Darklord Rooke

TL;DR: The problem lies with the IP address bans and having Cloudflare serving as a reverse proxy for the site nowadays.
 
Long, technical explanation:



 
Thing is, the guest comments are also going to be removed as soon as I have access to the server again. So this problem isn't going to be fixed, as they'll be gone soon afterwards.

Before I go any further, if this is not the right place to post this, or I'm breaking some rules by making this thread, I'd like to apologize in advanced.
 
Hey guys, short time lurker and first time poster. Big fan of the community here and glad that VN fans can have a place to talk about stuff . Anyway a while back I started doing reviews of games, originally I didn't intend for it to be VNs/Dating Sims but as time has gone on I've found myself covering them more and more. 
 
I try to do quick, informational but entertaining reviews that give a recommendation as to whether or not you should try/buy the game. Dunno how successful I am though.
 
Without further ado here's a link to one of my favorite reviews

 
Here's a link to a more recent one

 
And here's a link to just the playlist of my VN/Dating Sim reviews.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDnxyteDY65xn5vY3OKXWaQlKFnaQzKIA
 
It should be noted that I've reviewed other types of games, they're just in the main playlist.
 
Anyway I'd appreciate any feedback or suggestions about how I could improve, or games I could cover.

The recommendations forum is both ‘hip’ and ‘rad’. Big thumbs up.
 
However, would moving the Recommendations forum into the VN forum hide it from newcomers? And therefore would it result in more recommendation topics being made in VN by people who weren’t aware a recommendations forum exists?

Rule of thumb - the age of the main protagonist (in animes and VNs) roughly matches the age of the show's target audience in Japan. You get your exceptions, but on the whole it seems about right. It's not about being realistic but getting the target audience to relate to the protagonist, I assume.

I think from an organizational perspective it makes sense to include the recommendation forum as a subforum of VN talk. Having said that, I think the recommendation forum's visibility is a more important thing to consider. It looks like a lot of the topics are made by new users and people who only visit the forums a handful of times, so having it where it currently is at the (near) top of the page is a good place for it to be. Also like you said, we are a visual novel community. It is good to see the Visual Novels Discussion section look more robust.
 
As an aside I always thought the Community and Support Section would make make sense to precede the Other Discussion section, but that's not really an earnest suggestion given how used to the current layout I am.
 
P.S. It's good to see you back,Tay. I hope you're doing well.

Overview - A tl;dr summary of what the document will be about. It will be modified to respond to the community's critiques.
 
Intro: The goal of this sample document is to examine the goal of Fuwanovel as dictated by Tay, and to construct a sample strategy for Fuwa moving forward that aligns with the stated goal. This is a sample document because it was not written by Tay, and therefore anything recorded inside is subject to his approval. It should be fairly easy to remove unwanted sections, add additional pages or sections, or modify the text. This is a long term goal for the Fuwa Community (emphasis on long-term.)
 
Part 1 - Define Tay's motto. What does 'making VN's popular' involve. Identified 2 components to this goal, increasing the fanbase and ensuring the Industry's survival. Recognised influencing the industry requires power and influence, power Fuwa does not yet have. Suggest 2 phases to Fuwa's progression going forward, the first phase concentrating on increasing the fanbase and collecting the VN fanbase to Fuwa. Collecting the VN fanbase to Fuwa will increase its influence, which will be needed for phase 2, which will aim to assist in the health of the industry.
 
Part 2 - Before we start, a short piece of analysis is necessary. This analysis will be performed on the definition of the term 'visual novel'. It will detail why current definitions are inadequate, what sorts of games are usually identified as a VN, and the opportunities the flexible definition of the genre presents in attracting different types of gamers to the genre.
 
On a side note, I posted a thread in the VN section a month ago introducing a piece of Interactive Fiction to the participants of the forum. However, because this piece of IF conformed to VNDB’s definition of a VN, people accepted the game without a second thought. This presents an opportunity, which will be addressed fully later on, but will revolve around tapping into the fanbase of existing gaming genres. Why try and build a fanbase for visual novels if you have the ability and opportunity to tap into existing ones. It will require a definition of Visual Novel which can coexist with other genres. Something to think on.
 
Part 3 - Phase 1 described here. This will include:
Making Fuwa a 'one shop stop' for the Visual novel (type game) consumer. This means including all the information a consumer could want - Like up to date news/analysis on Japanese and English VNs (and possibly some specific IFs) Improve the VN database on Fuwanovel by providing in depth information on each game (both Japanese and English VNs... possibly some IFs too) including reviews, synopsis, gallery, walkthroughs, a tagging system, availability (pirate locations or locations on where to buy,) an embedded 30 minute demo Youtube video just above the torrent link, ratings systems (EGS and VNDB... and possibly a unique Fuwa rating system down the track which may or may not be linked to a Users profile,) related series (whether the VN has ties to an anime, a manga, a LN or so forth,) and related merchandise available to buy. Also Fuwa could put together a monthly magazine recapping all the projects, news and events of the past month. A community section for the site. Representing things relating to the Visual Novel community’s contribution to Fuwa’s goal.  This could include a noticeboard which would contain requests for help concerning projects (translation, development, help with the lexicon etc) Showcasing the lexicon, the bundling together of VN introduction kits. 
A friendly place to chat (forums.) We already have this. Restructing is needed though. Consider having an admin in charge of each area (content, user stuff, tech) so when the leader needs a break the site doesn't ground to a halt (I'm not implying anything here.) Also maybe a news area which links to the blog... Piracy. People like free stuff. I should note that if Fuwa plans to create relationships with the industry, it may need to reconsider its views on piracy at that point. But that's a very long way away. Obviously these torrent links will be taken down if official versions are available in english. A comprehensive, aggressive and continuous outreaching program. This will include Tay's outreach program to other sites. It would also recognise certain opportunities outlined in part 2 of this document, targeting gamers of different genres (I point to how many people are currently being introduced to VNs through adventure games.) Targeting anime fans by bundling together VNs of existing anime may or may not be necessary. This may also include suggesting certain VNs to small game sites to review. Like, for example, suggesting Yumina to some smallish RPG sites. Problem - how to get gamers to sample the introduction packages in significantish numbers? The distribution of Fuwa's monthly magazine to showcase what the VN industry offers gamers. The construction of certain committees. One such committee could be in charge of the identification of short-medium length VNs that groups of Western gamers would likely enjoy. VNs with RPG gameplay, or strategy gameplay, or untranslated VNs which have anime tie ins, for example. They could then advertise for people to translate these VNs. An overhaul of the main site. The main site will be used to service the visual novel consumer. But that would be pointless if the site is difficult or confusing to manage. An update, reducing redundancies on the site, and making the the about section up-to-date is necessary. Reducing clutter, streamlining the design etc. This section will be added to once Nayleen posts on this thread in detail, and in language I can understand - 100. *These pages are placeholders* XD  
Part 4 - Phase 2 is described here. The beginning of phase 2 is a ways off, Fuwa first needs to build influence. These ideas are not complete, and are geared towards supporting the industry.
Create significant relationships with developers and localisation studios. For example, interviewing Japanese doujin developers and the same for their English counterparts, eventually get some spokespeople for developers to sign up to the Fuwa forum.  Building support for commercial VN development and localisation on the site/forums. For example, Fuwa could add a page to members user profiles where users can show off their visual novel collection. This idea is based around the idea of a gamer tag. Organising Fundraising campaigns on Fuwa, for Japanese or English development. Maybe Fuwa can get an Easter Egg inserted in the game in Fuwa's name :3  Using influence to aid publicity in the West (*examples go here*) -100 *these pages are placeholders* XD Phase 2 is very rushed atm, and feels very bareboned. It will gradually be fixed and strengthened in the days to come.

I played a bit of MGQ, and I thought it was crap, honestly.  Dropped it in under a day.  It's just fap fodder, and should be treated as such.

The alveolar process on that skull is mucked up. The lady needs to get a real skull .....

Hey everybody,
 
I'm sorry that it's a week after my anticipated return date, and I'm still not up and running. I'm not sure if anybody posted about my RL issues, but I've been dealing with some crises and have been in and out of the hospital. I'm home now, and will plan on being online tonight to start catching up and getting to work. 
 
I haven't had a chance to read any posts or PMs, so if it seems like I'm ignoring something -- forgive me! I'll get to it tonight or tomorrow.
 
Thanks for your patience and all the well-wishes people have sent my way,
Tay

I went ahead and set up a dev version of the site on http://fuwanovel.info/ . Please note a few things:

- This doesn't mean we're switching to that URL
- People should be able to tell from a first glance that the state I had is fairly old, approx. end of last November
- I'll use it to showcase some of the ongoing development being done, since that site runs independently from the actual (live) one
- I'll start making changes which I already discussed with Tay first, afterwards will depend on how things progress in the meantime (new ideas/projects/priorities popping up)

I might pick up my "dev blog thread" again to keep you guys informed.

Just stumbled upon this:
 
http://waifubartending.com/
 
That URL is a bit curious , but this is exactly what I mean by having your own flavor. Daring to have stylish, slightly pixelated graphics, that interlace effect, etc. I will be checking out the game soon and might drop an order if I enjoy it. Feel free to leave thoughts on the game !

You literally forget that Clannad had more or less a finished TL (it was badly done, but still something to start from) and Planetarian had a great TL made by Insani. Licensing those two titles was only a matter of time; since even before SP got funded, guys who formed it stated plenty of times, that if anything KEY gets ever released on the west, it will most definately be Clannad and Planetarian. Now you have it. It's a nice accomplishment, but don't even think about resting on your laurels. If anything, this is just the beggining and any communities involved in visual novels will have a lot to do from now on.
 
SP isn't any different from Jast or MG - their only difference lies in the fact they are less restricted in terms of licensing games, but they follow the same rule that applies to any publisher, as in either bringing the most profitable titles out, or publishing games that require little to no work. The good side is they are constantly improving and looking for community feedback. I guess that's our main task - share knowledge and guide our western publishers, so they can release good and profitable titles on the west. The more profitable this business becomes, the more chances are the japanese studios open their doors and start looking forward to partnerships with western publishers.

Alright, so its time to begin pushing my plan forward a little bit here. The purpose of this thread is to lay out my plans for the Fuwanovel Social Media department and what I would like to see moving forward from it. 
 
Right now, I am in control of 3 out of the 4 Fuwanovel social media outlets. These are, Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube. The fourth, VisualNovelAer is in flux right now. So for the moment, there is nothing I can do about that until I know what the plans are for the blog (be it reconstruction or simply adding more writers). 
 
So here are the current teams.
 
Facebook: solidbatman, Nosebleed, ryouuuuu, Kaguya (inactive), Tay (doesnt use but access if needed), unnamed (inactive)
Twitter: solidbatman, zakamutt, Tay (doesn't use, but has access if needed)
Youtube: solidbatman
Blog: Tay, zakamutt, god knows who else
 
 
The Facebook continues to grow at a healthy pace and we will pass 13000 likes within the next month. 
 
The Twitter is close to 400 followers. With a bit of work, we can likely surpass the original twitter account. 
 
Youtube is still being planned out, but work should begin within the week. What I have planned for the Youtube channel, is to record about 30 minutes of every Visual Novel we have offered. These videos can then be embedded on the download page for the visual novel as a sort of trailer for those who might have limited bandwith, or would like to see the VN in action before downloading. Choices will be done through annotations and unlisted videos to keep from having spoilers. Also possibly being hosted are official Fuwanovel Let's Plays and the Official Fuwanovel Podcast. Both of these are still under consideration and I will await feedback before deciding. 
 
The blog is I don't even know. 
 
 
Some needs:
 
Facebook: We need someone able to assist users in tech support questions. I don't have time to go through each comment and post and even less to investigate every issue that pops up. Nosebleed has been doing this as much as he can, but recently everyone has become busy. We do the best we can, but could really use some help.
 
Twitter: Zaka and myself tend to hit all the news we need to on this front. That said, having someone who can TL tweets from VN companies overseas would be a god send. We also need to remove the old twitter account from the front page and replace it with the new one. It won't take any effort to actually do. Just needs someone who has access to the front page. 
 
Youtube: TBA
 
Blog: TBA
 
 
The end goal for all of this is to make Fuwanovel the go to outlet for VN information and news. We've focused so much on hosting VNs, I think its time to actually educate about VNs now and make it easier for people to support their favorite VNs and developers. In the end, I want Fuwanovel to actually be a part of the official western VN community by removing all licensed games, having information pages for licensed VNs (these pages also having a 30 minute demo video), and providing links to purchase licensed VNs instead of a download. I would also like to see Fuwanovel put together instructions for those looking to import physical copies of JP only titles (titles that have been Fan TL'd) and having a purchase link alongside those download links. By using social media to educate and inform, we can perhaps make Fuwanovel a friend to localization companies, and become a resource that isn't hated by those companies. 
 
If you have any questions, want to offer any feedback, or want to give us a hand, feel free to PM me or post in this thread. Thank you for reading!

Only just beginning, actually.

Only just beginning, actually.

Welp, Doki are saying that they'll be working with Sekai Project on this. Doki is the group currently "polishing" the existing translation. No matter how good they are at that, that original translation was really bad. They'd need to start from scratch in order to instill confidence. Hopefully this won't be a total disaster.

Only just beginning, actually.

There's an unfinished fan translation for it but that's it. The patch translated everything but didn't get complete editing or TLC passes and is kind of rough. It's possible that they could use it as a base but maybe they'll try to do the whole thing from scratch, which might be better in the long run. That will take a long time to do.

Which is why it's so important that people support this. If sales are disappointing this will prove to be a step backwards rather than a step forwards. That being said it's being released on Steam where Indie games sell a bundle and there's plenty of people out there who like the anime, so theoretically it should sell okay. 

This is an important step but there's another big one after that.
So far those hype games Steam releases are old licenses with established fanbases and existing fan translations.
 
Now Sekai Project needs to go ahead and license recent, high-profile and yet untranslated visual novels. If we start to see a flux of new translations for big games that sell well (at a higher pace than the few games here and there that MG and JAST do), then I think things will look really good.

Increasing our userbase seems important. I'm not the most experienced person in the matter, but we'd have much to gain if we were able to use the blog/facebook/etc to gather more users. It seems like you're planning on that already, but I think the way you're thinking is slightly ineffective? If you gather a team of writers and staff, they can easily end up losing motivation or not caring enough to produce a lot of content after a short span of time. It happened with the blog and with facebook already, where the team was originally big and after just some time one or two people ended up in charge of everything, from what I heard.
 
Maybe you could try to give incentive to normal users in case they provice quality content for our social media? That content could be approved by a team of your picking and then you'd have a window in the top of the screen which shows the latest contributor and gives a "thank you" message, maybe even add an item to their profile or grant them some other privilege. Of course, it's just an idea.

Speaking from the social media side of things, I do have plans to unite the blog, twitter, facebook and even the youtube directly with the front page. That said, my hands are a bit tied until a certain god (Tay) sets things up for the front page to be updated and prettied up along with individual download pages. 
 
On another note, I'd like to see us host info pages for licensed VNs and instead of a download link, the link is to the store page or steam page. It would also tie into the Youtube project I'm cooking up. 

I feel an/another aspect should be more dedicated support (and actually getting people together) for grassroot projects to create original VN's instead of just fantranslation.
 
Maybe that's just me though.

Part 1 of Sunrider has already been released. It's fun, especially the combat system, but it's not written fantastically and the plot is light. Although considering it's free, it's an awesome product.