The art of plot and characters in designing "My Redhead Roomate"

In this post, I'll go over how I came up with the idea, plotted it out, created and drew characters, and felt after releasing the game.

The idea came to me when my friend L and I were brainstorming on new Slam Dunk fanfictions. She mentioned that she hadn't written S/M because she couldn't think of appropriate backgrounds and characters for S/M. Then we discovered that middle school students, particularly those who ranked top and bottom, could S/M, because S/M is more likely to occur when both people are under a lot of pressure and need to let it go. We can also spice up the plot a little. For example, their parents and teachers didn't approve of them being together. What if the top student didn't obey the social roles and went to find the bottom student and insisted on being together with him? Being in a relationship will be challenging for them, and what if they have different opinions on things? Will they fully trust each other? I wanted to explore different possibilities and examine how the top student changes in different plots. 

After thinking about the change of characters in different endings, I wrote it in detail. This was a fresh experience for me. I felt that I was starting to have multiple personalities because the characters' features and tones are different in each ending. For example, I got a bit depressed when I wrote bad endings. In one of the bad endings, Fox didn't meet Hana. Therefore, he should be about the same as he was in high school, with a gloomy character and inflexible ways of thinking. In contrast, in happy endings, he stayed together with Hana, so he became more optimistic and willing to try new things. His tones also get more humorous. While Fox changed a lot depending on whether he got together with Hana or not, Hana changed a little no matter whether he got together with Fox (he still loved Marina Abramović's work and found his Mr. Right), although only Fox can make major choices in this game. In order to show Hana's thoughts, I added two parts in the last moment before I launched the game, namely the conversation between Hana and the player in the ramen shop, and the conversation between Hana and Fox on their wedding night. 

Plot and character development, while being the core of fanfiction, take up a smaller portion in games. The difference between creating a game and creating art in other forms like a drawing or fanfiction is like the difference between an orchestra and a solo, with the former being a comprehensive presentation with the music, the scene, characters, and plots collaborating with each other. Therefore, in developing this game, I also got a sense of accomplishment in designing and drawing characters, and I would like to share some interesting facts about my character design. Since I identify myself as non-binary, there are non-binary vibes in the characters' clothes. Many clothes are inspired by my own clothes.

Fox and Hana are wearing middle school uniforms in China. This type of uniform is convenient for outdoor activities. Students all look the same in it, probably because designers think that this way students won't compare with each other (nah, they still compare with each other with their stationery, school bags, and shoes). Hana is wearing it in a deviant way by putting the uniform on his waist so that he can show his own clothes.

Fox and Hana on the day of Gaokao, the most important exam for middle school students in China. I have many shirts like the one Fox is wearing. I think Fox gets more handsome in Happy Endings, lol. The soda drink that Hana is holding is commonly seen in many cities in China. Different cities have their own popular brands, including "Beibingyang" (Beijing), "Taigang" (Taiyuan), and "Bingfeng" (Xi'an). They are often made by local industrial firms like ice factories or steel factories as side products, so they are very cheap compared with other drinks. The glass bottle can be recycled by giving it back to the seller after one has finished drinking.

Fox and Hana in Shanghai. Hana's sweater is inspired by an Ines de la Fressange women's sweater, but I think it fits him a lot. Fox's leather jacket is also one of my favorites in my own closet. The words on his t-shirt is "Know Thyself". The book he is holding is a popular "GRE 3000 Words" book in China, indicating that he is studying for GRE or tutoring others on their GRE.