Clephas

seiya-saiga is the fastest, and until a year and three months ago, Foolmaker was the most 'efficient' when it came to walkthrough structure. Unfortunately, its pretty rare for Foolmaker to put up new walkthroughs now. As for Yurikago... the way it splits off, you simply branch off each path (except the Grand - and final - one) from the first three choices, which come pretty close together. I'm pretty sure the paths split off in this order: spike-winged angel (for some reason I can't remember her name), Ume (unbreakable girl who likes breaking things), Ritia (spin-off path that shows things from Tomoe's point of view), and Tae (the protagonist's do-M angel). However, Izuna is a completionist's nightmare because of the sheer number of scenes that need to be watched in order to access the extra endings (like six bad ones and one 'normal' ending that seems to make way for a sequel). I seriously suggest you just use the Foolmaker walkthrough for Izuna.

My personal opinion is that if we are going to do this, we should first take a look at what the VN-reading community needs and see which of those needs aren't being fulfilled. First, one thing I noticed on vndb - and tried to remedy by posting comments on each game as I went along, giving a general feeling of what each game was like - was the lack of a centralized area for reviews on individual games. Most game summaries are basically half-assed translations of the ones from the Japanese game sites, and the results generally don't even vaguely resemble the content of the game beyond outlining a few elements of the setting. What I post are what could be called mini-reviews, in that I simply make some succinct and easily understood comments about each game, before moving onto the next. My interest is in telling people what they are getting into before they start the game and giving them a general idea of what level of quality to expect. Since my comments are almost universally story, setting, and character-related, they can't be considered a review in the traditional sense, but since most VN-lovers are story-loving otaku in the first place, that isn't really a problem. Another thing - and this is a problem that has recently been made more public on vndb - is the practice of troll-voting on VNs in order to inflate or deflate their ratings. If you want to create a database with ratings and the like, you'll need to consider ways to prevent anonymous idiots from registering and ruining your ratings system. Last - and this is just a bit of advice to those who are letting their idealism get away with them - vndb is well-established for a reason. It has a devoted community of developers, a large number of users, and a huge database with relatively high levels of detail as these things go. It isn't erogamescape, but neither is it a weak source of data for English-speaking vn-players. If you want climb up to their level or do better than them, you can't forget to provide a viable and equal alternative that provides what vndb can't or won't without breaking the bank or letting things get to where the server crashes daily. I'd also suggest running it on a separate service from the main Fuwanovel forum and website. I say this because a service that gets shutdown at irregular intervals due to false attacks of conscience on the part of providers is not going to last, even with fan support. Edit: Incidentally, I'm not trolling for reactions, just playing devil's advocate. The VN-reading community in the US can't number more than fifty thousand people, most of whom have only played a few translated VNs alongside regular rpgs and the like. So, your main support base is probably going to be something around ten to twelve thousand people, whom you will have to draw away from vndb or get them to use you along with vndb. Redundancy of any sort in this kind of small internet community tends to be fatal for the less popular of the two. As I said above, make sure you are providing services vndb isn't... and if they begin to offer the same services, be prepared to lose. Edit2: I'm probably overestimating the number of VN-readers overall.

It's possible for a VN to be a video game, and it is possible for it to be something completely different. The line is pretty much defined by the existence of actual gameplay other than story choices. Stat screens (relevant ones), battle systems, gaming systems (puzzles and the like), and dating sims are all examples of elements that transform a normal VN into something more than a choose your own adventure book with pictures and music. Visual novels are a method of story-telling, and with the addition of game-elements, they become a game using the VN story-telling medium.

Ah, incidentally, Yurikago and Izuna both differ greatly depending on the heroine you choose (or rather, the story progression does). Izuna has a lot of alternate scenes, and Yurikago splits off pretty close to the beginning into its various paths. Izuna is especially good if you liked Batman but thought it would be better if he just killed the Joker and got it over with. You probably won't use the skip function at all for either of them if you utilize the Foolmaker walkthroughs.

Yurikago Yori Tenshi Made (http://vndb.org/v7071) Izuna Zanshinken (http://vndb.org/v7070) Yurikago has the first six, Izuna has all seven. I don't know if you've played them or not, though. Incidentally, I try to get everyone I meet to play these, lol.

If you can understand the vocals without having to think about it seriously, there is no reason why you couldn't jump to playing untranslated VNs with the jparser/translation agg combo. It'll be slow going at first, but you'll get used to it, eventually.

Sioxz: One thing you have to understand is that most romance vns are also comedy ones. However, I think I can provide you with one that fits the bill, for the most part. Haruka ni Aogi, Uruwashi no (http://vndb.org/v604). This one has comedy (there are no decent VNs that don't have some) but it is focused around the drama. It is also one of the best games of its type I've ran across. Nosebleed: There aren't that many VNs translated of any type, but I suppose you could take a look at Kimi no Nagori wa Shizuka ni Yurete (http://vndb.org/v3789). Though, I'll repeat this, you should check Kaguya's top 50 translated VNs you should read before you die if you want to find decent translated. I'm a non-translated specialist. kersplude: Yours is the hardest request yet, as there quite simply aren't that many great all-ages games out there in the first place (they exist, but most that make it onto PC have ero). I'd suggest Tokyo Babel (http://vndb.org/v9205) simply because it is a great VN with comedy, romance, and horror (though its more of a 'oh god, we are all going to die horribly... and that's the better possible fate!!!' kind of horror that you can experience in the bad ends, lol). Kaguya: You asked for lolis? Well... (http://vndb.org/v453) that has my favorite loli of all time, Belche. This has a high loli ratio and is fairly interesting/hilarious (http://vndb.org/v4868). Have fun all.

Considering I seem to be the most experienced vn-player here, I thought I'd make a corner where people could ask me to suggest to them VNs of a specific type they want. Simply post what type of VN you are looking for here (with the understanding that I don't read pure dating sims, nukige, or games centered around the entertainment industry) and I will reply as quickly as possible with a suggestion or two.

First, let me state that all three points of view have a certain degree of validity. Seeing VNs as games and combining the element of VN story-telling with rpg-gaming brought us classics such as Aselia and Agarest War, after all. However, most of the best VNs are book-style, with the game focused on the story. For every Aselia, there are a dozen other gameplay-VNs where the gameplay serves solely to irritate the player and disrupt the story-telling. So, those who believe that they are essentially 'books' aren't entirely wrong. However, my way of thinking comes closer to Tay's. I believe VNs are a medium devoted primarily to telling a story. If the gameplay enhances the story (such as in Ikusa Megami Zero) or serves as a spice to it, then it is all well and good. However, if a story is better off without the gameplay, then there is no reason why gameplay should exist there. Understand, I began my days as a gamer with the NES era, and I fell in love with rpgs first, games second. That love-affair continued (with a few side-trips into shooters and hack and slash for stress relief) for the better part of twelve years, until I met Tsukihime, which opened my eyes on how story could be told using the VN medium. I got storytelling that I'd only rarely seen, even in the best of rpgs (such as Suikoden, Xenogears, Xenosaga), in a format that did not in any way disrupt my immersion in the story with unnecessary elements. It was better than manga, because manga didn't appeal to my ears, and it was better than a simple book because it gave me a visual representation of the characters in the story (though I still read books constantly). It combined the three elements of telling a good story in a game (video, audio, and text) without forcing me to interrupt the story to fight an enemy, delve into a dungeon, or solve a puzzle. From there on, there was no turning back. I've found that I dislike VNs that have choices for the sake of choices (most choices in moege are irrelevant, for instance) and I like ones that decide the direction of the story early on, so as to create more distinctive plot paths. So, my viewpoint is not that of a gamer, when it comes to visual novels. However, if you were to ask me whether gameplay is always a block to telling a good story, once again I would have to shake my head, though there are VNs where that is the case (Hyakki Yakkou, all Liarsoft games with gameplay elements, dating sims).

Yurikago Yori Tenshi Made: Blood, do-M angels, murderous lolis, and girls that like breaking things. Izuna Zanshinken: Blood, vengeance, serial killers, and ninja-like vigilantes.

If one of the ones I play later is better, I'll change my pick later, but I seriously doubt it. What I have left are moege or guro for the most part. Karumaruka isn't a work of genius, but it maintains Saga Planets' usual quality.

It's been decided, my game of the month for this month is Karumaruka Circle!!! (http://vndb.org/v12476 reference the post above for my thoughts on it). I thought about making it "Ichiban Janakya Dame Desu Ka?" However, when I choose a game of the month, I'm not just choosing for me, I'm choosing what I think is the best overall game I played from that month's releases. From a technical and writing quality perspective, Karumaruka is simply the better game, even if Ichiban is a more hilarious nakige (it draws out the tears very well, even though the game is relatively short). While I still have a few games from the past month that I haven't played yet that I'm interested in, one is a moege, one has yet to be released for download, and one is probably not as good as I want it to be.

Number 2

I finished playing Karumaruka Circle and Himegoto Union, moving on to Ichiban Janakya Dame Desu Ka?! (which is absolutely hilarious so far). Karumaruka is about as good as any of the Saga Planets games (with the exception of Natsuyume Nagisa and Hatsuyuki Sakura, whose quality was on a completely different level), meaning it is a game that pretends at being your classic charage with strong heroine paths but turns into a story-focused when it goes for the true ending. I didn't have many problems with Karumaruka overall, save for the somewhat erratic protagonist (in that he changes a bit too completely, too fast in the story) and the fact that Yukiha's path was so short. It is currently the number one candidate for my game of the month. Himegoto Union is your classic comedy-focused charage utilizing archetypical characters to create a story in a weird setting full of ninjas, princesses from space, horned girls, and androids. I honestly didn't really enjoy this one much, but if you are looking for light laughs and airheaded princesses, this is a good choice for you. The game I'm currently playing, Ichiban Janakya Dame Desu Ka, is by one of my favorite companies, Rosebleu (responsible for the Tiny Dungeon series, a group of hilarious fantasy VNs). True to the company's best work, the characters in this game are hilariously deredere (literally, their deredere antics are so extreme it will have you rofling) and it'll have you crying at least once in the early game. Since I'm only just finishing the common route, I don't have any comments on the heroine paths yet, but feel free to look forward to my final comments, which I'll include in my game of the month post for September, regardless of whether it wins or not.

Anime adaption of Tayutama killed the Mashiro ending so badly...

Kitsunekko, intelligent, strong-willed, and aggressive in obtaining what they want.

VNs eat through most of my entertainment budget every year. I also have a lot of role-playing games that I've bought over the years (I recently completed my collection of every psx role-playing game, localized or imported). I believe in supporting good games, so I pay... and I believe in corrupting our youth, so I usually get two copies of the best games so I can use them like a magic item to turn bright-eyed young people into dark-eyed otaku.

mmm... I played it, but I might not have rated it. I also own it. However, it isn't one of my favorites.

I own about one quarter of the ones I've played... (thousands of dollars). Anything with a nine rating or above on my vndb profile I have. I think I have about two thirds of the ones rated eight and one or two of the ones rated seven. All of them are boxed up, save for the extra copies I bought for corrupting the souls of innocent students who have learned Japanese enough to read them. These are my votes: http://vndb.org/u10917/votes?c=all;o=d;s=vote Listing them would be too much of a pain in the rear.

Aside from my VNs, I'm also playing Tales of Xillia for the PS3, Shin Megami Tensei IV, and the original Agarest War (which just got released on Steam). To be honest, I play these games only when I need a break from VNs...

Mmm... a lot of my attitude toward kinetic novels comes from the fact that I tend to obsess over plot, rather than characters. Having a lot of heroines to romance is fine... if they have distinctive routes that are at least as long as or longer than the common route (longer being preferred, as I like a short common route and long individual paths). Everyday moege got old for me long ago (around the time I played my twentieth one).

My favorite type of story structure is where the branches of the story are at the beginning or where it is decided from beginning to end. In the case of the former, it is because it creates more distinctive paths that aren't basically an alternate ending for the common route (most moege have that flaw), and in the case of the latter, you get what I think of as VN in its purest form, where the story is told using all the elements of presentation without the unecessary intervention of the player. If I want freedom, I'll play an Elder Scrolls game, lol.

Fast translations require a devoted group with a translator with lots of free time or numerous translators working together. Fate Hollow/Ataraxia is slow because the people working on it are low on free time. It is a miracle the project didn't die years ago. However, even a relatively fast project will still take a year or more to see the translation complete.

lol... VN of the month has to be above a certain level of quality. MML is out of the question, for instance, because it is too light with no real substance. One of the basic requirements I make of VNs that use supernatural elements as a central factor of the story is that they be addressed properly, if not completely. In addition, pure moege are almost never worth an endorsement, lol

Played two of September's end-of-month releases so far: Magical Marriage Lunatics and Noblesse of Rouge. Neither game is worthy of a 'game of the month', though MML manages to be a decent moege, fit for someone who wants a light game to play with no inspiring or truly interesting story to it. Noblesse of Rouge is downright awful, failing to fulfill any of the promise its setting had. I just started Karumaruka Circle, hoping that Saga Planets will manage to work the magic it did with Hatsuyuki Sakura and leave me in tears at the end.