Working on new visual novel.

[The Liar]

Started working on a new Visual Novel (97th time's the charm.) I have the prologue and the starting part where the principle conceit of narrative mechanics is explained done.

http://www.uploadable.ch/file/U5Y8Mhabf4n4/Dichotomy - Prologue.7z --

Comments and criticism welcome.

P.S. I am already aware of that one part of dialogue where it got cut off and fixed it. The size of the font slightly changes when exporting to a stand alone .exe.

[GATASAPA]

Nice work, I expect the whole game!

[The Liar]

Nice work, I expect the whole game!

Thanks! I am working on it.

[jolshefsky]

FYI, this is a Windows program, and I couldn't get it to work on Windows 2000 under VitrualBox, so apparently there are higher system requirements.

[T-elos/Thurosis]

i can't open the file....
when i extract the .exe
it sudddenly turns into a tmp data...
and i have no idea, with my basic knowledge to get it run/open the file...

[The Liar]

i can't open the file....
when i extract the .exe
it sudddenly turns into a tmp data...
and i have no idea, with my basic knowledge to get it run/open the file...

What are you using to extract it? Are you using a PC (it's not compatible with apple or Linix) ?
You should be able to just extract the folder, and click on the .Exe to get it to run so long as the .dll file in in there as well.

[T-elos/Thurosis]

What are you using to extract it? Are you using a PC (it's not compatible with apple or Linix) ?
You should be able to just extract the folder, and click on the .Exe to get it to run so long as the .dll file in in there as well.

I'm using windows
and tried WinRar and Winzip to extract it.
but as said even with the .dll data the .exe data turns into a .tmp immediatley

[darkbutflashy]

I have a different problem. I'd like to try to run your game in Wine --most well-written MS-Windows software does run in there-- but the filehoster you are using doesn't let me download the 7z file directly but a "downloader". And that one seems not well-written (or abusive to install weird unwanted stuff deep into the system) and this doesn't work in wine, so it just fails.

So could you upload the 7z file elsewhere, where they don't use a "downloader"?

[The Liar]

What are you using to extract it? Are you using a PC (it's not compatible with apple or Linix) ?
You should be able to just extract the folder, and click on the .Exe to get it to run so long as the .dll file in in there as well.

I'm using windows
and tried WinRar and Winzip to extract it.
but as said even with the .dll data the .exe data turns into a .tmp immediatley

I have no idea what might be wrong, then perhaps it didn't download properly; try re-downloading it.

I have a different problem. I'd like to try to run your game in Wine --most well-written MS-Windows software does run in there-- but the filehoster you are using doesn't let me download the 7z file directly but a "downloader". And that one seems not well-written (or abusive to install weird unwanted stuff deep into the system) and this doesn't work in wine, so it just fails.

So could you upload the 7z file elsewhere, where they don't use a "downloader"?

You don't need to download any downloader.

Click on the slow download option in the lower right corner just above the text links, and it should download the .7z file once you finish jumping through the hoops. If it come up with an .exe, cancel and try again.

I have no idea if it will work on wine.

[T-elos/Thurosis]

I tried in the meanwhile with the re-download
but it ends up in the same result....

with what kind of program did you create it? Novelty?

[The Liar]

I tried in the meanwhile with the re-download
but it ends up in the same result....

with what kind of program did you create it? Novelty?

I used novelty to create the .exe. I compressed it with 7 Zip.

Did you set up your Winrar to handle 7z files?

[T-elos/Thurosis]

I just took a look at the setting of WinRar, and yes it's already in the default settings.
i tried to open it with novelty but was not sucessful....

maybe uploading the .nov before the .exe creation...

[The Liar]

I just took a look at the setting of WinRar, and yes it's already in the default settings.
i tried to open it with novelty but was not sucessful....

maybe uploading the .nov before the .exe creation...

It was exported to a standalone .exe so it won't work in Novelty. If I uploaded the .nov file it might work in novelty if you had all the assets, but know that at the very least you don't have the backgrounds and soundtrack.

You could try downloading 7 Zip to try to decompress it; you might also want check to see if you're not having similar problems with other .exe files, and this not systemic of a bigger problem.

Edit: Also are you sure you let the decompression finish properly? I think a .Tmp file is usually used as a stand in until the file finishes decompressing. What is the size of the end file?

[T-elos/Thurosis]

It was exported to a standalone .exe so it won't work in Novelty. If I uploaded the .nov file it might work in novelty if you had all the assets, but know that at the very least you don't have the backgrounds and soundtrack.

You could try downloading 7 Zip to try to decompress it; you might also want check to see if you're not having similar problems with other .exe files, and this not systemic of a bigger problem.

Edit: Also are you sure you let the decompression finish properly? I think a .Tmp file is usually used as a stand in until the file finishes decompressing. What is the size of the end file?

of course i did... (i mean let it decompess it)
Now i used all kinds of zip-thingies.... (other files from DL site with exe worked properly)
nothing worked...
It still turns the .exe immediately into .tmp data.
and after extraction the file is 80.64 MB

[The Liar]

It was exported to a standalone .exe so it won't work in Novelty. If I uploaded the .nov file it might work in novelty if you had all the assets, but know that at the very least you don't have the backgrounds and soundtrack.

You could try downloading 7 Zip to try to decompress it; you might also want check to see if you're not having similar problems with other .exe files, and this not systemic of a bigger problem.

Edit: Also are you sure you let the decompression finish properly? I think a .Tmp file is usually used as a stand in until the file finishes decompressing. What is the size of the end file?

of course i did... (i mean let it decompess it)
Now i used all kinds of zip-thingies.... (other files from DL site with exe worked properly)
nothing worked...
It still turns the .exe immediately into .tmp data.
and after extraction the file is 80.64 MB

80.64 MB should be the right size. I've re-downloaded the thing myself and it works fine on my computer.

You could run a scan for registry errors, but beyond that I got nothing.

[darkbutflashy]

Ah, I'm not experienced with download mazes. Thanks for the instructions.

Well, the game runs in Wine, so Linux users aren't forced to keep out. Graphics, music it's all there but... texts are missing. Should there be text inside the boxes already? If yes, chances are you used a font which is usually installed on MS-Windows computers, but not on Linux. Which font do you use? Or better, does your game design software have an option to *embed* all fonts used into the game, like for example PDF creators have?

EDIT: The text "Start" on the first button is there. Different font or is it graphics?

[T-elos/Thurosis]

still trying and trying,

and nothing work...

does it maybe have something to do with the unicodes?
I remember that i couldn't start any japanese .exe unless changing the settings to "japanese"...

[The Liar]

Ah, I'm not experienced with download mazes. Thanks for the instructions.

Well, the game runs in Wine, so Linux users aren't forced to keep out. Graphics, music it's all there but... texts are missing. Should there be text inside the boxes already? If yes, chances are you used a font which is usually installed on MS-Windows computers, but not on Linux. Which font do you use? Or better, does your game design software have an option to *embed* all fonts used into the game, like for example PDF creators have?

LilyUPC for the title and other text and OCR-A II for the text in the dialogue box, and Vani in this one text box.

edit: The button had it's own built in font.

still trying and trying,

and nothing work...

does it maybe have something to do with the unicodes?
I remember that i couldn't start any japanese .exe unless changing the settings to "japanese"...

Might but I doubt it, if Novelty works on your computer then this should, and even when there's a problem running a foreign .exe they're usually still acknowledged as .exe's. Though I supposed there's no harm in changing the settings to English and trying.

edit: you might be better off checking the Novelty Forum then asking me.
http://www.visualnovelty.com/forum/index.php

[darkbutflashy]

Okay, needed a little more than the fonts, DirectX. For that, I found this tutorial. I can sum it up into these steps:

1. Download these fonts
   • LilyUPC
   • OCR-A II
   • Vani
   and put it into /usr/share/fonts/truetype or whatever the TTF directory is in your Linux distribution.
2. Download
   • streamci.dll
   • mscoree.dll
   from dll-files.com, unzip the zip packages you get there and copy the dll files into ~/.wine/drive_c/windows/system32/
3. Download a
   • DirectX ''redistributeable" package
   from Microsoft. I had to search google with site:microsoft.com to get an article which had the direct link. Using the standard "web installer" fails, you don't need to try that.
4. Put a section [Software\\Wine\\DllOverrides] into your ~/.wine/user.reg or edit it accordingly, should it already be there:

   Code: Select all

   [Software\\Wine\\DllOverrides] 1435682932
   "d3d8"="builtin"
   "d3d9"="builtin"
   "d3dim"="native"
   "d3drm"="native"
   "d3dx8"="native"
   "d3dx9_24"="native"
   "d3dx9_25"="native"
   "d3dx9_26"="native"
   "d3dx9_27"="native"
   "d3dx9_28"="native"
   "d3dx9_29"="native"
   "d3dx9_30"="native"
   "d3dx9_31"="native"
   "d3dx9_32"="native"
   "d3dx9_33"="native"
   "d3dx9_34"="native"
   "d3dx9_35"="native"
   "d3dx9_36"="native"
   "d3dxof"="native"
   "dciman32"="native"
   "ddrawex"="native"
   "devenum"="native"
   "dinput"="builtin"
   "dinput8"="builtin"
   "dmband"="native"
   "dmcompos"="native"
   "dmime"="native"
   "dmloader"="native"
   "dmscript"="native"
   "dmstyle"="native"
   "dmsynth"="native"
   "dmusic"="native"
   "dmusic32"="native"
   "dnsapi"="native"
   "dplay"="native"
   "dplayx"="native"
   "dpnaddr"="native"
   "dpnet"="native"
   "dpnhpast"="native"
   "dpnlobby"="native"
   "dsound"="builtin"
   "dswave"="native"
   "dxdiagn"="native"
   "mscoree"="native"
   "msdmo"="native"
   "qcap"="native"
   "quartz"="native"
   "streamci"="native"
   

5. Create a temporary directory and run "wine directx_Jun2010_redist.exe", the file from your download of the DirectX package. Let it unpack the DirectX files into your temporary directory.
6. Run "wine DXSETUP.exe" inside your temporary directory.

You are done! The DirectX test step from the tutorial failed for me but the game is running *and* has text now.

Maybe the R-Man likes to follow my steps and tell me if I had missed something.

[darkbutflashy]

@The Liar: my thoughts about the game style:

• You should increase the text speed for normal speech. So that robotic speech can be denoted by slow speed in addition to a different font. (But I think it's too slow anyway, we are all nerdy caffeine-junkies, right?)
• I think the font for persons who are not robots or not uncovered as robots yet should be rounded for the same reason. Maybe even for Aya when she's acting non-robotic?
• When there are two persons, the text box should not only change the name but also be mirrored, according to whether the left or the right person is speaking. Different colors would be nice, too.

I like the text and graphics so far. Haven't got time to get through until the current end of your efforts, though.

[T-elos/Thurosis]

I gave up trying to get this Novel running,
not even my friend who is an expert in computer could get it running on my PC....
While it seems to be running perfectly on his computer....
Darn it, i really want to know what went wrong...

[darkbutflashy]

@The Liar: my thoughts about the text:

• Get rid of the omniscient narrator whenever possible. The shower scene at the start in lenghty, but it would work if these were Aya's thoughts reported by her. From the omniscient viewpoint, you are giving away the chance to let the player get in touch with the main character.
• This preface without interactions is far too long. You should add some choices at the first scene involving another person, they don't need to have an impact on the story, maybe releasing only an easter-egg or give a hint.

[darkbutflashy]

@The Liar: about the graphics

• The streets, corridoors are all empty. Put some background figures there, apparitional cars, or light stripes as from a time exposure photo.

The game seems to fault when I switch desktops, so I savegame very often. What I found, after loading a savegame, Aya's name in the text display is replaced by "DR-650...". This is a bug.

[The Liar]

@The Liar: my thoughts about the text:

• Get rid of the omniscient narrator whenever possible. The shower scene at the start in lenghty, but it would work if these were Aya's thoughts reported by her. From the omniscient viewpoint, you are giving away the chance to let the player get in touch with the main character.
• This preface without interactions is far too long. You should add some choices at the first scene involving another person, they don't need to have an impact on the story, maybe releasing only an easter-egg or give a hint.

@The Liar: about the graphics

• The streets, corridoors are all empty. Put some background figures there, apparitional cars, or light stripes as from a time exposure photo.

The game seems to fault when I switch desktops, so I savegame very often. What I found, after loading a savegame, Aya's name in the text display is replaced by "DR-650...". This is a bug.

@The Liar: my thoughts about the game style:

• You should increase the text speed for normal speech. So that robotic speech can be denoted by slow speed in addition to a different font. (But I think it's too slow anyway, we are all nerdy caffeine-junkies, right?)
• I think the font for persons who are not robots or not uncovered as robots yet should be rounded for the same reason. Maybe even for Aya when she's acting non-robotic?
• When there are two persons, the text box should not only change the name but also be mirrored, according to whether the left or the right person is speaking. Different colors would be nice, too.

I like the text and graphics so far. Haven't got time to get through until the current end of your efforts, though.

I appreciate the feed back, though I'm not sure how doable many of your suggestions are. I'm using the Novelty system and those font and dialog changes will be complicated, if not impossible with the system (this is time consuming as it is, though I'll look into it.)(You do know you don't have to wait for the dialog? Just click your mouse the the whole box will be filled.).

The color change I can do, but every time I try it looks off, which is why I went with the flat white for all this time.

The omniscient narrator is only in the prologue, it's there to emphasize her lack of agency at this point.

I'll try looking into that bug, though that might just be a glitch caused by you using Wine.
edit: that does seem to be an issue. I think I need to rename the actors at the start of every scene.
Edit 2: the fix was easier than that, I just need to rename them in the cast manger, the rename command seems to work under the assumption that it's only temporary.

I should state that my principle objective with this project is to have a finished, competent product, instead of running the red queens race to perfection which dragged down a lot of my other projects.

[darkbutflashy]

I appreciate the feed back, though I'm not sure how doable many of your suggestions are. I'm using the Novelty system and those font and dialog changes will be complicated, if not impossible with the system (this is time consuming as it is, though I'll look into it.)

Hey, you've done some excellent artwork with the robot parts of the girls, have a good story idea and now you chicken out at some minor technical difficulties?

You do know you don't have to wait for the dialog? Just click your mouse the the whole box will be filled.

Yes, I found out within seconds. I've clicked more than the whole day. It's tedious. I don't get why anyone would like to have this teletype effect. This isn't a teletype. This isn't karaoke.

The color change I can do, but every time I try it looks off, which is why I went with the flat white for all this time.

Pastel colors of white look fairly good. Or adjust the text box itself.

The omniscient narrator is only in the prologue, it's there to emphasize her lack of agency at this point.

I understand. But it tells things that are usually a good kept secret to anyone and reading it from the omniscient narrator feels to me this is meant to be public information found on a bulletin board.

I should state that my principle objective with this project is to have a finished, competent product, instead of running the red queens race to perfection which dragged down a lot of my other projects.

Well, okay. Sorry.