Post by Aaryn in Straight!? comments

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heya, so welcome back. I can explain the differences for ya and it's not really a straight answer so bear with me.

so the story itself is done. that version is v0.21.4. that's a continuation of the original version that you played before. that version has the ending. v0.21.4 will also no longer be updated.

the revamp starts back from the beginning and is me using everything that i've learned to fix the early parts of the game that read, looked, and played like crap. that version has updated graphics, sound effects, music, better writing, and fixes a lot of problems from the old version. the revamp version is the current version that i'm working on but right now it's only chapter 1. the early parts of the game need a lot of work so the updates on the revamp are kinda slow with less content than what people are used to expecting from these game updates. however, it will progressively get faster because i'll have less stuff to do as the game progresses. eventually, the revamp version will replace the old version of the game and will be the finished product. the revamp will have the same ending as the other version

manekineko0072 years ago(+1)

aah thx for the informative reply ^^ so, since i’m a sucker for graphics and also i like/need new stuff to stay interested, i’d better wait for the revamp to be well on its way like the middle or sth, and then i’ll jump unto that train.. cuz if i’m impatient and wanna play the finished old version right now to see the end, when i’ll play the revamp i’ll already know how it ends, it’s gonna be kinda spoiled in a way - and not only the end but all the rest too since it would be so fresh in my mind again… now it’s been so long since i played the old chapters, i’ve almost forgotten the details - ideal for a replay. once, not twice in a row. really looking forward to that revamp, for the old version was maybe not perfect but pretty awesome already! ^^ patiiiiiiiiieeeeence TT

you know.. somehow i really admire you. scratch the “somehow”… i DO admire you. this game was already a titanic task in itself, since you did a lot by yourself.. but now to start “all over” again from the start and make it better, wow. pure tenacity and enthusiasm! wish i had just a tenth of it, since i’m this person who has a thousand ideas.. but can be glad if they actually manage to realize 10 of them. IF even. XDDD

Aaryn2 years ago(+1)

heh, well i appreciate it. i've had my ups and downs but i was really dedicated to this. but i also dont want to drag the game out for 10 years either. i'm not one to milk and i dont wanna run the story into the ground. i appreciate your compliment. i'm not perfect but i try my best considering i didn't know shit about this when i started.

i will say that fans of the original are still enjoying the revamp. it's a very different experience. lot of people are saying it's like a whole new game. several have mentioned they actually enjoy going back through the revamp after completing the regular because you get to catch things that you didn't see before. but that's a preference thing i'm sure. the revamp is still gonna take me awhile-- prob a year anyway so just a heads up. if you hadn't played since v0.15 though, holy crap...i promise the story gets way better than what you've seen before

manekineko0072 years ago

omfg.. a year.. hardcore. but then, according to what you said last, it’s literally gonna wham me into the ground. really worth the wait ^^

Aaryn2 years ago(+1)

lol. idk if it'll wow you. you may have high expectations and i'm one dude with 2 buddies helping me out. but it's exponentially better than the original imo. the first 3 screenshots posted here (ignoring the video) are from the revamp

manekineko0072 years ago

hmm i can’t see/say clearly about the Braden pic.. but in the 2 with Zack in them, he looks way more like a rl person/less of a 3d person as in the old version - which already featured great renders. they might have had this slight “sim-my” look back then, now not any more ^^ i know you use DS (right?) cuz lol.. Zack’s tank top which i also have and love, but sth really improved ^^

Aaryn2 years ago(+1)

yeah, Daz3d. the biggest change on renders in the revamp is lighting, more shots, and more variance in camera angles to make the game more cinematic. i'm going for a different type of genre within the vn world and i'm calling it a "cinematic novel" as opposed to vn's which traditionally have sprites flying around all over the place. the cinematic novel approach will have tons more renders and camera shots and hopefully kinda look like a static movie.

manekineko0072 years ago (4 edits) (+1)

cinematic novel.. interesting name. and concept.

since i’m trying to create stuff in daz too (with variable results, most of them subpar, lol, but my old crappy laptop is 10 y.o. and lags behind on every level, this sure doesn’t help +sobs bitterly+), and many vn sprites and their management in homemade games are awful, even before i played str8 i also wondered - in case i’d finally move my ass and manage to try creating a small fun vn - if i wouldn’t do it like you did, with full screens created in 3d. or maybe a mixture of both, 3d screens AND 3d sprites, because what i sometimes don’t like with some vn is when the backgrounds, the cgi (for the gallery, the goodies) and the sprites are made by so different artists that they kinda don’t fit well together. i haven’t seen that yet, sprites made in 3d totally fitting into the background. but yeah, full images are the best visually, the only thing i think might be problematic is the huge ginormous amount of data you end up with… maybe this system of returning backgrounds and sprites with minimal changes was exactly created to minimize the size of data. but yeah, this was also created when hd and internet couldn’t handle as much data as today i guess? and also you have to write all your coding yourself, since any codes you might find for renpy (or whatever) are made for sprites and conventional vn… anyways, i’m very interested in your project - for the story and for your art! ^^

Aaryn2 years ago

oh for sure, it's a ton of work. since i started doing this, i really have an appreciation for watching the credits at the end of a movie or game because i see how many people it took them to pull off their project and then I try and do it all solo with 2 other guys that help back me up with some plot organization/writing feedback and tech support/visual help.

this hasn't been an easy project for me. i had zero experience with any of this. i literally googled everything, step by step to try and make it work. buddies have helped me out when i got stuck as well as the discord community we have now. it's been a group supported effort. i'm definitely sitting on the shoulders of others. if you want a laugh, here's a link for my original demo for the game back in 2017; preserved as originally posted and i even left the errors in it because it's raw. i keep this around and actually post it publicly still on my patreon page so people who are interested in starting a project like this know how this project started. it's pretty bad, lol. but enjoy :)

v0.01 Demo (2017)

manekineko0072 years ago

lol.. i usually hate reading credits - absolutely not out of disrespect for those who have worked hard, i DO appreciate their commitment and creativity and the fact that they allowed me to spend a great moment gaming/watching their invention, but because they’re always waaaaaaay too long.. and i have a lot in common with gnats XDD i think i’ll like yours tho: 3 people XDD - that’s my kind of credits ^^

i personally love to grow/learn “on the job”, while doing something, discovering how it works, not by first learning how to deal with it, study. i’m too curious and too easily bored for that… ok, since i might not be the brightest match in the box, the results are variable - the variety being how fucked up they’ll be XDD. but it’s more fun. i think you’ve come a long way, and hey, the journey is the goal, innit? while we play the game as an adventure, your adventure was creating it ^^

so, i tried the demo of your oldest version.. it’s not like i can compare with the version i played 2 yrs ago, i deleted it and my memory is what it is.. but i don’t really see a difference. i think Zack has blue eyes in just some pix, and in the shower there’s 1 (or more?) where he looks younger than usual maybe. like if there were pix i’ve seen 2 yrs ago but also some older ones mixed in.. i don’t remember the interface at all but it was kinda the same, no overloading the screen with fancy design (which i don’t mind with usual VN where the bgd stays the same forever etc, ofc when it’s a success and not an eyesore. but with 3d renders changing nonstop it’s sensory overload. avatars are not really needed either since often in str8 you see the person speaking directly in the render). the expressions in the cafeteria are way over the top, lol, parameter sliders overkill, but i think it was like that 2 yrs ago too.. ok stuff crashes, but maybe it’s the demo effect?… otherwise, short: i don’t see what you were trying to show XD

itch.io

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