VN Ren'Py Shards of the Past [v0.3.1] [Garou24]

4.80 star(s) 16 Votes

Fazed

Well-Known Member
Nov 21, 2018
1,662
3,565
I personally like replaying games and trying different paths to see how dialogue and stories change. That is my goal for Shards of the Past, to have diversity in the scenes and choices that a new playthrough still seems rewarding.

I am planning a Steam release. I wanted to focus on getting a few updates out first before going live on steam. I am planning on doing early access so anyone that wants to purchase just needs to buy the game once and then will get all the updates as they become available.
Well you have your work cut out for you. The only way I will ever play a VN more than once is if the paths lead to a completely different line of events and that is just too much to expect from a small studio, ofc. I will likely end up holding control through 90% of the game on the second playthrough and that is just boring. Just saying that the path of least resistance is swapping character models and few lines to make different paths. That just isn't going to do it for me to replay the whole game.


Sharing - This is part of a random encounter I had written for later in the game. You and your group come across traveling merchants. One of them has an item you want, but you have nothing he wants in trade... or do you? His gaze sure is lingering on your female companion...
Yea, the thought of doing that, even with people who aren't love interests disgusts me. I'd rather do without the item. Almost nothing worse than literally selling out your friends/companions. As you said it's a random encounter and probably wont be relevant to the story in any way but even as a non-fan of sharing content, I would think there would be a better way to implement that kink, rather than just offering your friends to random npc #56.

justmyuselesstwocents. Do with it what you will.
 

HerkkuPeukku

Member
Jul 12, 2023
143
888
" You could complete the game and skip any genres you don't want to see. "

First thought... Slowburn. I couldn't torture myself right now. Then the second thought: lesbians, sharing and prostitution. Optional always raises anger in these games and fetishes meaning they are ONLY SKIPABLE NOT AVOIDABLE as they should be. Someone wiser has said that skipable is like it's happening in front of your face because shit still happens in the background and it's never acceptable. That skipable only causes one effect and that is NO NO NO for this game. Then also the LI who needs to be kept on a leash so she doesn't go banging other guys is also a big fucking turn off.

If these assumptions are wrong, then it should also be corrected in the OP to say that EVERYTHING is AVOIDABLE. Skipable is essentially a curse word when it comes to these fetishes and its use should be banned. That skipable word in itself drives people away from the game, when it shouldn't just be skipable for certain fetishes which is completely pointless.


OP descriptions have been changed
 
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Garou24

Newbie
Game Developer
Nov 17, 2021
76
478
Well you have your work cut out for you. The only way I will ever play a VN more than once is if the paths lead to a completely different line of events and that is just too much to expect from a small studio, ofc. I will likely end up holding control through 90% of the game on the second playthrough and that is just boring. Just saying that the path of least resistance is swapping character models and few lines to make different paths. That just isn't going to do it for me to replay the whole game.



Yea, the thought of doing that, even with people who aren't love interests disgusts me. I'd rather do without the item. Almost nothing worse than literally selling out your friends/companions. As you said it's a random encounter and probably wont be relevant to the story in any way but even as a non-fan of sharing content, I would think there would be a better way to implement that kink, rather than just offering your friends to random npc #56.

justmyuselesstwocents. Do with it what you will.
Keeping the story moving forward and still giving players valid choices and branches is the big juggling act. I am hoping that the choices, alternate scenes and random encounters will give players enough incentive to try multiple playthroughs without blowing up development time with too many options or paths. Some folks don't like to replay no matter how much choice they have and that's fine also. I personally like to replay games or scenes to see "what if" so I wanted to build the game in a similar fashion.

The sharing scene was an idea to show how some of your characters darker choices could lead to some darker scenes. It was an idea for further in the story once enough choices had been made by the player to shape the personality of their character some. But it might not work because your character would have to have really strayed from his original path to end up in a scene like that. So it might not get added since I don't know if the character could ever stray that far or if we really want him to anyways. It might be a scene or part of a scene that works more for an antagonist or one of the more unsavory characters your group runs across and instead is a situation where your character can step in to help.
 

MrBenny

Well-Known Member
Jul 20, 2021
1,487
2,847
Well after re-reading the forms to remind me more about this title, and to know it's future direction (I usually read many other titles, so I can easily forget past content...) Well it's sad to read that yet another excellent looking project start, with a well written story so far, and excellent rendered ladies...which could easily be mistaken for a harem game / story, will not have ANY full harem path (and even a partial harem won't be considered until much later in the project). :(

And with adding the sharing love interests kink with other men (yuck), it's a game avoider for me right now...even though it said to be avoidable. My concern, it usually ends up bleeding more disliked content much later in the story...that most harem (myself included) fans also will not like to see. (I've seen it happen many times before with other titles.)

I guess I'll wait until the story further progresses with where the relationship paths and the story direction will go. And especially what types of kink content this title will end up having. (I'm really not a NTR fan, so I avoid any titles that introduce it, or don't clearly state it won't be present.)

Well, all the best with your future endeavor dev, I hope it becomes a success for you. Regards.
 
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KoGa3

Engaged Member
Modder
Donor
Aug 14, 2018
2,908
29,136
Made a quick gallery unlocker Mod + some more/enhanced game settings

==========================================
April 12, 2024
Updated the Mod and Android port to the new game version v0.3.1
==========================================


Download Mod v0.3.1 (~1MB)
-

Android port from the game compressed
with integrated Mod v0.3.1 (~500MB)
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jufot

Well-Known Member
May 15, 2021
1,442
3,094
Garou24 congrats on an amazing chapter! I was already intrigued by the first chapter, but now I'm properly invested.
My goal is for each love interest to have their own path and storyline.
There will be consequences for your actions as well since I want the things you do and say to carry weight.
I personally like replaying games and trying different paths to see how dialogue and stories change. That is my goal for Shards of the Past, to have diversity in the scenes and choices that a new playthrough still seems rewarding.
All of the above sounds most excellent and now that I know it won't be a harem, you got yourself a new patreon :)

I've also recommended your game in the story-first games thread!
 
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Jah-Ith-Ber

Member
Feb 23, 2021
414
1,277
First thought... Slowburn. I couldn't torture myself right now. Then the second thought: lesbianism, sharing and prostitution. Optional always raises anger in these games and fetishes meaning they are ONLY SKIPABLE NOT AVOIDABLE as they should be. Someone wiser has said that skipable is like it's happening in front of your face because shit still happens in the background and it's never acceptable. That skipable only causes one effect and that is NO NO NO for this game. Then also the LI who needs to be kept on a leash so she doesn't go banging other guys is also a big fucking turn off.

If these assumptions are wrong, then it should also be corrected in the OP to say that EVERYTHING is AVOIDABLE. Skipable is essentially a curse word when it comes to these fetishes and its use should be banned. That skipable word in itself drives people away from the game, when it shouldn't just be skipable for certain fetishes which is completely pointless.

It seems like it is avoidable though? Already you can have Caleb molest Branson's sister (a future LI) or you can have Caleb immediately intervene and save her. It's not as if she gets molested either way it's your choice whether it happens period. Maybe it will be different in the future but I wouldn't be so off-kilter.
 
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Garou24

Newbie
Game Developer
Nov 17, 2021
76
478
It seems like it is avoidable though? Already you can have Caleb molest Branson's sister (a future LI) or you can have Caleb immediately intervene and save her. It's not as if she gets molested either way it's your choice whether it happens period. Maybe it will be different in the future but I wouldn't be so off-kilter.
Yes, Avoidable is the goal for most if not all things, especially if your character would be engaged in the actives. Just like the scenario with Caleb and Kaela. That scene also is more defining Branson's personality versus what your character would do. When I wrote out the tags I was trying to think of what was possible in the story so players are not surprised if something came up during gameplay. Many of the tags are a very small part of the game and put there more for awareness and not to try and lure anyone in.
 

Canto Forte

Post Pro
Jul 10, 2017
20,966
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1692826865105.png

What is this? Is MC a fly on their fourth wall?
Why is MC not deep into their nether regions undergoing spelunking tasks
deep into their tantalizing cavities?
How come it sc io has more tags?
, , , , , ,
 
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JJJ84

Engaged Member
Dec 24, 2018
2,930
6,140
Just got done with the update and I must say, I enjoyed it very much.
The whole backstory of Branson and Caleb's family I found adding to the whole narrative.

Garou24 couple of questions I have for ya;

1) Regarding the game, any chance you'd be interested in doing a "Codex" section which shows entries of the characters? Basically all LIs, and other possibly important characters (even though they may not be LIs) as well as items (like the artifact; the gun).
Perhaps something like Witcher 3's journal entries. New character entry added for new characters, and existing character entry gets updated according to the actions that the player's MC takes.

Tbh, Codex section I can see adding even more than that; any type of lore entries (for world building, complementing what is told through the game), you can just insert there as well.


2) Took a look at my gallery section from main menu, and it seems the last image is greyed out (as shown in the pic below). Is it supposed to be like that, or did I miss out on the choice to unlock that somewhere?

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3) Also, on the topic of Gallery, will there be scene replay section added in the future?


4) So this first quest arc, seems to be "MC & his party rescuing Kaela & Branson's mother from Caleb." Will this Caleb arc last for couple of updates and the story will move on to a new arc, or will the game's narrative keep its focus on Caleb arc all throughout the period of the development until completion?
I have a feeling it's likely to be former; current arc finishes in couple of updates and MC and his companions go on their new adventure in the next arc, but who knows I could be wrong.
Feel free to correct me if I am.



As for the LIs, the second LI Kaela seems decent, though I wouldn't say I find her as engaging as Qinara.
Here's hoping I'm proven wrong and Kaela and rest of the LIs give our lovely elf healer a run for her money; healthy competition is always great! :BootyTime::KEK:
 
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burbero

Member
Jun 18, 2022
312
421
There are almost 2000 renders here, but somehow it was short. In fact, unnecessary choices cause render loss. So we have 2 choices and one shortcut and the other longcut lead to the same result. If this is going to happen anyway, there is no need for a choice, use it to advance the story instead.

There are good looking pictures and a story with a future that should definitely be given a chance.
 
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