[Game] Idolcraft

[flowerthief]

Idolcraft - a bishoujo simulation

Welcome to showbiz. If you think it's tough being an idol singer, try being her manager!

In Idolcraft you assume the role of the manager of an idol studio in Japan. Your challenge is to scout out fresh talent, train them to sing and dance, and put as many CDs and DVDs on the market as you can within a 2-month period. Will a girl you train become the next big star?

Screenshots:

Spoiler

Your studio starts out empty, so you'll be hitting the streets to search for talent the hard way. Don't be afraid of rejection. Did you expect they'd say yes right away?

Give your idols voice and dance lessons to improve their ability and to increase profits from CD and DVD sales. The price of lessons goes up as your idols rise in ability.

Everything costs money! Temporary jobs are one means to keep cash in your wallet. If you search the city carefully, you may also find money hidden in unlikely places.

These girls require high maintenance. Talk with them often to keep their confidence high and their trust in you intact. The dorm has enough room to house six girls. (there are more potential idols than you will be able to scout in one play through)

Training is tough on the body. If a girl's health is low, she might want a vacation. Will you buy her one, or use your money for something else?

From the status screen you can examine stats, review items acquired, and save your progress at any time. The game's clock ticks fast; how much success will you achieve in two months?

This is an independent project I began 18 months ago. After an extended testing period I'm ready to stick a fork in it and call it done =P.  Feel free to leave feedback. (Note that feedback along the lines of "I don't like RTP" or "I don't like the mapping" isn't useful to me at this point)

Credits are listed in the readme file.

Enjoy!

edit: changed download site

Download <-- version 1.8

 

[Krobelus]

Hmmm from the screenshots, (and the attractive anime) it looks pretty good. I always enjoyed these type of games. I'll give it a go! =P

-Krobe

 

[MapleCutter]

Played it for more than 2 hours!
I got 3 idols =D

PD: An error ocurred (thats why i stoped playing)
http://planetarpg.com.ar/foro/imagen/U2 ... 370211.png[/img]
It ocurred when I tried to save inside the bedrooms' map. :/

 

[flowerthief]

Aw man, that must've been caused by the one new thing I added just before releasing this >.<  I'll take a look. Thanks a ton for reporting that.

 

[Veckner]

happy to see it out now, will play! :thumb:

 

[flowerthief]

Okay, I uploaded a version that should fix the bug MapleCutter just reported.

For those who don't feel like dl-ing again, you'll only get the bug after attempting the slide puzzle mini-game (to avoid it, don't examine the upper left shelf in the basement). That mini-game is, however, necessary if you are trying to recruit a certain girl.

Heh, during beta-testing no fatal error was ever reported, but the very day I release the official version...lol

 

[Swordsaint892]

First off, amazing work on this game!

It's one of the most addicting games I've played...  I don't even normally LIKE these kind of games.

I got through the game the first time and I'm anxious to start it again.  It reminds me of Pokemon in the best way possible... keep up the good work.

Of course I encountered a few problems.  Sometimes Tuesday would freeze the game... something about  "is.Tuesday" in the script is having an error or some sort... I'm not sure if this happens on other days, but it happened twice on Tuesday for me.  I started to save like twice every game day after that...

I've gotten a few script is hanging errors as well, have no clue what triggers those.

I plan on playing this through a LOT more times before I get tired of it, try to get as many different girls as I can.  I wish you had set it up so the game lasts forever, or longer than whatever you gave me... it seemed to get cut short once I started to get all my girls trained up.  I'm gonna have to play through a lot to get everything, aren't I?

God, I love this game...

[I love Airi, by the way; my #1 in the nation.]

 

[Grathea]

This looks REALLY good. Downloading now.

 

[flowerthief]

Swordsaint892: I'm glad to hear that! Thanks for the report.

Of course I'm concerned about those errors. If you ever manage to capture a save file prior to getting one of those bugs, you could do me a HUGE favor by sending it to me so I can see for myself and get it sorted.

Hmm, in the future perhaps I could add an "infinite calendar mode" to the game...

 

[Swordsaint892]

Hmm, in the future perhaps I could add an "infinite calendar mode" to the game...

I would be SO happy.

Yeah, I'll try to see if I can remember to keep a save file before I get one of those errors so you can work it out.  The game is already so damn good, hahah.

You can hit me up on AIM anytime to if you've got it,  "SwordSaint892" on there as well.

 

[Reives]

This is a pretty cool idea. Kudos on the originality of the concept, seems quite refreshing!

 

[Swordsaint892]

Just finished by second run earlier.

I did quite better this time:

Spoiler

http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh141/SwordSaint892/IdolCraftFinalScore.jpg[/img]
Aww yeah. 

Is there any sort of goal I should be reaching for in terms of cash, DVDs, or CDs?  I couldn't manage to get 3 stars at the top 3 spots, but 2 out of 3 isn't too bad.

I found a lot more things this time around then I expected, also solved the dorm mystery.

Spoiler

I also love how you still have fight scenes in the game when you run into the gangsters attacking Erina or Chisato  (sorry if I spelled their names wrong).  The main character is packing a sword, I guess. Heh.

Man, I'm gonna have to play this through a few more times still, hahah.  Time seemed to fly by a lot faster than I expected.  Need never-ending version...  >.>  Or maybe one that lasts for a full year instead of a few months.

 

[lucid realm games]

did you make those graphics yourself?
they're awesome!!

 

[flowerthief]

I really appreciating the feedback!

The face/vacation graphics are by an online Japanese CG artist who was kind enough to allow me to use them. He seemed happy himself that his art was getting used in an English game.

Swordsaint892: Good job! I hope it wasn't too easy to achieve that grade. If you think it is, tell me honestly, because it's a very easy matter to adjust the scoring.

 

[Swordsaint892]

Too easy??

No way!  I worked like hell to get that grade, cramming like crazy at the end there.

I'm not sure how Yumi got the top idol spot though, when Sachie had 99 on everything except singing; and her dancing was like 30 something.  I'm pretty sure Sachie had more DVD's/CD's out as well.  Maybe since I got Yumi first and she produced a CD first, while I got Sachie third or something... well whatever.

I think the difficulty is just fine the way it is.  I'm starting my third playthrough soon, gonna try to get the Austrailian model girl this time.  Maybe Chisato too.  I donno, I don't like her that much.

Oh, there's one that I have simply no clue what's going on with. 

Spoiler

The Bus Stop area.  There's a big bus, and I think that some townspeople talk about a model or a bus driver knowing a model or something, and I just have no clue what's going on there.  Maybe I don't visit that exact spot enough.

And then there's also...

Spoiler

That guy that hangs out by the Gym guarding money or something that asks for food.  I have no clue what most of the Japanese food contains, I just know that it restores my idols health...  I suppose it's my own ignorance to blame for that, though.

How many Idols are there, exactly?  Some guy says something like  "There's at least 10 idols in the city, maybe more."  I haven't gotten around to making sure I found everyone, but I'm just curious.

One random comment, I ended up playing with the music turned off most times (and had my own playing instaed) because it seems so repetative.  Maybe a different music track for the city for each different day of the week?  I suppose if you're using unique music, that might be a little much to ask, just throwing it out there.  The game is already sweet enough.  [[Plus in almost every game I ever play, I end up playing my own music anyway, so don't take this comment too seriously.]]

Oh, and my own random question;  who was your favorite idol in your game?

Airi -> Nanako -> Erina -> Sachie
For me.

;D

 

[rika3000]

flowerthief, great job on your new game...it is very addicting, original and challenging. I had played this game for about 3 times and managed to get an A :D
There are some quests that I could not solved myself.

Spoiler

Can you give me a huge clue of how to solve the dorm mystery? I try everything...including giving all the girls vacation so that they won't wake me up.
I already have Monique (Australian model) as an idol. One day when I leave the studio, the male fans surround Monique in front of the studio and Monique requests help. How do you help her?

@ Swordsaint892: Here are the clues to these problems you are having...

Spoiler

Bus stop: the townpeople is saying that the model is living with the bus driver or she is living near the jewellery shop. If you want to get the australian model, try to do a little peeking at the bus area . The fortune-telling might help.
Guard: the guard said that he liked rice. Try to buy food at the east side of the town. 

 

[Swordsaint892]

Thanks for the tips, rika3000...

Spoiler

Ah, the bus stop is the area where you have to peek in the window.  I got the fortune about it, but never knew what place I had to look around at.

Guard:  Yeah, I gave him one thing, then he said he wanted something else afterwards, hahah.  Some kind of combination of food.  Again, it's probably just my lack of Japanese food knowledge that's hindering me here.

And I'll pay ya back.  All the following information is what I can remember how it worked.  The game author could probably clear a lot of it up better.

Spoiler: Dorm Mystery

  When you get the fortune about needing to see a man with a hat (one of those guys that sells the Furniture stuff) saying that you can now get access to something that was lost, you can find one of those sales guys and buy a Cigarette Lighter from him.  After you have the lighter, use it on the fireplace in the Dance/Sing training room.  [That was the part that I didn't get the first time around, got lucky the second time.]

You will burn the trash away and find the key to the cellar that was previously inaccessable.  Go poke around the cellar, you can find some cash laying around. 

Then (I can't remember if it was THAT night, but some night), all the idols will wake up and tell you they heard a ghost.  Guess where you have to go?  Hahah, the only other tip I'll give you for that part, is when you get underground, there's a seemingly impassable area in the top left corner of the map, but if you keep pressing right along the wall, you'll slip through.

You can slip through an area near the top right as well to get some petty cash.

 

[flowerthief]

I'll just chime in on these things.

Number of idols

Spoiler

There are 12. The trickiest 3 are probably Mei, Bunny, and Monique.
(And my favorite is, actually, Airi  :smile: )

Monique's request for help

Spoiler

Alternate talking to each of the fans. Just keep talking to each of them.

Giving food to the guard

Spoiler

Just to clarify, you only need to give him the one correct thing (not a combination).

 

[Swordsaint892]

Thanks flowerthief!

Spoiler: Idols

Getting Bunny was pretty easy for me, got her my first and second playthrough. It's more about finding that Access Card, then stumbling upon her when she's drunk.  And after you know the numbers, you don't even have to find her drunk again, you can just input the same code, haha!  >.>

I thank rika3000 again for the Monique help (if I had known what window to peek into, that woulda been easy too though), she gets popularity like mad with little to no training, it's crazy.

Mei seems pretty easy to get too, I just can't manage to get that damn cat from the tree.  I was thinking maybe bringing some Salmon to the park might do something, but I don't even like Mei that much to try on this run through.  I'm not even sure if the cat thing is necessary to recruit her, but I'm sure it helps.

I've actually managed to purposely avoid recruiting Yumi this time around.  I didn't like her that much anyway...  It was helpful that she gets 150% from food though.  You can work her like a horse, hahah.

Airi for the win, I guess, hahah.  :thumb:  I'm aiming for her to be my top spot again this time around.

Oh another question;  Is it possible to get all the different furniture in one run through? I've been trying to map out the locations that the creepy sales guy visits and I'm trying to figure out what makes him appear.  I'm working on a 'He appears at this exact place on this exact day' theory right now, but I haven't gone through to check or collected enough data to know.

I've found that the Soft Pillows, Vanity Mirrors, Herbal Tea, and Party Dress are really helpful.  And once you know how it works, the Cigarette Lighter almost feels necessary.  The Spiked Mallet is nice too.

Spoiler: Guard

Giving the correct thing to guard seems to be my problem. I'm just gonna try random things and see what is the right one, hahah.

By the way, I've yet to find my way into here:

Spoiler: Screenshot

http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh141/SwordSaint892/IdolCraftQuestion.jpg[/img]

I can get into most of the trick areas, but this one eludes me.

Thanks for all the help.  :D

 

[Swordhunter]

Looks great! I downloaded it. I will play it and tell you what I think