https://erisegames.itch.io/eye-of-the-storm
We have a demo project, under Unbound license at the moment, which we'd like to perhaps even submit to official licensing for World of Darkness, if we do a good job with the demo.
Context: the script writer/game designer and I wrote the Sabbat the Schism book, which got Electrum bestseller status, and a long while ago, we've even made a script for a full VTM visual novel... the entire story/threads/plots are all planned. First prologue chapter fully written.
And even space for a few more sequels, if it becomes worth the grind.
About Us:
We have a game designer (who knows how to make games playable and interesting) and a script writer, who also was meant to do the arts, but that's too much for one perosn, with a full time job.
We have a programmer, igaming and software professional, and we're developing the game on a custom React + Electron build, with a neat story thread system, and easy updating of design/characters/etc, which also allows for Rive, three.js, pixi, and other JS based animation frameworks to be used, if you know those.
We have some musical artists, who've done more tracks than we have art. Essentially, for entire Prologue.
Full Game (min. art assets for project if the Steam license is granted)
We have planned five - six chapters, which are longer than prologue (currently at 10k-15k planned, chapters would be about double the length).
The game has 6 primary characters, including the female lead, and at least twelve secondary characters with character models.
- Wardrobe changes are rare for secondary characters, and expression number is limited if any exist, same for hairstyles.
- Primary characters could have a usual and formal outfit, as well as bloodied/ripped versions, 4-5 expressions at least on same model, and occasionally their beaten/mangled versions.
- FMC has one main outfit, a couple formal ones, and all outfits bloodied and ripped. 2-3 variation of same hairstyle, and most number of expressions.
Currently, we estimate BG number as following (generously) for the full game, at 12 recurring locations and 12 single use/event areas, out of which. The story, after Prologue starts in London but quickly moves to the Three Counties, where most of the onscreen story happens.
- 6-7 primary locations, which are used the entire story (2-3 BG views of same location, eg, interior, exterior, a specific room, etc)
- 6-7 recurring locations (but with no subareas, or a single low detailed one at most)
- and about 12 event/single use locations, where the story important areas require more detail for BG others less so
Our needs
Our current blocker, is the backgrounds and characters, since our writer/game designer just cannot do all that, especially with a fulltime job. Nor can I relearn it fast enough.
Stylistic genre original plan was more Tim Burton style, but Shadows of New Yorktype of art style is also good.
Essentially, for demo version (Prologue), we would need help from: (one or two people). A background artist is most needed for the demo version, but ideally it's someone who can do both, since the game will have a few moments where a splash art of important/emotional scenes, would be desired.
Background Artist:
- London Landscape/London Blitz Landscape (2)
- Library Interior/Exterior (2)
- Asylum Interior (hallway)/ Exterior
- Asylum Yard after Blitz
- Asylum Cell (2 variants)
Character artist
To redraw 3 characters which have initial illustrations and draw a couple new
- Iris, 2 outfits, 3-5 expressions, which would be reusable later in full game. Same hairstyle, sometimes messy, sometime more prim
- Her vampire sire, Dr Timothy, 4-5 expressions,one default model, and one art where's he's suffered a hit with a bomb, and is in pieces
- Her shitty boss, one model, one outfit
- A vampire prisoner, one outfit, 3-4 expressions (new)
- One inmate or so (new) no expressions
Since we're looking to replace our own need to wear hats, and we do plan on getting the game to be good, we're looking to those, who can do as well or better than either of us:
Miguel and mine collab on drawing Morpheus:
My unfinished sketches of Iris as time goes by (for the Eye of Storm , only fist five faces are applicable..)
Library Exterior, Miguel's work edited and composed for game by me.
Revenue share options:
As most of the work is creative on this project, rev share is as follows (40% to writing, 30% to art, 20% to music, 10% to coding).
If we get steam license from WOD, there will be more options for paid art asset work, but any such paid work won't count towards rev share percents, since we'd have to get business loan/investor funding for that, which is ok for us to do, if the license is acquired.
If we don't get a steam lisence, and RevShare on itch.io is sadly so-so, we have an extra compensation option. Should you choose to collaborate with us, you'd get the final build of the custom visual novel framework given to you.
Our VN framework: why build it?
Because It's is much easier and convenient, for devs and for non-devs.
Inspired by my first iGaming project where I was a founding engineer of, it's more than enough for most indie visual novel games, Electron allows it to build for Mac/Windows, lowers the bar for needed knowledge. And it uses a modern React framework.
Convenient for artists or writers with no budget for devs. HTML/CSS is used for UI/UX styling. Easy. Convenient. Codex will be fine with it. The Story System is already simple enough, even though it's still a typed object, but a Story Editor will be made for our main writer, so I don't need to copy paste his script.
Most of functionality has been already built for the Story System, which makes it easy to have a clean chapter system, with
- multipler scenes
- transition animations
- sound controller (music, sfx, etc)
- dialogue loops and branching
- character model changes with expressions for specific lines
- character choices locking/unlocking story branches
- attribute/quality/rep accumulation on choices
- system settings, sound control, text speed, auto play, etc
- it already can implement three.js/rive/pixi animations easily, or play videos if such as needed
Size efficiency: Current prologue build, with all assets for prologue, menu, loading screen, more tracks than what we'll use in prologue, and more VFX that's needed atm, sits at 160Mb unoptimised. Will go down by 30% once optimisation is done, for a script of 10-15k words max, which is 10% of Coteries script length according to estimations online.
Shadows and Coteries of New York both are around 3.29Gb for a Mac, with a total script at 100000-150000 words.
At current estimation of the MVP full game build with this framwork, at around 300000 words, the art assets as listed above, + 10-12 new tracks, it would be at 1.5Gb at most, 2GB if we add more music/art.
Contact
Message me if you're up for it, in discord: @misskaos or on email
amaliawals@gmail.com
