Dreamysyu

@HataVNI Honestly, I'd recommend at least creating discussion threads for the content posted on the main site. I believe it used to be the norm in the past. The discussions were often pretty interesting, and it would make the main site more visible for those of us who mostly visit forums.

One thing that has always baffled me is why Discord is more popular than traditional forums. As a medium of communication I much prefer the forum format. Not to mention that information is much better stored and searchable via web browsers when it's on a forum as opposed to a Discord server. There are also certain topics and conversations that work better when you can write out a thought out reply rather than a series of instant messages

Started reading Cross Channel after @AmelieDoree's glowing review using the Amaterasu TL since it's supposed to be the only out of the three that's at least attempting to be somewhat accurate. I really like the game so far, but the TL notes are killing me sometimes.
Like what the hell is this? 1) "My stomach bug" is not a personification. 2) English has a metaphor with the identical meaning: "my stomach growls". It's even comparing the noise to one an animal makes. 3) The phrase "stomach bug" also exists in English, and means something different.
I'm usually quite lenient when it comes to TL quality, at least as long as there is some basic flow to the translated text, but when it's making me read three lines of text consisting of a wrong translation accompanied by a wrong TL note to explain a three word Japanese phrase that has an accurate three word English translation, it takes me out of the scene. So much so I decided to interrupt my read through and rant on the internet about it.
 
Edit: the next line is "like a beast". Goddamnit.

I have an intrusive thought that there is no translation and this is all some prank that got out of hand.

forum ded

Well since I'm here.
Playing Chusingura 46+1 for the second time. Been a long time since I last played it. A long time since I played any VN at all tbh.
This has always been in my top 3 VNs of all time, and that def has not changed.
Actually playing the all-ages version this time. The official Japanese vita port is actually a great port of the game without butchering anything of the content. Even adds in a lot of new scenes, too. Pretty neat. So far I'm reminded once again why Kuranoske is the best girl and why chapter 1 is goat. On chapter 3 atm, and I do remember this absolutely destroying me last time so let's see how my feels hold up.
Chapter 2 was already pretty rough with ... well, if you know you know.
 
Anyways, if this actually gets me back into VNs I do still have 2 other Inre games I have to get to. Apparently they aren't nearly as good as Chusingura and bushi no kodou, but it's still Inre so I should give them a read.
Edit: Too lazy to change my signature, apparently the last game I played was Tetsu to Ra w

Hi,
I think that getting the WAYR thread pinned actually hurts its visibility and traffic - since it alway stays in the same place, between announcements, it's easy to overlook it. Ironically, forum users often seem to pay less attention to the pinned threads - they kind of fade into the background.
So I'd like that thread to be returned to a "normal" thread status.
(Even though I'm not sure if it helps anything with current overall traffic situation...)

Steam (this really restricts what can be recced unfortunately):
https://vndb.org/v32333 (very heavy content tho)
https://vndb.org/v29885
https://vndb.org/v22061
https://vndb.org/v9680   (has a section where you need to type a bit, might not be ideal)
https://vndb.org/v31212
https://vndb.org/v19014
https://vndb.org/v7184 (if split into episodes)
Not steam (if you can make it work; probably possible, see guide on forums or the website that guide links to as an updated version)
https://vndb.org/v103
https://vndb.org/v21745
https://vndb.org/v1296
https://vndb.org/v38510
https://vndb.org/v1371
https://vndb.org/v23745 (probably including both chapters makes it longer than 10h for some readers, but you can read one after the other sop not a huge problem)
 

Imitating the styles of your favourite writers when you are just starting is perfectly normal and most people do it. The reason everybody says writers should read a lot is that you're finding out what you like and what you don't from the styles you're reading, what works for you and what doesn't. Once you start writing a lot your style will naturally develop and be refined further into something more your own. 
If you're imitating a style you hate though just because you read something recently, maybe wait a week or so before you start writing or maybe read something you like before you start writing. Being a sponge though, with regards to style, isn't a bad thing though.

Hey, had to format my PC and now I can't play my save of the game. There is an option to open the save game files, but I don't know how to inject them into the game.

NICE NECRO @Dreamysyu

Have some COWS
 
 

There is a recommended route order here.
I haven't played Euphoria, but from what I've heard of it, the route order is pretty important, at least for the later routes.
And that's a rather interesting choice for the first VN.

Good eve~ How do you do? 

I used to do a lot of forum’ing when I was a kid and I missed it so much! So here I am hoping to join your community of writers and readers. Thank you for having me.

I guess I have to write a little about me, Let’s see—
I suppose I don’t really watch anime… Last time I watched any was years ago. 
However~ I read a lot! Like, make that a ton! Mangas of course, and also Manhwas. I could cram those in for hours every day without being ever tired of it. 
So while I almost never watch anime, I could still discuss a lot of popular anime as long as it have manga sources!!

My favorites are stories about medieval high societies with heroines and villainess, I could never get tired of those!

So anyway, thank for having me~ Looking forward to talk about fun stuffs, and also fight your uneducated opinions about things I know about! A la prochaine fois~      

I once asked ChatGPT to write me a short story. It was very bland. Honestly, it wasn't even a story in the usual sense of this world, it felt more like a bad retelling. However, when I read it, I suddenly realized that I had played several human-made VNs whose stories were even worse.

That goes for just about anything and everything if you don't actually enjoy/have passion about the thing you do.

Not long started the Legend of Heroes series of games. I am on the first Trails in the Sky. Its very good. In-depth story and characters. 🙂

I once asked ChatGPT to write me a short story. It was very bland. Honestly, it wasn't even a story in the usual sense of this world, it felt more like a bad retelling. However, when I read it, I suddenly realized that I had played several human-made VNs whose stories were even worse.

So, Bokuten. Had to pause playing for a few weeks, since I was either on a trip or busy, but I'm mostly done with Minamo's route. There's still the second ending left, but I doubt it changes much. And, well...
The common route was truly amazing. Honestly, compared to many other vns where it's just a complete filler, here each chapter of the common route tells its own complete story, and I believe it's a very good idea. Minamo's route, however, is simply boring. Honestly, it's just your cliche VN stuff without much substance. These types of stories is exactly why I don't really play many VNs anymore. I'd usually recommend to skip this route, but the true route is locked before you finish everything else, so it's not an option.

His comment about plotge being too padded/long is the one I was referring to.  Mindless SOL and repeated dating scenes are unnecessary fluff even in SOL games, because they often don't do anything for the character dynamics or character development, which is supposed to be the point.  I tend to subconsciously ignore that type of VN now that I don't feel like I have to play them all the time.  
Generally speaking, even in a romance SOL VN, you only need one or at the most two dating scenes that don't lead into drama or the conflict of the path.  However, some companies (Yuzusoft comes to mind) include way too many date scenes (not to mention interminably long h-scenes), resulting in a lot of unnecessary padding.  To be blunt, it might sound counter-intuitive, but I often thought of dating as non-SOL content, because (unless the characters are married or the characters have had numerous lovers) dating is a deliberate departure from daily life, a low-level stress-test for romantic relationships because 'dating' has been so beautified in anime culture.
Despite jokes about cutting Kasumi's path (a lot of fans make that joke), there is very little you could cut from Dies Irae without weakening it.  Dies Irae is a detail-oriented VN in the sense that every detail has its place in the story, right down to the deliberately exaggerated personalities of the main characters on both sides of the conflict.  
Similarly, I can't see a reason to cut anything out of Muv-Luv Alternative (though Muv-luv itself could have done with a major trim).  
Hoshi Ori Yume Mirai and the other games by that company actually base their appeal an their extremely detailed romance from high school to full adulthood, developing the relationship and having numerous tribulations.  In that sense, I give that company kudos, because it got them a solid fanbase.  However, it doesn't appeal to the people who want 'quick in, quick out' SOL romances like Wagamama High Spec.  
Another thing that needs to be accounted for is reading speed.  Even in English, there are people who simply don't read that quickly and those who read excessively fast.  For me, completing an 800 page paperback novel in six hours is normal, but for most people that is the work of weeks of scattered reading or several days of concentrated reading.  The disparity is inevitably going to lead to differing opinions and preferences for VN length and narration styles.  
Someone who takes ten minutes to read a page in a novel probably isn't going to like a narrated battle scene that goes on for the equivalent of forty pages.  Whereas for me it is simply entertaining.
Not to mention those VN fans who work full time aren't going to have enough free time to really enjoy a VN like Dies Irae even if they have an average or slightly above average reading speed.  For someone like that, the wordiness of a game like Dies Irae isn't something to relish but something that eats into their free time more than they think is necessary.
... why am I defending my opponents?  Stupid fairness brain...
 

That's true. However, I do think that SOL can be pretty good for character development. I've seen plenty of good examples in anime, manga, and LNs. At the same time, honestly, I can't think of any good example of a VN that did something like that. Overall, most SOL parts in VNs are either comedy, which can range from very good to awful, or just useless filler.

Um no.......but ok. I found the common route in Grisaia to be very good. Sakura Moyu is another example of a VN that is long but very good. As far as reusing gags goes, I see that more in moege than anything else. If it is long and boring then I get it. However, if it is long and keeps you captivated, then there is nothing wrong with it being a longer VN.

I'd say, Cinderella Phenomenon deserves to be added.

It's a cool otome EVN with a story based on Western fairy-tales. The story itself is rather well-developed. Quality-wise, it's not particularly worse than its Japanese counterparts.

Soma fantasy recommendations:
Action-focused:
Anything by Type-Moon is a must-play, but, unfortunately, nothing is on Steam.
Rewrite
Tokyo Babel is pretty interesting in what it does, but it's not for everybody.
Drama-focused:
The House in Fata Morgana is absolutely amazing
Katahane, whenever the official version is finally released
Fault series, though it's incomplete, unfortunately

That's very subjective, you know. Steins Gate seems to be top 1 on VNDB rating right now, but, having only watched the anime, I often wonder why people rate it so high.
Are you looking for some genres in particular? There are tons of high-quality VNs out there.
Recommendations for sci-fi:
I definitely recommend the Muv Luv series, but it's better not to get into it as a total beginner.
Baldr Sky seems to be pretty good, though I personally couldn't read it due to some anxiety problems.
Ever17 would be a good choice, but it's not on Steam. Root Double might work as a replacement, though I haven't read it, so I'm not sure about its quality.
There's also YuNo remake.