Okarin

Clannad?

I was gonna say Kira Kira, but beware of the sad ending for one of the main characters. Hoshizora no Memoria also has room for a lot of sadness, but all's well that ends well. Shuffle is a-okay, but maybe you're not in the mood for H-scenes, also playing it in summer is where the fun is.

The story so far:

I don't really care for semantics here. My point is, if I like mostly the same things as those disgusting people, I'm like them in more than one way. Where do the similarities end? That's never clear.

I always find this so confusing. Is there really a significant difference between die-hard otaku and "mild" otaku? (I like to be clean, and take showers, and go outside, and exercise, but I like a lot of the regular otaku stuff, where do we draw the line?)

I would avoid nakige, because depression can be tricky with sad scenes, and they're a-plenty in those games. For example, take Little Busters: the protag goes around solving the heroines' problems, and they're not nice. I think you should focus on heartwarming stories, and they're plentiful in VNs, some have been mentioned.

It could go either way, but you really need to be in the mood for reading about screwed up people.

They are different mediums, anime tends to have less chaff than your average VN, but without the chaff, the VN feels rushed. VNs drag on because you have to read, and stop to enjoy the animations, or the voice acting, or the CG, it's a slower process than anime. I used to think only long VNs, 50+ hours, could achieve something really great. So I stand by that point. About the "lolicon drug addict", if you overlook all the crazy sex [that, ultimately, is justified by the story, unlike the other cases], you have a pretty good story about escapism and its consequences. Though actually I tend to read VNs whole, so I couldn't exactly leave her out, or Mizuki, for that case.

This is a game that's about real-life problems, but addressed in a pretty shallow way, most of the time. I don't think much of the writing. I believe each route's problem was portrayed in the intro: Aeka - Bullying, Mizuki - "Interpersonal", Nekoko - Drugs. So you have a bare knowledge of what to expect. The sex... is prominent here, at least in Mizuki's case it's kinda justified [as she's pretty mental]. I'm surprised Yume Miru Kusuri had all the popularity it had, because it certainly isn't what people want to read most of the time. Also, to expect character development in a 3-heroine, 30-hour game isn't very realistic. Though it probably can be done better.

About Mizuki, if you really wanna know...

If you want one little more advice, don't play Mizuki's... it will make you angry. Maybe you should move on to another VN?

Got it. Seems this little novel is conquering Steam, not exactly PUBG, but the devs should be getting a lot of attention.

Hype is bad, but hyping over a free game... it's okay.

@Akshay I know it's no moege, it just poses like one, then hits hard with a twist, like thrillers do. That much I got. @Beichuuka No, I either wanna read it or not, no middle ground. At the very least, it shouldn't be plain... and that has its merit.

I don't know, I last read Love at first sight, everyone praises it. I found it just... normal... "futsuu" in Morishita-parlance (TM). Everything that deviates from the common moege is good (and still some moege don't hurt from time to time), but enough to warrant a read? I don't know.

Besides, Steins;Gate happens on a hot summer, and everyone knows that summer is the superior season and when you score all the girls. (Even though I now like more the winter, I still appreciate summer, I was influenced early by Kimagure Orange Road and my pumping serotonin).

The idea of separating your net ID from your actual ID is interesting. Still, I feel like I have nothing to hide. The proper way to play a pen-and-paper RPG is physically, around a table with snacks, etc. It really can connect you to people, but you shouldn't go recruiting just anyone. You'd need a bare minimum of a bond to get people into the group. That's why it's difficult to create a group from scratch. Maybe if you get into a decent-sized group (like 7 people) in university, work, etc. And still being the DM is kinda a responsibility. Also, don't worry about it being a grand time for RPGs - they still survive and will do it, so if you really like it, there's a place for you.

You can also start your own group IRL, provided you have the will. Or look around in your city. Sometimes, "specialised stores" come in handy for that. Other times it's more difficult. Anyway, now's not a very shining time for RPGs.

Hmmm I think JRPG have known better times, but probably the problem originates in Japan and not the West, it's true most of the relevant ones make their way here. Still, like Nandemonai said, they're more commonly found in portable devices, and in the Vita they make up the backbone of the library, but only because everyone else isn't willing to release something on it.

Also Yume Miru's BGM are very good, though limited in variety.

- Okabe: because he shows that madness can be badass. - Shoichi Suganuma from Deardrops: the voice of reason, but still with his shortcomings.

We'll need to accustom to shitty translations and shitfests such as Libra of the Vampire Princess. Hopefully there's more to choose from. A Konosora fandisc with bad TL isn't a good prospect, compared to an actual decent VN. Oh, and I advocate for boycotting MoeNovel.

It's true the situation has improved dramatically compared to the past. Still, you'd need to measure the actual quality of those games as well as their market success. They get to the West, but how much do they sell? At least I take comfort in that Fire Emblem is finally recognised worldwide. Now Sega, bring over those Shining games. But we have to enjoy the fact that at least they get here.

I meant in general. Maybe some JRPG such as Bravely Default, Setsuna or FFXV (especially this one since it's more of a blockbuster) sell well, but they're far from the big hits. It's still a niche market. Compare with hits such as The Witcher 3. Still, FF7 carved its own fame with stunning graphics (for that era, now they look ugly), long playtime with like 4 CDs, and the rest of the pack. It's reasonable that to cause such a big impact again, you need to invest heavily into such a game. And really, hardly anyone is willing to do so.

Well, first they were the JRPGs. A lot of good titles remained locked in Japan during the 90s and early 2000s. Soon it was proven that there was a global market for all kinds of RPGs, which didn't seem to be the companies' opinion at first. Then everyone wanted to be the next Final Fantasy VII. I'm pretty sure there has been a bubble with JRPG. Now they don't draw as much attention anymore.