InvertMouse
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Thanks for your thoughts
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During a garage clean up the other week, I found this gem from the year 2000:
Sakura Taisen was a hit back in the late 90s. You know the magazine NewType? It has been around since then, and I recall so many issues with Sakura or other members of the cast on the cover. Sega, of course, made the most of its popularity with countless merch and spin-offs.
This Gameboy spinoff is different from the console versions. It is about raising stats, there are mini-games, and combat takes more of a backseat. Though Sega has released so many spinoffs (card games, puzzle games and the like), it is nice to see they made an effort and didn’t simply pump out lazy ports.
But here is the relic that made me smile:
This is the companion “Pocket Sakura”. Tamagotchi was a big thing at the time (as my primary school teacher said, “You can’t bring those digital watches into school!”), and you can see the result right here. The Pocket Sakura connects with the Gameboy via infrared, and you use it to exchange data with the cartridge.
Unfortunately, I have never owned a Gameboy Color! Thank goodness we are in the YouTube era, and Erica Griffin has put together this awesome review:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=moJ4M6Gfy5I
Honestly, I cannot even recall the last time I have put a battery into anything. The 90s and early 2000s will always bring back great memories for me.
Do we have companion gadgets like these in visual novels today? I played through Mass Effect Andromeda recently, and that game comes with an app that you can download to send troops on missions via your phone. It might be fun to see that explored in visual novels. I am not aware of any titles that make use of this, but if there are, I would love to know about them. Do you think that is a cool idea, or is it just a gimmick?
Thank you!
- Tyr, Fiddle and mitchhamilton
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Hi everyone
. Well, one thing is for certain--we're all going to die someday. As some of you know, my dad passed away around six months ago, so this topic has been on my mind. I wonder how regularly people think about it, because I often do, and I find it heaps scary.
See, I'm someone who tends to get stuck in the past. Let's say I often take walks around a certain city block. It's so sad to think someday, I'll never be able to do that again, and the world will continue to spin anyway. When my dad died, the world had changed forever from my perspective, yet when I walked to the shops next door, I looked around and realized oh, no one cares. If we're talking about the universe, I guess our entire race is hardly worth a footnote.
Then there's the thing about what happens when you die. Do you become a ghost, is there a next life, or do you cease to exist? The last option is scary. It sounds kind of silly, but even the simple things I enjoy like gaming will be gone. Let's say Persona 17 comes out, but I won't even exist anymore to play it. That's sad.
There's this Face App on mobile devices that lets you see how you'll look when you get old. I hung out with some friends the other night, and we messed around with that app a bit. The gender swap function is funny, but there's something sad about the aging one. It's a shock when the change is sudden, but when it's gradual like in real life, maybe it's okay. I'm in my 30s now, and if I look at photos of me in my teens, I'm sure I look different, even if I can't tell just from memory. The other week, I found some old photos of my dad in the garage, and I thought wow, I guess we were all young once.
Hopefully when I'm old and dying, I'll be able to smile rather than complain all day about regrets. I've heard when your time is near, your brain will release whatever chemicals are needed to ease you through the process. Not smart enough to know the details, but it's a comforting thought.
Then again, I've also heard we may be able to upload our consciousness onto machines in the future, so see you in cyberspace
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Thank you
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1 hour ago, Flutterz said:
At least with Sakura Garbage Day they could do a crossover with Love Live
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I read a post on I think GameFAQs the other day. “Persona 5 is overrated because it has no replay value.” I for one am loving P5 right now, going for the Futaba route if you care to know.
P5 is apparently a 100-hour game? If so, with so many games on the list, I will only be able to do one playthrough either way. That aside, does Persona 5 indeed lack replay value?
At first, I thought yeah, maybe. The palaces are linear (which I in fact prefer), and the story is quite directed. Then I thought, well, I am on my third playthrough for Doom 4, so how is that a fair comparison?
When you love a game, you will create your own fun. In Final Fantasy, we had those single character runs. For Doom, I might go okay, this time I will stick to one of the two possible mods for each weapon. Perhaps a zero upgrades run. On the other hand, if the gameplay is boring, no amount of design effort will make someone come back.
For Persona 5, maybe on a second playthrough, I will stick with a different cast of characters. Let me romance this person now. Play it on hard. I will go with these Personas instead. There is always a way.
Where did this idea of replayability come from, anyway? I recall having Ninja Gaiden on the Gameboy. The game was probably like 50 bucks back then. It is linear, and you can finish all five levels in a couple of hours. That would not be acceptable nowadays, but I still hold that game in high regard.
Recently, many designers have used the random generation approach. I am with the side that dislikes this idea, because I would rather play levels that are handcrafted. Someday, AI may become intelligent enough to be “creative”, but for now, randomly generated dungeons usually feel like haphazard mishmashes. There are of course exceptions like Spelunky.
What about visual novels, then? If there are multiple routes, does that count as replayable? Well, if there is a true ending, I might say no, since of those routes will merge back into the same conclusion. Can you also invent your own fun if a VN contains no gameplay? Does it even matter? I have played through Narcissu 1 and 2 at least three times each. Those are as linear as they get, but I love the story, and that overrules all logic.
In the end, I dig Persona 5’s approach. Story/gameplay that is tightly designed, with variations throughout (different Personas, romantic interests etc) for replayability if you happen to love the game. When we force a game to be replayable at its core, often it becomes lifeless. If we instead insert possibilities and let gamers invent their own rules, that to me is golden.
Thank you for reading! Happy to hear your thoughts
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- Vorathiel and Shikomizue
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Finally someone who understands how to create real art
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Just saw it trending on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/hashtag/ToHeart20周年?src=hash
I missed out on this series back in the days, so happy to hear any memories and thoughts on the franchise, especially the original game for those who have played it. Maybe this is a good excuse to open the game up again
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Hi there
. As always, I hate stealth promos, so I want to share my post on The Last Birdling first:
To avoid more shameless plugs, I would like to dedicate this thread to character designs in general. From all the VNs you have played, are there any character designs that stand out? A few of my thoughts:
1) It doesn't necessarily have to be about the costumes. For instance, perhaps a character sports a hairstyle you have never seen before.
2) Sometimes, it can be about body types. Let's say with Love Live (though it is not a VN), I think plenty of people appreciate Nozomi. Though she is pretty of course, she also stands out by not necessarily fitting into the unrealistically slim stereotype.
3) Many VNs take place in school settings. This limits what designers can do, but the uniforms themselves can stand out, and the cast still have casual clothes. Also, what designers do to separate characters from one another while in uniform is worth a mention. Different shoes, sock lengths etc. It undoubtedly also helps fulfill a various of fetishes.
Happy to hear examples, opinions and anything else related to the topic of design. Thank you
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Hi everyone
. I have been writing biweekly development posts on The Last Birdling, so I want to share them with you here:
How to handle perspective shifts:
Transparency with decision trees:
Race design:
Thank you so much
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14 hours ago, kivandopulus said:
I'm keeping a whole blog here on fuwa to dig for old VN gems. So far the quantity of VNs with interesting/fun plot in late 80s - early 90s surpassed my boldest expectations.
Yeah, I noticed the post. Really need to give them a read sometime
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6 minutes ago, fun2novel said:
Many console fps still have precision aim problem. I remember when I played Black on ps2, great game but it wasn't accurate like pc fps games. In many older console fps games the best thing to do is just wave your weapon around your target and keep the fire button held down. Eventually you will get a kill. But this was really frustrating to me because I wanted to be more accurate than I that, I wanted the feel of a mouse aiming controls.
Once auto aim came into fruition things got easier and more fun. You didn't have to be precise, the game would help you target your enemy and I think that was a good idea.
The new Doom does an excellent job with accuracy aiming. I don't know how they did it but it feel really good. It's not as good as keyboard and mouse but it comes damn close to it.
Thanks for the response
? I have auto aim turned off at the moment because I am a PC elitist 
. Is it possible to play well without it? Well, I guess it is, but this is all in comparison to keyboard and mouse for me.
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Doom 1 is my all time favorite game, and Quake, Shadow Warrior, Duke Nukem 3D etc mean a lot to my childhood. The name InvertMouse hints at how much FPS mean to me.
But recently, I have been burned by bad port after bad port (not FPS but in general). Mafia 3 in particular stung, because I had looked forward to that so much. This is why I picked up a PS4. As time becomes more precious, I want to be able to hit a button and know it will run.
But man, I suck ass at FPS on consoles!
I love the new Doom, to a point where I bought it again on console as a training tool. Last night, I gave it a shot, and my performance was almost worthy of tears. Played on the lowest difficulty and nearly ran out of ammo, not to mention almost died. I have beaten Doom, Quake etc on nightmare with ease on PC, so this hurt.
The tips I have gathered so far:
1) Line your crosshair with strafing for that final bit of precision aim. I do this on PC as well but it looks like I need it even more on consoles.
2) Actually look at what is inside that crosshair. On PC, I can flick the mouse and know where it will land, but on console, not so.
Anyone else been through the same journey and has tips to share? Even if you have never been a PC gamer, but you are just really good at console FPS, I could use some help. Is it possible to become as good as a keyboard and mouse user? Even if I can get close, I will be happy. I am no pro-gamer, just need to be good enough to kick ass in campaigns.
Secretly, I hope to be able to beat Doom on Ultra Nightmare (1 life only) someday. On PC it is already nuts. Console, I wonder if it is physically possible. Since I do not own a powerful PC, Doom loads much faster on the PS4, so I do enjoy that part of the experience.
Thank you!
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Thanks for the heads up
. I saw this when it first came out. How is the gameplay and story? For VN x game hybrids, I loved the first Utawarerumono so hopefully that provides a bit of a reference in terms of advice. Thanks .
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6 hours ago, Toranth said:
Aw, come on! Snow is the best fanfic mashup of Kanon and Air ever made. It also spawned a surprisingly decent nukige centered on Meiko.
I also liked Kokoro Navi. Giniro was excellent, and so was Memories Off (1999).
No kidding. The 2000-2001 years had some amazing stuff: Tsukihime and Kagetsu Tooya, Kimi ga Nozomu Eien, Suika, Giniro, Triangle Hearts 3, Jisatsu no Tame no 101 no Houhou, Canvas...
But 2004-2009? That's the Golden Years; making that comparison isn't exactly fair. Fate Stay/Night, Clannad, Higurashi and Umineko, Dies Irae, Symphonic Rain, Planetarian, Muv-Luv Alternative, Aselia, Rui wa Tomo wo Yobu, Chocolat and Parfait, Haruka ni Aogi, Uruwashi no, Majiprui and Akiiro Renka and Ashita no Kimi to Au Tame ni, DraKoi, Princess Witches... and that's just what I see on my shelves from here.
I will be happy to see that shelf
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Thanks for the replies! Yeah, most of them probably suck in retrospect. I will admit that
. Something about that style just appeals to me so much. I think when I see it, it brings me back to a time when all I had to worry about was homework, so it puts me in a safe place.
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I have always had an affinity for old things. When I see those old VN promo vids that look like they were created in PowerPoint, it excites me. Many years ago, I visited Japan and searched around for a copy of ONE ~Kagayaku Kisetsu e~ on Windows 95. The list goes on.
I am sure there is a hipster mentality to it. Also, I guess old things can be rare, and people like rare things. When the box is yellow from old age, that is a good sign to me. They are relics, and owning them is like a sign of respect.
I want to see if anyone else has a thing for old games? Are there any old hidden gems you know of (older than Kanon let's say)? Any blogs or channels that cover older VNs? Just getting some of them to run is a challenge, but there is charm in that, too.
Opinions, stories, happy to read about all of them. Thank you
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Hi everyone
. I want to let you know I have revised Unhack 2's website:
http://unhack2.invertmouse.com
Here are the features I have listed:
A more mature story:
Unhack 1 was created in 2012, so as a student of the craft, I like to think my skills have improved since then. I am, of course, also a bit older now. While Unhack 2’s characters are still an energetic bunch, I believe the cast goes through more of a mature journey this time around.
Exploring the human VS AI dilemma:
AI will play a bigger role as the years go on, so this is a good time to explore some of the questions involved. What does it mean to be human, anyway? Is it possible for AI to understand how it feels to be us? I fell in love with the topic during my research for this sequel, to an extent where I would like to explore these issues again in the future. To avoid being preachy, Unhack 2 is still very much entertainment first.
Puzzle gameplay:
While story takes the lead this time, puzzle gameplay does make a return in Unhack 2. In the original game, players had to constantly pause between slots to read the dialogue, which in retrospect was not the best mix of narrative and gameplay. This is why the elements are separated in Unhack 2. I want to explore other methods in future games, so I hope we can go through this journey together.
Though the puzzles are smaller in scale this time, they are in some ways more complex. Let’s see if unhackers are ready for the challenge. Please note the puzzles can be skipped for those who wish to focus on the narrative.
More art featuring Rosuuri:
My budget and experience were limited back in Unhack 1, so I was unable to feature the number of artworks I really wanted. In this sequel, I am able to showcase more illustrations (most of which contain spoilers, which is why they are not shown on this page). Our artist this time is Rosuuri. Her works are well-known in the community, and since she is one of the best around, there is a good reason for that.
3D-rendered backgrounds:
Due to budget constraints in Unhack 1, I was unable to include proper background illustrations. Helen “Tayola” Schwieger is our 3D background artist in Unhack 2, and she has put together a collection of renders for us to enjoy throughout the game. These 3D backdrops fit our digital theme nicely.
Brainfed returns as the composer:
(Unhack 1 album art by Hybridmink)
Brainfed (Matt Hamm) provided a fitting soundtrack for us in Unhack 1. He has graciously given his time again for Unhack 2, and thanks to him, this sequel contains another soundtrack that belongs in the Unhack universe. Several tracks may even include nostalgic references to the original title.
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Unhack 2 can be purchased on Steam here:
http://store.steampowered.com/app/444170/Unhack_2/
And, of course, the original game:
http://store.steampowered.com/app/340800/Unhack/
Thank you so much everyone! -
Thanks for the heads up! I have some happy memories of this one
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On 5/8/2017 at 4:29 PM, Clephas said:
Which would you recommend I start with, considering my stated tastes (strong protagonists, intelligent characters, interesting settings)?
I try to get better with every project so I would love it if you could give Unhack 2 (my latest game) a chance, though it does mean you will have to put up with the first game beforehand, which is mediocre in my eyes at this point. If not, then I hope you can wait for The Last Birdling
. Cursed Sight is subjective but thankfully those who like it like it a lot. I still like that one, but if I got to remake it today, I know I would do a much better job.
Thanks Clephas!
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21 hours ago, Clephas said:
By the way, it was smart to bundle all your games together. I'm curious, so I'll take a look at them sometime next month.
Thank you so much! Some of the older ones are pretty bad, but they are a part of my history so I had to include them
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8 hours ago, Clephas said:
1) In my opinion, 'meaningless choices' are one of the biggest sins of the fad of creating the 'illusion of player agency' in gaming in general and VNs in particular. This becomes a particularly nasty trend when the choices that matter are hidden inside the dozens of meaningless ones.
2) No, it isn't dishonest. However, it can be irritating. It is quite possible to be perfectly honest and get on people's nerves, and that is usually the case with non-detailed game overs.
3) Mass Effect 3's ending wasn't unexpected. I gave up on Bioware making Mass Effect's endings making details of what you did throughout the game matter after 2. I understood the logic, but it was still as annoying as hell. Even KOTOR did this to an extent, as it was possible to completely reverse your choices up to that point by simply picking the opposite side near the end.
4) More branches can be a bad thing or a good thing, depending on the passion and sense of humor of the writer. Tsukihime's alternate endings for all the heroines other than Kohaku provided a lot of flavor, for instance... and Devils Devel Concept's dual endings for each of the four non-true heroine paths created some radically different and interesting stories. However, I've also experienced dozens of 'side-paths' that were basically excuses for fanservice. It all depends on what you do with it. As for editing... that depends on who you have got and how tight a schedule you have set. An inflexible schedule will inevitably limit your possibilities, while a schedule that is too flexible results in development cycles that fans find intolerable in many cases.
5) In many cases, the point of the non-true endings in such a case is to provide perspective on the setting or aspects of the story that add depth to a true route later on. In other cases, it is simply to make you love characters other than the true heroine so that it will be easier for you to emotionally insert yourself into the plot. There are lots of reasons to do this, but those are the two I've seen the most often.
6) Yes. Nonsensical choices that are truly nonsensical irritate me.
7) It is simply easier to do multiple paths using a game engine, from the reader/player's perspective. One of the reasons the 'choose your own adventure' novels never really gained mainstream popularity was because of inconvenience. In a game system, you can simply save at important choices and go back later if you feel you need to change things up. How many bookmarks can you place in a book before it becomes impossible to read?
Great thoughts Clephas! Thank you for sharing
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Outstanding background illustrations and/or animations (with Last Birdling post)
in Visual Novel Talk
Posted
Hi everyone
. Thank you again for giving me permission to share my blog posts here (after our discussion about my struggles with Unhack 2). I recently posted an article about my background development process in The Last Birdling:
I hate promos, so I would like to make this thread about visual novels in general. These days, in professional works, beautiful background art is more or less assumed. That said, are there any VNs with backdrops that stand out to you? As mentioned in the post, I found the city nightscape in the Starcraft VN to be particularly memorable. I am always on the search for inspiration, so happy to hear about any games you have played that come to mind.
Thank you
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