Love Inn
ORIGINS EDITION
Hello bois! I've been drawing a bunch and working on events, I'll probably have the EA release later this week!
Won't share any WIP, instead I'll share some concepts of the game since it's been a bit over a year (September 2022) since its first concept.
I worked on other game projects, learning art, 3D, coding, but always kept thinking about making an eroge, similar to old illusion games (@HomeMate, Sexy Beach 3 and Artificial Girl 3 were the main inspiration).
I obviously wouldn't be able to do high res models in a sandbox setting, so I tried making it low poly. My last project was low poly, so I felt more confident in the style.
You can see the main 3 girls here:
I did all the systems, and the game featured fixed position cameras. You could travel around a ryokan, and interact in a basic way with the characters. This is how it looked around the beginning of 2023.
While it was ok, it never sparked in me a strong emotion. Was really boring, bland. I tried making some small sprites for when the character was working around the ryokan, and that's the changing point.
These little animations were already more interesting than the whole project, so I flirted with the idea of a similar game, in a different style. It was kind of hard to let go after hundreds and hundreds of hours, but I REALLY wanted to try to do something else. This time was about trying multiple styles and seeing how I felt.
I tried like old VNs, but didn't love the idea of making a point and click.
I tried also the top down 2D, but felt too much like RPGmaker games, I'm not skilled enough in that style. Then I tried isometric (with free movement), but felt too much like Summer Memories, so I skipped that really quick.
After exhausting all other ideas, then it clicked about the whole low poly + 2D. Funnily enough, this was the style of the 1st game I tried making years ago, so I already knew some strategies for this style (fixed perspective camera, tilted sprites look better, etc).
After some tweaks, I though having pixel portraits would look good with the rest of the pixelated style. But again, never clicked on me too much.
So I switched to full 2D drawings for portraits, adopting the aesthetic of a very old Dreamcast game of Love Hina (another huge inspiration for the theme).
Shit takes time, but it's getting better and better! I released the first version to play in June, after 3/4 months of development. Now it's been another 4 months since then. So much left to do still!
Thanks for reading and your continuous support, things would be so much more difficult without you guys. See you soon!
Comments
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That is fascinating. Never thought Love Hina would be the inspiration but honestly that approach was made it look so fresh. The low poly look on the other hand with the right setup could've easily been a sort of interesting supernatural game. Solving mysteries or something involving a ghost haunting the place. I can still dig that look of that low poly aesthetic. But to see how it evolved is interesting. I think designing them from paper to low 3D is definitely the right approach and now I'm curious of your previous project. But with how you adapted and improved your pixel art from its starting stages is impressive. It is interesting how even though it went from lowres 3D to pixel art, the character designs and backgrounds were further enhanced by the simple contrast. The characters themselves got much more detail and expressiveness as seen from the game it took inspiration from: Love Hina: Smile Again. Though by looking into it I didn't even know they started with a Gameboy Color for that series of games... Love Hina: Party is impressive having the characters look anime accurate on a gameboy color in 2001. That aside, the early sprite work from then to now is quite the difference in skill. Initially rough to now this unique but nostalgic look to the cast. Keep up the great work, looking forward to the release of the next update. Still a bit sick but I am almost better.
Hahaha so many people mentioned the low poly look looking good for supernatural stuff! I guess it's a combination of the static camera planes like old Resident Evil games haha One of my favorite genres is horror so makes total sense.
The old project didn't have any real content, but it had a bunch of rooms so it was cool to walk around the ryokan x) Maybe some day I could release it as a demo, just so people can look around.
And yeah man Love Hina was amazing. I never really played the old games, but I have watched hours of gameplay just to absorb information. I love and own both the complete manga and anime, the true first anime I watched. I guess it impacted me, since I remember it still fondly even after +16 years.
Thank you Scott, you are the man. Hope you have recovered by now, the cold season is coming and hopefully this year it will be nice to both of us!
Oh yeah, I recovered a few days ago and feel fantastic. Thank you. I can tell the experience definitely influenced the quality of the product. The old project could be a sort of museum demo of sorts going through the inspirations and maybe some background on elements that are more expanded in the game itself. Either that or a sort of Halloween special where you get to freely interact with stuff and some friendly yokai appear to be visiting. Who knows. Your work is earnest and the quality shows it. Keep at it, I too hope your year will be kind if not aid in improving your overall strength as a creator.
We never appreciate how our body works until we are sick right? We take good health for granted, at least I do haha.
That's a fantastic idea, I don't have time for this Halloween but who knows what will bring the next one! I have included a small secret for this Halloween thought! It has a low chance of triggering so I don't know how many people will see it, but I love secrets and spooky things, so it's the perfect time of the year to add such details.
With comments like yours, I could go forever Scott doing this Scott!!
Haha, I'm glad I could help in any small way. Hmm. Halloween is my favorite time of year though there is sadness at times when I think too hard about it, I am certain about this. The thoughtfulness and considerations you've put your passion into will blossom and foster into something beautiful. That much I know. I am much healthier though as the cold weather set in, so too did some sadness and a mild bit of depression. Though at this moment in time I feel much calmer, even if there's a lot of struggling and frustration to come this winter. I know not my future, no one really does. So I share wisdom where I can with what I have experienced and witnessed in my dreams. For it is these dreams that lead to amazing discoveries and creations beyond what can be written. So keep at it on your own pace and may your ideas flourish, Happy Halloween.
I think I'm kind of a masochist, because some days I really enjoy the melancholy of sad, rainy days. I have to say I'm mesmerized by your comments Scott. Some days are tougher than others, but I want you to know I smile when I read your comments.
Even though we don't know the future, one thing is for certain, without a doubt: tomorrow the sun will come out once again, and spring will be waiting for us. I'm also affected by the low light winters, so I hope you take some moments to relax and enjoy life. We will enjoy the sun when the time comes, but now it's the time of the ghosts and witches.