Ask!

[Kulthozuer]

I assume you guys have already been asked a question similar to this before but, assuming one is planning on creating a VN or similar scale to such as Katawa Shoujo or another big one do you have any recommendations on how one would start to learn to write a story like this? Merely the writing part. I was wondering if you had any advise as to approach this in a successful manner. I already know things like to not just dick around and talk about stuff with my friends and that it will be hard work and take a long time but more stuff like what was the timeline of events in establishing the story what did you start with? I started with writing a setting a couple important characters and a main plot. Any input would be nice really.

[Aura]

I assume you guys have already been asked a question similar to this before but, assuming one is planning on creating a VN or similar scale to such as Katawa Shoujo or another big one do you have any recommendations on how one would start to learn to write a story like this? Merely the writing part. I was wondering if you had any advise as to approach this in a successful manner. I already know things like to not just dick around and talk about stuff with my friends and that it will be hard work and take a long time but more stuff like what was the timeline of events in establishing the story what did you start with? I started with writing a setting a couple important characters and a main plot. Any input would be nice really.

My first advice would be "Don't". If you have no experience as a writer, it's better to start small. Case in point: KS. We had to scrap a majority of our work and restart twice because it was too big and we were too inexperienced and we were learning too fast for our flimsy initial attempts to cut it. Compare: "Assuming one is planning on building a house on similar scale to such as the Empire State Building, do you have any recommendations on how one would start to learn to build a house like this?". It's just not a very good idea to start with something of that scale.

Anyway, this is how I understand storytelling: Start with the concept of the story. It's some combination of ideas about the plot, themes, characters and the setting, with emphasis on what the story is focused on. Slice of life stories require strong characters, fantastic stories need a lot of work on setting, mystery stories on the plot, mature/cerebral ones on the themes and so forth. However, all elements are important regardless of what the story is focused on. You build and expand the elements and the relations between them and the fifth element, structure. It's the backbone of the story, dictating the rhythm of the plot, the narrative. In visual novels specifically structure also involves coming up with the "game" flow, as in choice points and branching. This makes up the skeleton of the finished product. It has everything that's needed to understand what the completed story is. Then you write the outline following the structure, which is basically stripped down version of the final product and the guide for writing it. I've had outlines that are something like half the wordcount of the final text. Then finish by writing the actual story "over" the outline. Done. If you want to do something of KS's scale, repeat the process for as many times as you have separate "routes", except you already have the setting and most characters given.

[helloooo]

Sorry that I made a whole new thread only to be directed to this thread. Anyway, I was wondering where the Shanghai is IRL -- both the inside and outside. Are the locations known?

Thank you all for this story

[Aura]

Sorry that I made a whole new thread only to be directed to this thread. Anyway, I was wondering where the Shanghai is IRL -- both the inside and outside. Are the locations known?

Thank you all for this story :mrgreen:

The outside is a ramen shop in Sendai, Japan. http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=38.25902 ... 8,,0,-7.39

Inside is not the same place, but I can't remember where it was from.

[Albert Wesker]

If i remember right, everybody did a little bit for every route, which route was harder to make?
Is there something that inspired you guys to make the game?
Also, what do you think about the fact this games changed some lives somehow?
And last: did you had in mind, at some point to make more routes?

Thanks, i must say this game is really a masterpiece

[Aura]

If i remember right, everybody did a little bit for every route, which route was harder to make?
Is there something that inspired you guys to make the game?
Also, what do you think about the fact this games changed some lives somehow?
And last: did you had in mind, at some point to make more routes?

Thanks, i must say this game is really a masterpiece :)

1. Can't really compare the routes to each other in that way, especially since a gigantic majority of work for each was made by two or three people.
2. Not sure if you just don't know the history of the game or expect something else, but obviously the answer is this picture.
3. It's surprising for one, in a kind of hard to believe way, but I guess also the best possible feedback I can imagine.
4. I'm sure individual devs played with ideas of additional routes in their minds, but as a team, no.

[Shadowyeclipse]

I don't know if the Hanako writers are active on this forum, but I have a question:

I was listening to an interview with Cpl_Crud, (I know he didn't write the final route, however,) who said he based the Hanako route on the book Life of Pi.

I'm wondering if the Hanako writers knew of this, and adapted it to the story themselves, because the fact she is reading the book in her route seems like a bit of a shout-out.

[Truth]

So, I know I'm a little behind but three nights ago I finished every good ending (Just finished Hanako's for a second time)I found the game a week ago... I loved the whole game and was instantly absorbed into it, I'm even a little obsessed.... So my question is, even if its further down the road, will there ever be more to do in this world? Some way to revisit without just playing the same things? Please? I actually found myself sad at each end because I wasn't ready to be done with that person.

[Aura]

So, I know I'm a little behind but three nights ago I finished every good ending (Just finished Hanako's for a second time)I found the game a week ago... I loved the whole game and was instantly absorbed into it, I'm even a little obsessed.... So my question is, even if its further down the road, will there ever be more to do in this world? Some way to revisit without just playing the same things? Please? I actually found myself sad at each end because I wasn't ready to be done with that person. :(

Pretty unlikely. None of us has much reason or motivation to do further KS material, as we are considerably less attached to the setting and characters than the fans are, and have nothing special to gain from doing it.

[Suriko]

I don't know if the Hanako writers are active on this forum, but I have a question:

I was listening to an interview with Cpl_Crud, (I know he didn't write the final route, however,) who said he based the Hanako route on the book Life of Pi.

I'm wondering if the Hanako writers knew of this, and adapted it to the story themselves, because the fact she is reading the book in her route seems like a bit of a shout-out.

Cpl_Crud wrote act 2, I did 3 and 4.

I've never read Life of Pi, and don't really know anything about it other than it involving a boy and a tiger on a boat (and even then, only thanks to Corner Gas), so it's safe to say it wasn't an influence.

[TheHivemind]

If i remember right, everybody did a little bit for every route, which route was harder to make?
Is there something that inspired you guys to make the game?
Also, what do you think about the fact this games changed some lives somehow?
And last: did you had in mind, at some point to make more routes?

Thanks, i must say this game is really a masterpiece

Aura already answered the first question, so I'll skip that...

2. I got involved with the project because I was bored, initially. Then I thought that it would be neat to actually finish something for a change, and here we are.

3. The response overall to the game has been kind of staggering--people saying that their lives have been changed is just an order of magnitude more staggering than the concept of lots of people liking the game has been.

4. At one point someone (and I do not remember who, I just remember it wasn't me) had sketched out a plan for an actual Misha route, I think, but it never got past the initial outline. And honestly I don't even remember if it was a serious suggestion or if we were just bullshitting around.

[TheHivemind]

So, I know I'm a little behind but three nights ago I finished every good ending (Just finished Hanako's for a second time)I found the game a week ago... I loved the whole game and was instantly absorbed into it, I'm even a little obsessed.... So my question is, even if its further down the road, will there ever be more to do in this world? Some way to revisit without just playing the same things? Please? I actually found myself sad at each end because I wasn't ready to be done with that person.

Having written one romance set in a Japanese High School is enough for me. Indeed, one VN might turn out to have been enough for me (although I suppose you never know).

There's a difference between experiencing a story and thinking 'Oh, I wonder what happens next' and coming up with that story and thinking 'yeah, this is a good place to leave the characters.'

Now, did I think how those crazy kids would turn out after the path ends? Sure, but I've got no real need to explore that. At the same time, I have been on the other side of the coin, so I can understand wanting to know what happens afterwards. Storytelling is, after all, just a series of answers to the question 'and THEN what happened?' but at some point you get to the parts you wanted to tell and then there's no more desire to keep going.

[Kyvos]

There's a scene in Lilly's Act 4 where I'm not entirely sure who says someething. It's actually been bugging me for a while now, but I never thought to ask here. This is how the scene goes:
A single press on the fancy intercom system outside the gate produces a short electronic melody in the otherwise silent road. It's not long before a somewhat deep, gruff voice can be heard from it.

???:
This is the Hakamichi residence. Please state your name and why you're bothering us this late.

I press on despite inwardly wincing at the reasonable annoyance audible in his voice.

Hisao:
It's Hisao Nakai. I was hoping to meet Lilly or Akira, if they're still here.
Surprisingly, I manage to summon quite some energy to my voice, enough to make the other side of the intercom silent.
A few seconds pass, but just before I press the button again and ask what's going on, a light turns on outside the front door.
I strain my eyes to try and make out who is coming through, but as he comes past a large parked car with fishing rods sticking out the back, his identity becomes clear.
His face is typically placid and emotionless as he saunters up to the gate. He's still childlike in his mannerisms, despite his demeanor. With the press of a few buttons from behind the fence, the gate slowly opens.

Hideaki:
Hisao? What are you doing here?
I assumed the "???" was Jigoro, but since I can't really tell what's going on, I think it might be Hideaki. If anyone could clear it up a little, that'd be helpful, though I'm not sure anyone other than Suriko could say with complete certainty.

[Girder]

I don't know who to ask, but, what Lancer Evo do Akira have? If I must guess, is it an Evo 7 ?

[cpl_crud]

I don't know if the Hanako writers are active on this forum, but I have a question:

I was listening to an interview with Cpl_Crud, (I know he didn't write the final route, however,) who said he based the Hanako route on the book Life of Pi.

I'm wondering if the Hanako writers knew of this, and adapted it to the story themselves, because the fact she is reading the book in her route seems like a bit of a shout-out.

Hanako wasn't really based on the Life of Pi; it just happened to be the book that I was reading at the time.

If it were last month, it would have been 1Q84. This week is would have been How to Win Friends and Influence People.

But still, some things (like the Tile Game) just seemed to pique people's attention in the right manner, so they got interested in it. I do also see that Life of Pi has been made into a movie, which will be released next year.