0 comments on "Does anyone want to make a Ren’Py game with me?"

Does anyone want to make a Ren’Py game with me?

I really like the idea of making a Ren’Py game. From the moment I was steered to The Ren’Py Visual Novel Engine home page by Morgan Hawke’s novel/games, I have wanted to make a game of my own. But I can’t get my computer to make android.sdk files. I know it’s probably me doing something wrong. Like I didn’t setup my java correctly or something. I don’t know.

I can come up with the story, and I’m willing to write the script, I just don’t know how to make some of the fancy game things happen. I mean, you can have real fights and gameplay with the Ren’Py program. It’s very simple and easy to use.

I just suck at php right now because I’m still learning. Plus I don’t know how to draw, I’ve got no ear for soundtracks, and I’m not quite sure how to load YouTube or Hulu videos into a Ren’Py, which is something I really want to do.

I want to make a Visual Novel that sticks in peoples’ minds. But not like that terrible one that kept crashing my Kindle FireHD. I want it to be for all the good things that people pick up from it and the emotions they feel. I don’t want it to be read and forgotten.

Test out my first attempt at a Ren’Py at: https://www.patreon.com/posts/kinetic-novel-1241928. “The Collection” –

KINETIC NOVEL: The Collection
Genre: mm, mf
Rating: mature
Includes: The Hand of Ares [mm, powerful god]: Morpheus [mm, narcolepsy]; The Wilding [gen, what a twist]; And A Single Petal Fell [mm, life in the harem, CHARACTER DEATH]; A Cuckoo In the Nest [mf, elves are real].

Extracts to 68.3 MB. Compatible platforms: Windows, Linux, Mac.

This isn’t done yet. (There’s no menu screen, just a background, and there’s some intro content missing.) I’m thinking about adding some sprites — like cutout people — and actionable objects. There might be quizzes and mini-games at the end.

There are five stories available: The Hand of Ares; Morpheus; And a Single Petal Fell; A Cuckoo in the Nest; and The Wilding.

How it works: 1) Extract the zip files. 2) Click “Collection.exe” 3) Enjoy.

When you’re done, as there’s no screen after the Index yet, just hit ESC to bring up the menu functions. Click Quit and Yes when prompted.

I think it’s a big size for the game it is, but I think it’s because it’s still a WIP and I didn’t finalize it by having it crushed down to size. Plus the game is a standalone Ren’Py container. You open it and the game plays. I mean, if you didn’t want to save, I think you could play it off a CD. Which is cool.

It’s not a very intensive “game,” mostly because it’s a series of short stories broken into multiple screens. Once I’ve got some sprites and some screen changer ideas, I think The Collection could become a much better experience. But as it is, it’s simply my first attempt at making a Ren’Py game.

Anyways, I’ll probably add to the game and make it a little cooler and more awesome. If I do that and you’ve downloaded the beta version, it’s pretty easy to update a Ren’Py game. You just add the update files to the Game folder and the script tells everything what to do. I’ll include actual instructions with any updates.

* * *

Help me buy groceries and receive my gratitude:
via Paypal.me/HarperKingsley.
via Patreon.
via Amazon Affiliate link. (This ones the easiest to do. Click before shopping.)

Uramichi Oniisan 01 at Amazon
0 comments on "EXCERPT: “Ruined Lilacs and Broken Dreams”"

Title: Ruined Lilacs and Broken Dreams
Author: Harper Kingsley
Character: Lindsey
Fill for the Bed Amongst the Leaves prompt.

EXCERPT-

Lindsey wanted to enjoy her life. She wanted to be happy and proud of herself. She didn’t want to be this giant loser, where everything she tried failed and every golden opportunity spoiled in her hands.

She wanted to be one of the shiny happy people. She was tired of wallowing in the muck of poverty.

It hurt to realize that her every problem could be solved with the addition of copious amounts of money. Her debts could be paid, the family wardrobe could improve, the quality of groceries that she bought could help fix any health issues. With some money in her hands, she could change the fate of her entire family and together they could prosper.

But as it was, nothing she did worked.

Her artistic abilities were sadly lacking. Her typing ability didn’t bring in much cash. And her profile on the shady solicitation site had received no offers.

It terrified her to think that it was only a matter of time before she lost the Kid. Someone would realize how poor they were and how much trouble she was in, and they’d take her little boy away.

“You’re squeezing me too tight, Momma.”

“Sorry, baby.” She pressed a kiss against the top of his sleepy head.

They were lying on the couch with an afghan tucked around them. The air was starting to chill, but she didn’t want to add another precious piece of wood to the fire. Monster House was almost over and they’d be going to bed soon enough.

Lindsey held her boy in her arms and stared unblinkingly at the television screen. The flickering motions and colors blended together as she tried to focus the rushing panic of her thoughts.

They were out of money for the month. All the bills were paid, but the food was thin in the fridge and on the shelves. There was a good chance that they’d be enjoying flour soup a couple times before she’d again be able to afford groceries.

/EXCERPT

Help me buy pants and receive a copy of this story.
One-time donation: Paypal.me/HarperKingsley.
Patrons on Patreon can download a free copy in mobi format when it’s available.

Fortress in the Eye of Time at Amazon
0 comments on "“He was the man in black. The stolid face of grinding bureacracy…”"

For A Little While sideshot: He was the man in black. The stolid face of grinding bureaucracy, telling the proletariats that they needed to live a certain way or a very stern “Or Else” was implied.

Some incarnation of Phil had been walking around since the beginning of the organization, way back in the dark days of S.H.I.E.L.D., of S.W.O.R.D., of A.T.L.A.S., or of I.R.I.S. Every organization as far back as memory reached had had their own version of Phil. His genotype has existed since the beginning. And with the merging, there were hundreds of Phils filling the hives beneath the city.

They were sent out to handle the troubles of the agencies, garnering Phil the reputation of being at every situation everywhere. He was a LEGEND! to the people out there. From what the message boards implied, he was in the same league as the Arthur’s, the Charlie’s, and the Tony’s.

It would have been a heady knowledge, if Phil92 had known that he was not the original Phil. If he’d had any inkling that nearly everything he believed about his childhood had been a lie.

But he didn’t know.

He was currently living and working as Agent P872-549, alias Landon James. He hadn’t been back to base in more than 15 years. He doubted there was anyone working there that even remembered his real name anymore.

He’d been Landon for so long that he was probably going to die under the name. His family would mourn at an empty tomb and never know what had really happened to him.

It should have made him sad. And in a way it kind of did. But mostly he was resigned to it.

His job was important. He was saving lives. What was a bit of personal misery compared to that?

Phil sighed and hauled himself out of bed to face another day as Landon, personal assistant for the Secretary of the Union.

*
A. Phil clones, like the azi.

B. Each of the Phils is a person that has been Conditioned to be that person. They were snatched up off the street, offered tons of money to have their faces changed, then spent the rest of their lives as a Phil, loaded with various skillsets.

C. Phil died for a lot longer than he realizes. When he was brought back, it was deemed inadvisable to tell him what had happened. His memory was modified through surgery–a lasering away of the various memory strings–and he was assigned to a new team and a new life, believing that he’s Phil pretending to be Landon, while he’s really Landon thinking he’s Phil pretending to be Landon.

An Elderly Lady is Up to No Good at Amazon
0 comments on "FIC: Morning Song"

Title: Morning Song
Author: Harper Kingsley
Character: Neil Halsted, the Guy in 2D, Ben Hodgins
Note: Fill for Shower Buddies prompt

Neil “before Zod” Halsted was 32 years old, single, with dark brown hair and hazel eyes. He lived in an old apartment building that had been renovated several times over the years, going from The Shining-chic to something a bit more classic comfort. All he cared was that his apartment–apartment 2C–was a rent controlled two bedroom, two bathroom palace that he was going to live in until he died. They would have to pry the door keys out of his cold, wrinkled hands as they hauled him out on a stretcher, because he was not leaving otherwise.

He had a fabulous apartment in the city, and his neighbors were great. He’d never met them, and that was what made them great. He’d never had to complain to anyone about noise or cockroaches or mysterious leaks, and no one had ever had to complain about him.

His life wasn’t perfect, but it was good. He lived close enough to where he worked that he didn’t have to rush around in the morning, and there were plenty of restaurants and grocery stores within walking distance. There was even a bus stop on the street out front of his building, so on wet days he didn’t have to tramp very far in the rain if he had to get somewhere on the other side of the city.

His job wasn’t what he’d dreamed of when he’d put himself through college, but it gave him a nice enough paycheck. With the money he saved on rent, he was able to turn the second bedroom into the walk-in closet he’d wanted ever since he saw episodes of “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous” and “MTV’s Cribs” as a teen. He was able to add to his wardrobe each month and still grow his savings account.

He had everything that he needed and a bit extra. He was even able to help out his parents when they needed it. Things were going good in his life.

And part of what made things pleasant was his morning shower. Where he stripped and stepped into the large stall and shared a song with the man whose shower was on the other side of the wall.

It had freaked him out the first time it happened. One minute he was singing alone, the next he was in chorus with the guy from 2D–who had a particularly pleasant baritone singing voice. And then it was kind of cool.

It became part of his routine. In the mornings as he lathered up, he’d sing along with his neighbor–songs he never would have shared with anyone else.

It was romantic, but in a nonsexual way. This was his singing buddy. This was his beautiful friend whose face he never wanted to see.

How horrible was that?

But he’d been hurt before. He’d fallen out of love with plenty of people when he got to see how they truly lived.

His step-sister had delighted in taking all of the magic out of his world when he’d been twelve years old. It was the one stark memory of his childhood that he maintained: that monstrous figure looming over him, spitting out poisoned words that burned into his brain. He’d thought she’d been demonically possessed.

Always so quiet and still, she’d leaped out of her chair and begun screaming out answers to every question he’d interrupted her with all night. Bulging eyes and raging mouth; he’d been completely terrified. And ever since then, his every bogeyman-moment was tied to that fear. (He wished he hadn’t posted his worst fear in his profile. It would have been better if he’d made something up.)

He couldn’t handle it if his singing buddy was horrible to look at. Not for any mean reason, but because he’d built up a fantasy in his head and he didn’t want to find out that the guy was the opposite of everything he’d expected. [B1-1] It would ruin the one good thing that he had.

Things hadn’t been going that great in his work life of late, ever since Ben Hodgins had joined the company. His happiness levels had gone way down. So there was something uplifting about starting each day with a song.

It felt good. It got him energized on even the most blah of days.

Starting the morning off with a song enabled him to keep his mind focused on work and not on how horrible his coworkers were. They were related to the owners, so he had to put up with their laziness and frequent absences while he did all the work. [B1-2] And if he didn’t start each day off with a cheery tune, he would have probably lost his shit dealing with them and all their baggage.

Having a shower singing buddy was a bright spot to his every day, one that he never wanted to lose. So even when he was feeling curious about the guy in 2D, he went out of his way to not run into him. Because if he lost the magic of his morning song, there was a good chance that he’d quickly lose his job as well. And without his job, he wouldn’t be able to pay his rent, which meant losing his fabulous apartment and having to move back in with his parents.

Neil was grateful that the guy in 2D had entered his life. But he never wanted to meet him and ruin the magic of what they had.

=The End=