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Tag: visual novel
“The Memoirs of Genesis”: A Prequel to “Memoirs of an Angel”
The title screen for “The Memoirs of Genesis”. As the dust starts to settle following the rebellion, Zuleika must get used to her new position as Empress of Tyraca. Unsure of herself, she seeks out the wisdom of the last empress, Lady Genesis, who helped to build the empire from the ground up and whose influence can still be felt in every corner of Egea. What Zuleika finds is the loose pages of a journal long thought lost to time, written by the very woman herself, but as the angel begins to sort through them, it becomes clear that the truth is nothing like the tales the bards sing.
The pages reveal the story of Ceres, a young priestess of Nalan dealing with being fathered by an outsider in the stoic and increasingly isolated society of the Nalani elves. She finds a kindred spirit in Dimitrius, a shipwrecked sailor from Eliador, and they fall in love and even start a family together. Life is wonderful…until tragedy strikes. Forced out of her homeland, the young Mother must embark on a long and epic journey across Egea to rescue her husband and avenge her son, vowing to do whatever it takes to take back her home…even if she has to conquer half of Egea to do so.
Developer’s Notes
“The Memoirs of Genesis” is a companion piece to the Memoirs of an Angel remake that is currently in production, and will probably be a lot more meaningful once I get around to finishing making that game (sorry, sorry), but it works as a stand-alone piece as well. It details the extraordinary life of Lady Genesis from childhood until death, as seen through her eyes. For fans of Memoirs, it offers a valuable look at the other nations of Egea (Nalan and Pyralis) that are only briefly mentioned in the main game, and gives important insight into the pasts and motivations of several characters, including the two main antagonists of the remake, Nefferon and Menorrhi.
For more details, you can check out the WIP thread on LemmaSoft. Since there are so many other great titles being made for NaNoRenO this year, I have a feeling that this one will probably get overlooked, but that’s okay. It’s a free game – just something I’m doing because I can and because I’ve been thinking about this story for a while and have always wanted to participate in this event.
That said, at this point, I’m starting to think it won’t get done for NaNoRenO because I still don’t have an artist, nor do I expect to get one without being able to afford a real commission, to be honest. I’ll keep going, though, on the off-chance that I do manage to find someone interested, and we’ll see how much I can finish before March is over. Worst case scenario, I’ll finish writing and programming it, but it’ll sit on the back-burner for a while until I can afford to hire an artist.
Anyway, just wanted to let y’all know that this is a thing and that yes, it is actually happening. I’ve already sent the outline/rough draft to a friend for editing and suggestions, and will start writing the final draft in the meantime.
Thank you for your interest and support~
Originally posted March 7, 2014 on Tumblr.
“Cinders” Game Review: Classic Fairy Tale with a New Twist
A different kind of fairy tale.
Over the holidays, “Cinders” went on sale, so I finally picked it up after being in awe of it from the shadows since it was still in the early stages of development.
As a VN maker, the beautiful execution of “Cinders” makes me so jealous. The art, the beautifully animated backgrounds, the motifs, all the different choices and the subtle ways they affect the story… ugh, I can only dream of making such a gorgeous and well-crafted game (and I would kill to be able to hire an artist like that for “Memoirs”).
As a VN player, I felt the story was a bit short, but then again, it only spanned the course of a week, so that’s not surprising. It was the length it needed to be to tell the story it aimed to, I suppose, but I was just expecting a little more. Also, if you only play VNs for the romance, you might be disappointed with this one because, while there are romance options, they’re more of an afterthought. At least the way I played it, I ended up getting way closer to (and learning more about) the step-sisters than I ever did with the supposed love interests. As the official game description advertises, it really is all about the women of the story – Cinders, Sophia, Gloria, and Lady Carmosa – and what made them who they are.
But that doesn’t mean I didn’t like the story! On the contrary, I thought it was a great take on the classic tale. I never really liked “Cinderella” that much because it felt like the moral of the story was just “as long as you’re a good person, someone will come along and save you from your misery,” but “Cinders” provided a much-needed modern perspective with a smart, cunning protagonist who changes depending on your choices. And there are a lot of choices. Most seem fairly insignificant when you make them, but you realize later how much they must have impacted the story. Cinders’ fate really is in your hands.
WARNING: Major spoilers ahead!
I didn’t use a walkthrough because I couldn’t find one that was really clear about which choices to make… probably because there are so many different combinations. So I played blind (which is really rare for me), but I still managed okay.
Anyway, I romanced Perrault during my playthrough because… well… Cinders sums it up pretty well:
You and I are on the same page, Cinders. I also made friends with Sophia, accidentally pissed off Gloria (I’m so sorry, Gloria, I didn’t mean to… I wanted to be friends, honest!), showed Carmosa sympathy (especially once I found out about the money problems), and I guess I was cold and ruthless? I honestly thought I was playing a good character until it told me I was a Machiavellic Queen. Perhaps I’m not as innocent and kind as I thought, haha.
I went for the Traveler ending first because I thought it made the most sense with Perrault as my lover, especially since I encouraged him to retire. I felt it was wrong for him to compromise his morals just for the sake of keeping his job, so it made sense for him to retire and for us to run away together. Apparently, the game agreed because it’s the only ending where you get a romantic cutscene with him.
Cinders and Perrault sharing a well-earned romantic kiss. After that, I went ahead and got the other two endings I could without changing my attitude or how I dealt with Carmosa and the sisters (the Fairytale Ending and Independent Woman ending).
Of the three endings, the Traveler ending was, as mentioned, the best romantically (at least for Perrault), but in general, I liked the Independent Woman ending the best. It made the most sense overall and allowed everyone to get their happy ending, not just Cinders. Well… almost everyone (poor Perrault and his arm…).
Despite its name, the Fairytale Ending didn’t involve “living happily ever after” at all. Maybe it’s because I accidentally played a “cold and ruthless” Cinders, but that was the most depressing ending ever. I apparently crushed all the prince’s ideals and became a tyrant, Perrault was reduced to my man on the side (and had to compromise his morals and become a spy to do so), and my step-family – who I had spent an entire game coming to get to know and sympathize with – fell into even greater despair and poverty. Yeah, way to go, Cinders; you finally got the power and prestige you wanted at the expense of everyone else’s happiness. Some hero you are.
So yeah…there’s my playthrough in a nutshell. I might play again to see how differently things turn out (and hopefully be kind and good this time around, maybe romance Tobias), but I’m not sure I could ever bring myself to get the ending that involves poisoning Carmosa. She may be a b*tch, but she’s not evil, nor has she done anything deserving death. Public humiliation, maybe, or exile at the worst, but death? That seems a bit extreme.
Feel free to comment or discuss the game with me. I would love to hear your opinions!
Originally posted January 4, 2014 on Tumblr.
“Nicole” Game Review: A Dating Sim Full of Mystery
Can Nicole avoid becoming the next victim?
Nicole, Nicole… For a game advertised as kind of a mystery thriller, I was expecting a well-grounded protagonist, someone serious and intelligent with a good head on her shoulders. Instead, we get… Nicole. But even though she was kind of vapid and air-headed at times, I actually kind of liked her. She’s endearing and emotionally strong when it’s important, like when she has to tell the guys to get over themselves or when she decides to face the abductor head-on instead of letting him scare her.
Like the titular character, the game was not what I expected, but I liked it nonetheless. As other reviews have mentioned, it takes a long time for it to get going, but once you know what you’re doing, the annoying introductory phase goes by in a flash. I was worried about the stat-raising component because I tend to fail miserably at that (which is why I’ve avoided Winter Wolves’ other otome games thus far), but in this one you can set the difficulty and you only have to raise two stats to get both endings for each character – Clues and a main stat for whatever guy you’re going after. I’m not sure what the difficulty setting changes exactly, but on Easy mode, even with my fail time-management skills, I found it easy to get my main stat and Clues maxed out at least a month before the end of the game, with plenty of money to spare for gifts and stuff. So it ended up not being too bad at all.
I will say that if you’re looking for a mystery game where you get to play detective and piece together all the clues, this probably isn’t the game for you. It’s the kind of game where you can still get a good ending by skipping the mystery portion altogether, which tells you a lot – basically, the mystery is only a subplot, not the main storyline. The main story is about a girl trying to get through her first semester of college and meeting a bunch of cute boys (and girls) in the process, and of course each boy has their own little subplot. That’s not to say the story isn’t good, it just relies heavily on the everyday interactions between the characters – which is perfectly fine, because the interactions are awesome. They are what really makes this game fun to play.
That’s my basic, spoiler-free assessment of Nicole. And for those who have played the game and want to hear what I thought about it, read on.
WARNING: Major spoilers ahead!
Maybe interactions like this should’ve been a red flag. So, I went for Jeff first… which, in hindsight, was not the best idea. But from the trailer, he looked like the most mature one, and I knew I probably wasn’t interested in Kurt (I avoid the flirty jock type like the plague) or Darren (sorry, I tend to avoid the shy type, too, because they’re too hard to talk to). Boy, was I wrong! Not only was I wrong about Kurt and Darren (after playing through the “common route” part once, I actually came to really like them both), but of course, I was completely and utterly wrong about Jeff.
Here’s the breakdown of my reaction to Jeff’s route:
Introduction scene: “Oh look, he’s the prince type, all smart and handsome and kind and perfect… Hmm, but he’s a pharmacology major and is acting suspicious about it? Uh oh, I bet he has something to do with the whole abductions thing.”
Second scene: “Aww, with the way he gets all upset about being called perfect, I bet his ‘troubled backstory’ has something to do with not measuring up and all that. Poor guy…”
Discovering his ‘true self’: “Umm…wait. Wait a second. He’s actually the creepy, egocentric mad scientist type? Umm….well….okay, I guess I can roll with that. He’s still sexy and smart, right? Not to mention he looks hella fine in a suit. Yeah, okay, I can still do this.”
Potion motive revealed: “Oh, so that’s why he was acting so suspicious. Well, what harm can come from making a weird potion, right? It’s not like it’s going to actually work, not with that ridiculous ingredient list. Maybe he’s not involved in the abductions after all. I mean, he’s kind of pathetic if he thinks he can make people like him by mixing up a potion like that… That doesn’t seem like the kind of evil mastermind who abducts and drugs young women.”
Arboretum scene: “Awwwwww, so cute! He’s starting to care about me~ I wonder if he realizes it yet?”
Potion fails: “*in a Nicole voice* Like duh, of course it didn’t work, you weirdo. Wait, wait, don’t get depressed! Nuuuuuuuu, don’t be like that, you’re making me sad. … … Woah there, no need to get violent! Umm, I’m not sure whether to be scared or turned on right now… Wait, no, please don’t wallow in your self-loathing! Nuuu, the feels…”
Afterward: “Aww, my poor baby… I just want to hug you and make everything better~ I really, really hope you’re not involved in the abductions because I don’t think my heart could take it. You’re not, right? I’m just being paranoid, RIGHT?!”
Normal Ending: “aslkfljflk; so cute~!!!!! You’re just too awkward and adorable, I can’t take it! And of course, with as much as you love me, there’s no way you’d ever want to hurt me, so there’s no way you’re involved in the abductions. I’m sorry for ever suspecting you, baby! I’m sure that when the abductor does come for me, you’ll be there to protect me just like the sweet and adorable boyfriend you are~”
Special Ending: “………..Damn it, I freaking knew it. WHY DID YOU DO THIS TO ME, JEFF? I HATE YOU SO MUCH. I NEVER WANT TO SEE YOU AGA- D’awwwwww, but look at us all cute and holding hands and stuff… You know, three years doesn’t sound that bad. IT’S OKAY, MY PRECIOUS BABY, I’LL WAIT FOR YOU~ <333”
Ted’s affection increases slowly but surely. …And then after 15 minutes of wallowing in feels, I went and did Ted’s route to see how the ending is actually supposed to go when you don’t fall for the bad guy like an idiot. I can’t decide which one I liked better. I really liked Ted’s and Nicole’s chemistry together, and I definitely liked Ted more as a person (you know, because he’s not a psychopath who drugs and abducts women to perform experiments on them…), but is it terrible to say that I was more interested in Ted’s father during his route? Poor kid, he probably gets that a lot.
Yep, that about sums up my experience with Nicole. If I do another route, it’ll be Darren’s next. I’m not sure I’ll ever do Kurt’s…I do appreciate his interactions with Nicole, but I just have a hard time seeing it. Darren seems like he’d be really interesting to get to know, though, and he’s a lot like myself. I like the idea of getting him to open up more and be more like his online self because that’s what I’d like someone to someday do for me (too bad I’m not nearly as cute as Darren is). I also have to admit that I’m a little interested in the female romance version. I don’t generally do the GxG routes, but Bethany (the library assistant in Jeff’s route) was just too cute.
Feel free to comment or discuss the game with me. I would love to hear your opinions!
Originally posted December 30, 2013 on Tumblr.
“Sweet Fuse” Review: Thrilling Romance in a Deadly Amusement Park
This is part 2 of a post describing my thoughts on some games I’ve played recently. Click here to read part 1, which is about the game Beyond: Two Souls, released by Quantic Dream.
There may be minor spoilers ahead…
This time, I’ll be talking about Sweet Fuse: At Your Side, an otome visual novel by Idea Factory and localized by Aksys Games.
I wasn’t expecting much, but it was on sale (according to some Tumblr post floating around) and I figured I needed to do my part to support the localization of otome games, so I picked it up. To my surprise, and despite the bright colors and goofy-looking villain, the story turned out to be very dark and engaging, and all the character interactions are what really make the game shine. There were definitely moments that made me laugh out loud, as well as somber moments that reminded me how short and tragic life can be.
All these characters seem pretty goofy at first, and the premise seems ridiculous beyond measure (seriously, I’m supposed to be scared of a guy in a pig costume threatening to blow up an amusement park? WTF?) but they all have their stories that unfold as you go along, and you’ll have to play multiple routes to see the tragic mystery unfold.
I don’t adore the main character, Saki, as much as I adored Jodie in Beyond, but that’s not surprising because you don’t get to spend as much time getting to know her. It’s not clear whether her parents are alive or whether they’re worried about her while she’s participating in these life-threatening games, and she never talks about herself, her family (other than her uncle), or her home life at all. Based on her dialogue (both internal and external), she feels like a pretty generic otome heroine with the kind of logical thoughts and conclusions you would expect from a typical morally good person; there’s nothing that particularly stands out about her or her personality, other than that she’s willing to put her life on the line to save her uncle (which, again, is kind of standard for game heroes).
What does make her unique, though, is that 1) her skill is reviewing information and picking up on what the others may have missed in order to solve puzzles, which saves the others’ lives in most situations; and 2) when something doesn’t sit right with her, she’s not afraid to get mad and call others out on their bullshit (usually with hilarious results). It’s so funny seeing these grown men who think they’re all that cower in fear at the wrath of this little high school girl. I also think that through her “rage moments,” she fights back against Hogstein (the villain) more than anyone else, which is pretty awesome.
Gameplay
The gameplay is really simple. It’s mostly just a standard visual novel: scroll through text and occasionally choose from different options to change the direction of the story. For the first half, a lot of the choices are just to determine who you’ll end up with. The second half is unique to the character you have the highest affection with at the end of Stage 3, and those choices are mostly to get more affection with that character so you can get the happy ending.
At certain key moments, it’ll be up to you to get some “Insight” and figure out which part of the puzzle everyone is missing. Only one word is right, but you can guess three things, and as long as one of them is the right one you can move on. If you fail, it’s game over in most cases, so make sure you save at least once per chapter.
Here is the walkthrough I used, in case you’re like me and are only interested in getting certain endings…
Shidou is the handsome police detective. Romance
I’ll be honest, I didn’t look up anything about the characters or anything before I started, so based on the look of the sprites, I thought Saki was around 15 or 16 years old, Wakasa and Meoshi were about the same or a little older (17-19), Mitarashi was in his 20s, Shidou and Urabe were in their 30s, and Shirabe was in his 40s. That didn’t stop me from doing Shidou’s and Shirabe’s routes first, but I did feel a little guilty about it. As a 20-something who is attracted to older, mature men, it made a lot of sense to go after Shidou, Shirabe, or Urabe, and I really appreciated having so many older options because normally there’s only one, if that. But… it was hard to separate myself from Saki, this young high school girl who has no business flirting with these men twice her age when she’s still a minor, and so as a result, the feelings I felt while playing these two routes were a mix of “ASFJKDSL THAT’S SO FREAKING SWEET AND ADORABLE” and “OMFG, WHY AM I DOING THIS? THIS IS SO CREEPY, I’M SUCH A HORRIBLE PERSON.”
Since beginning writing this post, though, I’ve looked at Aksys’ website, which claims that Saki is 18 (I’m not sure I believe it, not when they specifically mention her being still in high school) and Shidou is actually the youngest of the adults at only 22 (I don’t think I believe that, either… I mean, how could he have already been promoted to detective? He’s barely old enough to have graduated from the police academy, right?). Shirabe is only 32, which I guess makes sense if Shidou and Urabe are only 20-something. Uh…so… my impressions may not make as much sense now that I know their “real” ages. That said…
Shidou is the cool, sexy, and intelligent police detective. I did him first for…well…obvious reasons: his awesome hair, his sexy voice, dat suit. At first, he’s kind of annoying because he pushes chivalry too far and is always talking about how Saki is a woman and so she shouldn’t be putting herself in danger, but once she calls him out on it (I thought it was hilarious that he liked getting yelled at), he reverts to more of a neutral “I just want to protect everyone” stance. He’s the natural leader of the group, and though he’s not a one-man team by any means, it’s obvious that everyone would have a hard time without his quick thinking and overall badassery to help them through the games. And I get the feeling that his route is one of the few where you actually play every game in every stage, so in retrospect, it was the perfect route to start with.
His romance was very sweet and, even though the story only lasts for 7 days, it felt very believable and not at all contrived. You could see how his general protectiveness gradually turned into “I really want to protect this person” as he learned to open up to and even rely on Saki, whose emotional strength and intelligence he recognized and admired. Still, though, I was surprised that the age difference was never mentioned (now I realize why – four years isn’t that bad), and when they started dating at the end, I kept thinking, “Gee, better not let any of your cop buddies find out what you’re up to or you’ll be in biiiiiiig trouble, bud.”
Shirabe is a grumpy old dad, making the romance a little awkward. Shirabe is pretty much the typical old-man journalist trope, similar to Motomi from Togainu no Chi or Soseki from Harvest Moon: A New Beginning. He’s knowledgeable about a lot of things, though he plays his cards close to the chest at first, and respects Saki’s intelligence and insight. Unlike Shidou’s route, which was just as much about the team as it was about him and Saki, Shirabe’s route was pretty much all about his daughter, Mai, and him searching for the truth about his friend’s death, leaving the team behind for the entire second half of the game. Though it sheds some more light on the story’s mystery, you miss out on a lot of important events, so I suggest NOT doing this route first.
His romance suffers from the same thing Motomi’s does, for those who have played that game – his affection feels gentle and fatherly…until it doesn’t. In other words, it goes from “Aww, you remind me of my kid” to “I really wanna bang you” in the space of a breath. Okay, okay, it’s not quite that bad in Shirabe’s route because at least you can kind of pinpoint the scene where the shift starts, so it’s not so sudden (and he never compares you to his daughter since she’s too young). Personally, I thought his story was more interesting than Shidou’s, but because his story took precedence, the romantic chemistry wasn’t as strong (and it suffered from the usual “Aren’t I too old for you?” attempted push-away). Still, it definitely had its moments, especially since I felt that they were on pretty equal footing – sure, Shirabe protected Saki as expected, but Saki also risked her life to protect him, so it was a two-way street. I liked that a lot.
Anyway, I’ll probably play a few more routes before I put this one down, because it’s driving me crazy that I don’t know the whole story yet. >o< If I do play some more routes, I’ll probably post my impressions of those as well, assuming I don’t get too lazy.
Oh, and if anyone knows how to transfer screenshots from your PSP to the computer, tell me! Then I can replace these pictures with my personal favorite screencaps and CGs. 😀
Originally posted December 8, 2013 on Tumblr.
“Nachtigal” Game Review: Gothic Adventure in a Vampire’s Lair
Title screen for “Nachtigal” featuring the two possible love interests. My impression of this game can be summed up in one word: Beautiful.
The design was beautiful. The art was beautiful. The music was beautiful. The characters were beautiful
ly quirky. For a “short” game, it was well-paced and the characters were surprisingly well-developed. Overall, I really loved it and I suggest that anyone who loves otome games or vampires should play it. Seriously.It’s available though a pay-what-you-want system (which I think it genius) and can be downloaded here. You don’t have to pay anything if you don’t want to, but the peeps at Cyanide Tea are behind a lot of really great, high-quality games (including Break Chance Memento, which I’ve been looking forward to forever), so support them if you can!
Warning: Possible spoilers for Luca ahead!
If there’s one thing I’ve learned from this game, it’s that if I were ever trapped in a house with sexy vampires, I would get myself killed in less than five minutes. Yeah…that’s encouraging, right?
Thankfully, though, through the heavy use of the rollback feature, I managed to get Luca’s ending. If you don’t know, Luca is this sexy mofo:
Miranda finds herself swept off her feet by the charming Luca. Let’s be frank: Luca is the classic cold-and-stoic-until-he-meets-the-right-girl type that I love, plus he wears a suit, which is an automatic +100 sexy points. There was very little chance that I could not like his route.
That said, here’s a little background: though he’s technically part of the Nachtigal family, Luca is more like Adrian’s
butlerservant. He’s cold at first, being quick to snap your neck at the slightest insolence (pro tip: don’t even try to talk out of turn), and in contrast to Adrian, he cares a lot about tradition and formalities.However, once you melt his icy, icy heart with your optimism and wit, you realize that he’s not as stiff and mean as he seems at first (of course). In fact, he’s actually pretty laid-back and finds it fun to tease Miranda, which is pretty cute. They have a lot of great dialogue together, and seeing them gang up on Adrian in one scene was particularly hilarious.
Another of my favorite scenes was when Luca tells Miranda that he actually prefers her in her baggy jeans and jacket as opposed to the fine Victorian dress Adrian forces her into at the beginning. Just sort of shows that he only cares about formalities where the Nachtigal family – and specifically Adrian – is involved because that’s his ‘duty’, but when it’s just him, he doesn’t really care about all that.
So yeah… I’m pretty happy with my choice and I’m more than satisfied with how it played out. And Luca’s route gave me just enough insight into Adrian that I’m interested in playing his route, too, even though he’s not my usual type.
…Now to wait for the walkthrough so I can get all the other endings, haha. <3
Feel free to comment or discuss the game with me. I would love to hear your opinions!
Originally posted November 5, 2013 on Tumblr.
“W.I.S.H” Coming Soon to Android
Play as Seiko or Ein, a wannabe inventor with the ability to see spirits and monsters from a realm beyond our own. When one such spirit appears and offers unbelievable power, it seems as if any goal is within reach. However, every wish comes at a price in this thrilling tale of horror, mystery, and romance.
Game features include the ability to play as a male or female; 8 romanceable characters, four of which can be romanced by either gender; an event-based system that shows characters’ intricate relationships with the player and one another; and the ability to rename and customize your character.
More details and screenshots will be available in the near future. Look forward to it!
Originally posted October 23, 2013 on Tumblr.
“Memoirs of an Angel (2010)” Officially Released
Title screen for “Memoirs of an Angel”. The other day (October 31), I finally posted the old 2010 version of “Memoirs of an Angel,” which has been sitting around collecting dust on my computer for the last two years. Though it was technically finished, I never posted it as a “completed game” because, first of all, I never got all the CGs I wanted, and second, because I started working on the remake almost immediately.
My full rant notes and details about the game can be found here, but the short version is that I was digging around for something and found the original “Memoirs” game on my backup drive, so I decided to dust it off, fix it up, and finally release it to the public. Major fixes include: reworking the code so that it’s more “skip-friendly” (and the same text isn’t repeated 10 times), replacing Duren’s and Nefferon’s sprites with the improved versions from the remake (no more ugly yellow raincoat for Neffy), adding a system to change Zuleika’s outfit color and equip accessories unlocked in past playthroughs, making the dancing mini-game slightly more difficult based on feedback, making the character profiles more legible and adding credits to all outside artists’ work, and restoring the audio to its original quality after I had significantly lowered the quality for previous versions.
Zuleika introduces herself to Chael. I hadn’t expected much of a response since, again, this is just the old game, and honestly, the remake is/will be so much better that playing through the old game makes me laugh at how bad it is (at least compared to what I can do now). But to my surprise, I’ve had a pretty overwhelmingly positive response, and it was brought to my attention that a blurb for my game has even been posted on the English Otome Games Tumblr. Upon doing a search, I found a few other reviews for my game as well! It makes me happy to see that people like my game, but it definitely puts pressure on me to finish the remake, haha. I guess I better get on that, lest I incur the wrath of the fans…
If you haven’t already done so, please check out the “Memoirs of an Angel (2010)” thread. If you like it, please be sure to let me know. 🙂
Originally posted November 2, 2012 on Anigrams’ Dev Blog.
“Starlit Dreams” is now “W.I.S.H”
A promo poster I made for the new game. In my last post, I mentioned that I had been inspired to work on Starlit Dreams again. Well, one thing lead to another, and a month later, I’ve turned what was “Starlit Dreams” into a completely new game titled “W.I.S.H.” Not only that, but I’m still working on it! And not just fiddling around with the graphics or brainstorming about fun features to add, but working on the actual plot and writing.
How do I plan to continue this? Due to my issues with finishing games thus far, I decided to go back to what allowed me to finish the original “Memoirs of an Angel”: I wrote the story first, then turned it into a game. I didn’t worry about how it would look with graphics or what mini-games to add, I just worried about writing a good story. That’s what I’m doing with W.I.S.H. That’s not to say that I haven’t thought about the gameplay and graphics, but I’m focusing on getting the story completely planned out down to every last event before even touching Ren’py. I’ll make the game adjust to the story, not the other way around.
That said, I’ve made monumental progress (in my eyes, anyway). So far, I have all of the routes lined out, which means that they’ve been outlined from beginning to end in a fair amount of detail. I also have quite a few specific events outlined (not written out as far as dialogue, but described in detail). A detailed “characterization” document like I made for Memoirs is also in progress. Once I get some feedback on the route outlines, I’ll start working more on the specific plot events themselves. Then I’ll fill in romance and other events as needed.
Some of you may be wondering, why the name change?
Starlit Dreams and W.I.S.H may feature the same characters and the same basic premise (the main character lost everything in a fire and moves to a new city, but s/he’s bored with her/his job at the library and wants to be an inventor), but they are completely different.
Starlit Dreams was a “light-hearted business sim.” W.I.S.H definitely is NOT.
W.I.S.H still includes a few business sim elements (you can choose what products to make, who to sell them to, and for how much), but the focus is on the story, which is anything but “light-hearted.” Expect strong language, heavy violence, and adult themes. Murder and the nature of death, specifically, play a huge part in the game.
The new game is centered around the characters, getting to know them, seeing their relationships, and then witnessing the chain reaction that happens when something big upsets the balance of their fragile world. That said, there will be up to three “action periods” a day during which you can choose which character you want to talk to. The main stat to raise is “Attraction,” earned by witnessing events and choosing the right dialogue options, which factors in to whether a character sees you romantically or as just a friend.
Finally, events in Starlit Dreams were triggered by having enough affection points with someone. Events in W.I.S.H are based on a calendar and the same events happen whether you are there to witness them or not, forcing you to prioritize different characters’ events.
To summarize, Starlit Dreams was an excuse to play around and have fun. W.I.S.H is a serious game about the consequences of relying on “miracles” and, as mentioned above, the unexpected chain of events that can happen as a result.
Anyway, I’ll post more about W.I.S.H once I’ve gotten a significant portion of the writing done. You can also take a look at the WIP thread on LemmaSoft if you’re curious. In the meantime, enjoy this bright and vivid promo poster I made using the sprites from the game. 😀
There are eight possible love interests. Originally posted October 4, 2012 on Anigrams’ Dev Blog.
“Memoirs of an Angel” Getting RPG Style Remake
Upon being framed for the murder of the mighty Emperor Osirus, the princess Zuleika is forced to rely on the help of a mysterious elven assassin to escape her doom and find the real culprit. All the while, she watches as her precious nation is taken over by Osrius’ sadistic younger brother, Nefferon, who seems intent on watching the empire crumble beneath him. Tensions mount as more people become dissatisfied with the new regime and call for Osrius’ “true heir” to return to the throne, sparking rebellion and pitting the provinces of the east against those of the west.
As the empire succumbs to a bloody revolution, both sides seek the former princess to lead them to glory… but which side will she choose?
On her quest, she’ll meet and befriend Chael, a mysterious former assassin from the elven nation; Kirile, a playful, light-hearted thief from the demon nation; Nefferon, the newly ascended emperor and the man everyone loves to hate; Duren, the well-mannered young man who serves as the emperor’s right hand; Ahzi, the spunky, self-proclaimed “Keeper of the Forest;” and a host of other characters.
Gameplay
First half of the game will focus on going around to the different provinces and recruiting allies, solving problems and accumulating fame, gathering information, and finding out who killed Osirus. At this point, she’s only concerned with what directly impacts her; she hears rumors about a possible rebellion, but doesn’t want to get involved.
Second half of the game will focus on the aforementioned rebellion, which is then in full-swing. Knowing what she does after the first big confrontation with Nefferon, she can no longer remain on the sidelines; there’s no way she can avoid the upcoming battle and must instead prepare for what is to come.
Zuleika’s creator tells her to forge her own destiny. Battle System
Here’s a basic run-down:
- Battles will take place at pre-determined places within the story, and will consist of two parties battling against each other in a 4×3 grid (each party has six slots). The position of party members is meant to be strategic since attacks will have specific ranges.
- New attacks are learned by leveling up or by buying scrolls from different shops. However, only six attacks can be made available for battle at any one time.
- The angels in your party (Zuleika, Chael, Kirile, Duren) can transform into their “beast forms” when their “rage meters” are full. Rage accumulates every time an angel is attacked and takes damage, but dissipates when the danger has passed (so it starts over each battle). This “beast form” gives a whole new set of powerful special attacks that can turn the tide in desperate situations.
- Throughout the game, you’ll have five “permanent” party members (once you recruit them): Zuleika, Chael, Kirile, Duren, and Ahzi. These party members will, when leveled up enough, change classes according to your alignment (see below). Depending on where you are and what part of the plot you’re doing, you may also have additional party members at your disposal. Within your battle formation, you can use as few or as many of these available party members as you like.
- Battles can be turned off following the initial tutorial or at any time from the Preferences menu. So if you don’t want to bother with all this and just want to play for the story, you can do that, too. ;D
Choices will shift Zuleika’s alignment towards Order or Chaos Alignment
- There are two main forces in Egea (the continent this all happens on): Order and Chaos. While these two forces are generally related to light and darkness, they don’t necessarily denote good or evil.
- The elves of Nalan are highly attuned to Order and, as such, are nearly colorless in their appearance (pale eyes, pale skin, pale hair, wear all white or light blue). They are a very strict, stoic people who communicate with thoughts rather than words, because words are inefficient and can be misinterpreted.
- The demons of Pyralis, on the other hand, are highly attuned to Chaos and, as such, vary widely in appearance and personality. There is very little order or hierarchy among them, except that the strong are respected while the weak are thrown out or killed (or eaten, in some tribes…).
- The humans of Tyraca, then, are somewhere in the middle and are the most varied in that regard. Some humans, such as priests and scholars, are more attuned to Order; others, specifically fighters, are more attuned to Chaos.
- Generally, a person’s alignment is relatively stable throughout their life, but may change after a dramatically life-altering event. This is what has happened to Zuleika, which gives the player the opportunity to shape what her new alignment will be in a way similar to the “Paragon-Renegade” system from Mass Effect, but on a single linear scale. Either way, she’s still a “hero” with fairly good intentions, but her methods and priorities will change depending on the player’s choices.
- Your alignment will also affect your party members. When they change classes, for instance, your alignment will determine whether they change to a “light” class or a “dark” class.
Chael approves of Zuleika seeking justice over revenge. Purpose of this Remake
For those who don’t know, this is a remake of my first game (or should I say only, since it’s the only one I ever actually finished). I took to heart many of the comments about it feeling rushed and not feeling like you were actually doing anything, and have come up with this monster in response. However, while I call it a remake, this game is completely different from the original. It starts out relatively the same, but past that, it’s a whole new story.
I’ve been working on it for a long time now, with still very little to show for it, unfortunately. I have most of the graphics done, the programming framework built, and a fairly thorough outline of the story, but very little of the actual writing done because I’m not confident in my writing at all and keep going back and redoing it.
…So…anyone want to be my writing slave and help me finish this faster? ;D Just kidding……..or am I?Despite the lack of showable progress, I am still working on this, and damn it, I will finish this thing, even if it kills me.
Download Now Available
I called it a beta before, but apparently, that’s not the right terminology… so it’s not even a demo or a beta, just a “download.”
It’s the first 5-10 minutes or so of the game, leading up to the battle tutorial that I haven’t made yet. There are still some issues, but it shows what the game will generally look like.
Let me know what you think!
Originally posted January 14, 2012 on Lemma Soft Forums.
“Starlit Dreams”: A Quirky Sci-Fi Business Management Sim
Stuck in a dead-end job, far from the glamorous life she had expected to find by moving to the city, Seiko can’t help but believe she’s destined for bigger, better things. But what happens next could be more than what she bargained for…
Game Features
- Play as a boy (Ein) or a girl (Seiko)
- 8 datable characters, each with their own story
- Customize your character with different hairstyles and color schemes
- Original character art and (hopefully) backgrounds
In the game, your business – as of right now – is designing and manufacturing cybernetic prosthetics (hence the “wacky business” part, and why the doctor is your business rival). If I get really ambitious, I may add a choice as to the type of products you sell (as in, instead of prosthetics, you could sell…say…robotic pets), though all of them will be the kind of choices that make you go “Huh…?”
The demo has been posted!
Well…the HQ demo, anyway. I’ll have a LQ one up once my friend finds the time to lower the framerate on the .mp3s for me.
If anyone has trouble, either with downloading or playing the game, let me know and I’ll try to help.
Originally posted October 21, 2010 on Lemma Soft Forums.