making a "good visual novel"
Posted: Sun Jan 25, 2015 11:32 am
I've started this discussion on twitter but is always hard to express your ideas correctly with just 140 chars
I got some interesting replies.
In summary: I tried only with a few "pure VNs" in the past : Heileen 1 & 2, Bionic Heart and recently Bionic Heart 2.
Result weren't really good however, except Bionic Heart 2 I wrote the other games myself so that might be the reason (writing in a VN is quite important).
I would like to try again, because honestly some VNs like Cinders of my indie friend Moacube was a hit for VN standards. I like to write stories first (the storyboard I mean), then add gameplay of course but after the SOTW marathon I'm quite burned (another side effect of doing such insanely big games is that you're unable to begin coding again for long time).
I wouldn't mind investing more money since also art/music is important. However my fear is to end up again like with Bionic Heart 2 where I spent a lot of money and took over 1 year to go in the active balance with sales (which is probably a record!)
I have some ideas for possible VN candidates...
- VN set in Aravorn. They could tell stories of the other characters or happening before Loren, without combat. I am not sure, it would probably look weird to NOT have combat though for example the yaoi dating sim is still set in Aravorn.
- try one last time with Vera Blanc this time using manga art but manga like Loren or even non-manga art, but like Cinders / more realistic. It would be very expensive. However horror+fanservice might do well on Steam (I always need to think about the potential revenues of course)
- something else? maybe stories like in my dating sim, but without the dating sim part?
Any suggestion/comments welcome! I'm not sure I will actually do this, but while in the past I said "I'm done with VN" I am reconsidering it now.
I got some interesting replies.
In summary: I tried only with a few "pure VNs" in the past : Heileen 1 & 2, Bionic Heart and recently Bionic Heart 2.
Result weren't really good however, except Bionic Heart 2 I wrote the other games myself so that might be the reason (writing in a VN is quite important).
I would like to try again, because honestly some VNs like Cinders of my indie friend Moacube was a hit for VN standards. I like to write stories first (the storyboard I mean), then add gameplay of course but after the SOTW marathon I'm quite burned (another side effect of doing such insanely big games is that you're unable to begin coding again for long time).
I wouldn't mind investing more money since also art/music is important. However my fear is to end up again like with Bionic Heart 2 where I spent a lot of money and took over 1 year to go in the active balance with sales (which is probably a record!)
I have some ideas for possible VN candidates...
- VN set in Aravorn. They could tell stories of the other characters or happening before Loren, without combat. I am not sure, it would probably look weird to NOT have combat though for example the yaoi dating sim is still set in Aravorn.
- try one last time with Vera Blanc this time using manga art but manga like Loren or even non-manga art, but like Cinders / more realistic. It would be very expensive. However horror+fanservice might do well on Steam (I always need to think about the potential revenues of course)
- something else? maybe stories like in my dating sim, but without the dating sim part?
Any suggestion/comments welcome! I'm not sure I will actually do this, but while in the past I said "I'm done with VN" I am reconsidering it now.