itch.io

There is a more compleate version of this now available, which I should be able to upload soon.

This is a bit of an experiment in playing around with the Ren'Py engine.

I wanted to make this a bit more like an IF-type 'choose your own adventure' format, with placeholder graphics around a central full-height text screen. The game gathers a weighted 'score' during the seven Acts of the story, with the final weighting deciding whose ending you get based on your decisions throughout the game. The main storyline arc is relatively consistent, the text branches to reveal new narrative and insights depending on your choices in the option select screens.

I really just want to know if this visual approach is interesting and if the story looks like it would hold your attention. Also there may spelling or graphical errors introduced to the prototype build as this is an ongoing build just now, but these will be removed when spotted!

Although this is written in a Visual Novel maker, it is not really presented in that style. 

Development

This title is a customised RPG Maker XP project inspired by 1980s and early 1990s arcade-adventure games.

Technical Modifications:

• Scripting: The internal Ruby (RGSS) scripts have been modified to customise the Load, Save, and Menu systems.
• Visuals: Implementation of bespoke, hand-drawn tilesets, character sprites, backgrounds, and foregrounds.
• Audio: The soundscape consists of origonal and public domain and remixed open-source assets.

Display Implementation: The screen is bifurcated into a permanent display area at the top and a static or horizontally scrolling play area beneath it. This layout was achieved by integrating front-end and back-end scripting to manage rendering layers independently.

Gameplay Overview

The gameplay centers on exploring two distinct versions of the manor. Players must search two floors of rooms to uncover objects and historical clues.

The experience is divided into two distinct phases:

• Part One: Focuses on the physical retrieval of objects throughout the manor.
• Part Two: Shifts the emphasis to investigating the history behind those objects and the house itself.

"Two rooms only?"

The 'bug' was down to me leaving some test data in a file.  I fixed it now!

Hmm, don't know why it's showing that.  I haven't seen that before and haven't worked on this for years. It was a test game so may well have a glitch  but this issue  is likely in one of the support files rather than in the main program. 

Try clearing the contents of the  'endings_data' file in the games data directory. Don't delete the file though.

I'll have to look. Thanks for letting me know. I assume you haven't seen all the endings based on the video.

What a strange question.

Why is anything not free!?!?

Why would it be? 

Would you ask 'why isn't coca cola free?'

Why do you think it should be free? And how do you expect them to make money to keep the business going?