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  1. It's hard to edit your own work, as it's very easy to miss mistakes you made. Self editing can at best help kill some typos, but that's no better than simple proofreading, which is not at all what editing is about. For a VN this big, I strongly recommend you try to figure out a way to get an editor onboard. Self editing simply won't be enough.
    5 points
  2. I've been meaning to do this for a longer while now, but various circumstances always prevented me from making it. Before we start, let me make this clear. I dislike value-based rating systems, where numbers are supposed to be an estimate on how "good" something is, or how much quality there is to it. In my opinion, those systems are all fair and square but don't really work the way we'd like them to, not to mention a simple number is vague as hell and doesn't really provide anything except a scale between "good", "bad" and "mediocre" in-between. Why is that? Because vns don't work that way, sadly. You can't really rate a visual novel in the same exact manner as a standard Hollywood movie, plastering a number on top of it; it's because vns are insanely diversified works with many unique sub-genres, built with particular audiences in mind. It's a world, where one fan's treasures are another fan's trash, often within the same genre trees. The same can be said about almost every other work medium belonging to japanese pop culture. Discarding this tiny nuance might actually have a pretty detrimental result in terms of ratings, that are either too vague, unfair or way too hedonist, without actually trying to get the gist of what the game actually is and to whom it is addressed. I'd rather want to think of actual ratings as something that helps in deciding how much a game is in line with one's personal interests and how high that goes. Different groups of players have different needs, therefore it's probably easier to explain the whole thing in form of a diagram: Don't think of it as "things consuming things", but more as "things supporting other things". Moege aren't particularly worse than high-rated vns, they simply have a completely different target audience, with completely different set of tastes and demands. Obviously, certain genres are more common - because there's a much higher demand for those, but at the same time it means lowering standards to match tastes of a far wider audience, which uniquely leads to genre blandness (this happened to moege and majority of charage already). The games higher on the list in terms of complexity are more streamlined and niche, requiring more refined tastes and greater knowledge in a variety of topics, which leads to them being far less approachable by majority of players. This by default leads to subsequent categorization and further alienation which is one of the major reasons why it's so hard to get into those games and communities that surround them. Those tiers are permanent and games belonging to them remain forever bound to their respective positions within the chain. It can't be changed, nor affected in any way, as accessibility by ease of understanding is the sole factor that decides about their fate. This also lead me to believe, that a proper rating system should actually take this into consideration. As much as you play a high-tier chuunige for it's cool story and characters, you play a simple charage not for the plot, but for character interactions and protagonist finally connecting with one of the heroines; you want to see where their relationships will lead to and it's the only actual thing you will care about. It's not really possible to compare both through the same exact value-based rating system. Obviously, we could argue about this forever, so without further ado - I present my new rating system, I'll be using onwards for my vn reviews. Basic ratings go as follows: Awful - When things get so bad, you might as well ask yourself what kind of wrong have you committed to end up with such game in your hands. Somehow, you ended up picking it along the way - maybe because it had a cute maid on the cover or a synopsis, which looked particularly interesting; who knows. The point is - the more you play, the less impressed you are and by the time you reach the end, you might be banging your head against the desk in utter disappointment and resentment you ever got yourself into vns. Looks can be deceiving, after all. Avoid whenever possible, since there's probably a thousand things more worth wasting your time on, than crap in p(r)etty disguise. Hopefully, I won't ever stumble upon a game, that will prompt me to give it a lower score. Imperfect - Games that strive to be good, but fail somewhere along the way - in one or more aspects. Typically a result of many problems piling up on the dev side of things, including lack of proper knowledge, skills, financial aspects, neglect, and/or faggotry. Those titles might (and prolly will) be enjoyable, but often most, the amount of issues outweighs positive aspects, successfully lowering the enjoyment factor to a large degree. They range from being mildly obnoxious in their issues to outright annoying and might be even riddled with bugs. Needless to say, they should be played in moderation to avoid salt overdose and in most cases, only the most devoted fans are arguably able to look past their flaws. For every imperfect game, you will find at least few similar titles that don't suck as badly. Mediocre - Games considered a widely accepted quality norm, stuck at their designated level. Mediocre titles tend to be far simpler in nature and typically offer fair value from a consumer standpoint, but lack in soul and technical aspects, making them cheap in comparison with anything above their tier. They tend to be mostly forgettable and don't leave a long-lasting impression (exceptions happen), but remain enjoyable while they last, giving you something to do for a bunch of cozy afternoons. In overall, they tend to leave players with hunger for more and unfulfilled dreams. Expect whatever being mass-produced at current moment to fall under this group, including majority of moege. At times, I tend to leave them with a tiny +, to indicate devs at least tried. Impressive - A game, which elevates itself above norm and skilfully uses tropes, settings and standards along with various medium-related mechanics to create memorable experiences. Those are typically good games by default, albeit not devoid of flaws, often times being a part of their very nature. They still tend to be far from perfect, but you'll love them regardless of those tiny mistakes and bumps, which remain an indicator of hand-crafted approach. Titles as such aren't uncommon, but more than often - they will leave you thirsty for more and that thirst is something, they aren't really capable to quench; after many of those, you will most probably want to delve deeper. They will purposefully tingle your ego, but don't expect them to give you clear answers, nor solutions to problems they create. They are more often about the voyage itself - asking questions and leaving their readers in a state of bewilderment - rather than the end result. Nonetheless, they are almost always a truly enjoyable ride till the very end. This group tends to attract simpler story-heavy games, as well as more ambitious charage titles. Outstanding - Very few games reach this sort of artistry, that could be only matched with writers' attention to detail and cleverness in which they build their settings and play with commonly found tropes, much to everyone's surprise and delight of their more hardcore fanbase. In those, the definition of up and down doesn't really exist and any sort of distinctions between what's considered widely accepted moral norms blur to the point of being almost indistinguishable. They rarely give a damn about normalfaggotry conceptions of the perceived genres. Such games will often have great heroes and even greater antagonists - actual people made of flesh and blood, driven by most primal human desires and emotions that will defy physics, bend time and space, obliterate entire armies and cause nations to fall. Such characters often find themselves fighting no less with their enemies, as much as themselves - their flaws, imperfections, inner demons hidden somewhere between the folds of their souls and enjoying to peek outside at times. In those tales, people will die and things get destroyed, with certain fates becoming far worse than a visit to the nearest afterworld. Don't expect your favourite characters getting selective treatment; in realm of outstanding stories, characters considered to be "redeeming" or "favourable" often go through even bigger hell than defeated antagonists - at most if they win - with worst possible cases including moral event horizon induced insanity, gruesome deaths or eternal suffering (preferably all in a never-ending cycle). Those stories will make you laugh, they will make you cry, they are frequently emotionally draining - and boy oh boy - entertaining as hell, provided you're capable to grasp concepts behind their inner workings. Considered a desired habitable zone by many aspiring and skilful writers, simply because it allows badassery to exist without hurting immersion in the process. Brilliant - Games that ultimately defy laws and conventions of genres they belong to, written by literate geniuses, capable to mould words into whatever the hell they want. Plot no longer functions like in normal space and characters are akin to visitors on a vast plane of reader's subconsciousness. Those games are typically considered difficult to grasp for most people and with a good reason, because you're expected to deal with creators themselves and whatever personal issues, grudges, hate and passions they throw at you, while you're trying to make sense of everything. They are extremely rare and as such, prone to complete subjectiveness, becoming battlefronts for fan-based warfare. They always attain a cult following and grow endless forests of epileptic trees, which serve as fuel for discussions, that will go on for years - AND YEARS, if not decades after release. Masterpiece - This, my ladies and gentlemen - is what any fan could consider a holy grail of eroge... if one would only exist. I doubt I'll ever come across a visual novel as good, to be able to freely - and without doubts - give it such a high rating. It didn't happen yet, perhaps I'm yet to read them, who knows. Most of the really good games I know fall somewhere between outstanding and brilliant, to give an example. This rating is more of a gimmick to keep myself at bay there are no perfect games. In addition, I use the following special tags as well: Highly recommended - Games I consider being capable of showing "how things should be done", both in terms of writing as well as genre standards and rules they operate under. Such works, are - more or less - exemplary and at the same time - provide both content and enjoyment in a way, that's easy to grasp even for novices and people unaccustomed with their tropes or elements. Guilty pleasure - You DON'T question why certain games get this tag. Period. This is something I typically reserve for titles, that might not really be the best or most worthy of attention or general context (I could quite possibly not play them under most circumstances), but definitely deliver elsewhere. Where the former doesn't apply, they simply have things I have a strong and particular fixation about and approach them in such an excellent way - including fetishes I can't really live without anymore - I'm able to forgive those games any other flaws. I don't really play them because of their depth or plot, I play them for my personal enjoyment on a very carnal level and you might find them of equal interest. Wicked - A game that breaks any contrived norms or standards and does it in a fashion, that's definitely worth praising. I use this tag specifically for games that are a cherry on the top amongst the more morally ambiguous titles, often scaling between "cute", "awful" and outright "disgusting". Those games usually throw players into a vortex of extreme emotions, crushing their hopes and uplifting them seconds after, only to cast them into despair once again; The sort of games, that leave you both with sense of a profound disapproval and an almighty grin on your face. TL&DR Games that are literally a blast to plough through, provided you are both physically and emotionally strong enough (lol). For those of you, who ever wondered how do I rate the games I play, or what's my perception of vns in general this hopefully clears things up, even if a little bit.
    4 points
  3. MayoeruHitori

    The Heart of Chuuni

    The Heart of Chuuni My previous blog posts were about analyzing common definitions and attitudes toward the word "chuuni" and the chuuni genre. I was establishing a baseline. But now it's time to delve into the essence. Background Most VN fans have heard an "explanation" of the chuuni genre before. "It's stuff like Dies irae" "It's hotblooded and over-the-top action" "It's about detailed settings with cool characters" "It's edgy shit" "It's a story with characters who act chuunibyou, except nobody tsukkomi's them" "It's people with heterochromia or special powers and victim complexes" "It's shounen for adults" Whatever you may have heard, there's one thing I'm sure about: it's vague. Most people zero in on a specific element of chuuni that holds their attention or that they like about it, and say, "This is chuuni!" In truth, though, chuuni is a broad genre that encompasses many literary mediums, many sources of appeal, many tropes, and many cases where the trope is hard to describe. People are expected to experience a lot of chuuni works, and experience a lot of references to "chuuni" within other Japanese works, and thus by cultural osmosis, form an abstract concept of what is "chuuni". But do we really have to settle for that? Can't we precisely say what exactly is and isn't "chuuni", at least in spirit? I believe we can. Let's throw out popular perceptions and attitudes, along with all the baggage associated with the word "chuunibyou" that formed the basis of the word chuuni. Let's move beyond the cultural background that has been established in my previous post, discard all preconceptions, and finally... approach the true heart of chuuni. . The Path to Chuuni What follow are largely my own informed inferences. They lack evidence, because there's no easy way to prove a cultural trend. If anyone has an alternative theory, they're free to present it in the comments or their own blog post. Early manga was expected to conform to the "common sense" of society. Or rather, there was little market for contrarian works. Works that targeted the youth often centered around "heroes" who were expected to help maintain the peace of society, living according virtues such as kindness and mercy, and achieved success and peer recognition as a result. Works that targeted adults, on the other hand, might be more cynical, but they still revolved around adult protagonists who had conformed to society. For a parallel outside Japan, look to Western comic book heroes like Superman, who stood tall amid the Comics Code Authority regulations. In fact, the style of early manga was significantly inspired by its Western counterpart. But society doesn't stay the same forever. Decades passed, and people's sensibilities changed along with their attitudes. ...No one can possibly trace chuuni to its origin point, because there is no such thing. Throughout history, there have always been isolated elements within works of literature that speak to our chuuni hearts. Like, for a fairly "recent" example, everything about the style of Hiei from Yuu Yuu Hakusho. If there is an origin of chuuni as a genre, it occurred when those elements fused together. But what degree of fusion is necessary to birth a "genre"? The only point by which it's absolutely certain a "genre" had come into existence was the advent of Fate/stay night. What We Desired So, what is chuuni? Chuuni is completely pointless from a practical standpoint; it just sounds cool. Chuuni-style nicknames, throwing in random German, or donning a scarf or a cape. Chuuni doesn't serve to create a conflict, or add necessary depth in ways typical of fantasy stories. Rather, it serves to emphasize the special coolness of the lead character. Having a "unique infection", wrestling with madness, experiencing an "awakening", or possessing memories of a past life. Chuuni depicts the "alternate truths" that contradict what others think and feel. A morality that is not subordinated. Killing to survive, references to the food chain, massacre as self-expression, or a rebellion against the natural order of a hypocritical "God". Chuuni reveals the "hidden truths" about society that have scarred the people within it. Conspiracies, cover-ups, or human experimentation. At the heart, chuuni is a celebration of the virtue of "chuuni" characters--and the chuuni fans who recognize them--as the true heroes of this world, in touch with a reality the masses can't conceive of, capable of facing harsh truths and shouldering emotional burdens that typical, mundane people would be overwhelmed by--because those people lack character, lack mental strength, and are emotionally weak, capable only of clinging to the foolish perceptions, beliefs, and morals espoused by society. I believe that everything that chuuni has become started from that. Young people in society often experience alienation, or some kind of frustration with their inability to perfectly conform. Such people are often tempted by a certain wild idea, and think like this: "I feel like shit because no one sees the world the same way as me. But even after I've let myself stew in this rotten emotion, I still can't make myself be just like everyone else... What if everyone else is actually deluded, and I'm correct? In that case, my perception is superior to others, and I'm aware of truths they aren't, AND I had the boldness to stick with my beliefs instead of delude myself and conform like the rest of them. Aren't I quite awesome?" People who feel like this, even if it's just a slight inclination rather than full-blown chuunibyou, tend to admire and seek out characters and stories with a chuuni spirit. When Fate/stay night came out, it was like a bomb went off. Fate hit just the right note with its moral complexity, the mystique of the rich world it depicted, a lawless secret world of the supernatural, ordinary people depicted as clueless sacrificial sheep, a male lead whose evolution is a condemnation of traditional moralistic leads, and so on. People with an inclination toward chuuni tropes flocked to it in droves, plus everyone else, because Fate/stay night was just that good. That said, in the present day, what we (especially VN fans) call "chuuni" often refers more to famous tropes from chuuni works, and what those tropes have evolved into, and doesn't necessarily seek as its audience the sort of person I just described. But it's worth keeping in mind the origin of this genre. More Human than Humans I'll close with this wonderful piece of prose that truly captures the essence of chuuni. They, who wandered and pursued that formless “humanness,” who couldn’t see any significance in their existence outside of battle, who, because of their hearts becoming akin to blades, didn’t know how to grasp any hands extended to them, who never had anyone understand their beauty, and had no choice but to seclude themselves among each other, who had no choice but to estrange themselves with fake smiles when with other people so they could maintain themselves, who couldn’t pride themselves in anything but destruction, who therefore were particularly cynical and were born with inhumane powers, and therefore were continuously called monsters, were, more than anyone and anything else, human. -- Excerpt from "Psyren: Another Call 2" by Iwashiro Toshiaki, translated by himetsuri I'm not entirely satisfied with this post, so I may revise it later.
    2 points
  4. As for the heroines who like Momoyo, I can only think of two as of now. The first one is Hinaori Kagome from Comyu, while for the second one Koshigoe Maki from Tsujidou is the closest one. Hope it'll answer your request.
    2 points
  5. An amazingly contradictory example of both ambition and trashiness, this Canadian company managed to create some of the most memorably-bad games available within the Western VN market. While they definitely never showed the kind of contempt for their audience and lack of dignity that emanates from pretty much every new Winged Cloud title or the Steam asset flip/achievement spam VNs (yes, those are a thing – I will get to them one day), their utter failures and misguided elements in their projects are not something you see every day – and, as they belong to commercial products that ask money from their readers, they’re open even for the more cruel kinds of scrutiny. And that’s exactly what I’m going to deliver upon them today. -------------------------------- A Wild Catgirl Appears Yuri Game Jam entries usually are published for free, even though some of them offer quite impressive production values and interesting stories. A Wild Catgirl Appears is a double exception in this regard, as, sadly, it's neither free nor in any way compelling to play through. With extremely basic and mostly nonsensical plot, clunky dialogue and a plethora of technical issues, it's one of the least competent commercial VNs available on Steam (at least among actual games and disregarding the aforementioned asset flips and achievement spams). It might also be the only VN in which I count inclusion of catgirls as a negative, considering how superficial the reason behind their appearance is and how they take the focus from the only somewhat-interesting characters in the game. Even yuri romance couldn’t redeem this title to me, considering it’s generally miserable state – sadly not worth your time, and especially your money. Final rating: Smelly Poo Read the full article at evnchronicles.blogspot.com
    1 point
  6. But Chrono Clock is amazing
    1 point
  7. Regarding concerns about self-editing or lack of it in the prologue demo: If Ninetail's translator didn't find time to edit a couple hours worth of promotional materials to help the campaign, priorities are HIGHLY unlikely to change when the campaign is funded, the incentive to impress disappears, and the scope of the job multiplies by 50x. Ninetail's translator will always be busy, and there will always be higher priorities than polishing a translation that's already been paid for--like releasing the game sooner rather than later to fund its next game. Steam players won't care, so if backers don't hold them accountable, no one will. I have no doubt Ninetail's translator will try harder in the future, and the next gameplay trial might even be satisfactory. But in the big scheme of things, this isn't a problem one person can try-hard his way out of. The necessary resources need to be set aside, or it simply won't happen. A good editor is a lot cheaper than Keimaru seems to think. I talked to a source who HIRES editors for VNs, and he confirmed this. If Ninetail is looking for professional English editors that speak Japanese or are affiliated with a group that is based in Japan--and can respond to inquiries in Japanese--they're doing it wrong.
    1 point
  8. selfpublishing might, or might not be better, depending on how it´s done in the end. just no letting dudes/gals handle things in a way that´s either good, or fantl-quality at best. still greatly bothered by a certain individuals statements from not too long ago https://twitter.com/sacredge0/status/945160532264407047
    1 point
  9. Hi all! I just wanted to spread the word that our Adult Otome Visual Novel - Yakuza Kiss - is now on Steam early access. You can find all the relevant information and links below, but if you have any questions please feel free to ask me anything! TRAILER https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=izpeklRaVHQ GAMEPLAY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJ_cNGNEDnM SCREENSHOTS & GIFS PRESS RELEASE Pink Potion Games is releasing its debut game, "Yakuza Kiss", an adult visual novel made especially for players who love sweet romance, but also want the hot and steamy parts! Join Jeong Moon on her descent through Cyan City - a sprawling neon metropolis ruled by the criminal underworld. Completely disillusioned by the city and life in general - desperate for a way out - she ends up in the wrong place, at the wrong time and finds herself working for the yakuza. She quickly catches the attention of Yuki Yamaguchi, a yakuza leader hellbent on rebuilding his father's criminal empire. To survive in this strange new world she will have to face her deepest fears and give in to her darkest desires. "Yakuza Kiss" features all the classic visual novel elements players know and love, but gives them a refreshing twist. For example, the game characters are animated with Live2D and the location art features sprite and particle animations. All important story scenes are accompanied by illustrations that appear on the screen frame by frame, as if the player is reading a comic book. Throughout "Yakuza Kiss" the player is confronted by choices that will form the personality of the main character and change the final outcome. The original soundtrack is influenced by synthwave and - just as the ambience, SFX and visual effects - it is designed to bring the dark atmosphere of Cyan City to life. The 1st chapter of "Yakuza Kiss" is available on Steam Early Access where consequent chapters will also be released as they are completed. All the chapters should be available by Q4 2019, but interested players should grab this Visual Novel right now since as we add more content, the price will go up. For more images, videos and information you can visit www.pinkpotiongames.com/yakuza-kiss. "Yakuza Kiss" has been developed with Unity3D and will require Windows 7/8/10, a 1,5GHz processor, 2 GB of RAM and DirectX 10. Pink Potion Games was formed in 2016 by an experienced indie developer duo. Our mission is to offer the female adult visual novel fans something new and exciting! You can visit us online at www.pinkpotiongames.com. LINKS Steam page: https://store.steampowered.com/app/847950/Yakuza_Kiss/ VNDB page: https://vndb.org/v23139 Pink potion website: http://www.pinkpotiongames.com Pink Potion Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/PinkPotion Pink Potion twitter: https://twitter.com/PinkPotionGames
    1 point
  10. Day 6 in Sorcery Jokers.......
    1 point
  11. Where else can you hear someone audibly talk dirty while in the act of sucking a dick? Both 2D/3D have their advantages, and honestly anything that satisfies my blowjob fetish is fine by me xD
    1 point
  12. I'll warn you first, only Minato Soft produces that style of heroine, so if you go looking elsewhere, you won't find perfect matches. That kind of dominating and overpowered heroine is kind of rare... but I'll try to make a few suggestions. Silverio Vendetta (Chitose) Devils Devel Concept (though she combines her tyranny with deep manipulation and ruthlessness... think Darth Momoka) Kaito (the protagonist) of Akagoei is an almost exact match, but he's the protagonist and male. Sofia Usty from World Election (think 'invincible demon lord who badly wants someone who can equal her as a partner') Leona Kaname Burns from Electro Arms (queen of the arena, a fight addict, loves a challenge, adrenaline junkie)
    1 point
  13. Yeah, that comment scares me a bit... It's also kind of silly that editing is considered as a stretch goal. Editing is something a translation must have, not something that could potentially be added through extra funding from fans... I hope they figure something out there. A game of this size going unedited will read very poorly, even if a brilliant translator handles it.
    1 point
  14. Just add some towels and everything will be daijoubuuu.
    1 point
  15. of course, how could i forget the amateur porn category. alright, all 3d porn isnt bad. amateur stuff is the way to go.
    1 point
  16. All novels in this list are very good so I will only give you some of my thoughts. Dies Irae - for me personally DI is number 1 fantasy/battle royal story, but if you read it, prepare for disappointment in majority of other chuuni novels. Baldr Sky Dive 1 - if you read this, read Dive 2 immediately. This is a single story, it must not be separated. Basically same as Umineko. Eustia - is pretty good, though it loses to other VNs in this list (at least in my opinion). Kara no Shoujo - good, but just in case, do not eat anything while reading. When I was reading part 2 I did this mistake and there was this one scene.
    1 point
  17. Kara no Shoujo and its sequel too! Also absolutely Cartagra at first!!
    1 point
  18. Well hey, we aim to please. Oh wait I shouldn't be on here. Er, definitely hope you guys are happy! I certainly am. Seeing you guys happy and satisfied makes me feel that all that effort wasn't wasted! It was worth all the trouble and hard work to make it a reality. Hope you guys will continue to support us!
    1 point
  19. don´t really mind them venturing into english terrain before facing financial shenanigans, as long as it won´t mean entrusting things to a company whose higher ups believe that putting efforts in (thoroughly) editing/betatesting/QA titles is a fukking waste of time, because eroge don´t generate enough revenue and customers aren´t supposed to complain/whine in the slightest, but that´s what it probably means, so ... *huge sigh
    0 points
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