Bread and Circuses: A Mystic Messenger Fangame

On the surface, Zen is known for being a narcissistic flirt. He will often fish for compliments, and will brag about his talents in singing and acting at any given opportunity. He also does not seem to care much for his health, and is often shown smoking, drinking, riding a motorcycle, and maintaining a generally poor diet and sleep schedule. Additionally, he is quick to become irritable, and sulks openly if things do not go his way.

Zen unabashedly compares others to himself when it comes to looks, frequently telling Yoosung to work out to look half as good as he does. He bickers with Jumin as well, whom he sees as a pompous "trust fund kid" without a sense of humor or a heart. He has an awkward yet genuine friendship with Jaehee, and views her as his biggest fan as well as an unlimited beacon of moral support. Seven is a complete mystery to him, though he holds him in high regard nonetheless, as his marketing skills helped him ascend to stardom.

Zen is a good person at heart, despite his superficial first impression. He is fiercely protective of those he considers friends, and will do anything to keep them out of harm's way even if he doesn't shy away from berating them. He secretly doubts his abilities, wondering if people only see him for his looks, rather than his talents. However, his narcissism is at its core a defense mechanism, even if he generally holds himself in high regard. He can be easily upset if something affects his career or those he cares about, entering a near-depressive state that is difficult for him to snap out of without encouragement.

NOTE: As the main character, Zen will have slightly more lines compared to the rest of the cast.

While he works as a stage actor and frequently is cast in musicals, his VA should not need any significant singing ability. If you ARE good at singing, just let me know/leave a sample in your audition, and we can potentially work it into the script if you're cast! However, it will not be a deciding factor, so no worries at all if you're tone deaf. :)

Voice Quality/Tone: Medium-pitched canonically, but open to other interpretations as well. "Smooth" and egotistical, often charismatic, but his suave front can often swap to blunt irritation or resignation as needed. He can be quite crass at times, but also able to portray genuine affection.

Voice Reference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zINQD_lYZZM

Jumin is a quiet, serious, and cautious man who, as the oldest member of the RFA, acts as the logical and pragmatic voice of the group. Despite this, he frequently jokes with the other members, even if they berate him for it and don't seem to understand his strange, dry, and convoluted sense of humor. 

His general cadence is almost childlike, often being innocently unaware of social conventions outside of business dealings. He is a workaholic himself and often works his assistant, Jaehee, to the bone as a result. Jumin disregards others' opinions of him, so he lives his life however he wishes, which on the surface portrays him as unsympathetic and haughty. Even so, he cares deeply for the other members of the RFA, and does not hesitate to use his money and authority to help any of them when necessary. While he bickers with Zen, he still considers him a close friend, and even finds his irritation amusing at times. He is surprisingly fond of Yoosung and sees him as secretly capable, even if the rest of the RFA doesn't always agree. He seems to respect Seven to an extent as well, even if his pranks go too far for his tastes, and frequently trusts him with important tasks.

Voice Quality/Tone: Medium to low pitched. Generally quiet and formal with a very slight monotone-like quality, but can portray an extremely dry sense of humor or quiet rage when necessary.

Voice Reference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8ZYptQ2OgA

Even though Jaehee is a fairly serious and independent business woman, she cares deeply for her friends. Jaehee has her own dry sense of humor and knows how to have a good chuckle at herself and others when warranted; however, she does not enjoy the spotlight, and may withdraw or deflect when her positive qualities are pointed out. She likes things to be organized and kept in line, and is often irritated by Seven's antics and Yoosung's perceived laziness. It is very frustrating to her when things do not go as planned or are not practical. For this reason, she is frequently at odds with her boss, Jumin, who enjoys giving her endless chores, even those unrelated to her work as his secretary. Even so, she always comes out on top. She is an extremely capable person, and even has a black belt in judo.

She is one of Zen's biggest fans, which sometimes causes her to humorously break her calm and serious demeanor. In his route, she berates the protagonist for ruining his image with tabloid scandals, but later apologizes and whole-heartedly owns up to her mistakes. The three are implied to be close since that time.

Voice Quality/Tone: Medium-pitched canonically. Open to slightly higher or lower pitched interpretations as well, as long as they capture her personality! Serious and businesslike at times, but able to portray a dry sense of humor, hysterical exasperation when stressed, as well as an innocent sort of affection in response to compliments. She becomes a bit more energetic when gushing about her interests.

Voice Reference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfbrIqTD1rA

Yoosung is the youngest and perhaps least-jaded member of the RFA, and is often scolded like a child despite being a college student. He is secretly intelligent and used to be at the top of his class. He cares about others almost to a fault, and loves to spend time with his friends despite his more recent inclinations towards introversion. He is incredibly naive despite his book smarts, and due to this, is a frequent target of Seven's outlandish pranks. Even so, he considers Seven to be his closest friend, and the pair are frequently seen bonding over video games and their love of junk food.

Despite his somewhat naive and lighthearted nature, Yoosung became severely depressed after the death of his cousin, Rika, who he idolized and was very close with. After her death, Yoosung lost all interest in his studies and became a shut-in, rarely leaving for classes and opting instead to play LOLOL (an MMO similar to World of Warcraft) in order to cope with the crippling sadness. However, at his core he is a generally kind and bubbly person, if a bit childish at times.

During Yoosung's route in the original game, Seven mentions that he secretly has yandere-esque tenancies; this is verified in a bad ending in which his erratic behavior results in the death of himself and the main character. However, outside of this ending, he portrayed as a generally sweet and stable person aside from mild possessiveness and the tendency to hold a grudge.

Voice Quality/Tone: High to medium-high pitched. A little bubbly, sounds happy by default, and at times loud and enthusiastic when excited. Doesn't shy away from expressing irritation when warranted, though it often comes across as more mopey than anything hostile. Has a youthful and innocent air.

Voice reference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4sW-FTxmq5E

The main character is unnamed, as the player will be able to select their username, pronouns, and personality. They will have less lines compared to the rest of the cast given that their dialogue is selected at choice increments by the player. Even so, they are a vitally important character, given that they give a voice to the player in game! Ultimately, the goal would be to have at least three different voices for the player to choose from: one in a more feminine register, one that is more androgynous, and one that is in a more masculine register.

In canon, the main character certainly doesn't shy away from expressing their interest in Zen. They are consistently flirty, often to an obsessive or even outright creepy degree. Even if it's funny at times, I'm not a huge fan of this portrayal. While I don't want to stray too much from canon, I did allow for more player agency over the personality of the main character in order to balance this out. There are still some options that lean towards over-the-top infatuation, but others where they are more calm and reasonable or compassionate, and others still where they are more prone to mischief or cracking jokes. 

Voice Quality/Tone: There is no canon voice for this character. As such, anything goes! I am imagining a typical "protagonist voice" sort of vibe, in perhaps a medium to high register, though this is not in stone. Given that the personality is based on the player's decisions, the VA should be comfortable with portraying a number of different emotions and personality types. In particular, they should be proficient in portraying comic relief, but also great with more romantic or heartfelt moments. They are generally upbeat, but on occasion will lightly scold the other members if they go too far.

The main character is unnamed, as the player will be able to select their username, pronouns, and personality. They will have less lines compared to the rest of the cast given that their dialogue is selected at choice increments by the player. Even so, they are a vitally important character, given that they give a voice to the player in game! Ultimately, the goal would be to have at least three different voices for the player to choose from: one in a more feminine register, one that is more androgynous, and one that is in a more masculine register.

In canon, the main character certainly doesn't shy away from expressing their interest in Zen. They are consistently flirty, often to an obsessive or even outright creepy degree. Even if it's funny at times, I'm not a huge fan of this portrayal. While I don't want to stray too much from canon, I did allow for more player agency over the personality of the main character in order to balance this out. There are still some options that lean towards over-the-top infatuation, but others where they are more calm and reasonable or compassionate, and others still where they are more prone to mischief or cracking jokes. 

Voice Quality/Tone: There is no canon voice for this character. As such, anything goes! I am imagining a typical "protagonist voice" sort of vibe, in perhaps a medium to high register, though this is not in stone. Given that the personality is based on the player's decisions, the VA should be comfortable with portraying a number of different emotions and personality types. In particular, they should be proficient in portraying comic relief, but also great with more romantic or heartfelt moments. They are generally upbeat, but on occasion will lightly scold the other members if they go too far.

The main character is unnamed, as the player will be able to select their username, pronouns, and personality. They will have less lines compared to the rest of the cast given that their dialogue is selected at choice increments by the player. Even so, they are a vitally important character, given that they give a voice to the player in game! Ultimately, the goal would be to have at least three different voices for the player to choose from: one in a more feminine register, one that is more androgynous, and one that is in a more masculine register.

In canon, the main character certainly doesn't shy away from expressing their interest in Zen. They are consistently flirty, often to an obsessive or even outright creepy degree. Even if it's funny at times, I'm not a huge fan of this portrayal. While I don't want to stray too much from canon, I did allow for more player agency over the personality of the main character in order to balance this out. There are still some options that lean towards over-the-top infatuation, but others where they are more calm and reasonable or compassionate, and others still where they are more prone to mischief or cracking jokes. 

Voice Quality/Tone:  There is no canon voice for this character. As such, anything goes! I am imagining a typical "protagonist voice" sort of vibe, with a gender-neutral portrayal. Given that the personality is based on the player's decisions, the VA should be comfortable with portraying a number of different emotions and personality types. In particular, they should be proficient in portraying comic relief, but also great with more romantic or heartfelt moments. They are generally upbeat, but on occasion will lightly scold the other members if they go too far.

The main character is unnamed, as the player will be able to select their username, pronouns, and personality. They will have less lines compared to the rest of the cast given that their dialogue is selected at choice increments by the player. Even so, they are a vitally important character, given that they give a voice to the player in game! Ultimately, the goal would be to have at least three different voices for the player to choose from: one in a more feminine register, one that is more androgynous, and one that is in a more masculine register.

In canon, the main character certainly doesn't shy away from expressing their interest in Zen. They are consistently flirty, often to an obsessive or even outright creepy degree. Even if it's funny at times, I'm not a huge fan of this portrayal. While I don't want to stray too much from canon, I did allow for more player agency over the personality of the main character in order to balance this out. There are still some options that lean towards over-the-top infatuation, but others where they are more calm and reasonable or compassionate, and others still where they are more prone to mischief or cracking jokes. 

Voice Quality/Tone:  There is no canon voice for this character. As such, anything goes! I am imagining a typical "protagonist voice" sort of vibe, with a gender-neutral portrayal. Given that the personality is based on the player's decisions, the VA should be comfortable with portraying a number of different emotions and personality types. In particular, they should be proficient in portraying comic relief, but also great with more romantic or heartfelt moments. They are generally upbeat, but on occasion will lightly scold the other members if they go too far.

The main character is unnamed, as the player will be able to select their username, pronouns, and personality. They will have less lines compared to the rest of the cast given that their dialogue is selected at choice increments by the player. Even so, they are a vitally important character, given that they give a voice to the player in game! Ultimately, the goal would be to have at least three different voices for the player to choose from: one in a more feminine register, one that is more androgynous, and one that is in a more masculine register. 

***NOTE: As of right now, we already have a primary VA for the feminine-leaning main character voice. However, given the lack of female characters currently, I thought it would be nice to create another opening to allow for more female VAs to participate in the project! Keep in mind that the addition of extra female voices may not be included in the first build, so there is a possibility that your lines may not be used until a later version as bonus content.***

In canon, the main character certainly doesn't shy away from expressing their interest in Zen. They are consistently flirty, often to an obsessive or even outright creepy degree. Even if it's funny at times, I'm not a huge fan of this portrayal. While I don't want to stray too much from canon, I did allow for more player agency over the personality of the main character in order to balance this out. There are still some options that lean towards over-the-top infatuation, but others where they are more calm and reasonable or compassionate, and others still where they are more prone to mischief or cracking jokes. 

Voice Quality/Tone:  There is no canon voice for this character. As such, anything goes! I am imagining a typical "protagonist voice" sort of vibe. Our current VA is in a mid-high register, so anything deviating from this is a plus, whether in terms of a medium to low register OR the addition of a vocal quirk like rasp, accent, or general personality. Given that the personality is based on the player's decisions, the VA should be comfortable with portraying a number of different emotions and personality types. In particular, they should be proficient in portraying comic relief, but also great with more romantic or heartfelt moments. They are generally upbeat, but on occasion will lightly scold the other members if they go too far.

Elizabeth III (pronounced Elizabeth the Third) is Jumin's prized Persian cat. Jumin expresses frequent care and affection for the little floofball in contrast to his usually-stoic nature, claiming that he does not need a life partner so long as he has her in his life. Despite this, Elizabeth is frequently pawned off on Jaehee when Jumin is traveling for work functions; the pair get along surprisingly well, despite Jaehee's general dislike of cats. In contrast, Elizabeth does not enjoy Seven's company, who smothers her with affection and is known for his roughhousing. She is generally well-behaved and enjoys the finer things in life, but is known to have a rebellious streak when treated poorly, such as running away from Jumin when he tries to keep her in a cage, or scratching Seven when he treats her too roughly.

While I initially planned to use stock effects for Elizabeth, I thought it might be more fun to allow VAs the chance to make her sound effects instead! A more feminine voice might be preferred, but all are welcome to audition. Feel free to improvise, for obvious reasons. :)

The driver is one of many chauffeurs to the illustrious Han family. Unlike Driver Kim, they have not been employed with them long; as a result, they are often assigned the less important jobs such as shuttling Jaehee and other employees around to small events. They have not been around the Han family enough to be jaded, though, and they don't shy away from having a laugh on the clock. Unlike most, they aren't at all affected by the oppressive aura of higher-ups, and treat everyone like an old friend regardless of status.

The driver is a minor character, and only has three to four lines as of right now (although this could change in a future build). Due to this, one of the primary VAs could potentially double up with this role, if the voice sounds different enough. In other words: auditioning for this role will not put you out of the running for one of the main characters.

NOTE: While I initially imagined the driver to be male, anyone is welcome to audition for the part! Gender is not crucial to the character, and more feminine or androgynous voices would work just fine.

The driver does not currently have an official name. Due to this, I thought it would be fun to let the chosen VA choose one!

Voice Quality/Tone: Low, medium, or high ranges would all work great. This character does not have an official age or sprite as of right now, so there is no need to match the voice to a particular appearance! For the tone, I'm imagining that they are trying REALLY hard to maintain a formal air, almost to a comedic degree, but are extremely prone to slipping into more casual or excited speech. Feel free to ad lib if you have a different persona in mind, though--the script can be easily adjusted! Creativity is more than welcome.

The audio engineer(s) are responsible for touching up the audio files submitted by the voice actors. Responsibilities would potentially include, but are not limited to:

• Light EQ/Volume Normalization/Compression
• Light background noise removal and/or noise gating
• De-essing
• De-clicking

The CG artist is responsible for creating artwork for the endings of each route, with a couple extras sprinkled into the chatrooms or VN portions of the game if time allows. These are not intended to be super complex by any means! Any art styles are more than welcome so long as they mesh well with the game, including chibi-based styles. The ultimate goal would be to have a small team of CG artists working together to accomplish this--I think it would be interesting to have different art styles integrated together, as a sort of showcase of the community's artwork!

For your application: Please include some examples of your past work, whether related to Mystic Messenger or otherwise! Feel free to introduce yourself as well, and tell me a bit about your favorite art piece you've ever created. :)

The composer(s) will be responsible for creating a new soundtrack for the game, rather than reusing all of the pieces from the original. I know it would be quite a tall order to ask for unique themes for each character, so even just one or two unique songs to shake things up a bit would be greatly appreciated! Ideally, the compositions would reflect similar instrumentation or motifs of the originals, although of course artistic liberties are more than welcome and encouraged!

For your audition: Please attach samples of your past work, and tell me a bit about yourself! What is your favorite piece you've ever composed, or your favorite project that you've worked on in the past? :)

The profile picture artist(s), as the name suggests, will be responsible for creating unique profile pictures for each character. You do not necessarily need to match the art style in game. These can be as simple or elaborate as you would like, you can create as many or as few as you have time for, and you would have full agency over the content of the pictures within reason! However, I'm of course happy to offer suggestions if you would prefer more direct guidance. Ideally, the pictures would relate somehow to what is happening within the game at a given moment, but this is not at all required!

For your application: Please include a sample or samples of your past work. Additionally, briefly introduce yourself, and tell me a bit about your favorite art piece you've ever created. :)

The UI asset creator(s), as the name suggests, would be responsible for replacing assets from the base game with unique assets, both to give the game a fresh coat of paint and to avoid potential copyright infringement with the original. This could include aspects such as text boxes or image buttons. Experience pertaining to Photoshop, GIMP, or other image editing software would be ideal! This person (or people) will be supplied with the base game assets to use as a reference, and will create custom images of the same size.

For your audition: Please include examples of your past work and briefly introduce yourself. If you don't have prior experience making game assets, then just including regular art or image edits would be totally fine! If you don't have any content to showcase, then just tell me a bit about your past relevant experiences. :)

While the game's base script is fully written and coded, more content is never a bad thing, right? The co-writer would be responsible for identifying areas where more content can be added, and creating a written script of their ideas which would then be converted into code. Depending on the additional time needed for development, is possible that these items may be added in a later build of the game as a sort of free DLC content. This may include things such as:

• Outgoing or incoming calls
• Additional spaceship thoughts
• More spaceship prize items
• Adding more dialogue branches for player selection
• Expansion of text message threads
• Identifying areas where conditional content can be added (ex. If the player responded to a prior text message in a certain way, then a particular character would have different dialogue later)
• And more!

The video editor(s) or animator(s) will be responsible for creating additional visual assets for the game. This may include things such as:

• Basic intro cinematic and/or partially animated main menu screen
• Post-game credits
• Game trailer using assets from the voice acting and artist teams

The beta tester(s) will be responsible for playing the game in its beta version to report any bugs, whether game-breaking or trivial. They would be asked to play each character's route and, in essence, attempt to perform unlikely actions in order to limit test and be certain everything is working as intended after each patch. While the primary responsibility is technical in nature, you would also be working with the writing and programming teams if desired to provide feedback or other suggestions for the game! 

No specific programming knowledge or other experience is required whatsoever. However, if you do have prior experience in Ren'Py/Python, or are familiar with Mystic Messenger, that would just be the icing on the cake! Most if not all people who apply to this role will be accepted.

For your application: Just tell me a bit about yourself! :) If you have any background in bug testing or programming, you can list this here, but it is not a necessity.

The game is currently complete from a coding standpoint. As such, anyone joining the programming team would be primarily responsible for quality control! We will work together to identify bugs using the feedback from the beta testing team, and then will combine forces to resolve them. In other words: the primary goal is to polish the game and assist with getting it ready for an alpha release.

If desired, you would also be welcome to take on extra responsibilities such as implementing bonus content, or suggesting general additions to improve the quality of the game. I am very open to constructive criticism, and any recommendations from a programming perspective are more than welcome! 

The game is coded in Ren'Py, so any experience with this and/or Python would be a must! Knowledge of other programming languages could also work, since there does tend to be some overlap between them. However, novice and intermediate coders are more than welcome--I am self taught as well, and the more collective brain cells we have working on an issue, the better. :) I am happy to teach as well if you would like to join the programming team but do not have much prior experience!

For your application: Tell me a bit about yourself, your preferred programming language(s), and any past games or other projects you've worked on! What do you enjoy most about programming?