Gibberish

Guys, thank you for your answers! I completely understand you having to step aside because of life matters, as I already did something similar before. It saddens me to have few reviews, but at the same time I got happy knowing Ryechu is getting more opportunities to work, so congrats
Fred, about Symphonic Rain, that is exacly the kind of review that I would like to read before buying the game. I also have read it before, and would not want to buy it to have a bad experience.
Wouldn't be interesting to have user reviews on the website? Whenever a game was released, users could send their reviews and after analysis have them posted. Just an idea.
I usually don't comment on the website, but I do here on the forums. I remember even doing that on a recent review you posted here (though I don't recall which one, maybe Chrono Clock). I have also read pretty much all available reviews until now

From my perspective as one of the current reviewers, and speaking only for myself, not for FuwaReviews at large or Palas in particular as the head, I see a combination of factors influencing the rate at which we publish reviews (which, btw, I don't think is all that slow; we've maybe had some outlier slow months recently with only one review a month, but these things are going to be cyclical):
Reading a VN simply takes time, and we're all busy individuals doing various things. Reading a VN to review it vs. reading it for pleasure is actually a surprisingly different experience. Reading something with the intent to review it actually puts a fair bit of mental burden on me, vs. simply reading it normally, for better and worse: I spend time stepping back and assessing how I'm feeling about certain things, taking notes, constantly considering collecting screenshots, etc. All told, it's actually a fair bit less entertaining to read this way. That said, the psychological payoff of actually putting out the review and having a big public conversation with people about a game is substantial (and is the reason I do reviews). It actually takes a while to write a review. Even if you're thoughtfully preparing along the way while reading it, like I mentioned, preparing the final review takes a few hours (at least for me). Basically, choosing to do a review is signing up for a fair bit of work. We don't have all that many active reviewers. Looks like only 5 reviewers have posted something in the last 10 months? Palas recruited another reviewer fairly recently, and I myself only joined the team within the last year, so this isn't an area where we're completely stagnating, but finding interested and qualified people is not easy. To have a review, you have to have a game that people want to review. There are a ton of VNs coming out all the time, of course, but individual reviewers have their own preferences and interests, and not much incentive or desire (hopefully understandably) to review outside of things they're already interested in. And even within the bounds of those interests, things don't always work out. As an example, the Symphonic Rain HD remaster came out recently, and I picked it up with the intent of reviewing it since I really liked it back when I read the fan TL years ago. However, a couple hours in, I realized the release was sub-par in a lot of ways (backlog didn't work correctly, lots of proofing errors, translation did a poor job of capturing characterization), and I just couldn't stand the thought of sinking 40 hours into ruining my pleasant memories of a game by playing a bad release of it at that level of elevated scrutiny, just to wind up saying, "This game I loved got a sub-standard official localization and HD remaster," even though I think that's exactly the sort of review that would be great to put out there, in that it would likely create an interesting conversation. Now, all that said, I can personally say that I'm planning to pick up WagaHigh on release date and review it, since for whatever combination of reasons, it's caught my eye. I don't know how long it will take—my time is always limited—but you have my word there will be a review of it before too long after release.
I also want to add one important request, as a reviewer. If you want to support FuwaReviews, from my perspective, the best thing you can do is to make sure to comment on the reviews, in whichever venue you prefer: the tweets (retweets are always appreciated), the FuwaReviews blog posts themselves, associated forum threads, the Facebook post I guess (I've never even looked at those to see if there are comments... I probably should...). Doing reviews, for me, is an extension of why I'm on Fuwanovel in the first place: I like VNs, and I want to talk to people about them. The payoff of all that time spent reviewing a game is all in that subsequent conversation a review sparks.

I haven't actually finished a VN since Chrono Clock, and I chose not to review that in the end because of the ongoing negotiations I was party to with its publisher. Before that, last finished Himawari in January. And then Supipara last August. Ouch.
I don't have as much time as I used to for frivolously playing VNs, true, but to be honest, I also don't have quite as much drive as I used to. I still love VNs and enjoy reading them, but working on VN translation makes me want to do other shit after I mentally exhaust myself for the day.
I'm halfway through Dies Irae and I plan on finishing that eventually. Hopefully sometime this month, but maybe next month instead. I'll review it once I'm done. After that, who knows. I don't want to quit reviewing but if I'm not finishing any new releases then I'll never have anything to review. Maybe once I finish Dracu-Riot I'll binge on a few games.

I don't run FuwaReviews anymore (That's Palas), but as somebody who used to run it, I can at least shed a little light on what's going on, and explain why I stopped doing reviews in the first place:

So, for those who aren't aware, I work for quite a few different companies in the localization industry in various different roles. I won't provide that list here because you can find most/all of them by looking around. Some of these companies I started working for in the past couple years. Before that, I had a ton of connections with a lot of different devs, and I was able to get us signed up for review keys from something like a dozen companies/teams/groups/whatever you wanna call them. Some of those connections are still around today, while others have pulled out for various reasons (none of which were our fault—at least not that I'm aware of).
During that time, we had pretty consistent reviews, a great set of reviewers (many of whom are still on the team), and it was 20% thanks to our reviewers and 80% thanks to Flutterz (seriously, he edited everything for us and is amazing—10/10 would recommend) that we were able to be that blessed. Thanks to our connections, I was usually able to just be like "Hay [company] can I get key for x?" and then divvy out the keys to whoever wanted them.
Then, everybody started getting busy. A few reviewers, including myself, fell off the face of the Earth/peaced out/couldn't spend time playing VNs. It sucked. I put out a call for new reviewers and got basically nobody (except Decay—love you bae). I got slammed with school and life and official stuff, so I stepped down. Bats took over and tried to keep the ship afloat, but during this time we lost roughly half of our connections for various reason (not because of this swap, just bad timing). We attempted to pick up more reviewers, but nobody fit the bill.
We have a general process for our reviewers, which is why we had to turn down quite a few people. We try to remain unbiased (though, like any review site, it happens), and we write enough to justify our reasons. A lot of our posts are on the longer side, follow a pretty straightforward format, and give people a good idea of what to expect. We also anticipate that our writers have some mastery of the English language, so that we can get reviews edited in a timely manner. Not much to ask for: you spent two to 40+ hours playing a game, hopefully you'll be willing to spend thirty minutes to an hour writing a solid review.
So we were having problems finding reviewers. And while I say "We," I mean Bats.
Later, some "things" happened. At the time, we had a rule in place (mostly for me) that we cannot review any title we worked on. For the record, I never reviewed a title I directly worked on, and any titles I did work on had a disclaimer, especially when I was the one who got the key. It's the ethical thing to do. But, because that wasn't enough, we had to strengthen the rule to "We can't review games from a company we work/worked for." I understand why that rule is in place, but the number of companies I can do reviews for is fewer than the number of companies I can't do reviews for, so I was finished.
Bats left the VN scene completely shortly after this, and Palas stepped up. He's doing what he can, but there are a lot of roadblocks. The fact that a couple other reviewers also had restrictions placed on them caused a bit of a dead space that we still weren't able to fill because nobody applied and met the basic requirements to be a reviewer. We still have a strong team, but virtually all of us are involved with something (official, unofficial, or non-VN related) in one way or another, and it's difficult to make it work.
Would I love to run FuwaReviews again and get it back to the glory days? Yes, of course I would. But I can't. I'm too involved in the community for that to work out. Instead, I'll have to depend on somebody else, and I look forward to seeing if we can make it work out.
And maybe, one day, I'll do a JAST game review. Maybe.

I presume this is more of a question towards those, who already wrote or worked on a released game.
As some of you may know, I'm actually in the process of designing a visual novel and been working on the script for a couple past months. As much as the tools and methods I decided to use had proven to be quite fine in the beginning, it came to a point where I can no longer efficiently work due to the sheer complexity of the story itself - it's peculiar, non-standard construction, events and all the character interactions and relationships that tie them together. I also found out using a couple different tools across the production stage became rather burdensome and I'm kind of annoyed of having to switch between multiple windows, web browser and text documents in order to continue, as it is highly distracting and I often end up doing everything except focusing on the actual script.
That's why I'd like to discuss screenwriting for vn's and methods - or as we could say - different approaches to storybulding. How do you organize your work around script writing for vn's and most importantly - what is the software you use? What kind of structure do you prefer for your text-based documents? Do you had any experience working in team with other writers and how did it impact the whole creative/writing process? Do you prefer working with others or found that writing solo is a lot more comfortable, regardless whether the vn is linear or branched and with routes? What are your toughts in general?
If there's anyone who's either screenwriting/storybuilding on a daily basis, I'd love to hear what tools you use frequently or is there any actual software you're really fond of, be it web-based or standalone.
I'm considering switching from my current workflow method, as I found it to be rather unreliable and... quite messy, when things grew bigger.

Awesome timing !

After years of failed attempts, I've finally gotten past the email verification step of account registration.
 
Mostly I'm here to find short & sweet VNs to read during downtime (and lowkey promote my own project)
 
So, uh, hi

Hi everyone ! The journey is over, and at last, I can announce The Last Birdling’s release date. Here it is:



September 1st, 2017! The Last Birdling’s Steam page can now be accessed:

http://store.steampowered.com/app/629430/The_Last_Birdling/

Recently, I have started to follow upcoming games that I want to keep on my radar. If you are willing to do the same for The Last Birdling, I would be so grateful. The “follow” and “add to your wishlist” buttons are available on the Steam page. I will be active on the community board, so I hope to hang out with you there.

As the release date approaches, I plan to post a new article every week. These articles will be available on the Steam page as well as my Facebook, Tumblr and all the other usual suspects. My social media links can be found here:



http://invertmouse.com

I am thankful to those who messaged in to say they fell in love with Bimonia and Tayo after the demo. After hundreds of development hours, those two have grown lives of their own. Once the game is released, I hope their story can be shared with as many people as possible.

Thank you!

Bimonia is one of the last Birdlings alive on this earth. The Birdlings see humans as sworn enemies, and Bimonia has been taught to kill on sight.

One day, Bimonia meets Tayo, a human child hunting in the forest. Bimonia fails to kill Tayo, and they instead become friends. Mother will be furious if she finds out, or worse, this relationship may cause tension between the two races to erupt.

The Last Birdling explores Bimonia and Tayo's fight for their friendship as the world threatens to tear them apart.

* * *

Hi everyone ! I want to share with you my next project, The Last Birdling:

http://birdling.invertmouse.com

The site contains links to a demo, so I hope you can check it out! All feedback is welcome and appreciated.
Here is a link to the trailer:
 
There is always a special touch to announcing projects on Fuwa. I started this VN journey with Unhack, which I like to think grew up alongside this forum. When I look back, I realize it has been five years since this all began. Maybe a random like me has no right to boast about a five year anniversary project, but The Last Birdling is exactly that. Thank you for sticking with me through the years.



This project originated from a short story I wrote in around 2006 named The Last Dragon. Back then, a common feedback was my narrative contained too much dialogue. As a form of training, I wrote The Last Dragon to see how it would feel to write a story with no dialogue at all. This rule has been abolished in The Last Birdling, plus I have deepened the plot, and now here we are.



The Last Birdling has been in the works for over a year alongside Unhack 2. Today, I finally get to show it to you. Thanks to your years of support, I am able to fund this game without Kickstarter. While a funding campaign can be used as another source of promotion, I want to show what a difference you have made to my life. Thank you so much.



That said, the journey can be rough. Recently, I have been tempted to take options that may lead to people calling me a sellout. I love money as much as anyone else. That, plus all the hate against western projects, too. Truth be told, I almost have nothing left to give. I wanted to get all dramatic and claim the "last" in The Last Birdling means this is my final project. That was the original meaning, but I have changed my mind since then, as the love is too deep. Let's see how much longer I can be me.

To finish off, I would like to leave you with this:



Thank you everyone !

 

https://theoxfordcommaissuperiorsubs.com/2017/07/02/a-good-day-to-dracu-riot-status-update-5/

the true kamigems are the games only i know

Controversial opinion here: I for one am glad that good games are being translated.

Going to compile all AX 2017 (new licenses only) announcements in one place and I will be putting all announcements in spoilers by company. 
Aksys
Mangagamer Announcements
Sekai Project Announcements
Denpasoft Announcements
JAST USA Announcements
Frontwing Announcements
 
 
 

UPDATE 30/06/17: New Bio cards and changes:

BIO CARDS:
 












 
 
OTHER CHANGES:
-The game will have +60 CGs+BGs
-Increased ammount of Sprites
-Script increased from 56k to 60k words (minor rework to replace any bland scene with better dialogue)

Stay tuned, I'll update with more news soon.

Synopsis
Cila, a veteran cop with a sour outlook and anger issues expects nothing more from life besides the smell of ozone, blinding neon lights and the ever-present manhole steam. At least, until a shady friend replaces her broken-down housedroid as a favor.

Advanced, more efficient and remarkably perceptive, unit M.A.R.A. begins to penetrate Cila's toughened exterior and possibly even heal her new owner's old wounds – if Cila can decipher the recurring nightmare the process brings. Soon Cila and Mara forge a unique if sometimes uneasy bond.

Unbeknownst to Cila, just as her life begins to find its new normal, the technological giant Velta Labs gets wind of Mara's existence and takes a mysterious interest in the android. 

A war unlike any before it is brewing on the horizon, its players are silently being selected and one android's fate may spell the difference between peace, war, the blossoming of a new religion, or a technological singularity beyond comprehension.
>>STEAM DEMO<<
>>ITCH.IO DEMO<<

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The game is now on Steam Greenlight:
GREENLIGHT
 

Writing: Completed
Translation (English): Completed
Sprites: Being worked on
Music: Being worked on
GUI: Completed
BGs+BGs: Being worked on

1.What do you think about the story/setting so far?
2.What is your favorite character at the moment?
3. The game will not contain lewd scenes. Is that a problem for you?
4.Any comments or questions?
 
 

Seems like whenever you have a visual novel bracket popularity contest you always gotta beware the SAW

Anyway as many people were predicting by the end, Steins;Gate won the whole thing but the final was kinda close.
Here are the full final results:
Full Bracket and Results
http://www.bracketmaker.com/tmenu.cfm?&tid=467243&tclass= 
Just For Fun Results
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1lq5QcAoRrPc9Y0BcC0CsUu-wI7tK0T6H8OIbK3ND0Kc/edit?usp=sharing 
-------
Bonus Polls
Just a few things I wanted to ask for curiosity.
Question 1: How much did you like the contest?
http://www.strawpoll.me/13232241 
Question 2: Were there any matches where you voted only having seen an (anime) adaptation and not having read the original visual novel?
http://www.strawpoll.me/13218677 
 
----
Visual Novel Power Rankings (By Voting Popularity)

Based on a formula from another forum that has experience with bracket contests I found a way to get a general idea of the general popularity of each visual novel that got into the contest.

Basically we do math to get a general idea of what % of the vote a visual novel would get against the strongest entry in the contest. In this case, Steins;Gate. For simplicity sake, we'll put the strongest entrant at 50.00% just to show it's #1.
Feel free to take away these lists as a general way to point out how popular the VNs are with the voters comparatively. That said, don't take this list as the be all end all since in the end most of these are just mathematical guesstimations. Some matches could have entrants slightly lower than others beat another based on a matchup.
Here is a list of the ranking of all the visual novels.




 
----
Finally, Ultimate Loser is..
Sekien no Inganock!
Steins;Gate > Fate/Stay > Umineko > Muv-Luv > DanganRonpa 2 > Sharin no Kuni > Hoshimemo > Sekien no Inganock

Bracket and Rules
Full Bracket and Results
http://www.bracketmaker.com/tmenu.cfm?&tid=467243&tclass= 
Just For Fun Results
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1lq5QcAoRrPc9Y0BcC0CsUu-wI7tK0T6H8OIbK3ND0Kc/edit?usp=sharing 
Rules:
* Only vote once per person, please. I'll be tracking these and taking down multiple votes made by the same person.
* You don't have to vote in every match. The only mandatory field is putting in your username. Feel free to vote in all matches or almost none of them if you prefer. 
* I'd prefer in matches that you only vote as long as you know/are familiar with at least one visual novel in the match (ideally both!) before voting but I can't and won't enforce it. Just a personal preference.
* In whichever matches you decide to vote for, please vote for the one you like more!
----
Current Prediction Leaderboard
Points will be added as entrants win a Group of 16. For the first few rounds everyone will be at 0 points. 
To view the current leaderboard as of Semi-Finals results, CLICK HERE
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Bnb-gTdJLjYbtzRsCgOvoEz_gklMDwPn1Cww2Yi9oN8/edit?usp=sharing 
---
Where to Vote for Visual Novels
To vote for the visual novels in the Finals, CLICK HERE
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfP5V0ih4YJkfOxb9Mzk2jtvAibwBdVJMD3meEDMOaaQ8NG9Q/viewform?usp=sf_link 
Vote on!

Well, a VN in my top 5 is gonna win regardless, so i'm happy.

We brought on a regular of /r/visualnovels, veleon on to be our guest.
In this episode we talked about various Major VN genres (Action, Comedy, Drama, Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Mystery, Horror, Romance). It was a rather freeform but fun episode with a few tangents.
You can listen to/download episode 5 here:
http://thebroadcast.club/2017/06/15/episode-5-visual-novel-genres/
You can support us by following us on Twitter!
https://twitter.com/VNBroadcastClub

Why does it feel more and more like "The most popular Visual Novel contest"?

Heya, I figure I would share with you guys a special run of my Katawa Shoujo LP with Hanako's BETA Path.  This was put together by a friend of mine named Xaddgx!  The music is slightly different, Hanako's personality develops more in this one.  It's worth a look if you want to compare & contrast things between this route and her original!
I have also completed Hanako's original Path and Emi's Path too on my channel if you want to watch those.  
PS: I do apologize for the video coming out EXTREMELY large!  I don't know how to size it down on this particular forum.  If a staff member wants to shrink it down go ahead.  >.<;

YAYAYAYAYAAYAYAYA!!! I FINALLY HAVE IT!! I HAVE IT!! MY BACHELOR DEGREE IN...GENDER STU... jk jk i finally have my bachelor degree in Electronics & Telecommunications. This is the best day in my life, period!!!!
 
 
!!!!YAYAYAYAYAYAYA!!!