Visual novel small update & plan (Patreon)

Here a small update on the Jade game!

I am glad that quite a few of you seemed to like the idea of a Jade game. For that reason I have been making plans on how to proceed.

I am breaking down the development into several phases:

Playtest / Proof of Concept

First, I will create a small, playable section of the game in a raw state. This will not include audio and will feature placeholder UI. It is simply meant to test whether you are interested in this type of game and if it is fun. Once this small playable piece is finished and posted, Phase 2 begins.

The Backbone

This is likely the most uninteresting phase for you. Here, I will build out the game based on its current concept purely from a technical side. In this phase, I will use placeholders for the adult scenes, which will later be replaced by the finished scenes. The goal is to create a playable foundation that is essentially completable and functions technically. I will also be doing quite a bit of custom coding, as I have a few ideas that aren't natively supported by the engine.

Quality Content / Early Alpha

As soon as the game is technically complete from start to finish, all visuals will be implemented to replace the placeholders. The dialogue will also be fleshed out and expanded here. From this point on, there will increasingly be early playtest builds.

Audio

Everything audible will be implemented here: music, effects, and soundscapes.

UI

Finally, the UI will be customized so that it actually looks like the game rather than placeholders.

Polishing & Bug Fixing

A testing phase that can be described as an early alpha. From this point onward, playtest builds will become more frequent.

Potential Quality Updates

Ideally, I would like to add animations to at least some of the event scenes. If I can get it implemented well, the still images will be replaced by animated scenes at that point.

Attached above, you can see a small speaking animation of Jade as well as the current storyboard. I have left it blank here so as not to spoil anything that might still change later.

Technically, a part of the beginning is already playable. However, I am currently working on the first decision and the first adult scene with Jade. After the intro, the game splits into two possible paths before coming back together at the end. Parts of the game will change depending on the choices you make, making it replayable.

The game will be in 720p, simply because it is a native resolution that the engine supports without any issues. For my first game, I wanted to avoid any scaling problems.

That’s all from my side for now. I’ll check back in as soon as I have the proof of concept finished so you can take a look at it in peace. I will be creating both a Windows and an Android version for each release.