Ren'Py Element [Development Thread]

[I.D.K]

Hi there, long time lurker, visual novel enjoyer and Daz Studio tinkerer... Opting to dip my toe into the Adult Visual Novel sphere.
I've kicked around the idea for this visual novel "Element" for a while, 14-ish months now and thought final... "Fuck it" why not?

I'm aiming it to be character driven story, with a rich feeling world... And plenty of nudity and lewd-ity.
So there we are, any thoughts, advice and all that is welcome .

So the story...
In the year 1908, on April 9th, a seemingly ordinary man and his family find themselves at the mercy of armed assailants during a bank robbery. The tension reaches a breaking point as the lead robber aims his gun at the man's wife and their 10-year-old daughter. In an unexpected twist, the man unleashes a formidable power – a blazing torrent of flames emanating from his hands, Killing one robber and causing grave injuries to the others, ultimately saving the public from the criminal threat.

News of this man, a real-life superhero seemingly plucked from the pages of a comic book, swiftly spread across the globe, captivating audiences worldwide. However, the world soon grapples with a sobering revelation that the man's abilities are not as unique as initially believed. A clandestine faction within the population has harbored similar powers for centuries, carefully concealing their existence from society.

Fast forward 114 years to the year 2022, skipping over decades marked by hate crimes, random violence, civil unrest, and significant legal and political reforms in the pursuit of equality. In the present individuals known as "Elementals", possessing extraordinary abilities, coexist with "Mundanes" – ordinary people. All while Mega-corporations vie for technological dominance and political influence, and the once noble superhero profession has succumbed to regulation, evolving into a highly profitable and corrupt industry. All while civil unrest simmers on the edge of eruption.

Enter our protagonist, Grayson (name changeable), on the brink of adulthood. Transitioning from a quaint town to the bustling city, Grayson is set to embark on his studies at Zenith University, the oldest and most prestigious Elemental Educational Institution. However, his life is poised to become infinitely more complex as he is forced to grapple with his role in the world, the legacy his family has left to him, and, of course, the intricacies of love and relationships.

Gameplay concept...
The gameplay will be more or less a linear story with small branches littered throughout, although as the story progresses (and as I up-skill) there are plans to add major branches further along.

Along with this I'm also aiming to add in small interactive sections as well, that will be designed to encourage exploration and offer the player a chance to delve deeper into the world and piece together upcoming plot points, draw conclusions, and answer questions that have been raised before they are spelt out in the narrative. All of this is optional of course and will not alter the direction of the story.

Setting...
The game is set in the modern day, in an alternate version of our own world. The majority takes place in the fictitious country of Meridia, and it's capital city Cascade home to Zenith University.

The core cast...
A small aside, I'll keep the character descriptions brief as obviously it's all still in development, and I don't want to spoil anything naturally.




Grayson Cross (first name changeable)
The sole survivor of his family, orphaned at the tender age of 6 when his parents fell victim to a brutal terrorist attack—the final recorded attack targeting elementals within the past decade. Over the course of the last 12 years, he has matured amidst the tranquility of the Oana Temple, situated in the serene mountains that gaze upon the quiet expanse of Violet City's modest urban sprawl.



Caitlin Henderson
Caitlin, the Fire Elemental, is the youngest daughter of Ava Henderson, the Chief Financial Officer of the Akiyama Corporation, and the late Issac Henderson. Raised in opulence within the inner circle of the Cascade City Elemental Elite, Caitlin comes from the esteemed lineage of one of Meridia's oldest and most influential Elemental families.



Reiko Okuma
Reiko, the Wind Elemental, is the firstborn to two of the world's most esteemed geneticists. Despite her cheerful and inquisitive demeanor, Reiko's radiant intellect often eclipses her lively spirit. For an ordinary person, comprehending her genius can prove challenging for the average person, and her tendency to speak without much consideration for the emotional consequences of her words may come across as peculiar or even offensive.




Thea Ireson
Thea, the Ice Elemental and sole offspring of Nora and Marcus Ireson, the Iresons are a family of considerable influence within the circles of Cascades Elemental elite. Similar to the Hendersons, hers is a lineage steeped in history and tradition. While inherently intelligent, caring, and kind, and possessing a deep love for music, and art, Theas outward demeanor has over recent years become as icy as the elemental power she commands.




Abigale Harnet
Abigale, the Steel Elemental, and middle child among three siblings, all girls. She hails from the country of Alabasta and has chosen to pursue her studies abroad in search of self-discovery. Off the bat she seems ideologically opposed to many of her peers at Zenith (with some exceptions) with her "Fuck it" free spirited attitude, and rebellious nature.

 

[Bucketbot89]

Looks intriguing. Good luck .

 

[I.D.K]

UPDATE #1 | December 10th

General stuff...
Progress is slow yet steady as Christmas draws near, I've spent a lot of time fleshing out characters and the story.
I've dived fully into writing the script, and holy shit I am not a natural writer. But nothing like beating your head against the brick wall till it breaks, or I improve haha which I feel I'm doing... all be it slowly.

I've also begun to render out the first couple of scenes (Aiming to improve quality and composition through experimentation), I've instantly found a bottle neck with my workflow... My current 9 to 5 makes it a challenge to render and work at the same time. So the solution is an iRay server which I've begun to plan and will have completed in the new year.

All in all I'm happy with the small chunks of progress I've made since my first post, and honestly this little blog? serves as pretty solid motivation to keep the work steady.

Now lets meet some new characters that occupy the world.

Side Characters | The first round...



Master Jin
Master Jin, the head monk at Oana Temple, took in Grayson twelve years ago after the death of his parents. An accomplished martial artist, Jin became a nurturing surrogate father to Grayson during his tumultuous teenage years, using martial arts to help manage the young boy's internal rage. Despite the success of his tutelage Jin also passed on some less desirable traits, such as a tendency towards lecherous behavior.



Shiho Yasumi
Shiho, a Plant elemental, has in the last 6 years taken on the role of head priestess at Oana Temple. An orphan herself, soon after Grayson arrived at the temple she became somewhat of a nurturing "big sister" figure in his life. Because of this and despite being several decades younger than Master Jin, Shiho soon became the more mature influence in Grayson's life, consistently offsetting the Master's juvenile behavior. Over time, a strong bond has formed between Shiho and Grayson, with her developing deep care and a sense of protectiveness towards him, to the extent that she can be somewhat overbearing in her concern.



Rea Singleton
Rea, a water elemental and a month or so Grayson's junior joined the temple just a little over a year after Grayson, landing herself there following a tragic incident. When accidentally triggering her powers for the first time, resulted in the drowning of her parents. Shell-shocked and broken, the young girl had withdrawn completely into herself. Grayson, however unintentionally, managed to break through her emotional barriers and draw her out. Over time, the two became inseparable, with Rea frequently joining Grayson and the other orphaned kids in their pursuits at the temple along with developing a sort of "puppy love" for Grayson. As the years unfolded, Rea's inner brightness returned, and she flourished, showcasing remarkable skills in cooking and excelling in her studies.

 

[k4m0n]

Very excited and interested in this! Renders look great, storyboard sounds well-planned out and fun. If you ever need future playtesting or even help writing smaller stuff or whatever, I'm very interested. Anyways, good luck with your project!

 

[I.D.K]

Very excited and interested in this! Renders look great, storyboard sounds well-planned out and fun. If you ever need future playtesting or even help writing smaller stuff or whatever, I'm very interested. Anyways, good luck with your project!

Thanks for the comment, and I'll defiantly keep that in mind

 

[I.D.K]

UPDATE #2 | January 18th

Happy New Year & Happy Holidays!
I hope you've all had an incredible New Years, and Holiday.

After settling back in at work I've again picked-up work on Element, starting to develop the first few scenes whilst also making a start on the Iray Server.

Sorry there is nothing more to report, but there will be much more to share in the coming weeks... And hopefully more of the cast to introduce, till then please enjoy a few preview renders.

 

[I.D.K]

UPDATE #3 | April 18th

General stuff...

Greetings! To those who've been keeping track (who knows if anyone reads these, I only really write these to help motivate me to keep on track ), you may have noticed my sudden disappearance. Life threw a curveball my way, demanding my undivided focus on various commitments, leaving me little time for this hobby and project of mine.

But fear not, I've returned! I've finally got my render server online, busily generating renders as I type. Admittedly, its power and rendering speeds are currently constrained, sporting only an RTX 3060 12GB. However, rest assured, there are plans in motion to enhance this aspect of my workflow in the long term.

The actual update:


Here's the latest update: with my new, shiny render server working diligently, we've completed about 20% of the renders. As of this update, that puts us at 710 out of an estimated 3550 renders for the first release (though this number may increase). I'm also progressing with the script, which is moving slower than I'd assumed as I refer back to my notes and revise sections to ensure smooth continuity.

Now, I'm excited to showcase and introduce a few more characters—specifically, the mothers of some characters we've previously met.

Side Characters | The second round...



Sawako Cross
Sawako Cross, the late mother of Grayson Cross, is shrouded in mystery at the beginning of our story. Grayson's recollections of her are sparse, composed mainly of fragmented memories and a recurring dream. He is aware that his family once resided on the outskirts of Cascade City. Sawako was employed by Akiyama Corporation, possibly in a lower management role, suggesting she held some influence there. She was also a Lightning Elemental, sharing this trait with her husband. Known for her kindness, love, justice, and a fiercely protective nature.



Ava Henderson
Ava Henderson, eldest daughter of the fabled Henderson family, mother to daughters Caitlin and Aria Henderson, Fire Elemental, CFO of the Akiyama Corporation, and board member of the Akiyama Corporations board of directors.



Ina Okuma
Ina Okuma, mother of Reiko and Kenji Okuma, Wind Elemental, and one of the worlds most acclaimed and renowned geneticists. Specializing in the study of the colloquially named "Element Gene".



Norah Ireson
Norah Ireson, mother of Thea, Ice Elemental, COO of E.D.I (the Elemental Development Initiative), and sitting board member in the Akiyama Corporations board of directors. Norah is a shrewd business women, driven and ambitious.

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So that's all for this update, I'm hoping to be far more active on here and offer weekly, if not fortnightly updates going forward.
If only to act as milestone markers that I have to work towards to ensure the AVN sees the light of day eventually.

Thanks for reading,
IDK

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[I.D.K]

PREVIEW #1 | April 24th



"A persons genetics, and even heritage is something seemingly in escapable. Unchangeable. Handed to us at random, or by whatever deity you claim."

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