Aquae ~Crystal Clear Waters~ [a visual novel]

[Lyndis]

Hello friends! I'm making a thread here to see if anyone would be interested in reading the visual novel I've been working on for the last year. It's nearly finished and in desperate need of avid readers and creative minds!

Welcome to the proper thread for Aquae ~Crystal Clear Waters~
a fantasy/adventure visual novel.

Completely free to play as was the original though now with a much more vivid and expanded world to explore. Still mostly kinetic though now with the ability to change certain course of events through the player's actions and choices. While romance isn't a main focus, it is now an option.

The original story was broken up into three separate arcs.

Presently, Arc 1 is sitting at 18.5k words and 1.5-2hrs read time.
Download for Windows, Linux, and Android

The entire script itself is clocking in at 56,761 words and counting.

itch.io

The winds of fate rush in with the summer breeze.Travelers the land over come to take part in the annual festival and celebrate the lasting time of peace after previous years of war and strife. As paper lanterns begin decorating the coastlines above, there surges a troubling shift of tides through the underwater haven of the nerida below.

Join Kaizarel - the wayward prince of the isles - as he embarks on an exciting night at the summer festival. Where he meets friends both new and old, including a mysterious stranger with rare purple eyes just like his own. In his attempts to discover the connection he and this strange visitor have in common, Kaizarel instead finds himself embroiled in both the politics of land and sea, as well as unearthing family secrets long buried beneath the sands.

Will history be re-written, as waves upon the sand?
Or will bloodshed remain?

 

[Lyndis]

Updating with screenshots and link to first arc!

 

[Lyndis]

Polishing things up on Arc 2, so still looking for some enterprising readers to give me some feedback and critique on what I have of Arc 1!

 

[Lyndis]

Nice.

 

[Lyndis]

Still lookin for some readers to give me feedback and critique.

 

[Charlotte Pryce]

It looks promising. However, I don't think my device has any of the software you listed. Format-wise, it looks outstanding! Having no more than three sentences shown at a time is a reasonable limit. It will improve readability for sure. If my tablet is compatible, I'll attempt another download. My software is wary when it comes to outside data.

 

[Lyndis]

It looks promising. However, I don't think my device has any of the software you listed. Format-wise, it looks outstanding! Having no more than three sentences shown at a time is a reasonable limit. It will improve readability for sure. If my tablet is compatible, I'll attempt another download. My software is wary when it comes to outside data.

If it's android tablet it should, but otherwise yeah. Just Windows or Linux OS, or Android phones or tablets. Maybe one day if I can get better at my coding skills I can figure out how to manage browser games. But that's a far off dream for sure lol

 

[Charlotte Pryce]

If it's android tablet it should, but otherwise yeah. Just Windows or Linux OS, or Android phones or tablets. Maybe one day if I can get better at my coding skills I can figure out how to manage browser games. But that's a far off dream for sure lol

Sorry! I’m not having any luck downloading it. I wish you luck with this project.

 

[Lyndis]

Trying to find motivation to get back to work on this monster of ambition. If there exists any potential readers, I'm always happy to hear opinions and feedback.

 

[Charlotte Pryce]

There's nothing wrong with taking a break if you're falling out of love with a project, but if you're only putting it off because you feel discouraged, remind yourself that not every story or idea catches on right away. If you don't have a lot of readers presently, that's probably because they are waiting to see if you're going to finish the project or not.

Some people don't like reading in-progress works on the internet because they don't know if the creator will finish it. 8/10 times internet writers go on hiatus for a long time. That can discourage the readers. That said, you don't owe it to anyone to finish a project you no longer enjoy doing, especially one you started for your own enjoyment.

Best of luck to you! Take it from another aspiring (and anxious) storyteller, you'll find your flow when you need it the most.

 

[Lyndis]

There's nothing wrong with taking a break if you're falling out of love with a project, but if you're only putting it off because you feel discouraged, remind yourself that not every story or idea catches on right away. If you don't have a lot of readers presently, that's probably because they are waiting to see if you're going to finish the project or not.

Some people don't like reading in-progress works on the internet because they don't know if the creator will finish it. 8/10 times internet writers go on hiatus for a long time. That can discourage the readers. That said, you don't owe it to anyone to finish a project you no longer enjoy doing, especially one you started for your own enjoyment.

Best of luck to you! Take it from another aspiring (and anxious) storyteller, you'll find your flow when you need it the most.

This is some hard but also likely much needed advice, thank you.

The internet feels different from when I was putting my creations out there on it so many years ago. Folks were more willing to leave comments and opinions (especially negative or critical ones) whereas now the most interaction I see even on popular works is a reaction click, ala a Like or Thumbs Up. I'm sure I'm not the only creator that feels discouraged by this change. Even my development forums seem struck by this.

My motivation remains, but part of my struggle in wanting feedback is so that I can adapt, edit, and fix the problems I as a single person development team may not see or think of myself. Typos, GUI user friendliness, functionality on PC vs. Android vs. whatever, contentment with interactivity and whether I should add more choices or maintain a hard narrative path. I don't want to put out a massive final product that might not be as polished and well-crafted as it could best be.

Perhaps this is another hard actuality I have to come to terms with. It might be time to consider paying someone whose job it would be to provide me this level of critique and suggestion, rather than hoping to crowdsource it through readers.

All this to say, I appreciate you offering your thoughts and support. It wasn't the flavor of feedback I was anticipating, but it serves to build my understand just the same if not more. Thank you.

 

[Charlotte Pryce]

This is some hard but also likely much needed advice, thank you.

The internet feels different from when I was putting my creations out there on it so many years ago. Folks were more willing to leave comments and opinions (especially negative or critical ones) whereas now the most interaction I see even on popular works is a reaction click, ala a Like or Thumbs Up. I'm sure I'm not the only creator that feels discouraged by this change. Even my development forums seem struck by this.

My motivation remains, but part of my struggle in wanting feedback is so that I can adapt, edit, and fix the problems I as a single person development team may not see or think of myself. Typos, GUI user friendliness, functionality on PC vs. Android vs. whatever, contentment with interactivity and whether I should add more choices or maintain a hard narrative path. I don't want to put out a massive final product that might not be as polished and well-crafted as it could best be.

Perhaps this is another hard actuality I have to come to terms with. It might be time to consider paying someone whose job it would be to provide me this level of critique and suggestion, rather than hoping to crowdsource it through readers.

All this to say, I appreciate you offering your thoughts and support. It wasn't the flavor of feedback I was anticipating, but it serves to build my understand just the same if not more. Thank you.

I understand your struggle, finding helpful feedback from strangers on the internet is hit or miss. I am sorry to hear that you haven't received a lot of useful criticism.

If you don't want to start digging out your wallet just yet (I do not recommend it), reach out to your local library or some family members or coworkers who like reading. Becoming best friends with my librarians was one of the best choices I made as a reader and a writer. They could recommend good groups, written sources, or websites to help you with your project. I used the NaNoWriMo website for a while. Everyone on that website is either an aspiring writer or a story lover in general. Plus, they're pretty good about reading each other's work and leaving feedback.

I don't know if these tips help, but I hope you find something that works for you. Writing can be a lonely and challenging business, especially when you reach the editing stage. Don't be afraid to lean on your loved ones for support.