Digital Arts

I love drawing. But I never had the time to learn digital arts.

GIMP and Inkscape are freeware programs that would help just right. I'm basically just crawling on how to use a tablet but couldn't stop myself from experimenting with my new found programs. So I basically just breezed through the lineart and experimented with the oh so popular burn tool.

I know, I know... I need more practice in lighting

Project B - Pixel Sprites

And our RPG still lives! Let's call the RPG that we're brainstorming for Project B and we've decided that I'm in charge of the designs. I'm not that good in digital arts to be honest but, hey, I enjoy a good challenge. 

RPG Makers make use of pixelated sprites like the one shown below:

A female sprite template

As you can see, it is aligned 3 x 4 which totals to 12 icons per sprite, 12 possible animation frames and that's just the minimum. Icons are usually 24 x 24 pixels but could be 32 x 32 and many more, it all depends on one's personal preference and the item you're going to make (e.g. tools, tiles, etc.).


RPG Maker VX Ace does have a sprite generator and it does have a lot of options as seen below:

But it can only go as far as the limitations of the package though you can always edit the generated sprite here and there. As far as pixels are concerned, Graphics Gale is known for creating or editing sprites.

999: Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors

Yes, I'm a little late on trying this out but, well, better late than never. I was itching to try Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward on my 3DS then I read an article somewhere in the internet (probably from Siliconera, but I’m not sure) that Zero Escape answers questions left hanging from 999: Nine Hours, Nine Persons,Nine Doors.

wait for me... I'll finish 999 first ;)

 999 is a virtual novel with, what I thought, a battle royale theme: a game to the death, where the last one standing gets to leave. Much to my surprise: the plot needs all of them alive by the last door. Well, at least it is a survival game.

Here, you play as Junpei - your run-off-the-mill college student where you dictate his actions and choices that influences not just the ending but the story itself. 

999 has 6 possible endings, and I got the worst possible ending in my first play through: the coffin ending. The coffin ending has the same flags as the true ending except for one, you must have seen the safe ending to get the true ending else you'll get the dummy ending: the coffin ending.

Introducing Ren'Py

Most, if not all, indie VNs that are scattered through out the world wide web are programmed through a software called Ren'Py (you can download it here) . As a novice programmer, Ren'Py is pretty easy to understand. Sure it's a little confusing on loops but aren't all programming languages like that at first? The more complex you want your game, the more complicated it gets but it will be all worth it in the end.

Now let's start! 

Depending on which version you get, the downloaded package already has a tutorial included. It pretty much didn't help me when I launched the project, so I just went to see the scripts and started from there. (Note: if you have zero background in programming, here's a good site to get you started.)

Hierofania is a really good first attempt of a visual novel by Ludeshka.

Hierofania by Ludeshka

DS Love - Girlish Love Revo

With the standards of Tokimeki Memorial Girl's Side Series, I was hesitant to try other DS otome games for a while until the 3rd Story's english patch is done but I just had to try Girlish Love Revolution.

Girlish Love Revolution

Girlish Love Revolution is about a girl living with the most popular guys and whatnot. Sounds too cliche`? Wait for it. Here, you play as Hitomi an obese high school student and will be working out to lower her weight and the usual raise her parameters for the rest of the duration of the game. The story is really hilarious and the characters are all quirky. I enjoyed it so much that I couldn't help myself and ask for more: now currently reading its manga.

RPG Making

RPG Maker piqued my interest when I was playing the game called Castle Chase. I was well aware of its existence before but it wasn't that intriguing to play given that we already could have better looking sprites/avatars. Yes, I'm one of those: "Smoother graphics = better games". But right now, I'm eager to try these kind of games and play a game for the whole play experience and not just because a game has awesome graphics. Ah, the changes an otome game can make you.

Since we were bored, my friends and I decided to develop a game using the RPG Maker. I, for one, don't even know the basics in creating a game. I guess a little research and practice is in order.

From RPGs to Otome

As an avid gamer myself, I'd rather play a game than post in forums or blogs (although, I do stalk some topics that I find interesting). Recently, I find myself leaning to games like Shin Megami Tensei: Persona Series,  Avalon Code, Harvest Moon, and even Fire Emblem: Awakening. So I thought to myself "All these games have one thing in common: otome elements". 

Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 Portable

Harvest Moon: A New Beginning

 

I got hooked up on these kinds of games, I found myself playing Hakuoki: Demon of the Fleeting Blossom and My Candy Love. Then and there I welcomed myself to the world of Virtual Novels (VNs).