Planetary Scan
Added 2021-03-31 10:28:59 +0000 UTC(This is not a particularly sexy wallpaper, but that's coming up next)
I don't have a lot of visuals to show off this month, because I've been working on GUI bits for dozens of different planets, stars, space backgrounds, and thumbnails for planet info - and quite a lot of coding, to make the GUI and the planet info and stuff, all work together in the software. This is one example, just to show off what it's currently looking like.
I was planning for PINK GALAXY to be really narrative-focused, but I was finding myself kind of bogged down with that, because narrative scenes require a lot of cinematography (at least the way I've always done them) and it's the part that takes the most time and effort.
I have all these characters, and all these backgrounds, and I started thinking - a couple of months ago actually, but I don't think I've explained this... what if it's structured more like a dating sim? With characters that slide in over backgrounds, where every single moment doesn't have to be a composed "shot". Standard dialogue boxes, and multi-choice dialogue and the stuff you'd see in that kind of game.
What if it doesn't have to have a big narrative, but instead you wander around the ship, or go to different planets, meet and talk to characters, and unlock a variety of sexy stuff based on a classic "relationship level" kinda thing? A bit more of a GAME - which has a bit more coding, but not quite so much artwork, and short stories related to each character's dialogue as you get to know them, but not so much heavy narrative. And, an external "gallery" function, so you can quickly view any sexy stuff you've ever unlocked, even if you start a new game.
I was remembering an old Flash game from Newgrounds called Galaxy Angel Sim Date RPG (which is just as fun and trashy as it used to be - originally uploaded in 2004 apparently), which has a couple of mini-games, and a tiny bit of story though the dialogue is absolute garbage, but it's mostly just about wandering around the ship trying to date the various crew members, and visiting planets. It's EXTREMELY lacking in sexy sexy stuff though!
I wanted to do something like that way back years ago when I first started, but I had NO IDEA how to do any kind of coding. Now, I'm not too bad at minor coding stuff like that. So, yeah I've been doing a lot of coding this month, figuring out how to get that working, so I'm sorry I don't have another big art dump. But I'm pretty excited about the possibilities. I've always really liked dating sims!
Plus, I don't have to figure out pairings for each character if they all pair with the main character! ^_^
Comments
A dating sim would be a good way to do a 'sneak peek' into the galaxy, especially if you've always wanted to do one. I wouldn't give up on the story, but at least you wouldn't have to worry about so many minute details all in one wad. You could have the characters still doing their normal thing with the daily life in the verse jobs while just the outline of major events are happening in the background and only lightly reference it if at all (like broadcast in the background, news report about such and such, data cache they get on a job that the player doesn't even have to read, but if they do it mentions event x, or seemingly random job for fixer x that seems like nothing big ... at least not yet, TBD later but the hook is there). Easter eggs heh. But the main point is you wouldn't have to flesh it out as much, and sometimes less is more in that case. Hmm, you could even make it a prequal, the background events setting up the 'big adventure' or RPG or whatever you may be working towards for the next game. Or not. You could keep the story ark just a framework and then you can see what people focus on and what they don't, and only spend effort fleshing out the bits that 'catch'. Of course, I've never actually created and marketed a project so I'd take everything I just said with an entire can of salt lol. But yeah, long winded way of saying a dating sim sounds cool :).
manicmarauder
2021-04-03 19:10:11 +0000 UTC
