Ranma: The Visual Novel

[Anastasia]

Over in #elysium, Brian and I have been chatting over the concept of a Ranma visual novel. We're tossing around the idea for general discussion; the concept is a one day story where you choose branching paths and can possibly choose one of the girls. Nothing too complex, after all, what is a visual novel but a lot of writing? That's exactly what fanfiction is!

Would anyone be interested in the concept? Plus hey, it could have the bad end where Ranma ends up with Cologne chasing him since he's been a jerk to all the other girls!

[Brian]

Resources and information post:

Most recent overview discussion log:
http://www.soulriders.net/forum/index.php/topic,101837.msg1025097.html#msg1025097

IRC channel:
#nerima


Staff:

Production/Design:

• Brian
  
• Dunefar
  
  Technical:
  
• Jon
  
  Undetermined:
  
• KLSymph

[Muphrid]

I'd love the chance to work on a collaborative Ranma project.  I've been feeling like I've been away from it too long.

[Jon]

I started plotting out a text adventure with a similar premise some time ago.

One of the main things I recall is that the world "rules" would change depending on which girl you chased. For example, the Kodachi track might end up being Lovecraftian-lite horror, while the Ukyo track could be a family drama.

Anyways, I'm in.

[Muphrid]

Lovecraft is the real secret behind the Kuno family madness?

I like that quite a bit actually...

[Ebiris]

There needs to be lots of bad ends, and after each one Genma can berate you for what you did wrong to reach it (while obviously slanting you towards the Akane path).

[thepanda]

With Hinako in bloomers?

[Ebiris]

With Hinako in bloomers?

Perfect.

[Carthrat]

I would totally be interested in this. Completely happy to do any drudge input work or coding that it might involve!

I know Ren'Py is free to use and edit, and I can try my hand at modding if we want any weird features- I could probably write our own tools from scratch, though I wouldn't be able to start until late October there.

Think we'd be able to get images we need drawn/ripped to specification, or would we need to basically trawl the net for appropriate sprites/backgrounds?

[Jon]

I asked Brian about that; he was saying he meant more the visual novel style of branching, without actually using images.

The text adventure guys I know are liking Undum for CYOA. It looks like it might be useful in this situation. (Though Ren'Py is indeed nifty. Python is also nifty.)

[Anastasia]

I'm interested, in case it wasn't obvious. The idea of TEACH ME, GENMA AND HINAKOCHAN! appeals.

[Dracos]

Genma-panda, though it probably doesn't need to be stated?

Wise Sensei Panda.

[Olvelsper]

Welcome to the Panda Dojo.

Would you like to learn how to woe Aka-be a less miserable son?

Yes/>No

[Brian]

S...okay, that got intimidatingly popular very fast for an offhanded comment on a Friday afternoon. o_O

Alrighty.  I don't want poor communication and misaligned design goals sending us into something horrible, so I'd like this project to (number one) be a cooperative effort.  I'd like everyone to remember this:

http://www.ryo-oh-ki.net/ffirc/projects/round.htm

As an example of how that can go wrong.

Now that I've repulsed you with that horrifying idea, time to disappoint you further: mostly, when I proposed this to Dunefar, I was thinking of the same project that Jon had mentioned we discussed in the past, but even more simplified.

The design goal for what we're talking about now is the simple Choose Your Own Adventure-stype branching paths storyline, and should be relatively simple.  There should be four (maybe five) 'endings', one of which would be a hilarious comedy/bad end-style conclusion.

Generally, there's not going to be a rich complexity of hidden flags that must be set to accomplish things, and I would propose for gameplay purposes, and 'deaths' or other 'fail' moments be set from the choice that leads to them -- not as a consequence some series of choices later.  This lets us put in cut-scenes with the proposes 'panda dojo' or 'Hinako-sensei' bits that could mock classic VN/eroge cliches, I dunno; there's some room for flexibility and creativity, I just am worry of being too ambitious and watching the project explode on the launchpad (as ... we've seen in the past by reaching a bit too far).

So, that's the design goal, and here's some story notes (there's some real flexibility, here):

• Dune and I were thinking set some point after Ryu Kumon, but we weren't 100% on if it should be after Mother, I'm Ranma.
  
• The first half of the day is going to be really linear (exposition), and effectively, something happens during the day that will convince Ranma that he must pick one of his fiancees that day.
  
  From there:
  
  
• Akane's branch
  
• Ukyou's branch
  
• Shampoo's branch
  
• Kodachi's (?) branch
  
• Cologne/You Sucker, You Picked None Of The Above branch
  

Hm.  I suppose if some Nabiki fan (or the like) were to step forward, we could ostensibly have even more in....  Anyway!

We don't need to have harsh guideline limits beyond the unifying starting story.  Events in different branches can (if wanted) even contradict events in separate branches; the story diverges, after all.

Probably, we should all agree on the details of the core story, but once that's done, different branches can go different ways.

There's more, but before that ... does this generally sound cool to people, still?

[KLSymph]

I'm interested. Is this project something where everyone throws ideas in a pot, or would it be better structured to have specific roles for contributors? Since so many people want to get in on this, it's probably best to appoint a head of design and to draw up a design document.