itch.io

Background: I'm developing a visual novel game. I can deal with all the story, programming, audio etc except graphs. Currently I'm using AI generated pictures / geometric shapes / my ugly handdraw for testing purpose.

Giving the rest part of game has made progress, I want to publish a demo for some feedback.

My Dilemma: I have considered several options...

1) Hire an artist now, and publish a well-turned demo. There'll be 4 characters plus their facial expressions / pose change and 4~5 cg. 

2) Publish the demo as it is (with AI pictures/ geometric shapes/my ugly handdraw)

I want to make the game free (so no pressure for me to complete the game IN TIME). It seems too expensive to have a proper artist at that early stage for a free project. On the other hand, using AI pictures/ geometric shapes/my ugly handdraw when publish a demo seems a BAD idea to get proper feedback.

Another idea is to use well-turned AI graphs in demo, which I'm capable to do myself, and hire a real artist to reshape the game in later stage, maybe after kickstart (if it really happen at all).

My Question

1) As a free VN, when will be the good time to get an artist to well-turn the game? Is it acceptable to have totally different graphics from demo to later updated version?

2) If I have to publish the demo as it is, is there any place I can ask feedback, despite it's ugly and abstract graphics?

Thanks for check my questions, and any tips and words will be appreciated!

打了一会，游戏剧情写得用心，但小地图太抽象，拿到第一个灵魂之后就不知道该干嘛了

除了鼠标放在方块上浮现的文字之外，也可以试试使用不同颜色的色块/在色块上放汉字/英文首字母的方式加强区别度，参考a dark room

ai画的图看起来和游戏不是很衬，尤其是和抽象的小地图放在一起。建议要么小地图也用ai做精致些，要么也极简化，用文字+色块/形状来代表角色

I'm currently using AI model to draw my characters. 

There're tons of Photoshop work involving in and it forced me to learn how to draw the hands, facial expression and all subtle things AI cannot draw. How funny that it is AI arts making me learn how to draw something for the first time of my life. 

It's just a free game for hobby so I'll not hire any real artist. But hell if there's a day I can open a kick-start to collect some budget, I need a real artist simply because AI drawing is extremely frustrating when you want to be very, very specific.

I'll say even if there's AI, a real artist can use them million better than untrained layman, and YES you can see the difference.

Feels like reading through a love story of the game writer themselves in a parallel universe, and some of scene is so real and personal that they feels like from the life experience. 

wow never know there's another ending! Will try that one!

Can't say how much I love that. It seems like the developer are collecting player's inputting answer ? It will be interesting to see that list!

It makes me literally LOL when I see Essays on Smpathy. A genius idea to use a simple, short scene to rise some real questions: what's the purpose to give a gift to our parents? To make them happy? Or want to tell them something? And we preconceive our parents too, just like they preconceive us.

In the end I pick up My Cute Neighbour. It's my father's birthday and I want him to be happy. Essays on Smpathy may be an alternative choice if it is not a birthday XD

same here, use admin to create a save file but never save after complete a few cases

Awesome game, brilliant writing. Got the true ending. Through I'm still wondering how many different endings we got here (seems like all not-true endings only have different on the final percentage of causulties)