VN Project - What Do YOU Want? (Needs Artist)

I'll get it out there right now: I'm great at writing, but I absolutely cannot draw. Trust me, I've tried. So, I'll need an artist for a visual novel project idea thing I have been messing around with in Ren'Py. Why would anyone possibly want to do this? Well, here's a summary:

It's Yuri. That's the main idea. Unlike most yuri, though, I'm not going to have this set at an all-girls school. It takes place at a regular high school. As a baseline, it will have fanservice, but no ero stuff, and there will be a sizable amount of male characters.

Here's where it gets interesting: While I'll do the majority of the writing, besides needing an artist I want to ask the people here who like VNs/Yuri to tell me what they'd like to see. Little is off-limits, but it has to be somewhat mundane. So nothing really out there. Here are some starter questions:

• What (developed) country should it be set in? Think East or West here, people.
• Otaku, or no otaku?
• What should the ratio of drama to comedy be?
• What do you want to see in your yuri?
• Any specific themes? What should it be about, besides lesbians? Kira Kira is about bands, Tsukihime is about vampires, what about this?
• Any specific character types that should/should not be in it?

Ask whatever you'd like. And I'll remind you that I do need an artist badly. Seriously.

It'd also be nice to get some people more experienced with Ren'Py. It's not too hard to learn to use, but it can be tough.

Note: This is now "The Yuri Bible", about a High School AU of The Bible, with genderflipped Jesus and disciples.

edited 19th Sep '10 9:14:32 PM by Five_X

I write pretty good fanfiction, sometimes.

I think it may be better to ask for an artist at Visual Arts.

If people learned from their mistakes, there wouldn't be this thing called bad habits.

Yeah, just did that. But still, I'd like people to contribute by suggesting what should be in it. I don't particularly need the suggestions, but they would make this much more fun, as a VN made by Tropers.

I write pretty good fanfiction, sometimes.

Stories are better off written by one or two people, not democracy.

[1] This facsimile operated in part by synAC.

I'm sure it'd be fun.

I write pretty good fanfiction, sometimes.

• Japan. Or Canada
• No Otaku
• Comeday>Drama
• A steady relationship and gradual progress that's fulfilling.
• It should be a baseball or competitive Starcraft.

Yeah, stupid ideas. Ignore the above statement.

Football? I'm honestly trying.

Theatre?

• And you got to have a Hiruma.

edited 19th Sep '10 7:40:24 PM by neobowman

- It should probably be set in a Western country. Attempting to place it in Japan will almost certainly come off as inauthentic. Whatever your home country is, I guess.
- Eugh no.
- About half and half would be ideal.
- I would like to see some yuri that actually deals with the reality of being a lesbian in society, and the issues of homophobia and heterosexism that lesbians and other LGBT people face (which would probably depend on whatever country you're setting it in, but still).
- About animals, maybe? Cats, dogs, horses... you could have characters that volunteer at animal shelters and things. I don't think I've ever seen anything like that as a central component in a story that wasn't for young children. It would be a unique angle. (Though, again, it would depend on where you set it.)
- NO TSUNDERES JESUS PISS.

edited 19th Sep '10 7:47:58 PM by KarlzBelena

we are not the same you will hear my voice

Setting it in Canada sounds pretty awesome. You could say I know the place quite well.

No otaku is fine, but by otaku I kinda meant "generally geeky people", not necessarily Konata.

I agree that there shouldn't be too much drama.

Steady relationship? Okay. Realistic issues sounds pretty good, too. Hardly any yuri series deal with that. It'd be nice if this could have great yuri stuff as well as educating people.

Competitive Star Craft sounds hilariously awesome, but probably a little unrealistic unless it takes place in South Korea. Animal related stuff would work too, especially with an animal shelter part. one of the heroines could work at the SPCA or something, or a farm There are lots of those. Overall, though, the Theatre idea sounds best for an overall theme.

Fine, fine, no tsunderes. Jeez, they aren't that hard to write well.

I think this is going quite well. Keep the ideas coming!

Edit: What do you mean by "Hiruma", neobowman? Do you mean a character with that name, or something?

edited 19th Sep '10 8:04:15 PM by Five_X

I write pretty good fanfiction, sometimes.

I was going to suggest genderswapped versions of Jesus and her disciples. Losing into Satan's temptation would get the Bad End.

That's making me think of an overly prudish visual novel...

If people learned from their mistakes, there wouldn't be this thing called bad habits.

If you do a genderflipped yuri Jesus VN, I will read it no matter how bad it is and despite my dislike of yuri.

Well no that's not what I was going for. Kinda going off what Karlz said earlier, what if the characters actually had to deal with being lesbians or bi in a hetero normative society instead of just fluffy romance? Satan would show up at various points along the way (as a Horny Devil Optional Sexual Encounter natch) and try to offer Jesus and her disciples an easy out. That in true Faustian fashion only screws everybody over.

Yes it's a character. I'll give a description.

Quite simply, the greatest character to ever be conceived of. Ever. Cackles like a maniac, is a genius, has a little black notebook of threats that he uses to blackmail pretty much every single NPC on the planet, carries around a variety of guns, bazookas and other weapons in his Hyperspace Arsenal, has an AK 47 always out with which he shoots his teammates with when he's angry with them(rubber bullets), kicks his teammates when he's happy with them, plays football because it's fun, is not particularly athletically talented at all but is still the best high school quarterback in Japan because of his smarts, etc, etc. Oh, and his name means "Devil in plain sight".

It's hard to describe without actually seeing him in action. A few pics.

Needless to say, he would not fit into this particular story at all and I just wanted to rant about how awesome he is. You may ignore once again.

tl;dr, YOU MAY SKIP THIS POST AS IT DOES NOT PROVIDE ANY USEFUL INFO.

edited 19th Sep '10 8:45:41 PM by neobowman

I might do that Fem!Jesus idea, but not as part of this yuri VN project.

Though to expand on it, should it take place in Biblical times, or just have Jesus & Co. in a High School AU? Also, should it reference other Biblical events? Moses would be a really popular jock dude who is actually nice.

Would Noah be the cool old bus driver?

neobowman: I'm pretty sure I could fit in a crazy Hot-Blooded heroine. It could be interesting.

edited 19th Sep '10 8:47:41 PM by Five_X

I write pretty good fanfiction, sometimes.

High School AU, else the timeline is screwed up. David would be the cool homeroom teacher. Abraham the grumpy old man. Joseph the pimp.

Also, Hiruma isn't hotblooded. He's just awesome. Uhh, yeah, hard to explain unless you've seen him, and with no onemanga, it's hard to show you.

edited 19th Sep '10 8:50:25 PM by neobowman

Hrm, I'd go with High School AU just to cut down the amount of exposition Jess(fem!Jesus) would have to narrate as they go from place to place.

Noah should be the biology teacher (and swim team coach) who is Crazy-Prepared.

edited 19th Sep '10 8:53:15 PM by Alkthash

DUDE, Ohmygod, your VN idea was a YURI?!?!! MY VN idea is a yuri too! Which means we totally share interests! XD Well, even if you're not up for Stencyl/my art, I can at least give you some feedback on this stuff!

• What (developed) country should it be set in? Think East or West here, people.

Where do you live? Set it in a place you're familiar with. I think that's usually the best option, since that's the place you know the most about and can therefore make it more authentic. Many people fall into the problem of thinking that wherever they live is boring or mundane, but on the contrary, I love seeing a place that isn't usually depicted, especially somewhere the author knows well.

• Otaku, or no otaku?

I love otaku! Having one or two would be great, though the entire cast needn't be. But it certainly does quick work of connecting to your main demographic by having one! Be specific about the 'brand' of otaku they are too; it shows you really know your stuff about the culture, the differences between a gamer dude that imports obscure Japanese games and a yaoi fangirl that writes fanfic for instance =P .

• What should the ratio of drama to comedy be?

What are your strengths? If you think you can write really funny stuff, I would definitely prefer that, but personally I find I suck at comedy so it wouldn't write one myself even if I love humor D= . But even with a comedy, having a few moments of piercing drama makes that rare drama all the more... well, dramatic.

• What do you want to see in your yuri?

Passion. Sexuality. I love fluff and moemoe, but right now I'm just itching for something a little more 'mature' in this aspect, of full-fledged women with real, deep feelings that know what they want. I guess this kind of runs counter to the whole comedy preference before though, huh XD ? Having girls who are ambiguous in terms of gender (not particularly feminine nor masculine) is great too. Oh, and women that know and are comfortable with their own sexuality, that don't skirt around the word 'lesbian'. The typical romantic traditions are often cut out of romance stories for some reason, like asking someone out, going on a date, declaring each other girlfriends, etc.. I don't know why, but I'd like to see that happen for once.

• Any specific themes? What should it be about, besides lesbians? Kira Kira is about bands, Tsukihime is about vampires, what about this?

Well, if it's set in school I'd say take advantage of that. Lots of stories set in school don't seem to D= . Clubs are great, or a special or unique class. Being a unique type of school, like one that focuses more on art or something, could also be interesting. What do people go to school for? Their future, their dreams and aspirations and passions. Those that don't have that, often feel lost or unsure of themselves, trademark of teens.

• Any specific character types that should/should not be in it?

I love a confident and strong-willed woman, and straightforward women.

Of course these are just thoughts and suggestions =P . I wish you luck on this project either way, and if you ever finish, please post somewhere! I love V Ns.

<3 ali

My iMood

Oh my god this turned into something way too awesome.

I write pretty good fanfiction, sometimes.

If David is the cool teacher, he also needs to be a jerkass at the same time. Hilarious, but a jerk.

• Canada, or perhaps Australia.
• No otaku, but regular nerds acceptable.
• One-to-one. You know, balance and all that.
• What do I want to see in my yuri? I don't know; why don't you tell me what the hell this vague question is supposed to mean?
• How about the making of an amateur movie? Or, heck, it could be about pretty much anything.
• Even though it's a yuri VN, you should still have the Bromantic Foil character type in some sort of role somewhere because he's funny. Maybe transplant the typical Bromantic Foil personality onto a girl the protagonist is friend with. Except gender-reversed, like she's guy-obsessed or something. That not only is funny but it effectively prevents the character from being competition. Plus you could have them actually get a boyfriend later, bucking the trend for this character type never to make it with anyone.

Always, somewhere, someone is fighting for you. As long as you remember them, you are not alone.

What about Goliath? I think he should be a complete dick of a substitute teacher for David.

There should also be an Only Sane Man, who is the only non-Bible character who shows up every once in a while.

EDIT: Then who would be the Bromantic Foil for Jesus/Jess?

edited 19th Sep '10 8:59:54 PM by Five_X

I write pretty good fanfiction, sometimes.

I have an awesome little path to my school that really fits the classic fictional style. And it's in Toronto. I always thought it would be perfect for a VN. The problem is actually getting a photo of it since I own neither cell nor camera T_T.

^ Me. The only sane man.

edited 19th Sep '10 9:00:20 PM by neobowman

In a high school AU, Goliath would be something like a student council member who's incredibly smug and condescending.

Bromantic foil for Jesus? Judas!

edited 19th Sep '10 9:01:36 PM by Arha

I second the idea of the only sane man being a troper. So, who deserves it most? I don't want it to be me.

Judas makes a good bromantic foil. She should also be an unlockable Love Interest in a special route.

I write pretty good fanfiction, sometimes.

PICK ME! PICK ME!

Well, I don't exactly fit the category of "sane", but still.