VN Ren'Py New Game Dev - How Long Should V0.1 Be?

[thatmozzie]

Hi All,

I'm currently working on my first title. It's a lot more work than I could have ever imagined, but I'm enjoying learning as I go.

I wanted to get a sort of feel for how long most people expect a V0.1 to be? I plan on releasing the game in Chapters and create as I go.

- If you're a seasoned Dev, what would you expect to release as the "first chapter" or version 0.1? How many renders do you think on average, how much play time, how much dialogue, etc etc.

- If you're a fan of NSFW VN's, what do you typically expect for a first release on a new game? How long would you expect for a game to be in the "sweet spot" for you to check out to see if you would enjoy it or not? What about the types of content? (I am making this title a slow burn, so not an instant gratification kind)

Feel free to drop any thoughts you may have. Thanks!

 

[Raksha17]

I don't think there is a hard rule with X renders oder Y lines of dialogue people will think "It was enough".

What I think you should aim for is a release with the best possible renders you can achieve where you get to introduce the MC and the important story beads as well as some (most?/all?) of the possible LI's and the sexual themes you are generally going for. Not necessarily actual sex scenes if you don't think they fit your pace for the game but hint at what's to come through the character of the MC and/or the LI's. I would advise against dream/fantasy/pure voyeuristic scenes (unless that IS you actual theme of course) just to have a random lewd scene in a first release.

This is probably not what you wanted to hear - because it is as vague as it gets - but that is what I am looking for:
1. A story I want to know more about
2. Characters I liked and want to know more about
3. Themes I enjoy
(Think of a pilot for any series. It most of the time decides if people will continue a show.)

How much content you specifically need to achieve that can't necessarily put in numbers. I know it is hard for you as the one writing it but try to think about points 1 and 2 and if you would think those achieved. (Point 3 ist purely subjective but just think about the audience you want for your game and as you would be very likely part of that audience if you would find the themes you want to audience to see)

And if you are here be prepared to answer questions about the future of your game because they will come.
Tags are you genre - there is no such thing as a spoiler for the genre of the game.

Good luck on your game

 

[clearwavey]

Fully depends on how long you think the game will be when completed. Either long short or medium I would ideal want:
* Introduction to the overal story including any kind of important gimmicks that the game may use. (If the MC can stop time, then this needs to be introduced and showcased.)
* Setting up of the world of the game. (If the game is set in a University don't just keep the MC inside his room, show us some of the world.)
* If you have choices then a couple of choices would be good. Maybe even show that those choices have impact if they are going to for the rest of the game.
* Establish the MCs basic motivation in the story
* Introduce some characters (this can really depend of course on how many character you'll have by the end)
* Teaser for next update is pretty common and can keep people hooked.

However long it takes to meet those points is how long it takes. Like Raksha17 said, it's kinda like a pilot episode for your game.

​

 

[thatmozzie]

Fully depends on how long you think the game will be when completed. Either long short or medium I would ideal want:
* Introduction to the overal story including any kind of important gimmicks that the game may use. (If the MC can stop time, then this needs to be introduced and showcased.)
* Setting up of the world of the game. (If the game is set in a University don't just keep the MC inside his room, show us some of the world.)
* If you have choices then a couple of choices would be good. Maybe even show that those choices have impact if they are going to for the rest of the game.
* Establish the MCs basic motivation in the story
* Introduce some characters (this can really depend of course on how many character you'll have by the end)
* Teaser for next update is pretty common and can keep people hooked.

However long it takes to meet those points is how long it takes. Like Raksha17 said, it's kinda like a pilot episode for your game.

​

This is actually super helpful tbh so thank you so much for the input, gives me a better high-level idea of what I should be trying to accomplish. This is my first time even trying to write a story but it's super fun to put this all together. Thanks!

 

[thatmozzie]

I don't think there is a hard rule with X renders oder Y lines of dialogue people will think "It was enough".

What I think you should aim for is a release with the best possible renders you can achieve where you get to introduce the MC and the important story beads as well as some (most?/all?) of the possible LI's and the sexual themes you are generally going for. Not necessarily actual sex scenes if you don't think they fit your pace for the game but hint at what's to come through the character of the MC and/or the LI's. I would advise against dream/fantasy/pure voyeuristic scenes (unless that IS you actual theme of course) just to have a random lewd scene in a first release.

This is probably not what you wanted to hear - because it is as vague as it gets - but that is what I am looking for:
1. A story I want to know more about
2. Characters I liked and want to know more about
3. Themes I enjoy
(Think of a pilot for any series. It most of the time decides if people will continue a show.)

How much content you specifically need to achieve that can't necessarily put in numbers. I know it is hard for you as the one writing it but try to think about points 1 and 2 and if you would think those achieved. (Point 3 ist purely subjective but just think about the audience you want for your game and as you would be very likely part of that audience if you would find the themes you want to audience to see)

And if you are here be prepared to answer questions about the future of your game because they will come.
Tags are you genre - there is no such thing as a spoiler for the genre of the game.

Good luck on your game

Incredibly helpful actually! Thank you!

 

[LS47]

My 2 cents : Your first impression is what matters the most. Make a complete demo that stands on its own feet. So many devs here release alphas after alphas riddled with bugs, poor animations, subpar stories and unengaging dialogues, and expect ppl to latch on and follow the lastest releases, promising that "it will get better over time".

But most ppl, like me, will take the game for what it is at its release. If I browser the games here and play a game with no polish whatsoever, you bet I'm gonna leave a bad review, no matter what the dev promises. And the problem with this is, the following players who would be interested in the game, will see the bad reviews first, and will say "nope, too low quality", and never give the game a chance No matter how many updates you release, you will be plagued by those first reviews that tank your first impression.

It doesn't matter how long your game is, or how much content there is. Just make it good. If you want a story, make it engaging with character growth and conflicts. If you want to make animations, don't just make shitty Spine2D rigs decktaped together in 15 minutes. Remember, you're gonna compete with a lot of people. If you want players to notive you, you gotta either be unique, or really good at what you do. Focus on your strengths. Sure, some ppl will be interested by whatever they can get their hands on, but that won't necesarily translate to a dedicated fanbase or Patreon subscriptions.

 

[Insomnimaniac Games]

* Teaser for next update is pretty common and can keep people hooked.

Agree with all of it, except this. I think it's better to leave a hook or cliffhanger of some kind, instead of a teaser. A character intro, start of an interesting plot point, big event, etc. It gets people talking, making them want to come back to see what happens next.