Lambda

I've heard this is one of the better D3P titles, and really good if kinda short, but I just bought it so I haven't read it myself. That opinion is also from other otome fans, so I can't say how a non-fan would like it... There's a non-specific route order going around that you should leave Gekkamaru's route for last, btw.

The general idea to the people this matters to is: "people are taking away representation and opportunities by making every character white". Frankly, the acting business is already difficult for minorities (in Hollywood, at least) without producers actively taking away roles from them. Representation is more... nebulous, I guess. It follows that people want to see more characters that they can relate to on a racial level - to see pictures of themselves on the big screen, as it were - and, not necessarily validate their existence, but to kinda say that they're pretty normal, and not alone, and it can give something to aspire to (depending - please don't aspire to be Light, guys). I think Netflix's current take on Death Note looks like it has a loooot more issues than just this (I think it looks like a biiiiit of a trainwreck right now), but I do know that the constant tendency to cast white people in minority roles in big productions with a lot of attention is frustrating to those that are a part of minorities. Death Note also takes it a step further, where the trailer barely alludes to its origins - "Based on the International Phenomenon" - so it may be understandable why people are getting more upset. (This is also my chance to state that I'm parroting the opinions I've read on whitewashing before, and as a white person I don't entirely understand the depths of it very well, either. I wouldn't be able to keep up in a heated debate on this issue, sorry!)

"He"... Anyway, I agree that the digital copy would be good. Frankly, didn't really care with Muv Luv (gave it to my brother, cause I'm awful as a collector type anyway), but if it actually lets me play the game without getting those Grisaia wait times, I'm quite happy. I'm hoping that that tapestry doesn't change designs too drastically, and that it's available as an add-on. It's the main thing I'm eyeing right now. I think that's the main thing they could do right now, though: just clarify what some of these things in the tiers/add-ons are and how they'd look. And what date they're planning on starting the actual kickstarter. The perfundia is creating some hype in me, lol.

Yeah, that's where I got the chain from. The game and OST are there, that's not really what I'm saying, which is that the booklet is not. And like I said, I have no idea if the booklet would even be worth the money we'd have to pay to get it - it's just not clear which is another thing I think they could clear up a little bit. I'm very positive that it's a really good price, and I'm definitely backing at at least the $65 tier (because the music in Dies Irae is super my thing).

The way the tiers are laid out is confusing, but from what I'm reading, it goes: $45 tier -> $50 tier - physical OR $60 tier - booklet. From there, $50 -> $65, then stops. The $60 tier continues to chain and becomes physical again at the $300 tier. The only thing you get physical at $60 was the booklet. Yeah, if it's interesting enough, I'd definitely appreciate it as an add-on. Honestly, I wish a lot of these rewards would be add-ons. The jump from a $65 physical to a $300 physical is haaarsh.

While I agree with your overall point (and I will be backing at at least the $50 or $65 level - although the tapestry looks cool, too), there's no booklet with the $65 tier, unfortunately. Although it's not quite clear what the booklet is in the first place, so maybe it's not a huge loss...?

The thing I'm most excited about is the implication that one of their secret projects is an otome game! I hope it's at least something I've heard of before, but even if not, if it's up my alley I'll buy it. That's how I deal with vns. It's just, both of SP's forays into the BL genre were confusing and very much not up my alley. I'm a little apprehensive. Still, things are looking a little better to be a PC otome gamer, considering this fact and Nightshade! On the other hand, parts of that AMA were difficult to read... I get that it's your job, but maybe tone it down a bit....

Yeah, I have to admit that I do hope that the Akaaka translation project finishes. It's supposed to be wonderful and tragic. Which means it's supposed to be fun! I'm placing bets on Sweet Pool first, though. That opening is too good, though. Hanakisou is something I'd be interested in reading, too. As would Shingakkou... although that one has the full horror tag.... More BL and PC otome game translations would be my general answer to this question, btw.

I've played Dramatical Murder. There's 1-3 h-scenes a route for four out of five of the routes. The fifth route I skipped, so all the sex scenes might've been there. I don't think Lamento was that sex-heavy either, but I didn't finish a route so I'll withhold judgement there. Most of the couple development is BL (obviously), but there's not as much obvious fanservice as with male-targeted things, I believe? There's a naked apron scene, though. It's pretty accessible in a sense - parts of it are more plot-driven than romance-driven (although the routes tend to be romance-driven, actually... there's just plot behind everything), and Lamento did some pretty good world building in the common route, I found. However, I think with Dramatical Murder you need to go in with the idea that some of it is kinda crazy.... I'd say most would judge them on the lower end of N+ releases based on comments I've read on Lamento/Dramatical Murder experience (possible exception for Sweet Pool, which is supposed to be amazing). On-topic, I'm not that interested in English BL novels, especially ones so early in development, when it looks like we might finally get Sweet Pool sometime in the foreseeable future. Pretty excited for Sweet Pool, though! I'd be a little worried about the amount they have to do - twelve routes is huuuuuge. I'd have to wonder if it'll ever finish, or make money back for that investment... The art's not really my thing either, sadly. Think it looks pretty unprofessional/up to JP standards. Which isn't a bad thing, it's just not my thing. @SaevusVeritas... Is it possible you played Dramatical Murder's fandisc, Dramatical Murder re:connect, before the main game (just entitled Dramatical Murder)? I might've interpreted your message wrong, but I found the routes very straightforward, and you called it Dramatical Murder re...

Nah, it's clearly aimed at men. Fanservice scenes are guaranteed, and quite a few of the sex scenes are very "male gaze'-y. Especially the one that almost made me drop Gahkthun. Gahkthun also adds a whole lot of male characters only to focus on a total of like, two of them, which is an inproportional amount to the girls focused on? And the reason is cause they're not female and thus they can't make fanservice scenes out of, is sometimes how it felt. Sharnoth gets a little closer in the feelings it inspired out of me, but the fanservice is still there, and very obviously for the male population. It's one of those games girls can enjoy, but aren't aimed at them.

I feel like there can be linear otome games, though? Just not the What a Beautiful series, cause they're (sometimes very obviously) aimed at men. I feel like my definition's wishy-washy, but to me it's kinda like: if it inspires the same feelings in me as shoujo manga, it's an otome game. If it inspires the same feelings as a BL manga, it's a BL visual novel (obviously other conditions msut be met to be a BL visual novel, this is just an example).

If you're just looking for organized crime stuff there's a few mafia/gang-themed vns? Like Luckydog and Omerta (they're both BL though). Luckydog is also just a text translation and Omerta is a VNR community subtitle translation. But I also don't know anything that's heavily yakuza-specific and the VNDB tag isn't really helping here, cause people tag if the yakuza shows up at all/is a side character... I can, for example, say that No Thank You!! is definitely not what you're looking for. Nor is Dramatical Murder. If you hate BL all these suggestions are moot, which means I'm just saying the VNDB tags aren't necessarily helpful in this case...

A lot of western countries in general don't allow lolicon... Like Canada where I live. If there's actually lolicon (that can't be reasonably avoided with a giant "these characters are 18+" sticker - i.e. a story element is that the characters are under 18 or they look very, very obviously under 18), then it's gonna be a lot harder for companies to license given the potential risks to their customers and lost revenue from not being able to sell it to entire countries. But yeah, this game isn't interesting to me, either. Can't even tell if it's a straight VN from that or an idol game, although vndb says it's all in 3D so. I'm most impatient for Frontwing to just smoothly get Himawari out already at this point...

Okay, so reading it is closer to Frankenstein or Dracula? Cause I could deal with those. And I can take depressing stories so long as I'm pulled in and it's not overflowing with angst. Thanks!

This may sound like an odd question, but how much horror is in the House in Fata Morgana? I'm interested cause everyone's saying it's really good, but I'm super not good with horror (I'm not into it, but it also wrecks me for a while afterwards orz - to give an idea, the second arc of Higruashi in the anime kept me up a few nights afterwards, and the 6th arc of Umineko went a little far for me too. I am a weakling.). I'll have to look into if other games are interesting or not...

Ah, as an aside, otome games are aplenty on the Android/iOS markets. They've really hit their stride there, even moreso than with the PC and the Vita, to the point where full VNs from Otomate (who are one of the largest otome game companies in Japan) are on the Android store right now. There are also a few ones aimed for guys that are on mobile stores (like Fragment's Note).

The link says that they did "SNS Administration", which means they handled the social media (to the point where the "platform" is Twitter and Facebook), not the localization. In contrast, if you look at the games they did localize, like Demon's Souls or something, the service is clearly listed as "Localization" (and the platform is listed as the one the game came out on, PS3). So in this case, I'm not certain the annoyance is valid unless there's a separate job listed for the localization in the portfolio. If you wanna look at the games they did localize and speculate, though, be my guest. No idea how good Demon's Soul's localization was, for example.

Read the tutorials I linked. That's why I linked them, after all. Should answer your questions. And seriously, if you find PSP text hooking to be too confusing, just use a PC game like the ones I suggested above and the basic VNR tutorial.

Nah, you need PPSSPP, which is an emulator... Otherwise, I'd recommend trying something originally for the PC if you're overwhelmed, like UnlimitedMoeWorks suggested. Decent PC otome games currently in Japanese: -Starry Sky if you like the English In Spring, the JP should be pretty simple. I just find them kinda boring.. moe guys, though! - Watashi no Real wa Juujitsu Shisugiteiru -> super cute, funny, easy to read, and FREE. It's great. -Gakuen Tokkyuu Hotokenser - I think this one seemed pretty easy to read? Was pretty funny, too! Didn't get that far before I retired my laptop, though. - Double Score - Was easy to read, if you like older guys, you can give this one a shot. There's a pretty heavy amount of drama, though, but the moe is there. Should be a decent list, at least. I'd recommend starting with the second one, cause it takes no effort to acquire. (And Renrekt's accurate in saying that there are some good ones in English. Just assumed you'd played all of those).

Once you've got a game, there are guides on how to use VNR, specifically. This one is good, I believe: https://sakimichi.wordpress.com/2013/09/19/translating-visual-novels-without-hacking/ She also has a tutorial on PSP text hooking, https://sakimichi.wordpress.com/2014/07/21/psp-otome-game-compatibility-and-notes/ If you have the PSP version of Diabolic Lovers you can use that +the emulator. The Vita version isn't very possible, I think.

"-How much does a Steam release mean to you? I don't know what their percentage is, but it's something, and my first inclination would be to charge you less rather than build that into the price." -> Does 'charge you less' mean the version on your site, then? And changes my answer, then. I'd probably be less likely to buy anything, but as long as the exchange rate is better on Steam I'd still go to Steam... If the game is one that really interests me I'd go physical, but the exchange rate isn't fun. I'd be a little mad if the patch is free though, lol. I really don't care about it, and for me to eat the costs of it... is something I wouldn't be happy about. I'd be fine if it's just 'the cost to take the H-scenes out and steam is mean so extra amount up' and it ends up the same price, though. I'm an odd consumer in the vn realm.

- If you can do it adequately, I'd pay more, but probably not enough more to justify the work.... - If you're an English localization company and I have access to your products, I'll support you either way. I don't mind DRM either. Whatever you'd need to do. - Don't mind Hong Kong. - I would, if the translation was improved/looked over again.... and I really enjoyed it the first time. Which is wishy-washy, I know. But I didn't, for example, buy G-Senjou's new release, but I liked the vn enough I gifted it to my brother for him to read. Majikoi I'd buy two copies of, probably. Anything in physical form would definitely make it worth it for me to buy it as a consumer rather than a gift. -Hong Kong's a little far from Canada, so no. - Steam means a lot to me, seriously. Most of the VNs I buy now are on Steam. The exchange rate is better, and I don't care about H-scenes and I get to pay less for them to not be in there! Win-win-win! - I might if it was reasonably priced... but I'd lean more towards the 'merchandise of guys' side than the 'merchandise of girls' side, and like jewelry and cute clothes. Wouldn't be worth aiming for me unless you're planning on entering the female side of the market. - Depending on how you market it, more/as likely. If it's not a big point in your company, as likely. If you market it as a big part of the company, more likely. Or it might be 'less likely to buy from your competitors'. Especially if you can bring the quality.

I'm not certain I get your intention in quoting that, I was just correcting UnlimitedMoeWorks' perception of the article. There was no judgement either way there, and I probably won't post any beyond "I think referring to people with their preferred pronouns or totally neutrally using they is a good practice and the only time I'm :/ is when people insist on making you not use they".

I think you're getting it a bit mixed here. Moody is arguing against transgender pronouns because sex works. ...And to be fair, only including sons is derogatory to women, too.

6 is Kimi to Kanojo to Kanojo no Koi (Totono)'s op. Unfortunately I only know it in that context and have no idea what the song's actually called. 8th is one of fortissimo's many openings, Lost Garden by No Life Negotiator apparently. 13th is by Sakura Saori, was probably used for an eroge opening. That's all I remember. She's not my thing, to be honest...