[Most disappointing VNs of 2019?]

7 minutes ago, Dreamysyu said:

Well, it's the only 2019 release where I played more than a single route is the otome game Steam Prison, but if it isn't a disappointment than I don't know what is. Though, I guess I'm in the minority here, looks like the most people from Fuwa who played it actually liked it.

Well, I've already talked about this VN a lot in the past, but here's the basic rundown of I what I thought about it. First of all, I've only finished the bodyguard routes. I tried going into the the prisoner routes too, but after none of the problems I had with the game were resolved, so I decided to just drop it. I don't know, maybe it actually gets amazing in the other routes or something, but it's not like I feel like reading through something that I simply don't enjoy anymore waiting for it to get good if I don't know if it even does.

When I just started the game, I actually liked it a lot! Well, the very first part made me a bit suspicious about the general quality of writing, but then, after things start happening, it gets pretty interesting. In fact, there are a lot of things that this VN does right. The route system is basically the best that I've seen in any VN so far. There are several major decisions that affect in which direction the story start developing, and each direction later divides into individual character routes. Each route has a massive amount of ending, but what ending you enter mostly depends on how many affection points you get with the character you're pursuing, and the number of points is actually shown in the game so I guess you don't even really need to use a walkthrough (though I used it anyway). Another good point is that the setting is pretty unique and interesting. I'd like to see a bit more details about how the society in Liberaritas is functioning, but overall I'm more or less satisfied with what it does. And finally, the art in this game is absolutely stunning, and that's the main reason why I even became interested in that VN in the first place.

The problems started when I entered the character routes... and well, the main problem is that I heavily dislike every major character in this game. The love interests are just very bland and so cliche so even without much experience in otome I know how cliched they are. We have a flirty guy, a tsundere, a yandere, a shota and so on. As for the heroine, the problem is that she's just an extremely annoying musclehead. I mean I find it kind of funny how the story tries so hard to present her as a "strong" female protagonist while in reality she is really the weakest otome protagonist I've seen so far, both physically and especially personality-wise. I specifically looked through the endings I reached to see how many times she actually made any real decision that affected the story in a meaningful way, and the result was exactly once, in the best ending of one of the characters. More often than not all the problems are just solved by the heroes, and whenever she's showing some initiative she just does something extremely reckless and makes things worse. When it comes to her physical abilities, she is extremely talented with a sword... in a world dominated by guns, lol. And her talent for guns is zero. Basically, if the story needs to show how big of a badass she is, it just throws her in a swordfight. But then suddenly a man with a gun appears and she's is just instantly reduced to a damsel in distress, or is just insta-dead if you happen to be aiming for a bad end. It's such a convenient plot point if you ask me.

And I'd be totally okay with all that if the story was honest about it, and she actually accepted her weakness and used it to grow as a character. The problem is just that she never does. She just continues to get into trouble for the sake of "justice" without even making sure that she actually can do anything, only to be later saved by one of the heroes. This gets extremely annoying after a while.

And honorable mention goes to how I'm expected to like the romance where the guy quite literally takes his girlfriend on a suicide mission without even explaining things to her first and asking for her opinion first.

I don't know. I understand that my problems with this title are pretty much exactly that many people have with otome games in general, so maybe otome games just aren't for me. The truth is, it's the fourth otome game I've tried (though it's only the second Japanese one, so maybe that explains it) but I never really had these problems with any other title before excluding one route in The Second Reproduction. And, to be real, I'd rather read a novel with a doormat personality female protagonist rather than an incompetent musclehead who pretends to be a badass.

I'm trying to think about paths where she successfully gets to be as strong as she thinks she is...
The setting utterly buggers her up, throwing her into a world where her utmost talent is useless. From what I understand your problem is not this, but the fact that she doesn't learn that she's not capable under these circumstances. And, well, that's her character. And you don't like it.

In terms of routes, I recall two moments where she actually pulls off what she's trying, but one of those is in the final true route, and I'm not sure where the other one is (because there are many diverging paths).

But when you put it that way, it is true she can't do much of anything herself (which is, again, the point of the setting, but her personality doesn't allow her to change her incompatible values and desires).

[Most disappointing VNs of 2019?]

Just now, Plk_Lesiak said:

Well, I liked the side romance too, but the adventure part... Maybe it's just not what I want from a VN, but the PG-rated fantasy action felt way too sanitized and by-the-numbers. In like one short moment it created any feeling of danger and never showed anything cool when it goes to the fights or challenges. The popcultural referenced had a subtlety of a sledgehammer, and still are one of the few things I remembered from the whole VN, through the virtue of being obnoxious. It was quite frankly the most narratively-empty VN I've ever read outside of the "very short" category, although I can see someone enjoying it for the chill climate and the aesthetic.

Indeed, I just found it fun. In fact, I'm actively interested in stories of light adventure.
This reminds me of the anime Inuyasha, wherein the episodes I most liked were the filler ones (minus the lack of progression in character/relationships).

[Most disappointing VNs of 2019?]

48 minutes ago, Plk_Lesiak said:

 Crystalline

I thought it completely failed at delivering romance between the protagonists for a single route story, but I otherwise enjoyed it a lot. It was a fun adventure, and the side romance was great!

 

Disappointments on my part... I usually don't properly start something unless I like it, so I don't remember those that disappointed me off the bat. That leaves those that disappointed me in the ending, but I'd need to actually finish something to be disappointed by its ending, so... Uh...

One Night Stand, maybe? I don't know why I played it or what I was expecting, but it delivered on its namesake and disappointed me as a result. Not sure why I really did this.

One that could be considered a disappointment, maybe, is HoshiOri. It delivers on all my dreams in terms of the scenario it depicts! It just has an itty-bitty misstep...
I don't like the comedy in it. This really, genuinely hurts. This ticks all the boxes in terms of what I should like, but them half the reason I enjoy VNs just isn't working for me. Bollocks. I even remember liking the comedy in the previous game by the same studio, so what went wrong for me...?

[Tsunderes or Kuuderes Recommendations]

7 hours ago, Ruberick said:

Was hesitant to recommend this at first, since there's a somewhat blurry line to the consent, but I saw you played Bunny Black, so I'm going to do it anyway since this one is more wholesome than that.^^

I mentioned the sequel and this game in the What are you playing? thread. https://www.dlsite.com/ecchi-eng/work/=/product_id/RE240947.html

The dungeon of Lulu Farea has a large cast of girls, many Tsunderes and Kuuderes to be had in these two games, but there's only a fan translation to the second game. The blurry line definitely develops to mutual feelings in all cases, of that I can assure you. Also it's one of the most addicting puzzle games I've played. The Protagonist is even a weird/eccentric character who is an outcast (by choice) and they strangely gave him depth by making him shallow. 

That game and its sequel are indeed absolutely phenomenal. Unfortunately I could not place them in my list.

7 hours ago, Ruberick said:

Chrono Clock and Daitoshokan no Hitsujikai have some of the best casts of heroines in my opinion, but they are more witty and sharp-tongued than tsun or kuu. (Chrono Clock has a classic Tsundere and a somewhat kuudere heroine)

These are good recommendations. I happen to have already played the corresponding routes on them, so I can indeed say that they're quite good.

5 hours ago, Iori said:

1. Mitsuki from the fandisc,  Princess Evangile W Happiness, she appeared in the original game, but it's the fandisc where she gets the her own route.

2. There is also Rin from My Fair Princess

These are good!

I'll look into My Fair Princess.

5 hours ago, Iori said:

3. Rikka from Hoshi Ori Yume Mirai

4. There is also Toa from Wagamama HIgh Spec

For Hoshi Ori I'm technically in the middle of playing it right now, but it's not going all that well, hence this thread.

Wagamama is one of my favourite VNs ever, but there's just one route I haven't played that I'm leaving for a rainy day. Ashe's.
Speaking of which, you didn't recommend Ashe??

5 hours ago, Iori said:

5. Shirone from Trinoline

This one I did not know about. Is it a long route?

5 hours ago, Iori said:

6. Riku from Sorcery Jokers

Sorcery Jokers is good for a variety of reasons, but romance was not one of them, I thought. In fact, the H-Scenes in this game actively infuriated me. They felt so different and extreme compared to everything else. That may have coloured my perception, though, making me think the romance was bad when it was only the final epilogues that were.
At any rate, this was already on my list.

[Birthday thread]

Happy Birthday, @Eclipsed who might never come back.

Also, @Leonor!

[Tsunderes or Kuuderes Recommendations]

40 minutes ago, Clephas said:

I could make at least fifty recommendations in Japanese, but your list is all translated, so I assume that isn't what you want...

You would assume correctly. I'll clarify the OP.

[Some People Call Fate/Stay Night a Hentai Game, Is This True?]

This is semantics.
If you consider any game with sex in it to be Hentai, then yes.
If you consider any game where the focus is the sex scenes to be Hentai, then no.

The term usually thrown around is eroge, from 'erotic'+'game'.

[Tsunderes or Kuuderes Recommendations]

1 hour ago, onorub said:

Don't think it's exactly what you're looking for but if you want a unique experience, Norn9 has both a tsundere and a kuudere protagonist.

I was going to ask what you think of the game, but then it hit me like a ton of bricks when I was mentioning that it was a console otome that I can't play it.

[Tsunderes or Kuuderes Recommendations]

My current list is as follows:
https://vndb.org/u68049/ulist?c=added&c=finished&c=label&c=started&c=vote&l=2&mul=0&o=d&q=&s=vote

So if there's anything that isn't in the link above, please do recommend it!

I more or less like anything that fits in those archetypes, up to and including weird/eccentric characters that are outcasts as a result (Sora or Ayamine). Nukige are also fine (though the most important thing to me are feelings, consent, mutual trust, etc etc), such as Risa from Sweet Home.

In theory I don't like Modern Tsunderes, but I'm having a difficult time actually picturing any from VNs, since in VNs they actually end up together romantically; it's not like anime where perpetually undoing all development is the point.

Requirements: English, Not Yaoi. Everything else is fair game. RPG Maker games, Otome, EVNs, that fanfiction you wrote 7 years ago, etc.

Thank you kindly for your help.

[What are you playing?]

8 minutes ago, GXOALMD said:

It's that one thing that the first chapter of V3 does that the first two novels don't.  That should probably be enough information, it's not as if there's much difference between the novels.

Ah, I was trying to place a moment in chapter 2, but it was chapter 1 they were referring to. Got it.

[What are you playing?]

55 minutes ago, GXOALMD said:

Spoiling that particular bit is kinda taboo.  Even as someone who doesn't like the novels, I think it would be pretty shitty to spoil it.

Which particular bit do you have in mind? Can you elaborate in spoilers?

(I've already played the game but am failing to picture what you're referring to.)

[Bokuten - Why it's more than just a "dark/depressing utsuge" (A Non-spoilery Shill)]

11 minutes ago, Seraphim88 said:

The endings really just show that things don't always ever conveniently fall into place to make that rose-tinted, "happily ever after" scenario.

Fixed that for you, also explaining, in the process, why I'm not interested in the VN.

[inquiry evenicle]

8 minutes ago, Zakamutt said:

I would say it's actually even worse than tiago (previous poster) is saying. Also, the thing he mentions was not really consensual I'd say

Trust Zakamutt over me. I have no trust in my memory of the particular scene or even others.

(Zakamutt, you preferred to write 'previous poster' rather than alter the name. Astonishing.)

[inquiry evenicle]

1 hour ago, bogdankl said:

Hello good folks,

 

So i wanna play evenicle, mostly because I really really like Kamidori, I'm more of a gamer so these things appeal to me more, but one thing that really worries me is that unlike Kamidori this appears to have a great deal of rape in it. Now this is the one thing I don't wanna see and i did play the first 2 chapters I think, or it was only the first <i'm not sure> but I did see "that scene" with that character and it shook a bit... maybe a bit more than I would like to admit but I can sort of deal with side character going through that, what I can't deal with however is Riche or Ramius getting raped, so I was wondering if there are unavoidable rape scenes with main girls, if there are I won't play it but if not I'll bite down and get through this cuz the game looks pretty fun an the art is really nice.

 

Spoiler

There are a lot of REALLY strong scenes in the game, but they're not with the main cast. If the first one shook you, then perhaps stopping here is wisest, as it only gets worse.

For the main cast, there is like one scene where they are visited by a tentacle monster, but as far as I recall it is voluntary on the girls' part.

 

[I haven't Created a Post on Fuwa At All This Year]

You bloody got me. Off to the hall of shame I go.

[Happy new year]

Yes, that!

This year I kinda fell asleep almost immediately after midnight, so no post from me...

[What are you playing?]

1 minute ago, Dreamysyu said:

Well, to be fair, I played the inferior fan-translated version and started with Ayamine's route (which I hate with passion) which spoiled my experience with the other routes, so if I played it nowadays and only focused on the main routes, there's a possibility that I would enjoy it a lot more. Actually, as the official version came out, I watched a let's play of Sumika's route and ended up enjoying it a lot more than when I played it myself.

Also, most readers come to the series because of Alternative, and there's a good chance that they may simply not enjoy the type of game Extra is. They usually don't play games like that, so you don't hear them talking about other similar games.

Huh. Good points were made. I'm completely satisfied. How odd, on the internet.

[What are you playing?]

I've read Package Chat. It was... strong. The main character had a strong personality, certainly clashes with mine, and their emotions were powerful. The situation thought-provoking and the world beyond curious, and we know precious little about it because the story is one of those that takes the attitude of "You're seeing a snapshot of somebody's life. Obviously no one is going to specifically talk about everything that happened so far, at least in most circumstances.".

It invoked feelings, and, at the start, I really thought maybe it wouldn't be my thing but as soon as characters showed up all was well. I really am a character-driven reader. And their interactions were sweet, and at the end I felt almost as liberated as the main character despite that making no sense. Regardless, overall enjoyable. There are few things I love more than wholesomeness and people trying to respect others' feelings.

It feels like a short story someone might drop on some site that I'd never have found were it not a VN submission to a game jam. But I'll say this particular story had no need to be a VN and works almost the exact same way as if it were a short story.
Also thanks to @Plk_Lesiak because I certainly wouldn't have found it or tried it otherwise.

EDIT:

1 hour ago, GXOALMD said:

I like how people keep saying things like this as if there was any chance I'd have bothered finishing Extra were it not for Alternative's popularity.

2 minutes ago, Dreamysyu said:

You know, I was very close to dropping the whole series altogether when I was struggling with Extra. To be honest, with my current reading style I'm pretty sure that I would never even get to Unlimited if I started reading it now. And that would really be a shame since Alternative is now one of my favorite VNs.

You people have terrible taste, talking badly of the best part of the Muv-Luv story.

 

[Birthday thread]

Happy Birthday, @bakauchuujin! Keep listing it all out.

[Marco & the Galaxy Dragon (Release 28 February, 2020)]

Found this thread for some details on the game experience itself:

As for the actual English translation, still no idea on its quality.

[Marco & the Galaxy Dragon (Release 28 February, 2020)]

These cartoons are really fun!

[Happy Christmas!]

Happy Christmas!

(loadsa effort)

[Baldr Sky (Out now!)]

50 minutes ago, GXOALMD said:

I have a good friend I could introduce you to; his name is "irresponsibility" and he can make your next few days a lot more fun.

Thing is, he might bring over his cousin "consequences" and nobody likes him.

[[FREE][Gameplay~25 hours][Steam storepage up][Fantasy/Mystery][BxG] How stories die]

Well, this has garnered my interest.

That said, your first image on the thread appears to not be working.

[Need help with Sengoku Rance.]

6 minutes ago, Mentole said:

I just started playing Sengoku Rance a few days ago and I am having trouble beating Kenshin. I took out Sado and am now working on Mazo but every time I take a territory she takes it right back at night. I even have some people with “Operation Permits” taking them with the same result. Can someone tell me what I am missing?

You need to wait for the house's events to play. Once they all have played, your attack (or permit capture) should trigger an event that moves things along.