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Vemocleus

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  1. Like
    Vemocleus reacted to Yotek in ACEN: Ryukishi07   
    So I figured I'd make a post here just to give some information on Ryukishi07. He is one of the special guests at ACEN (Anime central) this year. I'm a terrible writer but figured I'd give some information/highlights that I got from one of his panels today. Also, I'm crazy tired so I'll clean it up later. Tomorrow, I'll either update this post or just add a new one about his new game announcement.
     
    So first, some pictures. Please forgive my photography, I don't have very steady hands.
     
    Here is his panel slideshow (yeah.... he only had one slide)

     
    Here are a few pictures of him.




     
    Again, unorganized list of interesting points, will be cleaned up later.
     
    The main discussions of his panel was related around his writing of Higurashi and Umineko.
     
    The writing style that he uses is a bit different than most. Instead of creating outlines and having expectations for his endings, he has a more fluid free writing system. He will often write without having any idea how he is going to end his stories.
     
    One of the biggest influences for writing was his friend BT. He would write out ideas and provide them to him to see how he would respond. His goal was often to create surprise in his staff and readers (As I'm sure any of us are aware of if seeing any of his work).
     
    An interesting story that he told us was that when creating Higurashi, he was actually very influenced by the film "Independence Day". At one point, he was actually trying to find a way to make them fight aliens. (thank god he didn't). Apparently, there is a section where Keiichi and Rika are preparing for a fight, and that was taken from a scene in that movie. (Never seen the movie... I know, I'm horrible). Ever since then, he has a strict rule of not consuming content when writing.
     
    He is a big zombie fan... though not so much Japanese zombies. He likes the way they portray zombies in the West. Also.... He's not apposed to the idea of creating a game where zombies go for girls panties. (Yes, I'd play that too)
     
    With characters, he always has 2 sides to them. The example he used was Rika. She comes of a young, cute, and super sweet. However, when alone, she is actually quite different. He also avoids telling how characters feel. Instead of telling you, he likes to convey their emotions and motives through their words and actions. He feels that by doing so, it builds a better connection as it is your interpretation. It also prevents having a very solid baseline so he can throw you for a loop later.
     
    An interesting question that was asked was about the setting for Higurashi. He got the idea for the setting after reading Seishi Yokomizo's "The Village of Eight Graves". (That was a interesting fun fact).
     
     
    Now for some Umineko information. (FYI, It's on my to play list, so this is even more of a text dump than anything else).
     
    Umineko was fun for him because of the fact that there was so much feedback after each game he came out with. He actually would go through all the feedback he could to see how people were responding to his game. Umineko actually turned into a game for him as well. As the readers were taken down different paths, he got to enjoy how they responded and created fun for them as well.
     
    One thing I found unique was that he actually changed the 3rd game. Originally, there was a character that was introduced in the 5th game. This was actually intended to be the 3rd but he didn't want to drive everyone into despair.
     
    The last thing I have was a fun "quote" from his panel. Granted, everything he said was through a translator (my Japanese isn't good enough yet) but it stuck out to me. "The sadistic edge of writing is important". I think this can be interpreted in a lot of ways. He really made it apparent that the writing itself is his inspiration. It could be the sadistic part is the feedback from his audience, or even the content of his works. However, I think one thing is for certain. From what I have experienced of his works, they are amazing and I look forward to giving an update on his new game tomorrow.
     
    Hope at least someone found this useful. Please chalk up all errors to my horrible writing, note taking, or poor tolerance for sleep deprivation and alcohol.
     
    EDIT: Part 2 Here- http://forums.fuwanovel.net/index.php?/topic/10153-acen-ryukishi07/#entry282310
  2. Like
    Vemocleus got a reaction from Mr. Meogii in Fuwa? What happened?   
    *grumbleGrumblegrumblegrumble!*  Get off my lawn!  *shakes a stick*
  3. Like
    Vemocleus got a reaction from Darklord Rooke in Fuwa? What happened?   
    *grumbleGrumblegrumblegrumble!*  Get off my lawn!  *shakes a stick*
  4. Like
    Vemocleus reacted to Darklord Rooke in Fuwa? What happened?   
    You left out 'grumpy.'
  5. Like
    Vemocleus got a reaction from Mr Poltroon in Umineko No Naku Koro Ni Goat Headquarters [SPOILERS!]   
    Hmm, I'm gonna have to start rereading for this, aren't I?
  6. Like
    Vemocleus got a reaction from Down in Umineko No Naku Koro Ni Goat Headquarters [SPOILERS!]   
    Hmm, I'm gonna have to start rereading for this, aren't I?
  7. Like
    Vemocleus got a reaction from Stray Cat in Fuwa Official PS Vita Thread   
    Don't you dare tease me with things that will never be localized.  >
  8. Like
    Vemocleus got a reaction from Stray Cat in Ambidex Game: Fuwa Edition!: Completed   
    What a shocker, betrayed and nearly dead.
  9. Like
    Vemocleus got a reaction from Kimossab in solidbatman's Mega Big Ultra Contest   
    So many new/fresh accounts
  10. Like
    Vemocleus got a reaction from Stray Cat in solidbatman's Mega Big Ultra Contest   
    Ef Cd's.  BAM.  I will take all the monies now. 
  11. Like
    Vemocleus reacted to Darklord Rooke in Important: Domain and Host transfer   
    All this doom and gloom *tsk tsk*.
     
    Must be something in the water.
  12. Like
    Vemocleus got a reaction from Darklord Rooke in Yuri VN Recommendations?   
    I never got through Amaranto... was fairly bad.  But yeah, it's a real shame that there's such a lonely selection of translated yuri VNs.
  13. Like
    Vemocleus reacted to OriginalRen in The Original Ren Avatar Group   
    I have made the biggest mistake of my life.
  14. Like
    Vemocleus reacted to Eclipsed in The OriginalRun and Solidbatman Feedback Thread   
    solidbatmanbeyond confirmed 2015
  15. Like
    Vemocleus got a reaction from The Major in Moe Space Program (A Kerbal Space Program Mission)   
    *Gives a somber salute in the direction of planet Tamako, then pours some whiskey out on the ground*
     
    This one's for you, Jeb...
  16. Like
    Vemocleus reacted to Tay in A few words on where we're going   
    Hey everybody,
     
    Full disclosure: I'm still kind of in crisis mode (I've got a personal and family emergency going on), so I won't have time to proof-read or content-screen a second draft of this. Hopefully it comes across clear enough. Purpose of this thread: As I've reviewed recent threads and PMs it became clear to me that I need to speak a little to forum/community changes and direction. I've been accused of being "unreliable", "slow", "conceited", and even "Hitleresque". I choose to laugh those off and keep moving forward.
     
     
    "Cleaning House"
    Many of you have expressed frustration that the site isn't moving forward. I've repeatedly clarified that the meta-level direction of the website will be addressed starting in September.  We need a better organization to tackle the future, and from now until mid-September, my objective is to restructure the site ("clean house", if you will).
     
    What do I mean by cleaning house?
    More changes to the organization of the forums Releasing with gratitude many moderators The establishment of a new "board" moderator program open to anybody who wants to help and meets certain requirements A new system for choosing global moderators (meaning there will be a difference between board and global mods) Back-end stability changes A lot of changes to the front site (for which we do have several capable coders, and which are only held up now by host-side processes)  
    The "cleaning house" period will be slower until ~ August 21. My personal emergencies and school responsibilities require this timetable. The "hot zone" of changes will run from August 21 to whenever we finish in September, and will encompass the majority of the changes.
     
     
    "Burden of Leadership"
    So let's be frank: there's too much on my plate. I'm not talking about my mental health, I'm speaking from an organizational angle. People are right to criticize me for being slow in enacting change or rolling out programs -- it's a consequence of my real life responsibilities. I ask that the community be patient -- I didn't ask to be left in a lurch by the departure of my co-admin. I didn't ask for similar departures of previous co-admins. Every time I've sought a partner, I've been left behind with twice the work.
     
    So. You should be glad to know that as part of "cleaning house" I'll be restructuring the leadership. I'm not going to give out details right now, but they'll be coming within the next 6 weeks. The fundamental principle of the new leadership structure will be codifying a Fuwanovel charter which will guide the future of the site and give it direction long after I've left
     
     
     
    Retirement?
    There's been some bizarre PM conversations screencapped and sent to me. Here's some clarification:
     
    I am working towards retirement from the site. As I recently commented to sanah: my end-game at Fuwanovel is knowing that the community has a self-image and internal structure strong enough to carry it into the future. I am not going to abandon the community before I achieve those goals. As we get closer to that goal, maybe I'll speak more to why I'd retire and what projects I'm going to start working on, but those conversations are not applicable at the moment. I haven't set a specific timetable for this process. I'll be here for as long as it takes.
     
     
     
    Meta-Direction: Torrents
    In late 2012 Fuwanovel had two slogans "Visual Novel Repo" and "Make Visual Novels Popular in the West". I think these slogans illustrate well the division in the community (still) between a focus on fan-sharing culture and support of visual novels' development in the West. I plan on angling the community down the second path. 
     
    I personally have significant ethical and logistical qualms with fan sharing culture. I acknowledge, however, that providing game torrents is part of Fuwanovel's DNA. I'm not going to change that. I will, however, continue to enforce the rule that we developed very early on to not host licensed games: all torrents for licensed games hosted on the front site will be taken down in September.
     
    Many people have asked if I intend to move Fuwanovel into a "torrent-less" future. The answer: no. It's too ingrained in the community zeitgeist and history. Future community leaders will need to determine their threshold of cognitive dissonance and feel comfortable offering pre-patched, non-licensed games.
     
     
     



     
    Hm.... Did I forget anything? Feel free to comment or ask questions below. 
     
    Here's what I want you to take away from this post: changes are coming. Logistical changes to reorganize the forums/community will be made in a "cleaning house" period which runs from now until it's all done sometime in September. My schedule requires that I roll out changes more slowly from now until August 21, and after the 21st the changes will be rolled out quickly and efficiently. Please be patient during this process: I know that this pace may be frustrating to some, but it's necessary for planning, proper execution, and my own RL schedule.
  17. Like
    Vemocleus reacted to Darklord Rooke in The Current Fuwa   
    Suggestions. Not a question you really should be asking, you should know what needs doing tbh.
     
     
    Friendliness? Not a bad goal for how a community BEHAVES towards each other, but building a community which is "all about friendliness?" Please. A community which has no purpose won't survive long. "A cool place to talk about our hobbies?" While Aaeru wanted to create a non-toxic atmosphere for the community, I believe the purpose of the community is emblazoned on the logo at the top of the page. This doesn't mean the forum will lose the friendly atmosphere you guys value so much, it does mean that some work should be going on behind the scenes instead of relaxing on laurels and thinking "Wow, we are doing great." Because you're not, and I'm plenty eager to discuss that point with you in detail.
     
    What should you be doing? Information about Visual Novels... and visual novel type games are scattered across the web. If you want to hear news about visual novels, a person may have to frequent many different places on the internet. The first goal you guys should be working on is to deliver a quality INFORMATION SERVICE, a servive which would be of interest to the members of the community. That means news and information regarding Japanese visual novels development, and english visual novel development. Maybe even hosted reviews. This will in no way impact the friendly nature of the site you guys seem to value so highly, but it will deliver a much valued service to your community and will begin to cement Fuwa's place on the internet. I believe you guys had begun to do this a while ago, but the blog has died and so has the FB site.
     
    Because visual novel communities exists in small pockets here and there, Fuwa should be working on becoming the main hub for visual novel type games. When you are the main hub, it will be easier to progress towards the goal which is emblazoned on the banner.
  18. Like
    Vemocleus got a reaction from CMGarcia in how do you save games   
    Step 1:  Turn on computer.
    Step 2:  Start game.
    Step 3:  Say "Save game, computer."
     
    In event of game still not saving,
    Step 4:  Acquire time travel capabilities.
    Step 5:  Travel to future where all commands are spoken to computer with ease.
    Step 6:  Live a wonderful life in the future.
     
    In event of BSOD,
    Step 4:  Throw computer out window.
    Step 5:  Live a long and happy life of ignorant bliss.
     
    In event of hostile robotic alien takeover,
    Step 4:  Shut down the computers!  They're with THEM now.
    Step 5:  Learn how to please your new robotic overlords.
    Step 6:  Profit!  ... Or death.  It hardly matters anymore.
     
    Follow these simple steps and you too can be saving games with ease!
     
     
     
  19. Like
    Vemocleus reacted to Flutterz in July MotM Competition!   
    Several years ago I wasn't doing a thing with my life, but then I found VNs. Now, a bit over 2 years later I'm sill not doing a thing with my life, but I'm also playing porn games.
  20. Like
    Vemocleus reacted to TheFantasm in Does Fuwanovel have a penis?   
    Asking the "hard" questions that nobody else has the "balls" to.
  21. Like
    Vemocleus got a reaction from jeftai in Which Part of a Chicken Do You Like to Eat Most?   
    The face. Hopefully it's still got enough clucking fight in it left after that, because I'm not done with it yet...
  22. Like
    Vemocleus got a reaction from solidbatman in Which Part of a Chicken Do You Like to Eat Most?   
    The face. Hopefully it's still got enough clucking fight in it left after that, because I'm not done with it yet...
  23. Like
    Vemocleus reacted to Tay in Request: Removal of Grisaia and Planetarian Torrents   
    Hey everybody,
     
    Almost 90 posts! If you feel like this discussion has been going round-and-round in circles, then you should be glad you weren't party to the 2012 and 2013 discussions -- the first back-and-forth we had on Fuwanovel about hosting localized games had >200 replies and, if I remember right, was deleted. I still have minor PTSD thinking about it.
     
    Let's all take a step back and look at this thread for a minute. We'll notice that there are many well-thought-out and well-presented arguments on both sides. We'll also notice that almost nobody has been swayed from one side to the other. Please allow me to state the obvious: This is a point of disagreement, and the two arguments aren't going to be reconciled no matter how long we go on. 
     
    I tend to see this as a good thing: it means that I don't need to get emotional about the debate, and I don't need to take it personally on any level. I suggest everybody deescalate emotionally from the conflict.
     
     
     
     
    Let's start with Aaeru.
    People like to channel Aaeru (especially in this argument) because many remember and think of her as a sort of ancient, canonized, ultimate authority. I was around and an admin when the Fuwanovel policies were being decided, and Aaeru and I talked several times about this issue.
     
    On the one hand Aaeru was(/is) an extreme pirate: she hated copyright, hated the idea of intellectual property, and wanted to put all VNs up for pirating. She was a pirate through-and-through -- to the point of once sharing with me some Australian Pirate Party propaganda  .
     
    Yet, on the other hand, as Fuwanovel administrators she and I spoke about this issue more than once, and every time we came to the agreement that it's in Fuwanovel's best interest not to host licensed games. Aaeru wavered from time to time, but the policy was solidified and codified when Aaeru's DC III project was crushed by Gangamamer. Some of you remember that happening. Aaeru was crushed and it took several weeks for her to recover. I remember the long conversation she and I had during the weeks she was away from the site, recovering.
     
    Anybody who knew Aaeru knew that she was a pirate to her core. Those that served with her as staff (we still have a few of them around), including myself (a co-admin), however know that she recognized and codified our current policy. Fuwanovel doesn't host licensed games. We generally drop the games within a few months of their announcement -- so long as progress on the translation is being made. 
     
     
     
     
     
    Now I'm going to try and cut to the heart of the matter
    This specific topic has shown that it really doesn't matter how many good reasons we put down on paper for either side. Good arguments aren't going to persuade the other side off the wall. Time and time again this issue has put a real and painful strain on the community. I'm sad to say that I've lost multiple staff members to this issue -- many have resigned over it, and it kills me to say that some are threatening to leave over it again.
     
    This topic has repeatedly caused distress to the community. That is why we have a policy -- to prevent confusion for members and staff alike; and to give clear direction as new situations arise. That's the reason why we make them. One of my roles is to make sure we aren't forgetting about the foundations of the site, and ensure that we stay true to them. Fuwanovel's policy is that we don't host licensed games on the site.
     
     
     
     
     
    Brass Tacks
    I've been discussing the actual logistics of this issue with the staff and we're currently discussing how to proceed. If the decision is to abide by our longstanding policy, then I want to assure the community that the torrents are not going to disappear overnight. There will be notice about the plan and clear communication. 
     
    I've read this entire thread twice, and I've spent a lot of time ensuring that I understand points raised both here and in the staff forums. I want to assure everybody that your voices are heard, and the staff and I will value further points raised here.
     
    At some point a decision must be made, however, and experience has taught me that there will be anger and hurt feelings regardless of what's chosen. I urge everybody to remember that we're all here for the love of a hobby, and that Fuwanovel's core is a respectful and friendly place to celebrate visual novels. This decision isn't the end of the world, and won't substantially change your Fuwanovel experience. I encourage everybody -- myself included -- to watch yourselves and your discourse and make sure we aren't being explosively hyperbolic in the aftermath.
  24. Like
    Vemocleus got a reaction from Cyrillej1 in Request: Removal of Grisaia and Planetarian Torrents   
    There's a lot of awesome debate here on a topic that I find really interesting.  I generally fall into the "Take down licensed links" line, because as much as FREE VNs are very nice, if there's any industry out there that I want to show support for, it is just that subject.  "I can't afford it"  isn't really a valid argument in support of downloading whatever you want.  And there is absolutely no argument that the best way to show support for an industry is to spend money on it.  Fan translations are great for the vast amounts of probably-never-to-be-localized games, but it's hard to seriously justify spending nothing on a game that you can and should support if you really want to play it.
     
    Of course, all that only applies here depending on whether or not Fuwanovel is a site about "supporting the VN industry, and the western localizations", or "listing download links for all the games that are available on the internet".  One of the reasons I like Fuwanovel so much is because of its perceived desire to further the cause of supporting the VN industry.  Maybe I just assumed Fuwa to be a little bit different than it is, but if that's the case, oh well. 
     
    There are plenty of places out there to find unobstructed content for all the VN's there are in existence, but very few places to go that actually seem to support the VN industry in any serious manner.  I have no idea whose decision it is to decide if Fuwa is supporting the VN industry or just handing them out to the world., but... good luck with that.
     
    I don't tend to make long and serious posts (or all that many posts at all). At least I don't think so. (This is a long and serious post for me)
  25. Like
    Vemocleus reacted to sanahtlig in Request: Removal of Grisaia and Planetarian Torrents   
    I've held off on this debate til now, but I've been asked to weigh in so I'll do so.  I think my conclusions will be a bit different than what some were expecting.  I also address some misconceptions in this thread regarding the role of Steam and other content distribution platforms in increasing VN sales.
     
    VNs are not freeware
     
    Commercial VNs cost hundreds of thousands of US dollars to produce.  Developers do this for a living, and they're not paid very much to do it.  It's a labor of love.  They need support to continue making more games for us to enjoy.  This doesn't change whether a game is untranslated, fan translated, or localized.  People that play VNs without paying are essentially parasites freeloading off the paying fanbase.  In the end, if too many people freeload instead of supporting a company, the company goes out of business and no more VNs get made.  The parasitic ecosystem collapses.
     
    To maintain a healthy ecosystem, people must support the games they love.  When you buy a game, you're basically investing in the company's future.  You're saying "Here's my money--make more games like this!"
     
    The role of fan translation
     
    More than 95% of Japanese VNs are untranslated.  Fan translators provide a service by allowing us to enjoy titles in English we otherwise wouldn't have access to.  Many fan translators choose high profile titles that are currently beyond the grasp of the nascent localization industry.  Others choose titles that would never be localized due to controversial themes (e.g., lolicon).  Fan translators provide their fan translating services free of charge--but they don't own the game license.  All they can lay claim to is their translation, their derivative work.
     
    When you play a fan translated game, you're expected to own the original Japanese version.  Few people actually buy the original game.  This behavior is typically written off because in the end, no sales are lost as a result of the fan translation.  The people playing the game in English weren't the target audience for the game in the first place.  Also, the customer's dollars won't be achieving their intended effect.  "Make more games like this" really means "make more games like this that I can play".  If a fan translator has to act as a middleman, financial support does not have its intended effect.  You end up with more titles you want to play but can't, since 95% of titles won't be translated.
     
    In the end, fan translation does not grow the paying fanbase. The true role of fan translation is to promote localization, allowing consumers to support games they love, to see more such titles in the future.  Fan translation promotes localization by calling attention to the medium as well as particular titles.  Many localization deals wouldn't have happened if fan translation efforts hadn't highlighted to Japanese developers/publishers that there was interest in these titles overseas.
     
    The role of localization
     
    Localization completes the support circuit by bringing Japanese VNs to us in a language we can understand--with the promise of more such titles in the future.  It also promotes the medium more effectively than fan translators ever could, since official localization brings marketing and media attention.
     
    When fan translation undermines localization by providing an excuse for people to freeload, its usefulness ends.  This is why fan translations, in general, should not be distributed once official localizations are available.
     
    On content distribution platforms (e.g., Steam)
     
    These gather funding by attracting a different audience than the VN fandom that typically follows JAST and MG.  The DRM that Steam uses increases sales, but not by converting pirates to customers.  Rather, it was designed to prevent resale, ensuring that every customer is funding the developer/publisher rather than funding resellers such as Gamestop.  Basically, releasing a VN on Steam exposes it to the Steam ecosystem (an ecosystem highly enriched for people willing to support the games they like), attracting customers that otherwise would not have known about or been interested in the product.
     
    My stance on Planetarian and Grisaia
     
    With my general philosophy on the issue explained, I'd like to qualify it a bit in this particular context.  While there's no issue with Planetarian, the release of Grisaia will be a different version from that which was translated--the all-ages version rather than the original 18+ version.  There are no plans to release the 18+ version.  Putting aside my personal views on this decision, the fan translation has added value for some people, and therefore there is justification for retaining the fan translation on Fuwanovel.  I have strong views on this topic, but they are related to my personal interests in the VN scene and thus are outside the scope of this argument.
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