Whats the reason for Katawa Shoujo always being recommended as "starter VN"?

[Nuka]

Just curious why everyone recommends it ALL THE TIME as an intro?

[mitchhamilton]

its usually a lot of peoples first visual novel. its a very calming vn to read with some interesting characters. it wasnt my first vn but it was the first vn i read where it made me realized how moving a visual novel can really be. it holds a special place in my heart, as im sure it does for others.

[ittaku]

It's free.

[Khazit]

Well, for starter, it's from 4chan, so because even 4chan is capable  of making something good, it'll restore your hope in humanity.

[TexasDice]

Because after the starter phase, most people become to pretentious to appreciate it. "I only read REAL japanese Visual Novels" and stuff like that.

[Vorathiel]

Katawa is a mixture of typical for VNs school setting, route system with one girl romance for each route with western patterns of behaviour in characters.
It's also not bad at all, have interesting characters, nice premise, some routes are really interesting, homour works, have a lot of 'feels', and it's just an easy reading.

People who do not 'live' in ocean of anime and mangas (like me) could bounce off the wall builded by silly characters, lolis, moe girls, typical japanesse jokes and quirks, and sudden, unrealistic h scenes that are common in japanesse VNs. Katawa have very little of this, so it's much easier for western people to get into visual novels through KS. Even h scenes are much more 'grounded', 'westerny' and simply more realistic and therefore - much better than 95% of h scenes in japan VNs.

I started with KS so I can say - it works. Then I went for Yume Miru Kursui and bounced off heavily. Fortunatelly G-Maou and S;G pulled me back to the world of VNs.

[Kurisu-Chan]

Because it's highly inspired by Key VNs.

[wyldstrykr]

because it is not sakura series? 

[WinterfuryZX]

Ignorant masses following the trends...

[Jun Inoue]

It has a bit of everything, it's short, it's not super anime-ish (all things considered), and so on. Generally, I think it's a typical first recommendation cuz that way people get a sample of what VNs are like in general, without scaring them by immediately recommending Discipline.

[Lucius]

It's okay. It swings between guilt-tripping and awkward disabled sex. Otherwise, it can be cute and 'calming' (more like boring, especially with the low quality sprites and the blend repetitive background scenery), as some have said. I wouldn't recommend it as a first VN though, as it might deceive you into thinking that all VNs are that dull. I think Clannad is better suited as a first VN, being more comical.

And comedy is pretty much a universal language.

[DarkZedge]

14 minutes ago, Jun Inoue said:

It has a bit of everything, it's short, it's not super anime-ish (all things considered), and so on. Generally, I think it's a typical first recommendation cuz that way people get a sample of what VNs are like in general, without scaring them by immediately recommending Discipline.

It's not only that but I think it's also because of it's impact...It's quite the moving vn and it can be used to show newcomers what vns in general as a medium are capable off the fact that it's free and not so time consuming also really helps people get into it, then there is the immersion factor.

It was my first vn and it holds quite the special place in my heart, I'll always appreciate KS deeply, not only for how special it is for me but also because of how good it is as well. Good characters, nice music, immersion, not too long, touching. It has a bit of everything without going overboard in with any of them.

[Jun Inoue]

14 minutes ago, Palas said:

Why start if not with the best?

Because the "best" for someone could be one VN with a super deep and complex story that would mind-fuck (in the bad way) any people new to this world. Or simple leave them indifferent, since they wouldn't even know what they were getting into.

I'm sure the best for someone who does gliding or climbing is to go for the extreme, to go do the awesome, albeit dangerous, stuff. But I very much doubt someone who just learned to properly climb would like to go climb a super steep mountain with no safe-guard or help.

[Lucius]

10 minutes ago, Palas said:

Spoiler

 

I don't think he's missing the point. I think Jun hit right on the mark. I don't think KS is the best VN, after all. Call my taste shit if you want. That won't change.

[ratboi]

I think homeward is the best starter VN.

[nohman]

It's free, easily available, readily playable without having to change your system locale or use appLocale, and it's mostly decent.
Also, sentimentality. Seems a lot of people started with it, so people tend to recommend it.

[Jun Inoue]

10 minutes ago, Lucius said:

I don't think he's missing the point. I think Jun hit right on the mark. I don't think KS is the best VN, after all. Call my taste shit if you want. That won't change.

And right you are. Much like Dark, KS holds a special place to me as one of my first VNs, but it's not a very impressive one. Not that it ever intended to be, and that's how we enjoyed it, as a nice introductory VN.

[Lucius]

2 minutes ago, Palas said:

Geez, that's it then, that's all. It's my favourite one and I expressed it. I could give reasons why it's a good introduction to VNs, but that wasn't the point in a mostly silly post. What do you care, or what do I care if you don't agree? Why burn your tongue instead of keeping the tastebuds intact?

Because taste is like cupcakes. Everyone's gotta spread theirs all around.

[Jun Inoue]

4 minutes ago, Lucius said:

Because taste is like cupcakes. Everyone's gotta spread theirs all around.

Or an STD. 

[Lucius]

4 minutes ago, Jun Inoue said:

Or an STD. 

Except STD's always shit. Some people might find certain flavors of cupcakes shit because of their allergies to good taste, but there are times when they find just the right people with the appropriate set of cupcakes. 

[sevencamelot]

I really couldn't finish this game and wouldn't recommend this as a starter VN.   Might be weird to say this, but it felt too typical. 

I'll probably seem a little crazy, but if I was going tell recommend a non weeb a VN... I would probably tell him to give Saya no Uta whirl.  The story grabs you instantly and it can be finished in one sitting. 

[Kurisu-Chan]

2 minutes ago, sevencamelot said:

I really couldn't finish this game and wouldn't recommend this as a starter VN.   Might be weird to say this, but it felt too typical. 

I'll probably seem a little crazy, but if I was going tell recommend a non weeb a VN... I would probably tell him to give Saya no Uta whirl.  The story grabs you instantly and it can be finished in one sitting. 

Or you startle anyone who wanna start VNing. 

[Lucius]

1 minute ago, sevencamelot said:

I'll probably seem a little crazy, but if I was going tell recommend a non weeb a VN... I would probably tell him to give Saya no Uta whirl.  The story grabs you instantly and it can be finished in one sitting. 

Yeah, definitely crazy IMO.  I like Saya, but it's so out there and intense it would probably scare a normie away. For a horror fan (or even better, a Lovecraft fan), it might not be so bad, but for those mainstream people, it might be too much.

This is one of those cases where I would argue that 'typical' might not be so bad for a normie, albeit not interesting enough to grab a newbie's attention into the VN world immediately.

[sevencamelot]

4 minutes ago, Kurisu-Chan said:

Or you startle anyone who wanna start VNing. 

lol perhaps.  This is just based on my friends personalities.  None of them like anime and would probably feel awkward playing a VN thats setup like a dating sim.  It would have to be something short like a movie with a interesting plot. 

[Kurisu-Chan]

2 minutes ago, sevencamelot said:

lol perhaps.  This is just based on my friends personalities.  None of them like anime and would probably feel awkward playing a VN thats setup like a dating sim.  It would have to be something short like a movie with a interesting plot. 

That maybe why i always advertise steins;gate as an entry VN, since i do consider it has the good amount of things in order to introduce people to VNs, not startle them and at the same time give them a good story.

 

But no, let's not show them a Urobutchi VN at first, that guy is good at fucking brains, and in the good way,  i mean.