Software Usage

There are four major software that I will be using in order to create my visual novel. Ren'Py is the structural backbone of the entire project, starting with the coding, implementing the storywriting and transitional effects, as well as the music and art. Manga Studio 5.0 is my primary go-to software for drawing all my art. I prefer it in conjunction with Adobe Photoshop, which is used to add effects and touch ups after I have finished drawing on MS5.0. Lastly, Fruity Loops will be used in order to create and convert sound effects and music for effective use in my project. I intend to use all royalty-free sounds as well as purchase collections of sound effects.

User Testing Scenario

I intend to have a select amount of users test my visual novel before its full release. This will be very helpful in narrowing down any bugs, scripting error, code breakage or mis-sound placement. I have drawn out how I imagine the user testing out my visual novel.

Panel 1: The user downloads the game onto their device.

Panel 2: The user clicks through the text, reading the story as images and sounds play.

Panel 3: A jumpscare, transition effect, tense scene appears.

Panel 4: Getting logs and news via the mail system.

Panel 5: User gets scared or tense from the combined cinematography and effects that the novel has to offer.

Panel 6: Choices pop up for the player to interact and click on.

Image: Read left to right

Mailbox overlay coding

   
In my previous visual novel I made, I featured the mailbox messaging system. Again I am bringing it back to help provide more interactivity and flavour to the atmospheric feel and narrative. Below is the coding used to implement this feature. It displays the mailbox gui and sends that following message into the inbox of the mail system. It is very useful in creating news or logs.

Python coding is the coding language that Ren'Py uses which is quite simple to learn but very tedious to fix if there is the slightest error within the coding. I luckily have a friend that is very fluent with both Python and Ren'Py, so he has provided me with a lot of one on one tutorials and advice in structuring the code of my visual novel.




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    $ mail = []
    $ mail_later = []
    $ mail_queue = []
    $ contacts = []

    "Ah, she was right. I can access my HoloTab."
   
    show screen mailbox_overlay
   
    $ add_message("Regium Tribute", "Kingdom Newsflash",

"Since the unification amongst the nordic countries of Sweden, Norway, Finland and Denmark, the United Nordic Kingdoms have established a dominance as a global superpower. The Union of Italy has sent a regium envoy to the UNK's Empress Ulpiana I. Hoping to strengthen ties and deter the aggression of the Russian Federation and the United States. " +

     " {i}-=-Subscribe to KN today.-=-{/i}")

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Flowchart and interactivity

The story will be quite linear in which the choices made won't exactly impact the ending, it will fixed due to the theme of the narrative. The choices however, will allow for the player to receive more information and story text as they explore and roam around. This type of interaction can be engaging and fun as a casual interactive basis.


Example:

Choices:

 1 - Examine house - leads to entering the house and exploring scene
 2 - Examine street - leads to checking the street scene
 3 - Examine sewer - leads to sewer scene

I intend to allow the player to be able to choose a name of their liking for a character within the visual novel. This will enable a more personalised play style, even if it is simple. It also adds towards the overall interactivity too.

A major feature that allows the player to feel engaged is the mail system. This will be created to represent a futuristic tablet device that will feature news, logs and messages as the player progresses through the story. It will provide useful lore and story flavour as well as allowing the player to have control.

Books that are relevant

A classic, American Psycho. I've read the book and seen the film. During my A-level film studies, I thoroughly studied through the narrative and cinematography of the film. The narrative and theme within this tale is inspirational to my own narrative. How the main character is caught in his own illusion of murdering others and failing to differentiate reality and fiction.

Ellis, B.E. (1991) American Psycho. Available from: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28676.American_Psycho [Book]




Stephen King's Misery novel is a psychological horror that was quite interesting to explore. My scripting is somewhat inspired by the narrative of this book in which the main character meets a stranger in the middle of nowhere, needing help, but it reveals that the stranger isn't a friendly person.

King, S. (1988) Misery. Available from: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10614.Misery [Book]

I AM HOME Screens

I designed two covers to represent the title of I AM HOME. The first was created in response to my prospectus, the second image is the one I chose to show on the main menu screen of the visual novel. The font has stayed the same between both because I really admired the design and style of the typography it showed. In the first image, I really likes the high brightness and reddish saturation effect, it illuminates the theme of blood as well as the white light foreshadowing death? or a flashlight shining? It makes the viewer wonder. For the second image, I was experimenting with the blood effect paintbrush that I had installed onto my Adobe Photoshop software. I then created a random splodge of blood effects then added a dark greyish textured brush into the black background, creating a dramatic effect. I personally felt this image was more effective as the main theme for my visual novel rather than the bright first image.

Initial Inspirational Development

The images are from my initial prospectus, looking at current visual novels and games that implement a psychological horror theme, creating an intense atmospheric mood that continuously grips the audience. I'm saying this not only from my perspective of playing through them, but also from the reactions of gamers from articles to forums that show their personal experience and take on these visual novels.

Resources:

Dead Space Video Game Series

When They Cry Visual Novel

Everlasting Summer Visual Novel

The Letter Visual Novel

Doki Doki Literature Club (DDLC) Visual Novel

I was thoroughly stunned and shocked by the false pretence that this visual novel advertised on it's prolific page on the Steam platform. What was supposed to be a cutesy, dating simulator took a sudden sharp turn into the themes of psychological horror, depression, suicide, jealousy and possessiveness. A lot of the audience were shocked when they reached halfway through the storyline to then be met with these themes.

The steam page features this in the description:
This game is not suitable for children
or those who are easily disturbed.

It constantly reminds you both in and out of the game that the story isn't suitable for children of easily disturbed audiences.

The visual novel of DDLC is developed on the Ren'Py engine, which my visual novel is being coded on. This all the more

Personally, I was impressed with the use of transitional effects, from screen tears to pulsing veins that pop up on the screen in the viewpoint of the player. The author of DDLC granted permission for other Ren'Py users to use his coding for transitions and effects. This immediately led me to experiment and play around with their uses.





DDLC Homepage on Steam:

Team Salvato. (2017). Doki Doki Literature Club. Available from:  https://store.steampowered.com/app/698780/Doki_Doki_Literature_Club/ [Accessed: 3rd October 2017]

Hashhaku-sama

I found this online story to be really goosebumping. Something that would be made on the CreepyPasta website like Slenderman. The bone structure of my VN story is based from this tale but heavily adapted, just maintaining the essence of a bad, cliffhanger narrative in which there is no escape for the main character (MC) or the player/audience. The feeling of dread and an encounter that bugs you throughout your life, knowing you can never erase or hide it. Always eating away at you, causing you to become mentally insane.

In truth, I really love this hashhaku-sama story, it is a really effective narrative that creates an increasing tension in the tone of words. From start to finish, it leaves readers hooked and curious to read on.

Scary for kids. (2015). Hashhaku-sama: Eight Feet Tall. Available from: http://www.scaryforkids.com/eight-feet-tall/ [Accessed: 14th October 2017]

What is 'I AM HOME'?

I AM HOME is an interactive visual novel (VN) that I am developing for my Final Major Project at the University of Hertfordshire, UK. The themes I wanted to explore are:

-Psychological Horror
-Reality
-Dreams

The year before I had produced an experimental visual novel with a sci-fi, space theme/genre. For this project, I want to use my skills in coding, art design, music design, story writing and cinematography to put together an eerie horror game that brings out my talents.

Why the name 'I AM HOME'?

After being inspired by a variety of things:

-Hashhaku-sama
-Slenderman
-Doki Doki Literature Club VN
-The Letter VN
-The folktale of Kikimora in slavic mythology

These helped shape the direction of where I wanted to take my own VN and its story narrative.

Using transitions and effects within the coding to produce an effective scene.