Ren'Py How do I tie the choices and routes together?

[Sasarko99]

I want to try making a video game on Ren'py, now I have both the setting, characters, and fetishes I want to explore set in stone, and I've started writing down some scenes, but the problem I'm having is I don't know how I will be tying it all together in the future.
I decided to make it so that only one route can be pursued at once, that way it'll minimize the amount of extra content that needs to be made especially given that most of the routes/scenes will have some profound effect on the player physically and mentally, but I still don't know what to do about other aspects.
I have two ideas on how to tackle this but I'm not sure they're the best way to do it, the first is to pick a route and finish it then use it as the template/base to add the other routes onto, the second which is similar to the first is to make a "no-route" sort of route, where all other paths and encounters are avoided and the mc lives in relative peace for a couple of weeks(?), basically setting up the timeline for the story to transpire.

Spoiler: Shitty representation

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Anyway, some input from you guys would be appreciated especially from game devs who already made games, how did you start it all?

 

[anne O'nymous]

I have two ideas on how to tackle this but I'm not sure they're the best way to do it, the first is to pick a route and finish it then use it as the template/base to add the other routes onto, the second which is similar to the first is to make a "no-route" sort of route, where all other paths and encounters are avoided and the mc lives in relative peace for a couple of weeks(?).

Well, just forget about this.

You'll come with a game, telling "hey guys, in this game there's X girls you can romance. But I'll start with that one, and when I'll have finished with her, I'll add a new one". And 75% of the players will think "Ok, I pass".
There's a reason why the really few game following this kind of approach all have an "Abandoned" prefix. It don't works. Even the players interested by the first girl will be reluctant to play. Simply because they are also interested by the second girl and don't see why they should wait before being able to play her route.

As for the neutral route first approach, it would be worse, since the game would have no content. Not all members care too much about the lewd, but the story need to be really interesting to compensate. And what would be the interest to replay the story a second time, just to finally have the lewd ? There's other games that have interesting stories, and those are new ones that the player will slowly discover ; it's way better.

And finally, using one route as template is also not the good approach. This would mean that all routes follow the exact same logic, what is plain boring. Even the generic Japanese romance VN do not works that way.


Oh, and also, there's a whole section dedicated to development questions. It's where you should have asked.

 

[Sasarko99]

Well, just forget about this.

You'll come with a game, telling "hey guys, in this game there's X girls you can romance. But I'll start with that one, and when I'll have finished with her, I'll add a new one". And 75% of the players will think "Ok, I pass".
There's a reason why the really few game following this kind of approach all have an "Abandoned" prefix. It don't works. Even the players interested by the first girl will be reluctant to play. Simply because they are also interested by the second girl and don't see why they should wait before being able to play her route.

As for the neutral route first approach, it would be worse, since the game would have no content. Not all members care too much about the lewd, but the story need to be really interesting to compensate. And what would be the interest to replay the story a second time, just to finally have the lewd ? There's other games that have interesting stories, and those are new ones that the player will slowly discover ; it's way better.

And finally, using one route as template is also not the good approach. This would mean that all routes follow the exact same logic, what is plain boring. Even the generic Japanese romance VN do not works that way.

I'm (was) intending on working on the game until I finished it or at least have made decent progress before I "release it" so the wait/being abandoned part wouldn't be a problem. But I could do it like this:

Spoiler: Another shitty drawing

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either way, I'll need to write the outline for the story which I called "no-route" route.

Oh, and also, there's a whole section dedicated to development questions. It's where you should have asked.

My bad I thought this was the appropriate forum, wow, now that I searched there I already found some threads that discuss this topic.
Should I delete this one and move it there then?

 

[rayminator]

I'm (was) intending on working on the game until I finished it or at least have made decent progress before I "release it" so the wait/being abandoned part wouldn't be a problem. But I could do it like this:

Spoiler: Another shitty drawing

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either way, I'll need to write the outline for the story which I called "no-route" route.

My bad I thought this was the appropriate forum, wow, now that I searched there I already found some threads that discuss this topic.
Should I delete this one and move it there then?

you just need to report your post and ask a mod to move it

My suggest to do a small game with 2 or 3 characters and make a game like kira kira or Edelweiss or Snow Sakura

you want to make something like select a girl you like to be with only but to interact any other girls?

 

[Sasarko99]

you want to make something like select a girl you like to be with only but to interact any other girls?

Pretty much, the story takes place in an urban setting, the protagonist is part of a family of 5 has friends and other social interactions and there is work, in total 14 characters (major branches) with possible minor encounters later on.

 

[rayminator]

Pretty much, the story takes place in an urban setting, the protagonist is part of a family of 5 has friends and other social interactions and there is work, in total 14 characters (major branches) with possible minor encounters later on.

is this your first game?

 

[Sasarko99]

is this your first game?

Yeah, I feel you're about to tell me I'm biting more than I can chew .

 

[rayminator]

Yeah, I feel you're about to tell me I'm biting more than I can chew .

no not really but doing a 14+5 = 19 character is a little bit a large game I just think that you might be overwhelm on it later on that why I suggest to a small game first this way you get comfortable doing a game like that

if you still want to make a game like that it's your choice

here a example only:

label start:
    
    scene david with dissolve
    dd "Hello My name is David..."
    dd "I am [david_age] Years Old."
    dd "We live in a town that's called Nude Town."
    dd "I work at my family Spa that my mother owns."
    dd "I also be taking over my grandmothers school."
    dd "And this is my sister Anna..."
    
    menu char:
        "Who Will I chose to talk today":
            "Ashley":
                call talk_ashley
            "Kim":
                call talk_kim
                
label talk_ashley:
    scene david01 with dissolve
    dd "Hello, Ashley..."
    as "Hey, David..."
    jump char
    
label talk_kim:
    scene david01 with dissolve
    dd "Hello, Kim..."
    km "Hey, David..."
    jump char

I would so suggest watch theses from Game Developer Training known as Thundorn Games

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