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This is the beginning of a multi-part series that will highlight what happens from the creative side of developing Trouble at Home. It will cover topics from ideas, workflow, and decision-making that take place throughout the project. This first one will talk about how the story and initial characters were developed.
So we start with the obvious question: where did the idea for TaH come from?
While it's not the sole reason, the roots can be traced back to a comment an old girlfriend had mentioned to me... "If you had a sister, she'd be
hot." I couldn't tell you what sparked the statement, and the conversation never went much beyond that.
But over the years that thought stuck around and occasionally I'd contemplate "What If" scenarios. What would it be like to have a sister? How would she act? Would we get along? Would we have common interests? Would I be protective?
And for the longest time that's all it ever was... Just an idle daydream of something that would never exist.
By chance I stumbled upon my first visual novel (DFD by Love Joint). I don't even know exactly how I came across it, but the game was strong enough to pull me into the genre. I ended up playing a handful of AVNs that were available for free, which turned out to be a double-edged sword. While they provided entertainment & inspiration, I was subjecting myself to some crude projects compared to popular paid ones. So with that inspiration came poor judgment of what makes a good AVN story, and I'd have to reevaluate some things in the future.
Meanwhile, in a completely separate section of my brain, I was curious how difficult it would be to mess around with 3D video game character models. This set me on a quest of tutorials and forums about how to first extract the 3D model from the game, and what software to use to manipulate it.
This brought me into Blender, and when I realized it wouldn't be easy. So I began doing Blender tutorials on Youtube... Then I'm introduced to Daz3D... Then Ren'py. Suddenly I'm experimenting with all the pieces needed to create my own AVN.
I had been interested in writing stories for a while (well...
creating stories as I never particularly liked the
writing part). I was mostly into the fantasy/adventure realm which made it perfect for hosting D&D campaigns with friends. I would create my own worlds, cultures, characters, and governing rules for things such as magic and deities. There were some things I would go quite in-depth with.
But if I were to try making a visual novel then I felt like I needed to do something in a modern setting for simplicity's sake. After all, I was a complete novice when it came to working in 3D and artwork. And so this led me to focusing on that sister idea again.
Kayla was officially born.
Did I know how she'd look? Yes, mostly. I had a very good image of her in my head, but by chance I stumbled upon a picture of a woman that was SO close to my vision. That picture helped give a reference when shaping her model. I was so pleased when I found a hair asset than matched my vision, but later a little disappointed to see how often it's used with other AVN females. But some things can't be helped.
Kayla was the first character I knew I wanted, and would be the centerpiece around how the story develops. Next, I needed the MC.
When I was younger I thoroughly loved the main protagonists that began from nothing and became the hero. But as I got older I started to dislike that trope. Why can't the hero start from an average, or even privileged position?
That was the premise for the MC. Where the story begins he actually is in a pretty well-off spot in his life: his family has money, in great shape, an incredible athlete, has himself a girl, going to graduate and head off to college, etc.
His only problem...
Is Kayla.
This would be the main focal point for the story: The impossibly broken relationship. But we have to circle back to the problem I mentioned above regarding poor AVN writing. The original iteration was very simplistic and optimistic from a player's viewpoint. This was due to the nature of the games I've played to this point where girls quickly succumb to the MC's charm and "nice guy" attitude, and all problems and trauma melt away effortlessly when around him.
Yes, it's a game and people are welcome to make any story they please to fulfill whatever fantasies. Because who wouldn't want dozens of girls falling for them just by smiling in their direction?
But it's not what I wanted here; it didn't pass the realism test. I needed characters that felt real, were relatable, and distinct from one another both visually and emotionally. They would need quirks. issues and their own sense of morality.
This is where I decided that the MC needed to be grounded into some firm beliefs. Opening up the story to him being able to choose everything under the sun from good to evil was not a path I wanted to explore. Therefore he is very much middle-of-the-road, not leaning heavily into "good guy" or "bad boy" territory. In my opinion this neutral personality tends to make less dramatic, but more interesting decision points.
It means I don't have to give the player good/evil or right/wrong choices. If there's a clear correct decision then I assume the MC will make it on his own. Instead we get to explore trade-offs. Each decision is an opportunity to determine what's more important: gaining trust, be self-serving, exploring a romance, or sometimes getting even against someone who's wronged you. These are the choices everyone faces in their daily lives and I wanted to the MC to reflect them.
This is what helped shape the backbone of how TaH would further be developed.
To be continued...
