Luckily that's only for the Chinese version and Nekonyan is publishing the English one. They also tend to put their games on literally any store that will take it as well.
Community The Visual Novel Council | All Choices Lead To Here
- Thread starter Ascheroth
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Aniplex can be fine tbh, Cloverworks did a decent enough job with the FGO babylonia anime with good production quality.Aniplex and not ufotable?
Ufotable would be the best though.
been continuing to blitz through Muramasa, finished chapter 3 now
not really sure what exactly I was expecting out of this but flawless pacing wasn't one of those things
so far that's my main thought on it though, the slower bits have all contained interesting worldbuilding and while the combat bits at times have felt like they've gone on a bit too long even in those the more cerebral(for lack of a better term) description style in them has made them click with me in a way combat scenes in media usually doesn't
not really sure what exactly I was expecting out of this but flawless pacing wasn't one of those things
so far that's my main thought on it though, the slower bits have all contained interesting worldbuilding and while the combat bits at times have felt like they've gone on a bit too long even in those the more cerebral(for lack of a better term) description style in them has made them click with me in a way combat scenes in media usually doesn't
I really like the way Narahara goes into detail with his fight scenes. Swordfighting is described in a way that is very unlike most media, especially in some chapters of Muramasa and especially in Hanachirasu where there could be several minutes of description and anticipation in it's build up when the fights might end after one swing. The man really has a fascination for sword fighting techniques that I can really only admire.
One of the things I mentioned was how it's very large, yet distinctive and colorful cast of characters bounce off each other so well. Despite the length, I never found the conversations getting stale or repetitive (besides one character later on), whether they're world/character building or a fun comedy scene.
Even though the musha combat is pretty hype (Whilst Sword Arts III playing in the background), there's a certain intensity to ground combat that I really like despite they are just standing still most of the time.
I assume you're referring to Professor Wolf? His shtick got old fast.
Yes. You'd be hard pressed to find a person that disagrees, which is a shame because his role in the story was good.I assume you're referring to Professor Wolf? His shtick got old fast.
Sucks this is where we're at with Steam as a platform. At least the changes are very minor and ironically enough, it's actually the original rewrite's CGs they're using in lieu of rewrite+ and they're offering refunds for people as well. Personally I think it's a little much, but at least it's in good faith by Sekai since they technically did take people's money for it already as a KS.
Of course the crazy "boycott steam" crowd is gonna show out in full force by not buying the game thinking their cause is gonna do anything besides kill the VNs they supposedly want to support.
I'll never understand the anger over minuscule changes across 3 whole CGs in a 100hr VN. As if the integrity of the story has been severely compromised.
I have my misgivings with Steam as a platform for VNs as much as the next VN developer who pours dozens of hours over cutting up a product to fit Steam's arbitrary restrictions, just for Steam to still say no to them. But boycotting it ain't the move people think it is, especially when there's no alternatives to supporting the release.I'll never understand the anger over minuscule changes across 3 whole CGs in a 100hr VN. As if the integrity of the story has been severely compromised.
Steam as a platform does not care for 99% of the content that is submitted for this medium. Boycotting it does nothing but hurt the developers themselves. VNs are quite literally a drop in the ocean to Steam's profits.
Why is it that Steam is such a poor platform for VN releases? Keep seeing more and more stories of titles getting rejected or similar
Steam doesn't really care for VNs and it's kinda hard to deny there's a certain bias against the medium when it comes to what they accept when you see some of the gross shit that's made it onto the store, yet all-ages titles will get rejected because it's in a high school. Steam's visibility, developer/user accessibility, and features are very nice to have though which is what makes this situation much more annoying. It only takes looking at the recent Mangagamer results charts to see how important Steam still is to the medium for most devs. They wouldn't go through all this effort to alienate part of their vocal audience by spending resources on making all these changes if it wasn't worth it.
That's not to say that I think every title should be a free for all, as much as I like it I'm absolutely not out here parroting for something like dohna dohna on Steam (though it'd be kinda raw), but rejecting something like Meteor World Actor because one of the young adult heroines is more on the petite side is just wild.
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Considering how instrumental Steam has been to the relative explosion in popularity of the genre in the west, it's sad to see them take stances like this
I mean it is what it is. I sympathize a lot with the devs because not only do they have spend time/money to make these kind of changes last second, now they have to deal with the dozens or so insane censorship fans who will spam every discord/reddit/twitter/steam forum with posts, and most of whom probably weren't planning to buy the game in the first place anyway as per usual with that subsection of the crowd.
At least in this case SP is allowing refunds, so if they were one of the backers and don't like it just simply get your refund and move on.
It is a tough situation all around because I think some members of the VN community greatly downplay the risks of how certain content could have disastrous effects on Steam and to the broader VN medium if it is picked up in a news cycle. That said, it can easily be argued that some of that content is already there on Steam, but Valve has the ability to say, "at least we tried," which can sometimes be better than having nothing to say.
I completely sympathize with developers and publishers who have to deal with inconsistencies in approvals and I do think Valve should not take such a hardline stance as to allow no second reviews (there has been at least one instance a game was mistakenly flagged and banned). That said, I am just not really sure what the answer is that solves the issues without creating more issues.
I completely sympathize with developers and publishers who have to deal with inconsistencies in approvals and I do think Valve should not take such a hardline stance as to allow no second reviews (there has been at least one instance a game was mistakenly flagged and banned). That said, I am just not really sure what the answer is that solves the issues without creating more issues.
The one that bums me most still to this day is definitely Kara No Shoujo 2. Oh, how I adore Innocent Grey's works. And especially the KnS series as I love detective stories... but it just seems so... flip-floppy to allow 1 and than not 2. And honestly I believe the Steam ban of 2 severely hampered or wrecked any chances of 3 getting picked up by MG. I can't imagine the Innocent Grey licenses are cheap with their production values... 
So I'm continuing to read Umineko Question Arcs. While I enjoyed the first episode, my enthusiasm for it started to wane in the second. Now that I'm a good bit into the third episode, I'm increasingly unsure whether I'll pick up the Answer Arcs....
It's billed as a mystery novel, but it kind of seems like the cat's out of the bag by the second episode. What I enjoyed about Higurashi was trying to formulate theories about what could be happening, but there seemingly isn't really much space for that in Umineko because just about everything appears to be possible by virtue of the themes of the novel. If I had to guess, in the Answer Arcs I'll learn more about how awful Kinzo is and that, as messed up as Beatrice is, he is the true villain or something along those lines, because presumably there has to be some bait and switch regarding Beatrice. And if in fact it all turns out to be some hallucinogenic fantasy, that brings me back to it being unpredictable to a degree that isn't compelling to me, personally.
Aside from that, I had my issues with Higurashi's repetitive structure, but Umineko has been more difficult to read because it will literally repeat almost word for word things that happened in a previous episode and generally just keeps circling back around ideas, events and concepts that have already been voiced, explained or otherwise explored. It's become tiring having to go over the same things.
I can see the appeal of Umineko, and there are lots of things I like about it, but it feels like it's asking too much of the reader while giving too little. If there is some kind of payoff later, I would still not be entirely sure if it will have been worth the word count for something as pulpy as this story. I already feel like a significant portion of the novel could have been cut to get to point sooner. I'm also aware that this is the Question Arcs and it won't be until Answers that things will start coming together, but there isn't really a narrative thread that I find worth thinking about too deeply (because of the unpredictability seeded by the story), which I would've liked to at least keep me going during Questions.
I'm not entirely sure why I didn't bounce off the same way with Higurashi since it has similar issues and narrative devices. I think it's because each chapter has a more satisfying beginning and end, and while the overall mystery is similarly left open, it is more bounded.
Edit: ALSO, moment of frustration: why are none of these chuckleheads trying to figure out the witch's epitaph. My disbelief has been unsuspended and thoroughly crashed into the sea already. They hinted at it earlier in the third episode, but then the story went off on a completely different tangent. Hopefully it circles back :')
It's billed as a mystery novel, but it kind of seems like the cat's out of the bag by the second episode. What I enjoyed about Higurashi was trying to formulate theories about what could be happening, but there seemingly isn't really much space for that in Umineko because just about everything appears to be possible by virtue of the themes of the novel. If I had to guess, in the Answer Arcs I'll learn more about how awful Kinzo is and that, as messed up as Beatrice is, he is the true villain or something along those lines, because presumably there has to be some bait and switch regarding Beatrice. And if in fact it all turns out to be some hallucinogenic fantasy, that brings me back to it being unpredictable to a degree that isn't compelling to me, personally.
Aside from that, I had my issues with Higurashi's repetitive structure, but Umineko has been more difficult to read because it will literally repeat almost word for word things that happened in a previous episode and generally just keeps circling back around ideas, events and concepts that have already been voiced, explained or otherwise explored. It's become tiring having to go over the same things.
I can see the appeal of Umineko, and there are lots of things I like about it, but it feels like it's asking too much of the reader while giving too little. If there is some kind of payoff later, I would still not be entirely sure if it will have been worth the word count for something as pulpy as this story. I already feel like a significant portion of the novel could have been cut to get to point sooner. I'm also aware that this is the Question Arcs and it won't be until Answers that things will start coming together, but there isn't really a narrative thread that I find worth thinking about too deeply (because of the unpredictability seeded by the story), which I would've liked to at least keep me going during Questions.
I'm not entirely sure why I didn't bounce off the same way with Higurashi since it has similar issues and narrative devices. I think it's because each chapter has a more satisfying beginning and end, and while the overall mystery is similarly left open, it is more bounded.
Edit: ALSO, moment of frustration: why are none of these chuckleheads trying to figure out the witch's epitaph. My disbelief has been unsuspended and thoroughly crashed into the sea already. They hinted at it earlier in the third episode, but then the story went off on a completely different tangent. Hopefully it circles back :')
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In fairness to Umineko, it does evolve past its very repetitive structure after the 3rd chapter which I consider the lowest point in the VN, but these were problems I still largely had with the story even after finishing it and kinda ultimately soured the very significant amount of time I spent with it. I'd definitely see the Question Arc through at least, then go from there on whether to finish it.
On the plus side, my favorite character only gets introduced in Answer Arc so
It’s actually a little funny, after I wrote all that I kept reading and finally some meaningful development happened in episode 3, which drew me back in a little. By and large, my issues are still present, but at least it feels like the plot isn’t at a standstill anymore.
Relevant: what is it about visual novels and Schrodinger’s cat. It feels like it’s almost obligatory as a plot device or, if not that, at least be referenced in passing. I think it’s been in almost every VN I’ve read.
I’ll keep reading the rest of the Question Arcs and see where I stand by the end of it. I feel like, even if I end up changing my mind and enjoying the direction it goes, the sheer length and amount of padding that’s probably ahead will still make Answers a difficult proposition.
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for what it's worth I kinda felt the same way about the first couple episodes and the start of the third(I actually bounced off it to the point where I stopped for a few months after I finished episode 2 because it all just felt too over the top) but by the end of the third one I was more or less sold on it
it is SUPER long though yeah(I think I spent like 100-150 hours or so on the 8 episodes combined) so even if it does click there will be moments where you're questioning if it's all worth it but I do feel like it got to the point where overall it was
on another note I finished chapter 4 of Muramasa earlier and had my first stumble of sorts with the pacing of it, that fight scene could have done with being a bit shorter(was still enjoyable overall though even if I did feel the need to stop for the day in the middle of it because it was just too long)
Apparently, Rewrite+ save data files is included in the depot. This means that if you use the verify files integrity feature in the Steam client, it will overwrite your own saved data. This is a major bug.
github.com
[Rewrite+][Fixed-7930320] Do not use Validation* on steam ! · sekaiproject game-bug-reports · Discussion #28
Using verify integrity on your steam will cause the steam to dl 4 of the save files and override your progress. (but not your save files) Tested with new game file run for awhile and validate. Stea...
github.com
I've decided to finish Fate before starting Muramasa.
I've finished the second playthrough and started the last one.
I'm not sold, honestly.
I started reading it because how popular it is and I wanted to watch the Fate/Zero anime that seems really good.
I like the basic idea of using legends/heroes and keeping their identity a secret and all that stuff (also, I can see how Fate /Grand Order is a success, the basic premise of the VN is actually a gatcha system, lol).
It's like, I like the idea of it, but not much the execution (for now).
I'll write some more with spoilers to be sure:
I don't know, maybe I'm not in the mood for it, but I just don't feel it like other acclaimed VNs.
I've finished the second playthrough and started the last one.
I'm not sold, honestly.
I started reading it because how popular it is and I wanted to watch the Fate/Zero anime that seems really good.
I like the basic idea of using legends/heroes and keeping their identity a secret and all that stuff (also, I can see how Fate /Grand Order is a success, the basic premise of the VN is actually a gatcha system, lol).
It's like, I like the idea of it, but not much the execution (for now).
I'll write some more with spoilers to be sure:
- All the premise of heroes that need to keep their identity secret because knowing it would lead to know their vulnerabilities it's basically never used in practice. What counts more is actually the class of the hero, the identity explains the "ultimate weapon/noble phantasm" but not any particular vulnerability.
- I can't stand Shirou. I can't stand how sexist is the first arc when on every occasion it's like "saber shouldn't do this or that BECAUSE IT'S A GIRL A MY JOB IS TO PROTECT HER, BECAUSE EVEN IF SHE'S FUCKING KING ARTHUR SHE'S ALSO A WOMAN!!11!
- Following point 2, I'm probably stupid, but I don't get the "message" of shirou's story. Like, the people around him are right, he's living in a fantasy and his ideal is naive. Then, we get to the second arc where he sees his future self and admit to his naiveness, just to be like "SO WHAT? FUCK YOU I'M DOING IT ANYWAY".
- The pacing. I don't like it. I don't like how we constantly go from an awesome fight to "shirou is cooking something", "omg she's so beautiful" and "it's morning so nobody will do nothing, let's pretend we're not at war".
For point 3 I'd recommend waiting until finishing Heaven's Feel for the full context of Shirou's character arc. It doesn't make sense because you've roughly only seen 40% of it as Heaven's Feel is significantly more focused on challenging that hero's ideology and how Shirou will adapt, where he's kinda just there in Fate and still pretty naive by the end of it, and UBW was only there to establish his heroic beliefs and show him where it would ultimately get him.
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Worst case, if the pacing of the VN really wrecks it for you... The anime adaptations are top tier. Well the Studio deen rendition of Fate isn't too hot, but you already read that one so...
You can get all the plot with some extras (since lore and whatnot has been expanded tremendously since the franchise took off) in way less time. Honestly even as a massive Type-Moon nerd, I don't recommend the original VN at all. It's been left behind real bad, it;s kinda a novelty at this point for people interested in the roots of things I guess.
And I say this as someone who read F/SN start to finish twice. PC and later updated Vita versions.
You can get all the plot with some extras (since lore and whatnot has been expanded tremendously since the franchise took off) in way less time. Honestly even as a massive Type-Moon nerd, I don't recommend the original VN at all. It's been left behind real bad, it;s kinda a novelty at this point for people interested in the roots of things I guess.
And I say this as someone who read F/SN start to finish twice. PC and later updated Vita versions.
Double post but here be the NekoNyan version of Hello Lady~~
The thing is, for English speakers, MM's localisation of F/SN has really shown its age, especially when compared to recent fan localisation projects which have improved a lot, not to mention competent official localisation of the spinoff games.
There is a recent retranslation effort from one of Hollow Moon's crew members, but only the Fate route is released so far and I haven't read it myself so I can't speak for its quality.
The thing about the original TL is that from a translation standpoint it's actually still quite good. It was translated by a native JP speaker so it is fairly accurate to the JP script. However, since this person is ESL (and admitted at the time that their english was very bad), it's a very very stiff read. For a long time people blamed Nasu's prose without really knowing better. But that isn't to say that a combination of F/SN being him very early in his writing career + his weird prose wasn't a factor.
But to get back to the point, i've seen the comparisons and it's definitely a pretty significant upgrade from a readability point. It won't fix the bad pacing that exists throughout the VN, especially in the Heaven's Feel route. But it sure makes Shirou seem like much less of an idiot when he breaks out into his inner dialogues.
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I'm a bit curious myself so I might give it a read during the holidays .... If I can finish this damn monster tome of a VN first (Grisaia)
I'm a bit curious myself so I might give it a read during the holidays .... If I can finish this damn monster tome of a VN first (Grisaia)
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First game on sale for 50% off. Buying things such a pain in the ass on Johren but what can u do.
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Crying into your keyboard at 2am on Xmas night is a celebration like any other.
I suppose it's time to buy this thing. I can't even remember what my DMM password was since it was forever ago since I bought anything from them.
I don't understand, there was another one on steam right ? I can't find any trace of it. What was it called again ?
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First game on sale for 50% off. Buying things such a pain in the ass on Johren but what can u do.
The first game, just called Meteor World Actor, is not on Steam. It was rejected multiple times, i believe 4 times according to Shiravune's own Robert. Badge & Dagger is a (somewhat short) sequel taking place after the ending of the 1st. Note that this is the 2nd part of a planned trilogy, the 3rd not yet out in JP.
The first game is on sale for 50% off here - Find the best Porn games only on Johren! Play online for free | Johren
Johren, but this is one of their few releases with no DRM, so you don't have to worry about any issues with installing/reinstalling it.
Speaking of DMM, just a heads up that WA2 is on sale atm for 30% on the DMM store until January 13th.Crying into your keyboard at 2am on Xmas night is a celebration like any other.
I suppose it's time to buy this thing. I can't even remember what my DMM password was since it was forever ago since I bought anything from them.
This really has to be one of, if not, the best year for english VN fans. We were so blessed with releases this year.
It's a shame the Johren store is what it is, because they've picked up quite a few great titles recently and their holiday sale is actually very impressive considering how recent a lot of those titles are. I'm all for more stores with how rejection happy Steam can be about VNs, but a store that's a pain in the ass to use with my CC on outside of buying coins on an external site with my paypal and transferring it over to Johren + arbitrary and restrictive DRM? Like using DMM proper shouldn't be an easier and smoother experience than using their Western release site...
Edit: just an fyi that the White Album 2 MAS (mini-after stories) aren't TLed yet, but the Todokanai fanTL group is planning to do them. They do also seem pretty important to the experience as well for people that might wanna hold off. Then again WA2 on it's own is like a 80+ hour VN including all 3 parts of it so for me at least it'll probably be done by the time i finish reading it considering Muramasa's 90+ hours took me 4 months lol.
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All entries in the VNDB top 10 are now finally available in English. Muramasa is climbing, and aiming to unseat Umineko (although if WA2's localisation is good, it will be challenged soon enough.) 
Muramasa's skyrocketed quite a bit since it's EN release where I think it was below Higurashi previously. Though if any title has the chance to eclipse all of these, it'll absolutely be Rance XAll entries in the VNDB top 10 are now finally available in English. Muramasa is climbing, and aiming to unseat Umineko (although if WA2's localisation is good, it will be challenged soon enough.)
Got a few others above this on the priority list but this'll be my 2022 project. Very easy to setup though and works flawlessly with the DMM version I installed.
One thing I noticed last night -- when using Lossless Scaling, the FMVs didn't scale to full screen. It stays at 720p. It scaled properly when using the game's own fullscreen mode, however. The tradeoff is that it is not as sharp when compared to Lossless Scaling, though.
I opted to use Magpie for it and it worked great.
original:
upscaled with magpie:
works for the FMVs as well surpisingly
ACNet (RCAS) I noticed gave me the best results without looking too "filtered" if you kinda know what I mean
Yeah, I only really got it to work using something like Chrome Remote Desktop and even then it occasionally bugs out.
Every now and again I check on the reddit for news and god this is just fucking insane (from the admin of the VN reddit). Why do VN fans gotta be so weird.
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Magpie? Aren't those them birds what swooped my former boyfriend and his schoolmates down in Australia? Lil' dive bombers he said they were.