Gameplay in Visuel Novels

[Chessa]

This is a tricky question -- I understand lasting choices and consequences are *very* important in making a replayable/enjoyable VN, but no matter what, without some kind of deeper gameplay elements, the game will feel very plain, so my question to VN players, what kind of gameplay do you typically like to help break the mundaneity of VNs?

That I can think of, there's the typical RPG-VN hybrid where you make choices, level up, and upgrade your stats, which opens up new routes/decisions at important parts of the story but has anyone tries any more interesting kind, like weaving rhythm games into the combat/etc? What do people typically like in this area?

[Shugoki]

One route you can take is to make it a puzzle game, or a mystery game, where you have to focus on problem-solving rather than just getting the ending you want.

[Bright]

One could do something similar to
"Long_Live_The_Queen" where you have choices and then between choices you can get skill improvements.

[RoyalGoldKitsune]

As someone who adores visual novels, I'd much prefer a visual novel that focuses on its storytelling than any kind of gameplay. If the writing is strong enough, then it doesn't feel plain. Music is pretty important too.

But as for gameplay I like in visual novels, I agree with Bright. I've played a few visual novels with gameplay like that, though I did find Long Live The Queen a bit frustrating at times(It's been years since I've played it though.) Royal Alchemist is similar, but in a sort of dating-sim-like setting.

I wouldn't call it a visual novel (as it's moreso focused on simulation), but Princess Maker 2 focuses on levelling up certain stats, doing certain objectives, etc in order to affect how the main character grows up and where she ends up at the end of the game. Something like that with visual novel elements would be cool.

[GooInABox]

Generally most Visual Novel Makers are good at just that: making visual novels. You can add different elements to it for different gameplay tones and can sometimes use the programming language to bend it to your will. For example, it's technically possible to program Pong and possibly other types of games in Ren'Py as shown in the tutorial, but as also shown in the tutorial eventually you are fighting against the limitations of the software that you are using and you're best off looking for a different engine that allows for more freedom of programming expression. RPG-VN hybrids are easy, as RPGs by nature are based mostly off of table-top rules with stats such as health and inventory, and it's not too difficult to assign those things to variables and to just use the built-in VN options for choices to alter those variables throughout the story. Something like Rhythm games or anything with other types of mini-games that require skill and reflexes with a keyboard and mouse will take some programming experience to make it achievable within whatever game engine you're attempting to write the Visual Novel in.

I've made a couple of attempts at making a visual novel outside of my main Amalgamation RPG project. I'll try to explain what I've tried to implement:

Twine: The Jungle

Spoiler: show

The Jungle3.png (34.01 KiB) Viewed 3423 times

I wanted to make something similar to Boobjitsu Matriarch by Dexter Sinister, so I picked up Twine and over a couple of days I built up a framework for a combat system as well as a basic navigation and exploration system. However, the combat system was turn-based and used clickable options to engage in actions, so it was not that impressive in terms of tech or gameplay. I eventually burned out while making it and it's probably not going to be released unless someone wants the code for reference in their own game.

Ren'Py: Vore the Court

Spoiler: show

This is probably the most content filled game I've made outside of Amalgamation, but it's also the most simple. If you've played Sort the Court, then the gameplay here should make sense. An event will appear, and you can choose how to respond in order to try to keep your values up. Again, it's gameplay based off of making static choices, so it's nothing groundbreaking. Ren'Py was useful here in both the choice menus and displaying the pictures, but I can assume that these are just basic features of most VN makers. I may or may not continue working on this depending on how Amalgamation goes.

Ren'Py (again): V Space

Spoiler: show

Again, more choices, and there's almost zero content (vore or otherwise) in the game so far as the framework is still under development, but I may as well explain what I'm attempting in this one. I wanted to make something similar to FTL in terms of moving from encounter to encounter while managing resources, but I also wanted more interactivity with the Officers and crew for lewd totally innocent reasons. The planned combat for both ship-to-ship and crew boarding is probably going to be turned based similar to The Jungle, but I may try to see if there's something that I can do to add more interactivity outside of planned menu choices, such as a timer or maybe even a different mini-game altogether.


So what does this all mean? It's really, really easy to add additional gameplay in Visual Novels but only if that gameplay involves clicking on choices in a menu, usually with no time limit. Beyond this, it takes good programming skills and research to break those boundaries and add something new. I've made a couple of attempts in Amalgamation to add minigames that break the bounds of just picking choices, but so far it's all just been different ways of picking choices from a menu.

[Codexwakia]

Generally most Visual Novel Makers are good at just that: making visual novels. You can add different elements to it for different gameplay tones and can sometimes use the programming language to bend it to your will. For example, it's technically possible to program Pong and possibly other types of games in Ren'Py as shown in the tutorial, but as also shown in the tutorial eventually you are fighting against the limitations of the software that you are using and you're best off looking for a different engine that allows for more freedom of programming expression. RPG-VN hybrids are easy, as RPGs by nature are based mostly off of table-top rules with stats such as health and inventory, and it's not too difficult to assign those things to variables and to just use the built-in VN options for choices to alter those variables throughout the story. Something like Rhythm games or anything with other types of mini-games that require skill and reflexes with a keyboard and mouse will take some programming experience to make it achievable within whatever game engine you're attempting to write the Visual Novel in.

I've made a couple of attempts at making a visual novel outside of my main Amalgamation RPG project. I'll try to explain what I've tried to implement:

Twine: The Jungle

Spoiler: show

The Jungle.png

The Jungle 2.png

The Jungle3.png

I wanted to make something similar to Boobjitsu Matriarch by Dexter Sinister, so I picked up Twine and over a couple of days I built up a framework for a combat system as well as a basic navigation and exploration system. However, the combat system was turn-based and used clickable options to engage in actions, so it was not that impressive in terms of tech or gameplay. I eventually burned out while making it and it's probably not going to be released unless someone wants the code for reference in their own game.

Ren'Py: Vore the Court

Spoiler: show

Vore the Court.png

This is probably the most content filled game I've made outside of Amalgamation, but it's also the most simple. If you've played Sort the Court, then the gameplay here should make sense. An event will appear, and you can choose how to respond in order to try to keep your values up. Again, it's gameplay based off of making static choices, so it's nothing groundbreaking. Ren'Py was useful here in both the choice menus and displaying the pictures, but I can assume that these are just basic features of most VN makers. I may or may not continue working on this depending on how Amalgamation goes.

Ren'Py (again): V Space

Spoiler: show

V Space.png

Again, more choices, and there's almost zero content (vore or otherwise) in the game so far as the framework is still under development, but I may as well explain what I'm attempting in this one. I wanted to make something similar to FTL in terms of moving from encounter to encounter while managing resources, but I also wanted more interactivity with the Officers and crew for lewd totally innocent reasons. The planned combat for both ship-to-ship and crew boarding is probably going to be turned based similar to The Jungle, but I may try to see if there's something that I can do to add more interactivity outside of planned menu choices, such as a timer or maybe even a different mini-game altogether.


So what does this all mean? It's really, really easy to add additional gameplay in Visual Novels but only if that gameplay involves clicking on choices in a menu, usually with no time limit. Beyond this, it takes good programming skills and research to break those boundaries and add something new. I've made a couple of attempts in Amalgamation to add minigames that break the bounds of just picking choices, but so far it's all just been different ways of picking choices from a menu.

I know this is a bit out of context for this post, but I was curious as to whether the aforementioned games where available to play. I absolutely loved your work on Amalgamation and hadn't even thought about the possibility that you had more games.

[GooInABox]

I know this is a bit out of context for this post, but I was curious as to whether the aforementioned games where available to play. I absolutely loved your work on Amalgamation and hadn't even thought about the possibility that you had more games.

I technically don't have any other games, because the projects that I've listed are so early in development that nobody would have a fun time playing or even testing them. Still, I'll link the development files here so that people can look through my poor code and see what idiotic programming techniques I employ: https://www.mediafire.com/folder/ud55ny ... e_Projects

Just a disclaimer for everyone downloading: These are not complete games. They're not even partially-completed games like Amalgamation. They are frameworks, earlier than Alpha. Their continued development is not even guarantied. You won't even be able to play the Ren'Py games after downloading them, you will have to obtain the developer tools and open the files that way in order to play them as intended. There's an FAQ file in the download that hopefully explains a bit more.

[Chessa]

GooInABox, thank you v. much for your thoughtful reply filled to the brim with information on what you've managed to do and tested out -- That's what I was hoping for, I'm trying to design good game that I think people will enjoy too, and so your experience in those systems have helped me understand a bit, Thank you again. If you have anymore ideas/suggestions for how combat/gameplay could be spiced that you just didn't see worth trying, feel free to post those too. Amazing work as well!

[GooInABox]

GooInABox, thank you v. much for your thoughtful reply filled to the brim with information on what you've managed to do and tested out -- That's what I was hoping for, I'm trying to design good game that I think people will enjoy too, and so your experience in those systems have helped me understand a bit, Thank you again. If you have anymore ideas/suggestions for how combat/gameplay could be spiced that you just didn't see worth trying, feel free to post those too. Amazing work as well!

You're welcome, I just hope my advice is actually useful and I'm not just standing on top of my one-game soapbox and yelling out that I'm an expert in everything.

I mentioned before that it's possible to program Pong and other minigames in Ren'Py as it's mostly just Python with added methods for the Visual Novel aspect. I've haven't played Doki Doki Literature club yet, but I've heard it's a Ren'Py game that has a couple of minigames in it so I guess almost anything's possible in terms of what you can implement. It's been at least a few years since I've gone through the Ren'Py tutorial (which contains the Pong example), so I probably should do a refresher through it soon before I dive deeper into any of these side projects with inefficient methods and the like.

As for combat, my current plans for the V Space example was to do something in terms of Rock-Paper-Scissors-Lizard-Spock, where both sides take an action at the same time but some actions are more effective against other actions and will inflict more stat penalties (Attack is weak against defense, defense is weak against surgical strike, surgical strike is weak against attack, nuke just destroys everything, etc). This of course is just another way of clicking a menu button for your action, and I want to see if I can replace this with something more reactive and controllable such as a minigame. However, Amalgamation is the focus of my limited time, privacy, and motivation so I have no clue how far these side projects will go.

[MomoDaMouse]

I recommend going with a choose your own story adventure while incorporating visual novel aspects.

Like you said, a story needs to be multi-faceted and able to entertain people while being sexy and unique. I've played a few specific games, one of which was TiTS, or Trials in Tainted Space. Very beautiful game, 10/10 would recommend. Only issue with it? A lack of visuals. Some people like to read, some people like to play games. When you blend the two together while providing visuals, you are striking a market of 3 different groups while providing more content and inspiration/porn. Aka, you're making a really good game that many people enjoy.

This would take several people's help, and I would recommend getting a team of people together if you want to do this. You would need a good story writer/ erotica writer, someone who can either manipulate images or makes their own art for the game, and someone to code everything. If you tried to take on all of these at once, while admirable, would see you overworked and exhausted befored you finish the game.

Many people end up doing this formula all by themselves using RPG maker or Unity. While they are great platforms for people making their own projects, what I described above hits on a huge market and eventually lead to triple A quality games.

In the end be aware that any quality game is a good story written, and will take some time even with help. This can be shortened with more friends helping, but it will take time. Rome wasn't built in a day after all.

A patreon or youtube channel and someone working on free-will marketing like donations would go a long way to fund anything you make, and you may even turn a profit.

[Chessa]

Thank you everyone, this article has been very helpful! I'll try to use this in my games that I'm planning to try to make. hopefully it also helps anyone else who comes across it too.