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[Kuriboh]

It wouldn't be monstrously hard to draw. :/

[DaHaloChick]

Kuri: No, it wouldn't. We would just need Saori, Athena, Tatsumi (FUCK YEAR LOL), the five Bronzies, and any other NPCs that might show up in the story. We don't have to worry about the player chara because they normally are never shown in these games.

Suzu: I read back and saw you said there were some programs specifically for dating sims. Do you think one of them might be easier than Ren'Py?

[SuzukaShin]

I know there's Ren-Ai Maker, which is similar, but I don't know exactly how it works. I still have to try to get a copy to have a look, but I keep forgetting. xD

I'll let you know if I find something interesting. In the meantime we'll work with Ren'Py.

[Plantress]

Okay, I'm so sorry this took so long. >< School started killing me for a while.  Anyway, here are some of the ideas I had for this came.  I tried to put it in some sort of order, but it still might be a little confusing.  Ask if you need me to clarify something.  Also, I encourage people to discuss the ideas or throw out any other ideas they might have.

Okay, I am basing this off the ‘School girl with a big sister at the mansion idea’.  If anyone else has any other suggestions for the scenario, we could discuss them here.

Anyway:

Basic Gameplay

The basic run each day is that you’ll start off at the school.  That will be simple, just a regular school building of some type in the background with the phrase ‘School has ended for the day! What do you want to do now?‘  The only time you don’t see this phrase is during the weekends, when you’ll be in your room.  Then the phrase ‘It’s the weekend! What do you want to do this morning/afternoon?‘ will appear.  Either way, you’ll then be given four choices:

-- Visit Graude mansion (Self explanatory)
-- Go home and study (This raises the ‘intelligence’ stat)
-- Practice with the track team (This raises the ‘Strength’ score.  We could also call it ‘Athletics’ score since that might fit better)
-- Take part in student council (This raises the ‘Charisma’ stat)

If any of the options but the visit the mansions one are chosen, the day, or that portion of the day on weekends, ends. If that happens a little line appears saying.  ‘Your _____ skill has increased by one!  Your skill level is now ____’  appears.   Then a line saying ‘You decide to go to bed for the day’ shows up after that and then it restarts with the school phrase.  During the weekend you can actually do two different things, one in the morning and one in the afternoon.


If you chose to go to the mansion you’ll appear in the Foyer.  There are four other rooms on the first floor:

Foyer: Usually nothing happens here except you choosing the next location.  But later on, when you reach a certain score or interest level with one of the bronzies, you’ll find him waiting here for you.  He’ll say that he hoped you would come today and invite you somewhere.   
Garden: One of the basic areas you can visit.  This is where you’ll first meet Shiryu when you unlock him. 
Library: Another of the basic area’s you can visit.  Shun is most likely to be here.
Music Room: Basic area.  Hyoga can be found here after you unlock him.
Sun Room: Basic area.  Seiya is usually found here. 

The Saints you start out being able to meet are Shun and Seiya.  You need to meet certain conditions in order to unlock the other three:

Hyoga: You need to have two in the charisma stat, then visit the music room.  He’ll appear randomly in other rooms after that.
Shiryu: You need to have two in the intelligence stat and have at least one point with Seiya, then visit the garden.  He’ll appear randomly in other rooms after that.
Ikki: Hardest to unlock.  You have to have at least three in all stats and have fairly high points with Shun.  He’ll appear with Shun the next time you find the Andromeda Saint.  After that, Ikki will appear randomly alone in the other rooms.

The Saints will show up randomly in the rooms on the bottom floor.  As noted above certain Saints have a better chance of appearing in certain rooms, but all of them can appear in all the rooms.  That means you might not always find the Saint you’re looking for.
Once you reach a certain score with a Saint, they’ll show you their room.  From then on you have access to the second floor and the rooms of all the Saints you know well enough to visit.  A Saint will always appear in their rooms.


When you do meet a Saint, they’ll engage you in conversation.  Once they say something you’ll be given three responses.  One will be a negative response, one will be a positive response, and one will be a neutral response.  There will be total of five or seven lines spoken each encounter.  At the end, if there are more positive responses, you gain a point in the relationship with the Saint.  If there are more negative responses, you loose a point with that Saint.   If there are more neutral responses or if there is an equal number of positive and negative responses, then there is no change in the relationship points.  If you give three negative responses in a room, the Saint will cut off the conversation and the day ends.

The highest score you can get with any of the Saints is fifteen.  At six is when the Saints will start showing an interest in the character.  As you get to certain milestones, like say, reaching eight points in the relationship score, the bronizes will ask you to go somewhere or do something with them.  This can just be a simple date where you go somewhere like a movie theater or it will be an event where the outcome is based on the stats.     

In a stats based outcome, the Bronizes will invite you to do something with them.  Like say, Shun asking if you want to go jogging with them.  If you say yes, then the response will be determined by your score.  Something like this:

Lower than 2 in Athletics: Shun is a bit disappointed and it counts as a negative score
You have 2 in the Athletics stat: Shun is happy.  This counts as a neutral
You have higher than 2: Shun is impressed and it counts as a positive score. 

Refusing these events counts as an automatic negative score.   

After a certain number of days, or when you reach a certain score with some of the Saints, Saori or Tatsumi will appear to talk with you.   You’ll try to convince them to let you stay.  If you can convince them that you should be allowed to stay, you get a point to add to one of your stats.  If you fail, then you lose a point in one of your stats and you can’t visit the mansion for two days.

Scenario Goal:
The over all goal of the game will be to get one of the Bronzies to ask you to go to a festival with them.   Since the school starts in April, you’ll have until around June or July to get one of them to like you enough to ask.   

A friend from school explains about the festival at the end of the first month.  She’ll show up at the end of the school day and ask if you know who you want to go with, then explain there’s a legend that’s associated with the festival that says you’ll always be together with the person you take with you.

[ChainedRose]

I would like to participate plz~ I help with the programming, art, storyline. Anything you think I could help with. I have some knowledge with programming, and I'm learning to use Ren'py.

Also I think for the activities and stats there should be more, for example for the stats maybe something like : Luck, Money, Fatigue, etc. As for activities the most important would be to go out. =3 Also the stats should be bigger and not just up by 1. (Of course this means the requirements would be higher too)


Opnions:

As for the gameplay, I think that it shouldn't be too easy, like what you said giving 3options, positive, negative, and neurtal. Well although that's a good idea, there shouldn't always just be 3options, sometimes more sometimes less, making it harder to guess. And it should be harder to guess instead of making it too obvious.

Also, just cutting off the conversation and the day ends seems a bit harsh, (unless someone chose an offending choice which makes the char mad) and you should just receive points and deduct points on every action taken. Owh and the gifting option is probably a must. =3

And probably something should be done about two-timing? I'm not saying that it should not be allowed to get more than one guy to go out with the player, probably just friends, but getting all the guys to LOVE you and loving all back in just one time is pretty bad if you think logically.

Thinking of this how about putting out not only love stats for the guys but friendship stats, for example if the player rejects a romantic relationship with a char they'd have to build up friendship stats instead? Also it should be possible to find some minor npc, maybe in return them giving info, items?

I also think it would be interesting for like mini-games or something, and stuff to focus on other than just the romance.

Just my suggestions.   

[DaHaloChick]

ChainedRose: WE NEED PROGRAMMERS. If you're learning Ren'Py that is PERFECT! =D

Also, making the stats more complicated than positive, negative, and neutral would be a BAD thing. Remember that the programmers have to program all of this stuff and keep the stats and values constantly fluxuating in accordance with what choices the character makes. If we add in too many stats and math equations, its going to become a mess.

Also, we need a strong plot behind this. A random schoolgirl wandering into Saori's mansion is just not possible. Tress and I are discussing the idea of having the main chara be hired as a part-time maid, and maybe having a villain involved to add some action in to the mix.

We also need more people and some availability to have a group chat to really sort out who will be doing what and what kind of concept we want to go for. Free time and differences in time zones is going to make this difficult but lets try and see when we're all available to get together in a chat room (I know of a great chat room service we can use)

I am free Mon-Fri after 5:30-6pm EST, and usually free all day on weekends, although the next month or so is going to be a tight squeeze for weekends, and I will be on vacation from April 25th-May 2nd (athough the night of April 26th MIGHT be possible for me)

[ChainedRose]

I don't mind being a programmer, actually I kinda like the idea. XP

Ren'py seems easy to use but I'm gonna have to experiment here and there first, maybe the programming for stats and stuff is easier than thought as. I'm gonna go fiddle around with it later.

For the plot, I think it's not a bad idea but I wanna hear the details.

As for getting more people I think I would be no use there, I can't even get my friends to help out with my rpg game. XP

I am pretty much free all day on weekends. As long as you give me a time, I'm pretty sure I can go online, my time is GMT+8:00. On Mon-Wen & Fri I'm probably free from 2-9p.m and Thurs 4-9.

Edit : Actually the stats stuff isn't that hard as long as you use the DSE scirpts for ren'py. The program pretty much helps u count every thing.

[Plantress]

I think we really should look at finding a chatroom that works for everyone.  Does anyone have any suggestions for that?   Then we can start making more solid plans.

[ChainedRose]

Idk really, how about this? http://www.chatshack.net/ I googled it out. XP Anyways I hope that we can discuss this soon.

[Plantress]

Okay...I'm about -7:00 GMT.  I'm usually home in the afternoon from  four or so, and I'm usually on during the weekends.

[ChainedRose]

I have no idea how to use that chatroom. >.< Sorry, Maybe someone can find a better one or figure our how to use this one? I made one but just can't seem to log into it

Btw, when do we start meeting?

[Kuriboh]

WHOOO! outtaschool lets get this show on the road.

[Plantress]

We should start this soon.  I'm free tomorrow, because it's Sunday, if we want to try and meet then.

[ChainedRose]

Alright, where? I'll try to get on soon then. But because I'm 13hrs ahead I don't know what time I'll be on. ^-^U But I'll try my best.

[Plantress]

>< I forgot DaHaloChick was coming back from vacation today. We couldn't have done it anyway.