What are you playing?

[Eclipsed]

Yo dw Zen-kun, F/sn will  be my priority big read for 2016, right after I do my other priority read ala Texas Dice's Kira☆Kira he suggested to me some many years ago.

Btw, did you ever come home yet

[Decay]

>not reading Gahkthun

Read Gahkthun.

[Eclipsed]

Sold, after Christmas I'll try again and see if I can finish Sharnoth, then if successful I'll go Gahkthun, then after New Years it's Fate/Stay time

I'd say odds are 10/90, with the 90 being I play one of my shatty JRPGs instead.

 

[LiquidShu]

Made notable progress on Koisuru Natsu no Last Resort the past few days. 

Nagisa so far is hands down the best girl. I couldn't stop gushing over her during her route  The plot in all of the routes so far is pretty much nonexistent, but they are all super cute so I don't really care, all I need from this is a laugh and a smile. Doing Riho's right now and she is a sex machine, hot damn.

After Riho I will only have Shiori left and then I can move on. 

[XReaper]

skipped the obligatory family meeting & decided on continue enjoying the 解放少女 SIN festa of his!
rejoice fellow beeings of solitude, your not alone when disiring to spend christmas eve with utterly broken waifus, instead of 3dpd´s who´ve already abandoned you a longe time ago.

[Eclipsed]

Snuck in an hour of Shikkoku no Sharnoth,on like Act 6 Part 2

The repetitive & episodic nature of this VN makes this hard to grind for long sessions, (not like I have time right now anyway

Doesn't really help that you have to go through 5 minigames / half the story just to finally know exactly why the minigames are happening in the first place, until then Mary's just running around in the dark like a headless chicken never able to get any answers cuz M's a douche so she has no choice but to just go with the flow.

The episodes themselves are lackluster, the characters from each one were never able to feel fully developed nor make me care for them. Denny was kinda cool I guess..

The overlying mystery behind Sharnoth and Mary's golden eye doesn't look like it'll turn out to be anything grand, hopefully I'm wrong, though I'm feeling it'll just be something that's easily explained in one or two sentences just like the Metacreatures were.

Minigames are alright. Will admit that I do tend to get pumped up each time one starts cuz the BGM is awesome. And it's fun letting Mary go into Despair 

[HotTrax]

tsuminohi tria - I like the addition of more in the engine. The wait is real. 

 

Tsubura design I like thebest. 

Also Ai = Que!!

 

[XReaper]

so kaido finally reached the boiling point of his in 解放少女 SIN - guess its time to bring the heinous reign of feminism to an end! oh twisted beeing of utter falseness, the innocent friend of thine is long since gone - rape, muder or worse - the stage is set for a grand finale thats yet to come...
 

edit: this part of liberation maiden is by almost all means an anti muv-luv so to say, featuring an anti cast, anti everyday story, anti interpersonal relationships & for the very most parts anti romance. on the bright side (& there isnt much light elsewhere XD) its animelike animations really manage to draw you in plus its hillarious humour pretty much hits the mark!

[Homaru]

Just started playing Noble works, I have want to read a Yuzusoft vn for a while now.

[Fred the Barber]

I haven't played a VN in at least a week, maybe two, even though I've had plenty of time. Makes me guilty. This weekend, I will change that - I'm going to power through as much Clannad as I can manage to try to get back on track. I feel like if I can finish off the rest and reach Nagisa's storyline, I'll be able to see it through, but I'm so far still stuck finishing endless other storylines that I feel less invested in just to make sure I can eventually get the true ending...

Too many other fun things waiting - I'm reevaluating KoiChoco, which I had previously planned to do next, since I was hoping for it to be a quick fun break, but it's apparently rather long according to VNDB. It's time to go do my Christmas shopping for myself, regardless, to pick up a couple more VNs to add to my backlog. Gahkthun is definitely getting imported this time around, and it might end up being the next thing I play after Clannad, given Decay's simple and to-the-point recommendation; it's probably also time I finally picked up a copy of Ever17.

[Satsuki]

Done with Fall in Love x 4tune.

Gosh, Escu:de seriously needs to stop trying to force dramatic plot development into their games. It just...doesn't work, like, at all.

[Eclipsed]

Now that the moajity of the festivies should be over, at least until new years, its gtime to binge on Shikuku no Sharnoth 

~~
@Fred, psjhhhsd, one weak is nothung, though, you shoudl definithely go Gahkthun next, so we can party hardty cuz I should be getting that soon myself

[Zantax]

Small question (if anyone is able to help me...)

How difficult Hapymaher is (compared to Irotoridori no Sekai / Astralair / Little Busters / Ichiban janakya dame desu ka [stuff I already read in japanese]). I'm asking this because I started reading Hapymaher, but found it quite troublesome to understand in some parts. I'm wondering if that's just my rusty skills, of that VN is just more difficult...

[Turnip Sensei]

Gahkthun was pretty damn amazing. Fist things first, I need to hype those who haven't yet realized its brilliance. 

• The game looks amazing. Designs are sleek, and the CGs and characters designs are gorgeous, shining with vibrant colors.  
• Writing is beautiful, meaningful and truly a joy to read, from mundane dialogue to poetic narration. The translation is top notch too. I was pleasantly surprised to see such charming classical English, and having to reach for English dictionary from time to time.  
• The characters are great. Especially Tesla & Neon, but the members of the council and some other side characters are beautifully realized as well. The women of Gahkthun take the spotlight most of time, and for a good reason. Steampunk games host many of the best female characters I've seen and Gahkthun is not an exception. Trying to sum up them briefly or lump them together wouldn't do them any justice, so just take my word for it. The women of Gahkhun are truly impressive.    

Now, few meaningful words for those already familiar with Steampunk games, for those have read Gahkthun or for those filled with curiosity, dying to learn more. (This part doesn't contain spoilers)  

Like mentioned above the translation is top notch. Koestl did a amazing job at presenting Sakurai's writing in English. I can't say I'm an expert at either English or Japanese, but Gahkhtun translation managed to bring the quirks of Sakurai's writing to English, in a way that flows well, but doesn't lose the poetic charm. Compared to the rather heavy feel of the translations for Inganock and Sharnoth, the English in Gahkthun feels ever so satisfying to read and not one bit unwieldy.
The quirks in speech patterns and exclusion of honorifics is handled really well, like Decay previously mentioned. All the characters feel really natural with the way they speak, not staying unnecessary faithful for the Japanese speech structures.   

 

Gahkhun does away with some the repetition typical to Sakurai's writing which is mostly a good thing, especially in battle scenes. Now the battles feels more like actual fights, compared Inganock's almost metaphorical confrontations. Charming incantations are still there, so are repeating descriptions for strengthening the image of an important environment, and of course thematic repetitions and the small important changes in all of them. The "an exercise for the reader" segments do this especially well, presenting the theme of a chapter in rather charming way. It also replaces the minigames from previous games and is mostly likely much less frustrating for many people.   

 

The pacing of episodes is little better compared to Sharnoth and Inganock. Events flow more naturally from one to another and there's more sense of progression between episodes. The structure is still mostly the same with smaller self contained episodes, although this time there's also smaller episodes that lead to more dramatic ones, bit like interludes, but very robust ones.

 

The Encyclopedia for the Steampunk terms is a like gift from the gods to any fan. There's so much intriguing information, things that were hidden inside the games or never properly clarified, now in easily accessible form. Reading things about the state of the world, its influential figures, technology, I can't but marvel once again how much love and dedication has been put into the series. I feel like it's also a handy tool for a newcomer, but I personally found it more interesting for reading more about things you already know about. I skipped the entries connected to games I haven't finished yet on purpose, as it seems like it would be a waste to know more than the original game intended. Part of the charm in Steampunk games comes from mysteries after all.   

 

The scenes with sex are pretty unique in Steampunk games, at least in those I've read. They are rather tasteful, meaningful and their purpose is not (just) arouse the reader. Not only are the scenes shown from the perspective of the girl, but they also focus on the mental side of things. What she is thinking, what she is seeking, what kind of emotions and insecurities are running through her head, what she is feeling; those kinds of things. The scenes are not only about sex, but also about, or rather more importantly about the characters, their personalities, their situations...
Sadly Gahkthun takes are small step backwards on this front. The scenes still hold most of the same characteristics, but at times it feels like there's just sex for the sake of sex, unneeded titillation. Some scenes also feel like they come closer to normal H-scenes in their execution, sacrificing the unique elements for descriptions of the act in question. A small disappointment compared to Inganock, for example.  

 

If you didn't already realize, I kinda love Gahkthun, as I love all the other Steampunk games. The world they have created is really interesting and the games are always filled with amazing characters. Especially the women. I don't know how to put it into words, but at least these women are quite unlike anything I've read elsewhere. 
Steampunks games truly capture their own essence in their names; "Beautiful" is just the right word the describe them. Not only is the text and writing itself beautiful, so are the contents and themes. 

 

Maybe I should say something about the story as well. In it's core Gahkthun is very much a superhero story. Of course it's also much more than that, but superhero story describes it pretty well. It's a superhero story, but also a story about the hundred thousand students of Marseille Offshore Academia. A tale about the errors of their youth and their radiance.  

Now I'll just have to go through some literature references that caught my attention in Gahkthun, read the rest of the Steampunk games and become an even bigger fan. 

[FinalChaos]

Had got a bit busy and ended up stalling Euphoria for while.
Have got back to it now and finished Nemu's route, moving on with Rika's next.

Okay now for my thoughts.....
1. The most disturbing scene for me was the turn 5 for Nemu, sat through the whole thing with my hands covering half the screen. But it seems my adaptability got to work and I was able to 'breeze' through the following scenes.
2. The hyped washing machine was ......... a bit of a letdown I guess, think it's the fault all the over-hype.
3. Nemu's true intentions, well there were plenty of hints so it wasn't too much of a surprise. Still that doesn't make me like her, neither do I explicitly hate her   though.
4. I'm quite interested in the fact that who is actually behind all this. Hopefully we get a good revelation.     

[Eclipsed]

Joining the Gahkthun hyptrain  

Gahkthun was pretty damn amazing. Fist things first, I need to hype those who haven't yet realized its brilliance. 

Well, you definitely hyped me up 

Having finished Sharnoth recently I will admit that my main beef with it was the repetition and pacing of episodes; if Gahkthun improves on these as you say along with having more awesome women take the spotlight I will definitely be one miiighty happy camper

[Chronopolis]

Small question (if anyone is able to help me...)

How difficult Hapymaher is (compared to Irotoridori no Sekai / Astralair / Little Busters / Ichiban janakya dame desu ka [stuff I already read in japanese]). I'm asking this because I started reading Hapymaher, but found it quite troublesome to understand in some parts. I'm wondering if that's just my rusty skills, of that VN is just more difficult...

Hapymaher is a little bit prosy. I had quite some difficulty reading it when I tried reading it last year. I have it rated as Moderate for vocabulary and a Moderate+ for prose. Where as the stuff you mentioned might be in the Novice or Novice+/Moderate- range.

Edited December 26, 2015 by Chronopolis

[Turnip Sensei]

Joining the Gahkthun hyptrain  

Gahkthun was pretty damn amazing. Fist things first, I need to hype those who haven't yet realized its brilliance. 

Well, you definitely hyped me up 

Having finished Sharnoth recently I will admit that my main beef with it was the repetition and pacing of episodes; if Gahkthun improves on these as you say along with having more awesome women take the spotlight I will definitely be one miiighty happy camper

Yup yup, everyone on board the Gahkthun hypetrain! It runs on steam and is filled with pretty attendants.

I had the most awkward dinner in while. My thoughts were so deeply in Gahkthun that I started sounding like Tesla; randomly answering with "I see" and "Hmm" to everything without really thinking or listening what the others said. Whoops.
So I decided read Planetarian afterwards in order to get my thoughts out of Gahkthun. It certainly worked, but now there's different kind of emptiness inside me. And few tear soaked handkerchiefs on my desk... 

[Zantax]

Small question (if anyone is able to help me...)

How difficult Hapymaher is (compared to Irotoridori no Sekai / Astralair / Little Busters / Ichiban janakya dame desu ka [stuff I already read in japanese]). I'm asking this because I started reading Hapymaher, but found it quite troublesome to understand in some parts. I'm wondering if that's just my rusty skills, of that VN is just more difficult...

Hapymaher is a little bit prosy. I had quite some difficulty reading it when I tried reading it last year. I have it rated as Moderate for vocabulary and a Moderate+ for prose. Where as the stuff you mentioned might be in the Novice or Novice+/Moderate- range.

Well, it seems i have to give up on reading this for now then. I thought my reading skills are somewhat OK-ish, but really, it's still way to go...

[Deep Blue]

gonna finish augment, doing nami's route now, really cool character but all the her jokes slips away with me (boke), there are many references that I don't get a lot of times she even leaves perplex the protagonist which is 80 years old xD

[Vokoca]

Currently recovering from the shock of getting the best looking heroine for 5 minutes and then having her taken away again. That's dirty, 5pb.. D: You don't make designs that I love and then use them for like 1% of the VN... that's... that's just too much for my heart.

Well, I've got Yamazoe's route left, I have absolutely no idea what to expect from that. She never really struck me as a heroine kind of character (thought the last route would be Kunosato, haha). Well, come at me Umehara, I'm curious what you have in stock next.

[LinovaA]

I'm putting Tears to Tiara on indefinite hold. I hate saying that I dropped something, so it is just going to sit there for the rest of time. Unless it pulls off some mad changes later in the visual novel, I just saw no hope for it and just can't bring myself to muscle my way through it. I'll probably read one more TL'd visual novel before I jump back into reading UnTL'd. I am thinking of reading Shikkoku no Sharnoth, as it has been burning a hole in my visual novel folder for quite some time.

I'm not sure what I am going to read after that though. If I foresee a time where I will be home for a considerable amount of time, I may bite the bullet and read Sakura no Uta. The visual novel's resolution is way too big for my laptop, so I have to hook up my laptop to a monitor in order for it to fit. Although, unless I fix ITH's issue with unique characters, or find some alternative, I may shove that to the side as well until I am less of a kanji-pleb.

To end the late-night ramblings though, I am thinking I will move on to "Hello, World" after Sharnoth. It has been sitting in the backlog for way too long, and is something that has interested me for a large amount of time since I was first exposed to the medium.

[LiquidShu]

In the middle of Shiori's route right? Then out of left field she jacks him off and they start fucking. I thought Nagisa/Riho had a lot but at least I could see why, kind of. 

[XReaper]

ready to enter the finale spurt on my way reading 解放少女 SIN. really love how this seemingly cute & fluffy story does well in making me feel seriously bad mentally/physically, as the message it´s trying to convey to this novels reader goes that you´re done for good, if having screwed up even once in the past and therefore it´s fine/okay when getting treated trashlike, or worse.
still hoping for the best, means kaido beeing able to overcome this sort of obstacle and triumph over those who´ve greatly doubted his qualities/skills, or even denied his existence beeing worthy called that of a fellow human.

[Wonderfullyevil]

Recently played ebi-hime's Asphyxia. It was surprisingly good. The writing was flowery and fluid (a stark contrast to most things you'd find tl'ed or originally in english) and the vocab is rather wide. The handling of its subject matter (depression) was done really well. It never glorified Samantha's unhealthy obsession with Lillian, and how she handled things. It was portrayed to be exactly that -- unhealthy. But at the same time, it understood how difficult it is to cope with it. But despite the subject matter, it also knew how to be funny. The humor blended well into the characters' conversations. Speaking of which, the characters were very good too. Their beliefs were defined; often conflicting with each other, and it shows in their personality, and also their chemistry. The way Sam acted around Roberta is different from the way she acted around Lillian, and so on. If you're familiar with the figures as romantic poets you'll find that most of their comments -- from the more grounded ones to the more WTFLOL ones -- are based on reality. And it's very pleasing, and enjoyable. ebi-hime included a notes section which details their lives so even if you're unfamiliar with them, you could enjoy that small aspect of it. There is very little for me to complain about. Hope more people support it.