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  1. Have a wonderful week.
    5 points
  2. +StrikeR+

    Hope will get along!

    Hi all, decided to register here since this seems like a nice community for talking about visual novels. As for me i'm just the average person who enjoys visual novels, gaming and anime. As far as visual novels my favorites are: The Majikoi series (my absolute favorite, a series very dear for me as it even helped me get out of depression sort to say a few times) Muv-Luv series (i played this in a rough time as well, it was a very enticing and amazing story) G-Senjou no Maou (with this one i had no personal problems when going in, but the main route really was amazing) 46+1 ChuSinGura (had its share of flaws, like misspellings and sometimes it cut rather weirdly but despite that they manage to keep the overall feel of the original which is why its one of my favorites) As for now i'm enjoying myself with Tsujidou-san Jun'ai Road . With my brief description ending i will like to end on this note: Mina-san Yoroshiku Onegai Itashimasu!
    3 points
  3. This guy is good.....
    3 points
  4. Note: in this post I'm talking only about plotge. In romance-focused VNs and charage routes often work perfectly as different what-if scenarios and they don't really have to connect to each other in any way other than thematically, and there are usually no problems with how they're handled. Which is understandable, considering that the classical eroge system of routes originates from dating sims, and thus generally works well with romance-focused games. First of all, I'd like to say that I really like the way how many VNs handle branching plots. The fact that you can basically combine several possible plot-lines into one story and explore all the different contradicting possibilities of what could possibly happen in one story is one of the reasons that originally made me fall in love with the VN medium. It's also a great way to show all the different ways how characters could develop in the different circumstances. It's especially true with the protagonists, and a good popular example is Fate/Stay Night. Another thing that make branching plots work better in my opinion is how different routes often compliment each other in presenting mystery and the world-building. In different branches of the story the protagonist can take completely different roles and explore the setting of the VN from different sides. Thus, the authors basically take the good point of both 1st and 3rd person narratives. At the same time, I start to notice that... the branching stories often have quite a lot of flaws, compared to the stories that take one plot-line and follow it to the end. The first flaw is that not all stories work equally well with multiple routes. Thus we come to a "ladder-type" route structure, where we have the main story-line and all the different routes, focused on non-main heroines, branching out at its different points. The apparent problem with this type of storytelling is that the authors often focus their attention strictly on the main route, and the side routes become pretty mediocre. And the second flaw I see with the branching plots ironically lies in the same field as one of the strengths: in character development. Linear story-lines by definition allow for uninterrupted character development for the whole length of a story, and doesn't have to "reset" at each route. And you know, I think this second flaw is the main reason why so many highest rated VNs on vndb are either linear, or almost linear, in one way or another. I want to bring an example of a story that wouldn't really work as branching story, unless the branches are very short. I personally adore slow-paced "growing-up" stories, where we can see over the years, starting with their childhood, how the protagonist becomes acquainted with new people and interacts with them, how his or her worldview slowly changes with time, and how they learn new things about the world. I think, there are some romance-based VNs that attempt something similar, but this particular type of the story simply doesn't work in the VN format, and one of the reasons is that you can't really make it into multiple routes. (Actually, if you know this type of the story in a VN, I'm always open to your recommendations! ) I personally would love to see more linear VNs which wouldn't attempt to make multiple romantic routes in stories that don't need it, but, considering how most VNs that come out are eroge, and that the market for VNs like that is much smaller, I understand that it's a pretty empty dream. (Note: I'm not saying that VNs like that should replace the multiple-route VNs, I'm just saying that I'd like to see more of them). So, I'd like to present you a few questions to discuss in this thread: Do you prefer branching or linear story-lines to each other, and why? Are there some other advantages/disadvantages that multiple-route VNs have compared to linear stories, and do they matter to you. Do you think there's something wrong with how VNs handle routes in general, and would you like it to change in some way? What branching VNs, in your opinion, would work better if they were linear, and, vice versa, do you think that there are some linear VNs that would work better if they had multiple routes? Any other things I brought up in my post. Well, that's all.
    2 points
  5. Kickstarter backer copies are going out as I write this, so if you backed it, expect something in your e-mail box within the next 1-2h!
    2 points
  6. Zander

    Hope will get along!

    Welcome aboard mate, hope you have a fantastic time here! Nice profile picture if I may add, purple hair is the greatest of colours, a- wait, what's that?
    2 points
  7. Fate is worth it just for the Tiger Dojo! If you hop onto Beasts Lair (no links so hope I'll get away with this) Jacktheinfinate101 and co have made the ultimate FSN package putting the new Real Nua stuff into the original and using Resolve/Mirror Moons TL. I've not read this version myself but it looks to be quite epic! Do it for Tohsaka, she is justice!
    2 points
  8. Snow Sakura. I think people tend to recommend the same VNs over and over. Now I will recommend something, which I have not seen being recommended at all. I feel it's a bit lost to history, which is a shame because it's actually a good one. The VN is about a guy whose parents goes overseas and he is sent to live with his uncle and his daughter (the cousin heroine). They live in a closed onsen hotel, meaning they have their own private onsen in the backyard. This naturally makes it a natural place to gather with all the friends (mixed gender). He is from a big city (Tokyo?) and the story takes place in rural Hokkaido. It's a slice of life comedy about the city boy who end up living in the countryside and the locals behave weirdly, yet are very friendly. The comedy is good, appears often, yet it changes often and as such will never repeat itself and get old. The routes contain growing romance with the heroine of choice and then stuff happens and it turns into drama as well. The comedy is also present in all routes, though drama takes priority and comedy and drama will not mix, which would otherwise have killed the drama mood. A bit of background info, which is not really explained in the VN: Hokkaido is the middle of nowhere by Japanese standards and it's lightly populated, not just by Japanese standard, but in general. All countries in EU have higher population density. It's also in the bottom half when compared to US state population densities. In other words it is extremely rural in an otherwise densely populated country like Japan. It makes a big fuss out of pointing out they commute to school by train and that it is a really weird train because it runs on diesel. This seems odd as most of the world is familiar with diesel trains. However early electric trains were used in mountains because they were much better than steam at hill climbing and they didn't smoke in the tunnels. Japan being all mountain switched to electric extremely early and since diesels had problems climbing hills early on as well, electric got a more than 50 year head start and absolutely dominated when diesel finally arrived. As a result diesel has never been anything but extremely niche in Japan and most Japanese have never even seen a diesel train. Hokkaido however never electrified and is the only place in Japan with diesel on main lines.
    2 points
  9. I've read 4 of these, and... all of them are pretty great, so I can't really recommend any of them over the others, to be honest. I guess, just read whatever VN you are more interested in at the moment. I'll lay down my basic impression of them. Umineko - starts as a relatively enjoyable mystery at first and turns into massive (but amazing) mindfuck later on. Basically, a postmodern reconstruction of the mystery genre. My personal most favorite VN of all time, but it's definitely not for everyone. Subahibi - even more massive midfuck, but with h-scenes. One philosophical VN actually done right. Fate - simply a nice action story with amazing characters. Probably, one VN that should actually be read by everyone, but you don't really have anything similar in your list, so I'm not sure if you're going to like it. Rewrite - very nonuniform VN. It's basically a nakige, an utsuge and a chuunige in one VN, but, actually, most parts are done pretty well, so it's not a flaw. Plus, I'm a big fan of its true routes. Dies - I've only read the prologue, but it has a great start. Another action-oriented VN. Edit. I guess, I'll vote for Fate.
    2 points
  10. no. There are many trans women who still have a penis, there are trans men who don't, and there are many conditions where a person can have each organ. There should be no relation between sexuality and a reproductional organ.
    2 points
  11. The common route is literally the best part (of what I've played... still only one full route). It is hilarious.
    2 points
  12. Note: This game was already reviewed on Fuwa by Valmore, I encourage you to check out his review as well Those that follow this blog for a while might have noticed that I like to complain about the lack of identity that many Western-made VNs suffer from. As a medium utilized pretty much exclusively by the fans of original Japanese visual novels, EVNs far too often borrow extensively from those when it goes to setting and story elements, to the point of replicating various tiring anime clichés and kitsch tropes. They also frequently copy elements that really have no interest being in a game created by someone living in the USA or Europe, more often than not having only very superficial knowledge of Japanese culture and reality of life in Japan. A Little Lily Princess, developed by Hanako Games and published on Steam in May 2016 (under the "Hanabira" label, signifying an outside scriptwriter), is a game that I like bringing up as an example of a Western VN that was able to differentiate itself from the crowd and create unique experience exactly because of the ability to not be completely defined its “weeb” roots, creating a setting and a story far detached from typical anime tropes. Paradoxically, the classic English novel A Little Princess, that this game adapted into the VN/dating sim format, is not a title unknown to anime fans, thanks to the highly-rated series from the 1980’s, Little Princess Sara (it even inspired a few less known projects, such as the slightly outlandish Strain: Strategic Armored Infantry). Hanako’s version tries to differentiate itself from those other adaptations mostly by giving a yuri spin to the story – still, as I will try to show in this review, calling it a yuri romance is rather misleading and says little about the true appeal of this game. Read the full article at evnchronicles.blogspot.com
    1 point
  13. We are happy to introduce Lisistrata, an unforgiving and unconventional RPG-Visual Novel hybrid that elevates the importance of Tactics, Choices, Character Progression and Resource Management. Immersed in an ancient Greece setting, you will recruit, train and lead a team of Athens’ young girls through battles, challenges, critical choices and beyond. It will be up to you to organize an effective rebellion against every man of Athens. It will be your responsibility to stop a war that has been endured for decades. Once inside the Acropolis everything will be in your hands. Choose different skills, improve buildings, elaborate new tactics, betray, seduce, be a diplomat or a warrior. The game (and its characters) will be shaped entirely by you. Inspired by Aristophanes’ great work Also known as the “Father of Comedy” and “The Prince of Ancient Comedy”, Aristophanes lived between 446 - 386 BC and inspired thousands of people in ancient Greece. We would like to do the same by bringing his legendary work back to life and expanding upon its original linearity while still remaining faithful to the source. “I’ve had enough of these wars!! Enough! We can not keep living like this!” “I'm tired to be neglected by my husband!! His sword will not warm his bed for sure! I've made up my mind: Starting from now we say no more! We shall strike!" “If they won’t listen to us, they will sleep alone from now on. It will be a torture for them!!” And so every woman in Athens left their home and took the Acropolis - the heart of the city, as well as the place where the most important resources are held. They decided to offer no more company or affection whatsoever to those man who have been so busy making war. Finding the means and forcing them to declare peace is your objective… ... but managing the Acropolis and your group at the same time while keeping the morale high, won’t be an easy task. Unlock new abilities, forge your character, make the Acropolis a safer place and assemble your team! Level up and make your build unique During the game you will be able to choose different abilities by gaining experience and leveling up your character. Feel free to choose what you like based on your playstyle, there is no best way to beat the game. 34 Skills gathered in 4 different branches. - Athletics - Intelligence - Charisma - Luck Of course it won’t be possible to unlock them all. Choosing your specialties and making decisions will be incredibly important and it will also increase the game replayability. (the image has been drastically reduced so it lost a big chunk of its original quality, sorry for that) Build the Acropolis Better walls, easier access to water or maybe earning the favor of the Gods? Everything counts! But consider… It will take time, which you won’t be able to spend to acquire new skills. Hmm, decisions, decisions… Every time you level up and/or between chapters the game will give you the following option: What shall we do? What you decide to do it's up to you. A better Acropolis will mean a better defense against incursions, better morale for your heroines and other buffs. There is a lot to build but those kind of improvements are designed to make the general environment a better place for you. On the other side, skills bring more specific bonuses. Of course the angry men and the soldiers will not remain idle for long. They didn’t like Lisistrata’s little plan one bit and they will do everything in their power to sabotage your rebellion. They will strike back quickly and it will be quite challenging to survive. Your Skills under a magnifying glass Everything you do, every path you take, every decision you make will present the player with small challenges to overcome: Skill checks. On a successful skill check the player may acquire various advantages that will help the game progression in general; upon a failed skill check the consequences may vary from minor to catastrophic and they may be suffered immediately or later in the game. Therefore, it’s not advisable to Swim if your character has not yet unlocked that ability, you may regret this... Death in this game is permanent. Turn Based Combat Strategize with party order, party composition, and unlocked skills against a huge variety of enemies. When diplomacy fails, it’s time to put your abilities to good use! Each one of our heroines have their own strengths and weaknesses so be careful and evaluate the situation very carefully before choosing who to bring with you in combat. Managing a good mix of abilities is the key to victory. Also we've added some modern RPG concepts on top of this structure; these include AoEs, DoTs, grapples and combos, creating a tactical battle full of depth. Who will oppose you... Our heroines! More characters to come! Also our game will feature voice acting and handmade frame by frame animations. Like some old anime we decided to refrain from using automatic lip sync and blinking. Here is the result: Thanks for reading so far! We are a young indie studio but this is not our first Visual Novel! We are always looking for new ways to improve so this time we decided to be as much open as possible towards the community. We learned from past experiences that getting some honest feedback is the most important part and this time we will apply this to the letter. - What do you think about our project in general? - Do you like our skill system and the possibility to build your character as you like? - Do you believe the RPG-VN mix could work? - Is there anything you would change or improve? We are eager to work with you guys and keep discussing with you about this project. This is our most ambitious work and we are very passionate about it, we really want to create something that will not be forgotten after a week... at least we hope so! =) We are on Kickstarter! https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/2044603064/lisistrata For daily updates check out our Twitter! https://twitter.com/NeoclassicGames If you don't use twitter so much, we have just created a Facebook page. (it's literally brand new). https://www.facebook.com/neoclassicgames/ Thanks and have a great day!
    1 point
  14. Dergonu

    Hello!!

    I'm pretty bad at translating someone else's English into Japanese, so it is far from perfect: ようこそ! ここ、日本人のユーザーは少ないですね。(I use a comma to mark a natural stop, instead of putting a particle like で or には, as it just sounds better to me that way. This is an example of a less stiff, yet still polite sentence.) 他のメンバーのおすすめが聞きたいなら、ここで沢山ありますよ!(Insert link to the recommendation forum) We probably shouldn't completely hog this thread though, so if you want some more help, feel free to send me a PM!
    1 point
  15. A Sky Full of Stars is from MoeNovel. That says it all right there. Just wait for that group to add the h-scenes back into it before you read it. Hatsukoi 1/1 personally bored me to death, but who knows what it'll do for you. Tsujidou isn't like MajiKoi in a lot of ways, so I'd recommend giving it a shot and seeing if you like it. The White Album 2 TL is garbage, almost machine TL levels of bad, so avoid it at all costs. And for the original question, I haven't tried either, mainly because one isn't out and the other has a poor release, so wait until Magical Marriage Lunatics as Mangagamer almost always releases quality translations nowadays.
    1 point
  16. P.E exam? I never tried that. The closest thing was a PE teacher who didn't bother to keep track of how well each student performed. Instead we just had to run for 12 minutes and count how many rounds you could make on the track. The higher the count, the higher the grade. Most students hated it, but I was thinking like "it's just 12 minutes and it always give me a better grade than my general performance would provide". Back then I trained running daily. I called the training game "catching the bus". Math and physics. While I generally view those as fun topics, they quickly lose the fun part when approaching any kind of test. Good luck with your exams. EDIT: actually "fckin P.E". Somehow I suspect what you are talking about is less adult than you make it sound like. "f*ing physical exercise" sounds like fun.
    1 point
  17. Dergonu

    Hello!!

    Like Ayase said: You also used a pretty strange mix of forms, like なさい, which really isn't used when speaking to strangers. (Especially not when you are trying to come off as polite. なさい is very commanding, like "do this!", so using it mixed with long forms makes the sentence a little confusing. ならば is also a bit strange. Bit too stiff, maybe? You don't really hear people use stuff like that in normal spoken Japanese.
    1 point
  18. Dergonu

    MIKU! (/・ω・)/

    MIKU! (/・ω・)/
    1 point
  19. hello and welcome. hope you enjoy it here, and make lots of new friends.
    1 point
  20. Not even going to touch the traps = gay argument. Honestly, though, ever since Trump got elected to the WH, I've lost contact with several inlaws who think he's the best thing since sliced bread. Granted, the "lost contact" is kind of on my part but after they told me they'd "pray for me", I was like "Buh-bye" and blocked/unfriended them. (To my defense, these people are pretty shitty individuals and are pretty much borderline-white power/supremacists types. Must've really spun their world upside down with their grandson/nephew married an Asian chick. ) Arguing with people who loves Trump and think Hillary Clinton is the devil (Also thinks Alex Jones is telling the truth when he talks about the lizard people) is...the worst thing I've done. I don't even bother anymore.
    1 point
  21. I hop so too as well, so let me say welcome to Fuwanovel and I hope you'll enjoy yourself here. Also if you need more VN Recommendations, just ask us here.
    1 point
  22. Dreamysyu

    Hope will get along!

    Werukamu tsu Fuwa!
    1 point
  23. l'm afraid the only possible punishment for thread necromancy is death. We'll miss you. You should never believe the hype unless you know the game is exactly up your alley. I keep healthy skepticism to everything I approach unless I can tell it will cater precisely to my tastes (I'm a simple man, you see, give me a piece of cute, well-written yuri and I'll never be disappointed). I find it funny btw that this whole thread is about hating on the Grisaia's common route which is probably my favorite part of it. I've always found it very well written and relaxing. Well, to each their own, this world would be boring without polar-opposite opinions.
    1 point
  24. Thomas

    Hope will get along!

    Hi there and welcome to Fuwa, have a nice stay here
    1 point
  25. well well, Welcome to Fuwa こちらこそ よろしく いたします。
    1 point
  26. Well, so it seems Fate/Stay night won So be it. I'll eventually read all of them anyway, so it's just a matter of what to pick as gateway to a new, unfamiliar genre for me. Thank you all for your suggestions, I really appreciate them and will keep them in mind for the future.
    1 point
  27. I like the way you think. Serious truth there.
    1 point
  28. Felt this way with Higurashi. Could hardly finish it. EDIT: SSSHHHiiii...didn't notice how old this thread is, mea culpa mea cupla. Even though I'd quoted the damn thing, didn't see the dates until now. (my excuse, it was 6 in the morning on a Sunday after a night of pork belly, kimchi and soju. God, so much soju.)
    1 point
  29. Kara no Shoujo, obviously
    1 point
  30. Well, I love Shinsekai Yori and I'm not a big fan of Evangelion, and I like both of these, so there's that. But, on the other hand, Subahibi is pretty similar to Evangelion, so it'll probably be safer to avoid it. As for Umineko, it's just its own thing. I can't really compare it to any other anime or VN I've read/watched. I wouldn't use MLA as a reference, the way it handles action is very different. I don't thing it's possible to see if you are going to like this type of the VN before you try them. Oh, yeah, it's very different from the other Key VNs. I wouldn't recommend even comparing it to them, because it's just different. It has a comedic common route which is pretty standard for Key VNs, but then goes a completely different way. For example, one route is a standard chuunige-like action, and another is more of the mystery-horror type of the story, and the third route is more about "politics". One great thing about this VN is its worldbuilding, but it also has quite a lot of plot-holes.
    1 point
  31. I voted for FSN, since as Dreamysyu said you don't have anything similar in your list, it'll do just fine if you want to try different things! ^.^ Rewrite seems good for you too, looking at your list. Subahibi seems like a way too drastic change of what you usually read, so I would vote against that unless you're prepared to go waaaaaaaay out of your confort zone.
    1 point
  32. Dergonu

    Birthday thread

    Thanks! ^^ I could tell you... but I'd have to kill you.
    1 point
  33. Hahaha, yeah... that happened, didn't it?
    1 point
  34. Darklord Rooke

    Birthday thread

    Happy (late) birthday, @Down. Good luck with the science Happy (late) birthday to @Dergonu also, good luck with ... whatever it is you do And happy birthday to @Zalor and @Dreamysyu too!
    1 point
  35. Rewatching Cross Game - for the fourth time - with the whole family. Truly a remarkable anime and deservedly one of the few to score a 10/10 in my ratings.
    1 point
  36. I've seen that arguement before, but aren't most trap characters just crossdressers, rather than transsexuals? I understand that they might encourage negative stereotypes, but that doesn't seem to be the intention in most cases. --- Going back to the topic, I've one had a day-long political arguement with someone on YouTube until we both realized that I've misunderstood his initial arguement and we actually agreed with each other all along. GG.
    1 point
  37. "too large" and now we have 'moticons like
    1 point
  38. Pretty much anyone who hates on English dubs for either outdated reasons (many of them have likely not given a good dub a chance) or stupid reasons ("no emotion" "Japanese/original is always 100% better no questions asked" "I can feel the better acting in Japanese even though I don't understand the language" "Dubs suck because everyone on the internet says so") It's one thing to prefer a language and you're fine to like subs more but hating on things for dumb/uneducated reasons has made me just avoid any topic related to dubs vs subs or hating on dubs since otherwise it'll just be me arguing with ignorant bigots.
    1 point
  39. sasuga, senior. also, idk. i once argued with @Dergonu about asuna's nipple or something once.
    1 point
  40. Internet arguments are a lost cause that I try not have. If a person can't acknowledge that I'm right in every circumstance then why bother.
    1 point
  41. Every single "Trap's are gay" argument that people make despite it being obvious that if the trap has sufficiently feminine features apart from her genitals, you are totally straight.
    1 point
  42. Went through 3 different game engines and ultimately went back to Ren'Py. It doesn't look as flashy as Tyrano or VNM, but JAYSUS, it gets the job done. SOOOO CLOSE TO A WORKING DEMO. The prologue itself is around 13-14k words, which is roughly around half an hour of play, if one reads fast enough, I'spose. Have updated SSs to share: Really hoping to have the demo ready by the end of THIS WEEK. I'm just waiting for one CG scene to be colored/shaded.
    1 point
  43. Plk_Lesiak

    Moe

    Moe is good for one thing - mindless relaxation - and it's a thing I'm very often looking for in anime and VNs. Moege and moe anime are horribly trope-ridden and can be boring in a long run even for people that are very much into the formula, but when combined with really good art and writing (latest example - Fureraba, for anime I would point towards New Game!) it's one of my favorite forms of entertainment. I fully understand those hating it though, I'm a well-known admirer of generic crap that other people can't stand for very legitimate reasons.
    1 point
  44. I tried reading the oneshot About the Reckless Girl Who Kept Challenging a Reborn Man Like Me because I was intrigued by its high rating on NU, and it didn't disappoint. The morale of the story is actually pretty simple, but at the same time it's something I still can't make myself accept to this day. Recommend for younger readers (below 25, I guess).
    1 point
  45. I'd say, try it. Even though this thread has a lot of , a lot of people liked this VN, so who knows? You may like it too.
    1 point
  46. Rewrite kinda has the same problem, common route is too long and tries too much to be funny (but it kinda works, because of what happens afterwards). Grisaia is beyond saving. Walking-deus-ex-machina-plot-device-protag really doesn't work in a comedy setting, imo. (He still doesn't work in the routes, at least for me, but that might be because I hate those kind of protagonists)
    1 point
  47. >reusing the same jokes and stereotypes seven million times >fun
    1 point
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