VN Java Abandoned Venture Seas [Sisters of the Abbey - Beta v1.0] [VirtuousDevelopment]

[moobere]

Guess it ain't dead

 

[scrumbles]

Godot engine? LFG! Fast, light, can compile for Android, and moddable!

New artstyle? Meh. Was it really necessary? And is it like what, the fourth time?

 

[Digteren]

I can't help but feel the new artstyle is a little too cute for me, but I guess toxxy needs the dosh from patreon while the coders do their thing

 

[TheInternetIsForThis]

Neat. A rebuild in a new engine like this means latest Java version is likely never seeing another update. I guess it's time to see if I can dust off my mod or if it needs rebuilding. Probably the latter, given how much changed in the interim.

...also, I love how the dev complains about working in Java, and so switched to godot, which is based in C#. While godot does have its own scripting language, C# itself is so similar to Java that you can frequently just copypaste Java code in and change imports and library calls and it will just compile.

 

[Digteren]

Neat. A rebuild in a new engine like this means latest Java version is likely never seeing another update. I guess it's time to see if I can dust off my mod or if it needs rebuilding. Probably the latter, given how much changed in the interim.

...also, I love how the dev complains about working in Java, and so switched to godot, which is based in C#. While godot does have its own scripting language, C# itself is so similar to Java that you can frequently just copypaste Java code in and change imports and library calls and it will just compile.

Did they say they're gonna work in C# and not gscript?

 

[TheInternetIsForThis]

Did they say they're gonna work in C# and not gscript?

They didn't, that's just me voicing my own personal amusement. I assume after that explanation that if they're working in godot, they're going to try to avoid working in code at all whenever possible.

 

[Digteren]

They didn't, that's just me voicing my own personal amusement. I assume after that explanation that if they're working in godot, they're going to try to avoid working in code at all whenever possible.

Right ok. Yeah I hope you're right.

 

[labmouseblues]

That art style switch smells like a conveniently set up excuse for when the updates stop rolling in. Most games using external art end up grinding to a halt when the artist inevitably flakes.

If it works out, fucking awesome, Toxxy's really good, but I wouldn't hold my breath.

 

[TheInternetIsForThis]

That art style switch smells like a conveniently set up excuse for when the updates stop rolling in. Most games using external art end up grinding to a halt when the artist inevitably flakes.

If it works out, fucking awesome, Toxxy's really good, but I wouldn't hold my breath.

Honestly that's less of a problem than going from a completely homebrew Java engine (complete with a Java-specific toolchain like the animations used in combat) to C#/Godot. We already had issues with this game's dev going silent for a year at a time to rebuild the game's internals when the changes were specific to things like the dungeon setup. A complete top to bottom rebuild is going to be a nightmare. It's not going to come out the other end as the same game we currently have.

 

[ElfLover23]

Honestly that's less of a problem than going from a completely homebrew Java engine (complete with a Java-specific toolchain like the animations used in combat) to C#/Godot. We already had issues with this game's dev going silent for a year at a time to rebuild the game's internals when the changes were specific to things like the dungeon setup. A complete top to bottom rebuild is going to be a nightmare. It's not going to come out the other end as the same game we currently have.

I agree. I remember seeing old screenshots of this game and getting confused because it didn't match with the newer version of the game I'd just played and I thought "wtf? Is this the same game?". It "technically" was I suppose. I hope this rebuild also means less stupid bugs like how you'd talk to a character and they'd talk to you as if you hadn't talked to them before or hadn't talked to them about a certain subject before.

 

[TheInternetIsForThis]

I hope this rebuild also means less stupid bugs like how you'd talk to a character and they'd talk to you as if you hadn't talked to them before or hadn't talked to them about a certain subject before.

That isn't even a bug, it's just a development oversight. It's like running around in the first dragon quest and noticing that most NPCs only ever say one thing. It's a much bigger oversight for a (supposedly) character-driven VN, though.

 

[armopbr]

The dev made a new post that I'll post below. TLDR, the game is getting remade in Godot from scratch, with a new artstyle. Post below:

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Venture Seas is not Dead!
I'll start this out with a simple and upfront apology, I am genuinely extremely sorry for my lack of communication about Venture Seas.
This was a shitty reaction to stress on my part, which I made worse and worse the longer I was absent.
For those interested in the 'why' of my silence, or more details on my personal situation, feel free to continue reading at the link below.
Otherwise, I hope ya'll can get excited again with me about the new direction for Venture Seas!

You must be registered to see the links

The Future of Venture Seas
One of the biggest issues with Venture Seas has always been that it was coded using Java - a language I feel was not suited for my own experience, and the task at hand.
This is a large part of why things that should be simple (bug fixes or small alterations) can become extremely complex, and tedious, whilst also breaking other systems and code.
It also meant that it was extremely difficult to find anyone who could even attempt to assist with the coding - and would want to.
We have done a lot of thinking and planning for the future of venture seas regarding the best way to improve the game and address key areas such as: The Gameplay Loop, Implementing new systems, Providing an overall better user experience

The current Java implementation has been the biggest roadblock for achieving this.

What is our Solution?
Initially I had been looking into Unity, and planning to make that switch however due to events surrounding Unity we have decided the best path forward is to port Venture Seas from Java LibGDX to Godot.

This means that the entire game will be rebuilt in a new coding language/environment, giving us ample opportunity to fix glaring issues in the game.

I cannot overstate enough just how big an improvement this will be for reducing bugs and allowing for much quicker changes and alterations to the game based on feedback.
Originally, Venture Seas was an impulsive, unplanned mess... Each new 'feature' I added was fueled primarily by my novelty-seeking excitement, which resulted in a bunch of systems which barely integrated together to form a coherent gameplay loop. With this new opportunity, as a team, we have undergone detailed planning for how to improve Venture Seas, with extensive design documentation on everything.
You can expect a more sensible 'gameplay loop', refined user-interface, improved character development/story revisions, and consistent artwork throughout.
I've already been hammering away at the code and recreating the essential systems in Godot.

What are the Changes Going Forward?
Here is a summary of our plans going forward:
Venture Seas on a modern game engine (Godot).
Easier bug removal, faster development, and overall better experience for all.
An expanded dev team, with better flexibility.
The project will no longer stall if I am less available, and the coding will no longer be reliant on myself solely.
Our publisher, CriticalBliss will be providing access to their resources such as skilled artists to help out on the project (supervised by Toxxy's creative direction).
Gameplay reworks to fit my original intended vision for the game More user friendly mod support capabilities (you can use the Godot application itself for mod creation)
Improved/extended character development & rewrites. Less linear main story mode / exploration.
Consistent artwork/quality throughout the adventure.

We have a lot of info to cover, so we'll be splitting detailed explanations over time, as all that info can be overwhelming all at once.

Hope this isnt a summertime saga situation otherwise this game is getting completed in 5 years at least lol

 

[TheInternetIsForThis]

Hope this isnt a summertime saga situation otherwise this game is getting completed in 5 years at least lol

We're already seven years after OP was first posted, and a bit over three of those seven years have been in the form of near total radio silence from the developer as they repeatedly did significant rebuilds of the game.

...and that was while retaining the same overall custom Java-based game engine. This is far worse than that.

 

[Digteren]

Hope this isnt a summertime saga situation otherwise this game is getting completed in 5 years at least lol

I don't know about five, but it is a complete engine change, so I think it's fair to assume years.
I gotta say I see it as a really good thing. I don't think the game was ever gonna be finished on that previous engine. Or at least bug free enough for it to be reasonable for them to charge for it. Godot is going to be so much better.
As for the change in art style I can't tell if that's a good thing or just a cash grab for toxxy.

 

[Dimossa]

Is there any walkthrough, having issue finding any online, weird...

 

[DeepFriedGlory]

We're already seven years after OP was first posted, and a bit over three of those seven years have been in the form of near total radio silence from the developer as they repeatedly did significant rebuilds of the game.

...and that was while retaining the same overall custom Java-based game engine. This is far worse than that.

Adult games are basically cursed at this point, but when a dev comes out to say over and over again that the game is hard to make because Java, then they announce they're going to make the game in a real engine with better code and better gameplay, i don't really care when it comes out. There's so many other games, adult or not, that if this one small project can release significantly improved then they should go for it.Especially since i've already gotten my moneys worth on the current version.

 

[Orlox]

We're already seven years after OP was first posted, and a bit over three of those seven years have been in the form of near total radio silence from the developer as they repeatedly did significant rebuilds of the game.

...and that was while retaining the same overall custom Java-based game engine. This is far worse than that.

The game is much older than this thread, it used to have a different name and I think it in was in flash (It's been so long that I'm not even sure anymore), then there was a change to java and name change which lead to this version.

With so little progress over the years, I had pretty much given up on this game and only got curious after seeing this game recommended while looking for pirate themed games, but now, hearing that it's changing engine AGAIN doesn't give me any confidence the game will ever get anywhere...

 

[Infinatious]

The game is much older than this thread, it used to have a different name and I think it in was in flash

Kinda. The dev originally made a game in flash but they cancelled it before moving on to this one, due to them not really having an end goal and thus not having motivation. This game takes place in the same universe as the flash game, IIRC, but the flash game was more of a standard text based smut game.

 

[Edelvays]

That art style switch smells like a conveniently set up excuse for when the updates stop rolling in. Most games using external art end up grinding to a halt when the artist inevitably flakes.

If it works out, fucking awesome, Toxxy's really good, but I wouldn't hold my breath.

I think hiring an external artist for a lead art position can work only if the devs make a bank

 

[Stopandder]

Hope this isnt a summertime saga situation otherwise this game is getting completed in 5 years at least lol

Is there a gallery in this game? And if so, where is she?