Apr 03 2008
Project: Anime Blogger RenAi Dating Sim!
So while
I was playing my otome game this evening I realized 2 things. It has bad art and a really boring storyline…then it struck me. If they can SELL a game like this, why the hell can’t I make a fan game like this? I mean my art isn’t that great and my storylines are pretty flat but this is where YOU come in! So here’s my idea: There’s a lack of female bloggers in the anime blogging community, and the ones that exist are rare and few. Wouldn’t it be neat if there was a dating sim game where you can befriend and then possibly make one of them your girlfriend? 
This is where my great project idea has spawned! Details inside!
So I’m thinking of making this kinda like one of those vote off sorta deals. While there are some things pre-decided that I’d want to have control of (like perhaps naming the “default man character” as Kiwami Futaeno lol), I’d basically do blog posts where I’d get the input from you guys on what to do with the characters, stories etc.
So far my basic concept is to have 3 girls (because well I’m doing all the artwork/programming (oh good god) myself and anymore than that and my brain will fry. I plan to use RenPy..I was checking it out a bit today…I figure if I can teach myself Flash, CSS and HTML, this should be pretty easy right? 
The way it would work is the main male character (which I’d have more polls to customize) would basically be an otaku (I may even ask volunteers of photos of their otaku rooms because I’m not drawing backgrounds lmao too much time consumption!!) and we may even make him an anime blogger as well (why not right?) He basically meets these girls maybe in Akiba, at some anime related events, maid cafes, you name it. Eventually he falls for one etc and then they go off on the girl’s game path. I can’t do anything complicated or deep because that would require programming beyond me willing to learn or have the time to bother learning.
So starting with this post we need a female cast. My goal right now is to get a list of nominations, then we’ll have a poll to vote the top 3. This isn’t like a beauty contest so no one should be offended or insulted. It’s more of like “you’ve been selected to be a heroine in a game some anime blogger guy may consider fapping to” (although I am going to say this game will NOT be R18. No porn, I’m not drawing it and I’m not disrespecting any female blogger in it.) In case you are wondering, yes you can nominate me, I really don’t care and JP won’t come after you either XD; I just feel like a Mary Sue if I automatically make myself as 1 of the default girls or something lol.
So basically I await your comments. Nominate any female bloggers you want to be in the game. Reason I’m asking for nominations is there may be new female bloggers who just recently started who may want to nominate or be nominated and I may not think of them off the top of my head. 
Also if you are a female blogger who is nominated but you absolutely do not want to be in the game, you may comment and let me know. It’s totally okay to not want to be a part of this, I completely understand. 
Also any comments on this are appreciated. If you think I shouldn’t even waste my time etc. let me know. If I do end up doing this, most likely I will push any new doujinshi creations until the end of the year (possibly NYAF) rather than Anime Next. Not that it matters as Anime Next hasn’t gotten back to me about their table anyway and frankly after Anime Boston I’m not in the best mood to sell anything at cons.
Tags: reader opinion, renai blogger project
62 Responses to “Project: Anime Blogger RenAi Dating Sim!”
Loading ...
You have my vote already.
I also saved a link to some real life images usable for such games: http://s128.photobucket.com/albums/p162/renaiimg/
I fully support this idea 3,000% and I will help out in any way possible. Please, please, please make it an epic comedy though as the internet is too polluted with SERIOUS BUSINESS.
In b4 Sat-chan
…actually, screw it. In during Sat-chan!
Sorry, no traps in this game. This means no Owen or Impz
Thanks for the link Shin, that’s useful!
Which game engine are you planning to use? I feel tempted to help out on the technical side.
If you need any help with the storylines, I’ve got some romance stories I’ve wanted to use in my own Renpy game but haven’t had the chance to draw CGs and all that stuff so they’re simply there sitting in my head.
bakaneko> As I mentioned RenPy. I could use all the help I can get as I’ve never used it before. I was looking at the “tutorial” game which seemed pretty decent at explaining things but perhaps I could talk to you over email to tweak any kind of major twists. (I guess it’ll depend on how the story goes?)
Taiyaki> XD sounds awesome, as I can’t write. I was actually going to have readers vote on what type of characters each girl will be (tsundere, cosplayer, OL, college student etc.) but as far as the actual story and even script details would be great if someone could help
What would Hinano’s archetype be, I wonder.
I tried RenPy before. I didn’t get so into it but I think it’s easy and good enough engine for a basic dating sim… I mean how complex can showing “CG over text” get anyway?
http://bluemist.animeblogger.net/archives/miya-maruyama/
If you like this crappy write-up of mine maybe I could offer some help. I meant for it as a joke but I always wanted to do a game myself…
Why must you keep ruining my dreams Hinano ;_;
Hmm…other female bloggers. If I recall correctly, CJB is a girl, and a loli at that.
I will help out whatever I can with the stories. I wonder if you will set up some RPG like stats for all the characters. (Reasoning 88 Memory 85 Self Discipline 75 Dexterity 58 Quickness 44, etc… )
It sounds more like you want to torment all the male otaku, who dream of finding an otagirl online! Why not start a dating service instead and get everyone real women!
Anyway, who can compare to my beloved Sat-chan!
Actually, you should let me write one of the girl’s routes. It will be like Ayu/Fuuko, who can only communicate with the guy through her blog — which magically updates through magic.
A ren’ai about anime bloggers, by anime bloggers? Wow. XD
I think having an otaku main lead is horribly typical but if if you make all the females otaku and totally overdo the whole otaku angle (as opposed to having one boring guy vs. ridiculous beauties) as well that could be crazy enough to work.
Definitely agree with what Ashley says: Make it ridiculous, make it funny, and it will be great.
I’d worry personally about the ol’ adage of “too many cooks spoil the broth”, but what the hell, it’s your ren’ai thing and I’m always up for more fanmade visual novel (where is my book of acronyms) stuff-stuffs. Hopefully this project will get off the ground.
I would off to help out with programming and stuff since programming … is … kind of … what I do, except I don’t know Ren’py at all. >_>
Also, I nominate usagijen because of the whole “I’m not moe, I’m gar!” thing resulting from the ABC aftermath. XD
(My comments always turn out so long. ._.)
Yea. I’ll go look at RenPy in more detail. When you have a better focus on how you want to get it going, just let me know.
Since there are no traps in your game its DOOMED to fail, surely you wish to ride the wave of Mako-cakes love and include both Impz and Sat-chan as the 2 for 1 joke route. I nominate usagijen and CJ for their roles in the ABC debacle. Both owe us, big time. Oh by the way include yourself if only to make jp jealous.
My one and (hopefully) only post
I agree with Crusader. I nominate usagijen and CJ. Also, Ashley.
Was there a reason you chose to have it from a male otaku’s perspective, rather than, say, a reverse harem with a female otaku going after male bloggers?
Either way, I’ll be looking forward to this.
By the way, out of curiosity, what was the name of the crappy otome game you were playing? XD
I vote that traps be included for the laughs, but otherwise there’s you, usagi and cj
I’ve messed around with RenPy a little in the past - the documentation isn’t the best, but it’s all relatively straight forward. It’s not as headache-inducing as trying to figure out OnScripter or one of the popular Japanese engines, anyway.
Tsundere Hinano? Or darudere?
We’re using Renpy for the SHnS Vn as well. Its not very difficult to learn the language, picked it up within a couple of days though the first will be hell.
Are you taking a first-person storytelling method?
Need trapzzzzz~~~~~ XD
ME ME! TJ-ko will be a flirtatious hottie with a heart of gold. Tsundere traits included. And also very very kinky in bed, preferring the use of large fruits.
whooo… this could be fun to see…
C’mon! no traps!? T___T
Ha, ha. You could put random shit in it like Donald!
I nominate you, of course.
You could also do a contest where one of your blog readers could make a cameo in the game.
Ha, ha. Like, the annoying younger sister. Onee-channnnnn~~
Even if you don’t use Ren’py, I *highly* recommend getting advice and support on the Lemma Soft forums. There are quite a few people on that board who have finished their own homebrew renai games. They can tell you how they got theirs done.
Believe me when I say that finishing a game is not an easy task. I’m currently trying to write a short renai game in which the main character ends up as a character in his nerdy girlfriend’s otome game. (No actual BL… maybe a little implied.) The writing is enjoyable, but it takes patience and dedication just to get a few lines of dialogue written. I have to compel myself to write the script every day.
The more ambitious your plans are, the less likely the game is to be completed. So don’t plan to create something as complex and lengthy as Tokimemo Girl’s Side or Otometeki Love Revo. Instead, start with a short story. Figure out the scope of the game. Have a few endings in mind.
This sounds very interesting. I’d definitly nominate you : )
Ok so far I got that we have the following nominations:
1) Me (lol)
2) usagijen
3) Ashley
4) CJ
Did I miss anyone? Anyone have any other nominations? Surely there are more female bloggers out there!!
(And NO traps!! But you can nominate traps to be the girls’ brothers/sisters/best friends etc. XD)
dorkatlarge> Oh I know..I didn’t plan it to be long. In fact I only had about 6 CGs per character in mind, with there being only 3 girls + the main guy. This is a pretty small scale project but the “big part” is getting everyone’s in put - and from the sound of this post it’s been pretty good so far.
Lydia> That’s an awesome idea. I think that will solve the issue with everyone wanting a trap…I can make tj-ko or Impz or Sat-chan either the best friend or sister of one of the female characters XD;
Forceflow> I guess I will do a first person? From the main dude’s POV probably. Most of my ideas are based on the otome games I’m playing/have played.
Digi> It seemed pretty straight forward when I ran through the tutorial a bit and looking at the script it doesn’t seem something I couldn’t figure out.
sunya> Because there’s a lot less female otaku than male otaku hence why its easier to narrow down the female heroines than to narrow down male ones ^^ Also I am playing Brothers ~Koisuru Oniisama~
bakaneko> Thanks, it’s better to have 2 heads looking at code than 1.
CCY> Yea I had some goofy ideas that the girls are otaku as well XD;; Maybe one of them can be normal haha.
DS> Please leave the Key game stereotypes out of this!! lol
maglor> thanks but im gonna make this a straightforward story XD no special rpg elements hehe
bluemist> Interesting, I’ll be making posts and maybe recruit a couple writers and take bits & pieces of story from each. Or have some people write different stories for each girl or something.
Can I nominate myself?
Maybe I should try making a game with this; then again I need to finish the games I started in RPG Maker XP about three years ago.
Yes! Ok that makes 5 xD
1) Me (lol)
2) usagijen
3) Ashley
4) CJ
5) Karura
yosh! I’ll keep this open for another day or 2 before I put up the voting.
lol @ rpg maker
Will there be bad endings?
Nice boat ending!
Yes there will be bad endings but I’m not drawing CGs for them or making them incredibly detailed lol. I was thinking 2 bad ends per girl
what the, before I knew it, I’ve been nominated O_O
talk about reaping what you sow… well to think positive, this will be like, my first step to stardom! \o/
What do you mean no traps!
You’re the only female blogger I know…yes you’re special haha.
But this seems fun! I hope everything works out!
As you know Heart’s Content has been around since March 2007 and all I have to show for it is four (non-inked) comic pages. Scripts and characters were scrapped and revised for months before we found something that worked. And you know how diligent I am. It’s a 10+ hours per week undertaking making a comic - a full length visual novel with five end girls is far beyond my reach. Even with Jason handling the script.
Hopefully you find a good team, a team that’s willing to put in as much time and effort as yourself, a team that won’t quit on you. Hopefully you will succeed where I have failed. Start small - things will always be harder and take longer than you expect. I didn’t think I would spend a month researching trains and train stations, but that’s what happened.
And no, you’re not getting any help from me - not like you could’ve used it though. I’d hit all the characters with a Lucky Star or a Manabi Straight (reducing their apparent age by half) and you would fire me. Or you’d put me on backgrounds and props, and they wouldn’t match the look of the characters, and then you would fire me.
Good luck!
Sixten> Actually I’d only ask you to do backgrounds and I wouldn’t care how they look. Last night I came up with this great idea to set the whole story in New York City for kicks & giggles. So to avoid extra labor I’ll just take a weekend & go around like times square or central park and take some photos that I’ll use as backgrounds. I’ll also use photos from my anime conventions that I’ve gone to.
I just want this to be a short fun and cute romantic game. It’s not going to be on sale, it’s only to humor people and give me experience in making my own visual novel. Since I have the experience of fansubbing I already know what it’s like when a team quits on you and you have to do everything yourself. IN fact I’m going into this prepared to do 80% of the work on my own…and then accept help/ideas here & there from my readers. If I get help great, but if not, I wasn’t expecting this to be a “team” project anyway.
This is like “my visual novel” but I’m open for anyone who wants to help me here & there. If I can run a single handed fansub group, I think I can handle a small visual novel.
My goal is to complete it by the time July comes around…and looking at the lack of good shows to watch this Spring, I think I’ll have more time on my hands. 
Sat-chan a trap? NOOOO.
Take it from me, Sat-chan is 100% woman!
Okay. Random question, but will it be Mac compatible?
The story should definitely be in NYC. Full on Weaboo on Weaboo passion can only properly be portrayed in the US. Throw in paddle wielding Yaoi faries and some disturbingly attractive traps and you’ve got what can only be considered an instant classic
July!? For the love of Yurie, will you have time to sleep? I guess if each girl’s story takes two hours to play through and you aren’t going to “waste” time on backgrounds, you just might be able to pull it off. Let’s see: 5 girls times 10 expressions/gestures times 2 outfits times 4 hours…
Anyway, considering that this was the work of one person I shouldn’t be writing off your ambitions as impossible. Now’s your chance to show the community what Hinano is truly capable of.
Fight!
John> I like your thinking! I planned to have some kind of event take place at an anime con featuring of course, those yaoi fairies and paddles
Lydia> I’m not sure about technical stuff yet. I figured I’ll worry about that once I have my storyboarding done and I know how to use the program properly XD
Sixten> I’m only going to have 3 girls. That’s why we’re going to have a voteoff
Redrawing expressions on different layer isn’t a difficult task. In case you haven’t realized it by now I draw FAST. Most of my Deviantart works have taken me 4-5 hours MAX but that’s including a detailed CG with 2 characters and a background. For on screen cutsout it’ll take me 4-5 hours for 1 char and all her outfits and expressions. Now that I bought paint tool Sai I’m invincible!!
That actually sounds like a really cool idea. I’ve actually created my own blog site, but I’m waiting for the Spring season to start going before I begin making posts on it. Well, good luck!
Kiro> Can I include you in the voting anyway?
YOSH I DEFINATLY SUPPORT THIS!!!
Theres Omni and JPmeyer from http://randomc.animeblogger.net/ too if youd like I wanna know how i could help id keep my mind of the stress of everyday life
x3 I’m seriously interested It looks fun. And Now I’m actually intertested in trying my hand at something like this with my friends. xDDD
You’ll put it up for download on here afterwards, right? x3 Totally wanna play.
>__>;;; I wish I would blog on a normal basis. *sighs*
NyaChan..I sense female! *adds you to the poll listing.
I should just put up the poll tonight:
1) Me (lol)
2) usagijen
3) Ashley
4) CJ
5) Karura
6)Kirokokori
7)NyaChan
If anyone on this list wants to be taken out speak now or forever hold your peace
For on screen cutsout it’ll take me 4-5 hours for 1 char and all her outfits and expressions.
That’s not just fast, that’s “I could work for an animation studio” fast. And with only 3 girls (my bad, I should’ve read the post more carefully) it definitely looks doable. Forgive me by judging your project based on my abilities.
But CJ’s still only in high school! You’d better ask her mom first, lol
Pft its not rated R
This will give me an excuse to put her into a seifuku
Ooh this looks interesting, great idea. I hope I can help but unless you need very badly drawn stick men then I shall be limited to when you need writing contributions. I’d love some kind of otaku fight scene that involved a lot of staring…
@Lydia, the game engine RenPy claims to be mac compatible, but I’ll have to play with it a bit more to see if it’s as advertised.
Can I be the perverted best friend/Sunohara?
Calawain> As much as I’d love to include everyone & their grandma I just can’t afford to add more characters. Everyone wants a freaking trap so I think I’m gonna include Impz as either a brother or a best friend of one of the girls. I may have a friend for the guy as well but based on the story I’m thinking of the point is he’s an anime geek who has like no friends xD;;; We’ll see, I’ll keep you in mind.
Haha I was being sarcastic, but I give you express consent to use and abuse my likeness for the amusement of others regardless.
And if it gets that far, I do have quite the handle on English so if you need any editing work done let me know.
oh, and Hinano, you should add my co-blogger/hamster chef Seleria too!
She can be my magical hamster pet! LOL!
as for traps, you should include Impz and Sat!! It’s a MUST! >3
usagi> once we vote on our top 3 girls, I figured I’d contact them and ask them first what personality traits etc. they want. That’ll make it easier than trying to make something up myself or have the readers deciding XD
Hinano should be the secret character that nobody can get unless they find a walkthrough.
I placed my votes, CJ and usagijen are about to become famous.
Since there are going to be bad endings can I be DEATH?
Sweet, I’m a nominee. xD My blogging name is actually gonna be Noe (first three letters of my middle name, oh how creative I am.
)
Eleutheria> LOL that sounds like a good idea! Then I can have 4 girls! XD
Oh, disregard this, I posted about it in your new post about the game.