OFFICIAL PV
Explore the Extremities of balance between a virtual and real life persona.
PLOT
A visual novel about self discovery follows the life of Kay, a socially anxious 19-year-old engineering freshman who struggles to connect with her classmates. Raised in a middle-class family, Kay often hides her true feelings from her parents to avoid worrying them. As she navigates the challenges of college life and isolation, she discovers the world of VTubing, a virtual persona platform where people can express themselves freely. Intrigued by the idea of creating her own online identity, Kay explores VTubing as a means to break away from her social anxieties. However, as she grows more invested in her virtual life, the lines between her real and online selves blur, leading her to confront her true identity.
GAMEPLAY
The goal of the visual novel is to deliver a compelling story to the user, accompanied by rich artwork, music, and sound effects, to immerse the player in a narrative experience. The end goal for this visual novel is for the user to reach the good ending of the story while imparting knowledge about self-discovery to the user. The story progression will consist of 4 chapters: College life, Introduction to Vtubing, The Line Between Real Life and Virtual, and True Ending. The last chapter will have a challenge/issue that will branch out into 2 endings, one will be the good ending and the bad ending. It will be up to the user based their choice on what kind of ending will occur.
CHARACTERS
Kay
Main Character
Name: Maria Kayleigh O. (Ortega) Doherty
Nationality: Filipino/Irish
Age: 19
Hair color: Red/Ginger
Interests:
- Handheld console games
- Painting and trad art
- Single player games
- Anime
- Learned digital art
Kay is half Irish half Filipino, her dad being Irish and her mom being Filipino. Kay fully grew up in the Philippines never really getting in touch with her Irish roots. Growing up Kay became socially distant because of how other people picked on her for her prominent Irish features.
Around elementary grade 3, Kay took an interest in single player console games, her parents had bought a console for her (think games like harvest moon). Elementary grade 6 she began taking up painting and traditional art, and she also started watching anime. In high school she began playing more single player games (think final fantasy and dark souls) and also picked up digital art.
QuoQuo
Main Character's Virtual Persona
Theme: Quokka, always smiling
Hair color: Brown, maybe white streaks
Eye color: Brown
Clothes: Something comfy like Millie’s Zuttomo outfit, no scarf though
Kay chose drawing her model inspired by a quokka because she envied how quokkas can smile all the time, she strives to also be able to smile all the time as a Vtuber. She first saw a quokka when her dad, who went to Australia for work, bought her a plushie of a quokka.
When Kay started streaming she was nervous and shy but throughout the debut she saw people from Scarlette’s stream pop up from her stream and support her which made her more energetic and outgoing.
Sean
Kay's Father
Name: Sean Doherty
Nationality: Irish
Age: 55
Job: Senior Engineer, specializing in renewable energy projects
Sean Doherty, Kay’s Father, is a senior engineer, whose work involves managing large scale renewable energy projects across various countries, which often keeps him away from home for extended periods. He is very hardworking and dedicated to his job, but this doesn’t stop him from being a responsible parent, he tries to stay connected with his family through online messages, occasional video calls, and sometimes sending small gifts or souvenirs from his travels. He has a warm and soft-spoken personality, often described as approachable by his co-workers. Richard is supportive of any of his children’s interests, often helping his children pursue them. He was the one who sparked Kay’s interest in video games when he bought her a console when he wanted her to have some company when he was away.
Mel
Kay's Mother
Name: Melinda Ortega-Doherty
Nationality: Filipino
Age: 54
Job: Elementary School Teacher
Linda Doherty, Kay’s mother, is an elementary school teacher, who has to juggle her work with elementary school kids and managing her household with her own kids. As a teacher Melinda is strict, stern, and meticulous with everything including her household. Even if she runs her household to the same discipline and structure as her classes, her care and thoughtfulness are evident in how she runs the family. She balances her stern demeanor with subtle acts of love. Melinda is proud of her Filipino heritage and tried to instill Filipino values and traditions in her children. Melinda sometimes worries about Kay’s social isolation but believes she will find her path in her own time. She’s the emotional anchor of the family, always ready with a comforting word or a warm meal.
Kyle
Kay's Brother
Name: Kyle Doherty
Nationality: Filipino/Irish
Age: 14
Grade: High School Student
Kyle Doherty, Kay’s younger brother, who takes more after their mother, with predominantly Filipino features and dark hair. With a friendly and outgoing nature, he tends to be more sociable and confident, making friends easily. Despite their different personalities, Kyle looks up to Kay and often tries to check on her through short messages or by sharing memes, even if they don’t have deep conversations. He’s protective of his sister and doesn’t like seeing her upset, though he doesn’t always know how to help her.
Coco
Family Dog
Age: 14
Breed: Aspin
Coco is the Doherty family’s treasure family dog they’ve had ever since she was a puppy. Coco is lively and affectionate towards the whole Doherty family, with her becoming Kay’s beloved companion ever since she was 12, providing her with comfort during tough times. Coco’s presence helped Kay cope with the loneliness she felt during her early teenage years, becoming her closest confidant and source of emotional support. Coco has a special bond with Kay, sensing when she’s upset and curling up next to her to offer silent companionship.
Behind The Game
Inspiration
Research suggests that visual novels can be effective educational tools, particularly for young adults facing mental health challenges due to academic pressure and social anxieties. Studies indicate their potential as interventions for mental health awareness and education, combining entertainment with therapeutic benefits. The researchers seek to develop an ADV visual novel aimed at raising awareness of mental health issues among young Filipino adults. Through an interactive storyline featuring a virtual persona, the game will explore self-discovery and coping strategies while emphasizing the significance of mental health well-being.
Research Paper
Through the rise of internet and social media platforms, there are personas that people develop wherein they visualize themselves to entirely fictional characters they want to embody (Zimmermann et al., 2023). This study explores how these dual identities affect an individual’s psychological well-being, given the global increase in mental health concerns. The study was brought on by the growing number of virtual personas in the digital age, wherein individuals create online identities distinct from their real-life selves.
The study aims to explore the following objectives: (1) To identify the difference between a virtual persona and a real life identity.; (2) To determine the challenges being faced by young Filipino adults by maintaining a virtual persona.; (3) To determine the factors affecting the person’s mental health, personal growth, and self-discovery.; and (4) To promote good mental health and well-being among young Filipino adults who have developed a virtual persona.