Author Topic: Improved Visual Novel script  (Read 2680 times)

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Offline Lafiel

  • 24
Improved Visual Novel script
Visual Novel Script


This is an Axem-approved, improved version of the Visual Novel Script originally featured in JAD, WoD and Solaris.

While the original script was made by Axem, I reworked some of the more buggy parts and improved a lot of otherwise fairly hard to use constructs (especially around conditional scripting).
Since it is fairly complicated, it comes with a full documentation, and contains a few basic examples.
On the same basis, it is so big that I couldn't test every single option, so you may encounter some bugs here and there.
But since I intend to continue maintaining this script, if anyone finds a bug, has a feature request or needs help, just hit me up.

To use it, integrate the data folder on the github into your mod. Contents of the folders hud, interface, missions and fiction are only needed for the examples. To see how to create your own VN scripts and set up the config, look at the examples or the documentation.

This scripts main purpose is to give modders a lot more options for storytelling and player choice. It creates a visual novel context (in most cases a background, a box at the bottom containing currently spoken dialog, and character sprites in the foreground plus a few extras) from within a mission with a SEXP. In most cases, this will just replace any actual mission with one visual novel block of storytelling. It also has some form of user interaction, in form of choices or simple graphical menus, whose results can either influence following dialog or even set SEXP variables for influence in the campaign. 

Hidden Text: Screenshots from WoD and JAD • Show
Here are some screenshots of how this script (although in it's second version) has been used in JAD and WoD:

This is a basic conversation example from JAD


Here, JAD uses additional image props to enhance the experience


WoD uses the script to emulate briefings and integrates them in a seamless way


This is an example from WoD, where the player can use this map to freely choose where to go and thus with whom to speak

Edit 16.11.2020: Added screenshots and general explanation
« Last Edit: January 25, 2021, 11:32:46 pm by Lafiel »

 

Offline Colonol Dekker

  • HLP is my mistress
  • 213
  • Aken Tigh Dekker- you've probably heard me
    • My old squad sub-domain
Re: Improved Visual Novel script
A proud legacy.
Campaigns I've added my distinctiveness to-
- Blue Planet: Battle Captains
-Battle of Neptune
-Between the Ashes 2
-Blue planet: Age of Aquarius
-FOTG?
-Inferno R1
-Ribos: The aftermath / -Retreat from Deneb
-Sol: A History
-TBP EACW teaser
-Earth Brakiri war
-TBP Fortune Hunters (I think?)
-TBP Relic
-Trancsend (Possibly?)
-Uncharted Territory
-Vassagos Dirge
-War Machine
(Others lost to the mists of time and no discernible audit trail)

Your friendly Orestes tactical controller.

Secret bomb God.
That one time I got permabanned and got to read who was being bitxhy about me :p....
GO GO DEKKER RANGERSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
President of the Scooby Doo Model Appreciation Society
The only good Zod is a dead Zod
NEWGROUNDS COMEDY GOLD, UPDATED DAILY
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Re: Improved Visual Novel script
Beautiful work! :)

 

Offline Mobius

  • Back where he started
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  • Porto l'azzurro Dolce Stil Novo nella fantascienza
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Re: Improved Visual Novel script
It seems a powerful storytelling tool, yet those like me who are unfamiliar with it would appreciate a couple of screenshots showing off what's it about and its precise purposes in-game.

My "campaigns to play whenever I get the chance" list is quite long and I'm trying to catch up with what I've missed. This script appears to be a major feature but I'm kind of blind right now and I have no idea how it works. Is it a major overhaul of the fiction viewer, or something else?

Any examples other than the raw templates on GitHub?
The Lightblue Ribbon

Inferno: Nostos - Alliance
Series Resurrecta: {{FS Wiki Portal}} -  Gehenna's Gate - The Spirit of Ptah - Serendipity (WIP) - <REDACTED> (WIP)
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My interviews: [ 1 ] - [ 2 ] - [ 3 ]

 

Offline Colonol Dekker

  • HLP is my mistress
  • 213
  • Aken Tigh Dekker- you've probably heard me
    • My old squad sub-domain
Re: Improved Visual Novel script
It's like having animated cartoons instead of briefings.
Campaigns I've added my distinctiveness to-
- Blue Planet: Battle Captains
-Battle of Neptune
-Between the Ashes 2
-Blue planet: Age of Aquarius
-FOTG?
-Inferno R1
-Ribos: The aftermath / -Retreat from Deneb
-Sol: A History
-TBP EACW teaser
-Earth Brakiri war
-TBP Fortune Hunters (I think?)
-TBP Relic
-Trancsend (Possibly?)
-Uncharted Territory
-Vassagos Dirge
-War Machine
(Others lost to the mists of time and no discernible audit trail)

Your friendly Orestes tactical controller.

Secret bomb God.
That one time I got permabanned and got to read who was being bitxhy about me :p....
GO GO DEKKER RANGERSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
President of the Scooby Doo Model Appreciation Society
The only good Zod is a dead Zod
NEWGROUNDS COMEDY GOLD, UPDATED DAILY
http://badges.steamprofile.com/profile/default/steam/76561198011784807.png

 

Offline Strygon

  • 28
  • So long, and thanks for all the fish!
    • Steam
Re: Improved Visual Novel script
We still need a campaign where you can date your wingmen
Makes missions sometimes.
Finished Projects: Operation: Cloak and Dagger

Current Projects: Scrolls Part 2 (FREDding), Dimensional Eclipse (Art),
The First Contact War, GTDr Amazon HTL

[23:22] strypolygon: andrew
[23:22] strypolygon: i have one favor to ask of you
[23:22] strypolygon: never try speaking german again
[23:23] Andrewofdoom: No.

[18:50] 島風改八百三: the duck has multipli
[18:50] 島風改八百三: many duck
[18:50] 島風改八百三: left side
[18:50] 島風改八百三: even side
[18:50] 島風改八百三: handle it

[21:34] MP-Ryan: Why on earth would you Google this
[21:34] The_E: why would you not

[06:46] Strigon: how big is a mini-campaign again?
[06:46] Asteroth: smaller than a campaign
[06:47 ]Strigon: thanks

[05:56] Strigon: If I had to take a shot for each time I randomly decided to change the UI sounds, I'd have died of alcohol poisoning by now

[17:36] qazwsxal: time to have some fun
[17:41] z64555: VC++5 is not my idea of fun

[EatThePath] do your missiles do anything absurd?
[Strigon] describe absurd
[Strigon] the entire mod is absurd

 
Re: Improved Visual Novel script
We still need a campaign where you can date your wingmen
but there's already BP

 

Offline Strygon

  • 28
  • So long, and thanks for all the fish!
    • Steam
Re: Improved Visual Novel script
*minus the mindbreak tag
Makes missions sometimes.
Finished Projects: Operation: Cloak and Dagger

Current Projects: Scrolls Part 2 (FREDding), Dimensional Eclipse (Art),
The First Contact War, GTDr Amazon HTL

[23:22] strypolygon: andrew
[23:22] strypolygon: i have one favor to ask of you
[23:22] strypolygon: never try speaking german again
[23:23] Andrewofdoom: No.

[18:50] 島風改八百三: the duck has multipli
[18:50] 島風改八百三: many duck
[18:50] 島風改八百三: left side
[18:50] 島風改八百三: even side
[18:50] 島風改八百三: handle it

[21:34] MP-Ryan: Why on earth would you Google this
[21:34] The_E: why would you not

[06:46] Strigon: how big is a mini-campaign again?
[06:46] Asteroth: smaller than a campaign
[06:47 ]Strigon: thanks

[05:56] Strigon: If I had to take a shot for each time I randomly decided to change the UI sounds, I'd have died of alcohol poisoning by now

[17:36] qazwsxal: time to have some fun
[17:41] z64555: VC++5 is not my idea of fun

[EatThePath] do your missiles do anything absurd?
[Strigon] describe absurd
[Strigon] the entire mod is absurd

 

Offline Lafiel

  • 24
Re: Improved Visual Novel script
It seems a powerful storytelling tool, yet those like me who are unfamiliar with it would appreciate a couple of screenshots showing off what's it about and its precise purposes in-game.

My "campaigns to play whenever I get the chance" list is quite long and I'm trying to catch up with what I've missed. This script appears to be a major feature but I'm kind of blind right now and I have no idea how it works. Is it a major overhaul of the fiction viewer, or something else?

Any examples other than the raw templates on GitHub?

Good point. I didn't realize that people not familiar with WoD / JAD / Solaris or other VN's have no real idea of what this is.  I added a (very) basic explanation and a few screenshots from how it was used before. I hope this somewhat clears it up.

 

Offline Strygon

  • 28
  • So long, and thanks for all the fish!
    • Steam
Re: Improved Visual Novel script
Ohhh I didn't know it was capable of that much, actually.


... looks left and right


saves
Makes missions sometimes.
Finished Projects: Operation: Cloak and Dagger

Current Projects: Scrolls Part 2 (FREDding), Dimensional Eclipse (Art),
The First Contact War, GTDr Amazon HTL

[23:22] strypolygon: andrew
[23:22] strypolygon: i have one favor to ask of you
[23:22] strypolygon: never try speaking german again
[23:23] Andrewofdoom: No.

[18:50] 島風改八百三: the duck has multipli
[18:50] 島風改八百三: many duck
[18:50] 島風改八百三: left side
[18:50] 島風改八百三: even side
[18:50] 島風改八百三: handle it

[21:34] MP-Ryan: Why on earth would you Google this
[21:34] The_E: why would you not

[06:46] Strigon: how big is a mini-campaign again?
[06:46] Asteroth: smaller than a campaign
[06:47 ]Strigon: thanks

[05:56] Strigon: If I had to take a shot for each time I randomly decided to change the UI sounds, I'd have died of alcohol poisoning by now

[17:36] qazwsxal: time to have some fun
[17:41] z64555: VC++5 is not my idea of fun

[EatThePath] do your missiles do anything absurd?
[Strigon] describe absurd
[Strigon] the entire mod is absurd

 

Offline Lafiel

  • 24
Re: Improved Visual Novel script
Ohhh I didn't know it was capable of that much, actually.


... looks left and right


saves

It can do a lot, yes. When I inherited the script from Axem, I spent a lot of time marvelling at how most thinkable usecases had been covered in some way, and how it works behind the scenes.
What I can show in these screenshots is more or less only the surface of the iceberg. Most things that require some form of UI (if it doesn't need to be dynamically generated) are doable with this script, it's just a matter of figuring out the specifics.
As an example: I am currently working on a VN script that lets you essentially command squadrons from a topdown perspective, for kind of an Admiral-esque experience.