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Now... I know you've heard me bash charage/moege before. That isn't the purpose here, though. I've played plenty of VNs of the type over the years, and a decent number of them have actually managed to make it pretty high on my list of recommendations, despite the genres' flaws. I've also mentioned before that VN quality has fallen drastically in the past two years... and I still think that, despite a few seriously stand-out works this year in general and this month in particular. The reason why I'm focusing on charage/moege right now is because I just played one great one, one average-quality one, and now I'm playing a mediocre (but pretty-looking) one. Having seen, just in the last few weeks, the variance in the genre in detail... I've had it thrust in my face that my conclusions, which were previously just instinctive (thus I thought it was at least in part because I was tired of the genre/s in general) and thus had the possibility of not being entirely justified, were not entirely off the mark. To be specific, I'm somewhat bemused at the degree to which people have been pushing/hyping the one I'm playing right now, considering how pathetic this writer is at using the tools available to him. It isn't the first time where I've encountered a mediocre VN with great visuals that gets pushed by the Western community (mostly by people who haven't played it but voted on it anyway... or ones who just extracted the CGs or used a save file to read the h-scenes) like crazy. However, it is the most egregious example of this particular social pattern I've seen recently. Now, leaving aside my outrage at completely unjustified hype and recommendations... I have to ask, why is this VN, which probably never would have made it to production three years ago, is still somewhat better than the baseline of what I've experienced in the last two years? Thinking about it, the answer came to me startlingly quickly... it is because it satisfies people's nether-regions and their desire for idealized slice-of-life with a few quirks without actually having a personality. The very reason I hate it is the reason it has caught the interest of some in our community, and I find myself smiling wryly as I realize that most of the people who play it are only interested in fapping to archetypical moe-heroines. Understand, I actually don't have any objections to non-extreme fap material or moe fap material. I don't have problems with others' sexuality in general (as long as they don't inflict it on me or create victims along the way). However, I do have to wonder why these same people don't hit up one of the dozens of moe-nukige that get released every year instead, lol. Obliterating all twists and scent of personality from a VN story is reemerging as a habit in VN makers, after a very very brief hiatus, and it is coming back even worse than before. On the bright side, it makes the gems stand out more... but it also means that I have to listen to people fawning over mindless drivel that isn't even good by genre standards. I actually should have seen the signs long ago... considering Sougeki no Jaeger (Propeller's last VN) and the sudden reappearance of the previously endangered beast known as the 'pure moege' in the last two years (though only a few of them, thank god). The problem now, as it was thirteen years ago, is that the market is saturated with VNs in general and charage/moege in particular. Because of this - the Japanese being the most conservative businessmen on the planet - the various VN companies have started to 'go back to basics', trying again the sort of tactics that succeeded before. The fact that the average otaku ero-gamer in Japan is perfectly willing to shell out $120 for a crappy game that happens to have a cute (and preferably half-nude) dakimakura attached actually makes this trend worse, as it is creating an artificial (and very temporary) inflation of a stagnant market (and not for the first, second, or even third time). It is almost like the real estate market here in 2007... everybody knew the bottom was going to fall out eventually, but people kept putting their bets on making a few more bucks before it did. Worse, even if the market does collapse, it is unlikely to result in better VNs, lol.

I'm sorry you suffered so much pain. I can't relate, but best of luck. There'll always be somebody to listen to you, never forget that. It'll be okay.

What reason would I have to give some inveterate cunt any of my precious mental bandwidth?

Hmmm, sounds like you're leaping to some pretty serious conclusions. I'm gonna use google to present a milder alternative:

Wrong thread buddy... I think you need this one

Because some still doubt me... Here I am, with a living, breathing, human female.

I don't really have anywhere (or anyone) else to vent to about this, and i'm feeling extremely frustrated about whats been going on with my head over the past two or three weeks. Maybe some of you go through, or have gone through the same thing and can relate here. Anyways, I have had an anxiety disorder for..i'd say almost two years now (or at least that's when I got it diagnosed). It started back when I was still a sophomore in High School, I wasn't really into drugs, though I did smoke Cigarettes, and I ended up coming over to a friends house that wanted to get high. I took a hit off the bong he had, and all seemed well, though it didn't really seem to do much, or so I thought. A good half hour or so after that I was lying on the couch he had in his room, taking a sip of Coke when I started feeling this odd warm sensation in my chest, which quickly escalated into what I ended up discovering to be a panic attack. I called my Mom to come pick me up (and subsequently told her about what I did, out of fear for my own life, since I thought I just had some sort of heart attack/stroke) and she assured me that everything would be okay. I end up going to the doctors the next day, who think I am some crazy paranoid schizophrenic because I am freaking out about it, thinking it's some life threatening issue, and the guy issues me medicine for schizophrenia. That obviously doesn't work and the symptoms get worse, to the point where I am having panic attacks back to back for hours on end, sometimes losing days worth of sleep. I don't know how I didn't go insane. Fast forward a bit. I finally get into this mental clinic place for teens with mental problems as an out-patient, though most of the kids there were for being suicidal/having anger problems/etc so I couldn't really relate to anyone and felt a little isolated. Towards the end of me going there I was finally given medicine to help deal with my anxiety, which worked great until these past few weeks. It all started a little before my parents left for vacation in Cancun. Whenever I would try and fall asleep, I would jolt awake as if my heart had stopped and I would be too terrified to fall back to sleep. Eventually that started to fade, and I could sleep a bit easier, but over the last couple weeks (this past week in particular) it feels like this is hell on earth. The jolting awake thing is back, except now there's usually a shocking feeling in my foot when it happens, my panic attacks have gotten worse to the point of completely mimicking the symptoms of a stroke and a heart attack at the same time, my back muscles have been pretty stiff, and I've had tremors in my arms and legs as well. I thought that it could be ALS, as some of the symptoms match, but seeing as how they have come and gone and twitching doesn't occur in ALS victims until the muscle has lost function, I don't think it's that. Also i'm only 19 and it doesn't run in the family, so I feel like it's highly unlikely. Probably anxiety induced BFS, from what my research has brought up, but only time (and a doctors visit) can tell, I suppose. Anyways, i'm not entirely sure what the point of this post is, but venting my frustration with whatever the hell is going on with me has made me feel a little better. Not even sure if i'll post this, but I probably will just because I took the time to write it, would be a waste not to post it. I guess this could give some of you who don't experience this insight about what it feels like. Does anyone else go through anything like this? What are your experiences with anxiety, if you have any? Feel free to vent as I did.

I dunno about anyone else, but I'm finding the common insults in the English language rather dull. Not that the English language is incapable of good insults, just that the majority of people rely on previously written ones which have been used to death and are just boring. An indication not only of people's general lack of creativity, but their uninspired use of language in all forms of their life. 'Go fuck [insert person.]' 'Screw you'. 'Fuck you.' 'Go home [insert derogatory term].' All generic, all boring. Do insults REALLY carry weight when we trot out regurgitated crap like this? Surely a few seconds of thought would be worth the added meaning it would give to the abuse?

I rather stay with the word fuck (which is my fav word in the english language) (link for the real video http://www.nailmaster.ru/fuck.html)

I think with social anxiety and talking to other people, what has helped me is remembering is that most people in the world are nice people and that nothing really bad can happen from speaking up. Also to sort of continue on Rooke's quote, I've found that keeping healthy habits has increased my confidence around others in social situations. Just remember that we're always here together.

First, I'll give you a quick run-down on this game... it is a game by 3rd Eye, a company known mostly for producing chuunige that are more moe-influenced than is the norm. This game is actually more of a mystery/chuuni/action/conspiracy type than a 'pure' chuunige. The world in which it is based is a future where, ten years before the story began, magic appeared on the scene. Large numbers of people became capable of using magic, and a new branch of science was built up solely for the purpose of utilizing magic as new energy source. The result of this is a society that is somewhat divided between the magical 'haves' and 'have-nots', though that isn't the focus of the story, despite what you might otherwise anticipate. The protagonists Senri Senri is your classic 'bad-ass antihero protagonist'. He is clever, intelligent, and overall highly capable, with a razor-sharp mind and battle instincts that would put a Navy Seal to shame and make Golgo 13 look incompetent. His cold-blooded pursuit of his own interests, which are very opaque through most of the VN, is his primary defining feature... Oh, and he lies... a lot. He makes the protagonist of Sharin no Kuni seem honest. Haruto Haruto is a somewhat less beloved type of protagonist in chuunige... basically a 'justice freak' combined with being 'a young man driven against his will by the tides of fate'. He is a natural optimist and a believer in fairness above all. Unfortunately, he also has that bad habit a lot of similar chuunige protagonists have... of sticking his nose into situations he doesn't really need to get involved in. He grows a great deal during the course of the VN (as is typical of this type, if the writers don't suck), and by the end his viewpoint on the world has... been sharpened a great deal by experience. He is more likeable than a lot of similar protagonists, but it still isn't a type I prefer. The Heroines Fiona Fiona, at first glance, seems to be your classic clutzy/innocent nun-type heroine. She works as a nun at a run-down church in the city's... less reputable area and is well-loved by the delinquents who frequent the church. However, she, like most of the characters in this game, is hiding a lot of secrets... She is one of Senri's two heroines. Noa An innocent, pure-hearted girl who is seen mostly as a ghost throughout the first part of the game. She has a really unique way of speaking, born partially from Senri's half-hearted efforts at education (mostly through handing her magazines and letting her watch AVs). To be honest, in the reading of this VN, interpreting her weird speech patterns was a bit difficult at first (she cuts apart words and puts them together in weird ways). She is the second of Senri's two heroines. Asahi Asahi is... a bit weird. Her personality itself is quite straightforward and honest, and she hates lies and general dishonesty with a passion. However, she is also compassionate to a fault and unwavering in the pursuit of her goals. Unfortunately - at least so it seems at first - there are a few loose screws rolling around in that head of hers. Even more so than Haruto, she is an eternal an unrepentant optimist and probably the single most trustworthy individual in the entire VN. Riku Riku is, throughout the VN, perhaps the least expressive individual other than Senri himself. She almost never displays her emotions on her face, and she has an almost unnatural tendency to think objectively about anything and everything, including herself. That the writer managed to grant her so much depth without making her a protagonist was an impressive feat in and of itself... and one of the reasons why her interactions with Haruto and Asahi are so amusing. She really is almost as detached as she seems most of the time, which is one of the reasons it hits so hard when she does become emotional. The VN Sorcery Jokers is definitely VN of the Month material. I'll say that right off the bat. The depth of the story and characters is incomparable with previous games by this company, and while it falls slightly short of a kamige, it is nonetheless something worth taking note of. Normally, I can't stand dual protagonists, as many have heard me mention. I hated Subahibi for that, amongst a number of other sins, and one of the biggest reasons it took me so long to play I/O was because I don't like going into VNs with multiple protags. Fortunately, I managed to get past that, simply because the differing approaches to the story were the only thing that made it possible to grasp something even approaching the whole of the story as it happened. A single perspective wouldn't have done a bit of good as an approach to this VN's story, simply because there are too many things happening at too many different points for a single perspective to handle. The VN's structure is basically that of a kinetic novel, with the illusion of choice through a flow chart (for the first chapter, at least) where you pick and choose which events you want to see next (though you have to see them all anyway). To be honest, I could have done without the flow chart entirely... flow charts in general are an irritation more than a help, especially if they are made a central part of progressing the story. That said, as the actual switching around mostly ends after the first chapter, it isn't really a big deal (though it does make me wonder why they had a flow chart at all). The story's mystery and conspiracy elements feel a lot like peeling an onion, as there are layers within layers within layers. What you thought was the root of things turns out to be just another layer, more than once. As things come together near the end, the knowledge you've gained through the character perspectives deepens the experience nicely, making this one of the few part-mystery VNs I've played in recent years that I didn't immediately have 'read' relatively early on. That isn't to say there aren't points where the VN stumbles. Haruto, because of his role as the 'kid chuunige protag', is the game's Achilles Heel, as all protagonists of the type with his kind of temperament tend to be. However, his growth is enough to offset the cookie-cutter aspects of his character enough that I approved of his role... in the end. Asahi also threatens to tilt the balance of the VN into the realm of the silly a lot early on, simply because of her 'weirdness'. However, because that silliness is a vital ingredient in her growth as a character, it can't really said to be a true weakness, though it can be irritating at times. The endings are all branches off of the true end, one for each heroine (Noa or Fiona with Senri, and Asahi or Riku with Haruto). I had no problems with the epilogues for Noa or Fiona... but I thought that Haruto had devolved a lot in his heroine epilogues, which kind of brought me back to why I didn't like him in the first place. Overall, I felt that this VN is one of the more solid chuunige made in the last few years, especially in the sense of 'balance'. Silverio Vendetta, while it is a lot more exhilarating, also had the difficulty of disproportionately focusing the writer's attention on Vendetta, which weakened the other two paths greatly. Bansenjin suffers from reusing an uninspiring cast and being relatively boring throughout most of its length. In terms of a constant sense of tension and in terms of pacing of events, this VN definitely is the winner of Chuunige VN of the Year so far, though it isn't chuuni-crack in the sense that Silverio was. I'm actually quite proud of the fact that this company has evolved so much since its somewhat... unimpressive beginnings (Bloody Rondo), and I'm glad I stuck with the company. It is always nice to be surprised pleasantly by a VN.

Also just now realizing how dark that sounded

I've had panic attacks a few times over the last year too. It usually comes with physical pains, slight vertigos and headaches that last days or even weeks afterwards. Not very pleasant, although it's been getting better lately. It took me a while (several months) to realize I was actually getting panic attacks and that it wasn't "normal" to freak out over what I had so I never went to see a psychiatrist though. Only pointless medical exams to check if there wasn't something wrong. You probably know that already but be wary of what you can read on the internet. Sometimes reading other people with symptoms similar to yours help easing the anxiety, but sometimes it just makes it worse as you become persuaded you have some horrible illness and are going to die soon.

I don't even have 1 friend IRL Also >waifus

Yeah I have the same problem with social anxiety as well. Turns out that yeah you don't really make friends, so I only have one IRL friend at this point, who i'm not even that close to. But hey, who needs friends when you have waifus amiright

Guess I might as well post about mine, even though I've mentioned it several times in the confessions thread. My social anxiety has to do with new situations, especially talking to people and especially talking to people I don't know. As a result, it's pretty easy to avoid it by sitting at home, and in the situations where I do go out not talking to anyone. Turns out that's a pretty good way of having literally no friends. It's pretty terrible when I don't avoid it though, it's manageable when I go somewhere new or I talk to someone I know decently well (although it's still way more stressful than it should be), but when I have to talk to someone I don't know I basically just BSOD, I just freeze up and can't do anything, let alone talk normally. I've been seeing a therapist for a few weeks now but I can't say it's really been helping much.

I have been dealing with social anxiety for about 5 years. It has primarily been difficult for me to be around large groups of people, especially strangers. Also being in unkown environments has been terrefying, making me just want to run and hide. It made being at school, trying to get work and going to social gatherings very difficult. Something as simple as visiting my relatives at their summer place was enough to make me just shut myself in my room, as I was scared of the new place that I had never been to before, (despite the fact that the only people I was going there with was my family.) It was extremely annoying and frustrating. My absence in school has pretty much always been crazy high. We are talking 40 days + of absence every year. I was able to get over the worst of it after a couple of years with a therapist, who helped me a great deal. I still feel it, and it still makes trying out new things terrefying, like starting a new school / university, moving to a new city and traveling to an unknown country. It's scary as fuck, and I have to focus on the things I learned in therapy in order to get through it, but I have come a long way and it isn't holding me back much anymore. I still sometimes find myself hit by panic attacks, though I'm able to keep them in check fairly well. It's really difficult to give someone in similar situations advice, because the truth is, everyone experiences these things differently. What helped me might just piss off someone else. Social anxiety comes in many forms, and they really only have one thing in common: they all fucking suck. That being said, my advice would be to try and find a psychologist who you feel really comfortable with. A professional wont do shit if you don't feel like you can talk to them about anything. (After all, if you aren't giving them all the correct info they need, actually coming up with a way to help you wont be easy.) If you can find someone like that, someone you can really talk to and open up to, then it becomes a lot easier. First of all, you have someone to talk to about it, which helps in itself. But you will be able to get help from a professional, who will hopefully be able to figure out what you need to do to get over the problem. Or at the very least, teach you how to keep it in check. It was the latter for me. I didn't need any medication, I simply needed to pull my shit together. (My psychologist was quite blunt, but that was what made me like her so much. It was so easy to open up to her. Speaking to her about my problems was like second nature to me.) Don't know if this will help anyone at all, but that's at least my history with social anxiety.

What triangle? I hope you don't mean Rem, cuz there hasn't been anything pointing at her falling for Subaru, but rather finally trusting him as a friend and being really grateful. We (and specially anime producers) tend to forget that there's something called "a trillion different feelings apart from love" in the world. We are too used to epic adventures where people randomly fall in love with each other nonstop. Re:Zero has proved, at least for now, that it's not gonna take the road of trashy anime, where being a decent human being and/or helping makes anything with female genitals fall in love with you. We didn't even see a blush on her face, as long as I remember from today's episode, so I'd be really shocked at the sheer stupidity of the author pulling a love triangle out of his ass.

At the very least, this event give us a bunch of tickets. But yeah, rather than just the reward the whole event is kind of shabby

The bottle with the marble is called ramune. Bubble tea is great, but you definitely need to try different combinations of flavors until you find the right one for you.

Today, i went to a local(ish) anime con with a friend, and i picked up a hardcopy of saya no uta, the first 2 volumes of yotsuba&! and some imported snacks. overall, a good day! Edit: By the way, that hardcopy was 50 fucking euros, even though it only costs 25 on jlist grumble grumble I was surprised by how little I was embarassed buying it though, even though it was basically the only stand with any porn, and had a big sign saying 'Interactive hentai games!' and was also surrounded by Naruto fanboys pointing and laughing at the softhouse seal-boobies. I bet they secretly wished they could muster the courage

Amusingly, and contrary to the specifics of this argument, Japanese uses rising intonation at the end of a sentence for questions as well. However, I agree with your general claim that the way the languages express emotion is somewhat different (one thing I've personally noticed: English tendency to use clipped sounds when exasperated, vs. Japanese tendency to use elongated sounds when exasperated), and I'll offer what I believe to be an additional, stronger argument, since it applies even when the techniques are the same: Assuming the audience doesn't know much Japanese at all (which I think is a fair assumption for the argument), even if you assume the audience can understand the emotions being applied using various tones and emphases, they won't understand the specific words to which those tones and emphases are applied. So in all likelihood, they'll often misunderstand which word it's applied to, and therefore not actually grasp the meaning.

Finished Amagi Brilliant Park and Haikyu season 1. Amagi was really nice but I wish That aside, I don't know what I expected from Amagi Brilliant Park but I really like what I got anyway. Haikyu is in a similar situation. My friends keep saying that its hype but while I did get excited at a few parts, it wasn't the excitement I was expecting. The way the matches end up proceeding don't lend itself to hype me up. Maybe it was more hype when it was a weekly watch instead of a binge watch. Started Haikyu season 2 against my better judgement even though I know there's going to be a third season of Haikyu.

The same person was arguing there was no point in companies doing official localisations of works that already had a fan translation...

Have you read the rest of this thread? That argument has been beaten to death several times. It's not about pulling in an existing audience, but creating a new one. The person who'll be voicing this is a famous cosplayer with a large follower base on social media. This is a great opportunity to expand the market.

Aaaaaand I have just wasted like 2 hours of my life derping on the sprite viewer in Maitetsu. This is seriously just so fucking entertaining. (Though the fact that you can remove their eyes, mouth and arms is really, really freaky ) DEMON! Aaaand also threw this together. I know, I am so funny, it's amazing.

Whether or not a VN gets an 18+ release is up to the Japanese publisher. The only VN they've published with an 18+ version that didn't get an 18+ release was G-Senjou and that was due to the Japanese publisher not wanting it. Dovac has since mused about asking again now that they okayed an 18+ version of Sharin no Kuni. They actually do want to release 18+ versions of all their stuff so they can cash in on everyone who prefers them. SP has pretty much stopped talking "in code" about 18+ releases like Dergonu said they do, and are pretty direct about things. It sounds like they are going to announce multiple 18+ versions of their upcoming games at AX. If they say something wishy-washy about a release, then you should actually take that at face value. For Tenshin Ranman specifically, it sounds like they just might not know, yet. Ultimately, they can't talk much about deals still in progress. The big difference about SP from the other companies is that they don't always immediately negotiate for 18+ versions. It seems like they just try to cement whatever deal they can first and then negotiate for 18+ after, if it was left out. Whereas for MG and JAST, 18+ seems to remain a deal breaker for all games that have that. This flexibility has been pretty successful for SP so far, and Steam is way bigger than the 18+ market, so I can't blame them for that.

Kickstarter Link:https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1803745874/reach-for-the-stars-a-yuri-visual-novel (please support us if you can) On Steam: https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=700725357 Story Summary-After a near suicide attempt, Abby returns to her old home town in order to heal the inner wounds of her past. When arriving back to Belmont she makes quick friends with a group of girls who all appear to have what she doesn’t; true happiness. But on her way to recovery Abby will find that no one has an easy life and in order to progress past the pain they must learn to face their greatest fears and darker selves. Can she help them? Will she herself be able to forget her own trouble past? Or will she herself once again sink back into her depression? Help Abby get to know her new friends and maybe find something more. But be careful, even the happiest person holds a deep dark secret, a secret which will either break or make them stronger in the end. It's up to you to decide their's and Abby's fate. Characters Abby Our main character. She suffers from depression and has moved to Belmont with the hopes of recovering. Unfortunately her fears of the past have made her a bit skeptical with making new friends and being able to trust others. She's an overall kind girl, but at times her mouth gets the better of her. Her closest relationship is with Riko, who she admires greatly for being able to be herself and not worry of past mistakes. She is someone who deeply regrets her actions easily as well and is a bit apologetic whenever she does something wrong. As she grows though, Abby shows a more confident side and learns to trust others again. Has a love for food, video games, and writing fantasy stories. Kei A friendly yet sometimes overbearing girl who takes an interest in Abby the moment they meet. Due to her upbeat and energetic personality, Kei is well liked by many at school. However her ways can at times be a bit much for others, with some even calling her annoying. She is always positive though, something which contrasts Abby. Kei is also a bit on the lazy side however and isn't the most dependable person in the world. Her care for Abby though isn't a big mystery, they were once friends. What is the mystery is why the friendship broke and how a part of Kei feels like Abby deserted. Her dream is to leave Belmont and see the cities, maybe making into in the music career if she's lucky enough. Her route's theme is Trust. Chris Good friend of Kei though many wonder how polar opposites could ever get along. Unlike Kei, Chris is cold, serious, and a go getter, always trying to reach for the top. She has this desperate urge to fit in and gain the respect of those around her. Her perfectionism though can at times make her want to do rather impossible things, like doing an entire float by herself. Despite her attitude she is very dependable and smart, making her liked by many of her teachers. Sadly her home life isn't much to talk about and she is the black sheep of the family. She longs to find a place where she can be happy. Her route's theme is Growth. Yoko Yoko- A half Japanese and half american student who has a deep love for money. Like Kei, Yoko is popular at school but more for her looks and intelligence. She can be a friendly person, but she is also very competitive and at times looks down on others. She tries her best to earn the respect of others by using her brains and skills with business. Like her dad Yoko has a love for money and is very good at handling it. She also has pride in her family background and will not stand for anyone who says otherwise. Sadly, despite how things may seem, she isn’t the happiest person as her parents put much strain on her life to shape her in their image. Though money seems to be her only love, Yoko is secretly taking up a new hobby that she hides from many. Her route's theme is Acceptance Emily An underclassman who is often in the shadows. Emily has little care for most and often spends her time with her head in a book. To her life is more of a hellish reality while the world in her books is the ideal thing. Emily is cold, quiet, and a bit too honest. She isn’t afraid to express her feelings and it’s her brutal honesty that has made her target number one for her classmates. Still she isn’t the snow queen that everyone believes since she actually has deep love for her grandmother who is one of the few who understand her. Despite being mature for her age Emily has abandonment issues and can get easily attached to a person she cares deeply for in fear that they will leave her. In truth though Emily use to be a very friendly and happy girl but that all changed when she received the huge burn mark on the right side of her eye. Still maybe with the right group of people she will understand the true meaning of friendship and trust others again. Her route's theme is Change. Mara Mara - Best friend of Yoko. Similar to Yoko, Mara is from a rich family, but she is a someone who will be friends with anyone no matter who or what their family backgrounds are. She is a friendly and in a way motherly person who will try her best to care for others who need it. Sadly her compassion can often be taken advantage of given how gullible and naive she can be, which is why Yoko often has to take care of her seemingly clueless friend. Still Mara may not be as naive as some think and actually might be able to read people much more easily, which can either be a good or bad thing. Mara’s passions lie in acting and she is becoming a very talented actor. However with playing so many roles, one has to question her true personality. Riko Abby’s older sister. Riko has taken in Abby in order to help her little sis recover from the past. Unlike Abby, Riko is a friendly, positive and a bit cunning. She loves her sister deeply though sometimes her forceful ways make it hard for Abby to deal with her. In terms of hobbies, she aspires to be a painter and hopes to start commissioning, but until then she has to do a part time job in order to pay for food and other things. Though close with Abby, she hides certain secrets from her sister that she fears may trigger her traumas again Example of a CG Gameplay Reach for the Stars is planned to be a rather long visual novel. The player will first play the common route which not only introduces the characters, but also shows how each character will become friends with each other thanks to the Full Moon Festival, an event which happens every year in Belmont. The player will be given many choices in the common route and depending on your choices you will get one of the routes. Like the common route you will be given many choices in that said girl's route which will determine what ending you get. Note however that not all the choices are clear cut, so it'll take some serious thinking on some. This game will have it's light hearted moments, but also dramatic one. As it says it is a romance story, but the romance will not just come. In each route Abby will grow even closer with the girl and once their darker truths are known, will help them come to terms with their problems and vice versa. The romance does play a major role, but some may not be happy all the time I plan to make this game at the least 150,000 words with the hopes that I can deliver a fun and yet realistic story. The game will also be compatible for Windows, Mac, and Linux. Credits Infellune(Elle)- Creator, Head of team, Writer, and Coder. Aya https://twitter.com/creampette-Lead Artist dexter https://www.facebook.com/dexterneal64- CG artist LadyOfGatsby-GUI Artist (is on Lemmesoft) Paper Doors Studios https://twitter.com/ShojiAmasawa- Logo Trailer-sunrose (Lemmesoft)

I think when you get into the MMOVN thing, the 'VN' part is just the fact that the information given to the player is provided in text form, in a controlled manner. However, once the player is aware that there are players on the other side, it becomes more like a game, practically speaking. But you can play a VN like a game (giving yourself objectives) if you want to. The difference is whether the author pre-created what's going to play out, or if the players themselves are going to create the emergent story. The latter would be a text-etc-interface multiplayer roleplaying. It could certainly feel like a VN because of the narrative and how each player sees the information, but I wouldn't call the whole thing a VN. For prose generated from an underlying game system, what would matter is how much of what happens determined by the author. If it's just the order switching around a bit, then it'd still be author conceived. Otherwise it would be emergent. (If you call that type of presentation VN-style, then yes, the game would be a VN-style game, you might even think to call it a VN. But that would overlap with the current notion which has that VN's are something which authors conceive of). I suppose an examples of that would be a game where all you do is explore this big manuscript that you view within the game, and when you go to different places you hear different sounds and stuff. I have no idea what to call this. It's not quite the same as a set of real letters because you can incorporate sound and visual effects into it. Does controlling the order the player reads parts of the story make the work a VN or not? If you had a series of episodes viewable in any order, that would still seem like a VN. What about if you interacted in a point and click fashion to access the episodes? What about if you walked around a 3-d environment to access those episodes? It's just a categorization problem. You wouldn't be able to make a classification for every conceivable thing without being very minute and detailed. You can pick a relatively easy way to categorize works, or you could end up aiming for a categorization that's actually impossible, because our notion of what makes a VN would turn out to be contradictory once you explore the array of things which are possible using text and interaction.

Nice. I'm actually talking about the hallucinogenic effect that red text has on me. I feel like I'm tripping out. Wheeeeee. ... But the definition is tops, too

This is a pretty good narrative between @Darbury and @Palas that I'm reading... on my computer screen... with the on-screen text matching their avatars... THIS ISN'T A BLOG! IT'S A VISUAL NOVEL!!!