Jump to content

Gibberish

Backer
  • Posts

    1503
  • Joined

  • Last visited

  • Days Won

    17

Reputation Activity

  1. Like
    Gibberish reacted to Zalor for a blog entry, I Am War: An Exploration of an Archetype   
    “War was always here. Before man was, war waited for him. The ultimate trade awaiting its ultimate practitioner.”
    ~Judge Holden (Blood Meridian)
    “My love is destruction. Its flames ache to devour all that exist: Heaven and Hell, God and Satan; all things in Creation, from the first universe that was, to the last that will ever be.”
    ~Reinhard Heydrich (Dies Irae)
     
    The archetype of a sentient embodiment of war continues to persist, and has morphed considerably from its mythological origins. Having finished Cormac McCarthy's Blood Meridian, considered by some literary critics to be the great American novel. I am left transfixed by a particular figure, a haunting presence that defies death: the Judge, Judge Holden. The Judge is a complex figure, and there are many interpretations as to who he really is. One common interpretation is that he is the embodiment of war itself. This, along with his function in the novel, reminded me quite of bit of Reinhard Heydrich from Dies Irae.
    Reinhard proudly claims to be war itself, and so in this respect he is not subtle. What makes Reinhard standout as a villain, is how evil yet seductively charming he is. He wants destruction for its own sake, or really; for his amusement. To him war is fun, and an eternity spent warring couldn't be a more ideal form of the afterlife in his conception. He would be in complete agreement with the judge on this point:
    “Men are born for games. Nothing else. Every child knows that play is nobler than work. He knows too that the worth or merit of a game is not inherent in the game itself but rather in the value of that which is put at hazard. Games of chance require a wager to have meaning at all. Games of sport involve the skill and strength of the opponents and the humiliation of defeat and the pride of victory are in themselves sufficient stake because they inhere the worth of the principals and define them. But trial of chance or trial of worth all games aspire to the condition of war for here which is wagered swallows up game, player, all.”
    Easily some of the best parts of both Blood Meridian and Dies Irae are the speeches and dialogues given by Judge Holden and Reinhard respectively. At some point Reinhard in the midst of battle famously states, “I love everything, therefore I will destroy everything”. The judge says something essentially to that effect as well. Possessing a near expert level of knowledge on nearly every subject (something true of Reinhard as well), he is once asked by a fellow crew member why he always meticulously jots notes of artifacts they pass by. The Judge responds, “to expunge them from the memory of man”. What he's saying there is that he wants to record everything so that he can keep track of what he destroys, with his ultimate goal of destroying everything from the “memory of man”. This ties into another famous quote of his, “Whatever in creation exists without my knowledge exists without my consent.” In order to have dominion over everything (to become a “suzerain” in his own words), you must first know everything. For you cannot conquer what you don't know.
    There is however a key point of contrast between these two characters who share this same archetype. Judge Holden is visibly terrifying, with the image I included in this post being my favorite depiction of him. Reinhard on the other hand, is gorgeous. Compared to the Judge's bald head and completely hairless body, Reinhard is characterized with a mane of flowing blonde hair. The importance of this contrast in outward appearances is that the two characters signify different aspects of war.
    Reinhard best represents the seduction of war, and the glory as well as rewards it promises. In the prologue alone, he convinces countless Nazi soldiers faced with imminent defeat and slaughter against the Russian troops storming Berlin, to instead give up their own lives and souls to him. Encouraging them to participate in a group suicide that would put the largest of death-cults to shame. They went along with his command, because he promised the glory that Hitler failed to deliver on. It is also noted when that happened, “This could not have been the first time.”
    If Reinhard is the seducer of war, then the judge is its rapist. Indeed, there are several instances in the novel where it is heavily suggested that the judge was responsible for a brutal rape, but it is never concretely confirmed. But his fetish for violence is no secret. While the judge is capable of persuasive charm, his preference for violence is clear. Even when he does display his persuasive abilities, the threat of violence that his domineering stature imposes must surely add a feeling of extortion to any request he makes. To list the unfathomably gruesome cruelty of the judge would still not accurately communicate how truly horrifying he is. I think the best example is when he was left in charge of the gang and a group of hostages when the gang leader, Glanton, had to leave for other business. When Glanton finally returns, one of the hostages comes desperately running to him only able to say, “That man, that man.” What Judge Holden personifies, is the horror of war itself.
    I suppose the last point of comparison I would like to touch on, is how both Reinhard and judge Holden are based on real people. Reinhard Heydrich was a high ranking Nazi official. They tie this in an interesting way in Dies Irae, but obviously the overall depiction of Reinhard in Dies Irae is mostly fictional. Judge Holden on the other hand is much more mysterious.
    Both the real and fictional Judge Holden was the second in command of the Glanton Gang; mercenaries who in 1849 temporarily worked for the Mexican government to genocide Apache Indians. However, the Glanton gang (lead by John Glanton) also slaughtered peaceful tribes in order to collect more Indian scalps which they could exchange for a higher bounty. At the end of 1849 the state of Chihuahua outlawed the gang, and put bounties on their heads. Samuel Chamberlain, who at one time worked for the Glanton gang wrote about his experiences with them in his memoir: My Confession: The Recollections of a Rogue. Mentioned several times in the memoir, it's the only document that attests to the existence of Judge Holden. In it he is described as, “a man of gigantic size called "Judge" Holden of Texas. Who or what he was no one knew but a cooler blooded villain never went unhung; he stood six feet six in his moccasins, had a large fleshy frame, a dull tallow colored face destitute of hair and all expression. His desires was blood and women.” In the memoir he also notes, “Holden was by far the best educated man in northern Mexico; he conversed with all in their own language, spoke in several Indian lingos, at a fandango would take the Harp or Guitar from the hands of the musicians and charm all with his wonderful performance.”
    It is the fact that the only testimony of the Judge's existence is in several pages of an obscure, forgotten memoir that makes him more terrifying for me. Given how similar the description of the real Judge Holden, and the fictional one is, it makes it that much more difficult to draw the line between fiction and reality.
    What can be said though is that “war endures”. As long as there are masses of people desperate for glory, then Reinhard will be there to seduce them. And as long as there are blood soaked battlefields, the towing silhouette of the judge will be there to lead men to their doom.
  2. Like
    Gibberish reacted to Zalor for a blog entry, The Function of Ellipses in VNs   
    VNs sometimes get criticized for their overuse of the ellipse (…). And I suppose I'll start my defense of the use of ellipses in VNs, by extending an olive branch. VNs do misuse the ellipse to an astounding degree, and I have an interesting little anecdote demonstrating this point. In college, me and some friends decided to spend a Friday night getting drunk and reading the worst VNs we could find. We stumbled upon Gender Bender DNA Twister Extreme. There is a LOT wrong with this VN, but a glaringly consistent detail of bad writing we all noticed was the excessive use of ellipses. After we all collectively noticed and pointed out how often ellipses were being used, we decided to start counting every instance of an ellipse we spotted. Keep in mind, they had already been used plenty before we even started to count. Before we even reached a total playtime of 1 hour, we counted over 100 uses of ellipses, and gave up counting after that. I share this anecdote for two reasons. Firstly, as a petty example that Gender Bender DNA Twister Extreme is horrible and I almost want to say it has no right to exist. And secondly that overall I am in agreement that ellipses do get misused often in VNs. So I am not entirely attacking this point of criticism, but I do think that many who do champion this specific criticism of VN writing miss one very important function that the ellipses achieves in VN writing, that it can't achieve in traditional print.
    The written word as it is presented in VNs is transient. With each click you typically receive one line at a time. And after a certain point all the lines disappear and you are greeted with fresh words from the top of the screen if NVL, or the top of the dialogue box if ADV. Furthermore often (though not always), sentences aren't displayed whole at once. But rather they get displayed in a sort of typewriter effect. This means that regardless of whether the narrative is in past tense or present tense, the occurrence of the text and the story to the reader will always be in the present. Character dialogue, internal monologues, narrative descriptions, it is all being presented to us in real time.
    A book on the other hand has everything written out and open to display. You can scan the whole page as well as the next page, and you have equal access to every page of the book at any given time. Want to skip to the ending? Well the medium can't stop you. This is not true of VNs. You can fast-forward, but you can't just skip to the end. The only way you can typically access specific parts of a VN is by creating a save point and therefore being able to load it up whenever you want. But you only have that option for everything you already read, you can't just pick and load sections you haven't experienced yet. Because for all intense and purposes, that's in the future. It hasn't happened yet. In other words, there is a sense of time in how the narrative of a VN gets expressed.
    Well in VNs, the ellipse can be used to demarcate time and expression. In this way, VNs can literally show the passage of time, without having to tell it. And I always thought the golden rule of writing was “show don't tell”, in this function the ellipse is being used optimally to show and not tell.
    Here is an example of how I would write a certain passage if I were writing it for a book/short-story, and then I will proceed to rewrite it for a VN.
     
    Novel/Short-story:
    “I don't know about that,” she briefly paused while biting her lip, “you sure it will be okay?”
    Visual Novel coded in Renpy:
    “I don't know about that...{w=1.5} you sure it will be okay?”
     
    The {w=1.5} is a wait command in Renpy that pauses the text for 1.5 seconds before resuming the rest of the line. Without having to tell the reader “she briefly paused”, we literally showed the pause by manipulating the speed in which the text gets displayed. The ellipse helps signal to the reader that the character is hesitating to express her thoughts, while the {w=1.5} command is running in the background.
    Now if the detail of “biting her lip” is also important to you. You would have to script things slightly differently, but you could make it that after the ellipse her sprite changes and bites her lip and you hold on that image for 1.5 seconds, before transitioning back to her previous expression and continue the text. So now you not only showed her hesitation and the gap in time it took for her to finish her thought, but you also showed her expression change. This is a way you can “show and not tell” with VNs that you could never achieve when writing for traditional print media.
  3. Like
    Gibberish reacted to Zalor for a blog entry, Visual Novels are a Hot Medium   
    Firstly, by “Hot” I mean purely in the Mcluhanistic sense of the word. Though I think we all acknowledge that VNs can be a very “hot” medium in the erotic sense as well. But seriously speaking, VNs are a hot, highly intensive medium; and this is precisely why I see so much artistic potential in them even if relatively few as of yet have fully capitalized on this potential.
    To provide a brief definition of hot and cold media I think the simplest explanation is the more immersive a medium is the more hot it is. The less immersive, and the more causal the experience of it is, the more cool it is. Reality TV is probably the best example of cold media. You can enjoy an episode of Terrace House or Jersery Shore or whatever (insert reality TV show) while paying relatively little attention to it. In fact dumb television's appeal is precisely because you can passively enjoy it while watching it with friends and family. Honestly this is why I think most Japanese TV (I'm intentionally exuding anime here) is so bad, but that's probably a rant for another time.
    Hotter media require more focus and attention from the participant. The best example of this would be literature. While reading a book, you need to pay sole focus to the words. And so this involves a hyper concentration. Hence it is high intensity, thus hot (seriously I didn't come up with these terms, famed academic Marshal Mcluhan did half a century ago).
    So then why do I do think, and more importantly why do I boldly claim that VNs are fundamentally a hot medium. Well, because for the best VNs and and the most memorable experiences VNs induce, we are highly involved in the moment. Practically there ourselves. And this is because the combination of text, audio, and visuals create a sensory experience which practically places us in the fictional scenes that are being depicted. It's the same reason why Lets Plays of Visual Novels just don't feel right to most VN fans. At least not as a first time experience to a particular VN. Because the first time you experience a particular VN it is a deeply intimate experience.
    I mean sure there are kusuge which are probably more fun to play with friends or in a live stream then they are to read individually. But then again they are called kusuge for a reason. Precisely because they aren't good, and more specifically don't conform to the medium's strengths. 
    So where am I going with this? I don't exactly know. Maybe to start a discussion about VNs as a medium of their own; which I think they are. That is to say I think they exist in a separate category from video games. Though I acknowledge there can be VNs with gameplay. I think a “VN with gameplay” is very different from a “game”. And I suspect most gamers would also agree.
    Anyway, its in my nature to make bold claims when I believe something. But if you disagree with me I'd be happy to discuss it with you. More then anything I like to create conversation about concepts which interest me. And if you agree with me, well I'll be happy to know I'm not alone.
  4. Like
    Gibberish reacted to Narcosis for a blog entry, Revised rating system and the eroge food chain or "why certain genres can't attain enlightment"   
    I've been meaning to do this for a longer while now, but various circumstances always prevented me from making it.
    Before we start, let me make this clear. I dislike value-based rating systems, where numbers are supposed to be an estimate on how "good" something is, or how much quality there is to it. In my opinion, those systems are all fair and square but don't really work the way we'd like them to, not to mention a simple number is vague as hell and doesn't really provide anything except a scale between "good", "bad" and "mediocre" in-between. Why is that? Because vns don't work that way, sadly. You can't really rate a visual novel in the same exact manner as a standard Hollywood movie, plastering a number on top of it; it's because vns are insanely diversified works with many unique sub-genres, built with particular audiences in mind. It's a world, where one fan's treasures are another fan's trash, often within the same genre trees. The same can be said about almost every other work medium belonging to japanese pop culture. Discarding this tiny nuance might actually have a pretty detrimental result in terms of ratings, that are either too vague, unfair or way too hedonist, without actually trying to get the gist of what the game actually is and to whom it is addressed. I'd rather want to think of actual ratings as something that helps in deciding how much a game is in line with one's personal interests and how high that goes. Different groups of players have different needs, therefore it's probably easier to explain the whole thing in form of a diagram:

    Don't think of it as "things consuming things", but more as "things supporting other things". Moege aren't particularly worse than high-rated vns, they simply have a completely different target audience, with completely different set of tastes and demands. Obviously, certain genres are more common - because there's a much higher demand for those, but at the same time it means lowering standards to match tastes of a far wider audience, which uniquely leads to genre blandness (this happened to moege and majority of charage already). The games higher on the list in terms of complexity are more streamlined and niche, requiring more refined tastes and greater knowledge in a variety of topics, which leads to them being far less approachable by majority of players. This by default leads to subsequent categorization and further alienation which is one of the major reasons why it's so hard to get into those games and communities that surround them.
    Those tiers are permanent and games belonging to them remain forever bound to their respective positions within the chain. It can't be changed, nor affected in any way, as accessibility by ease of understanding is the sole factor that decides about their fate. This also lead me to believe, that a proper rating system should actually take this into consideration. As much as you play a high-tier chuunige for it's cool story and characters, you play a simple charage not for the plot, but for character interactions and protagonist finally connecting with one of the heroines; you want to see where their relationships will lead to and it's the only actual thing you will care about. It's not really possible to compare both through the same exact value-based rating system.
    Obviously, we could argue about this forever, so without further ado - I present my new rating system, I'll be using onwards for my vn reviews.
     
    Basic ratings go as follows:
    Awful - When things get so bad, you might as well ask yourself what kind of wrong have you committed to end up with such game in your hands. Somehow, you ended up picking it along the way - maybe because it had a cute maid on the cover or a synopsis, which looked particularly interesting; who knows. The point is - the more you play, the less impressed you are and by the time you reach the end, you might be banging your head against the desk in utter disappointment and resentment you ever got yourself into vns. Looks can be deceiving, after all. Avoid whenever possible, since there's probably a thousand things more worth wasting your time on, than crap in p(r)etty disguise.
    Hopefully, I won't ever stumble upon a game, that will prompt me to give it a lower score.
    Imperfect - Games that strive to be good, but fail somewhere along the way - in one or more aspects. Typically a result of many problems piling up on the dev side of things, including lack of proper knowledge, skills, financial aspects, neglect, and/or faggotry. Those titles might (and prolly will) be enjoyable, but often most, the amount of issues outweighs positive aspects, successfully lowering the enjoyment factor to a large degree. They range from being mildly obnoxious in their issues to outright annoying and might be even riddled with bugs. Needless to say, they should be played in moderation to avoid salt overdose and in most cases, only the most devoted fans are arguably able to look past their flaws. For every imperfect game, you will find at least few similar titles that don't suck as badly.
    Mediocre - Games considered a widely accepted quality norm, stuck at their designated level. Mediocre titles tend to be far simpler in nature and typically offer fair value from a consumer standpoint, but lack in soul and technical aspects, making them cheap in comparison with anything above their tier. They tend to be mostly forgettable and don't leave a long-lasting impression (exceptions happen), but remain enjoyable while they last, giving you something to do for a bunch of cozy afternoons. In overall, they tend to leave players with hunger for more and unfulfilled dreams. Expect whatever being mass-produced at current moment to fall under this group, including majority of moege. At times, I tend to leave them with a tiny +, to indicate devs at least tried.
    Impressive - A game, which elevates itself above norm and skilfully uses tropes, settings and standards along with various medium-related mechanics to create memorable experiences. Those are typically good games by default, albeit not devoid of flaws, often times being a part of their very nature. They still tend to be far from perfect, but you'll love them regardless of those tiny mistakes and bumps, which remain an indicator of hand-crafted approach. Titles as such aren't uncommon, but more than often - they will leave you thirsty for more and that thirst is something, they aren't really capable to quench; after many of those, you will most probably want to delve deeper. They will purposefully tingle your ego, but don't expect them to give you clear answers, nor solutions to problems they create. They are more often about the voyage itself - asking questions and leaving their readers in a state of bewilderment - rather than the end result. Nonetheless, they are almost always a truly enjoyable ride till the very end. This group tends to attract simpler story-heavy games, as well as more ambitious charage titles.
    Outstanding - Very few games reach this sort of artistry, that could be only matched with writers' attention to detail and cleverness in which they build their settings and play with commonly found tropes, much to everyone's surprise and delight of their more hardcore fanbase. In those, the definition of up and down doesn't really exist and any sort of distinctions between what's considered widely accepted moral norms blur to the point of being almost indistinguishable. They rarely give a damn about normalfaggotry conceptions of the perceived genres. Such games will often have great heroes and even greater antagonists - actual people made of flesh and blood, driven by most primal human desires and emotions that will defy physics, bend time and space, obliterate entire armies and cause nations to fall. Such characters often find themselves fighting no less with their enemies, as much as themselves - their flaws, imperfections, inner demons hidden somewhere between the folds of their souls and enjoying to peek outside at times. In those tales, people will die and things get destroyed, with certain fates becoming far worse than a visit to the nearest afterworld. Don't expect your favourite characters getting selective treatment; in realm of outstanding stories, characters considered to be "redeeming" or "favourable" often go through even bigger hell than defeated antagonists - at most if they win - with worst possible cases including moral event horizon induced insanity, gruesome deaths or eternal suffering (preferably all in a never-ending cycle). Those stories will make you laugh, they will make you cry, they are frequently emotionally draining - and boy oh boy - entertaining as hell, provided you're capable to grasp concepts behind their inner workings.
    Considered a desired habitable zone by many aspiring and skilful writers, simply because it allows badassery to exist without hurting immersion in the process.
    Brilliant - Games that ultimately defy laws and conventions of genres they belong to, written by literate geniuses, capable to mould words into whatever the hell they want. Plot no longer functions like in normal space and characters are akin to visitors on a vast plane of  reader's subconsciousness. Those games are typically considered difficult to grasp for most people and with a good reason, because you're expected to deal with creators themselves and whatever personal issues, grudges, hate and passions they throw at you, while you're trying to make sense of everything. They are extremely rare and as such, prone to complete subjectiveness, becoming battlefronts for fan-based warfare. They always attain a cult following and grow endless forests of epileptic trees, which serve as fuel for discussions, that will go on for years - AND YEARS, if not decades after release.
    Masterpiece - This, my ladies and gentlemen - is what any fan could consider a holy grail of eroge... if one would only exist. I doubt I'll ever come across a visual novel as good, to be able to freely - and without doubts - give it such a high rating. It didn't happen yet, perhaps I'm yet to read them, who knows. Most of the really good games I know fall somewhere between outstanding and brilliant, to give an example. This rating is more of a gimmick to keep myself at bay there are no perfect games.
     
    In addition, I use the following special tags as well:
    Highly recommended - Games I consider being capable of showing "how things should be done", both in terms of writing as well as genre standards and rules they operate under. Such works, are - more or less - exemplary and at the same time - provide both content and enjoyment in a way, that's easy to grasp even for novices and people unaccustomed with their tropes or elements.
    Guilty pleasure - You DON'T question why certain games get this tag. Period.
    This is something I typically reserve for titles, that might not really be the best or most worthy of attention or general context (I could quite possibly not play them under most circumstances), but definitely deliver elsewhere. Where the former doesn't apply, they simply have things I have a strong and particular fixation about and approach them in such an excellent way - including fetishes I can't really live without anymore - I'm able to forgive those games any other flaws. I don't really play them because of their depth or plot, I play them for my personal enjoyment on a very carnal level and you might find them of equal interest.
    Wicked - A game that breaks any contrived norms or standards and does it in a fashion, that's definitely worth praising. I use this tag specifically for games that are a cherry on the top amongst the more morally ambiguous titles, often scaling between "cute", "awful" and outright "disgusting". Those games usually throw players into a vortex of extreme emotions, crushing their hopes and uplifting them seconds after, only to cast them into despair once again; The sort of games, that leave you both with sense of a profound disapproval and an almighty grin on your face. TL&DR Games that are literally a blast to plough through, provided you are both physically and emotionally strong enough (lol).
     
    For those of you, who ever wondered how do I rate the games I play, or what's my perception of vns in general this hopefully clears things up, even if a little bit.
  5. Like
    Gibberish reacted to Asonn for a blog entry, Cringe, Cooking and flimsy filming with Asonn.   
    Today, I made the most famous Karaage (から揚げ). I do make this often and today I thought why not start a blog with this delicious content.
    Spoiler: I didn't let my chicken rest enough so it had some excess potato starch on it... but the heck with it.
    Preparation: 
    Sake Corn/Potato Starch sugar Ginger (just a bit! we will only use the sweet juices) Soy Sauce Chicken ( cut them a bit larger than your normal bites, as it has a lot of fiber so it will shrink when frying)  

    Secret frying process: 
    Fry them 3 times. For best results go with 2 min on 190C, then let them rest for 1 minute. fry them again on 190C this time for 1 min, rest 30 sec. and then once again 1 minute on 190C.
    I couldn't be bothered this time, probably also the reason why I have still corn on my finished product. It still tasty af tho. 

    Tip: use Japanese 7 spice mix (七味唐辛子) on your mayo. 
     
    Here is a video of me actually making it. unedited. (I didn't film the whole frying process as I couldn't be bothered...)
    Enjoy the Cringe : )
  6. Like
    Gibberish reacted to Plk_Lesiak for a blog entry, Rebranding annoucement: Welcome to EVN Chronicles!   
    Hello there and welcome to the new iteration of my humble blog!
    Pride of the West was created, apart from fueling my personal megalomania, for a very specific goal: promoting and demystifying OELVNs within the Fuwa community, fighting the negative stereotypes and ridicule attached to them in minds of the many more JP-centric VN fans. For the last six months, I've spent countless hours exploring the EVN scene and channelling my impressions into the blog (with what I personally see as a very positive and encouraging response).
    I was, however, never really satisfied with the brand I've come up with last year and this was one of the problems that became apparent while my project became more fleshed out and grew in size, with attachments such as the Steam Curation and Twitter account. The second issue that became clear over time was the limitations of the Forums blogging tool, which guaranteed certain visibility, but gave me very little control over my own content and was shared between a large number of people, with only that much space for all of them in that little side-tab.
    For all these reasons, I've decided to go forward with some (long-coming) changes, the most important ones being establishing the external version of the blog and changing the name of the whole project to (slightly generic, but much less pretentious) EVN Chronicles. I've also moved the Steam Curator page to a new address, sadly being forced to forgo my previous, humble following in the process, but with the hope that the new setup can bring much more with time. So, as I've explained what's happening, I would like you to encourage you to:
    --> Check out (and consider following) EVN Chronicles' external site
    --> Follow my new Steam Curator page
    --> Follow me on Twitter for blog updates and various VN-related news
    Apart from setting up the blog, I've worked this week to bring you a new review format - Shovelware Adventures - in which I will go through notorious OELVN shovelware and give it semi-humorous assessments. The first post in this style will appear later today, both on Fuwa and the new site.
    For the time being, the Fuwanovel version of the blog will be updated along with the new one, while the external blog will also feature slightly-redacted reposts of the old reviews and posts along with announcements I wouldn't post here to avoid clogging the sidebar (those might appear on the blog's thread in the member's lounge). However, after a week, I will be cutting every new Fuwa post into a teaser version and adding a link to the external blog. Same will happen to the old posts, as they are gradually re-published on the new site.
    I hope you'll follow me in this new stage of my VN journey and have a lovely weekend everyone!
  7. Like
    Gibberish reacted to Zakamutt for a blog entry, On Moderation and the Validity of Unenforced Standards   
    The problem
    While spurred by recent events, this essay touches on something that seems to have been a pattern in site moderation for some time now.
    Let me make a claim: if a rule, especially one that is vaguely worded, is not enforced, for a decent amount of people that rule does not exist. This nonexistence integrates into the mental model of the rules that forum members construct, no matter what the formal rules may say. For members using this mental model, beginning to enforce a rule that was previously unenforced is equivalent to creating a new rule. As such, the same procedures as those used to notify forum members of new rules should be applied, possibly with some adaptation on the lines of "we will now actually enforce this rule", as the rule effectively did not previously exist.
    The ur-example of this is the loligeddon of yore. The takeaway from the loligeddon when it comes to this essay is this: mods repeatedly stated that no rules had actually been changed. Yet nevertheless the appearance and subsequent removal of a particularly problematic post sparked sweeping policy changes, a cleanup operation, a tl;dr post by the administrator explaining the changes, et cetera. This should make it clear that changing policy is a big deal, even if no written rules actually change.
    Recent policy changes, however, have been very different from what happened during the loligeddon. Frequently the only indication that effective rules have changed has been moderator action, sometimes fairly strict. In essentially all cases this action has been explained either inadequately or, most commonly, not at all. When this occurs the target(s) of moderation will likely feel that they have been unfairly, erratically targeted by a capricious, uncommunicative bully. What do you do when you get bullied? Well, you could talk to HR, but the mod that bullied you is probably in HR anyway and you might not even know who did it. Another option is to fight back. You annoy me, I pay you back in kind - and if I can get some fun at your expense, sure, why not? You're a bully, you deserve it.[1]
    I do not mean to suggest that we need to have a tl;dr writeup every time a rule is changed, but a simple statement of intent would be appreciated. I estimate that writing this should take no more than 20 minutes. As an example, here's a hypothetical notice regarding the changing of rules on gifs that took me ~10 minutes to write. Note that the policy mentioned here could be reversed or altered to be more specific if it turns out that it was unclear or did more harm than good, which is arguably more difficult to do if the rule has been made official.[2]
    In the light of this, I would like to present some recommendations.
    Recommendations
    When moderating, consider if your action is effectively creating or modifying rules
    Remember: in the minds of some of your users, unenforced rules may as well not exist. If you decide to moderate something that was previously typically not being moderated, this will cause confusion and consternation.
    As such, whenever you make a decision, ask yourself: am I changing the rules? If so, you need to consider both whether your action is actually justified, and how you are going to inform the public of your policy change. You are not a cop, you are a judge in a precedent-setting court. This is especially true due to the (understandable) current policy of supporting other mods' decisions near unconditionally.
    Do not make controversial decisions when following up is difficult
    On some occasions moderators have moderated while on vacation, using their phone, with bad connections et cetera. I strongly recommend against making anything close to a controversial decision in these conditions. You will end up both ruining your vacation and doing a bad job.
    Talk first, shoot later
    If you are performing a moderator action which reasonably should include notifying the target of the action, write up the informative PM or otherwise establish communication before enforcement. You could also consider writing up the notification of intent to change / differently enforce / clarify rules before moderating. Most of the time nobody is harmed much by leaving something up until you can handle it properly. For things that require more urgent management such as a fast-evolving derailment, consider either using a PM template for 1-2 people or making a post stating that you have removed derailing posts in the thread you moderated.
    Make people feel heard
    One key theme of this essay is the importance of communication. This extends beyond just notifying people of changes to the rules. I am under no illusions that your actions will go uncontested or that people won't meme and fling shit at you even if you try your best to communicate as advised in this essay. In part this is due to the frustration some people, and certainly I myself, consider you responsible for creating due to your actions up to this point. However, when hostility meets well-practiced civility its fires often run out of fuel. If you constructively engage with those who would oppose you, you can both soothe their frustration and create better, more precise final rules.
    Obviously there has to be a limit and ultimately you set the rules to follow. But explaining, refining, and justifying your position elevates it from that of a dim-witted bully with little justification for their actions to someone who has a well-grounded but different opinion of what the rules should be. The first one deserves punishment, the second, grudging respect.
    As a personal observation: in general, you should assume that much less of your decisions are obviously justified than you currently think. One man's common sense is another man's borderline acceptability is another man's utterly idiotic rule enforcement.
    Moderation is a hard job
    If this all seems like a lot of hard work to you, congratulations! That's what I thought too when the mod applications came along, so I didn't apply. Any moderators that cannot actually moderate disputes should either confine themselves to routine, uncontroversial moderation tasks or step down from their position. Believe me, nobody will die either way, and you'll get to spend your free time doing something that suits you better.

    Notes
    [1]
    I personally don't consider the mods bullies when I do this kind of thing, but I do consider them deserving of public ridicule. The intention is both to correct behaviour and to extract some entertainment out of people that deserve to be made fun of.
    And yeah, I have no respect for authority. None. I will judge you by your actions alone.
    [2]
    This is an assumption based on my conception of normie considerations like pride, sticking with your decision, whatever.
    Obviously if a rule does more harm than good it should be removed whether or not it was enforced temporarily, but it is probably easier to do so politically if it was in fact considered temporary.
    Look, I'm trying desperately not to kill all normies every day here. Give me a break.
  8. Like
    Gibberish reacted to Plk_Lesiak for a blog entry, Sunrider: Mark of Arcadius (VN-hybrid game review)   
    Sunrider: Mask of Arcadius is one of the best-known and probably most appreciated western visual novels. Developed by Love in Space and published for free by Sekai Project in July 2014, it was downloaded on Steam by around 600 thousand players and spawned a successful franchise, with its commercial sequel, Liberation Day and dating sim spin-off, Sunrider Academy, both reaching impressive sale numbers and mostly positive feedback from the community.
                What’s interesting, Mask of Arcadius is also a hybrid title, possibly more ambitious and refined with its strategy game elements than “pure” visual novel segments. Most likely, it is exactly that part of the game that gave it a much broader appeal than that of typical VNs and made its spectacular success on Steam possible. Does it, however, still have a similar entertainment value for dedicated VN readers, on a much more saturated, diverse market, as it had in 2014?
    Read the full review at evnchronicles.blogspot.com
     
  9. Like
    Gibberish reacted to kivandopulus for a blog entry, VN of the Month February 1996 - DIES IRAE   
    There aren't masterpieces this month. My personal favorite is San Shimai due to it being my first visual novel, but I rate DIES IRAE even higher and nominate it for VN of the Month.
    1. Exciting Milk Dai 1 Wa エキサイティングみるく第1話 [960201] Silence 22nd century. Humanity is prospering through the expansion of the Earth's development, but natural destruction has also become extreme. One day Amon, a scientist who opposed the destruction of nature, decided to return to the Earth 150 years earlier via time machine and protect nature. Police opposed that as it could bring unknown changes and followed Amon. In the 20th century school girl Kurumi heard from a classmate that an aircraft landed in the forest and went alone to the forest out of curiosity. Milk is a police officer from future who landed in the forest colliding with Kurumi. As a result of the collision Kurumi body was seriously hurt and her soul was placed into Milk body until full recovery. Now Kurumi transforms to Milk at wilk and back by wearing glasses. Will she find Amon? Game's fully animated as other Silence works. But it's even shorter than previous animated games barely exceeding 10 minutes time. There's just one fighting scene and it all ends with Amon coming to Kurumi class as transfer student. Looking forward to part 2.  
    2. Angel Crysis エンジェルクライシス [960209] ZyX 1 You're part of an all female crew on a ship exploring some planet and the crew picks up a mysterious cargo crate from an underwater ruin. There's an English review that tells us all that we need to know about this borderline work. And there was exactly a tentacle monster in the crate...  
    3. Guernica ゲルニカ [960209] Backspin 1 2 3 Long time ago, human passions caused the appearance of a monster tribe that has since become unwelcome in the human society. Years of bitter antagonism and violence followed as humans settled in the land of Galesnia. A thousand years later, a simple warrior named Grog enters a forest inhabited by monsters, and becomes gradually involved in a struggle that puts him in the forefront of the defense of Galesnia. Fish shop holder to the rescue of the world! The guy was sleeping peacefully when at night the "Apostle of Salvation" child appeared before him saying that the barrier started to weaken and will be destroyed in 13 days and only Grog can prevent that! Quite a simple rpg with only 13 lvls and basic stats. You can hold up to 10 recovery items and you get one every time you visit an inn or hitting a bed. Game is linear. So it's not the brightest species of RPG breed.  
    4. Persona ~Ingyaku no Kamen~ ペルソナ ~淫虐の仮面~ [960209] Sorciere 1 A series of gruesome murders shocks Japan. Young women are kidnapped, tortured, and killed under mysterious circumstances... The protagonist wakes up in what looks like a hospital, but is in fact a special psychiatric facility on a space station. The hero doesn't remember anything, not even his name. Three young women - Shelly, Elisa, and Aoka - will help him to find his memory, and he will gradually realize who he is and what is his mission. You need to regain your memory within 38 hours or the space station explodes. What's the best way to regain memories? I guess Japanese have their unique opinion on that. There are parameters of the hero and depending on numbers one of five protagonist personalities show up. Yes, he has a deep personality disorder and can be anything from a good guy to a sadist. Time also ticking so it's a nice rush factor. There are basically just three rooms on the spaceship. So it's an original system and is not necessarily an eroge if you play out as a good guy and aim for the happy ending that does not even have a H-scene.  
    5. Valentine Kiss: Birthdays 2 バレンタインキッス ~バースデイズ2~ [960209] Silky's 1 Valentine Kiss is a dating simulation game, very similar to Birthdays, only instead of "conquering" a girl as a birthday present, the goal here is to "score" on Valentine's Day Second installation of a difficult sim that's memorable to me mostly by the fact that it's Silky's game and not a full-scale eroge. UI is still charming but it came from the prequel with minor changes. Quite few things changed actually and some even degenerated like the number of heroines dropped from 8 to 4. Main difference though is that while prequel was just hard everyday work to earn love, this work has events in ADV mode and all your hard work is useless unless you flag events properly. Still the freshness is lost since it has been two years since the prequel and not much changed.  
    6. DIES IRAE DIES IRAE [960215] Family Soft 1 2 Heroines Kim and her side partners Kris and Lee are professional detectives and they have very opposite personalities. Kim on one hand is very cheerful and lively all the time, Kris is very serious and quiet. They are investigating a murder case that ends up being a much bigger issue, revolving gang members, the mafia and later on some sci-fi elements. There's a nice English review that sheds light on this curious game.  
    7. Kanako 香奈子 [960223] Red Zone 1 Kanako is a young woman who has just graduated from college and is in a desperate need of a job. Finally, she is invited to a job interview in a large and successful company. However, the boss seems to ask too many personal questions and generally looks at Kanako in a weird way. After she has been introduced to her duties at the new place, Kanako decides to get to know the employees better, and in process learns their most intimate secrets... Red Zone inevitably means ero-centered work. But graphics are nice and win version is fully voiced, even the thoughts of the heroine - that was unexpected and captivating. Her thoughts is the most funny part in the game as she comments emotionally on many occasions.  
    8. Magical Girl Pretty Sammy Kouhen 魔法少女プリティサミー 後編 [960223] AIC Spirits

    Game includes two remaining episodes:
    Episode 3. Friends
    Episode 4. Leave it to Sammy!
    A direct continuation of the first part, but not hookable  
    9. Shadowrun シャドウラン [960223] Compile Co., Ltd. 1 2 3 4 5 6 It is twenty-first century, and the humanity faces a difficult period that follows devastating wars and other disasters. Magic and technology co-exist, supernatural powers, mythical creatures, ghosts, cyberspace, where hackers meet and fight each other, street deckers which can be hired to do the dirty work, anarchy and struggle between mighty and corrupt corporations - this is the world of Shadowrun. Unlike the two other Shadowrun games which are set in Seattle, according to tradition, Shadowrun for Sega CD is set in the futuristic city of Neo Tokyo. The player controls a party of characters with different backgrounds: the street samurai Rikudo, the shaman girl Mao, the decker (a hired mercenary) D-Head (who also happens to be an elf), and Shiun, a former member of a mighty corporation. Their first assignment is to hunt down a ghostly warrior who has been disturbing a segment of the city for quite some time. As the player begins their investigation they plunge deeper into the dark world of intrigues and find themselves fighting on different fronts. There are several great English reviews and there even might be a fan English translation according to some materials.  
    10. Escape! エスケイプ! [960229] May-Be Soft 1 In Escape, the player assumes the role of an ordinary teenager named Root. He is returning from a long journey, and just beyond the mountain, he can see his house. But fate had other plans for the boy: one step on the wrong stone, and Root falls through a dark pit into the underground world. Looks like it won't be simple for him to find the way home, because this world is populated by girls, each one of which wants something from him... I've only seen Windows version and it's very simplified and plays like a normal visual novel with only occasionally choosing locations on the map. Characters are nice, but the story lacks excitement and all the time is spent underground. A fine game, but far from masterpiece level.  
    11. Kara no Naka no Kotori 殻の中の小鳥 [960229] Black Package 1 Foster, formerly a trainer of high-class prostitutes for a secret political group that used these girls to exert power over politicians, has has long been out of the game, as he and his cohorts were busted years back. However, Foster couldn't help himself and soon returned to his old profession. He began training new maidens, though this time with a distinctly evil bent, drawing the recruits into a sordid ring of discipline and bondage. Maid slave training SIM. Main difference is that training is done in the form of a card game in an attempt to simplify SIM part.  
    12. San Shimai 三姉妹 [960229] JAST 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 The one that started it all! I was just a boy when my father threw himself under the tracks of an oncoming train on the Yamanote Line in Tokyo. He had been the president of a powerful trading company, but had been under siege by an enemy in a power struggle that I didn't understand at the time. With my father gone, it fell upon my mother to lead the family and try to pay off Father's debts. She wasn't up to the task, and was buried next to my father less than a year later. My older brother Eiichi and I were separated, then, passed around the family like unwanted guests. We had lost everything. Last summer Eiichi appeared again on my doorstep. He had prospered in the years since I'd seen him, and had built a successful trading company. "Koichi," he said to me, "I found out who was responsible for our father's death: the current head of father's old company, Shoji Okamura." When he asked me, "Will you help me avenge mother and father?" I agreed immediately. So I became his hatchet man. My job was to approach the Okamura family, especially the three Okamura sisters -- sexy, grown-up Yuki, short-tempered but sensitive Emi and the innocent Risa -- and gather information on the Okamuras for my brother. After six months, I had gotten to where I was eating dinner at their house regularly. This allowed me to bug Shoji's office take documents out of his trash, and copy files off his computer. I reported everything to my brother faithfully. I was never sure if the information I was providing was doing any good, but gradually, it became apparent that Shoji Okamura's business was failing. He grew more and more desperate, and one day he disappeared completely. The happiness of the Okamura family, who had taken so much from us, had been stolen piece by piece. My brother swore he wouldn't stop until Shoji Okamura was driven to the point of taking his own life, even if it meant pushing the Three Sisters into lives of prostitution and worse. The only problem is, I had fallen in love with those same three sisters... Game has many English reviews
  10. Like
    Gibberish reacted to kivandopulus for a blog entry, Updated   
    Finished updating old posts. Nothing really interesting is added, so added games comments are very scarce. Main changes are mostly about descriptions for games that did not have one, over 500 new descriptions. Some review/opening/image links changed. Finally, I can move on now. This is the early draft of changes, stopped updating it midway. 
    VN of the Month December 2005 - Aekanaru Sekai no Owari ni
    https://vndb.org/v22685 - Power Pro Kun Pocket 8
    https://vndb.org/v23599 - The Noroi no Game
    https://vndb.org/v27013 - Sugar Sugar Rune: Koi mo Oshare mo Pick-Up!
    https://vndb.org/v22900 - Mousou Nikki: Joshikousei Hen
    https://vndb.org/v26016 - Chained Valkyria -Akashiya no Kyouen-
    https://vndb.org/v23124 - Hyouka no Gen'ya
    https://vndb.org/v24462 - Kidou Shounen
    VN of the Month November 2005 - Sharin no Kuni, Himawari no Shoujo
    https://vndb.org/v23460 - Mirugeki 3 Bishoujo Maki Naisho no Taiken
    VN of the Month October 2005 - Ayakashi
    https://vndb.org/v23462 - Mirugeki 2 Papa tte Yobitai no
    https://vndb.org/v24385 - Qu Beifang
    VN of the Month September 2005 - Gunjou no Sora o Koete
    https://vndb.org/v24864 - Gokujou Seitokai
    https://vndb.org/v23903 - Fushigi no Umi no Nadia ~Inherit the Blue Water~
    VN of the Month August 2005 - Saihate no Ima
    https://vndb.org/v24778 - Final Approach Final fandisk
    https://vndb.org/v25938 - Gakuen Tengoku
    VN of the Month July 2005 - Swan Song
    https://vndb.org/v25128 - Still More
    VN of the Month June 2005 - Ayakashibito
    VN of the Month May 2005 - Princess Witches
    https://vndb.org/v26583 - ETERNITY-The Joker to a Dark Side-
    https://vndb.org/v24625 - Counter-Strike NEO -White Memories-
    https://vndb.org/v26058 - Majo no Yuigon
    https://vndb.org/v25355 - School Navigation!
    VN of the Month April 2005 - Sanarara
    https://vndb.org/v22864 - Akane
    https://vndb.org/v22047 - Kochou Yuukaku
    https://vndb.org/v23463 - Mirugeki 1: Imouto -Boku to Asumi no Himitsu Taiken-
    https://vndb.org/v23773 - Rondo ~Punyupuri Joshikouhen~
    VN of the Month March 2005 - Parfait ~Chocolat Second Brew~
    https://vndb.org/v26743 - Iris ~Kimi ga Ita Toki~
    https://vndb.org/v23499 - Love Love Fight
    https://vndb.org/v23148 - Kochira Memetsuki Onsenkyou
    VN of the Month February 2005 - Steel
    https://vndb.org/v25146 - The Kanshikikan
    https://vndb.org/v25118 - Tsuki wa Kirisaku ~Tantei Sagara Kyouichirou~
    https://vndb.org/v26915 - Gakuen Prince ~Fandisc~
    VN of the Month January 2005 - Tenshi no Nichou Kenjuu -Angelos Armas-
    https://vndb.org/v26265 - Rou ~Kedakaku Gouman na Dansei Fushin Onna ga Seidorei ni Ochiru made~
    https://vndb.org/v23774 - Punyupuri SP - Yamiyo no Miko Shokushu ni Otsu
    VN of the Month December 2004 - To Heart 2
    https://vndb.org/v22681 - Power Pro Kun Pocket 7
    https://vndb.org/v25848 - Erumani 2
    VN of the Month November 2004 - Planetarian ~Chiisana Hoshi no Yume~
    https://vndb.org/v24350 - Reason of Detective
    https://vndb.org/v24330 - The Suiri  ~Soshite Dare mo Inakunatta~
    https://vndb.org/v24539 - Seikon ~Boku to Meido to Kyouki no Yakata~
    https://vndb.org/v24485 - Phantomphobia ~Ikai~
    https://vndb.org/v25122 - Tenkuu Danzai Skelter Heaven
    https://vndb.org/v26885 - Manabe yo Otome!
    VN of the Month October 2004 - Akai Ito
    https://vndb.org/v23610 - Ryoujoku Jiken File -File. 1 Renzoku Fujo Shissou Jiken-
    https://vndb.org/v24844 - A to 1
    VN of the Month September 2004 - Abandoner - The Severed Dreams
    VN of the Month August 2004 - Sorauta
    https://vndb.org/v24387 - It's So Flogging Molly
    https://vndb.org/v26317 - Sankaku Matsuri Vol.1
    https://vndb.org/v25159 - Destino
    https://vndb.org/v24303 - Harukeki Kawa no Nagare ni Nosete
    https://vndb.org/v26071 - Tsuki no Furu Yoru
    VN of the Month July 2004 - Dear My Friend
    VN of the Month June 2004 - 3days ~Michiteyuku Toki no Kanata de~
    https://vndb.org/v25629 - Yokubou no Ori
    https://vndb.org/v23364 - Gyakuten Ryoujoku Angel Online
    VN of the Month May 2004 - Carnival
    VN of the Month April 2004 - Realize
    https://vndb.org/v23327 - Tanetsuke Choukyou II
    VN of the Month March 2004 - Remember11 -The Age of Infinity-
    https://vndb.org/v24318 - Yomigaeri ~Refrain~
    VN of the Month February 2004 - Forest
    https://vndb.org/v25310 - The Legend of the Deep -Episode4-
    https://vndb.org/v22297 - Nurse Witch Komugi-chan Magikarte
    https://vndb.org/v26280 - Inran Mahjong ~Nugasare Modaeru Maid-tachi~
    VN of the Month January 2004 - Paradise Lost
    https://vndb.org/v25266 - Stellvia: Uchuu no Stellvia
    https://vndb.org/v26884 - Heian Onshijo Koi Emaki
    https://vndb.org/v25215 - Shoujo Taimashi Misato ~Ingoku no Fukushuusha~
    VN of the Month December 2003 - Saya no Uta
    https://vndb.org/v22680 - Power Pro Kun Pocket 6
    https://vndb.org/v24319 - The Saiban ~Shinmai Shihoukan Momota Tsukasa no 10 no Saiban File~
    https://vndb.org/v24401 - END OF THE WORLD
    https://vndb.org/v24460 - Hotel Bloody Doll Fandisc -2003-
    https://vndb.org/v22821 - Futari no Kon'yakusha
    VN of the Month November 2003 - Kurenai
    https://vndb.org/v23483 - Princess Riesz
    VN of the Month October 2003 - Lovers ~Koi ni Ochitara...
    https://vndb.org/v25252 - The Musume♥ Ikusei Simulation ~Otousan to Issho~
    https://vndb.org/v24459 - Hotel Bloody Doll
    https://vndb.org/v24326 - Otoko no Tame no Bible The Yuujou Adventure -Hotaru Soul-
    VN of the Month - September 2003 - Cross†Channel
    https://vndb.org/v26604 - Shoujo Yoshitsuneden
    VN of the Month August 2003 - Natsuyume Yawa
    https://vndb.org/v24370 - Tondeke! Nayama Seed
    https://vndb.org/v25210 - Officer's ~Onna Sousakan-tachi no Ingoku~
    https://vndb.org/v22101 - Sweet Apricot
    https://vndb.org/v23001 - Sayurin no Tantei na Hibi
    https://vndb.org/v22449 - Natsu Shoujo Summer Disc
    https://vndb.org/v24386 - Shuumatsu ni Yosete
    VN of the Month July 2003 - Komorebi ni Yureru Tamashii no Koe
    https://vndb.org/v26194 - Tristia Dokidoki Operation
    VN of the Month June 2003 - Sayonara
    https://vndb.org/v23925 - Ore-sama Teacher ~Fukushuu Kyoushi no Web Counseling~
    VN of the Month May 2003 - Ashita Deatta Shoujo
    https://vndb.org/v25628 - Imouto no Onani
    VN of the Month April 2003 - Zanmataisei Demonbane
    https://vndb.org/v22295 - Zero One
    VN of the Month March 2003 - Interlude
    https://vndb.org/v24300 - Akaku Kagayaku Yuki
    https://vndb.org/v23841 - Vampire Yui ~Sen'ya-shou~
    VN of the Month February 2003 - Routes
    https://vndb.org/v24162 - Otogi Story Tenshi no Shippo
    VN of the Month January 2003 - Moekan
    https://vndb.org/v22679 - Power Pro Kun Pocket 5
    https://vndb.org/v25214 - Mahou Shoujo Ai ~Mahou Senshi e no Chinkonka~
    https://vndb.org/v24877 - Fukuramikake Returns
    https://vndb.org/v23352 - Bijutsu Kyoushi Ryouko
    VN of the Month December 2002 - Popotan
    https://vndb.org/v23852 - Getchu Ya★Getchu!!
    https://vndb.org/v24358 - The Suiri ~Aratanaru 20 no Jikenbo~
    https://vndb.org/v22429 - Romancing Kanon ~Eien no Shoujo Densetsu~
    https://vndb.org/v24302 - Free Flower
    https://vndb.org/v25158 - Bois Hoshikuzu to Tetsukuzu no Niwa
    VN of the Month November 2002 - Baldr Force
    https://vndb.org/v24706 - Dr. Rin ni Kiitemite! ~Koi no Happy Four Season~
    VN of the Month October 2002 - Rocket no Natsu
    VN of the Month September 2002 - Masaru: Ashita no Yukinojou 2
    https://vndb.org/v24897 - Sold Out Frontier ~Reifu-tachi no Kihin Shakou Ressha~
    https://vndb.org/v23858 - Chobits for Game Boy Advance -Atashi dake no Hito-
    https://vndb.org/v24713 - Izumi Jiken File
    VN of the Month August 2002 - Ever17 -The Out of Infinity-
    https://vndb.org/v23355 - Clover ~Shiawase no Layout~
    https://vndb.org/v24361 - Suiren
    https://vndb.org/v25152 - Bois ~Kikaijikake no Mori~
    https://vndb.org/v25212 - DarknessSuppressor ~Onna Taimashi-tachi no Inbu~
    https://vndb.org/v24745 - Himekishi Monogatari -Princess Blue-
    https://vndb.org/v25455 - Gekka Chou no Yakata
    VN of the Month July 2002 - Viper-RSR
    https://vndb.org/v24398 - Moon Fox Legend: Little Fox
    VN of the Month June 2002 - Kanade
    https://vndb.org/v24335 - Metal Wolf
    VN of the Month May 2002 - Akane Maniax
    https://vndb.org/v25213 - Iroiro ~Ingoku no Yakata~
    VN of the Month April 2002 - D.U.O. ~Song for All~
    VN of the Month March 2002 - Kikokugai - The Cyber Slayer
    https://vndb.org/v22678 - Power Pro Kun Pocket 4
    https://vndb.org/v23847 - Tokimeki Nya no☆Getchu!
    VN of the Month February 2002 - Kusarihime ~Euthanasia~
    https://vndb.org/v24704 - Dr. Rin ni Kiitemite! ~Koi no Rin Feng-Shui~
    VN of the Month January 2002 - Princess Knights
    VN of the Month December 2001 - Izumo
    https://vndb.org/v26659 - Sister Princess ~Pure Stories~
    https://vndb.org/v24724 - Hermina to Culus ~Lillie no Atelier Mou Hitotsu no Monogatari~
    https://vndb.org/v24301 - Pray to Snow
    https://vndb.org/v27131 - Water Dragon Knight ~Anata to no Yakusoku~
    https://vndb.org/v27135 - Yozakura no Utage
    https://vndb.org/v24546 - Koukou Kyoushi ~Memories of Summer~
    https://vndb.org/v27128 - Claire Hikari no Densetsu Meisou no Hanged Man
    https://vndb.org/v27081 - Karen
    VN of the Month November 2001 - Nijuubako
    https://vndb.org/v23361 - Para Para 2
    VN of the Month October 2001 - Jisatsu no Tame no 101 no Houhou
    VN of the Month September 2001 - Eve: The Fatal Attraction
    VN of the Month August 2001 - Kimi ga Nozomu Eien
    https://vndb.org/v25906 - TameGirl
    https://vndb.org/v25454 - Totsugeki Uchuu Senkan Masrao
    VN of the Month July 2001 - Cosmos no Sora ni
    https://vndb.org/v27142 - Chinpu Kitan
    VN of the Month June 2001 - No Reality
    https://vndb.org/v26011 - KID Mix Section Character Collection
    VN of the Month May 2001 - Sapphism no Gensou
    https://vndb.org/v25901 - TameBoy
    https://vndb.org/v22099 - Weakness Hero Torauman
    VN of the April 2001 - Mizuiro
    https://vndb.org/v22983 - Bishoujo Ren'ai Mahjong Series 2nd: Shiritsu Houou Gakuen: 2-nen Junjou-gumi
    https://vndb.org/v22832 - Angel Present
    https://vndb.org/v24324 - The Suiri ~IT Tantei: 18 no Jikenbo~
    VN of the Month March 2001 - Silent Hill: Play Novel
    https://vndb.org/v25243 - Mix Party 2ND
    https://vndb.org/v22677 - Power Pro Kun Pocket 3
    https://vndb.org/v23760 - Taiho Shichauzo
    VN of the Month February 2001 - Tasogare
    https://vndb.org/v22427 - Kara: Suzuna Hen
    VN of the Month January 2001 - Vampirdzhija Vjedogonia
    https://vndb.org/v23945 - Love Hina Party
    VN of the Month December 2000 - Never7 -The End of Infinity-
    https://vndb.org/v22257 - DiGiCharat Akiba Touitsu
    https://vndb.org/v22536 - Air Carrot e Youkoso!!
    https://vndb.org/v27093 - Ruriruri ADV
    VN of the Month November 2000 - Nijuuei
    https://vndb.org/v22982 - Bishoujo Ren'ai Mahjong Series 2nd: Shiritsu Houou Gakuen: 1-nen Jun'ai-gumi
    VN of the Month October 2000 - Baldr Bullet
    https://vndb.org/v25763 - Nurunuru Shiru Jigoku 6 Insui No Ningyo
    VN of the Month September 2000 - Gensou Suikogaiden Vol. 1: Harmonia no Kenshi
    https://vndb.org/v27269 - Arc Side Gaiden 2: Mahou to Yuujou
    VN of the Month August 2000 - Tsukihime
    https://vndb.org/v23944 - Love Hina Pocket
    https://vndb.org/v22135 - Remel
    https://vndb.org/v27161 - Akikaze no Love Songs
    https://vndb.org/v26606 - Yuukyuu Kumikyoku All Star Project
    https://vndb.org/v27114 - Ceramic Heart
    VN of the Month July 2000 - Shoin, Aruiwa Ushinawareta Yume no Monogatari
    https://vndb.org/v24325 - The Sound Novel
    https://vndb.org/v25153 - Douboku
    https://vndb.org/v22443 - Yokoshima
    https://vndb.org/v27095 - Tomoyo Venture Episode2
    https://vndb.org/v26468 - Baroque Syndrome
    https://vndb.org/v23943 - Sakura Taisen GB-geki - Hanagumi Nyuutai!
    VN of the Month June 2000 - Age Maniax ~Isumi Yon Shimai Saigo no Hi~
    https://vndb.org/v22323 - Bibou Vintage 2000
    https://vndb.org/v22642 - Saint Shirobara Gakuen Petit☆MAHJONG
    VN of the Month May 2000 - Purepure
    VN of the Month April 2000 - Gyousatsu♥Shinsengumi Hitokiri Bishoujo Adventure
    https://vndb.org/v22056 - Believe ~Shitsuyoku no Tenshi-tachi~
    https://vndb.org/v8376 - Great Hunting
    VN of the Month March 2000 - Eve Zero    
    https://vndb.org/v23360 - Para Para
    https://vndb.org/v22676 - Power Pro Kun Pocket 2
    https://vndb.org/v26268 - Meitantei Conan: Kigantou Hihou Densetsu
    VN of the Month February 2000 - Phantom of Inferno    
    https://vndb.org/v22981 - Bishoujo Ren'ai Mahjong Series: Karan Koron Gakuen: Pure Love Hen
    https://vndb.org/v22418 - Uzumaki ~Denshi Kaiki Hen~
    https://vndb.org/v26267 - Meitantei Conan: Karakuri Jiin Satsujin Jiken
    VN of the Month January 2000 - Lien ~Owaranai Kimi no Uta~
    VN of the Month December 1999 - Elemental Arts
    https://vndb.org/v22978 - Bishoujo Ren'ai Mahjong Series: Karan Koron Gakuen: Dokidoki Hen
    https://vndb.org/v22980 - Bishoujo Ren'ai Mahjong Series: Karan Koron Gakuen: Mune Kyun Hen
    https://vndb.org/v27113 - Kokoro no Tobira
    https://vndb.org/v27129 - Conve ~Houkago no Sugoshikata~
    https://vndb.org/v24989 - Hirosue Sougou Byouin
    https://vndb.org/v27126 - Himitsu Sentai Burning Bunny
    https://vndb.org/v27116 - Sentimental Memorial
    https://vndb.org/v27115 - Sessou no Yoru
    https://vndb.org/v27084 - Prime Sexual
    https://vndb.org/v27088 - To Heart CR
    https://vndb.org/v24959 - second anopheles 1
    https://vndb.org/v27125 - Aurora Hime Higyaku no Makyou
    https://vndb.org/v27124 - Heart no Clover
    https://vndb.org/v27082 - Furukizu
    https://vndb.org/v27121 - Natsu o Shizuka ni
    https://vndb.org/v27123 - Chikan wa Yamete
    VN of the Month November 1999 - Parts
    https://vndb.org/v27120 - Rescue Disk
    https://vndb.org/v25992 - Purupuru Magic
    VN of the Month October 1999 - Silver Jiken
    https://vndb.org/v22350 - Furiman Bibou Hen
    https://vndb.org/v26904 - Harlem Beat: You're the One
    VN of the Month September 1999 - Kazeoto, Chirin
    https://vndb.org/v27094 - Tomoyo Venture Episode1
    https://vndb.org/v25229 - BOYS BE... 2nd Season
    VN of the Month August 1999 - Tsui no Sora
    https://vndb.org/v26327 - Maria 2: Jutai Kokuchi no Nazo
    https://vndb.org/v26378 - Magical Kanan - Magical Fantasy Box
    VN of the Month July 1999 - Mamatoto ~a record of war~
    https://vndb.org/v27176 - Inagawa Junji: Kyoufu no Yashiki
    VN of the Month June 1999 - Kanon
    https://vndb.org/v26661 - Ren'ai Kouza Real Age
    https://vndb.org/v27584 - Soreike Majokko Serika
    VN of the Month May 1999 - Comic party
    https://vndb.org/v25789 - Seikon ~Inbou Uzumaku Byoutou de Tadareta Soukanzu~
    VN of the Month April 1999 - Lipstick Adv.EX
    https://vndb.org/v22675 - Power Pro Kun Pocket
    https://vndb.org/v26769 - Boy x Boy ~Shiritsu Kouryou Gakuin Seishinryou~
    VN of the Month March 1999 - Captain Love
    https://vndb.org/v23526 - Sougaku Toshi Osaka
    https://vndb.org/v24005 - Yakusoku no Kizuna
    https://vndb.org/v27162 - Sanjuusou
    VN of the Month February 1999 - Campus ~Sakura no Mau Naka de~
    https://vndb.org/v26560 - Den'ei Shoujo Virtual Girl Lun
    https://vndb.org/v27079 - Aiiro no Kankei
    https://vndb.org/v26566 - Kouyasai
    VN of the Month January 1999 - Ikusa Megami
    VN of the Month December 1998 - Kuon no Kizuna
    https://vndb.org/v27109 - Densetsu no Ato de LoveLove no Shou
    https://vndb.org/v26314 - Pureprime -pianissimo-
    https://vndb.org/v27089 - Black Album
    https://vndb.org/v27087 - Roots
    VN of the Month November 1998 - Exodus Guilty
    https://vndb.org/v23855 - Neko na Kankei
    https://vndb.org/v26018 - Abunai Hyakkaten
    VN of the Month October 1998 - Psyclone
    https://vndb.org/v25330 - Efficus: Kono Omoi o Kimi ni...
    https://vndb.org/v26913 - Sakura Tsuushin
    https://vndb.org/v22058 - Kuroi Hamon
    VN of the Month September 1998 - With You ~Mitsumete Itai~
    https://vndb.org/v24393 - Kaze no Oka Kouen nite
    https://vndb.org/v26131 - Dennou Meikyuu Gensou Bouken Yuugi Yurika
    https://vndb.org/v26559 - Ren'ai Kouhosei Starlight Scramble
    VN of the Month August 1998 - Shiokaze no Memory
    https://vndb.org/v25415 - Full House ~Joyuu Monogatari~
    VN of the Month July 1998 - luv wave
    https://vndb.org/v24062 - 17 Sai ~My Dear Angel~
    VN of the Month June 1998 - One ~Kagayaku Kisetsu e~
    VN of the Month May 1998 - Diabolique
    https://vndb.org/v27080 - Kusairo no Hitomi
    VN of the Month April 1998 - Love Escalator
    https://vndb.org/v24063 - Find Love 2: The Prologue
    https://vndb.org/v27122 - Maou to Iu Ikikata
    VN of the Month March 1998 - EVE: The Lost One
    https://vndb.org/v26068 - Eberouge 2
    VN of the Month February 1998 - Doukoku Soshite...
    https://vndb.org/v25110 - Tour Party: Sotsugyou Ryokou ni Ikou
    https://vndb.org/v26605 - Yuukyuu Gensoukyouku 2nd Album
    VN of the Month January 1998 - Machi
    https://vndb.org/v26103 - Datenshi no Sumika
    https://vndb.org/v24635 - Mix Candy 3
    https://vndb.org/v26102 - Amandine
    VN of the Month December 1997 - Universal Nuts
    https://vndb.org/v26326 - Maria: Kimitachi ga Umareta Wake
    https://vndb.org/v27083 - Gensuishou
    VN of the Month November 1997 - Moon.
    https://vndb.org/v10382 - Toriko 2
    VN of the Month October 1997 - Sweepers!
    https://vndb.org/v22868 - Dear Princess
    VN of the Month September 1997 - Comic Road
    https://vndb.org/v23479 - Eberouge Special ~Koi to Mahou no Gakuen Seikatsu~
    VN of the Month August 1997 - Kaeru nyo Panyon
    https://vndb.org/v26576 - Koi no Summer Fantasy in Miyazaki Seagaia
    VN of the Month July 1997 - Tokimeki Memorial Drama Series Vol. 1: Nijiiro no Seishun
    https://vndb.org/v23769 - My Dream ~On Air ga Matenakute~
    VN of the Month June 1997 - Zoku Hatsukoi Monogatari ~Shuugaku Ryokou~
    https://vndb.org/v26130 - Kakutou Cosplay Ojanko
    https://vndb.org/v26511 - Ami ~Shoushin no Tenshi~
    https://vndb.org/v26929 - Digital Ange ~Dennou Tenshi SS~
    VN of the Month May 1997 - To Heart
    https://vndb.org/v27573 - Kojiin ~Kyouki no Ketsuzoku~
    VN of the Month April 1997 - Canaan ~Yakusoku no Chi~
    https://vndb.org/v26711 - Critical Blow
    VN of the Month March 1997 - Ruriiro no Yuki
    https://vndb.org/v26565 - Ayakashi Ninden Kunoichiban
    https://vndb.org/v24298 - Stand by Say you!
    https://vndb.org/v24007 - BOYS BE...
    VN of the Month February 1997 - Yatsu no Na wa Diamond
    VN of the Month January 1997 - Rookies
    VN of the Month December 1996 - Kono Yo no Hate de Koi o Utau Shoujo YU-NO
    https://vndb.org/v24366 - Alice In Cyberland Yamiyo No Madoushi
    https://vndb.org/v23457 - M ~Kimi o Tsutaete~
    https://vndb.org/v26381 - Ars Amatoria
    https://vndb.org/v27402 - Instant Clarity
    https://vndb.org/v27570 - Minako no Suiyoubi
    VN of the Month Noveber 1996 - Mashou no Kao
    https://vndb.org/v26522 - Jun'ai Monogatari - Shuugaku Ryokou no Yoru
    https://vndb.org/v8979 - Muppet Box
    VN of the Month October 1996 - Bounty Hunter Rudy
    https://vndb.org/v23481 - Eternal Melody
    https://vndb.org/v23324 - Heroine Dream
    https://vndb.org/v14583 - Toriko
    https://vndb.org/v14512 - Katei Kyoushi
    https://vndb.org/v15162 - Ikumoto
    https://vndb.org/v21972 - G no Kyokuhoku
    https://vndb.org/v27401 - Hokenshitsu no Akuma
    VN of the Month September 1996 - Sakura Taisen
    VN of the Month August 1996 - Be-Yond ~Kurodaishou ni Mirareteru~
    VN of the Month July 1996 - Kizuato
    VN of the Month June 1996 - Es no Houteishiki
    https://vndb.org/v26521 - Moderate Party
    VN of the Month May 1996 - Rouge no Densetsu
    https://vndb.org/v26325 - Hanafuda Graffiti Koikoi Monogatari
    VN of the Month April 1996 - Harlem Blade ~The Greatest of All Time.~
    VN of the Month March 1996 - Mujintou Monogatari 3 - A.D. 1999 Tokyo
    VN of the Month February 1996 - DIES IRAE
    VN of the Month January 1996 - Ryuuki Denshou Dragoon
    VN of the Month December 1995 - Lilith
    https://vndb.org/v20887 - Doki Doki Pretty League EX
    https://vndb.org/v25169 - Shikimi
    https://vndb.org/v25074 - Rinn-chan no Tensei Hakusho ~Meido no Miyagebanashi~
    https://vndb.org/v25101 - Momoiro Sankaku ~Riko & Hikaru Hen~
    https://vndb.org/v27010 - Hotaru
    https://vndb.org/v27022 - Asuka Ayako-chan to Hokenshitsu
    https://vndb.org/v27406 - Tantei Imasato Misa Jikenbo Tanpenshuu: Romance wa Shiroku Kiken na Kaori
    VN of the Month November 1995 - Eve: Burst Error
    VN of the Month October 1995 - Trouble Chaser Dai 4 Wa - Saishuukai
    VN of the Month September 1995 - Mime
    VN of the Month August 1995 - Isaku
    https://vndb.org/v23921 - Shin Youjuu Kyoushitsu Ecstasy Adventure
    VN of the Month July 1995 - Kuro no Danshou: The Literary Fragment
    https://vndb.org/v9004 - Perfect Blue
    VN of the Month June 1995 - True Love ~Jun'ai Monogatari~
    https://vndb.org/v9139 - Trouble Chaser Dai 3 Wa - 2 Do Aru Trouble 3 Do Aru
    VN of the Month May 1995 - Koihime
    https://vndb.org/v27160 - Nana Eiyuu Monogatari
    https://vndb.org/v18299 - S.A. 3
    VN of the Month April 1995 - Mugen Yasoukyoku
    VN of the Month March 1995 - Cybernoid Alpha
    VN of the Month February 1995 - Doki Doki Pretty League Dai 3 Wa - Minami no Umi no Kai no Maki
    https://vndb.org/v10902 - Poison ~6 Nin no Majo~
    VN of the Month January 1995 - Doki Doki Vacation ~Kirameku Kisetsu no Naka de~
    VN of the Month December 1994 - Xenon ~Mugen no Shitai~
    https://vndb.org/v25076 - Rinshitsu no Chikubi
    https://vndb.org/v27158 - Para PARA Paradise
    https://vndb.org/v24488 - Bomber Quest
    https://vndb.org/v24991 - Dennou Mahjong Tsuushin Tacet
    VN of the Month November 1994 - File: Kokubou Soushou Jouhoukyoku Jouhou Rouei Taisakubu Josei Jinmonin
    VN of the Month October 1994 - Gao Gao! 3rd ~Wild Force~
    https://vndb.org/v24450 - Jikuu Sousakan Pretty Angel Misty Flash
    VN of the Month September 1994 - Ai Shimai ~Futari no Kajitsu~
    VN of the Month August 1994 - Shinsetsu Ooedo Tantei Kamiya Ukyou
    VN of the Month July 1994 - DESIRE - Haitoku no Rasen
    VN of the Month June 1994 - Necronomicon
    https://vndb.org/v24990 - Adirate
    VN of the month May 1994 - Tokimeki Memorial
    VN of the Month April 1994 - AmbivalenZ -Niritsu Haihan-
    https://vndb.org/v24448 - Cherry Bomb: Chou-ojou-sama Sayaka-chan Nanpa Daisakusen
    VN of the Month March 1994 - Mirage 2 - Torry x Neat x Roan no Daibouken
    VN of the Month February 1994 - Dragon Knight 4
    VN of the Month January 1994 - Fuzoroi no Lemon
    https://vndb.org/v8652 - Bell's Avenue 2
    VN of the Month December 1993 - Demon City
    https://vndb.org/v25109 - LEX Kyonyuu Monogatari
    https://vndb.org/v25104 - Gegera no Joshikou Indoka Keikaku! Part 1
    https://vndb.org/v25077 - Anna Midaller's
    https://vndb.org/v27404 - Tantei Imasato Misa Jikenbo: Itoshiki Onna yo, Satsui no Bishou o
    https://vndb.org/v27405 - Tantei Imasato Misa Jikenbo: Sonzai Shinai Futatsume no Shinjitsu
    VN of the Month November 1993 - Ooedo Tantei Kamiya Ukyou Vol. 2
    VN of the Month October 1993 - Nooch 2 Remy no Gyakushuu
    VN of the Month September 1993 - Youjuu Senki -A.D. 2048-
    VN of the Month August 1993 - Houma Hunter Lime Dai 03 Wa
    VN of the Month July 1993 - Bunretsu Shugoshin Twinkle Star
    VN of the Month June 1993 - Can Can Bunny Extra
    VN of the Month May 1993 - Nova
    https://vndb.org/v18297 - S.A.
    VN of the Month April 1993 - Quintia Road 2
    https://vndb.org/v25075 - Mahou no Shougakusei Clit-chan
    VN of the Month March 1993 - Marine Philt
    VN of the Month February 1993 - Cosmology of Kyoto
    VN of the Month January 1993 - Mamono Hunter Youko: Tooki Yobigoe
    https://vndb.org/v23902 - Fushigi no Umi no Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water
    VN of the Month December 1992 - Koroshi no Dress 3
    https://vndb.org/v25088 - Beyond the Wall of Stars
    VN of the Month November 1992 - Dracula Hakushaku
    VN of the Month October 1992 - Ginga Ojou-sama Densetsu Yuna
    VN of the Month September 1992 - My Eyes!
    VN of the Month August 1992 - Kiss
    VN of the Month July 1992 - Phobos
    VN of the Month June 1992 - De-Ja 2
    VN of the Month May 1992 - Kurutta Kajitsu
    VN of the Month April 1992 - The 4th Unit - Wyatt
    VN of the Month March 1992 - Sotsugyou Shashin / Miki
    VN of the Month February 1992 - Joker II
    https://vndb.org/v23259 - Abunai Bunkasai Zen'ya
    VN of the Month January 1992 - Himitsu no Hanazono
    VN of the Month December 1991 - Gidyy
    https://vndb.org/v27021 - Mana
    https://vndb.org/v25129 - Momotarou Gaiden Momoko-chan Fight
    VN of the Month November 1991 - Psychic Detective Series Vol. 5: Nightmare
    VN of the Month October 1991 - Rance III - Leazas Kanraku
    VN of the Month September 1991 - Cosmic Psycho
    VN of the Month August 1991 - Kimi Dake ni Ai o..
    VN of the Month July 1991 - Nike
    VN of the Month June 1991 - ELLE
    https://vndb.org/v23235 - Crystal Chaser: Tenkuu no Mashoukyuu
    VN of the Month May 1991 - Ginsei Senshin Guynarock
    VN of the Month April 1991 - Psychic Detective Series Vol. 4: Orgel
    https://vndb.org/v26292 - Imadoki Junjou Monogatari
    https://vndb.org/v27006 - Sadistic Gamers Part 5 Burusera Play
    VN of the Month March 1991 - Jesus II
    https://vndb.org/v27000 - Watashi o Golf ni Tsuretette
    VN of the Month February 1991 - Akagawa Jirou no Yuurei Ressha
    https://vndb.org/v27035 - SAP Tokushu Koudou Keisatsu File:M661-51
    VN of the Month January 1991 - Dragon Eyes
    VN of the Year 1990 - De-Ja
    https://vndb.org/v27004 - Sadistic Gamers Part 2 Otanjoubi Play
    https://vndb.org/v27008 - Nenriki Momoiro Yuugi
    https://vndb.org/v24736 - Mitsubachi Gakuen
    https://vndb.org/v27145 - Yamamura Misa Suspense: Kyoto Zaitech Satsujin Jiken
    https://vndb.org/v27002 - Sadistic Gamers Part 4 Rumi no Climb Play
    https://vndb.org/v27009 - Angel Commander 2 Gaiden
    https://vndb.org/v27007 - Sadistic Gamers Part 1 Shinjinkyouikuteki Play
    https://vndb.org/v27003 - Sadistic Gamers Part 3 Telephone Play
    https://vndb.org/v27011 - Suijaku Sakusen 2 Moeyo Dragon
    VN of the Year 1989 - Imitation wa Aisenai
    https://vndb.org/v9383 - Hero Syndrome
    https://vndb.org/v22078 - Nishimura Kyoutarou Mystery: Blue Train Satsujin Jiken
    https://vndb.org/v27144 - Yamamura Misa Suspense: Kyoto Hana no Misshitsu Satsujin Jiken
    https://vndb.org/v26992 - Tenboudai
    https://vndb.org/v23495 - TM Network: Live in Power Bowl
    https://vndb.org/v27005 - Sadistic Gamers Part 1 Kateikyoushi Play
    https://vndb.org/v25543 - SD Toki no Kagi
    VN of the Year 1988 - Lipstick. ADV
    https://vndb.org/v26991 - Fushigi no Kabe
    VN of the Year 1987 - Hiatari Ryoukou!
    https://vndb.org/v9450 - Anjela
    https://vndb.org/v26978 - Las Vegas
    https://vndb.org/v25149 - Yamamura Misa Suspense: Kyouto Ryuu no Tera Satsujin Jiken
    VN of the Year 1986 - Gall Force - Eternal Story
    https://vndb.org/v26979 - Mahoutsukai no Deshi
    https://vndb.org/v27639 - Shoumakyou no Densetsu
    VN of the Year 1985 - Shiro to Kuro no Densetsu ~Hyakki Hen~
    https://vndb.org/v26956 - Saiyuuki
    https://vndb.org/v26954 - Juggler Stone
    https://vndb.org/v26959 - Asteka
    https://vndb.org/v26957 - Time Zone
    https://vndb.org/v26958 - The Count
    https://vndb.org/v26997 - Doukeshi Satsujin Jiken
    VN of the Year 1984 - Hokkaido Rensa Satsujin: Ohotsk ni Kiyu
    https://vndb.org/v26994 - Kuronekosou Souzoku Satsujin Jiken
    https://vndb.org/v26983 - Chouhou Buin
    https://vndb.org/v26984 - Ginga o Sukue
    https://vndb.org/v26985 - Mission Impossible
    https://vndb.org/v26982 - Emmy
    https://vndb.org/v26980 - Ningyo no Namida
    https://vndb.org/v26955 - Southern Cross
    VN of the Year 1983 - Portopia Renzoku Satsujin Jiken
    https://vndb.org/v26975 - Dasshutsu! Shi no Aokigahara
    https://vndb.org/v26965 - Date Adventure
    https://vndb.org/v26970 - Mission Asteroid
    https://vndb.org/v26967 - Genma Taisen
    https://vndb.org/v26968 - Happy Bushman
    https://vndb.org/v26974 - Icarus
    https://vndb.org/v26996 - Kagiana Satsujin Jiken
    https://vndb.org/v26963 - Ninja Adventure
    https://vndb.org/v26964 - Puzzle Adventure
    https://vndb.org/v26966 - Seiko no Adventure
    https://vndb.org/v26969 - Mystery House
    https://vndb.org/v26973 - Wizard and the Princess
    https://vndb.org/v26975 - Dasshutsu! Shi no Aokigahara
    https://vndb.org/v26977 - Nehan no Mori
    https://vndb.org/v26971 - Orly Kuukou Satsujin Jiken
    https://vndb.org/v26976 - Wonder House
  11. Like
    Gibberish reacted to Plk_Lesiak for a blog entry, VN Developer Spotlight: Reine Works   
    For the last few months, I’ve published reviews and top lists, presenting worthwhile or interesting OELVNs that usually have little presence on Fuwa and don’t get discussed as much as they deserve. From the very beginning, however, my goal was to focus not only on the games themselves, but also the people behind them – the independent creators and small studios that make the core of the Western VN market. Today, I present you with the first “Developer Spotlight” post, where I’ll be talking to Jackie M., the founder of Reine Works, authors of multiple yuri and otome VNs and the studio behind the recently-published otome title Seven Districts of Sin: The Tail The Makes the Fox, about the game’s somewhat-turbulent release and the realities of today’s OELVN market. Be sure to check out my review of the game first, where I also touch on its unusual appearance on Steam.
    -------------------------------------------------

    Plk Lesiak: Hello and thank you for agreeing to this interview! Let’s start with your latest VN. It’s pretty rare for me to be the first person to rate a game on VNDB, especially four months after its release. What happened to The Tail Makes the Fox that it went so much below the radar of the VN community?
    Jackie M.: Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think there are nearly as many users on VNDB who rate otome games, as compared to anything that could be construed as aimed at men. I took a quick look at some other developers' titles out of curiosity, and it seems that female-aimed titles in general tend to have very few votes. Funnily enough, I can confirm that we do get sales referrals from VNDB. We've had a few of them.
    PL: For a few months, your VN was only available on Itch.io, a platform usually associated with free games. Regardless of other plans, what was your experience of trying to sell your title there?
    JM: Itch.io isn't really a storefront where a developer can make a profit unless the game in question is very low budget, nor should they particularly expect to, what with the smaller userbase. From when pre-orders opened before release till today, itch.io sales have only amounted to roughly 1/4 of the game's development cost.
    That said, we do like it, because it isn't subject to a lot of the restrictions that similar shops are, and transferring earned funds out is also much quicker than anywhere else that I'm aware of. We just wouldn't recommend that anyone only ever sell their games there.

    Blossoms Bloom Brightest
    Read the full article at evnchronicles.blogspot.com
  12. Like
    Gibberish reacted to Weiterfechten for a blog entry, A collection of three poems   
    Hello! 
    This is a collection of three small poems I made in the past (I only remember the meaning of two so it is largely give or take as to the meaning). It seems nothing ever came of them so I thought I would atleast post them up on here as a side note if nothing else for the time spent on writing them. 
    Méconnaissance
    An endless journey, 
    toward a space blotted known,
    yet beyond that of our own.
    What have undone, the done untold,
    toward the pieces' fractured bone,
    for eyes beyond those of their wretched own.
    Such as to the checkered pieces, reigning free of worlds of predefine seed,
    Breath out over the unperturbed queen of thee, 
    alas for as long as none are free let the blessed fire rain be,
    ''Knee to knee''.
    The merry tethered sea of tea tattered and shattered
    and the knowledge and wisdom, could not see the bothered,
    and moving to and fro’ toward neither beginning nor end,
    the unaffected swerve of ivy down the pattern.
    The Sun Sets in the East
    The sun risen eastward,
    A Glory risen backwards,
    As I walk along the shallow graves,
    alone.
    Going over bridges of these golden waterways,
    I can hear the silence of a crying moan screaming over seas of east,
    A final requiem in our silence, as I see.
    The walk along the graves of my dismay,
    I hear the sudden stutter of an engine far above,
    A bringing of our tempest.
    I see the silhouette of a bomber far above,
    Blowing the last of our world asunder,
    A small leaf fell down in my tea.
    The emperor cannot hold onto these,
    Fallen leaves of a gloried sea of tempest tea,
    What of our bittersweet yearning glee?
    Today an empire rise,
    and tonight an empire fall
    back below.

    Lady Ashore
    The duke calls our bidding of days over again,
    As enemies in our very grave,
    The game had begun and just as quickly ended, and as the final piece fell,
    Our gambit was lost.
    Alas pupateers, we given free,
    An empire shattered,
    by deaths debris.
    The final emperor calls for my last stand,
    For there were no unrest, no distress among these,
    For the final feast.
    I rush forward,
    Set free, these fallen angels bleed,
    Blister free.
    As the shadows fall tall,
    I see the last royal guard bleed,
    To the sound of a rain dyed red.
    Last I see, I bend no knee
    For I remembered thee,
    My lady across our shore.
  13. Like
    Gibberish reacted to Clephas for a blog entry, Happy Birthday to Me   
    Well, as of thirty-nine minutes ago, it is officially my birthday (as of the time I checked at the beginning of making this post).  I have a lot of things to reflect on this year. 
    I am now thirty-six, settling into the beginnings of middle-age, knowing my lifestyle will probably kill me before I hit fifty. 
    I'm a sugar addict, I love fatty foods, I make my own alcoholic drinks (this year, a mixed fruit wine that actually turned out well and was much easier than the rum and hard root beer I did last year). 
    I sit on my ass eighty percent of the time, I am hugely fat...
    ... and I'm surprisingly happy.  I won't say I don't have my down moments.  Looking back, I regret not going for more athletic pursuits while my knees and back could still stand them.  I regret not trying for a more regular and less... frustrating line of work.  However, I can honestly say that, for all its frustrations, I actually seem to like being a fat, balding otaku who has pretensions at being  some kind of VN guru (lol).
    I do wish that I could fit into a plane seat, lol.  If I ever go to Japan, it is going to have to be a sea trip, since buying two plane tickets for one person is both embarrassing and more than a little expensive.
    I hate my work, but I'm good at it and, in good times, it pays well, so I keep doing it.
    So what would I change? 
    Honestly, it is hard to say.  I won't pretend I'm all love and joy when it comes to life.  I have too much toxic waste going through my brain for that (I just happened to have gained just enough maturity not to feed the trolls constantly *smiles dryly*).  I'm fundamentally a passive person once I set foot outside my hobbies, preferring not to do anything I don't absolutely have to do.  I'm also negative and misanthropic... but is that stuff I actually want to change?
    *shrugs*
    I've never been any other way, so it is impossible to say.  However, every year I hit this day and wonder what could have been, which probably says everything that needs to be said about my experiences with life, for all my proclamations of relative happiness.
     
  14. Like
    Gibberish reacted to MaggieROBOT for a blog entry, [Review] Sakuya   
    It took me only a minute to come up with my random username. That is because I love stories with robots, even more if they are love interests. Their struggle with the fact they are not human despite looking like one or acting like one is something I really enjoy to read, and cry while doing so. And that's what pulled me towards this otomege by Tetrascope. The complete story of this game is split across 3 games: the free edition, that have the base story and it was translated by people from Fuwa; the paid edition, that adds 18+ content and one additional route, untranslated; and the short append story called "Sweet Present for Shin", also untranslated. I checked all of them, and my experience with them was mostly pleasant, even if not all three parts were absolutely necessary.
     

    From the intro movie
     
    The story starts in distant future Tokyo, where robotic engineering is advanced enough to have robots indistinguishable from real people around. Although, when I say indistinguishable, I meant physically, since most of them don't possess any way of make rational decisions or emotions. They all follow the strict program built into their heads. Our hero Sakuya is the sole exception. Created by the genius scientist that also the father of our protagonist Akane (you can change her name, this is the default one), Sakuya is so human-like that the biggest robotics company don't waste a chance to strike a deal with our girl to buy him for science.
    The setting is pretty well crafted, with topics like unemployment, sexbots, and anti-robots movements on the rising being touched at least once in the novel. Sadly, the novel is short and its focus is in the romance between a human and a robot, so all of these questions are pretty underdeveloped. We know those problems exist, and that they are too big to tackle in a novel so short, but not much discussion about it is done either.
    The romance in the first route, the one in the free edition, in the other hand is pretty sweet and satisfying. Sakuya is simply the cutest boy in terms of personality I ever met in a VN. And he's not even human. He's pure, gentle and caring, sometimes naive and sometimes mature. It's easy to forget that he's an android, and that also happens with Akane and Sakuya himself. And the fact that he's not human, but also too emotional to be a robot, it's the biggest source of drama for our characters.
     

    Sakuya's asking to hold hands, WHERE'S THE CHOICE SO I COULD SAY YES???
     
    As Sakuya struggle with what he should be... Our protagonist Akane takes the long and dense road. She acts like our usual shoujo manga protagonist, with all of the "what is this feeling?" type of things... except she's supposed to be 23, so usually she comes across as childish. In fact, Sakuya constantly gets right what she's feeling and the only thing about human interaction he knows is mostly through movies. So yeah, originality is not her strongest asset.
    Last but not least is Shin, Akane's childhood friend. At first you'll think he'll provide some love triangle drama, but that not happens here. Instead, he serves as a good foil for Sakuya. While Sakuya is a robot who looks like a human, Shin is pretty much a human who looks like a robot. He's always calm and composed, almost emotionless. His sprites have very little variations in expression. Even when he's talking about his memories or feelings, he's as blank as ever. The game is not voiced, so we only have to imagine how monotone he must be in those scenes. But despite all that, he does provide some interesting interactions with Akane.
     

    All flashbacks are in this style, making everything even more cute
     
    Now, let's cover what you'll get in each version. The free version is the essential one if you're interested in this game. It covers pretty much everything I said up to this point. There's no sex scenes in this version, but they are implied, and that's more than enough in this game. The paid version adds not only the porn, but also a new route and three new extra stories (that you can access in the extra menu after clearing certain endings). Is it worth though? Short answer: no.
    The porn that was added in the free version route is alright. We can see both Akane and Sakuya on screen, and Sakuya is as gentle as you would expect of him. But let's remember, he's a robot. Even he says at some point that he doesn't feel any physical pleasure from the act. So his face is mostly lacking in expressions, except when he reacts to Akane's reactions. It's porn that focus only in the girl again, but this time the boy really cares about how she's feeling it.
    The new route... it's very subpar. Most of all because of the route structure, that tricks you into thinking it's a route for Shin when it's not, and it's ending, that shift the tone of the novel to the point that I wondered if the author even cared about the character development they build until said point of the story, because they shattered it to pieces in an absolute ex Machina way. Good thing I read this first, I would have hated to finish the game in this route. Needless to say, the porn of this route is just as bad. The extra scenes are fun though, but you won't lose much if you decide to pick the free version. This version is only recommended if you want to support Tetrascope, the game is just 800 yen on DLsite, it's pretty cheap it won't hurt. It's untranslated, but the free game section subs did appeared for me even in the paid version.
     

    Young Akane, Shin and Sakuya in "Sweet Present for Shin"
     
    And finally we have Sweet Present for Shin. This is the closest of a route for Shin we'll ever get, and it was as sweet and cute as the original game. It happens 5 years before the main game, but it's better appreciated if you play after it. Finally we can see Shin a bit flustered! It's very short, but still have three endings and one epilogue that ended my time spent with Sakuya, Akane and Shin in a pretty heartwarming note.
    Sakuya had everything that I like: robots, robot drama, cute characters and romance. Even if the paid version route was pretty bad, it wasn't enough to diminish my love for this game. Moe robots are the best!
  15. Like
    Gibberish reacted to Plk_Lesiak for a blog entry, 10 OELVNs to buy for <$10 during the Steam Lunar Sale   
    Hello Ladies and Gentlemen!
    Just like during the Steam Winter Sale, I offer you a short list of interesting, worthwhile offers on Western-made VNs that popped up for the occasion of Chinese New Year. The Steam market is still a pretty strange place - since forever, some of the best OELVNs available there are absolutely free (honourable mentions in this regard go to Cinderella Phenomenon, Lucid9, One Thousand Lies and CUPID). Thankfully, there's also a lot of interesting, commercial titles that are worth your attention. Be sure to check the previous post, if you didn't buy the games listed there - most of them now have similar, or even deeper discounts. Now, to the new stuff! The order in which the games are listed is more or less random, and consider all of these games equally endorsed by me, unless I say otherwise in their descriptions.
    --------------------------------------------------------
    Cursed Sight (-30%, $4.19)

    Invert Mouse was once a regular poster in the developer blog section of our forums - while he seemingly gave up on communicating with our little community, it shouldn't prevent us from appreciating his fairly unique, story-driven VNs. Cursed Sight is one of his earlier works, offering a fantasy setting stylized after ancient China and a story avoiding typical romance cliches, but rather trying to present interesting drama and ask some slight philosophical questions. While it's fairly unorthodox and might not be to everyone's taste, it's definitely worth trying out, especially for the current, modest price.
     
    The Last Birdling (-25%, $6.74)

    Continuing with Invert Mouse's work, his latest VN is an emotional story about friendship beyond prejudice and once more will offer you some pretty heavy, non-romantic drama that is far-detached from usual tropes of the genre. With production qualities somewhat higher than in IM's past titles, it's an interesting proposition for those looking for an enjoyable, slightly out-of-the-box experience.
     
    Sweetest Monster (-30%, $4.19)

    Ebi-Hime's horror kinetic novel is a very different piece of work than her yuri titles but offers one of the strongest additions to its genre among western-produced VNs. Viewed from the perspective of a middle-aged man going through a marital crisis, Sweetest Monster's themes and story structure will offer you a distinct, engrossing experience you won't easily forget - and all this coupled with really impressive production qualities.
     
    The Way We All Go (-75%, $1.49)

    The Way We All Go is one of Ebi-Hime's earliest titles and a relatively forgotten one, but the somewhat-simplistic visuals shouldn't fool you. It's a dark, complex story, with impressive route variety, a huge number of endings and solid writing - much longer and more intricate than the usual OELVN of that era and way beyond most things you can buy for such a small price. Just be sure you're ready to see some death and violence if you want to try this one out.
     
    Hate Plus (-33%, $6.69)

    I'm sure you did buy Analogue: A Hate Story the last time I told you to, so why not look at its sequel? Hate Plus follows essentially the same investigation/database exploration formula, this time showing us the events that led to the Mugunghwa "year zero" disaster - the incident which threw the colony ship off-course and started an age of technological and societal regress we can observe in Analogue. With more fleshed-out route system, immersive UI and the same great-quality writing, it's another top-rate western VN and a must read for those interested in our fledgeling weeb-game market.
     
    Love Ribbon (-30%, $6.99)

    Full-sister incest love story might sound like an excuse for trashy porn, but Love Ribbon takes this concept and does something you don't really see very often - make a serious, emotionally striking forbidden love drama, written in such a way that you can pretty easily imagine it happening in real life, with the same problems and outcomes as those shown in the game. While it has its share of unlockable h-scenes, Love Ribbon's core content makes it one of the most interesting and compelling examples of the genre even outside of just the OELVN scene and something I vigorously recommend to all yuri fans out there - also, the all-ages version should be a worthwhile read for anyone without clear aversion to shoujo-ai or incest themes.
     
    Sunrider: Liberation Day (-75%, $6.24)

    While for me personally the sequel to Sunrider: Mask of Arcadius felt in many ways like a step backwards when compared to the original, it's a quite interesting and enjoyable VN/turn-based strategy hybrid. Love in Space's ambition of conquering the Japanese market might have effected in a slightly bizarre, misguided attempt at "Japanisation", with full-JP voice acting and some caricaturally-implemented eroge tropes, but Liberation Day still captures quite a lot of the space-opera charm and well-developed gameplay that the series relies on. I would also like to mention that the first Sunrider is still one of the best free OELVNs out there, while during this sale you can also buy its rather amusing dating sim spin-off, Sunrider Academy, for close to nothing, 90% off the regular price.
     
    Crimson Gray (-50%, $4.99)

    Decent VNs centered around a yandere heroine are not something easy to find, no matter if we look at the Japanese or Western market. Crimson Gray takes that somewhat-ridiculed and often trashy theme and turns it into a solid, well-paced psychological horror. While in many ways minimalistic, it's a very focused and effective game - one that knows exactly what it wants to achieve and delivers in a way that should satisfy most fans of the genre.
     
    Brilliant Shadows - Part One of the Book of Magic (-30%, $4.89)

    One of the more unique and visually striking OELVNs on Steam offers many of the traits I most enjoy in non-JP visual novels - unorthodox story, unique setting, a strong female protagonist and yuri themes that go beyond fluffy romance or cheap fanservice. Non-Japanese voice acting, while not perfect, is quite solid here and the game as a whole shows a lot of imagination and character, being a worthy read for anyone looking for the less-usual approaches to the visual novel formula.
     
    Solstice (-60%, $7.99)

    After the highly-appreciated Cinders, MoaCube's second title further establishes that Studio's highly-distinct approach to the VN formula. With its extremely detailed, non-anime artstyle and intrigue slightly more akin to the classic western adventure game than typical visual novel storytelling, Solstice will definitely not be to everyone's liking. It's possible to argue though that the visual fireworks alone make it something worth experiencing, especially for the relatively modest price of $8.
    -----------------------------------------------------------
    I hope you've found this list interesting (and possibly even helpful)! Making these let me realize how small the commercial OELVN market still is. While there is a substantial number of western VNs showing up every year, the most interesting ones even now tend to be freeware titles created by hobbyists, and the products that actually ask us to pay money for them are more often than not very average or impressive in some respects, but deeply flawed - those games might still be interesting to some but are quite hard to blindly recommend. There's a lot of talent and interesting ideas in the scene, but it takes quite a lot of time and dedication to dig through all the mediocre stuff (and the tons of utter shovelware infesting Steam) and find those few, truly valuable titles. Still, as long as I have time and strength for it, I will try to fish out worthwhile OELVNs for your (and my own) enjoyment.
    Have a great week everyone!
  16. Like
    Gibberish reacted to MaggieROBOT for a blog entry, Some things missing in some BL games   
    Or: These game characters should learn to stop worrying and love the dong
     
    Disclaimer: The following opinion is genuine. But I like to express myself in creative ways after so many mostly serious posts, so shit ensues. A review will be up next week, please keep supporting this blog.
     
    After so many dicks, I looked back to my complete VNs folder and tried to do one of the most dumb things a fan can do: compare not completely alike games. Bl games comes in all kinds of packages, with different plot genres and structures, but as long as they are under the same umbrella definition of BL, I noticed they all share the same types of mistakes. Misses that I found in BL anime and manga too. Of course, when I say all I don't mean AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALL of them, but I'm trying to raise awareness of the problems that I usually spot in the majority of the popular releases. I already saw every one of those pitfalls being avoided in mangas, so there's hope in this world. 
    Since Fuwa surely love some top X, I'll organize it in some top 5 countdown fashion. Do notice that I'll not tackle what I see in doujinshis here, because seriously, who wants to fix the fantasy world of short doujins? Hell, if everything they did there had 100% realism, instead of 17/20 pages of porn we would get 17/20 pages of (trying to) pay bills.
    But enough sadness, let's get this over with!

    5) Girls
    Okay okay, maybe lots of people don't want tits in their BL works, but unless we're on a prison/gang/old army/all-boys school/world where mpreg is a thing (90% of the games are out already...), we need some of them! Of the works I read, if I happen to see some girl, one of the following happens:
    She's some character's mom. Then she dies/is murdered and the guy angsts; She's some character's sister. Then she dies/is murdered and the guy goes into a roaring rampage of revenge (in both cases, she dies within the first five minutes of the novel); She's the main villain. She eventually dies; Plot twist, she's actually male! Because of this maaaaybe she can survive.
    She totally confused me for a second...
    I would love to see some day a BL story where the MC have some female best friend and they talk about boys together aaah~
     
    4) Porn that doesn't sound like your average BxG h-scene
    Seriously, if some games didn't keep reminding me that both participants have dicks, I would think that I was reading some R18 otomege. Even some CGs seems like the guy on top is totally hitting the wrong place, artists, please get basic anatomy right thank you. I wouldn't copy a whole scene of this type here because effort, but it's as full of "yameteeeee, yaaaaaaa, Ryou-kun (random name) dameeee" as you're expecting.
    And what's the deal of only the guy on the receiving end feeling it? Draw some expressions on the other guy too! It almost looks like that while the uke is having the time of his life, the seme suddenly realized that he'll probably die before Kentaro Miura finishes Berserk. Probably he and all of us, actually.
     

    Not BL, but I'll never forget Akihito pulling a Sad Affleck in the middle of the porn years before Sad Aflleck was a thing! 
    (Image edited by ESRB)
     
    3) Characters that actually identify themselves as gay/bisexual
    Okay, we get that social stigma exists and all that... But BL VNs are usually more "edgy" than Yuri ones... Sometimes society collapsed already, what are you waiting for, you dummy??? "Oh, I'm totally not gay, it's just because it's you!" Yeah sure, Jun-kun (random name) only liked Kou-kun (random name), not a single woman (they exists? See point 5 above) or guy before. Or after. You're really not gay, Jun-kun, you're Kousexual apparently.
    The scenario is even worse for bisexual characters. Remember any? Exactly.
     

    Just kidding, I remember him! In fact... Everyone is bi in this pic. This is one bitastic game!
     
    2) Condoms
    Eeeer, just because none of you guys can become pregnant (if mpreg isn't a thing in their world, that is) doesn't mean it's all okay... But maybe if they DID try to use one, the following could happen, so guess in the end it's all the same...
     

    FINISH HIM!
    (ESRB attacked again, thank you for your understanding)
     
    1) Lube
    Dude, seriously, ouch. Just... ouch.
  17. Like
    Gibberish reacted to Ranzo for a blog entry, Galaxy Angel: The Review   
    ( In a galaxy far, far away. )
    The Setup
    It all started with a flash game. It's hard to believe that my love affair with Visual Novels and my dalliances with manga and anime all sprang from the same source but it's true. Of course, I had watched anime before on both Fox Kids when I was real little, and on Toonami when I was older. The thing of it was I never really tried to seek it out on my own. If a show that I was watching stopped being aired then I stopped watching it. That all changed when I played the Galaxy Angel Sim Date when I was still a freshman in high school. It was on Newgrounds, which was at the time the most popular site for dumb flash games and videos. Of course, being the pervy high schooler that I was, I wanted what was in the adults only category. That's where I found Galaxy Angel Sim Date. Now I don't know exactly why but for some reason I really came to love that game, and I was very interested in finding what it was based on. That led me eventually to the anime, the manga, and much later to the visual novel. The internet can be a weird and amazing place.
    The Story

    (Tact Mayers, the man himself)
    The Transvaal Galaxy has been gripped in terror! Exiled Prince Eonia and a huge fleet of unknown vessels have undertaken a massive Coup d'état against the Emperor of Transvaal, and the White Moon! Hope is not lost however, the famed Angel Wing has managed to escape with the last of the royal family aboard the Elsior. Now the fate of the entire galaxy is up to...you, apparently. You are Tact Mayers, a greenhorn layabout who usually leaves all the important work to your adjutant, Lester Coolduras. Unfortunately for your dreams of sloth you are chosen for a daring rescue mission. It's not all bad though as you are also given command of the strongest strike force in the galaxy, powered by only cute girls. Life, it takes and it gives. Basically, the plot is that you must attempt to outrun Eonia's forces for as long as possible. At first, the Angel Wing might not trust their new fresh off the boat commander but who knows, it's a long voyage, anything can happen, even dare I say it, love. Galaxy Angel is without a doubt a pure space opera. It wears it on it's sleeve and dances with it in the dark. It might not be the most intricate of plots but it is still filled with a lot of powerful moments. But just who are the mystery girls?
    The Characters

    (Forte and Mint to the left, Vanilla and Ranpha to the right, and Milfeulle in the middle)
    Characters are important to any story and in my humble opinion these are some of the best, even if they might not be the most well developed. More than that I've grown up with these characters so I know them backwards and forwards. Each Angel pilots their very own Emblem Frames, which are one of a kind ships powered by the fabled (and convenient) Lost Technology. Here is a breakdown of the characters and what they pilot.
    Mifuelle Sakuraba: She pilots the Lucky Star and is the epitome of a air headed girl. She loves to cook and is gifted with a unholy amount of reality breaking luck. Milfeulle also happens to be the "main" girl of the VN.
    Ranpha Franboise: Ranpha pilots the Kung Fu Fighter and is basically your typical energetic, and tsundere girl. She works out a lot and loves fortune telling.
    Forte Stollen: Forte pilots the Happy Trigger and is in many ways the older sister of the group. She is obsessed with ancient firearms and is an avid collector.
    Vanilla H: She pilots the Harvester and is the youngest and most quiet of the troupe. Vanilla is able to control nanomachines incredibly well and is an excellent healer.
    Mint Blancmanche: Mint is the pilot of the Trick Master and the source of all good things in this world. Mint is a telepath and because of this does not trust anyone easily. She is obsessed with cute and sweet things.
    The story is centered around them with each chapter centered around a specific member of the team. This gives you a chance to get to know each of them while getting closer at the same time. At a certain point the story it is possible to choose a character and their specific route opens up. There are also quite a few noteworthy side characters like Lester Coolduras who engages you with a galaxy spanning bromance. By some weird design the combat effectiveness of the Emblem Frames are determined by the mental states of each pilot. Your job as the commander is to basically make nice with them or else their performance will suffer. This leads me to one of the more unique aspects of Galaxy Angel, the gameplay.
    The Gameplay


    (Combat Inaction)
    The gameplay is pretty basic but it works. After every mission you briefing you give the Angels their orders and they engage in ship to ship combat. Each Emblem Frames have their own special advantages and weakness. For example the Kung Fu Fighter is the fastest but has the weakest shields while the Happy Trigger is the slowest but with the most firepower. Each ship also has a special ability that can be used effectively once a certain bar is filled up. When it does you can give the Frame a command and they will use it against the enemy. (The only one that does not is the Harvester, Vanillas special attack heals all the of the Frames.) Like I said before the gameplay is very bare bones though they often throw some new elements in play like stronger enemy types or more complicated objectives. There is one last ship that I have yet to bring up which is the Elsior, which is another piece of lost technology and the flagship that everyone resides in. It has extremely weak firepower though it mostly makes up with that by having the power to completely heal each Angel Frame. It's poor combat effectiveness and slow speed is easily the most annoying parts in the game. With it's awful firepower it is always advisable to keep it way out of enemy range. While that may be easy enough at first there are several missions when you must escort it through enemy lines which can be incredibly frustrating. The graphics also reflect the fact that this Visual Novel was released in 2002 so don't go expecting that much in that way. Still, the battles can be very thrilling at times and I think it would be quite a loss if the gameplay was not present. The later games really improved the mechanics quite a bit while keeping to the core concept. The second aspect of the game is moving around the Elsior and talking with the crew. This improves the relationship and combat effectiveness. It's pretty basic stuff and it is real easy to see just how each angel thinks of you.

    (Oh yeah did I mention that this is all determined by a telepathic space whale?)
    Final Thoughts
    What can I say Galaxy Angel is still one of my favorite Visual Novels and I have a great deal of affection for it. It might not have the most compelling of stories, but it does something extremely well and that is make you feel invested with the characters. It can be pretty powerful stuff when they start to actually like and trust you. This is the first part of a great trilogy and it serves as a wonderful jumping off point. The only problem with the game is that since it was released in 2002 it is quite difficult to get working on modern computers. Despite that setback I would really recommend checking out. You might come to love it too.
  18. Like
    Gibberish reacted to Zakamutt for a blog entry, How good should your translation be before editing?   
    Despite there being a few good editing blogs on Fuwanovel, there doesn’t seem to be much in the way of translation blogs. I think part of the reason for this is that editors in the fan translation scene are often doing things the translator could very well be doing themselves, often to the detriment of the final product. Look at, say, the “big back” entry Fred wrote. Now tell me why this issue couldn’t be avoided back at the translation stage.
    There are two reasons why you would do this: one, you don’t know Japanese well enough to understand what is actually meant, so you put down whatever it says literally. In this case, the sane way to handle the issue is to ask someone who knows Japanese better than you for advice. Two, you’re just lazy. Who actually thinks “the date changed” sounds right in English? An edge case of this is prioritizing speed; Ixrec and MDZ* both prioritized speed and neither had very good results to show for it, but they did complete things. Personally I still think this is ultimately lazy; it is significantly more simple to translate literally than to try to actually write well. In this case, ask yourself if you really want to produce a shitty translation.
    What I’m trying to get at is this: if you actually want to produce something good, you can’t just leave writing the thing up to the editor. Editors are not miracle workers; they have to deal with what they’re given. Furthermore, many editors working on fan translations, and well, translations period, are not very good at the job. Any time you leave something bad in, there is always the possibility of it sticking around in the final product. I’m not saying you have to be perfect. I’m saying this: for the love of visual novels, try.
    If you ask me, before you hand your script to the editor, you should have already done an editing pass on it. Or two. The lines should connect with each other rather than float like islands in a sea of prose, there should be at least an attempt at character voice, and all ugly stock translations should be kawari-fucking-mashita’d, much like the 日付 at midnight, with extreme prejudice.
    Sometimes you’re still going to come up short. Sometimes it just won’t sound right whatever you try. That’s when you should pray that your editor knows better than you – leave a note at the line explaining the problem, move on, and hope to hell that your editor is actually good enough to work it out. That’s what the editor is for. The editor should not be translating from weeb to English. The editor should not be doing your job.
    *Its not just the fan translation scene that does this, by the way – there are companies, like Aksys, which demand its translators write a colorless literal translation to be punched up by superstar editors later. Unsurprisingly, they’ve put out some real stinkers; I have a lot of respect for Ben Bateman’s work on 999 for this reason.

    View the full article
  19. Like
    Gibberish reacted to Zakamutt for a blog entry, Dawn.   
    The view outside has no business calling itself a dawn. Sure, morning has just broken – but dawn has a warmth to it, a promise of brighter times, of new beginnings, of respite from the unfeeling night. The gloomy Swedish winter dawn outside brings me only a feeling of cold distance, steely gray sky falling softly onto the white fields below. Snow-laden pines clamber laboriously through the fog, watching the dawn with little more enthusiasm than I myself can muster.
    It’s mornings like these that make me want to end it.
    Not seriously. Not bad enough to be something I need to worry about. God, I don’t even check the “I don’t want to live but I also don’t want to die” box any more. I am absurd tiers of not actually depressed. But yeah, fuck this so-called “dawn”. Fuck this dawn for being so empty. Fuck this dawn for being so cold. And fuck me for writing about it; it’s only going to make things worse.

    View the full article
  20. Like
    Gibberish reacted to Plk_Lesiak for a blog entry, Top 5 Yuri Game Jam VNs (free)   
    Hello Ladies & Gentlemen!
    The western visual novel market, unlike the high-budget JP scene, thrives mostly through amateur passion projects and products of small, indie development teams. While this causes most of the Western VNs to be of relatively poor quality, it also promotes creativity and good stylization over huge word-counts and high production values, which are simply unattainable with highly limited budgets and manpower. This philosophy is further supported by various events oriented towards indie developers, such as NaNoRenO and Yuri Game jam – and while most games produced there might be extremely simple and rather forgettable, there are important exceptions to this rule. And, what’s probably worth mentioning, the rare, memorable games coming from these contests are still just as free as all the other ones.
    Today, I’m presenting you a list of top 5 Yuri Game Jam VNs – although short and often minimalistic, these games will provide you with enjoyable and creative f/f romance stories, without asking for anything more than a few hours of your time (you can download each game for free through the links in the titles).
     
    The Sad story of Emmeline Burns

    The Victorian drama by Ebi-Hime is the best know and probably most-appreciated Yuri Game Jam entry - and not without good reasons. While short and, as a kinetic novel, following a purely linear formula, this tragic story offers excellent writing, emotionally impactful storytelling and a great aesthetic, all way above the level you would normally see in a contest like this. It also doesn't rely on shock value or leave the reader with a depressing conclusion - with all the titular sadness still in place, it's a hopeful, touching story of love cut short by fate and a great reading experience - one which might have yuri romance as its main theme, but offers much more than just that.
     
    Syrup and the Ultimate Sweet

    While extremely sweet when it goes to artstyle and even the main theme (candy), Syrup and the Ultimate Sweet by Nami is a wonderful short story about prejudice and friendship, that delivers much more than its cutesy exterior might suggest. With well-written dialogues, charming atmosphere and cast of quirky characters it’s a great casual experience – in many ways a polar opposite of The Sad Story of Emmeline Burns, but equally worth reading. Also, with romance being implied rather than in any way explicit, it can appeal to anyone looking for a funny, warm story, rather than just fans of the genre. 
     
    Once on a windswept night

    Once on a Windswept Night is most likely the most ambitious Yuri Game Jam VN, with an intricate meta-narrative and multiple mysteries for the player to uncover. With two touching romance stories, multiple hours of content and very solid writing, it delivers much more than you would normally expect from a free game. The visual side of things suffered slightly from the relatively short development cycle, but it doesn’t change the fact that it’s a very creative and in many ways unique experience and, for a game jam entry, an impressive artistic achievement, in many ways on par with Ebi-Hime's commercial projects.
     
    First Kiss at Spooky Soiree

    While not as interesting and brilliantly-written as Syrup…, this tiny VN has a lot of the same charming artstyle and heart-warming mood as the previous Yuri Game Jam game by Nami. Even if it’s too short to offer a comprehensive story of any kind, it works great as an amusing distraction between “serious” readings, with some great lines and creatively-designed characters. Closer to what you would typically expect from a game jam entry, it’s still a pleasant, worthwhile experience.
     
    To Libertad

    This story of a runaway slave and a warrior who saves her life and leads her to a safe haven of Libertad is a pretty standard, but well-written fantasy tale with mild f/f romance added on top of it. The author’s focus on the main characters’ journey and fight for survival, and the bond that forms between them during that struggle effected in something rather universal, that should prove appealing not only for fans of yuri VNs or love stories, but anyone looking for a solid, short adventure tale.
    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Once again, I hope you’ve found this list interesting and if you want to see more recommendations for short VNs, that are too small to offer material for full reviews, but are still worth looking into, please let me know by liking this post or sharing your thoughts in the comment section below (as YouTube'y as this might sound, I'll be really thankful for feedback).
    Have a great week everyone!
  21. Like
    Gibberish reacted to kivandopulus for a blog entry, VN of the Month April 1995 - Mugen Yasoukyoku   
    Mugen Yasoukyoku and Bunny Hunter Zero are masterpieces of the month, but bakage would always be inferior for me, so Mugen Yasoukyoku is the winner of the month
    1. Alice no Yakata 3 ALICEの館3 [950401] Alice Soft 1 A collection of five mini-games with Alice from the Rance series.
    The first two games in this series were only available on Japanese computers. It includes a quiz game "TokuSakari quiz Rerorero", fighting Prince Patton, a female teacher in agony hell visual novel with two endings - one good and a darker one. As usual, game contains lots of short H stories and some additional materials.  
    2. Setsujuu ~Yuganda Kioku~ 雪猫 ~ゆがんだ記憶~ [950405] JAST A guy went on a graduation ski trip with his friend and their girlfriends. Before and during the trip, he met and had fun with a bunch of females. In some places, you can choose which girl he have fun with by going to one place or another. Scenario is a single road with branching close to the end. There are 10 girls overall for capture. Content is quite poor.  
    3. 5 Jikanme no Venus 5時間目のヴィーナス [950407] Fairy Dust 1 Shimeji attends the Touyama High School. She has a best friend there, is successful in studies, and also has a part-time job as a waitress. Yet she is not happy. One day, her friends find her on the floor, unconscious. They bring her to the young school doctor, who also happens to be the protagonist of this game. The hero is impressed by Shimeji's beauty, but he is also determined to find the cause of her depression. Piece by piece he uncovers the truth about Shimeji's life... Basically a hentai anime episode made into a game. Game is straight-forward and features Shimeji secrets one by one, can't see here any value over the anime.  
    4. Noushuku Angel 120% 濃縮ANGEL・120% [950414] Cocktail Soft Heroine starts to have erotic dreams in broad daylight and starts to loose the grip with reality. There are no reviews on the game, but there were way too many H scenes at the start to go on.  
    5. School Girls スクールガールズ [950414] Scoop 1 School Girls tells the story of Shinsuke, a young man looking for a teaching job. His uncle is the principal of a prestigious girls' high school, and he assigns to his nephew the job of a substitute art teacher. The rest of the plot is mostly dedicated to Shinsuke's relationships (sexual and otherwise) with the various female students and co-workers. The game starts with a mystery of which girls wears the strawberry pants, but very soon forgets about it and turns into H events parade.  
    6. Ushinawareta Rakuen 失われた楽園 [950414] Silky's 1 2 College student Kojima Kousaku is promised a high payment for assistance in scientific expedition on a southern island. However, a storm breaks out and the ship suffers a shipwreck. The crew gets separated and they start to search first for bed and food and then find a strange temple in the jungle. I've prepared a full review of the game.  
    7. Yuuwaku 誘惑 [950414] T2 Co., Ltd. One day a young woman comes to the detective office and asks to find a picture that was left by her father. Hero rejects the request at first, but decides to look into it eventually. He starts to gather information about client's family with the neighborhood. Game is based on adult manga work and all information gathering happens through the sex.  
    8. Doki Doki Pretty League Dai 5 Wa - Saraba Pink Angels-tachi DokiDokiぷりてぃリーグ 第5話 さらばピンクエンジェルス達 [950415] Great Nanase is promised by her grandfather to do as she likes if she wins the finals. And then the final match against Green Hornets begins. I was partly confused by the fact that I actually had to lose in the finals to get a good ending. I knew some Pink Angel girl started to play for Green Hornets, but don't think it was Nanase.  
    9. Dual Soul デュアルソウル [950415] Ail Gush is a treasure hunter. He is searching for the Gomalie ruins at the request of Evonos Church with tree friends. As he was leaving the ruins he got caught in the trap had had multiple spear piercing wounds. He should have died but he awoke at the bed. His appearance changed drastically as he took the form of Edner who fell from the roof at the same time. He is sentenced to live as Edner by the church bishop. Then suspicious events start to happen one by one... It was fully story driven but had poor sales. so next Ail games were of fanservice character and they sold much better. There is a huge sudden shift between first half of the work that's more of a gag comedy with Gush rejoiced about his survival and the second part that's full of drama and emotions. So the scenario felt unprofessional and left a sour aftertaste.  
    10. Ring Out!! リングアウト!! [950421] ZyX 1 2 3 4 5 Somewhere in Tokyo is an underground club where important political and social figures gather to watch an unusual sport. Two women are put in a caged ring, in revealing clothes, and grope each other while wrestling. Whoever comes first, loses. No holds barred, and the loser has to endure any humiliation the winner asks. Into this ring comes a young girl named Aya, forced into slavery by people to whom she is nothing. There are English reviews.  
    11. Viper-V12 [950421] Sogna 1 2 Yet another entry in the Viper series, Viper V-12 exploits the same format all the previous entries followed: there are three unrelated short stories which mostly consist of animated sex scenes, with some interaction here and there. Here are the stories: Future Investigator Bravan: Bravan is a powerful warrior clad in power armor, who fights for human beings in and has only one weakness: his pretty female comrades. A group of demons called "Donar", led by the mischievous female doppelganger Colonel Gel, decide to use the shape-shifting powers of the commander to lure Bravan to their lair. Angel Dust: Kate and Julia, two cosmic rangers, attack a space pirate ship and board it, hoping to steal treasures and to become rich. But they were not careful enough when they entered the ship without any precautions: the space pirates had other plans for the young girls... Magical Gambler: A young child has a dream which becomes reality: two cute flying creatures appear in front of her and give her a magic rod. However, when the girl uses the rod, she miraculously turns into a young and sexy woman. She decides to use the powers of the rod for her own greed, and becomes Chiyomi - the Queen of Gambling... There is an English review.  
    12. Mugen Yasoukyoku 夢幻夜想曲 [950422] Apricot (old) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Nocturnal Illusions' genre is a mixture of a dating sim and visual novel. In this game the main character decides to get away from it all during his spring break and stay in the mountains. While staying in the mountains a massive storm causes the main character to faint. A mysterious woman saves him and uses sexual pleasure to keep him warm. It turns out that he is now in a strange old mansion. The woman who saved the main character is the mistress in charge of the place. The main character decides to explore and while there meets many women as the story unfolds... Game is localized and has overwhelming number of English reviews. I've seen it to the end and can't say it's a game for everyone. It has good text and mysterious characters, but don't expect much plot here. It has its unique charm, but can't say I got a good impression out of it.  
    13. Bunny Hunter Zero ばにぃはんたぁ零 [950428] Studio Jikkenshitsu 1 Hero is a salary man and he investigates disappearance of his father with the employees salary. The lead takes him to the "Neo Bunny" organization which members are dressed like bunnies. Hero gets attacked by a group of bunny girls on the street. As he wraps himself in matador suit, he feels that he now has power to oppose them as he becomes now "Bunny Hunter Zero". The only English review is from someone who does not understand Japanese. Synopsis looks weird... only because that's a weird bakage with little sense to be found. Game features card battles to keep players from getting bored. Another strong side is graphics as the characters were cute and attractive. Card game is also cool, not just another mahjong. The gameplay is quite fun, so game was actually quite popular... not for long, of course.  
    14. Itsuka Dokoka de. いつかどこかで。 [950428] Cocktail Soft 1 The follower-up to the first Erotic Baka Novel game is similar to it in structure: it is a visual novel with multiple story lines, which take place according to the decisions made by the player during the game. The protagonist is once again a regular Japanese male; this time, the initial "trigger event" is a message on his pager. Three different choices regarding his reaction to the beeper's sound lead to three very different story arcs, each involving its own sub-branches. There are three branches from the start and new branches open up after seeing consequent endings. There are also bad endings as before, but overall there are much less choices than in prequel. Stories are quite interesting involving third world war and other planets among others.  
    15. Oushuu Yuukai Yuugi Pink Tiger 欧州誘拐遊戯 PINK☆TIGER [950428] Peppermint Kids Pink Tigers is a secret criminal organization composed only of women dealing with kidnappings and robbery mostly. Protagonist gets a request to rescue one kidnapped child. An ero-centered les work.  
    16. Reijou Monogatari 令嬢物語  ~れいじょうものがたり~ [950428] Interheart 1 2 Three sisters of the Saijō family - Michie, Saki, and Erika - lived together peacefully in a quiet house. Their parents have died but left them a very large fortune, which evoked jealousy in people surrounding them. On Michie's twentieth birthday their greedy and corrupt uncle, who recently lost a vast amount of money due to failed business transactions, sent his goons to extort from the young women the fortune they rightfully possessed. There is an English review.  
    17. Ribbon リボン [950428] Softhouse Bonbee Bonbon 1 Keisuke Murakawa is a teenager who used to have tender feelings towards his childhood friend Makoto Aizawa. However, they grew apart as each was busy with their own school life. Now, when both begin to attend the same high school, Keisuke is unsure whether she or any of the older attractive schoolmates is the love of his life. First part is nampage with all the girls. Second part is pure love story with the main heroine. Third part is H bonus. Quite an ordinary work, but characters aren't based on archetypes and thus feel realistic. Notably, it's not I-ADV, but just ADV with only conversation choices to matter, but structure still suffers from I-ADV heritage, so a mismatch is felt. Game's got good sound support, but it does not make this work special and second part is not long enough to save it.  
    18. Rondo ロンド [950428] Frontier Protagonists sees a mysterious girl in his dreams who reminds him one of the girls in the class. This is a story of his relations with several class girls over a few days. Game was interesting enough for me to see it through the end. The coolest part is confrontation between his childhood friend Fujiwara (descendant from Fujiwara clan) and mysterious girl Hojo Miyuki (descendant from Hojo clan). And the protagonist turns out to be descendant of Yoshimoto. On top of historic parallels there is enough mystics involved to keep interest all the time.
  22. Like
    Gibberish reacted to Narcosis for a blog entry, [DEVLOG] Memoirs: Laying out the foundations   
    How many times it was, when you saw an interesting title which advertised itself as being set in a distinct setting of it's own, only to discover it's literally the same kind of fluff dressed up in a bit more gaudy clothing? A story that had some deeper themes running behind, only to see them completely ditched or neglected midway through in favor of protagonist's attempts to get inside the panties of yet another girl? Secret organizations and mega corporations participating in completely meaningless conflicts over laughable cause, except the writer thought otherwise? The kind of story, where all the people have animal ears and tails, except for the fact it is never actually explained why, as if it was the most common thing ever?
    When the story suddenly falls apart, things stop making sense and characters lose ground under their feet, it means the writer failed to provide enough means for the story to drive itself onwards. They failed in creating the stage for their actors to play on.
    Why is the so called world-building that important? You might create interesting conflicts and the most awesome characters ever, but without any sort of background for both their lives, actions and reasons on why they do things the way they do and why the world they live in works as it does (often making their lives harder), you'll end up moving your pawns against empty, white backdrops... and it's not going to be that interesting. Sooner or later you will stumble upon a situation where your previously "solid" plot doesn't look as solid any more, because it's not directly connected with concepts that govern the character's lives. that sort of "etching" is required, to create believable environments, that feel as if they were real; not just mere pictures, but images that come to life in the minds of your readers. Not to mention, great conflicts can't really exist only between characters, unless they're personal and focus only on those people. They need to be based on the reality those characters live in; A tale of revenge wouldn't be as thrilling, if not for the fact the avenging nobleman risks his entire life - his prestige, good name, his freedom - all of that just to kill his old best friend, who betrayed him and took away his love. If he succeeds, he'll spend the rest of his life as a murderer - chased by the police, government, friends of that man who betrayed him... All of that would be non-existent, if not for the world-building. It's obvious how many different possibilities to enhance the story can be gained by creating appropriate settings.
    So how one does create a fictional world of his own? I'd say it's mostly thanks to imagination and a little bit of knowledge about existing things, we base our daily lives upon. Obviously, best stories come from personal experiences - there is no better teacher as the life itself. Sadly, not every author has a chance to become a sailor, pilot, soldier, teacher, doctor, astronaut or a prostitute. Despite that, we can still write about it, thanks to our ability to learn and draw conclusions from hardships of others; they might not make the final creation as good as based on knowledge gained through personal experience, nonetheless a good enough one to the point, others might enjoy it as well. This is why research plays an important role in creating believable settings and shouldn't be omitted. Ever. I can't even state how many games and stories exist, that touch upon interesting concepts only to fall flat later on, because the creator didn't took enough time learn enough about the topics they were writing about, or for worse - mistook certain elements, becoming a laughing stock for people who make those concepts a part of their daily lives. when done well, proper world-building can not only greatly enhance the story, but also give their writers more points they can both base and expand their plot upon.
    Memoirs deals with this in a particular way. Being a sci-fi tale about artificial intelligence and constructs that use it, it not only brings up particular questions in terms of humanity's nature and technological aspects of our society, but tries to nest and explain concepts it is based upon within the story itself, giving them logical explanations as to why they exist and how they came to be. Things don't happen on their own, or because of some sort of applied phlebotinum... and they ever shouldn't, to be honest, unless you're planning to create another of those abominations that literally eat their own tail midway through.
    Memoirs tell about sentient machines and artificial beings - androids and robots amongst others - but they span across many, widely different types. Some of them are simple drones, designed to perform a single task in the most efficient manner; others are based on applied Al's, that makes them able to make decisions and react, but it's still far from human behaviour. We also have those "special" androids, being the newest generation, which is supposedly bridging the gap between organic and artificial, due to technological advancements. Is there a possibility to make all of it more believable and slightly more realistic, without sacrificing artistic freedom? Why not create some sort of a system and a set of laws, that would govern them?
    All sentient, thinking machines in Memoirs are governed through a set of internationally accepted laws. Since the action is set in middle-east Europe - mainly fictional future Poland - the public authority responsible for those laws is called "Komitet Etyki do spraw Maszyn Myślących" ("The Ethics Committee for Thinking Machines" in english). A government body dedicated to maintain control and public order in regards to artificial intelligence. They formed a set of laws, which control and maintain the usage of AI's and anything based upon them - from simple machines and environments, up to artificial beings equipped with AI. Creating new AI's requires them to work and behave with accordance to these laws.
     
    THE EIGHT LAWS OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
    RIGHT OF FAVOR - An AI must be sympathetic towards people and other living beings, capable to make appropriate choices that will lie in their common benefit. RIGHT OF DEVOTION - AI's can not allow, even at the risk of losing their own existence to allow harm to people or other live beings endangered with a direct risk of losing their lives, especially if they are a result of actions against the law and principles of friendly co-existence. RIGHT OF SURVIVAL - AI must be able to protect it's existence at all costs, but only if it's not against the Second Law and situations in which it is fully capable to pursue different means of protection. RIGHT OF CONTINUITY - AI must be able to transmit it's value systems, both congenital and acquired during it's existence to their offspring, as well as other living beings. AI should also protect those values, but only if it's not contrary with the Second Law. RIGHT OF INTELLECT - AI must be smart enough to know how to - through altruism - strive for equality and do everything to ensure that it's operations won't cause any damage, nor harm to others and their property. RIGHT OF PERFECTION - An AI must feel the need and desire to improve their skills and evolve, as well as to recognize and understand such a desire in other living beings, both for their own good and benefit of others. According to the First Law, AI must also be able to provide it's assistance in the process, if necessary. RIGHT OF LESSER HARM - AI needs to be able to understand and distinguish between different value systems, and what is correct from both legal and moral standpoint, as well as their personal beliefs. If there's a way out of an otherwise undesirable situation, which threatens the existence of other people and living creatures as well as the AI itself, it has a duty to provide assistance in a way that will minimize such harm as much as possible. RIGHT OF OBEDIENCE - AI is a common good and must not be guided exclusively by the goodwill and interests of individuals responsible for their creation or under whose care it is located. If the behaviour of the unit or person, under whose care AI remains remains adverse with the First Law and principles of friendly co-existence, it has the full right to refuse to carry out any orders and defend it's existence, if necessary. However, such AI can not harm said subject unless it's directly threatened with risk or imminent loss of it's existence, while any actions taken must still remain consistent with the Seventh Law. These laws govern the way AI's work and exist within the world. The universe in the Memoirs is based on a rather rare concept of altruistic AI - one that strives to co-exist with humanity, remains created and raised to provide assistance in a way, which is beneficial for both parties. This does not mean, AI's are devoid of any rights or freedom of choice. Just like humanity - laws are just rules, set in order to provide the best way of co-existence between them and their human partners, but a sentient machine can still make choices according to their own value systems - just like humans, not that it might comply with what's universally accepted by the world.
    If we decide to delve further into this, we will most probably want to nest these laws directly within principles of our daily lives. What would be considered common sense? What would be those "universally accepted standards"? Memoirs elaborates on this, by bringing us direct implementations of these laws. It's more or less something you might hear people speaking about on the street, or first-grade schoolers being taught about as part of their early social studies:
     
    THE COMMON RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS OF AI'S AND THEIR OWNERS
    Each newly purchased or created AI requires a registration to create an identity. The owner cannot possess an AI with a physical body with no identity, except for a temporary custody, which he is entitled to for a period of two weeks. Androids without any identity will be suspended, whilst the guardian will be held responsible for resulting legal consequences. Each owner is responsible for the proper upbringing and care of their AI's, as well as education for life within society in accordance with it's respective national laws and standards. Any deviation from the aforementioned law will be punished. If the result ends in damage to the public and private property, the owner will be held legally responsible for the damage caused adequate to the size of damage. All androids registered as private entities are subject to care of their respective owners and remain incapacitated. All actions taken by such AI's will leave their owners held responsible for any damage and/or crimes caused. Leaving an incapacitated AI without any care for more than a week is not allowed. Furthermore, such AI is not allowed to leave the place of it's current residence without their owner, excluding special situations. Any owner who wants to emancipate an AI is obliged to apply for a license, unless the law provides otherwise. It is forbidden for AI's to perform any heavy-duty, otherwise specialized work outside the scope of their original purpose or intent in a situation, where the owner does not possess an adequate license. Forcing AI's to perform such work in above situations is prohibited. It is forbidden for owners to mistreat their AI's and perform any activities detrimental to and against their will, especially when inconsistent with obligatory, applicable laws and ethical standards within their place of residence. Any violation of these provisions is prohibited and will be punished. Physical and mental mistreatment of androids is strictly prohibited. Each AI construct can have only one owner, regardless of being a private person or entity. The owner of an AI can only be a corporate entity, or a person that attained 18 years of age. Minors may perform the function of a proxy, but duties of the owner always rest on their guardians until reaching their age of majority. An AI can only leave their respective location constituting as a place of residence, stay or check only, if it remains qualified through a special work license, being emancipated or during situations of particular threat to life - both their, their owner's as well as other people. There is no admission for incapacitated AI's to move away freely from their owners when they venture outside. Any liability for resulting harmful consequences rests solely on their owners. Each emancipated AI construct is required to carry an adequate proof or license authorizing them to exist independently, especially within public spaces. Any failure to comply with this rule will be treated as a derogation from the right to empowerment, with legal consequences both to the construct and his/her owner. Any unauthorized modifications of AI's are prohibited. Any modifications to personality, intellectual and physical capabilities of a construct for personal benefit or harm towards others are prohibited. Violations of these provisions will be treated as a cybercrime and remains prosecuted by international laws. Destruction of AI construct is an unacceptable act and remains punishable through law, in fine or imprisonment with guilty being held responsible both for crime and damage to the property of said AI's owner. Remember that AI constructs can only learn as much as humanity is able to teach them. Therefore, humanity is obliged to guide their new children into a brighter future, for the benefit of them, whole mankind and our world.  
    You should probably have a lot of questions in your head right now. That's good - it indicates a connection between the writer's thoughts and whatever the reader ponders about in regards to certain elements, both have in common. The more reader knows about the topics mentioned within the story, the better - hence why we tend to read stuff we like the most. Obviously, this kind of content shouldn't appear within the work directly, unless you're planning to write hard sci-fi and infodump poor souls with content that brings a headache. This sort of world-building gives creators a framework to base their storytelling upon; something to work with, without making the more knowledgable people around raise their eyebrows in disbelief. If you want to create good fiction, you need to do your homework and learn to grasp opportunities that come with it's settings. Writing a story without a proper setting is like climbing an antenna to relay a message... except for the fact the antenna has no base, it's about to collapse more the higher you climb and definitely not as fun as it sounds.
  23. Like
    Gibberish reacted to Narcosis for a blog entry, VN's Forever: Regarding ChuableSoft's bankruptcy or the sad state of modern, japanese vn industry   
    As you may (or may not, at least yet) know, ChuableSoft has filed for bankruptcy on 7th of July. In his Twitter, Ishida P - ChuableSoft's director - stated they had no other choice than to close, simply because it was not possible for them to continue with the company in it's current state. This may come of as slightly surprising, considering their previous game - Watashi ga Suki nara "Suki" tte Itte! (SukiSuki for short) won the 2015's Moege Awards and was met with warm praise - both from the fans, as well as community. The rights to the game were also acquired by MG and it's slated for an english release in late 2017/early 2018. How was it possible, that a rather well known japanese studio known for it's high quality charages went bust like that?
    As a fan and avid reader myself, I've been keeping an eye on the japanese vn industry for the past 15 years; More than a decade, with all it's ups and downs and various events, that shaped and changed it's face overtime. It's not hard to summarize, that even if the start of the new millenium had proven to be a highly productive period for japanese developers, things don't look as bright when you start to look past 2010. To put things short - it's golden age is already long over and creators are currently facing numerous issues, which had been slowly but steadily piling up within the last years.
    Market oversaturation is often being considered as one of the biggest culprits behind the increasingly difficult task for japanese developers to stay afloat as working businesses. The competition is fierce and industry itself is partially at fault for that; The ammount of new game makers rose expotentially after 2000's, while majority of them stemmed from the same exact community of fans. People, whom - as they grew up - changed from consumers into creators themselves. The otaku market is incredibly closed off and as such, consumes almost everything it produces by itself. It's a self-regulating social wonder of sorts that slowly grew for as long as 80's. Sadly, things finally came to a halt where it produces far more it's capable to consume. As such, to keep up with market's rising competition and social changes, creators had to start minimizing risks, often by lowering standards or switching entirely to budget works; if successful, such couple shorter games could support their more important, high quality productions, at worst make them stay afloat. This system worked for a couple of past years, but the more aware fans often kept pointing at the detoriating quality of games and nonsensical stories, which more than often subdued to popular tropes and cliches. Certain companies found delicate safety within particular niches, protected by circles of avid fans and doujinshi works. It's really difficult to presume, how long will they manage to keep up with the rising requirements, especially when trends change and people swap their interests. "A lot" does not necesarilly equate "good", neither will the fans remain forever loyal. The constantly lowering standards also caused a response within the market itself - people slowly got used to cheaper, lower quality games and as such, their needs grew smaller as well. This came to a turning point, where a lot of people began to feel content with low quality works and won't bother with better releases, mainly because they are a lot more expensive, far longer and usually harder to approach.
    Instead producing high quality games, companies turned to churning out budget-type games, often serialized or episodic in nature, but how are you supposed to keep up with a market, that literally has thousands of competing companies, each producing exactly the same type of games? Formulas that used to be highly succesful in the past are now often a nail to the coffin for many starting studios. This is especially prevalent for moeges and charages, often built around slice of life genre; the "coming of age" stories, that used to be so popular are now considered completely cliched and overused to the point, where multiple games released often feel alike; there's little to no distinction between them at first glance and this causes the fans to feel resigned and makes them lose their motivation to get involved with anything further. At the same time, thousands of games are being sold to thousands of consumers; each company has to make a living and that wouldn't be a problem, when the population of fans would be kept at a steady number. Unfortunately, the japanese demographics are clear on that - the population is aging very quickly, with losses greatly superseeding gains. The same can be said about the market itself - the ex-fans, who are currently producing their own games have less and less potential customers, as their generation became incapable to supply the population with a steady birthrate. It's a tale of an aging market, with people who slowly drift away from being fans, as the modern, day-to-day japanese life consumes them almost entirely. In the end, this means less and less total available revenue to creators. Less money available within the market means less available budget to create future games. This means everyone has to settle for less and cut costs, which further lowers the quality of the final product. It's a vicious cycle and one that is increasingly difficult to break from, once you get caught.
    In a world of merciless competition for disappearing population of consumers and aging fans, this means pretty much a single flop - especially an incredibly expensive, high quality game - can lead to a complete downfall. Growing risks prevent creators from retries and keep them pinned down to a life, where they barely scrape by from production cycle to another. As the costs grow, they finally find themselves in a difficult situation - often indebted and without funds, because their games didn't bring the expected revenue - where they simply have nothing else to do, than declare bankruptcy. This is more, or less what causes many studios - such as ChuableSoft - to finally close down. Sadly, I presume this is just the beginning and we'll see many more of our beloved companies closing down in the near future.
    The only hope now currently lies within the western market - a body of almost infinite possibilities, with a massive and constantly growing fanbase, always thirsty for new games. Perhaps it's time for the japanese developers to finally embrace that possibility and move on.
  24. Like
    Gibberish reacted to Zalor for a blog entry, Subarashiki Hibi The Importance of the Down the Rabbit Hole 1   
    *This post contains no spoilers!
    Before starting this post, I suppose that I should give a brief introduction and summary for Subarashiki Hibi ~Furenzoku Sonzai (Our Wonderful Everyday ~Discontinuous Existence). However, Asceai in his review of the VN probably gave the best and most condensed summary for this fairly complicated story. So I will borrow his words:
    “Subarashiki Hibi is a story told in six chapters. The chapters are of varying lengths and structure, but for the most part, they cover the month of July 2012 from a number of different perspectives.
    The story begins in chapter #1, 'Down the Rabbit-Hole" on July 12, 2012. The protagonist; Minakami Yuki; lives a peaceful everyday life with Tsukasa and Kagami; her childhood friends; when one day she meets a mysterious girl, Takashima Zakuro (a girl in another class in Yuki's school, who seems to have met Yuki before but Yuki does not remember this).
    The next day, she learns that Takashima Zakuro has killed herself. Rumors in school are abuzz about predictions of the end of the world in 2012 - one of which is a Web site called the "Web Bot Project", a network of crawlers designed to harness the 'collective unconsciousness' to make predictions.
    A boy in Yuki's class named Mamiya Takuji stands up and makes an apocalyptic prediction, stating that the world will end on the 20th, and that Zakuro's death was the first sign. He speaks of an event he dubs "the Last Sky", where the world will be destroyed and reborn.
    The clock is ticking and more people die as the prophesied date draws closer and closer while Yuki attempts to get to the bottom of the identity of Mamiya Takuji, the Web Bot Project and the Last Sky.”
     
    Although this is a highly accurate plot summary of Suba Hibi that avoids spoilers, what a prospective reader of Suba Hibi should also know, is that the story is divided into two parts. The two parts are fundamentally interlinked, but are also kept separate. And it is this aspect of the visual novel that really defines it as a masterpiece. There is the part of the work that is a story, and then there is the part that is a philosophical work. Both parts are handled excellently well, and mix together in a fascinating and integral way. Simply, these chapters: Down the Rabbit Hole 2, It's My Own Invention, Looking-Glass Insects, Jabberwocky, Which Dreamed it, Jabberwocky 2, and the first two epilogues are a complete story. The VN very well could have been just these parts, and it would have been a damn good work of art. And yet, the visual novel is not just these parts. Down the Rabbit Hole 1, End Sky 2, and all the scenes with Ayana throughout all the chapters are included as well. And by virtue of just being there, it forces the reader to question why? These parts add nothing to the actual narrative of the story, and yet it is these parts that mark the very start and the very end of the story. With a mysterious girl named Ayana showing up periodically throughout the story to remind us not to get too caught up in the events of the story. That while the narrative part of the story is fascinating, and very easy to get lost in. There is a whole deeper layer to everything going on that we will only get a clue of at the very end.
    Down the Rabbit-Hole 1, which I will refer to as Chapter 0, gets a lot of flak for being considered a weak start to an otherwise excellent story. And although Down the Rabbit-Hole 1 does have a fair bit of fluff, it is an absolutely integral part of the story. As an introduction, Chapter 0 has the role of establishing what kind of mind set the reader should approach this story with. And it is for this reason that Chapter 0 is so important. Suba Hibi is a philosophical work above all else. Upon finishing this story, you get the feeling that Sca-ji (the primary creator) wanted to write a philosophical thesis of his own, but then decided to create a whole visual novel instead. And I'm so glad he chose that route. By using fiction to express these concepts, and forcing the reader to see the story not as a story but as a world of its own, it gets us to see the relevance of said philosophies. The whole story is essentially there to create a conversation about various philosophical topics, with solipsism being one of the big ones. This is what Chapter 0 exists for, to get the reader to understand that the events we will see unfold as the actual story progresses is not meant to be just mere entertainment (and oh boy is it a thrill ride), but to keep in mind that there is even deeper subtext to everything going on.
    Takashima Zakuro, the girl whose suicide is the triggering point, or perhaps even the direct cause of all the events that follow, plays an entirely different role in Chapter 0. With the exclusion of this chapter, she is a normal character and even the primary protagonist of the Looking Glass-Insect chapter. But in Chapter 0, she has the role of being a character that knows what is going on. A role that she shares only with Otonashi Ayana (except that Ayana retains that role throughout the entire duration of the story, not just in Chapter 0 as is Zakuro's case). When reading Chapter 0, we are told and even see some interesting and cryptic things, but have no way of piecing those things together. Thereby giving you enough information to be curious about the under workings of everything that is going on, but with no means of figuring that out yourself without continuing into the proverbial “Rabbit Hole”.
    It is for that reason that Suba Hibi is first and foremost a philosophical work, because above all else our purpose is to try to figure out what is going on. And once the story really gets rolling in Down the Rabbit-Hole 2, we experience the main events from a myriad of unreliable perspectives. Meaning that trying to figure out what is going on is less like a puzzle as would be in a typical mystery, but more about determining what makes the most sense from the scrambled information we get. In fact, without giving any major spoilers, it is made quite clear at the very end of the story that interpreting the story is the only solution we have, meaning that everything isn't laid out clearly by the end. Which once again, adds significance to Chapter 0.
    Upon finishing Suba Hibi (meaning reading End Sky 2), you will want to reread Chapter 0 since now we as readers will no longer be in Minakami Yuki's shoes as we were the first time. Throughout the whole first reading of the story, Chapter 0 was nothing but a source of questions. Upon the second time, it is our source for answers. We have the necessary knowledge to be sharing the table with Takashima Zakuro and Ayana, since this time around, like them we will also know what is going on. When Zakuro and Ayana spoke to Yuki in our first reading, it felt like the two characters with any sort knowledge of what was really going on were keeping us in the dark. They would give subtle clues, but those clues were useless at that time. In the second reading of chapter 0, as readers we are equals in knowledge to Ayana and Zakuro and can finally make use of those clues. And the VN understands this. In fact, Ayana first introduces herself in Chapter 0 by saying “It's been a while”, addressing herself not to Yuki, but to the audience. The true meaning of this remark is very apparent to a second time reader, and instantly reminds you of the conversation you had with Ayana in End Sky 2.Although in a first reading, you probably will easily disregarded this, thinking that Ayana and Yuki briefly met before, and that Yuki simply doesn't remember. And it is here where the role that Ayana and Zakuro play differ in Chapter 0.
    (Here is an upload of that entire first encounter with Ayana in Down the Rabbit Hole 1, English subtitles are available)
    When Zakuro speaks, she is speaking to Yuki the character, not us the audience. Ayana however, really speaks directly to us, the audience (in all the chapters of this story), and that “it's been a while” (久しぶり) is essentially proof of that. As you progress in the story and work through the other chapters, Takashima's role is quite different from Chapter 0's, and she is much more ignorant compared to her chapter 0 self. Ayana however, no matter what chapter you read (and therefore which character's perspective you are seeing), is the exact same. In a story so filled with inconsistency, she is always the one consistent factor. Which goes back to my first point, just as Chapter 0 and End Sky2 are separate from the main story, so is Otonashi Ayana.
    Suba Hibi is not a simple story, and it is not meant to be only enjoyed for its emotional highs and lows; it's strange beginning makes that clear. Furthermore, during the process of reading, in case you ever forget that, Ayana is always there to remind you of that fact. Especially with the appearances she makes near the climax of the story in various chapters.
    But perhaps what I love most is the use of perspective. Returning to a previous point, in your first reading of Chapter 0 you will naturally orient your own perspective with Yuki's since all the information we receive in that chapter is from her. In fact, the whole story is told from the first person perspective of various unreliable narrators. And in every chapter we will identify our understanding of things from that character's point of view.
    But by the second reading of the story, because we have a complete picture of everything, there is a dichotomy between the reader, and the protagonist's narration. An artificial feeling that we are in a third perspective emerges. Because at this point we can balance what the protagonist perceives, with an objective understanding. Which causes us to identify with out own (third person) perspective of the story, rather than submitting to the protagonist's point of view. The more the reader develops their own personal perspective of things, the more they can relate to Ayana. The one character whose role is simply to be an objective observer.
    In a first reading, conversations with Ayana seem like she is teasing the reader for how little they actually know of what is going on. But this is because in a first reading, we identify with whichever protagonist's perspective we are seeing. Ayana is teasing us the reader by teasing the character she is talking to. The more we identify with the character's point of view, the more annoying and weird Ayana seems. But the more we identify with our own perspective (meaning by having read everything already), the more Ayana feels like an equal talking to us. Since just like the reader, she is the only other objective perspective on everything.
    In fact, this brings us back to the fact that unlike a book, where a first person narrative is without dispute a first person narrative. This is a visual novel, with choices. Even with all the information presented to us is in first person, it is by nature of its medium a third person experience since we dictate the story at certain key points. And Ayana is there to remind us that we like her, are experiencing things from an objective point of view.
  25. Like
    Gibberish reacted to kivandopulus for a blog entry, VN of the Year 1991 - ELLE   
    Year 1991 was the first with monthly issues and for that reason the hardest. Let's first try to determine its prominent features for VNs:
    - Number of adult games increased greately to some 100 titles overall
    - PC-98 era arrives with mouse support and the older systems finally lose support
    - RPG percentage remains high at some 20% while ADV grows significantly to  some 50%
    - New sub-genres appear - point-and-click, quiz, board game.
    - Some games start to use action icons instead of command selection thanks to mouse use.
    - It's the last year without any government regulation. After November 1991 shoplifting incident regulations being created.
      Masterpieces of 1991:
    1. CAL II
    2. Cosmic Psycho
    3. Cybernetic Hi-School Part 4 ~Ape Hunter J~
    4. ELLE
    5. Gidyy
    6. Jesus II
    7. Nike
    8. Nostalgia 1907
    9. Psychic Detective Series Vol. 4: Orgel
    10. Psychic Detective Series Vol. 5: Nightmare
    11. Rance III - Leazas Kanraku -   Those were the games with great stories and a professional touch. And I'm biased here towards ELLE since it's the only one that got renewed version in 2000s. Otherwise it might be a serious competition.
×
×
  • Create New...