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I presume this is more of a question towards those, who already wrote or worked on a released game. As some of you may know, I'm actually in the process of designing a visual novel and been working on the script for a couple past months. As much as the tools and methods I decided to use had proven to be quite fine in the beginning, it came to a point where I can no longer efficiently work due to the sheer complexity of the story itself - it's peculiar, non-standard construction, events and all the character interactions and relationships that tie them together. I also found out using a couple different tools across the production stage became rather burdensome and I'm kind of annoyed of having to switch between multiple windows, web browser and text documents in order to continue, as it is highly distracting and I often end up doing everything except focusing on the actual script. That's why I'd like to discuss screenwriting for vn's and methods - or as we could say - different approaches to storybulding. How do you organize your work around script writing for vn's and most importantly - what is the software you use? What kind of structure do you prefer for your text-based documents? Do you had any experience working in team with other writers and how did it impact the whole creative/writing process? Do you prefer working with others or found that writing solo is a lot more comfortable, regardless whether the vn is linear or branched and with routes? What are your toughts in general? If there's anyone who's either screenwriting/storybuilding on a daily basis, I'd love to hear what tools you use frequently or is there any actual software you're really fond of, be it web-based or standalone. I'm considering switching from my current workflow method, as I found it to be rather unreliable and... quite messy, when things grew bigger.

Higashide might be familiar to Western anime fans as the writer for the Fate/Apocrypha LNs and the new anime series, or he might be familiar as the writer of Ayakashibito and Tokyo Babel. However, of late he has definitely begun to worm his way into the collective consciousness of the Western otakus. So what kind of writer is he? He wrote one of my single favorite VNs, Evolimit, and his works definitely have a certain... style. Perhaps the most obvious reason why he leaves and impression is that he is really, really good at creating characters on both sides of the line of his battle stories that are both larger than life yet still empathetic. While I could also mention the delightful sense of humor he puts into his works, and that is indeed a defining aspect of his writing, what really defines his games is the sheer overwhelming power of the characters and the emotions born from their interactions. Of the top ten most memorable scenes I've read in a VN, three of them have been from one of his VNs. Higashide loves his tragic heroes, his great villains, and all the colors of humanity in between. The Disasters from Evolimit and their final moments in Shizuku's path still break my heart... even in memory. Selma's bravery in overcoming her own internal demons in the face of prejudice and malice from those around her in Bullet Butlers still strikes me to the heart today. Kuki-sensei's bravery and strength of will to overcome his own past in the crossover fandisc Chrono Belt fills me with the same bittersweet emotions it did the first time. His characters are so... alive. That is something few VN writers can manage. Moe, as a tool of storytelling, is really good at leaving an initial impression. However, HIgashide is someone who can utilize moe without making it the center of the story, using it as a spice rather than drowning the main dish in moe ketchup. He really is one of those rare writers who can make a story that is better than the sum of its parts. He is also really, really, good at presenting that story in a way that leaves and impression that doesn't fade even after years have passed. As a writer, he doesn't really go for the obscure or for the philosophical. Many of his works, by the end, start to feel like a Greek tragicomedy or a heroic saga. They leave you with a feeling of the grandiose, and they are far more straightforward than you usually experience with a chuuni writer, most of whom will often go for being obscure, just out of habit. The fact that he can create that sense of grandiosity while giving his characters the humanity they need to strike at the hearts of the readers makes him one of my favorite writers of all time. It just sucks that he doesn't intend to write any more VNs.

I recently finished Kanojyo-tachi no Ryuugi. Going into the VN, I somehow mixed up this title with another VN, Yuri Kago no Naka, and thought it was going to be a hyper-chuuni novel. Well, it definitely wasn't that, but it was pretty good anyways. The VN starts out with the MC returning to old home where he sees his older twin sisters for the first time in five years. He is pretty miffed when his older sister Tobari ignores him completely. Especially since he (MC's name is Kotarou) holds a bit of an inferiority complex towards her. She does recruit him to the theatre club in order to perform at the upcoming school festival. He's going to be playing the main heroine alongside her as the hero. Yep, it's a VN with crossdressing. The MC is voiced, too (hooray!) I found the BGM well-fitted for each of the scenes. It looks like they paid attention there. Was really impressed by the voice acting for Tobari, Akane, and Suzutsuki. The early dialogue had a bit of characterization, but the voice acting really gave it life. Though when I saw Seseri's (blue-haired hopelessly genki-naive type) character I cringed at the thought of having to bear with her for the rest of the VN. I really liked Suzutsuki's (Pink-haired girl) route who I played first. Her route was super short (literally 6-7 scenes!!!), but it had this amazing atmosphere. She ends up being my favourite girl. Next I played Seseri's route, which mostly boring. Then was Akane (the older twin sister). Her route wasn't extensive like I thought it was, but it does provide some important facts about the sisters and their family. After that I skipped the other two minor heriones and went for the Tobari's route, the true herione's. While doing her route, I still found the events seems pretty underwhelming (just seemed like Kotarou arguing a lot with Tobari). But then the latter part of her route comes, and it's pretty good. At the end of the route there's this big perspective change which pretty much is the culmination of the entire route. It was amazing the first time, but it took me a second read to connect the pieces. Now I finally get why everyone on erogegamescape keeps saying the game exists for the sake of Tobari. Basically the whole game is revolving about Kotarou's (the MC) and Tobari's relationship (or apparent lack of one), and her mental state. It's kind of an unexpected work (old, heavy character-focus, and yet not being about the normal romance progressions), but the cg, music, voice acting, and characters are all quite good. Would recommend to someone who wants to read a character-focused story and doesn't mind the crossdressing, the unusual combination of elements, or the short length. As a side note, I think the crossdressing was more to allow Akari and Tobari to exhibit some S-traits during the sex scenes. The sex scenes are generally pretty mild, but the thing is, Kotarou is actually in the M position a lot of the time, which makes it feel more 'out there' than most crossdressing vns. I dunno. Kotarou's not bad relatively speaking, but some of the stuff made me groan a bit inside.

Don't bully Estonia...

Put in an 18+ Patch for this game then I'll reconsider.

Based on the revelation that their second title was also censored? No, and it doesn't even matter what it is. I mean, I suppose they could release the not-yet-out 18+ version of that Lovekami title in English, and if they did, I'd probably change my mind about writing them off. But I doubt very much that they will. I more or less am back to wanting them to quit releasing stuff, so Pulltop games can go to MangaGamer or Sekai.

Lol yeah, sorry for the whaling spams, i felt pretty self conscious knowing y'all would get 99+ notifs and whatnot @.@ i broke my wallet getting all μ's URs last month, and now i broke my credit card going Aqours >.< But I finally achieved the dream: #should'venevercamebackgoddammit

The fuck That's twice the number of my total URs

Now, those who are accustomed to my praise of Akatsuki Works will probably think I have nothing but praise for Hino Wataru, and they aren't completely wrong. However, he has some major issues that tend to make his VNs hard for a certain type of reader to take seriously. For better or worse, Hino Wataru is a dyed-in-the-wool chuunige writer. Even when he isn't writing a chuunige he is writing a chuunige. I don't think I've ever encountered a writer so completely bound by the genre's conventions as he is. Is that a bad thing? In some ways yes, in other ways no. His defining work, amongst older VN veterans, is Ruitomo. Ruitomo is hard to define as a chuunige, because there is little to no battling, and it is actually easier to define it as a thriller, as most of the game follows the protagonist and his fellow cursed individuals trying to find a way to survive in a world that isn't kind to those who are cursed the way they are. However, the game is littered with common chuunige cliches, such as grandiose word choices in the narration and detailed dissections of situations that reveal aspects that otherwise wouldn't have surfaced. This is common to all of his non-chuunige VNs, and to be blunt, Hino-san tends to stick to what worked for him int he past, lol. There are two elements of his style that stand out obviously to me, having read most of them. A rejection of conventional morality is the first. Most of his main characters are amoral, acting primarily based on an ideology that they constructed internally that is frequently a bit twisty and created by events that scarred them deeply. He also tends to give his protagonists a catchphrase that gets used at all parts of the VN (such as Tomo's 'cursed world' and 'we are cursed' or Akihito's 'soredemo, to'). I have never encountered a VN written by him where the protagonist doesn't have some kind of internal or external catchphrase that no normal Japanese person would ever think of or use on a daily basis. Are these negative aspects? It is hard to say. They do add a certain... flavor to his works. However, it does get old sometimes. His characters, unlike Higashide's, tend to be crass and befouled by their life experiences, which ironically makes them as easy to understand as Higashide's 'great souls', if in an entirely different way, lol. Tomo is a compulsive liar and manipulator, Akihito womanizes indiscriminately and obsesses over his past (as long as they are good-looking), Narita Shinri is arrogant and obsessed with revenge (though it is justified), and Akeno Shuuri is about as lazy and greedy as they come, when he can get away with it. As a writer, his style is closer to Masada's than most, because he tends toward flowery, complex language and a love of the poetic. However, for some reason, what people forgive in Masada is apparently not as attractive in his works, so I've known people who loved Masada who dropped Hino's works in the prologue. Overall, as a writer he is a mixed bag... he shows moments of greatness and I personally enjoy his works. However, if you asked me if he is one of the 'greats', I'd have to tilt my head to the side in thought, as the only kamige he has made is Ruitomo.

Tips for drawing better: put hours into it. It takes years to learn how to draw. I guess is the same for programming and everything else, it just takes time. If you dont enjoy it while doing it I would try to look for something else to do, as I said it can take a lot of time to learn so the best thing you can do is try to enjoy the journey instaid of just wanting results right away.

Lucia confirmed best girl <3

I'm going to give you my basic opinion of Shumon Yuu straight up and without embellishment... he is a genius. I generally am reluctant to call any writer a genius. I have read thousands of stories - if I include both books and VNs - and I can only name a bare dozen or so authors/writers I can honestly and unequivocally name as geniuses. Of course, this is a subjective viewpoint... but it is backed up by significant experience, lol. Shumon Yuu is that rarest of the rare in VN writers/directors... a true artist. Most decent VN writers have a flair for some aspect of their work, whether it is characterization of a certain type or amusing narrative... but Shumon Yuu goes past that, turning entire VNs into works of art as deep and expressive as any classical piece. I'm not talking about him pleasing me on every aspect... several of his VNs lie outside my tastes to one degree or another... but it really doesn't matter when I'm reading one of his works. It doesn't matter that I don't like a certain character or a certain plot element. When the VN is complete for the first time, I always feel like something about what I just read ripped deep into me and tore out pieces of my being I hadn't yet known existed, bringing them into the light for me to see. I have read three VNs he wrote and two he helped plan/design. The three he wrote are undeniably kamige, with a wide appeal and a unique approach to storytelling (which differs radically with each one) and the two he helped with are first-class VNs. Chrono-belt, which is the crossover fandisc for Ayakashibito and Bullet Butlers, is such a work of genius at capturing the best of the spirit of those two games that I still get the urge to play it independently at times. Kikan Bakumatsu Ibun Last Cavalier I named VN of the Year 2015... though that isn't really saying much, considering how bad a year that was (it did have a fascinating take on the Bakumatsu era though). Tenshi no Hane o Fumanaide was my second game by this writer, and I have played it three times now... each time rediscovering what made me fall in love the first time. Kitto, Sumiwataru Asairo yori mo is a work of nakige/utsuge genius that still births new fans even today. So why are Shumon Yuu's works primarily known only to people that are a part of the 'in' crowd of veteran untranslated VN readers in the West? It is probably because his works don't fit precisely into any of the existing/accepted genres, even if they sometimes use elements from them. You pretty much have to be an omnivorous VN reader to run across him, because it is difficult to impossible to fit any of his VNs into an archetypical aesthetic. Another reason is that he isn't very productive. In the past seventeen years, he has been involved with the production of precisely eight VNs... and he only wrote six of them. He is also an LN writer, apparently, but he can't really be said to prolific there, either. So... he tends to fall behind writers who produce something every year and jump at every chance to advertise their own greatness, lol. He doesn't get recommended as often or as fiercely as Masada or Higashide, nor does he have the immediate impact of Akatsuki Works' writers. In fact, even I tend to forget about him (though not his VNs) for years at a time... until I read something he was involved with and begin dancing with glee once again. His works I never forget, but I frequently forget to follow him, hahaha.... Also, he is a pretty subtle writer, so most people won't pick up on everything he is trying to express in his games on the first playthrough... one of those rare VN writers who gets better as you chew him, lol.

https://www.amazon.co.jp/gp/product/4047347345 - Visual Fanbook

You should wear a hat: Stylish AND practical. I believe people call this a "win win"

Haha, wow, that's great. They had already censored it from the start. Sasuga Moenovel.

Finished 凍京NECRO. It's probably not much of a surprise, given how this VN is presented, but 凍京NECRO is an example of what happens when you have way more flair than substance. Luckily for Nitro+, though - the flair is really fucking cool. This entire visual novel is just a ridiculous budget explosion. From throw-away one-time use sprites to the numerous 3D-animated fight scenes, 凍京NECRO does all it can to impress the reader with its presentation. And for what its worth, it works for the most part - the 3D is pretty iffy, and probably downright shit by western standards, but if you can look past that it is really enjoyable. The models, animations and particle effects might look decent at best, but they do make for some really cool scenes when they all come together. The story... is really good too, for the most part. It is fun and complex, full of crazy twist and turns in each of the four routes - but things start to fall apart a bit as soon as the plot tries to go outside the box. The story deals with life and death and what they mean - or so it'd like you to think, because it never really goes much deeper than the surface level. Just like the nonsensical sci-fi, it is there just to be entertaining rather than to send some profound message. It tries to, however, especially with the true route. Now don't get me wrong, the true route is presented in one of the coolest ways I've ever seen, and it's really exciting while it is all happening - but as soon as you stop to think about it it doesn't really make all that much sense. There is also this strange meta angle that doesn't quite stick the landing either - but it's not really given too much weight just like everything else, so it doesn't really detract from the overall enjoyment. All in all, I've enjoyed 凍京NECRO a lot - but no matter how hard Nitro+ might try, the next Muramasa it is not.

Well, of course they're kamige. They're all about goddesses.

I hated the fact that they defiled the original LoveKami by making a random brainless sequel... (the original not being translated).

Cho Dengeki Stryker Buy From Mangagamer! Summary From Mangagamer: Yuuki Yamato has modeled his young life after the superheroes he loves. When his best friend Haruna is teased by bullies, he always tries to defend her - but his life is not a comic book, and things never work out as planned. One day, after yet another failure, Haruna tells Yamato that she is moving away. She asks him to come and see her off, but Yamato - his pride still wounded - cannot find the courage to face her. When Yamato is feeling his lowest, an old man appears before him. He is known as the Memory Collector, and he will grant one wish in exchange for a memory. Yamato makes his wish: to become Dengeki Stryker, his favorite comic book hero. Years later, an army of cyborgs from the Balbora Empire appear in the city where Haruna now lives. With the police and the army powerless against the Empire's mechanical might, it falls to a single hero to stop them - a hero who looks remarkably like Dengeki Stryker! This is an action-packed visual novel full of twists and turns that takes the reader for a ride that they will never want to get off of! Suggested Route Order Cho Dengeki Stryker has an enforced playing order. In order to progress to different sagas, specific endings must first be seen. This walkthrough is for the entirety of both Dengeki Stryker and the additional stories in Cho Dengeki Stryker. There is the option to force certain sagas to be available, but it is HIGHLY suggested that you do not utilize this feature unless you are reinstalling the game or something similar. Dengeki Stryker also had an additional set of "Jack's Diary" pages. While you will get most of them playing through the routes, there are a few extra requirements to get the remainder of them. They will be noted. The Steel Saga endings can be completed in either order, but I suggest first completing Rin's, followed by Clie's. Events in the Light Saga will not change, but will flow slightly better if you read it after completing Clie's route. There are a total of seven different endings over six sagas. Many of the sagas draw from the same common route. Some endings do not require any choices. If you are not keen on rereading text, you will be abusing the Skip Read feature a LOT. Route Guideline Zero Saga Heaven Saga Sky Saga and Miscellaneous Love Saga Steel Saga (Rin) Steel Saga (Clie) Light Saga Attribution This walkthrough was created borrowing information from this Walkthrough, and my own playthrough of the game.