No.95320
>future anxiety
If you're not planning on retiring soon I would suggest you to get used to that feeling and continue indulging in your hobbies anyway. Those "perfect days" to do so something just don't really come, at least in my experience. Just do what you can without waiting for the "right" moment. I used to have that, too, but I always ended up just doing nothing rather than being productive or enjoying myself.
No.95322
>>95318I've started reading them a bit more often lately in raw japanese in an effort to learn the moon runes.
It's very hard to start reading these, especially raw, but once you get past the initial hurdle of starting it gets surprisingly easy to burn through the hours.
Latest one I've read is uh, Kakurenbo... Categorically speaking it's not exactly thought provoking, but it's easy to read and enjoyable both for its intended purpose and the daily life scenes.
Before that, I also read through Kami-sama no youna kimi e.
My advise for picking up VNs is to just see if you like any of the character designs or their tags match your tastes. My attention sharpens greatly when my favorite characters show up and I end up enjoying the story much more and manage to learn runes much easier as well.
No.95323
>>95320Oh, I meant to say that ever since I found nice work to do my future anxieties have waned. I have the time I want to do what I want, and the funds to keep myself and things I like afloat. All I need is to make sure I can secure a position and I'm probably set for life...
No.95324
>>95318>I started reading .jpg related because of that one anon who loves it so much.Nice, it worked! Do keep in mind that it's not all soothing, but you'll find that out soon enough, but I guess there wouldn't be many battles in the game part of it that were the case.
I'm not sure if that image is yours or not, but are you playing the original or remaster? The original is eroge so there's some sex scenes, but they're minor and easily forgettable honestly. I'd still say it's the ideal experience, though.
/jp/ might not be a good idea for a slow thread like one for VNs, though. It could be moved to /qa/ probably, if desired
No.95325
>>95324>I'm not sure if that image is yours or notIt's my screencap. I don't mind eroge. I only have one concern: how bad is the translation?
>/jp/ might not be a good idea for a slow threadIf it dies, it dies.
No.95326
>>95325>how bad is the translation?I can't say I remember anything bad, but it's been a while.
No.95327
>>95326well it's not like i'd notice it anyway, so whatever. should be fine.
No.95330
I happen to love them. For and through them I learned Japanese, and continue to pick up words when I read them, which is a nice bonus to the base fun they provide. They are a great way to stimulate the imagination...while there are others more passionate about them than me, who have read more VNs, I've gone through my fair share of stuff ranging from moege, romance, adventure, denpa/horror stuff (probably my favorite style), comedy, nakige. They strike a chord in me that isn't quite covered by anime, manga or traditional vidya, nor literature/film. I'm not the first to come up with this, but VNs almost constitute a new kind of
Gesamtkunstwerk, total art, (forgive me if I'm using this wrong) blending story, visuals, text and sound/music into a cohesive experience. As silly as it sounds, as most VNs aren't exactly high art, but the good stuff DOES manage to evoke emotions when these elements of creation come together in just the right way.
I've also been enjoying the Utawarerumono series, specifically the second game which I complete recently. The world really comes to life as you interact with the characters in the capital of their empire, and see this country interact with its neighbors. Girls are super cute and loveable, guys are cool and bro-tier. It was really fun and I'm excited to play the third game which I hear nothing but praise for. OP, I highly recommend not stopping with the first game, and moving on to the sequels when you're finished.
Other games I played recently were Subarashiki Hibi, and Ciconia When They Cry. I could make separate whole separate posts about them there's so much to say. Unrelated but while /cry/ is pretty dead I wonder how a Kissu /vn/ board would play out, Tohno has one, and it certainly wouldn't be out of place here. Then again more VN threads on /jp/ would be nice too, no point in splitting traffic.
>>95319When I was a teenbro with no responsibilities was also the time when I found reading them the most enjoyable. They are honestly amazing when you have the inner peace required to truly soak them in, aren't they? Good luck on settling your matters and clearing away the anxiety, Anonymous.
(I might have wrote too much, oh well!)
No.95332
Few things come close to the comfort I feel reading a VN on my Vita in bed. I'm going to read Steins;Gate 0 even though I heard nothing but bad things about it. Unfortunately I bought it, which makes me feel obligated to read through it at least once. And quite frankly, on my Vita I'll read anything.
No.95333
>>95331Surely you've seen itazuraneko.neocities.
org < this site posted around, right?
Personally, my method that I more or less extracted from that guide is to just pick up a VN I wanna play and just read it with a text hook. Of course, not by reading the translation but by reading the kanji and trying to memorize it.
That being said, it's a lot easier for me because I already have like 500 MAL entries so I naturally picked up grammar and a bunch of the most common words.
My suggestion for is to try and watch an anime raw. Fully raw. Don't use subs for the show you picked, let your brain struggle. You'll end up using it as a crutch if you slip up. After a handful of shows that you attentively watch, you'd be surprised at how much you realize you know/learned.
Try starting with a CGDCT show or a show you wanna rewatch, knowing the context and connecting the dots helps.
No.95334
>>95329I was reading that. The flowery vocabulary is what seemed to make it a slow read for me. I need to try transferring my save file from my laptop.
No.95336
I think I'm not even an hour into Steins;Gate 0 and I already want to stop reading it, which is what I'm going to do probably. I find it unbearable, but can't quite describe why.
No.95337
>>95335Nope. There's a lot stuff I really need to read, but I keep procrastinating. I did get part 1 of my reading-in-bed setup complete, though, so I think I'll be remedying that soon.
No.95338
Which VN would you recommend to someone who's new to them or just recommendations in general?
No.95339
>>95338Baldr Force.
https://vndb.org/v221Not overly long but still long enough to feel satisfying, nice story with great pacing and very little filler or slice-of-life sections, locked route order so you don't need to think about which route to play and there's no risk of accidentally spoiling yourself, fun action gameplay to keep it from feeling too monotonous compared to your usual VN which is all reading. As a nice bonus, the PS2 version has an all-star voice cast if you can read Japanese and have a PS2 or don't mind emulating it.
No.95344
Currently, I'm reading Saihate no Ima. On Category 2 Fueko right now. It's a very confusing ride, and one punctuated by very long lulls to be honest, but the central mystery is interesting enough.
No.95345
>>95343Ah, that sucks. There's been "spoiler-free walkthroughs" for a long time now that you could look out for in the future, but the best solution, although not the most time-friendly, is to always do one normal, blind run through a game first.
No.95346
>>95343Ah, that sucks. There's been "spoiler-free walkthroughs" for a long time now that you could look out for in the future, but the best solution, although not the most time-friendly, is to always do one normal, blind run through a game first.
No.95351
Whenever I really get into one it's almost as if I'm addicted to it and I can't stop reading. Experienced lots of sleepless nights thanks to VNs. Doesn't really happen with anime or manga for me.
No.95352
>>95351Yep, same thing with me. The immersion potential can't be beat, you really feel like you're there. Breaking that illusion is just too much, so I try to avoid it as much as possible until I'm done.
No.95353
Finished it today. It was awesome. Really awesome. I loved it from beginning to end.
I got every ending, but I'm missing some weapons and one single CG, but I'm pretty sure I know how to get that one, too.
Survival and Hell Mode are really fun. "Hell Mode" really fits - it's a nightmare trying to fight the bosses. Besides that I think there's some more stuff I can unlock, but it's not that important.
As for the story and the characters: Bachelor ended up being my favorite character.
The story has nice twists and turns and I was wondering how it would end the whole time, always excited for what's coming next.
The "true" ending is also extremely satisfying and even though it might have been a bit predictable, it made my kokoro go doki doki.
Overall it really has great pacing and there's never a moment where I ever felt bored or thought it began to drag.
The way it switches from VN to gameplay and back keeps you engaged all the time.
I'm not really getting deeper into the story unless I have someone here to talk about it, though.
And I'm also quite glad that the only translated version is the Standard Edition, because the ero scenes in the original really suck.
>>95339So yeah, thanks for the recommendation, Anon.
>>95346>blind run through a game firstThat's what I did. Finished the first girl's route and tried to look up how to access the other routes after that, is what I meant.
After I got spoilered I read the rest completely blind, too. It was actually quite easy to get to ther other girls.
>>95347Why do you want to know?>>95348I managed to get some really neat combos on the final boss. Can I have my
true gamer license back?
I'm going to have some more fun in Survival mode now.
No.95355
>>95354no, not really. apparently it's not even very good. what was popular was its opening and some of the music.
No.95356
>>95354also the loli scenes cause problems for official translations. There was a big controversy over Demonbane. If you keep them in you run into trouble with activist groups or authorities, or if you take them out fans complain.
No.95357
>>95356What about Saya then...
No.95358
>>95330>I wonder how a Kissu /vn/ board would play outProbably pretty poorly. I think most people see tohno's large amount of boards as more of a cautionary tale than something to emulate. The intermingling of multiple topics is a strength I think. I did tell OP that his thread might be better on the slower and more serious board of /qa/, though. People shouldn't stop making stupid threads on /jp/ for fear of archiving a serious one like this.
>>95356Hmm, what kind of controversy with Demonbane? I haven't noticed anything with loli VN stuff getting sidelined, but I can't say I've been following VN news at all, much less for 20 years or whenever that might have happened.
I think stuff like Popotan or the one with the waha girl simply never managed to motivate anyone to translate them for hobbyist or commercial reasons.
No.95359
File:025.jpg (Spoiler Image,86.34 KB,800x600)
whenever something gets cut it usually gets an uncensored/restoration release or patch on some other site anyway
No.95361
>>95359Pretty much every time too, at least the publisher can sell their title at all with these changes.
No.95362
>>95358>>95360Original JAST release had some censored scenes. I don't remember the details, but some people were really mad.
No.95365
>>95363even worse
it's an anime game
No.95367
>>95362Oh, that's a shame. I wonder what they were
>>95363t? t what?
No.95368
>>95362Presuming it was the H-scenes that got censored, the other release doesn't seem to have any ero in it whatsoever, so that's not any better either. God damn it.
The game is probably still good, but I don't like spending money on unfinished products. That's the reason why I didn't buy Majikoi.
No.95369
why would you spend money on visual novels at all, anon?
No.95371
Is it really that fun to sit in front of a text box plus one or two characters and pressing enter for 40 or more hours?
No.95372
>>95371Yes. You don't
play a visual novel, you
read it. For the most part VNs are much closer to books than they are traditional video games.
No.95378
>>95374I like when they're fully voiced so you don't have to read anything at all. I hear they're even working on some new technology to have the characters more dynamically interact with each other instead of being constrained to set poses, it'll be like moving pictures! The future is going to be so cool!
No.95379
>>95378I tend not to pay attention to voices unless they're really cute or really good and dramatic. My default behavior in video games is to go as fast as I can read which cuts out a LOT of time and I don't feel like I'm missing anything unless there's aforementioned cute or dramatic voices.
Maybe I'd feel different if I understood Japanese
No.95380
>>95378NO! Reading is fun.
No.95382
>>95371I like to sit and imagine the scenes in my head. True, some VNs have a really simplistic setup but they're still immersive to me especially when coupled with good music, backgrounds and voice acting, not to mention CGs. The stronger a game is in each of these aspects the greater the immersion and enjoyment. It can actually get boring to slog through slow parts but that's why you gotta build a good tempo.
>>95379I love Kuon's voice! kana
No.95384
>>95383￥That dress￥Those legs￥Cute hairThat's a click from me
No.95386
>>95385no, i'll click on it.
No.95387
>>95385I'm not a fan of ideal life simulators. I prefer distopias such as Fate;s/n , muv, saya. Things with a world that rejects the good end
No.95389
>>95388Noxious fumes!??!?
No.95390
>>95388NO, THAT'S NOT HOW YOU CREATE A PORTAL TO GENSOKYO! THAT'S MUSTARD GAS!
No.95393
>>95387There's bad endings in Baldr Sky, too. What do you mean? In Baldr Force there were plenty, too.
And how is a cyberpunk world filled with cultists and warmongers, who are fighting over who gets to control or destroy the planet not dystopian?
No.95395
>>95387Only bad endings VNs are unsatisfying to read
No.95396
>>95394Would Saya not be considered dystopian?
No.95397
>>95395There are some VN which go out of their wy to please the viewer. Not a fan of those
No.95398
>>95397Overly pandering content always moves media into another bucket for me, suspension of disbelief goes out the window and I end up moving on to something else. Definitely subjective, and I'm mostly thinking of scenarios where it doesn't suit the setting or characters.
No.95399
To add onto that, I think it took me at least 10 to 15 years to realize I was dropping media when this happened.
No.95400
I'm done witht Baldr Sky Dive1 (the first three routes). What a ride that last one was.
It was awesome. Time for a break. Has anyone else on Kissu read/played Baldr Sky?
>>95397>VNs which go out of their way to please the viewerCan you elaborate? Do you mean fanservice that becomes so excessive that it starts to look desperate?
No.95402
>>95397It depends on how sexually it is meant to be taken for me. Wish fufillment stuff is fine when its like oniikiss where its porn for the right person
No.95405
it's a webcomic, doesn't even have novel in the name or it's format
No.95406
>>95405That's Homestuck, Psycholonials is an OELVN proper.
No.95408
it is much too late for me to be getting into Homestuck
No.95409
>>95408To get into the community, yes, but it's still a damn good read. Same deal happened to me when getting into R07's stuff.
No.95410
>>95404I read Psycholonials and I was super mixed on it. It's good storytelling applied to a story I don't like. There's always been an underlying cynicism to Andrew Hussie's stuff, but it's usually balanced out with a lot of ironic humor; Homestuck for example has its fair share of miserable subject matter, but it plays it with a light enough touch that it never feels overly intense. Psycholonials strips away a lot of the humor and is a (comparatively) more earnest work, and I'm not really a fan of the results.
No.95411
>>95410I agree, I feel like you need a certain mindset going in to enjoy it. Often it's just political ranting that I simply glossed over because I'm not looking for deep geopolitical takes from the MS Paint webcomic dude. What I did want to see was his characteristic drawings and dialogue, and that was nice enough.
No.95414
evns aren't vns
No.95415
>>95414It's got VN in the name though
No.95416
>>95415i can call an animation i make animu but that wouldn't make it so
evns are not and will never be vns
No.95419
>>95416In 1891 in Springfield, Masschusetts, Dr. James Naismith nailed a peach basket ten feet from the ground, creating the sport of basketball.
Shortly after, in a move considered vastly out of character, the Canadian-born Naismith did not remain in the United States. He did not help promote and refine his sport through YMCA organisations throughout the country. Instead, he self-diagnosed himself with yellow fever and travelled to Japan for health reasons. He brought with him his peach basket, creating the sport of basuketoboru.
In the United States, basketball gradually became widespread through drawcard players like Wilt Chamberlain, whose debut is now considered to have ushered in the Golden Age of basketball. Despite this, it was still considered less a sport than a game, played for entertainment at social gatherings rather than competitively. It was primarily played by children and teenagers, who moved onto more respected sports when they became of mature age. The stigma of basketball being a diversion for children rather than a sport of actual athletic merit continues even today.
In Japan, basuketoboru developed along similar lines until the postwar era, when a ban was lifted on non-state approved sports. After borrowing techniques from other sports and from basketball, basuketoboru exploded in popularity. Its following became larger and more diverse than basketball, spawning correspondingly diverse playing styles and techniques, such as the full court decompress. Although still primarily played by children and teens, it garnered some respect as a legitimate sport, as signified by its inclusion into the Olympics.
The Olympics standardised the rules between basketball and basuketoboru, but there were still major variations in the way it was played in either country. The uniforms worn in the U.S. were flamboyantly coloured spandex, whilst the Japanese basuketoboru uniforms were typically monochromatic, using high contrast to distinguish home and away. In basketball, the timer for each quarter would count down from 12 minutes, whilst basuketoboru's timer counted up to 12 minutes. Fans of one were unaccustomed to the other, calling it 'backwards'.
As time went on, it was in the United States that the first cracks begun to appear in the status quo. There were many of course, loyal to basketball since childhood. But from there the sport fractured into many subgroups.
Some grew weary of trying to change people's perceptions of basketball as a children's game. They split off from other leagues and formed their own. They also announced that although they were still playing basketball, their sport was no longer called basketball. It would now be called basket-based athletics.
Still other Americans agreed with the perception, and shunned basketball entirely. They begun to follow basuketoboru exclusively, and it fast gained its own niche. As some understood it, basuketoboru was not merely basketball but the way the Japanese played it. In short order, American basketoboru fans grew up wanting to be players. And riding the wave of popularity, the same local companies who broadcast basuketoboru from Japan to American fans sponsored the creation of a professional domestic league.
The debut was disappointing and universally panned. The standard of play was amateurish, perhaps college-level at the most for some teams. But nowhere near professional, and nowhere near Japan. Worse still, it exposed another fracture and yet another subgroup. The purists. As they understood it, basuketoboru was not merely basketball, and not merely the way the Japanese played it, it was basketball as played by Japanese people. They saw the domestic league as a cheap imitation, missing the point of basuketoboru entirely. It was just basketball in black and white uniforms with the clocks counting up.
American basuketoboru was an oxymoron, an impossibility. They called it 'wasuketoboru'. The term took off.
For years the league struggled. Their matches were poorly attended and those that were there were mostly aspiring players themselves. The purists had no such aspirations, and vindicated, waited with glee for it to die.
***
Michael James Jordan entered the domestic league as the third pick in the first round, and his impact was felt immediately. He had grown up around basuketoboru and played it all his life. For him it was as natural as breathing. His debut year saw him bag the Rookie of the Year award and a spot on the All-Star team, and people began to take notice.
The purists admitted yes, he was good, but what he was playing was not basuketoboru. No matter how good he was, it was still just basketball. Fans of the league hated people calling their sport 'basketball'.
In his fourth season Jordan became league MVP, All-Star MVP, won the defensive player of the year award and his second consecutive Slam Dunk contest.
Look, said the purists, he's clearly very good, but he can only recreate basuketoboru. Anything new he brings to the game will at best be considered basuketoboru-style.
Jordan asked to be traded to the JBL when his contract came up for renegotiation, where he was signed by a marquee team in Japan. He was immediately moved to the position of center, and led them to a championship trophy, where he clinched the finals MVP.
It was proof, said his American fans. They weren't pigeonholed into the childish trifle that was basketball by virtue of birth – Americans could play basuketoboru.
Soon Jordan's team began to rely on him to the point of predictability. To combat this, the assistant coach and Jordan developed a triangle offense strategy. It worked, and became the cornerstone offensive strategy for many teams, a tactical mainstay of the Japanese game.
ESPN named Jordan the greatest basketball player of the decade. NHK Sports named Jordan the greatest basuketoboru player of the decade.
Jordan was asked to weigh in on the debate.
Did he consider himself a basketball player, or a basuketoboru player? Or perhaps a basket-based athelete?
Could Americans play basuketoboru?
Could Japanese play basketball?
How did he define them? What if your team was Japanese, but you played in an American league, but you didn't wear spandex, and the clock counted -
He replied that he had not given it much thought and did not realise they were two different sports. The answer pleased no-one and was derided on the internet as simplistic and ignorant.
Jordan retired on a career high and was widely recognised as one of the greatest players ever.
No.95420
tl;dr
No.95422
>>95419>basuketoboruit's called basugay man
No.95423
>>95418 the japs call visual novels adventure games, so yes you're right. in this case at least, since it's not an eroge.
i never really got into ace attorney, but it's been on my radar for a long time now. once i'm done with the vn i'm reading right now, i think i might just give it a chance.
No.95424
>>95423The only complaint I really have for the early ones is that some of the triggers to progress when you're in exploration mode are really annoying, kind of like old adventure games now that I think about it. You know, stuff like a person won't appear at Area C until you look at a trash can at area B. Just make sure to interact with everything
No.95429
>>95426this image entices my prick
No.95430
>>95427big fan of violent girls
do you not want to get beat up by a pretty girl?
No.95431
>>95430I want a really cute little girl to get very angry and ball up her tiny little girl hands and beat them against my /qa/ belly...
No.95438
>>95437sighhhhh no love
still infinitely better than higu's twist No.95444
>>95443My favorite would probably be Ushio, the one that always plays on the main menu screen.
Maybe it's because I listened to it every time I opened the game, not sure.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJNzehpxAmY No.95448
>>95446How is it compared to Akai Ito?
No.95454
>>95448I've only read a bit of Akai Ito because my Japanese isn't good enough and the English translation still isn't 100%. In terms of style and themes, they are very similar. Mysterious visions, dreams, bloodlines, etc. all factor in. The yuri is fairly subdued. It's romantic, but the girls won't be slobbering over each other and kai-awase'ing. I think the atmosphere and structure of the routes is all very great as there is a clear divide between the relatively normal period and then the "point of no return" which is represented by the mainland and an island connected to the mainland by only a mile long bridge of stepping stones which disappear at high tide. I should also mention that besides the Japanese mythology talk, there is also a cool Zen priest who talks a lot about Buddhism and is just a general cool old man. There is a lot of erudite discussion besides the normal cute girl scenes that was very interesting to me, like a discussion of Zen dietary restrictions during a meal.
No.95455
>>95452heh, saving this one for later use
No.95458
This thread has more replies than I expected.
Where have you been hiding VN fags?
No.95459
>>95458You were the change you wanted to see.
No.95461
>>95354>still hasn't been translated into englishlearning japanese is quicker than waiting an eternity for an unlikely translation that is probably mediocre at best. or use machine translation.
>>95355>apparently it's not even very goodi'm reading it and it's pretty good so far, i liked the anime too but this is much better.
No.95462
>>95458In the void waiting for translations.
No.95463
>>95432Goddamn Nasu, keeping Sakurai away from making more WaB.
>>95458Wandering.
No.95465
Don't be an EOP, learn japanese and never worry about translations again
No.95466
>>95465EOP is a very anglocentric term, isn't it?
No.95468
>>95462Is anything good even coming out? I know there's some licensed stuff out there, but that's all coming out soon™. Pretty sure it's a dying/dead industry at this point, no?
>>95466Because Japanese and English are the only languages that matter on imageboards (or whatever).
No.95469
>>95468>only languages that matterSuch is hegemony. It does fit in with ESL and JOP.
No.95472
>>95471i remember /jp/ wishing for english translations so more people could enjoy something and they'd have another chance to talk about it
No.95473
>>95470>Chaos;Head Noah>6 new routescool. might be worth checking out.
No.95475
>>95474I've come very close in the past, but I was never fully caught.
No.95477
>>95476someone standing in the doorframe, concealed by the shadow or just out of sight, i assume
No.95479
>>95474I will never understand how a young man can have his computer monitor standing in a position where you can see the contents from the doorway. Any intruder can enter without knocking when you look at something too refined for earthly eyes. That's how my father caught me watching Sailor Moon, specifically at the transformation scene.
No.95480
>>95479you can just lock the door
No.95481
>>95480Many homes don't have keys for each room.
No.95482
I'm glad my parents didn't ask annoying questions when I asked for a lock on the door.
No.95483
>>95481then hang a "currently masturbating" sign on the handle
No.95484
>>95474Not exactly that. But one time my Dad walked in on me hornyposting in a Neptunia thread on /v/. That was many years ago and I still agonize over it.
No.95485
>>95484Did he say anything?
No.95486
>>95485He just pretended he didn't see anything. I know he did though. I could see the disappointment in his eyes.
No.95487
I'd understand it if a son of mine became an otaku, though I'd never do anything to steer him towards that.
No.95488
>>95484how does anyone possibly discern what is going on
No.95489
>>95488his dad was the one he responded to in the thread
No.95490
>>95489So the disappointment was over the low quality of his son's horny posting?
No.95492
>>95491>Now I need to take a break from VNs.Why? What happened?
No.95499
>>95492Because the typical length makes it easy to burn out. JRPG gamers often need to take breaks too
No.95500
Moved from >>>/jp/38913 : Thread with room for discussion hit bump limit
No.95839
File:yuki3.jpg (Spoiler Image,76.49 KB,640x480)
There is something off about this sprite but I can't quite put my finger on it.
No.95843
>>95839ye, i got it... it looks like her groin pits are over a foot long
No.95853
>>95845oh wow, you're really good
No.95854
>>95845oh wow, you're really good
No.95855
>>95839Could this be the next big kissu meme
No.95863
>>95861Is that embarassed or aroused
No.95865
>>95863embarrassed arousal
No.95913
Which VNs are worth purchasing on Steam? Nothing with cut content of course.
No.95916
>worth purchasing
no such thing. you're welcome.
No.95917
>>95916but your favorite creators need to eat food, pay for internet and live somewhere
No.95921
>>95913Well, what kind of stuff are you interested in? SoL? Sci-fi? Animal people with cute ears waging war between wonderful SoL?
No.95924
>>95921You should maybe see if there are better avenues of purchase, also. The creators might get a bigger cut if you buy it from JAST or Mangagamer or something, but I never looked into it. I've said it before on kissu, but JAST has a special place in my heart because they were bringing this stuff to English 20 years ago and deserves our appreciation for playing a major role in popularizing it.
*repost correction: 25 years ago
No.99060
>>99050Hmm, yeah I guess it is now that you mention it. To me the original Utawarerumono's sex scenes seemed like an afterthought, something to qualify it as an eroge in an age where had to be contain the stuff to justify existing, which nasu did as well. It's not to say that they didn't have value or failed to be relevant to the story, but they felt isolated at times.
But, Utawarerumono 2 and 3 have things going for it that make it much more natural for it to contain echii and general sexiness.
1. Over a decade of experience since the first game with increased familiarity with what people like and confidence that they (Aquaplus) can do it well
2. A completely different and more "normal" protag
3. 2 long VNs sharing one story which provides a LOT of time for character building and SoL stuff which will provide ample opportunity for things to not be deathly serious about war. I've seen complaints from people that there's too much of it, which I can sort of understand, but it's one of its strengths in my view.
4. Amaduyu's quite frankly ridiculous improvement in his art
5. Kuon!
No.99672
>>99667Did it directly mention her age? I think it works better for these when it just says "older" so it's less of an immersion breaker when the older woman is much younger than the reader/viewer. Somehow it seems better to keep it slightly nebulous even when it's obvious. Maybe that's just me, though.
No.99676
>>99672I agree, but in this case, she did say "oba-san".
Still pretty weird though since she looks just as young as the other girls.
No.101385
>>101371The cutest and the lewdest.
>>101381>whenever Comic Party gets translatedIs there a translation in the works?
No.101410
Damn, I forgot about this thread. I've been playing through 13 Sentinels.
No.101422
>>101371>This is an influential VN It certainly is. Lots of fanart around the place, like this one's a crossover with Ojamajo Doremi which was popular at the same time. There's a Qix clone called Gal Pani X
where as you play you turn silhouettes of the To Heart characters into full color pictures.
I now realise I misread your post as saying "To Heart" not "To Heart 2", but I think both were a big deal.
No.101423
>>101422I meant the "franchise" of 1 and 2, really. But, there's no translation of the first one. It's kind of poetic since there's no translation of the first 'To Heart Dungeon Travelers' game, either, while the second one got an official translation, which might have been the last physical game I bought. It came with a little pinup calendar thing which was really nice.
The 'To Heart' characters are bonus characters in the Dungeon Travelers 2 and Utawarerumono games so it will be nice to actually see their original source finally.
(and Dungeon Travelers 2-2 will never be translated by anyone as its stuck on the vita and we are years from its death with no emulator...)
No.102417
Are you someone that cries in VNs/anime/games? The first Utawarerumono got me a couple times, but 2 and 3 (mostly 3) are in a whole different league. For me it's the "hear the specific song and become paralyzed with emotion" experience that few things give me, but I haven't read as many VNs as I should have. Higurashi songs do that as well, which wouldn't be surprising for a "sound novel" I suppose.
I avoid stuff that's specifically labeled with that 'crying game' label, but maybe I shouldn't.
For me it's a strange thought to know a game will focus on sadness from the start and I think that people should perhaps not label them at all. What does /qa/ think?
No.103430
>>102417Yes I am. The usual suspects have gotten me. (Welcome to the NHK suicide episodes, last volume of punpun, clannad)
But Nakige is another topic entirely, and is mostly avoided these days I think, both because it loses its effect if constantly engaged with and that bitter acceptance/despair is more popular these days
No.103485
>>103429was listening to that album yesterday too
No.112372
My semi-annual Ace Attorney DS/3DS re-read is now at 4 out of 6 as I've finished Apollo Justice. There's just something really satisfying about these games/VNs that I go back every few years and re-read them in bed, but only the 2D sprite-based ones. I've read through the 3D ones, but I've just never felt the same connection to them. Apart from visuals I assume there are new writers or something else changed behind the scenes. I do like them, but I've never gone back to them after one read through.
Anyway, the great characters, the fantastic localization (although people do joke about the location thing) and the perhaps most of all the charming portraits really make it an enjoyable experience. Presenting every single character your badge and having the humorous reactions never gets old somehow. "You show this to me every time, pal."
Although, I've been very hesitant to start Investigations 2 as my old DS firmware was missing so I had to get a new one and I can't get the cheats to work. The cheat I use is "unlock all chapters" which, for some strange reason, is tied to fast text speed. You can't hit a button to make the text immediately load unless you've seen it already. Otherwise y... o... u...
s... e... e... t... e... x... t... m... o... v... e... a... s.... i.... f.... t.... h.... e.... y.... w... e.... r.... e.... *animation plays* s... p... e... a... k... i.... n... g...
It's a bit mind-boggling that they do it like that, but I guess in theory they don't want people to skip past valuable information.
Although he's kind of ugly, I think the reporter Brushel has the best overall set of animations of the mainline series. Even his normal/default portrait is full of personality
No.112515
>>112514Thank you, but...
I actually did try those, too. There were save converter programs I used to make it compatible with mine (M3 Sakura) but nothing seemed to work. The option left to me was to try new firmwares, but it's such an annoying thing and it would invalidate saves for other games I have on my cart- saves I have from 15 years ago (but are backed up on computer of course). I guess I could try it, though, and then switch back.
It's really such an annoying process to switch micro SD cards around- and I worry I'm going to break it since it's so thin
No.114641
>>112372I did decide to toughen it out and read though Investigations 2 even with the occasionally really slow text.
With that
16-bit anime seemingly making reference to VNs, I should read one soon. I'm thinking I'll finally read through To Heart since it or the second one got a fan translation somewhat recently. Soon the weather will cool down and I'll be able to lay in bed with my tablet screen over my bed and the window open. Ahh, it will be nice.
After I read To Heart I want to play the original Dungeon Travelers DRPG game which unlike its sequel uses characters from the To Heart games instead of original characters.
It's crazy to see Tatsuki's art improve from back then to his newer stuff.
No.114647
>>114641play some Gal Pani X it features the To Heart girls
you can find it on some abandonware site probably and play it on windows XP in a VM
if you cant find it i can dig it up
No.114665
>>114641>After I read To Heart I want to play the original Dungeon Travelers DRPG game which unlike its sequel uses characters from the To Heart games instead of original characters.Actually DT1 is a spin-off of To Heart 2, not To Heart.
No.114676
>>114674>I'm not looking forward to play the sequelsWHAT?
She may not be a main character, but Utawarerumono 2 and 3 are so highly rated and fantastic that you should definitely look forward to them. Oh, to be able to look forward to experiencing it for the first time, you are so lucky!
The characters, the art, the music, the story, the Kuon!
No.114677
>>114674Honestly, yeah, I also feel the Uta1 cast is really strong, and that's probably the reason I didn't find 2+3 to be a lot better than 1 as seems to be the common opinion. I would rank them 3 >= 1 > 2.
No.114687
>>102417I've lost count to how many. Way too embarrassing to list off, I have a weird aversion to recommending anything because it made me cry. It feels way too personal to try and set an expectation for someone else. The staff all share some thought, pouring hours into something they want you to feel, and it resonates - it's the sort of stuff that makes media worth your time. Even better, the senses are all able to be overwhelmed with VNs/games/anime.
> I avoid stuff that's specifically labeled with that 'crying game' label, but maybe I shouldn't. > For me it's a strange thought to know a game will focus on sadness from the start and I think that people should perhaps not label them at all. What does /qa/ think?I've avoided all of the key games for this reason. Everything I've seen makes me think they're specifically written to punch you in the gut. Nothing to gain, nothing to learn from the experience, just a way to make you feel attached.
Clannad had its cute moments though.
No.114709
>>114687Im surprised they've never done NTR for that reason
No.115214
Okay, HOLD UP! You guys may remember that I made a thread(s) lamenting pic related entering licensing hell at 99% translation status due to a terribly managed company that went defunct after a guy took the money and ran.
Well...
IT GOT A REAL RELEASE!Who here is up to reading 'together'? By that I mean I'll make a thread and we can talk about it as we read it by ourselves. I still want to finish playing Dungeon Travelers 2-2 first so it will be a couple weeks, but
WOW!https://vndb.org/v22899 is the VN and yes it's ero. It became popular on futaba when it released and I was eagerly waiting its translation. Finally 4 years later it's here.
No.115215
>>115214This is a high holy commandment from Jesus Christ himself telling you to please use the improvement patch if you're going to read it.
No.115216
>>115215Looking at those notes on vndb, that does seem to be a requirement. Yeeessh.
No.115234
Was reading a vn with a black side character... I didnt know the "every black guy is named Bob" stereotype was still a thing.
No.115238
>>115237Impressive to be racist against the Japanese and foreigners at the same time
No.115239
>>115237>>115238Its not the faces that make japanese hard to tell apart, its that at any time an age group has like two haircuts popular
No.115796
I recently learned that a couple games I enjoyed are getting English releases, going to do brief writeups on them in case anyone is interested.
Criminal Border
This one was a nice surprise. The basic premise is that our protagonist, your average loner who spends a lot of time on the internet (wow, he's just like me), was making anime MADs when he accidentally develops a digital drug that makes the viewer uncontrollably horny. Sounds like a typical nukige setup, right? Here's the surprising part - despite the ridiculous subject matter, the game keeps a relatively serious tone and stays focused on the story, and we follow the MC as he explores the possible uses of his chance invention, and gets tangled up in some shady dealings involving delinquent gangs, yakuza and prostitution.
The art style is pretty divisive, can't say I'm much of a fan but you get used to it.
It's an episodic release in 4 parts, with each one being about 5-10 hours long and focusing on a particular character. Part 1 in English and part 3 in Japanese come out later this month. If you're familiar with 9-nine-, it's the same writer.
No.115797
Amazing Grace
This one seems be generally considered one of the better VNs in recent years. Sadly I can't give a 100% positive opinion, but I'll get to that later. The game starts with an amnesiac protagonist in an unfamiliar town that seems to be rooted in classical European culture, but he quickly realizes that something seems odd. Not only is the town surrounded by a barrier separating it from the outside world, it's also focused on the arts to an unnatural degree, with the only school being an art school where students are given an environment to learn and practice many kinds of art such as painting, sculpting and film. As a new transfer student he begins to adapt little by little, as he learns more about the town and its inhabitants. (it's in the synopsis, but mild spoilers:) On Christmas day, the town is struck by a fire that is reminiscent of the apocalypse that's said to have destroyed the outside world 101 years ago. The protagonist goes back in time to try to learn what happened and how to prevent it. Yes, it's a time loop game, with various mysteries and reveals and all that good stuff.
(not really spoilers but don't read if you want to go in completely blind:) So my main gripe with this game is the way it's written. I've read other games by this author, Fuyuakane Tom, and they also had this issue but to a lesser degree. The game repeats information way too often and goes out of its way to explain everything in detail. Nothing wrong with making yourself clear, but at the expense of good pacing and a sense of tension...? The feeling I get is that plot twists are a major focal point for him, and he does this to avoid making them feel like asspulls, but still. Rather annoying. Despite this I think the core mystery is pretty fun, and the game has interesting things to say about art and how we engage with it. Also a great game to read during the holiday season.
No.115829
>>115796>despite the ridiculous subject matter, the game keeps a relatively serious tone and stays focused on the storySounds interesting, I like my eroge with a good story behind them to get me hooked. Although just to make sure, it still has ero options right? Would be a shame to have such a premise and not a chance to take advantage of it for some prime H-material.
No.115861
>>11582320-30h
>>115829Yeah, of course. Speaking as someone who tends to skim through H scenes, the ones in Criminal Border were pretty high quality.
No.119558
>>119522The pouts are a big plus but if i understood the translations right, megumin has to wear clothes that make her the opposite of a loli? That doesn't sound good.
No.120035
I'm surprised this thread is still alive.
No.120036
I'm reading The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles right now
No.120044
>>120036How is that one so far? How does it compare to the older ones? I've read through the original trilogy and the 3DS stuff but haven't touched those newest ones.
No.120072
>>120044I played through them a few years ago. They were pretty fun overall, but I enjoyed the original trilogy + Rise from the Ashes and Investigations 2 more. Otherwise I think they're better than the rest of the series (4, Investigations 1, Professor Layton VS, 5, 6).
Chronicles is a port of the two Dai Gyakuten Saiban / Great Ace Attorney games on the 3DS. The first game was made with a sequel in mind, so it leaves a lot of plot threads hanging, which makes it feel lacking as a standalone game. In contrast, I think even if you stopped at 1 or 2 in the original trilogy you'd be able to feel satisfied.
The games take place in Meiji-era Japan but also in Victoria-era London. The main character is Naruhodou Ryuunosuke, a university student and ancestor of Naruhodou Ryuuichi / Phoenix Wright. シャーロック・ホームズ / Herlock Sholmes and Natsume Souseki also appear as characters. Personally I'm not familiar with Sherlock Holmes, but I think The Great Ace Attorney contains many references to the original stories that were written about him, but the games are still enjoyable even if you don't catch them. Natsume Souseki is caricatured as referring to himself in the first person as "wagahai" due to his famous novel Wagahai wa Neko de Aru.
In some respects they feel like a spiritual successor to the Professor Layton crossover. They share the same director/writer (the guy who also wrote and directed the original trilogy), the same main composer, London as one of the settings, and mob testimony.
The soundtrack is great overall but feels different from the other games except the Layton one because it relies on more period-appropriate instrumentation instead of, say, square waves and electric guitars. The tracks associated with Asougi and Susato blend Japanese and Western elements in an enjoyable way similar to what
>>119364 described for Utawarerumono.
Unfortunately the Western releases lack the option to set the text to Japanese while the Japan and Asia releases let you switch between Japanese and English as you please. The first three Japanese DS games were like this too, except that in those games each language gets its own save file, while here you can continue right from where you left off in the other language. Also the port doesn't feel like the definitive edition because it's lacking some of the 3DS DLC, such as a meta skit where the characters in the courtroom talk about buying the DLC, some videos of the developers talking to the camera, and two other neat bonus episodes where you get to play as some characters you don't get to use in the main story. There's also a part that I think originally might've made use of the 3DS's stereoscopic 3D gimmick that had to be re-adjusted here, but that's a minor issue.
Pic related is Iris. She makes some cute pouts.
No.120073
>>120044I like it, it's pretty fun. I think it's just as good as the originals. Also they turned Watson in a little girl
>>120072 No.121716
That feelio when almost none of the cute and fluffy VNs/dating sims without s*x are translated. Amagami got a translation recently however:
https://nishishitranslations.wordpress.com/ still in (beta) whatever that means though. I intend to play that soon.
No.123688
>>123687It is the simplest way of doing this because you just need to play the sound file when the dialog is displayed.
No.123699
>>123687Not unless you want a VN taking the max adorable memory
No.123706
catpicture just took max adorable memory