Discussion about the making or playing of English Language Visual Novels, save for the ones from /ksg/, or games released originally in Japanese.
Do you have a question about a Japanese visual novel or a translation of it?
/vn/ is ready to answer it.
>Getting Started:
pastebin.com
>Recommended Reading:
vndb.org
For Developers. Huge collection of guides on everything:
meganelover.com
Ren'Py Download:
renpy.org
let's see how long we can keep this one alive
It's totally the easiest part of VN creation to focus on though.
It's fun and enjoyable in all significant ways.
>letting the thread die
As expected of a thread that's mostly about actually doing work.
you guys ARE working, right anons?
I wrote yesterday so I'm gonna spend the next week thinking about how horrible and impractical my project is.
So yeah, working.
I worked a few weeks ago. That's enough, right?
>Dying before less than 10 replies
I think we're heading into a new record.
Why aren't the VN's from /ksg/ allowed here? /salty/ died a long time ago
Aren't they all dead anyway? People didn't want them because someone inevitably drags up some stupid drama no one outside of their salty c-jerk cares about.
kickstarter.com
Looks like they made it on time. I'm kinda worried about this project though, because, for having talked a bit with the devs, their communication is very sub-par (they barely speak coherent english, except for a few members). This will lead to issues similar to what "The Letter" had encoutered I feel (probably even worse). Also, funny to notice that despite partnering with MangaGamer, they only got a few retweets from them. At least Sekai has the decency to post their own announcements for important stuff. But maybe it was just bad time for Bloody Chronicles between Tokyo Babel and Gahkthun steam release?
Not wanting this to become /ksg/.
Mangagamer doesn't know much about kickstarter. What they provide is more of a sales platform and access to their direct audience.
post whatever, it's not like this thread could get any deader.
I get the feeling that nobody in this medium knows how to do promotion.
repasting from last thread just so i don't lose it
at least until this one dies as well
pastebin.com
>No SC2VN
user...
oh right! that was actually meant to be in the normal category but was forgotten
MS, AiB, and LD are all dead, so it doesn't really matter anymore.
For artists who work with writers, how do you go about the drawing process when it comes to assets?
Does a writer just list things out for you or do you read the script to get a feel for the story?
How do I get into writing for others, user?
do you mean 'how do i get hired' or do you mean 'how do i learn how to not suck'?
as a hiring person i don't expect an artist to read any more of my script than absolutely necessary and they don't usually want to. descriptions, references, cut-and-paste chunks of script when they're relevant.
Both
What's your reasoning? Why do you want to write for others. That determines a lot.
I want to be able to understand and be on the same wavelengh as other people in a collaberative work instead of just myself.
So basically you just hand them a list of assets and cg's for them to draw?
That's kind of a pain in the ass for me, since I write like i'm writing for a regular novel. I'm not sure how to communicate everything that needs to be shown.
Better reason than looking for validation. I'm not sure how to help you. Write for yourself, add your own flavor to the mix. If you write what you brings you deep feelings people will see it in the work.
Have you read this article before?
gamasutra.com
I found it pretty helpful to see how involved a writer can be with an artist or even other people.
To get hired, first put out some work that impresses people. To not suck, just write a lot, and read as much as you write.
Fervent is hard at work again. I liked CUPID, so I'm definitely checking The Belfegor House out when it's released.
Really digging that stupidly small font.
Working on a VN for less than an year. Can't give too much detail right now. Been working on the script for a good time now. Typical shit. Conflicted due to the fact I'm going to release it for free but I want to give up and maybe just ditch myself so I can start anew which involves leaving video games and I'm itching for some dosh. When it comes to making the decision of whether it's free or not, what are the factors I should consider when making the final decision?
>When it comes to making the decision of whether it's free or not, what are the factors I should consider when making the final decision?
Whether you think people would actually want to buy it. If you have trouble determining that for yourself, post some of your work here and /evn/ will tell you all you need to know.
Yeah, yeah. The gang is having fun in the desert while chinese necros review their grammar. Give it a rest.
A list of assets is enough. Fuck reading scripts, no one wants to read that shit.
You disgust me.
Can you explain why he disgust you ?
I bet you're one of those writers who strongly believe they're the second coming of Christ. Frankly, no one wants to deal with your shit and read a long-ass shit script. If you can't compose a list of graphical assets out of your own script, you're a shitty writer.
goodnight /evn/
Oyasumi
Time for the eurotrash half of /evn/ to take over.
Usually I get a list of assets with specs (variations, expressions, etc.) and a description.
For characters it would be something like their hair colour, how tall they are, if they're petite, etc. For CGs what is happening, relevant character interactions and the overall feeling.
You can one-liners from your script if they help, but I'm not going to read your whole VN to draw a scene, you can get across the right mood and look of a CG if you're half decent as a writer.
this is why /evn/ artists suck dick. if you're unable to commit yourself to reading a script in order to understand what the story is about, you cannot possibly draw a good scene.
Arabic is the new German.
Bumping for justice ...
>You can one-liners from your script if they help, but I'm not going to read your whole VN to draw a scene, you can get across the right mood and look of a CG if you're half decent as a writer.
"Artist user doesn't read fast enough."
kek
I would only expect an artist to read through all the scenes if they're heavily involved with the project, and not just being commissioned. You can't expect them to read through every scene for each CG when they have no ties to the project. If you commission an artist who does that, then they're spending their time as a favor, not as an obligation.
>uninstalled discord
>uninstalled steam
>deactivated facebook
>downloaded and listening to Katawa Shoujo soundtrack to put myself into depression again
Well, I worked 5 straight hours on my script this morning and went for a run.
I feel like I'm about to die, but... At least I'm progressing.
Depression is the key to create. For me at least.
>gets depressed listening to elevator music
It doesn't matter, that music got connected with the heartbreaking memories and the whole atmosphere of the VN.
My heart broke too at how bad it was.
cheeky
Your expectations are kind of silly. Why would they need to read a bunch of stuff that isn't related to the work they're actually doing? That will just bog them down.
Especially since the script itself shouldn't actually contain most of the specific descriptive detail they need to work from. You shouldn't be dumping out long descriptions of characters in text when the player is meant to be able to SEE that character.
if you kill yourself after you finish your VN it has a chance of becoming cult classic!
You have to become a known controversial figure first so that people will become really interested in finding your lost work to uncover your psyche.
Unknown people die all the time and nobody cares about their artwork.
It's easier to work on the eccentric genius persona while still alive.
If anyone remembers me, I was the user from before with the musician who disappeared for 4 months.
He got back to me today with my "updated" main menu theme. It's exactly the same as the one he sent 4 months ago, he just pitched some bells in the back to be quieter.
Feels like pic related, comparing the old one and the "new one".
I don't even...
I should also note the outdated one was 1:30 seconds. The new is 3:00 because he looped it once.
Is it NAME and SHAME time?
I would, if he was well-known or there was the possibility of someone here using him, but that's not the case. He's really small time.
dafuq
Kool coder skillz, brah.
It's not really the case of bring him down from fame or shaming him. We just want to avoid any potential loses in time and money.
i completed my script before hiring artists so if they want to know what a scene looks like they can just play it
Currently helping a Russian team as part of "community service"/portfolio work. Well, I'm not a seasoned veteran with this stuff. I just code the design that they want.
Currently, I'm fucking up things purposely.
...
wew lad
Name those russians.
Can't disclose. I'm not working for Soviet Games though.
where can i hire visual novel writers aside from lemmasoft?
Don't hire a visual novel writer. Hire a proper writer.
Hiring a "visual novel writer" is similar to hiring a liberal arts college undergraduate artist.
Here. Hire me. Though I must warn you I write at the industry standard of 25c per word..
i meant that they can write for a script, not that they can do paragraphs of descriptions for novels.
I'd hire you just to make you rewrite every single thing you make at least 100 times.
Rewrites are industry standard 50c per changed word.
I have nothing to show except slightly broken UDK games. This is my first real big project that in going to be released with professional quality.
Of course, but only if they're at the fault of the person hiring. I'm sure I could nitpick at your bad writing for hours.
fanfiction.net
Though most of thel are terribad, there are some good writers here and there. At least you can be sure that those writers practice more their writing, received feedback and criticism and are used to it, and have morr litterature knowledge than 90% of lemmasoft writers. Which doesn't make them good, but at the very least decent.
Cyka Blyat
>Artist flaunting off commissioned works on their twitter.
>Still didn't reply to any of my 2 emails.
What was your email about?
He's probably waiting for his translator-bro to sober, to translate your message, and write a reply.
Some user interaction stuff.
I feel like commissioning for a character doing a slav squat now...
Found 0 russian teams with progress
Where you at? We're usually at Vk. The main guy behind the project posts on LSF sometimes.
That Leshiy, loli-eater guy ?
Unwonted guy is kinda spamming his EVN.moe site right now at WIP threads.
Yeah. Welp. I'm not bothered by the heroines' appearances for now. I'm actually trying to penetrate the Russian VN scene lol.
What exactly are you doing ? only coding ?
... Professor Potsdam?
Forget the 'visual novel writer' part and look for people who are trying to get into video game writing in general. Make sure you have the ability to actually evaluate their work.
You don't want to hire someone who only works in straight prose because they are unlikely to understand the needs of a video game, but you don't want to hire an amateur off LSF whose entire experience of text is reading badly-translated JVNs.
A general videogame hire is going to be expecting many different kinds of jobs and should be more flexible.
UI coding and helping him with UI layout. But I'm not the one doing the frames.png and all of those things. Basically, he asks me if we need this and that for the interfaces before forwarding a request for additional assets to the artist, whom I don't have direct contact with.
It all started off with that user complaining about Russian releases having default Ren'Py UI though.
>They bother about default layout, but not the horrible translation.
Well, fuck.
He did the translation on his own. I might be able to edit that but I'm not native speaker enough lol. And to be honest, I think he didn't bother with the layout as well, or at least not until I volunteered.
Well, good night guys. It's 1230 something in flipland lol. Gonna wageslave so hard tomorrow.
so would the usual deal for commissions be half up-front, half after completion?
That's how do it for music. Without 50% upfront, I'm not even touching my DAW.
Depends.
If you are noname, and artist is famous, it probably would be 100% upfront.
What is considered to be a famous artist?
Artist, that has at least 4 pages in his thread at lemma.
Don't be suckered - almost no one expects 100% upfront.
If you want a simple litmus test, try this - if you post a random picture they've just drawn, will passersby stop and say "Hey, isn't that 's work?" If no, then they're not even pretending to be famous.
Most of the time, the people who insist on upfront pay are amateurs doing one-off commissions because they're used to their commissioners stiffing them if they don't.