Simple Visual Novel Example

This example demonstrates the core functionalities of Argode by presenting a basic visual novel story. It covers character definitions, dialogue, background changes, character display, choice menus, and basic flow control.

Features Demonstrated

• Character Definitions: Defining characters with names and colors.
• Dialogue System: Displaying character dialogue and narrator text.
• Background Management: Changing scenes with transitions.
• Character Display: Showing and hiding characters with expressions and positions.
• Choice Menus: Presenting player choices that lead to branching paths.
• Flow Control: Using jump to navigate between story sections.

Project Structure

To run this example, you would typically have:

• ArgodeSystem set up as an Autoload.
• A main Godot scene (e.g., Main.tscn) that initializes Argode and starts the script.
• The RGD script file for this example (e.g., scenarios/simple_vn.rgd).
• Necessary assets (images for backgrounds and characters).

Code Example: scenarios/simple_vn.rgd

# --- Definitions (can be in a separate definitions file) ---
character narrator "Narrator" color=#ffffff
character alice "Alice" color=#ff69b4
character bob "Bob" color=#87ceeb

image bg forest_day "res://assets/images/backgrounds/forest_day.png"
image bg forest_night "res://assets/images/backgrounds/forest_night.png"

# Assuming character sprites exist at these paths
image char alice_normal "res://assets/images/characters/alice_normal.png"
image char alice_happy "res://assets/images/characters/alice_happy.png"
image char bob_normal "res://assets/images/characters/bob_normal.png"

# --- Story Start ---
label start:
    narrator "Welcome to the Simple Visual Novel Example!"
    narrator "This story will demonstrate basic Argode features."

    # Change background scene
    scene forest_day with fade

    # Show a character
    show alice_normal at center with dissolve
    alice "Hello there! I'm Alice."
    alice "It's a beautiful day in the forest, isn't it?"

    # Present a choice menu
    menu:
        "Explore the forest":
            jump explore_forest
        "Talk to Alice more":
            jump talk_to_alice
        "End the story":
            jump end_story

# --- Branch: Explore Forest ---
label explore_forest:
    narrator "You decide to explore the forest."
    hide alice_normal with fade
    scene forest_night with dissolve
    narrator "As night falls, you encounter someone new..."

    show bob_normal at left with fade
    bob "Greetings, traveler. Lost, are we?"

    menu:
        "Ask for help":
            jump ask_for_help
        "Run away":
            jump run_away

# --- Branch: Talk to Alice ---
label talk_to_alice:
    alice "What would you like to talk about?"
    menu:
        "Ask about the world":
            alice "This world is full of wonders!"
            jump continue_alice_talk
        "Ask about her day":
            alice "My day has been lovely, thank you!"
            jump continue_alice_talk

label continue_alice_talk:
    alice "Is there anything else?"
    menu:
        "Ask about Bob":
            alice "Bob? Oh, he's a good friend. You might meet him later."
            jump end_story # For simplicity, jump to end
        "Say goodbye":
            jump end_story

# --- Sub-branches from Explore Forest ---
label ask_for_help:
    bob "Of course. Follow me, I know a safe path."
    narrator "You follow Bob, feeling a sense of relief."
    jump end_story

label run_away:
    narrator "You turn and run, leaving Bob behind."
    hide bob_normal with fade
    narrator "You eventually find your way out, but wonder what you missed."
    jump end_story

# --- End of Story ---
label end_story:
    hide alice_normal with dissolve
    hide bob_normal with dissolve
    scene black with fade # Assuming 'black' is a defined black background
    narrator "Thank you for playing the Simple Visual Novel Example!"
    narrator "Feel free to modify this script and explore Argode's features."
    # End of script

How to Run This Example

1. Ensure Argode is installed and ArgodeSystem is set up as an Autoload in your Godot project.
2. Create the scenarios folder in your project root if it doesn't exist.
3. Save the RGD script above as scenarios/simple_vn.rgd in your project.
4. Prepare Assets: Create placeholder image files for res://assets/images/backgrounds/forest_day.png, forest_night.png, res://assets/images/characters/alice_normal.png, alice_happy.png, bob_normal.png, and a black background image (e.g., res://assets/images/backgrounds/black.png). These can be simple colored rectangles for testing.

5. Create a Main Scene: Create a new Godot scene (e.g., Main.tscn) with a Control node as its root. Attach a script to this Control node:

   # Main.gd
   extends Control
   
   func _ready():
       if ArgodeSystem:
           # Start the simple visual novel script
           ArgodeSystem.start_script("res://scenarios/simple_vn.rgd", "start")
       else:
           print("ArgodeSystem not found! Make sure it's in autoload.")
   

   6. Set Main Scene: In Project → Project Settings → Application → Run, set your Main.tscn as the Main Scene. 7. Run: Press F5 to run your project and experience the simple visual novel.

Next Steps

• Modify the simple_vn.rgd script to change dialogue, add more choices, or introduce new characters.
• Explore other Argode commands and features mentioned in the documentation.
• Learn how to create your own Custom Commands for unique effects.

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This example provides a solid foundation for building more complex and engaging visual novels with Argode.