I'd like to finally announce the first visual novel that I am producing.
[b]American University Life[/b] is an 18+, slice of life kinetic visual novel that centers around Skye and his new college friends. Set in the fictional, tropical paradise Leuther Island, a newly admitted state to the United States of America. Thanks to the efforts of the EPA and the Paris Agreement, Leuther Island has been declared an ecological haven, funded by tourism and retired billionaires. The streets are filled with eco-friendly smart cars, sprawling "green" metropolises sport the latest generation of technology, and the campus is right across the street from the beach!
Premise
Skye arrives to Leuther Island to attend school at the University of Leuther Island. It's like a dream. The dormitories are like villas right out of a tropical getaway magazine. The dining hall is a restaurant that serves gourmet food buffet style. There's even a golf course and five star gym? What doesn't this school have?
Wait a minute, what was that?
...There are only five students at this school?
Leslie Herkowitz is the first student you meet at the University of Leuther. Originally from Australia, she is 22 years old, having spent the last several years working to make enough money to study abroad in the United States. She's coming to school undeclared, unsure of what to study in college, but has a clear career goal in mind to become a wildlife activist. What could this school on a tropical paradise have in store for our foreign student?
Andrea Sanchez is coming to the University on an athletic scholarship for soccer. She is all fun and games, but nothing will stand in her way of playing on the big stage. Unfortunately, being one of only five students at the school has put a damper on those plans. One can only imagine if her passion is enough to carry her forward, or will she give it all up?
Belleruche Fontaine is a musical genius. She jumped on the chance to transfer schools when she learned that the University of Leuther is seeking students of exceptional artistic talents. A school with nearly no students, a haven to herself in peace? Nothing is too pristine, she didn't expect her parents to be moving with her, keeping a close eye on their daughter only a short drive away.
Sara Su-Cheng, like some of us, picked a college as far away from her family as she could. Finally, she would have a room of her own. Finally, her belongings wouldn't be mishandled by her younger siblings. And finally, she could waste away the days on her computer. Too bad, some of the students here don't want to leave her be. Worse yet, she doesn't know how to hang out with people her age!
*Character heights not to scale
Thanks for checking out what little content I have so far!
If you have stuck around this long to read this message, then that must mean you're a bit interested in it, I hope.
The project itself is going at a steady pace, and I am still searching for people to complete the rest of the assets.
This VN is pretty short since this only spans the length of the welcome week. It's around 35k words, and can easily be finished in one sitting. My hope is that if this takes off to some semblance of financial gain (I intend this to be commercial), then I would look in to using the profits to fund a much larger chapter of the game to span the entirety of a school year. It won't be a day by day basis, instead, the story will be scene by scene and the passage of time will be clued in through the narrative.
I've debated with myself to some lengths about whether I wanted player choice in this game. Unfortunately, I am producing it alone and have come under tough financial constraints. (I missed out on a lot of steam sales this past autumn and winter in order to fund this!) I do wish, if this game is profitably successful, to incorporate player choice into the next chapter of this game!
All that being said, what do you all think? Have we seen enough chitty romcom harems? Or are there not enough of it? I read/watched a lot of manga, anime, visual novels, and some light novels, all of which originated from Japan and close-knit dojin circles. I wanted to pull VERY loosely from my college experience and create a story out of it through the shoes of a westerner. I don't want this story to be a harem, though. In spite of what it may appear at first glance, I wanted to make it a wholesome and touching experience for Skye and the players to read.
Stay tuned! I will update the other two characters once my character artist finishes them. Character backgrounds and additional screenshots to be updated soon!
In the meantime, tell me what you think of the art? What do you think should be kept in mind as I tread the American college lifestyle? Things to touch on in the narrative or artistically to differentiate this game from other works? How should this newbie move forward in publishing and distributing his game when it is completed?
