Ren'Py So I'm looking for a coder...

elliet93

Newbie
Jun 5, 2017
28
33
Hey y'all!

I've been a rather silent member of the community for quite a while, but I decided now was the time to throw this out into the void and see what came back because I think I've got something really promising here.

So I want to make a Ren'Py visual novel/game. The story revolves around a certain female protagonist from the newest trilogy of films within the most celebrated science-fiction series in world history. (If that hasn't indicated sufficiently who I'm talking about, her name is a spelling-variation of a beam of light or of a cartilaginous fish that is not a shark or skate.) My general concept is a story that begins on a desert planet ("nowhere," to be accurate) but that allows for a number of intricate diversions from the canonical plot of this character, diversions that will put her in contact with a variety of interplanetary heroes and species. The tone/style of the game will be a mixture of parody, self-aware humor, science-fiction action, and expansive galactic exploration. In all scenarios, good lewd fun will be had (of course).

Up to this point, you may be reconsidering the title of my post and feeling...skeptical that I'm just another hopeless dreamer. And perhaps I am.

BUT.... I have a few details to offer that set this project apart.
  1. I already have a top-notch artist on board. Like, the designer behind the best model of the protagonist that exists on the internet currently (the model is not quite finished but is in completely satisfactory condition to be used immediately). That's not just bias speaking. This individual has a ton of experience with 3d renders and is willing to create all the art for the project. I'm talking props, maps (of a sort, more on that if you're interested), animations even. (If you're interested in the project and want to see examples of the artist's work, that can easily be arranged, as much of it is freely available online.)

  2. I am a very strong writer, if I do say so myself, and I will be doing all of the writing on the project (although input and feedback will be 100% welcomed). I have also played a lot of games on this site and have read numerous comment threads to find out what works for consumers and what does not, and I feel confident I can design a narrative that is enjoyable, pacy, and satisfying. I am also comfortable enough around code to insert text in the appropriate places. :closedtongue:

  3. The only thing I'm not particularly confident about is coding the best possible appearance and some of the very simple mechanics (a monetary system and event repetition/new event timing, no combat systems or anything) I wish to use to enhance this game. I have pretty solid ideas of how I want things to look and work in the game; I just need someone to code those into reality better than my rudimentary coding could probably manage. I am looking for someone to do all of the coding, yes, but nothing else will be required (as far as I'm aware).

  4. Due to the popularity of the source material to be parodied and the premium quality of the art and writing I anticipate will characterize this game, I have every reason to hope that this could be an at least somewhat lucrative venture (that should be protected under parody fair use principles, if such a question arises). I do plan on starting a Patreon (or the like) once there is a working version of the game. I will also release back-versions, as well as immediate versions of the first couple releases, for free exclusively on this site. While I do not have initial capital to offer for coding work, I will guarantee a full third of all proceeds to my coder (as long as, obviously, the work is satisfactory in terms of timeliness and quality).
So that's what I need and what I have to offer (in addition to working with two really cool people, right?). Ultimately, I want this game to be two things: fun and sexy. With a good Ren'Py coder on board, I think those two aims are quite attainable. Bonus points if you happen to be a fan of the series from which the game will be derived.

As I mentioned above, while the commitment I am looking for is only for coding ideas I already have in mind, input will always be welcome. I'm looking for someone who wants to be a part of a team, who wants to create something successful, but most of all, who just wants to have fun making something fun. If that might be you, send me a message would ya? I do also have Discord and can share that with interested parties.

If you have any questions, feel free to message me or post here. I'm happy to elaborate as much as I can. And don't worry about shooting me down for not knowing how to code. :eek:penedeyewink: I know it would be great if I was a really excellent coder. I'm not. That's why I need you. The best teams don't have too much overlap on skills; they have defined capabilities and roles that complement each other perfectly. If you think you might be the missing coder from my team, hit me up. :)
 
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redknight00

I want to break free
Staff member
Moderator
Modder
Apr 30, 2017
4,551
20,221
My advice is: try to do it yourself, a lot of the f95 creators had Ren'py as their first contact with coding and are doing fine. And as long as you don't plan on doing anything too crazy with the game, it's fairly easy even for a beginner to do it, and of course you can always ask for help or decide to team up with a coder anyway in the future.
 

Palanto

Active Member
Game Developer
Oct 4, 2017
964
1,841
My advice is: try to do it yourself, a lot of the f95 creators had Ren'py as their first contact with coding and are doing fine. And as long as you don't plan on doing anything too crazy with the game, it's fairly easy even for a beginner to do it, and of course you can always ask for help or decide to team up with a coder anyway in the future.
While true it's still a different thing, the game sounds like kind of a sandbox with exploration features and so on, so there should at least be a good (or as good as possible) framework, which is quite the problem for first time coders to achieve. Not impossible, but to get it clean and right at first takes some time for learning... And of course it depends on how much someone "wants" to learn that. If he/she is a writer and doesn't really want to learn programming, it might take twice or three times the time it would take for someone who "wants" to learn that.

Besides, if someone asks for a coder, it might be because they don't have the time or interest in learning that part of the game creation process, I know a lot of artists and/or writers who don't want to learn coding since they call it "boring" :D

I wish you good luck @elliet93 it sounds like an interesting project, sadly there aren't enough details on what you expect of the programmer so I don't know how much time it would take me. And since I already have a couple of projects on which I help and one which I get paid for, I don't know if the time I have would suffice to help on your project efficiently too ;) Like redknight said, if you need help with something specific just ask around here or write me a pm :) Or if you'd be able to give me some specifics I could see if my time would suffice for your project too :)
 
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HiEv

Member
Sep 1, 2017
384
785
If you don't find anyone here, I recommend checking out the Lemma Soft Forums " " sub-forum. They have a lot of Ren'Py coders there, many of which you can find in the "I am a Programmer, Director, or Other" section. You could also make your own post in one of the other sections they have for recruiting coders. It shouldn't take you long to find a coder, considering the low demand and high availability of coders there.

That said, make sure you read the rules carefully before posting there and take a look at a few example posts so you can see what kind of info most people recruiting coders need to give. You'll get a higher class of coder if you look like you know what you're doing there.

Hope that helps! :)
 
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BeardLord

New Member
Nov 18, 2017
8
16
Hi, I'm a professional Python developer. Whilst I haven't really made any games from scratch using RenPy, I have made some small mods and patches on popular games (mostly to re-use older game saves on newer versions - I think not making game saves future compatible is just sloppy coding). I have also looked through the source code of many popular games, and have yet to see anything too outlandish.

Please drop me an IM if you think I am suitable for such a project. Thanks.
 
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