I only occasionally play visual novels (and only the most famous ones at that,)
with Idolmaster music videos and Yakuza 5 being the sum of my idol experience,
but even I could tell this was well made! You handle a large cast really well.
Of course, the other half of Visual Novels are the story.
I must say I laughed, cheered and even cried over Jared's quest for stardom.
I thought it was a bold choice to tell his story through the eyes of another idol.
In my headcanon, Mamoo (I called him Mamoo) is the real main character.
So, I'm going to pretend he is even though it's obvious Jared's going to
come back in a big way. Until then, Mamoo is a snug fit for the spotlight, I like him!
I liked all of the distinct characters in general.
Their interactions micro and macro were solidly told;
To fraternize a group that big is an unsung feat of storytelling.
I'm curious to see who all the prominent characters will be in the endgame!
As for gameplay improvements, well, it's a Visual Novel, yes, but...
I'd add minigames to the idol sections! This is a game based on music, after all.
Even if the end result is the same, it may create tension to have Mamoo perform
fourth-to-first or fourth-to-last, with a standard Game Over if the player
doesn't even bother trying. This is a game based on music performance, after all.
As the story unfolds, the pressure will blend hope and despair...
This advice is post-IGMC, of course.
Another subjective improvement I have is typewriter sounds.
This may be an odd suggestion because this applies to a setting I set manually;
I don't know if the instant text is an intentional design choice or something
Ren'Py defaults to. At any rate, even the illusion of speech is enough to
spice up production value.
While we're on the subject of audio, I'd change up the music more often too.
Overall, this was an easy read! I feel like we got one full act out of five,
with just enough content to reel in the hook.
TOTAL PLAYTIME: 1 HOUR
FINAL VERDICT: This game makes me never want to be an idol,
there is no way you could make me get up before noon.
Viewing post in Dia:Dol - Diamond Idol jam comments
Thank you so much for giving our game a play, even if Visual Novels are not usually your Jam!
It was pretty bold of us to tell Jared's story through someone else's eyes, but then Jared's heroism might just be too powerful for anyone to experience first hand. You know? ;D Glad to know you enjoyed the characters and story! Especially happy to know that the large cast was handled well and that everyone's personalities were able to shine through.
The ability to have a game over was removed from this version of the game - mainly so the judges don't get ejected from the story too early. In a full version, the stakes of your training and fraternizing will be quite a bit higher. (and we'll be implementing better menus during training and outside of it to better keep track of where your abilities are.) Mini games... I wonder what sort we can make. I'll admit I thought about it a little bit haha something still on the drawing table.
Thank you again for playing our game and leaving feedback! I'm glad the hook got you interested ;>