Clephas

I never really experienced this... but this is mostly because my type of speed reading doesn't require my eyes to be focused. I basically absorb the text paragraph by paragraph and read it in the back of my mind even as I go onto the next. The fastest method is the page-by-page one... but that tires you out faster... My own reading speed is about eight pages a minute at its highest and 1.5 pages a minute at its lowest....

I'd suggest actively developing a varied skill set, because you can never tell what might be of use in a job interview. Reading speed and comprehension, touch-typing mastery and speed, and critical thinking are the basics... and if you can do that, it is possible to learn to do a lot of different jobs. Well, that and learning to brown-nose like crazy. Edit: A knowledge of sociology and psychology is useful for management positions, for instance (as long as you don't start trying to fit everyone into archetypes). Also, I suggest learning to cook and cook well, because you'd be surprised at how often decent baked goods or a casserole can up your chances for a promotion or a shift to a department you'd prefer. People who have recently devoured good food are easy to manipulate, lol.

For those of us that have graduated from high school and are in the midst of higher education (technically, I came back to higher education two years ago), one of the biggest issues is balancing work and college with our otaku life. If you are primarily working retail, I'm sorry to say that you are screwed. Long hours, low pay, and a frequently unpredictable work schedule combined with the need to study... it is only natural that your otaku life will vanish (mine did for about a year when I was 18-19). My basic advice is... find a job that pays either the same or more than a retail job from home, so you can manage your hours to give you time to play, watch, and/or read your otaku materials. This is the path I went down... and I will never regret it, despite the fact that my particular line of work is frequently hellish in terms of how much time it eats. College... an ideal solution is learning to speed read effectively. The minimum pace at which you should be able to read to effectively compress your college study time is a page every 1.3 minutes. Why do I say this? Because most textbook chapters are about 12-21 pages long, and if you read at that pace, you can generally finish a chapter in about a half hour or so. Assuming you read each chapter twice, in order to retain more of it in your memory, this means you spend an hour on each chapter (other than note-taking). Since a pace of two chapters a week is generally all you need to keep up in most courses (in my experience anyway), this means you can spend less time studying and more time playing, watching, etc. To be honest, speed-reading isn't something everyone is going to be able to pick up. Some people just don't have the right type of brain structure to absorb large amounts of text quickly. Others can't adapt to particular speed-reading techniques. Yet others simply can't learn well from text and need to have it explained to them verbally or in pictures. Either way, this can eat more time. Another way of compressing time is to take as many classes as you can in distance learning, read the textbook quickly, then complete all the required course work in a matter of days or weeks. To be honest, the kind of concentration this takes is beyond most people. It is hard on the body and brain, and most people simply don't concentrate that well on educational materials. Another problem is that you need to pick out the right professor for your distance learning. Some force you to obey a schedule, whereas others let you simply do everything at your own pace. The latter is definitely preferable, as it allows you to rapidly complete your coursework whenever you have time. The last time-compressing method (one of my primary ones) is extreme multitasking done through parallel mental processing. To be honest, this method is... hard on the brain. In my experience, this method should really only be used in emergencies (sort of like energy drinks). Basically, you visualize a task you need to do as being compressed into a box and separated from the other task you want to do. In my case, this usually means reading a vn and typing for work at the same time (I usually set the VN on auto at half the normal speed). I basically absorb all the information I need to do my work beforehand, organize it inside my brain, then start the vn and let my hands act independently of my eyes. This really only works if your work-task is something that doesn't require the use of your eyes, and I generally have to go through my work and correct misspellings and grammatical errors caused by bad spacing and the like afterward. I'm actually unsure if this is something other people can do, as I learned to do this out of desperation so I could play more VNs despite a growing workload. The biggest downside to this is that I sometimes fall apart completely afterward and have to sleep for fourteen hours straight to get functional again... it is a lot like translating, since I have to think in two languages at once, lol (I could never have done this without my experience as a fansubber-translator). Anyway, as you probably guessed, this is basically a 'balance rl with otakuism' thread. Feel free to post your own experiences and methodology here for others' viewing. Edit: Don't ask me about details about how to do the parallel multitasking... I figured it out by intuition, and I'm about 90% sure my brain structure is abnormal in some way...

1. Lelouch from Code Geass: For being the most wonderfully melodramatic anime character I've ever encountered and for sticking with his purpose to the end. 2. Hei from Darker than Black: If you've seen the anime, you know why... if you haven't, watch it. 3. Anomander Rake, from the Malazan Book of the Fallen novel series

Mmm... tbh, it is hard for me to anticipate something that far off, when it comes to VNs... I like Yuzusoft, but I have other stuff to pay attention to before that, lol.

I generally seed until I need to use the file or until it is time to stick it into my external hard drive... with anime episodes, I generally wait until the series is done, then move it to an external hard drive and delete the torrents. With VNs... I generally seed until I am ready to play them. It's really only with Bakabt that I seed for the sake of seeding...

For various reasons, I think the idea of a Grisaia anime is disgusting and evil... Well, really I just think so because the better a VN is, the more the anime disappoints those who read them. Also, because Grisaia has such a strong narrative element (internal monologues, event narration, etc.) it'll be virtually impossible for them to capture the magic of the VN in the anime...

どうでもいい。 Let him trace if he wants. No Game, No Life was an enjoyable anime, and that is all that matters to me.

Clephas' sweet tooth suggestions Add raisins soaked in cheap rum with extra sugar and a little honey for a month to baked cheesecake as a topping. Edit: Do not add any milk products to this while it is soaking, the results tend to be... unfortunate. Edit2: to clarify, generally speaking you want to strain out the parts of the mixture that are too fluid, as those tend to be the most bitter part in my experience. If you did it right, adding the honey, you should have a really nice gooey mass of raisins leftover to spread on your cheesecake. Add a little bourbon to the filling of a peach cobbler. Edit: The strong bitter flavor actually brings out the sweetness of the peaches. Make sure you add it to the mix before cook it. This actually works better with stovetop cobblers. Boil fresh mango slices in tequila until they are soft enough that they come apart when you pass a spoon through them. Then add vanilla ice cream. Edit: If you don't like the strong flavor, try adding one part water to two parts tequila.

A bit of trivia, I have found thirty-two VNs with references to Eternal Darkness - Sanity's End in the lines. I always rofl at references to SAN points, while shivering to remember just how... amazingly psychotic it could get when that green bar was down low.

Eternal Darkness on Gamecube. Before or since I have never encountered a game that creeped me out more than that one.

The new Tenchi also looks interesting (if only because I've been watching Tenchi ever since the first OVA and TV series came out, released by Pioneer in the US).

I'm interested in the Visual Novel Talk and Recommendations section mod posts, lol Edit: On second thought, me as a mod here would be terrible. Terrible for everyone else. I'm better off being moderated, lol.

Lovesick Puppies Part 1: Common and Himesato Isami First, this is one of those rare charage that I felt I could replay without feeling like I wanted to drill a hole in my skull to let out the boredom bugs. I absolutely love the side-characters in this game, and it has one of the better common routes I've encountered in a non-action, non-sci-fi/fantasy vn. This VN utilizes the visual engine from Yurikago yori Tenshi Made, which has eye blinks and a somewhat metallic/shiny look to the eyes that some people find creepy. There is also a lot of variance in expression in comparison to the average VN, which is another attraction for those interested in visuals. Common Route: The common route of this game is pretty long, as are the heroine paths... as such, it might be a much for the people who want something short and easy. The common route has all the ingredients of a good VN: good humor, good characters, and scenes that make you cry. The fact that the protagonist is a bit of a busybody, always poking his nose into other people's problems, will probably irritate some people... but it is his most obvious feature, so meh. Isami: Isami is your classic majime de amai heroine (meaning she is serious but a bit naive and easy to manipulate for the protag once they become lovers) who also happens to be a martial artist. It is my habit, going into a given VN, to always hit the heroines that have combat capability first (I know, I'm weird), so of course, she was the one I chose. Her path, once it gets past the ichaicha dating stage (which is pretty long) is focused on her relationship with her twin brother. tbh, this is one aspect I think Cosmic Cute failed on, in that they went looking for a conflict to use for the end-path drama and ended up with something a little too obvious and bland. On the bright side, the epilogue was perfectly to my taste... a 'future of the couple' ending that left me feeling 'yay, they turned out nicely'. Edit: Sonya: Sonya is the token foreign-descended girl for this VN. She is honest, kind-hearted, straightforward, and an artist to the core. She is a voice-actor and an anime fan with an honest love for her work, and she has a tendency to express her affection in a very direct manner (usually through hugs). Her route is fairly interesting, showing off some of the dark side of corporate celebrity while not going so deep as to make me sick to my stomach (I absolutely loathe excessively realistic entertainment industry-related drama). Her ending is fairly satisfying, and the epilogue, though only set a year after the path's end, does show what she and Kotarou are doing with their lives after things settled down.

MAL reviews aren't reliable in the first place... the more people in general like something, the more the ones who want to pose as connoisseurs of anime will bash them. Mahouka gives me hope for the fantasy and science fantasy genres, because it managed to escape the usual crap that plague gakuen-related action/fantasy. Edit: Tropes of gakuen fantasy: 1. Mystic/esper/magic/gene-altered abilities are only known to a select few 2. If the abilities are known to the general public, the story is primarily non-violent and slice-of-life focused 3. If 2 doesn't apply, the violence tends to be primarily comical, with only occasional serious/straightforward combo (Example:. To Aru series) 4. Protagonist is a non-entity or an idealist/pure good guy I was so glad it didn't fall into any of the trap-tropes above.

If he thinks he can't come back soon, I'm sure he'll set up a proxy. He's never struck me as being irresponsible... quite the reverse, actually. I like this site because it gives me a place to talk about VNs where everybody else isn't a jaded bastard who takes pleasure in poking holes in everybody else's fun. The only downside is the fact that most of what I talk about here is only directed to a small portion of the community (the Japanese-competent). As for motivation... to be blunt, if the community is good and the posts on the blog keep up, the forums probably won't die either. This is literally the only community I'm still involved with, so if Fuwa dies, I'll probably fade out permanently, lol

Well, it's over. Mahouka is over and the ending was great... even though it was obviously setting up for the second season we all desperately want. This last arc was everything I'd hoped it would be...

I hope Tay gets to feeling better soon...

tbh, this is one of the few requests I'm not confident of being able to answer... while a lot of VNs have elements of self-discovery included as part of the story, ones where self-discovery is the central theme are almost unheard of. At least part of this is because of the negative attitude the Japanese have for jibunsagashi. It is considered an abandonment of social responsibility... and considering the fact that the Japanese place more value on the individual's responsibility to society than the individual's responsibility to himself... well the results are predictable. That said, one comes to mind... Konata yori Kanata Made (despite the fact that there are events to the story, it is mostly about the protagonist's personal, internal matters). It says a lot about how rare that type of VN is that I've only played one that I think might suit you... To a lesser extent, Eden* comes to mind, for the latter half of the VN.

I devoured myself on numerous occasions, so of course I'm prepared. After all, we are all inside my stomachs.

Ok, at least twenty of yall bugged me on irc or in pms over the past few weeks to add Ar Nosurge to my list for this month. However, as I said to all of them, I was unsure of whether it could be classified as a VN at all... and now, after playing it for a few hours, I have my answer. No, it isn't a VN. Why? No narration of thoughts or actions in plot sequences. Generally speaking, if I was going to pinpoint something that absolutely has to be part of the VN storytelling experience... it is that. Without that, even if you have tachie and a lower-screen textbox you still don't have a VN. I really did seriously consider adding it to the list, if it turned out to be a VN. Unfortunately, it doesn't count. Edit: To clarify, while diving the game does use VN elements (as can be seen even from the galleries of pics available on the net), but it lacks the narration necessary to make it count.

Every action has a reaction. If you try to harm someone else, it comes back to you, eventually. That applies to the internet as well.

Update your VNDB profile so the English-speakers know what you've played.

As far as battle systems went, 1 and 2 were more enjoyable than 3...

Konakana (Konata Yori Kanata Made) Koisuru Doll to Omoi no Kiseki Eden* Sakura, Sakimashita Satsukoi Tokyo Babel Dekinai Watashi ga, Kurikaesu (main heroine only) Hotel. (the one by Akatsuki Works Black) Tsukiakari Lunch Natsuyume Nagisa Hikoukigumo no Mukougawa (the redheaded main heroine only) Amongst these, the ones that fit the tightest to the theme you want are Satsukoi, Hotel., Dekinai Watashi, Eden*, Konakana, and Sakura, Sakimashita. In particular, I recommend Hotel, Eden*, and Konakana. Edit: Understand, the ones that hit on this theme the hardest are 'end of the world', 'apocalypse', and utsuge. A straight nakige probably won't do a very good job of it (the knowledge that it will always end happily tends to ruin the feeling). Tokyo Babel just barely fits for it because of the protagonist's own sense of life and death and the setting. Some renai drama will also manage this (Hikoukigumo), but even most of them don't manage it... I almost listed Uruwashi no here, but it doesn't really fit, either.