Hey, everyone

[Alxariam]

Hey! My name is Alxariam... but I guess you already knew that. I'm currently in my 2nd semester of college working on my Game Programming degree.

I'm not too good at this "introduction" business, so bear with me while I jump from topic to topic. I've been reading visual novels since early October. I, like many others, started with Katawa Shoujo. Katawa Shoujo was great, but I think it just piqued my interest more than anything once I had finished it. After I dug around Google for another one to read (which was really hard to do when I didn't even know what a "visual novel" was), I started to play Saya no Uta. It was really mind-blowing to me that something like Saya no Uta even existed, considering how brutal it's content was. I loved every second of it (except the H-scenes), but it ended just as I was getting hooked. Like a junky looking for my next fix, I immediately resumed my search and chose Little Busters! as my next one. I think that was probably the point of no return for me. Little Busters! blew me away in all the best ways. I came, I saw, I even cried "a little" there at the end. After that, it's just been one long, uninterrupted chain of visual novel after visual novel.

I'm also interested in learning Japanese at my own pace by attempting to translate visual novels, but I'm not even started on that yet. I don't expect it to go smoothly at all, but I think I'll manage after some blood, sweat, and tears.

After going this far, I figured it was time to get involved in the community in some way... and that's when I found Fuwanovel and decided to make an introduction post! I'm looking forward to getting to know you guys. See you around!

[Supah Kawaii Weeaboo]

Welcome to the forum.

After that, it's just been one long, uninterrupted chain of visual novel after visual novel.

Please keep in mind that at some point, you'll reach a moment where the "honeymoon" is over. You will have a time when you've seen too many similar stores/games, or find that one VN with poor writing, design, or some other factor. I say this because I've had this happen quite a few times in my various fandoms.

I'm also interested in learning Japanese at my own pace by attempting to translate visual novels, but I'm not even started on that yet. I don't expect it to go smoothly at all, but I think I'll manage after some blood, sweat, and tears.

If you are able to help the translation community, then politely ask some active groups or companies. Let them know what skills you have, and let them know that you're able to offer time, commitment, and feedback.

If you have time, passion, and interest, consider creating your own VN. There are several useful freeware programs (including Ren'py and Novelty Maker) to help you write. If you need assistance with art, music, and playtesting, then make sure to ask for assistance.

[Alxariam]

Please keep in mind that at some point, you'll reach a moment where the "honeymoon" is over. You will have a time when you've seen too many similar stores/games, or find that one VN with poor writing, design, or some other factor. I say this because I've had this happen quite a few times in my various fandoms.

I've more or less hit that already. I'm nowhere close to the pace I used to be. Rather than burning through one VN at an absurd pace, I bounce back and forth between 4 or 5 at a time depending on my mood.

If you are able to help the translation community, then politely ask some active groups or companies. Let them know what skills you have, and let them know that you're able to offer time, commitment, and feedback.

While I'm interested in this, I feel like I don't HAVE any skills to contribute at the moment. I'm a programmer, but my skillset is pretty minuscule. I also don't have any much knowledge in the translation category.

[Kygrykhon]

Welcome to Fuwanovel~

Game programming was my childhood dream, but now I don't even know if I'm really into it right now. I just don't really know what I'm actually good at, you see.

Yeah, you'll find nice people here. The first time I was here I was warmly welcomed and thus I liked it here.

[Tay]

I'm currently in my 2nd semester of college working on my Game Programming degree...Katawa Shoujo was great, but I think it just piqued my interest more than anything once I had finished it. ...After that, it's just been one long, uninterrupted chain of visual novel after visual novel. ... and that's when I found Fuwanovel and decided to make an introduction post! I'm looking forward to getting to know you guys. See you around!

Welcome! Great to have you with us.

Katawa Shoujo... that was my first game as well, and I loved it. I remember really well the frustration of trying to google "Games like Katawa Shoujo" and finding visual novels. My search, like yours, ultimately led me here, and I'm forever grateful for it. This is a great community, and we hope you have fun.

With your experience playing VNs, do you have a favorite yet?

[Steve]

Firstly, Hello and welcome to fuwanovel.

Little Busters! blew me away in all the best ways. I came, I saw, I even cried "a little" there at the end.

A little????? You don't have to be ashamed, we all cried a river multiple times during that VN xD

Haruka route OMG, cried for like half an hour or how long the final ending was xD

Actually I have to thank to VNs, I only started about a year ago with Anime and VNs and it was the first time I cried after a very long time. Maybe even like 8 years when I cried because I was beaten or something. I didn't really cried during break ups with girls, I was more like angry or something.

And then I started with Anime and VNs and it got me so much I just wanted to play them just to cry xD Nukiges are my favorites for sure.

[Alxariam]

A little????? You don't have to be ashamed, we all cried a river multiple times during that VN xD

Haruka route OMG, cried for like half an hour or how long the final ending was xD

Actually I have to thank to VNs, I only started about a year ago with Anime and VNs and it was the first time I cried after a very long time. Maybe even like 8 years when I cried because I was beaten or something. I didn't really cried during break ups with girls, I was more like angry or something.

And then I started with Anime and VNs and it got me so much I just wanted to play them just to cry xD Nukiges are my favorites for sure.

Thank you!

Fine, fine... I pretty much bawled. I was teary for Masato's farewell, sobbing for Kendo's, then continued like that long after Kyousuke's. I also pretty much never cried before Little Busters, so I figured it was special... then I played Clannad.

Welcome! Great to have you with us.

Katawa Shoujo... that was my first game as well, and I loved it. I remember really well the frustration of trying to google "Games like Katawa Shoujo" and finding visual novels. My search, like yours, ultimately led me here, and I'm forever grateful for it. This is a great community, and we hope you have fun.

With your experience playing VNs, do you have a favorite yet?

Thanks! I don't think I even heard the term "visual novel" until I was already playing Little Busters. I somehow lucked into my VN discoveries until then. As for my favorite... I'd have to go with Majikoi. I haven't finished it yet (the wait is killing me), but I just can't find a single complaint with any of the already translated routes. Second would probably be a tie between the Muv-Luv saga and Cross Channel. I've got a thing for unorthodox protagonists.

Welcome to Fuwanovel~

Game programming was my childhood dream, but now I don't even know if I'm really into it right now. I just don't really know what I'm actually good at, you see.

Yeah, you'll find nice people here. The first time I was here I was warmly welcomed and thus I liked it here.

Game programming was actually my second choice. I spent a year in a really good music conservatory to try and get a performance degree, but I ended up realizing it was more of a hobby to me. Now I'm learning all these different languages for my classes, and I'm just absolutely terrible at it. I'm really enjoying it though, and I'm getting better the more I do it.

I agree. After I looked through old posts and found a post where Aaeru says "For the normal fans and fan translators out there, we needed a place to talk about visual novel translations without fearing being looked down on (we are all learners). You can translate. And we celebrate fan translation. And no you don't have to start as a superhuman. You can get help here. And no people here won't look down on you. ", I knew I'd found the right place.

[meru]

Hi & welcome to the forums! That's awesome that you're studying programming, it's something I've always been interested in but never learnt. I studied Japanese at university, so if you ever have any questions on translation I can try and help Aeru's written a great post on learning Japanese to play vn, but I can't find it right now, her wordpress seems to have been deleted :/ I'll let you know if I find it!