Just so you know, the game is a solid foundation for the EF project, but I'm nowhere near done with it. I still got a comic to finish, and if the game does well enough I have the material for a sequel!
The Return to Eternity VN is NOT my first VN project, but I did learn a lot from it:
It is indeed impossible to test everything in one place, so there will always be bugs that get through the cracks. The better devs understand this and are less condescending in their review of it - yeah, I said it. That "spoonful of sugar" can be a lifesaver at times like this, so I make sure to exercise it and I hope others do too.
Ren'Py web builds have different ground rules than downloadable packages - so it is best to stick to customization of already existing variables when making an HTML version of the game. I had planned a lot prettier set of GUI elements for the release, but the browser doesn't like when I do that from scratch - the only reason the dialogue boxes got in is because the variables already existed as a default. All of these advanced customizations work perfectly in my launcher, and someday I will find a way to work that into a web build.
It is best to complete and test a game THIS advanced before even thinking about a release date. Due to life circumstances, I couldn't do that this time because I did not have as much time on my hands as I would have wanted to dedicate to this. And to be fair, the game was finished being built before the 7th, but the one thing I should have been testing from the beginning is browser capability, every step of the way and not just after it was done.
Regardless of the fact that art may not be as pretty or the story may not be as compelling as other VNs here, I still think this is a pretty good honest try at a solodev game. I play with a lot of older tropes because I love them, but I make sure to put them in as relatable a setting as I can. My art style is non-negotiable, but there is always novel mode (I hope it works).
Even though I know better than to get my hopes up because of the ten-percent rule, I have faith in a chance that those of you who do play might get invested enough to check out the rest of the project and follow along with its other parts (tis the goal of the game anyway)! Even if the bugs get in your way I urge you to have fun with it!!
And also, please take the survey after you give the game a try:
https://forms.gle/KEmg6THTgQThtBPa9
Thank you in advance if you help!
#renpy #visualnovel #advice #solodev #community #gamedev #VN #screencap #renpygame #python #pygame #browser #webgame #html #freetoplay #storygame #interactivechoice #help
















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