FAQ or In Case You Were Wondering[]
Production Questions[]
How many people are working on this?
- It's currently a solo project.
When will it be released?
- There is currently no release date. This is a personal project that I work on in my spare time between work, volunteering, Prayer Group, Therapy, gaming, and other hobbies. I have already been working on it since early 2017. I will aim for a 2021 alpha release.
What platforms will it be released on?
- The plan is currently to only release it for PC/Mac and possibly Linux. I am considering how to make a mobile version too.
Where will the game be distributed?
- This is still TBD. Possibly on my own site or itch.io until I find a better place for it.
How much will the game cost when released?
- This is also TBD. I plan to keep it under 25 USD. The goal is to keep it free or at least offer a free version.
What will Live2D be used for?
- The current plan is to use Live2D for romantic or special scenes. So some of the CGI will have live 2D aspects. Originally all sprites would have been Live2D but given the production time, I'm making that a stretch goal.
Will there be voice acting?
- The plan is to have partial voice acting. I'll announce on DeviantArt and other places when I start looking for talent. It's one of those things I have to budget for. Currently, that budget is a shoestring.
Can I help?
- Yes! I will begin looking for help with backgrounds, GUI, sprites, and music. Possibly CG images and logo design. (I'm garbage at logos.) But also anyone offering moral support or spreading the word helps.
- I will be looking to hire folks for art, music, voice talent, and design work.
Is there a Crowdfunding (Indiegogo/Kickstarter) for this?
- At the moment there is not. I want to approach crowdfunding in an intelligent way since I'm unknown but reliable.
Is Trouble Brewing the real name of the game?
- Possibly. It's the working title for now. Trouble's Brewing or Brewing Trouble are also possibilities. Or it may change all together since you brew coffee and not tea and this is about tea. UGH!
Story Questions[]
What would the rating for this game be?
- Using U.S. movie ratings, probably an R for language. I don't know how many f-bombs keep you in PG-13 land.
- Game Ratings probably Teen to Mature, again for language and story content. There's nothing explicit so don't get too excited.
Is there any graphic content?
- Nope. Can't do it. Everyone's clothes stay on. Some people show up in skimpy underoos but that's it. Characters will talk about past sexual encounters or strongly suggest they want to ravage someone or may try to get to 2nd base. ...I have no idea where 2nd base is so maybe that's not true. Basically, you'll probably not want to play this at work or school or on a public computer. It's not appropriate for kids under 20. (I dunno...I'm not sure what's appropriate for kids these days.)
How many routes are there? And endings?
- There are 6 routes and multiple endings. In general, there are 3 planned endings for each route: Good, Bad and Romantic. Some routes also have a few neutral endings.
What's the difference between Good, Bad and Romantic endings?
- One is good, one is bad, one is ugly. :D
- Good endings mean that both Rose and the route focus character achieve their goals and live life. Yay! The relationship is professional or friendly at best.
- Bad endings mean neither achieve their goal or Rose ends up in a bad situation.
- Romantic means that Rose and the chosen character end up in a relationship of some kind. Usually, this means their goals have changed.
- Okay Endings or Neutral endings are semi-bad endings where basically, Rose is back where she started. Her goal is not met, but she's not in a bad situation per se.
What inspired this story?
- A mix of things. Primarily it was my own depression and this story writing is therapeutic. There's also a splash of Kamisama Kiss and various other dating sims/otome I've played. (I seem to be following the 5 guy trope at least. :P)
Is this an otome or dating sim?
- I would lean toward calling it an otome in the sense that it appeals more to a female audience and has more plot than "get this guy to like you." I don't really put much emphasis on the romance part, it's more subtle I think. (It's there don't get me wrong.)
- Side thoughts: Dating sims I consider to have more personal stat building involved. You need to have certain personality stats and affection points with the desired character to achieve goals. The story is usually secondary to the pursuit of the character. This is more of a choose your own adventure type story where the choices made affect where you end up. Rose's goal is NOT to date some boy...it's to have a better life. If that better life has a partner great, but that's not her plan.
Cast Questions[]
Can you change the main character's name or looks?
- Nope. She's not a "carte blanche" character. Future projects I have planned will have more character customizing to them.
What myths are involved?
- Too many! I conglomerated and butchered myths from traditions around the world including Middle Eastern, Chinese, Japanese, American, Scottish, European and more.
Who is the antagonist?
- In writing the conflict can be man vs nature, man vs man and man vs self. This story is a lot more man vs self than man vs anything else. Also, the antagonist may change depending on the route.
Are there any same-sex romance options?
- No. There are some characters who are not heterosexual. But most characters are asexual, including Rose. Hey, I write what I know.
Do you have voices for these characters?
- Yes, I've finally scoped out the speech patterns, accents and voice qualities for most of the cast. I have not yet hired voice actors as I still need to figure out the line reads and what I need.