VN Ren'Py J-Files: The Penny Conspiracy (Development Thread)

[illunadin]

I don't want to be too slow on adding it, but I'm trying to work on STH2 at the moment and that's a rather... large bowl of soup. I'm still in set-design phase for that one.

I am now officially adding "It's own bowl of soup" to my vernacular. I love the phrase.

I know its a feeling hard to avoid, but people will always want everything faster AND better, and once delivered will find flaws to point out even when there aren't any. So users will never be satisfied (at least the majority), and because of this is that you need to release stuff when it feels right, and if that takes double the time, then so be it.

Completely agree with this. I work in online marketing and everyone always wants the Mercedes with the tricycle budget.

Again, please let me know how I can help. Further, I think I will throw my hat into the VN making ring as well. I'm just dipping my toes into the water but: How do you go about rendering?

 

[L8ERALgames]

there you go. that's what penny would look like as a slave girl.

 

[L8ERALgames]

Further, I think I will throw my hat into the VN making ring as well. I'm just dipping my toes into the water but: How do you go about rendering?

rendering images is like any art, i guess. it takes practice and a knowledge of the limitations and potential of the program (whether you use Daz3d or Blender or whatever). i picked up Daz around July last year and just tried to learn everything i could. there's some great videos on youtube on lighting and things like that.

it sort of depends what you want your game to look like. whether you want it to be a rush-job and don't care much about the quality, or you want quality images and are prepared to learn and take time. some people do quick images and then use more photoshop skill (which is itself an art form). i personally don't use photoshop on the images now. 'the penny conspiracy' had no photoshop work on any images.

the one thing i think a lot of people don't learn, which is important, is lighting. you can get some great images just by having good lighting choices.

i think i'm still learning, and daz can be a really fun and interesting tool to learn which has a lot of potential for creating some really great art with. even for porn...

 

[kotte]

Hi! New fan and sunscribestar patron here!
I really likes STH (it's what made me go support you), but I absolutely love The Penny Conspiracy!

I seldom like "cartoony" games, but I'm starting to think it's because they often have "cartoony" stories. But you really can write a story! This game has two main characters that are so easy to like and to relate to, and the progression is so wonderfully agonizingly slow...but in a good way! (After all, once the d is in the p, most of the excitement is gone, don't you think?)
And all the visuals are just beautiful.

I know you are working on STH2 now, but what about poor little Penny, abducted by a sex-crazy alien?
I won't be able to sleep until we get the chance to rescue her...

On a side note, I found a typo in file motel1.rpy, line 1192:

        p "or maybe you want to be {size=+10}more{.size} than friends, mister goff? is that it?"

Anyway, I am looking forward to you next release, both STH2 and this. Take care!

 

[L8ERALgames]

Hi! New fan and sunscribestar patron here!
I really likes STH (it's what made me go support you), but I absolutely love The Penny Conspiracy!

I seldom like "cartoony" games, but I'm starting to think it's because they often have "cartoony" stories. But you really can write a story! This game has two main characters that are so easy to like and to relate to, and the progression is so wonderfully agonizingly slow...but in a good way! (After all, once the d is in the p, most of the excitement is gone, don't you think?)
And all the visuals are just beautiful.

I know you are working on STH2 now, but what about poor little Penny, abducted by a sex-crazy alien?
I won't be able to sleep until we get the chance to rescue her...

On a side note, I found a typo in file motel1.rpy, line 1192:

        p "or maybe you want to be {size=+10}more{.size} than friends, mister goff? is that it?"

Anyway, I am looking forward to you next release, both STH2 and this. Take care!

eeeep! a typo!

thanks for that! i'll go update it for the next update.

penny is 100% coming back. i loved making the game and think the next episode will be fun. i have to do STH2, though, to get the first part out. i am still waiting on my new video card to really get to work properly on it, though.

i love toony looks. maybe not TOO toony. but just a little bit. to me it lets me have more outrageous facial expressions...

 

[kotte]

... you really can write a story! This game has two main characters that are so easy to like and to relate to

Side note, I find it amusing that the "corruption variable" is called "penny_confidence", since I get a strong feeling that the major obstacle isn't her confidence, but Jack's...

 

[Sonico]

Side note, I find it amusing that the "corruption variable" is called "penny_confidence", since I get a strong feeling that the major obstacle isn't her confidence, but Jack's...

Or maybe him gaining her confidence/trust, perhaps?

 

[RustyV]

 

[L8ERALgames]

Side note, I find it amusing that the "corruption variable" is called "penny_confidence", since I get a strong feeling that the major obstacle isn't her confidence, but Jack's...

i kinda feel it's her getting the confidence to be a bit more cheeky and assertive. it only changes slight dialogue (and some outfit changes in the bathroom) from her. i consider it a soft stat to provide replay variation depending on choices.

 

[MangoMeta]

sth is a million times better then this game honestly

 

[RustyV]

Well there has been only one release of TPC so it might be hard to judge.
IMO this game has a lot of potential. One good thing the dev did was give himself a very open ended storyline. Space provides the possibility of a variety of encounters and situations.
A situation where Penny was cloned and has a lesbian relationship with herself. Penny becomes her own girlfriend but later her clone doesn't fancy her.

 

[L8ERALgames]

sth is a million times better then this game honestly

 

[kotte]

i kinda feel it's her getting the confidence to be a bit more cheeky and assertive. it only changes slight dialogue (and some outfit changes in the bathroom) from her. i consider it a soft stat to provide replay variation depending on choices.

Agreed. While Jack might need some more confidence to stop thinking of himself as someone that "takes advantage of an innocent girl", if Penny was more assertive it would make it easier for Jack to drop that mindset.

And this is kind of realistic, how two people can be interested in each other but not be able to see the other's interest.

 

[RustyV]

The MC may feel that he has a lot to lose if he's wrong and that could make him hesitate.
Getting involved with a younger woman you taught is even more stressful than just asking out a random woman.

 

[kotte]

The MC may feel that he has a lot to lose if he's wrong and that could make him hesitate.
Getting involved with a younger woman you taught is even more stressful than just asking out a random woman.

True. And most of us have been there, thinking "is it worth taking the risk, what if it ends badly, perhaps it's better to stick to what we've got?"

And I love games that makes me think it could actually have been me.

EDIT:
...and I just realize my sig is two games that neither of them in a million years could have been me...

 

[L8ERALgames]

True. And most of us have been there, thinking "is it worth taking the risk, what if it ends badly, perhaps it's better to stick to what we've got?"

And I love games that makes me think it could actually have been me.

EDIT:
...and I just realize my sig is two games that neither of them in a million years could have been me...

totally what i felt. my experiences when i was younger was i often spent so much time thinking "does she, doesn't she" and worrying i'd lose something if she was horrified by my thinking she might be that i ended up friendzoned because she thought i wasn't interested.

i was terrible with girls. i was so terrible at it, that i hated myself for it. then, one day, i walked into a bakery and saw a wonderful girl and, fresh from having just been friendzoned again, i straight out asked this girl out to lunch (thought it wouldn't sound as creepy as dinner). i figured if she said no, i wouldn't have to think about her again.

we've now been together for 15 years.

 

[RustyV]

That's great.
I usually am attracted to girls that are train wrecks.
Although I did have a girl I taught in high school end up going to a college in my town. We became friends. Turns out I unknowingly friend-zoned her. What a dumb-ass.

 

[RustyV]

Can't wait to see what adventures Penny has in store for her.
The MC trying to get to Penny to save her while she is having fun. LOL

 

[kotte]

...then, one day...

Once, after a party, I had to share a bed with a beautiful girl, since all other places to sleep were taken. "But no funny business..." she said, and and I said no problem. We lay there talking for quite a while before she fell asleep, it was great. After that it was of course impossible to sleep, with her, in her underwear, so close to me...

A year later we became a couple, and when we were talking about that party she said "I never understood why you didn't try to make a move that night?".
What? But I had PROMISED not to try anything?
"Yeah, sure", she said, "but you could at least have shown some interest. I would have turned you down that night, but perhaps then it wouldn't have taken a year for us to get together..."

 

[Sonico]

Once, after a party, I had to share a bed with a beautiful girl, since all other places to sleep were taken. "But no funny business..." she said, and and I said no problem. We lay there talking for quite a while before she fell asleep, it was great. After that it was of course impossible to sleep, with her, in her underwear, so close to me...

A year later we became a couple, and when we were talking about that party she said "I never understood why you didn't try to make a move that night?".
What? But I had PROMISED not to try anything?
"Yeah, sure", she said, "but you could at least have shown some interest. I would have turned you down that night, but perhaps then it wouldn't have taken a year for us to get together..."

Our Lady Of The Mixed Signals, she that causes so many mishaps in the life of all males. Oy vey.