After devouring their latest release, My Burning Heart, we sat down with the scenario writer and main developer from Ertal Games to talk about their development process. See from experience what goes into making a Boy’s Love visual novel.
Walker: “To kick things off, how did you get started in game development, and what made you decide to focus on boy’s love visual novels?”
Ertal: “Well, I don’t have a technical background: my major and MA were in Spanish Language/Literature and Translation. I’ve always written fiction since I was a child, but only around five years ago I dared to try writing in English… and I started precisely with M/M romance. Then I discovered Dramatical Murder and fell in love with the medium. Sadly, the other Japanese BL visual novels I found, mostly on Android, weren’t as good as DMMD, so I started to consider the idea of making my own BL visual novel. I had to start from scratch, learning the basics of Renpy and how to write a script, which is a bit different from writing a novel. I had lots of fun with my first VN, A Hand in the Darkness, despite the fact that, when I look at it now, the poor game looks so amateurish… XD.”
Walker: “We all have to start somewhere! Plenty of game developers are self-taught (or at least “YouTube-taught”). And the fruit of your labor has been paying off. You’ve released quite a few titles since A Hand in the Darkness, which is why you’re here with us today. So let’s talk about your game, My Burning Heart.”
Ertal: “Yes. Lets!”
Walker: “Compared to earlier projects, we’re seeing leaps and bounds in your presentation and themes. This one was different from a VN focused on school-life, being an Arabian Nights fairytale. Where did the inspiration come from?”
Ertal: “I had the idea for an M/M harem story for years… The original story was set in modern times, in an alternative world where some countries had gone back to allow slavery, and it had an anti-slavery side plot. When I thought of making an erotic VN, this old idea automatically came to my mind. But I decided an Arabian Nights setting would be more appealing. Besides, since a VN features different routes, some of the content had to be cut, so the side plot and many side characters had to disappear. A pity, really!”
Walker: “I got that feeling when playing the game. Was there anything, in particular, you were upset about that didn’t make the final cut?”
Ertal: “Well, the pieces of the story I had to cut made the Sultan’s figure less attractive and very satisfied with being a slave owner. The original Rashid wasn’t like that, so it’s a bit painful when I see comments about how angry they get with Rashid because he doesn’t even consider breaking his status as the slave master. I’d have liked to add character sprites to all the other characters… but sadly, it was a team decision that I couldn’t change, since I’m not the artist.”
Walker: “You also took inspiration from Rumi’s poems. Did you study him at university? Or something you stumbled on during development?”
Ertal: “You guessed it. When the artist, 6nii9, and I were trying to decide on a title, I found a YouTube video with Rumi’s poems read aloud by Madonna. I thought it suited the theme perfectly, so we decided that was it!”
Walker: “How do you feel about My Burning Heart compared to your previous projects?”
Ertal: “I think it’s the most polished of my projects; I’m really happy with the outcome! Of course, I knew it wouldn’t be to everyone’s taste because of the delicate topic of sexual slavery. Yet harems are a common setting in hentai games. Somehow, in a visual novel, players tend to identify themselves with the main character. Despite this, Adnan has his own face, voice, and personality. In this game, I wrote the story in the third person and avoided using a side image for Adnan. It was never supposed to be read as a self-insert.”
Walker: “That’s something I hadn’t noticed in any other VNs I’ve played, but now that you mention it…”
Ertal: “Apart from that issue — some players identifying too much with Adnan — the game has been very well received. Many reviewers even commented that a male harem is one of their fantasies. I’m glad I’m not alone in this, hahaha! As long as people enjoy their fantasies as what they are — just fantasies — everything should be okay.”
Walker: “With the success of My Burning Heart, do you think you’ll be continuing with the fairytale setting? Maybe next do a Brother’s Grimm or an Aesop’s Fables-ish story?”
Ertal: “Ah, no, sorry! I like historical fiction most. My most recent VN, for example, revolves around the Jack the Ripper murders. It just came out today on Steam, called Lurkers. Now, I’m working on medieval fantasy and sci-fi VNs. Then there’s my bigger project, Night and Day. It’s set in Paris in 1950.”
Walker: “You have that many projects?! How do you manage all your team members?”
Ertal: “Every project has a different artist. It’s easier to handle. I usually put one project on hold while I focus on another for some months, and then I go back to the first one while I wait for the art or the music, for example. Last summer I worked on the demo for the medieval fantasy VN; once released, I put it on hold and focused on Lurkers, and now I’ll be putting all my time into Night and Day. Meanwhile, the artists and the musicians continue. Good art takes time. So I want the artists to have plenty of time to do their magic.”
Walker: “When you’re starting a new project, what comes first? Themes? Setting? Characters? How do you go from nothing to a fully realized story?”
Ertal: “If I can develop an idea enough to have a beginning, a core, and an ending, then I save it on a Word document and start thinking about the characters. Sometimes a good idea stays too small for a visual novel. Then comes the main character, back story, and love interests. And the last thing is coming up with different outcomes. What can turn wrong? What bad ending can happen if something doesn’t go right for the protagonist? The love interests at first are only a set of character traits. Then, I think about their motivation to be in the story plot (why do they help the main character, for example?) and lastly, I set a backstory for each one of them. The physical appearance of the characters is something I leave to the artists. I can think of a vague description, but I really prefer to give the artists the freedom to design them as they see fit.”
Walker: “That’s a very insightful answer. Thank you so much! I think that covers everything. Next, I have two little “for-fun” questions for you. Are you ready?”
Ertal: Shoot!
Walker: “So let’s say Adnan could have a cameo in any other game franchise. What would you want to see him in, and how would you imagine his cameo?”
Ertal: “Hahaha, he’s making a cameo in two games, actually! They are indie games, of course. One is a kart racing game with hentai scenes: Shady Lewd Kart. The other is an RPG/ visual novel called Euclica. Adnan will be one of the cards with extra powers for the players. This one is still in development, by Team Syukino.”
Walker: “And my forever final question is always: When you die, if your ashes were pressed into a vinyl record, what song would you want on that record?”
Ertal: Maybe “The Last Day of Summer” by The Cure.
Walker: Ertal, thank you so much for joining us today! We’ll be on the lookout for your upcoming projects. Is there anything you’d like to say to our readers?
Ertal: Uhh…PLAY MY BURNING HEART! Oh! And get the Vizier’s good ending! It’s worth it. The villains deserve a little love, too. Thank you for having me!
To keep up with Ertal games, you can follow them on Facebook, Twitter, as well as join their Discord. To fund future boy’s love visual novels, fans can subscribe to their Patreon. You can get My Burning Heart directly from the JAST USA store, Steam, or Ertal Game’s itch.io store.
