Visual Novel – BB – Update 4
Posted: November 15, 2024
Last Updated: December 2, 2024
Visual Novel – BB – Update 4:
Timeframe: October 24, 2024 – November 9, 2024
Once again we arrive at another Bulletly Bulletin update. This time is special, however. This update is focused not on bullets or patterns or enemies or levels or technical trigger mumbo jumbo. Instead, we’re talking visual novels. Wait, what?…
Yes, over the years, I’ve made a few attempts at adding some basic visual novel elements to my games, but I’ve never really fleshed it out too much. That changed with this update. Since my intention is to allow users to specify small “cutscene” waves in the form of visual novel-like presentation, I decided it was time to revamp everything about how I was approaching VN-making.
HIGHLIGHTS:
Visual Novel Scripting:
The VN maker utilizes Orcsune Visual Novel Script (OVNS) to run. By using various directives, you can show text lines, give players choices, change internal stat values, and modify the look and feel of your text, backgrounds, and sprites.
I used a similar scripting process to make the Greggmas Saga, but it was a little clunky, didn’t properly support some of the things I wanted it to, and frankly, I didn’t want to have to go back in and learn how to modify it again. Thus, we are left with OVNS.
Right now, it’s relatively bare-bones, but it does have enough to make a decent VN sequence relatively easily. In the future, however, there will be additions for things such as simple sprite animations to allow fading, bouncing, squash and stretch, etc., and a node-based in-game scripter for them so you don’t have to dive into the actual script files to make a VN. For now, though, this is what I have.
Asset Maps:
Since sprites, sounds, and fonts can be changed using OVNS, I also needed a way to map the string keys within the script to actual assets in the project. I made an asset map interface that is basically a glorified dictionary. At the end of the day, an asset map only needs to be able to take in a string and return a valid asset of the given type. As long as you have one of these asset maps in the scene, OVNS should be able to query for and utilize these assets to change sprites and sounds.
THE REST:
There’s a lot more to cover about OVNS, which is why there is a documentation page for when I finally release it as a package. I just think it’s neat.
OTHER UPDATES:
All the documentation for the VN maker can be found here:
There is still more to add, so the documentation page will be updated over time for things like installation, etc.
Video Demos
Basic tutorial sequence (found in Tutorial (Basic) sample). Demonstrates basic lines and player choices.
Changing text settings including font attributes and text box attributes for both the main box and speaker box.
Working with sprites and sprite slots. Instantiating and using a custom sprite slot.
Demonstrating a macro. Macro “focus” dims all default sprite slots and then un-dims a sprite slot given by the macro input during invocation.
Demonstrating miscellaneous aspects of OVNS: lines, choices, conditionals, variables, randomness, and tagged words.
Demonstrating another, more advanced macro. It takes various inputs including faction name and variable names to display a choice between two factions that alters faction favor variables depending on the player’s choice.