VN Newbie Dev Guide!

[| Vee |]

Newbie Dev Guide!
Nothing is set in stone that you've to do exactly as I said below.
This is my observation, you can choose to follow it or not.​

As the title says. I have seen many newbie dev's struggling here on f95 when they release their game and not knowing how to deliver a game to the right audience without complicating things or confusing audience and hindering their growth in the long run.

Things to pay attention to before publishing your game (Will add more as I come across any):

1. Writing quality (You don't need a AAA story for you game to be successful, Just good writing and you can make any scene amazing and engage audience. There are literally thousands of game with same plot.)
2. Do yourself a favor and don't do dual protagonist's for your first game instead stick to single protagonist whether that is male or female depending on your story. Dual protagonist is not a good choice as a first game of choice for any new dev due to burnout, no experience, too complex pathing, etc. Now if you still want go ahead with dual protagonist as your first game than I would recommend Our Red String by Eva Kiss who is an experienced Dev still facing issues due to the dual protagonist and it reflects in the game, it's updates, delays, etc. and learn from it.
3. grinding same shit over and over (Choose what you want Sandbox or VN. If mix of both than limit sandbox as VN audience get's bored really quickly)
4. when dev suddenly throws a new tag to your face which can not be your taste ever (Best way to lose you audience and making your audience not to trust you again thus, limiting your growth.) DO Mention beforehand in planned tags what kinks/fetish will be added in future.
5. unavoidable fetishes/kinks unless that is what you want in your story. (femdom, bestiality, gay, vore, scat, Netorare, Netorase, Netori, Harem, trap, futa, trans, etc. any Fetish/Kink that is frowned upon or is not common). Tags should be avoidable (MC choose whether happens or not, resulting in impacting the story/events) and not skippable (still happens but I choose whether to see or not, resulting in no impact on the story/events). Saying that certain tags should be avoidable doesn't mean that it is anti-certain-kinks advice and those shouldn't be in-game, it just means that the player should've the liability of choosing the content according to the players preferences. It's like choosing to eat between fast food or homemade. If there are choices than those choices should matter.
6. You need to separate the paths well enough so that they don't overlap as it will breaks the flow of the story. For example: if I'm playing a game and the choice is MC fucks another male or not and I choose not to than later at some point it is mentioned that MC fuck Jason or vice versa, it would break the flow of story. Writing needs way more improvement in this regard so that the paths should be separated properly. OR MC having thoughts on an avoidable path of sharing his li's even if that path is avoidable and is avoided by the player. Dev make it canon when both baths are separate. Example: Family Vacation by MCK
7. Errors in Writing (DEVs PLZ do us and yourself favor and run a grammar and spelling check)
8. TOO much dream stuff (I downloaded the game NOT to dream in the game for fuck's sake) unless the story is about dreaming or something like that.
9. When Dev is projecting shit instead of being honest about future tags or simply won't even address any question about certain tag or any future tag. Be honest and research you tags which you want to be in-game, it will help establishing your audience and growth.
10. copy paste models from other games (no versatility = no dev effort)
11. For Dev's who don't know the definition of Netorare, Netorase, Netori, you only need to know about first 3 (Netori, Netorare, Netorase). Check below spoiler.
    Spoiler: All NTR definitions

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KEEP GROWING!
STAY HEALTHY!

GOLDLUCK TO ALL OF YOU!

NOTE: Newbie Dev's can discuss here if there is any issue they encounter!

 

[moskyx]

Why so many people feel the need to 'help' devs by advising them to catter their personal tastes and preferences? Most of these points (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8) are pretty subjective and shouldn't be included in any 'guide' unless such guide is properly labeled as OP's very own vision. 5 is also totally wrong, since 'overlapping paths' don't break the flow of the story: poor variable tracking (as in the example provided) do.

If there's any wannabe dev reading these, just forget about this thread as soon as possible.

 

[Hagatagar]

Sounds more like a list of complaints instead of a guide.

 

[Insomnimaniac Games]

Is it just me, or are points 4 and 6 the exact same?

 

[| Vee |]

...5 is also totally wrong, since 'overlapping paths' don't break the flow of the story: poor variable tracking (as in the example provided) do.

If there's any wannabe dev reading these, just forget about this thread as soon as possible.

That's exactly poor pathing means. What a way to dismiss someone's point.

 

[| Vee |]

Is it just me, or are points 4 and 6 the exact same?

Fixed it. Thanks for mentioning.

 

[| Vee |]

Sounds more like a list of complaints instead of a guide.

Yeah. Complaints of audience.

 

[moskyx]

That's exactly poor pathing means. What a way to dismiss someone's point.

Maybe you should try to make your points more accurately and explain them better? Because a choice poorly tracked is not a path overlapping a different one. It could be, but not neccessarily. Therefore, if you really want to help, you should be way more careful with the way you present your points.

The whole list gives a weird anti-certain-kinks vibe and shouldn't be labeled as a guide.

 

[| Vee |]

Maybe you should try to make your points more accurately and explain them better? Because a choice poorly tracked is not a path overlapping a different one. It could be, but not neccessarily. Therefore, if you really want to help, you should be way more careful with the way you present your points.

The whole list gives a weird anti-certain-kinks vibe and shouldn't be labeled as a guide.

If you are not able to grasp the context of the post that's on you. Nice way of diversion from the argument of pathing and bringing in tags argument but not good enough. Work on that.

 

[desmosome]

Why so many people feel the need to 'help' devs by advising them to catter their personal tastes and preferences? Most of these points (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8) are pretty subjective and shouldn't be included in any 'guide' unless such guide is properly labeled as OP's very own vision. 5 is also totally wrong, since 'overlapping paths' don't break the flow of the story: poor variable tracking (as in the example provided) do.

If there's any wannabe dev reading these, just forget about this thread as soon as possible.

Based on the recognizable name from various hilarious threads, I expected exactly this kind of barely disguised plz no ntr "guide."

 

[peterppp]

Based on the recognizable name from various hilarious threads, I expected exactly this kind of barely disguised plz no ntr "guide."

yeah no ntr and no gay.

he lists gay twice lol

 

[morphnet]

This, as others have said is not a guide but your personal preferences, opinions and wish list. It is also advisable to have proper organization when compiling a guide. Right now this OP repeats itself in multiple places, clearly favors your personal preferences and lists complaints that are hard to take seriously when OP clearly does not stand by the standards he is calling for others to have.

1) Points 1,6 and 7 all fall under writing and in 6 you mixed up coding / tracking and writing together. It is also really strange when people complain about games having bad English and Grammar when their posts look like they were MTL themselves.

• Writing quality (You don't need a AAA story for you game to be successful, Just good writing and you can make any scene amazing and engage audience. There are literally thousands of game with same plot.)​

• You need to separate the paths well enough so that they don't overlap as it will breaks the flow of the story. For example: if I'm playing a game and the choice is MC fucks another male or not and I choose not to than later at some point it is mentioned that MC fuck Jason or vice versa, it would break the flow of story. Writing needs way more improvement in this regard so that the paths should be separated properly.

• Errors in Writing (DEVs PLZ do us and yourself favor and run a grammar and spelling check)

2) Is clearly personal preference, if this was a guide then why do you fail you justify this point with a reason to not have dual protagonists?

3) Again, this is clearly a personal preference, you say that if mixed that the sandbox should be limited as to not bore the VN audience. Why put the VN audience over the sandbox one? You again also fail you give reasons or justifications for this point.

4) Poorly worded and poorly thought out. You fail to cover different situations that can AND do arise during development. Also 4 and 9 are the same.
example: A) If the fan base or supporters request new kinks / tags during development.
B) Changes made due to rules change on sites. etc.

8) This is clearly a personal preference and also you once AGAIN fail to give a reason or justification other than....

1. TOO much dream stuff (I downloaded the game NOT to dream in the game for fuck's sake) unless the story is about dreaming or something like that.

10) This one is ridiculous, people who complain about people using models from "other games" NEED to go visit DAZ and then realize that it is NOT first come first owned. Just because someone used a victoria model in their game 2 years ago does NOT mean they have sole rights to that model or that others can not use it after.

11)

As said above, this is not a guide, it is a list of personal preferences. It lacks any and all reasoning behind any of the "do not" list, it offers nothing in the way of alternatives to replaces the "do not" list, it is poorly listed and often repeats itself and lacks the general knowledge needed about game making. The only thing this comes to being a guide for, is how NOT to make a guide.

 

[| Vee |]

Based on the recognizable name from various hilarious threads, I expected exactly this kind of barely disguised plz no ntr "guide."

yeah no ntr and no gay.

he lists gay twice lol

Thanks for dismissing my point even when I added the tag which I like too(Harem) but you're too focused on yourselves how to shut someone down just to have an upper hand. Growup! "Typing same tag twice? Ha he clearly don't know how to write, ha!" Not every is like you professor and certainly not native english speaking.

 

[| Vee |]

This, as others have said is not a guide but your personal preferences, opinions and wish list. It is also advisable to have proper organization when compiling a guide. Right now this OP repeats itself in multiple places, clearly favors your personal preferences and lists complaints that are hard to take seriously when OP clearly does not stand by the standards he is calling for others to have...

If you just open your eyes you'll see these are the EXACT issues which both Dev's and audiences face, in every thread.
--------

...
1) Points 1,6 and 7 all fall under writing and in 6 you mixed up coding / tracking and writing together. It is also really strange when people complain about games having bad English and Grammar when their posts look like they were MTL themselves.
...

Are you dumb? 1st point emphasis on writing quality to keep audience engaging and dev's writing style, that's why I mention grammar and spelling in separate point, 6 point emphasis on pathing and when I say pathing there are some games like family vacation which slap your face in tha name of pathing and you clearly didn't get the context of this point. If you are on one path and the game is giving innuendoes to other path than that is also a problem of pathing when both path are not related altogether. 7 point puts emphasis on grammar and spelling. Now tell me what is same in these? And Thank you professor for dismissing someone's point if someone is not native english speaker like you perhaps.

--------

...
2) Is clearly personal preference, if this was a guide then why do you fail you justify this point with a reason to not have dual protagonists?
...

..

1. Do yourself a favor and don't do dual protagonist's for your first game instead stick to single protagonist whether that is male or female depending on your story.

...

I'm playing dual protagonist too so why would you think It's not my preference just to dismiss a point, smh. Not giving a reason doesn't mean I don't have one. Dual protagonist is not a good choice as a first game of choice for any new dev due to burnout, no experience, too complex pathing, etc. Instead they should focus on single protagonist as I said in my post in OP whether they are MMC or FMC focused.

--------

...
3) Again, this is clearly a personal preference, you say that if mixed that the sandbox should be limited as to not bore the VN audience. Why put the VN audience over the sandbox one? You again also fail you give reasons or justifications for this point.
...

Can you even read? What is preference here? I clearly mentioned

​

1. grinding same shit over and over (Choose what you want Sandbox or VN. If mix of both than limit sandbox as VN audience get's bored really quickly)

--------

...
4) Poorly worded and poorly thought out. You fail to cover different situations that can AND do arise during development. Also 4 and 9 are the same.
example: A) If the fan base or supporters request new kinks / tags during development.
B) Changes made due to rules change on sites. etc.
...

1. when dev suddenly throws a new tag to your face which can not be your taste ever (Best way to lose you audience and making your audience not to trust you again thus, limiting your growth.) SO, Mention in planned tags what kinks/fetish will be added in future.
2. When Dev is projecting shit instead of being honest about future tags (be honest and research you tags which you want to be in-game)

What is same in this again?

For your A) green highlighted portion works fine.
For your B) they never wakeup and change tags, that never happens instead they give a time limit and beforehand notice as now f95 is doing about adding new tag list and revisit old one.

--------

...
8) This is clearly a personal preference and also you once AGAIN fail to give a reason or justification other than....
...

...

1. TOO much dream stuff (I downloaded the game NOT to dream in the game for fuck's sake) unless the story is about dreaming or something like that.

...

If the point itself is self-explanatory why I need to explain it more? Perhaps focus on your reading ability. Excuse me what is preference here again just bcz I used "I" in the sentence. Even if it is, you do realize I too fall into the audience category right?

--------

...
10) This one is ridiculous, people who complain about people using models from "other games" NEED to go visit DAZ and then realize that it is NOT first come first owned. Just because someone used a victoria model in their game 2 years ago does NOT mean they have sole rights to that model or that others can not use it after.
...

...

1. copy paste models from other games (no versatility = no dev effort)

...

"I Payed for the ATM why should I change my password". I didn't know daz doesn't give option to change models, smh. If a dev loves his game and is putting in works he would change give attention to even minor details. Changing a character's looks is not that big of a deal as you're trying to make it. And if dev copy paste the same models it shows exactly What I highlighted in my quote above.

--------

...
11)

As said above, this is not a guide, it is a list of personal preferences. It lacks any and all reasoning behind any of the "do not" list, it offers nothing in the way of alternatives to replaces the "do not" list, it is poorly listed and often repeats itself and lacks the general knowledge needed about game making. The only thing this comes to being a guide for, is how NOT to make a guide.

You might hurt your eyes!
If you are not able to grasp the context of the post that's on you.

I'll learn to speak english properly and you learn how to read. OK?

 

[peterppp]

Thanks for dismissing my point even when I added the tag which I like too(Harem) but you're too focused on yourselves how to shut someone down just to have an upper hand. Growup! "Typing same tag twice? Ha he clearly don't know how to write, ha!" Not every is like you professor and certainly not native english speaking.

of course you like harem. there is already a "guide" for that and you don't add much else
https://f95zone.to/threads/so-you-want-to-make-a-harem-a-helpful-guide-to-the-basics.150068/

 

[morphnet]

If you just open your eyes you'll see these are the EXACT issues which both Dev's and audiences face, in every thread.
--------

People moaning their personal preferences aren't being met? then yes they are found in threads....

Now tell me what is same in these?

Writing

I'm playing dual protagonist too so why would you think It's not my preference just to dismiss a point, smh. Not giving a reason doesn't mean I don't have one. Dual protagonist is not a good choice as a first game of choice for any new dev due to burnout, no experience, too complex pathing, etc. Instead they should focus on single protagonist as I said in my post in OP whether they are MMC or FMC focused.

--------

A guide does just that, guide. It offers options and alternatives on how to do something. Yours is a list of "do not's" which are clearly your personal preference. You completely ignore the views of those who enjoy certain play styles including but not limited to multi / dual protagonists and do not leave any room for their inclusion.

1. Do yourself a favor and don't do dual protagonist's for your first game instead stick to single protagonist whether that is male or female depending on your story. Dual protagonist is not a good choice as a first game of choice for any new dev due to burnout, no experience, too complex pathing, etc. Instead they should focus on single protagonist as I said in my post in OP whether they are MMC or FMC focused.

If you goal was to help the dev avoid "burnout, no experience, too complex pathing, etc." then it's strange you ignore things like "don't add large amounts of LI's", "don't run many polls that divert the original story" etc. etc. and focus on dual protag's.
A list with only one point of view, one set of opinions and NO facts is NOT a guide.

Can you even read?

Can you?

What is same in this again?

For your A) green highlighted portion works fine.
For your B) they never wakeup and change tags, that never happens instead they give a time limit and beforehand notice as now f95 is doing about adding new tag list and revisit old one.

1. when dev suddenly throws a new tag to your face which can not be your taste ever (Best way to lose you audience and making your audience not to trust you again thus, limiting your growth.) SO, Mention in planned tags what kinks/fetish will be added in future.
2. When Dev is projecting shit instead of being honest about future tags (be honest and research you tags which you want to be in-game)

Both are saying you want no changes to the tags once the currently ingame and planned tags have initially been added to the page. i.e. no future tag changes...
You also fail to point out that while some people might not like changes to the tags, others WILL like it.

If the point itself is self-explanatory why I need to explain it more? Perhaps focus on your reading ability. Excuse me what is preference here again just bcz I used "I" in the sentence. Even if it is, you do realize I too fall into the audience category right?

What did you call this thread again? a guide???

1. TOO much dream stuff (I downloaded the game NOT to dream in the game for fuck's sake) unless the story is about dreaming or something like that.

Good thing this isn't a guide, that is so vague as to be pointless to even mention. What exactly qualifies as too much? One dream scene per chapter? 3 dream scenes for the whole game?

dev 1 : let's do some dream scenes
dev 2 : vee says "don't do too much dream stuff"
dev 3 : how much is too much?
dev 1 : don't know
dev 2 : let's get a bunch of people and you piss in the wind, how ever many your piss hits is the right amount......

But sure, why not, let's go with "too much" being self-explanatory....

"I Payed for the ATM why should I change my password". I didn't know daz doesn't give option to change models, smh. If a dev loves his game and is putting in works he would change give attention to even minor details. Changing a character's looks is not that big of a deal as you're trying to make it. And if dev copy paste the same models it shows exactly What I highlighted in my quote above.

You payed for the atm? change your password? lost in translation maybe?

Or and stay with me here...it's a wild concept.... they might hope that the popularity of the model / models will draw attention to their game. You know kind of like picking a movie because your favorite actor is in it?
Or they might like the look of the model and want to see it in a different type of story
Or they might own a brick and be learning coding and posing and everything else and will get around to editing in later games?
etc. etc. etc.

It is also strange that for a guide you fail to point out the pit falls possible if they do actually edit the models.

It's not like some people lost their shit so badly over one instance that a mod had to place a message in the op to NOT complain about the unique style or that there are a lot of posts complaining about edited models proportions or looks?

You might hurt your eyes!
If you are not able to grasp the context of the post that's on you.

This gibberish mess that is so vague as to be pointless, filled with do not's and a one sided opinion?

This wish list of yours that tells them what you want and fails at every turn to warning about the disadvantages of following your list?

On a side note: Have you not noticed how your thread and the other "guide" threads have shown a vocal majority pointing out how wrong they are? Is your "advice" not meant to help a dev create a successful project? From the replies here and in other threads it is clear those projects will only cater to one group out of many out there and that can hardly be called a success.

I'll learn to speak english properly and you learn how to read. OK?

That would have been a really good witty end, if only you knew that just because you can speak English does not mean you can read or write / type it