see the links

It's going to take a lot of time and effort, but I wish you the best of luck!

Thank you so much! This means a lot for me. I thought that this post was going to be ignored but now I got somewhere to actually start. TSM

 

[JigglySquish]

My advice is to make your first game really small.

Imagine a small game.

Now make it smaller than that.

Now make it smaller again.

Even really small games take a shocking amount of time and energy to create.

Aim for maybe half an hour of playtime. With average reading speeds, you're looking at between 5k and 7k words.

If you want it to be a nsfw VN, that means you're talking about one to three scenes, and one or two choices.

Resist the urge to make things bigger. Making a small game and going through the process of writing, scripting, editing, making art, making a store page, and showing it to people will be far more educational than just blocking out a gigantic game that you end up giving up on.

 

[Saint Blackmoor]

My advice is to make your first game really small.

Imagine a small game.

Now, make it smaller than that.

I agree with Jiggly; from my experience in proofreading, I've seen devs overdo it. Then go back and redo, redo, redo, etc...
For a newbie, it makes complete sense to create a small game. Plus you now have a game you can say is finished. (not abandoned) Not trying to discourage, trying to encourage.

Oh, if you need proofreading on the game come see me.

 

[anne O'nymous]

To what have already be said, one important point to find the motivation to continue despite the repetitive feeling is the pre-work done on your game.

Starts by building your story. Not at 100%, but know all the key points from starts to stop... Especially "to stop".
Knowing what will come next help to fight the writer block. It will not magically write the story for you, but at least you'll know what you've to write, what help to focus and advance.
There's an enormous difference between "Okay, so now what happen ?" and "Okay, so how can I write that particular scene ?".
It also help to find the motivation when you are facing an annoying part of the development. Will working on the story, slowly build its key point and defining how it end, you slowly come to love it and its characters. You now need to tell that story, because the players need to know what will happen next.
This being opposed to a story built in parallel of the development, and that is easier to drop, because so far there's nothing that come next.

Then code all the game mechanisms you'll need, even if they are basic.
Like you've released nothing yet, there's less pressure and if you need a full month to learn how to do "that particular part", well, you'll take that month and no one will ever know. You'll have more chance of success, and less bugs, than if you have to write the scenes for the update, take care of the CGs, and also figure how to code the game mechanism that you'll now need, all this in a reasonable time.

And also works on the CGs. Whatever if it's 2D or 3D, have all your characters ready (or their sketches for the 2D), even those that will not appear before months. Same for the clothes and for the locations.
Unless it's 2D, that offer more liberty, you'll never find precisely what you have in mind. And here again, having all the time you need will help you to choose with less pressure, and so find something close enough and to find a way to tweak it for it to be even closer of what you had in mind.


You'll be building a game, and you should approach the process like for any building project.
No one goes, "ok, I'll build a house", then go buy some bricks and starts building a wall, then stop and go buy a door, put the door, continue to build the wall, until he stop again and go buy a window ; but only one, waiting to need another one to guy the second.
You have all what you need at your side before you starts, it make the project advance faster and be easier. And you also have a blueprint (the story key points), what help the result to be coherent and consistent.

 

[Michelangelo da Mouso]

When you start, you'll realize this stuff is more addictive than drugs, sex, alcohol and sugar... combined.

My only piece of advice: Be patient and have other hobbies.

I work at an 8-hour job, and my toughest part is to find the balance between my personal life and creating this video game... which I haven't even defined yet!

From my short experience in this, having started a couple of months ago to test ideas, mess with Daz3D, Unity, analyze games, jot down thoughts, taking notes on emerging ideas... Sometimes I just can't stop.

I end up going to bed very late. Sometimes dinner time comes, and I think, 'Alright, let me just finish this quick thing and I'll head to the kitchen.' Next thing you know, an hour's gone by. And you still haven't finished that 'quick thing'... but hey, you still got time, right? Next time you check the clock, another hour's passed, and that little thing has snowballed into another little thing, and before you know it, it's midnight, you end up eating something quick and crappy, and you go to bed knowing you gotta wake up in 5 or 6 hours for work.

At this stage, don't stress about how long it takes to launch your first project, if you abandon it at v0.0.1, or about proofreading, or if something doesn't turn out how you wanted...

You're in your learning phase. Enjoy it, but don't forget to take care of yourself.

 

[NtMe]

Hi everyone! Quick update.

I got myself a drawing tablet! So no more drawing by mouse. In a few weeks I'll start uploading sketches of my characters and some ideas for the scenarios.

Also, thank you all for your tips I've appreciate you all!

 

[osanaiko]

Essential reading:
https://f95zone.to/threads/winterfires-talentless-guide-on-how-to-make-a-game.154572/


Make the Game Design document. Do it. It's the core of a game if you are serious.

You must be registered to see the links

TL;DR: Make a plan for your game. Otherwise it's art with no story, no gameplay, no future.

Practicing making art, messing with game frameworks, and the like, these are all good. But it's just building skills, not directly making progress on an outcome.

 

[osanaiko]

NtMe Oh, and I forgot to say the most important thing: Good luck and have fun!

 

[NtMe]

Quick update.

WHY THE FUCK DRAWING HANDS IS SO FUCKING HARD????? LIKE OMFGGG I CAN'T WTFFF

 

[osanaiko]

Now I'm suspicious that you might be an AI.

 

[Icarus Media]

This sentence is false.

 

[NtMe]

Now I'm suspicious that you might be an AI.

Perhaps I'm not like you humans, but I still have programmed feelings

 

[Insomnimaniac Games]

Quick update.

WHY THE FUCK DRAWING HANDS IS SO FUCKING HARD????? LIKE OMFGGG I CAN'T WTFFF

Trace. I don't mean literally trace hands, but google hands, find a picture, and trace the basics shapes of the hand. Everything comes down to basic shapes, and tracing over some photos helps you understand those shapes.

 

[NtMe]

Trace. I don't mean literally trace hands, but google hands, find a picture, and trace the basics shapes of the hand. Everything comes down to basic shapes, and tracing over some photos helps you understand those shapes.

I've been looking at hands for 10 minutes and I still can't figure it out. So back to yt for more tutorials, yipie.

 

[Insomnimaniac Games]

I've been looking at hands for 10 minutes and I still can't figure it out. So back to yt for more tutorials, yipie.

Hands are hard. Pretty much every artist agrees on that.

 

[Michelangelo da Mouso]

WHY THE FUCK DRAWING HANDS IS SO FUCKING HARD????? LIKE OMFGGG I CAN'T WTFFF

you don't need to draw hands for porn

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