For my new project, I’ve decided to create a visual novel. As I am just a writer and a narrative designer and as I don’t know how to draw, paint or compose… I’ve decided to do everything myself. This is my story (and yours too) and this was part 1.
I was supposed to spend my weekend working on my visual novel but you know what? You don’t always do what you want in life.
As my current job is really demanding (and a lot of fun too), I was not ready on Friday night to start the Asylum Jam. I knew I was behind on my schedule but the good thing is that I have a schedule, which is even better.
(first time ever I have a schedule… I have also an Excel file with all my backgrounds, characters, scenes… I will show it to you after the game is finished, OK?)
Chédule or Skedual?
I’ve decided for this project to prepare a lot.
I worked a lot on the characters beforehand, trying to find a way to have three different characters that you can meet, with funny and/or interesting backgrounds.
While working on them, I started using a very cool software called yEd, a simple heuristic tool. The big thing for me is that yEd has a very neat function: it can do an automatic layout of your flowchart.
So I don’t have to worry about how to arrange the layout and I can focus on the links, the scenes, the characters…
This was really helpful just to get the general structure. A visual novel (well, in my mind) is mostly a question of paths. Where the players can go as well as where they want to go.
Sometimes an ending can feel frustrating when you design it (i.e. it’s really soon, or it’s not exactly what you want to give to your players) but you have to do it. A player will never hate a lack of choice as much as a bad choice.
In my project, the players will be able to just skip the final scenes. Of course, they will get the worst ending ever and I hope they’ll come back for more afterwards.
But it felt necessary for me.
Music and Art
I don’t know how to compose.
I don’t know how to draw.
But I’ve decided to do it by myself this time. Maybe one day I’ll be confident enough to ask someone else. Or I’ll have the money to pay an artist… But one day. For this project, I did everything… Well, it’s not really true. MIDI files, Flemish painters, soundfonts, and Garageband did all the work.
I took a lot of pleasure in doing those tweaking and photoshopping sessions. It could clearly have been done by a real artist but I kind of like the fact that the whole game is somewhat recycled.
To be really honest, I don’t like Flemish painters. I had several nervous breakdowns in museums because of them. I can spend hours facing a block of marble, I even cried once in the British Museum (godammit it was so intense)… but Flemish paintings are the worst. That’s why I wanted to use them (and I hope I’ll be able to continue with more projects maybe). I believe that these paintings are, in fact, 18th century Instagram.
I wish I could simply go on Flickr or Instagram and pick up pictures of places, houses, cars, forests, people to use them in a game… We are producing so many pieces of art everyday. If we were really clear-minded and able to reflect on our daily lives, every night we should be be really happy and proud of our work.
Of course, some people will come and say that an Instragram picture is not art. Yeah. Maybe it’s true, but if I could turn this picture into an awesome background for a story… maybe it’s something valuable.
What’s next?
OK. The next part of this post mortem will deal with writing as I will start transforming ideas and moods into something readable.
Until then, maybe I can offer you another track from the game soundtrack? This time I used Isaac Albéniz’s wonderful poems from Spain, especially Cataluna. I needed a track to give life to a character we will never really see… A witch.
