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Clephas

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  1. Like
    Clephas got a reaction from Dreamysyu in Looking for vn that have a sibling route (not incest)   
    mmm... As a dark parody of the 'friend' trope: https://vndb.org/v18142
    In that one, the protagonist is cursed to be the 'best friend/childhood friend/etc' (Sunohara role) for a bunch of eroge protagonists.  He has to deal with the darkness that lies behind eroge and the fates of heroines who aren't chosen.  
     
  2. Yes
    Clephas got a reaction from Ray-Out in Are You Kidding Me?! They're Releasing This in English?!   
    I put the above in spoilers because it is somewhat negative commentary from someone who only played the game halfway through, so if you want to ignore it, I have no problems with it in this case.  
    For more positive commentary, the ero was good (better than most h-anime these days, which have become so similar to each other that you can't tell the difference between different series anymore).
  3. Like
    Clephas got a reaction from rimvydasm in Shiravune acquired Mashiro-iro Symphony   
    Mashiro-Iro Symphony is often mentioned as being the peak of the company's moege/charage era games.  It was made during the latter-stages of the 'golden age of JVNs', in 2009 (The 'golden age' is generally seen as being from 2005 or 2006 to 2011 or 2012, depending on who you ask), and it was an example of quality in a time when VNs had only just branched out into distinctive genres and sub-genres but before the templates had been set in stone.  
    As games of the type go, it is an excellent choice for localization.  
  4. Like
    Clephas got a reaction from ittaku in Shiravune acquired Mashiro-iro Symphony   
    Mashiro-Iro Symphony is often mentioned as being the peak of the company's moege/charage era games.  It was made during the latter-stages of the 'golden age of JVNs', in 2009 (The 'golden age' is generally seen as being from 2005 or 2006 to 2011 or 2012, depending on who you ask), and it was an example of quality in a time when VNs had only just branched out into distinctive genres and sub-genres but before the templates had been set in stone.  
    As games of the type go, it is an excellent choice for localization.  
  5. Like
    Clephas got a reaction from adamstan in Shiravune acquired Mashiro-iro Symphony   
    Mashiro-Iro Symphony is often mentioned as being the peak of the company's moege/charage era games.  It was made during the latter-stages of the 'golden age of JVNs', in 2009 (The 'golden age' is generally seen as being from 2005 or 2006 to 2011 or 2012, depending on who you ask), and it was an example of quality in a time when VNs had only just branched out into distinctive genres and sub-genres but before the templates had been set in stone.  
    As games of the type go, it is an excellent choice for localization.  
  6. Love
    Clephas got a reaction from LarryJimenez in Romance VN/eroge with art/writing quality comparable to tone work's (+ modern Japan setting preferable)   
    It needs to be said that Tone Works is pretty much the only company that has ever done romance VNs as extensive and detailed as their games.  It is the reason why they have such a solid following.
    In terms of artwork, 80% of all slice-of-life commercially-made games have that quality of artwork (it is pretty much standard for the course) post-2012.  Except for nitpicking details, there really isn't anything to choose from.
    Komorebi no Nostalgica comes to mind, for sheer emotional impact and depth of the romance.  However, it also has a philosophical aspect that some people might have trouble with, so I'll leave the choices to you.
    Haru to Yuki is also a good choice, if you don't mind it being generally somber in atmosphere.  The romance is highly emotional but if you don't want a fantasy element in the story, you should go elsewhere. (more like this is if you don't mind it, otherwise I won't barrage you with suggestions of the same type)
    Soshite Hatsukoi ga Imouto ni Naru, Shunki Gentei Poco a Poco, and Love Rec by Alcot are straight-out slice-of-life romances that draw out the emotions.  
    Natsuiro Recipe is 'comfort food' slice-of-life romance based in a Japanese country setting.
    Any game by Clochette will have good romance and humorous character interactions, with various levels of fantasy or sci-fi depending on the game.
    If you are in the mood for tragic romance in a unique future setting, Sakura, Sakimashita is an excellent choice.  It is based in a future where people discovered how to become ageless using genetic engineering, and where all humans have the right to become so.  However, due to the appearance of a planet-destroying asteroid, the previously ageless 'tokoshie' people (including the protagonist and the heroines) are forced to face the reality of their own mortality, while they seek to make the best of the time they have left.  
    Lovesick Puppies
    Izayoi Fortuna
    Hana no No ni Saku Utakata no
  7. Yes
    Clephas got a reaction from fujoneko in Ange Ranks 160 Visual Novel Girls in a Tier List   
    After a while, most VN heroines are forgettable... it's the ones you haven't forgotten ten years later that are worth putting into a tier list.
  8. Like
    Clephas got a reaction from Ray-Out in Anything like the grisaia series - cool mc, cool story?   
    Hello, Lady- Narita Shinri is nothing if not confident, though he is more than a bit of a pervert.  His other side is that of a ruthless avenger.
    Tokyo Babel- Written by Higashide Yuuichirou, it is one of the few high-quality VNs of the type that have been translated.  It is all-ages (no ero content) and heavy on the action.  Protagonist is the type that punishes himself constantly for his past.  Basic story is that God started squishing all the parallel worlds, closed off Hell and Heaven, and a portion of the angels and demons got together to guide humans through Purgatory (that is combined with a fake version of Tokyo) to Jacob's Ladder.
    Hatsuru Koto Naki Mirai Yori- Also from Front Wing, just like Grisaia.  Protagonist is a WWII Zero pilot who is doing a kamikaze attack on a US ship when he suddenly finds himself in another world.  Generally good story with Grisaia-style comedy, though it is heavier on the violence.
  9. Thanks
    Clephas got a reaction from glupak in Anything like the grisaia series - cool mc, cool story?   
    Hello, Lady- Narita Shinri is nothing if not confident, though he is more than a bit of a pervert.  His other side is that of a ruthless avenger.
    Tokyo Babel- Written by Higashide Yuuichirou, it is one of the few high-quality VNs of the type that have been translated.  It is all-ages (no ero content) and heavy on the action.  Protagonist is the type that punishes himself constantly for his past.  Basic story is that God started squishing all the parallel worlds, closed off Hell and Heaven, and a portion of the angels and demons got together to guide humans through Purgatory (that is combined with a fake version of Tokyo) to Jacob's Ladder.
    Hatsuru Koto Naki Mirai Yori- Also from Front Wing, just like Grisaia.  Protagonist is a WWII Zero pilot who is doing a kamikaze attack on a US ship when he suddenly finds himself in another world.  Generally good story with Grisaia-style comedy, though it is heavier on the violence.
  10. Like
    Clephas got a reaction from Epschy in Angepinion: Some Visual Novels Are TOO LONG   
    To be honest, this isn't one of your better videos...  Length preferences are entirely a matter of taste and most VNs are too short, not too long.  A lot of VNs cut out stuff so that they have excuses to make fandiscs, after all.   
    To some extent, I can agree that Hoshi Ori is too long, but for a certain crowd (who want to follow the romance until they are in the grave) it is an attractive game.
    Your comments on Dies Irae were malicious and excessive.  It was like listening to a 4chan troll's rant.  I also found it amusing you were comparing it to Fate/Stay Night, when the experiences are completely different except for the beginning.  Instead of pointing out things that could have been cut out to shorten the game (which was supposedly the premise of the video), you immediately decided to bash it in general, which kinda defeats the point of including it in the first place. 
  11. Like
    Clephas got a reaction from grayest in How do you feel about usage of AI in VN development?   
    I've seen the AI-generated games that are popping up on DLsite, and I even played a few.  My first thought after doing so was... boredom.  They look beautiful and technically hit the fetish points of those trying to play them, but they somehow manage to be completely bland and soulless nonetheless. 
  12. Like
    Clephas got a reaction from Novel21 in Walkure Romanze & Clover Days   
    Never said it was bad, it is actually a gem.  I just thought the H was - typical of a lot of that era's VNs - intrusive and excessive at times.  I also tend to prefer VNs where the protagonist is the central role or at the very least equal with the heroine on all levels.  While there are a few paths (in the fandisc and in the main game) where he is central, the one that is considered canon has him being basically a side-character.  
    If I had to compare this game to another one, it would be Aokana, because Aokana was modeled after it in concept.  This game is executed better though.
    Edit: I used to make wall of text posts about stuff like this, but I just don't have that kind of energy in me anymore.  
  13. Like
    Clephas got a reaction from Novel21 in Walkure Romanze & Clover Days   
    Walkure Romanze is pretty good except for the H, which is a bit intrusive.  Downside is that the protagonist is a bit too much of a side-character in many of the paths.
  14. Like
    Clephas got a reaction from Zalor in Angepinion: Some Visual Novels Are TOO LONG   
    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...
     
  15. Like
    Clephas got a reaction from Dreamysyu in Angepinion: Some Visual Novels Are TOO LONG   
    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...
     
  16. Like
    Clephas got a reaction from Zalor in Angepinion: Some Visual Novels Are TOO LONG   
    To be honest, this isn't one of your better videos...  Length preferences are entirely a matter of taste and most VNs are too short, not too long.  A lot of VNs cut out stuff so that they have excuses to make fandiscs, after all.   
    To some extent, I can agree that Hoshi Ori is too long, but for a certain crowd (who want to follow the romance until they are in the grave) it is an attractive game.
    Your comments on Dies Irae were malicious and excessive.  It was like listening to a 4chan troll's rant.  I also found it amusing you were comparing it to Fate/Stay Night, when the experiences are completely different except for the beginning.  Instead of pointing out things that could have been cut out to shorten the game (which was supposedly the premise of the video), you immediately decided to bash it in general, which kinda defeats the point of including it in the first place. 
  17. Like
    Clephas got a reaction from Erogamer in Angepinion: Some Visual Novels Are TOO LONG   
    To be honest, this isn't one of your better videos...  Length preferences are entirely a matter of taste and most VNs are too short, not too long.  A lot of VNs cut out stuff so that they have excuses to make fandiscs, after all.   
    To some extent, I can agree that Hoshi Ori is too long, but for a certain crowd (who want to follow the romance until they are in the grave) it is an attractive game.
    Your comments on Dies Irae were malicious and excessive.  It was like listening to a 4chan troll's rant.  I also found it amusing you were comparing it to Fate/Stay Night, when the experiences are completely different except for the beginning.  Instead of pointing out things that could have been cut out to shorten the game (which was supposedly the premise of the video), you immediately decided to bash it in general, which kinda defeats the point of including it in the first place. 
  18. Thanks
    Clephas got a reaction from Templarseeker in War focused VN's   
    Backing up the rec for Hollow.  Easily the best game in the series.  The protagonist, Leon is an experimental soldier/commander who was altered by the current leader of the demons to be a counter to divine forces.  Game begins with him brutally suppressing a military rebellion.  
     
     
  19. Like
    Clephas got a reaction from Silvz in Why Aren’t There MORE Visual Novel Translations? - A Meta Analysis   
    It is an issue, and one that doesn't really need to happen with localized VNs.  To be blunt, compared to JVNs that haven't been localized, the prices are unbelievably cheap even in the most expensive cases.  There is no excuse for pirating localized VNs... especially since sales on digital versions are a regular thing if you just wait.
  20. Like
    Clephas got a reaction from Kosakyun in Why Aren’t There MORE Visual Novel Translations? - A Meta Analysis   
    It is an issue, and one that doesn't really need to happen with localized VNs.  To be blunt, compared to JVNs that haven't been localized, the prices are unbelievably cheap even in the most expensive cases.  There is no excuse for pirating localized VNs... especially since sales on digital versions are a regular thing if you just wait.
  21. Like
    Clephas got a reaction from ittaku in Why Aren’t There MORE Visual Novel Translations? - A Meta Analysis   
    It is an issue, and one that doesn't really need to happen with localized VNs.  To be blunt, compared to JVNs that haven't been localized, the prices are unbelievably cheap even in the most expensive cases.  There is no excuse for pirating localized VNs... especially since sales on digital versions are a regular thing if you just wait.
  22. Like
    Clephas got a reaction from Zalor in Looking for Visual Novels with more realistic romances   
    Haruka ni Aogi, Uruwashi no - While some might say the setting is unrealistic, the romances in the main school routes are very emotional and impactful even given their situations.  Every path stands on its own in the main school routes (the redheads in the branch school routes have related routes), and there is a tight focus on the relationship from the moment of the path split, with the relationship being slow burn early on in all three cases.
    Gin'iro Haruka
    Hoshi Ori Yume Mirai
    Edit: To clarify, the best place to look for VNs with actual romance (vs harem guy gets to choose anyone) is VNs made between 2004-2014.  To be frank, most of the supposedly romance-heavy VNs that came out after that were relatively low quality.  Tone Works VNs stand out as an exception, as all of them have extremely good romance from beginning to end.
  23. Like
    Clephas got a reaction from theferi in Anybody knows the hook code for Baldr sky zero?   
    https://vndb.org/t20195
    This thread has the answer to your question, but I'll go ahead and add something.  Mono games generally split content across multiple threads and h-codes don't do anything because the proper threads are in a different place each time you open the game.  I also suggest you use Textractor's Remove Hooks function to get rid of the extra hooks that don't have any usable text, or you'll crash your pc (this is from playing Zero myself).
    Edit: also, slowdown of the game is pretty much inevitable if you use a text-hooker, unfortunately.  I tried everything to figure out a way to stop that from happening, but gave up and just played without one in the end, simply because it was so annoying.
  24. Like
    Clephas got a reaction from Zalor in Ange's Top 100 Favorite Visual Novel Characters   
    Except for the first three, not in any particular order.  Limiting it to fifty instead of a hundred though.
    1.  Belche- Draculius
    2.  Shigure Sora- Devils Devel Concept
    3.  Kamio Ami- Semiramis no Tenbin
    4.  Kaito- Akatsuki no Goei
    5.  Shannon Wordsworth- Evolimit
    6.  Kuki-sensei- Ayakashibito
    7.  Mercurius- Dies Irae
    8.  Ashley Horizon- Silverio Trinity
    9.  Zephyr Colerain- Silverio Vendetta
    10.  Veratyr- Silverio Ragnarok
    11.  Valzeride- Silverio Vendetta
    12.  Gilbert- Silverio Trinity
    13.  Ragna- Silverio Ragnarok
    14. Narita Shinri- Hello, Lady
    15.  Shou- Karenai Sekai to Owaru Hana
    16.  Ren- Karenai Sekai to Owaru Hana
    17.  Arcueid- Tsukihime
    18.  Rin- FSN
    19.  Maia- Hapymaher
    20.  Saki- Hapymaher
    21.  Yayoi- Hapymaher
    22.  Keiko- Hapymaher
    23.  Adelheid- Floral Flowlove
    24.  Souma Ria- Kin'iro Loveriche
    25.  Sylvia- Kin'iro Loveriche
    26.  Kanori- Minamijuujisei Renka
    27.  Tanizawa Tsukasa- Kanishino
    28.  Miyabi- Kanishino
    29.  Tonoko- Kanishino
    30.  Shino- Kanishino
    31.  Mimori Ichirou- Hatsuru Koto Naki Mirai Yori
    32.  Kazami Yuuji- Grisaia no Kajitsu
    33.  Sachi- Grisaia no Kajitsu
    34.  Kazami Kazuki- Grisaia no Kajitsu
    35.  Kaze no Ushiro ni Ayumu Mono- Jingai Makyou
    36.  Suu Sasamaru- Kitto, Sumiwataru Asairo Yori Mo
    37.  Okita Soushi- Kikan Bakumatsu Ibun Last Cavalier
    38.  Ayame- Tenshi no Hane o Fumanaide
    39.  Suzu- Ayakashihibito
    40.  Soushichi- Ayakashibito
    41.  Cinema- Komorebi no Nostalgica
    42.  Fluorite Alvega- Komorebi no Nostalgica
    43.  Cactus- Ou no Mimi ni wa Todokanai
    44.  Kuro- Sakura, Moyu
    45.  Shinku- Irotoridori no Sekai
    46.  Celica Sylphil- Ikusa Megami series
    47.  Hime- Tiny Dungeon series
    48. Toshirou Kashima- Vermillion Bind of Blood
    49.  Musumi Koutarou- Izuna Zanshinken
    50.  Kiritooshi Hiro- Yurikago yori Tenshi Made
     
  25. Like
    Clephas got a reaction from Dreamysyu in Ange's Top 100 Favorite Visual Novel Characters   
    Except for the first three, not in any particular order.  Limiting it to fifty instead of a hundred though.
    1.  Belche- Draculius
    2.  Shigure Sora- Devils Devel Concept
    3.  Kamio Ami- Semiramis no Tenbin
    4.  Kaito- Akatsuki no Goei
    5.  Shannon Wordsworth- Evolimit
    6.  Kuki-sensei- Ayakashibito
    7.  Mercurius- Dies Irae
    8.  Ashley Horizon- Silverio Trinity
    9.  Zephyr Colerain- Silverio Vendetta
    10.  Veratyr- Silverio Ragnarok
    11.  Valzeride- Silverio Vendetta
    12.  Gilbert- Silverio Trinity
    13.  Ragna- Silverio Ragnarok
    14. Narita Shinri- Hello, Lady
    15.  Shou- Karenai Sekai to Owaru Hana
    16.  Ren- Karenai Sekai to Owaru Hana
    17.  Arcueid- Tsukihime
    18.  Rin- FSN
    19.  Maia- Hapymaher
    20.  Saki- Hapymaher
    21.  Yayoi- Hapymaher
    22.  Keiko- Hapymaher
    23.  Adelheid- Floral Flowlove
    24.  Souma Ria- Kin'iro Loveriche
    25.  Sylvia- Kin'iro Loveriche
    26.  Kanori- Minamijuujisei Renka
    27.  Tanizawa Tsukasa- Kanishino
    28.  Miyabi- Kanishino
    29.  Tonoko- Kanishino
    30.  Shino- Kanishino
    31.  Mimori Ichirou- Hatsuru Koto Naki Mirai Yori
    32.  Kazami Yuuji- Grisaia no Kajitsu
    33.  Sachi- Grisaia no Kajitsu
    34.  Kazami Kazuki- Grisaia no Kajitsu
    35.  Kaze no Ushiro ni Ayumu Mono- Jingai Makyou
    36.  Suu Sasamaru- Kitto, Sumiwataru Asairo Yori Mo
    37.  Okita Soushi- Kikan Bakumatsu Ibun Last Cavalier
    38.  Ayame- Tenshi no Hane o Fumanaide
    39.  Suzu- Ayakashihibito
    40.  Soushichi- Ayakashibito
    41.  Cinema- Komorebi no Nostalgica
    42.  Fluorite Alvega- Komorebi no Nostalgica
    43.  Cactus- Ou no Mimi ni wa Todokanai
    44.  Kuro- Sakura, Moyu
    45.  Shinku- Irotoridori no Sekai
    46.  Celica Sylphil- Ikusa Megami series
    47.  Hime- Tiny Dungeon series
    48. Toshirou Kashima- Vermillion Bind of Blood
    49.  Musumi Koutarou- Izuna Zanshinken
    50.  Kiritooshi Hiro- Yurikago yori Tenshi Made
     
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