No.7596[Last 50 Posts]
Let's have a thread dedicated to visual novel discussion! Japanese or not.
Resources:
https://vndb.org No.7603
A poster from the
https://fujochan.org/ot/res/2624.html thread reminded me that I planned to check out Dies irae a long time ago, but never got to it.
No.7606
>>7604kek
Where would the rest of Paradise characters fit?
No.7607
>>7606Takara could probably figure out the culprit because of how many connections and inside info he would have, everyone else is same as Matsuda they ain’t figuring out shit.
No.7615
>>7614>how is the situation with the fan-translated/untranslated ones? Do groups even translate all-ages versions of eroge?I think it's a case-by-case deal and it depends on the translation group/the version of the VN they're translating
I was playing the fan translation for SNOW ~Plus Edition~ and there was an option to censor H scenes.
But knowing how hung up some people in the scene are about censoring, I imagine most would opt to release +18 versions only
No.7616
>>7614Do you mean Tokyo Necro specifically, or eroge/bishoujo in general? There are a LOT of all-ages eroge with English translations, but as you acknowledged, most of those are on Steam. As for fan translations of all-ages games, that is a bit more uncommon (although there are examples where you can disable the sex scenes, like with the Fate/Stay Night fan TL). In general, your best bet is to look for VNs that have an all-ages version that adds something to the original or was released on consoles (Like the Realta Nua version of Fate, Dies Irae, AIR etc). It could also help to look at the "in-game sexual content toggle" and "only avoidable sexual content" tags. While it's rare, there are some games that have the sex scenes entirely detached from the story, like with Eden*. It's a small example, but as far as I'm aware, Baldr Force only has a fan TL of the all-ages version; I don't think there's a way to read the 18+ version in English.
There are also some Bishoujo games that never had sexual content to begin with, but I don't know if that's still in the realm of what you want.
No.7617
>>7614You're reminding me of that period of time when I'd read popular mass-recommended VNs like Muv luv and G-senjou no maou for the plot and then when I reached sex scenes I just mashed Enter until they were over.
No.7618
>>7617>Muv luv Is this ride worth it? It's been in my backlog forever.
No.7619
>>7618I'd like to say yes but my situation is a little unusual because I've only completed the first two Muv-luv story arcs. At some point while I was playing Alternative my copy consistently crashed during a certain scene and I couldn't get past it. Back then I never hunted down another cracked copy and just gave up on it but at some point once it came to steam I got it on sale and it's in my library now awaiting a moment when I feel like finally completing it. I enjoyed what I played but I never reached the ending of Alternative so I can't judge it based on the whole package.
No.7621
>>7614>Tokyo necroLet me know what you think anona, I've been really interested into hat title for a while
No.7622
>>7615>>7616Thanks a lot! (I meant eroge/bishoujo in general.)
>was released on consolesDo those version ever make it to the fan translation scene? I think nobody even bothers to crack them.
>Baldr Force only has a fan TL of the all-ages versionThat's interesting. How did this happen? I know it's more of an /m/ title, so maybe that's a contributing factor.
>>7621Okay, once I find the time. I've started it, but the sleaziness is somehow off-putting - I wouldn't expect characters in a professional setting behaving like that right from the start. Plus I've learnt the female MC is a lesbian (not even bi) and doesn't have any romance with the male MC at all - that crushed me and I've somehow lost the interest to continue.
No.7625
>>7618NAYRT but I'm a huge fan of Muv-Luv, and I wanted to give my (very biased) opinion. It's one of the best VNs I've read, but your enjoyment is entirely contingent upon how tolerant you are of VN bullshit like infodumping and fanservice. Muv-Luv's appeal comes from how it takes your typical slice-of-life rom-com and then throws its characters into a war drama. Like, imagine if the Lucky Star girls got thrown into All Quiet on the Western Front, and took it 100% seriously. There are so many tropes that are either defied or used in a more grounded fashion,
there's a lore reason why the cast is 90% female, and it makes sense. You're probably familiar with the premise, but Extra has fantastic foreshadowing, and there are bits that will go over your head until you've finished the trilogy. The military, sci-fi, alternate history, and mecha parts are great. It felt like the writer had a vision for a war story, but because he worked for a company that made galge, he had to fit it under that genre. It's a strange combination, but when you see the pink-haired catgirl lying on the ground with a sniper rifle, you don't question it. The BETA are also handled in a unique manner, especially when you finally realize WHY they're invading. It's still one of my favorite reasons for aliens to come to Earth, alongside Roadside Picnic. Also, I don't want to spoil my favorite section of the game, but MLA deals with the
multiple universes in a way that makes you go, "oh shit," when you realize how bad things are. This whole trilogy is one big "oh shit" moment.
The biggest negative is the prequels' debatable quality. I liked Extra because it's stupid and funny, but when I hit Unlimited, I thought, "is that it?" It felt like a standard VN with a military coat of paint. Do not be fooled. Unlimited is NOT representative of Alternative. Additionally, the h-scenes are bad BAD. One in particular actively detracts from the story in a terrible way. Even with the scenes removed, it still feels like an eroge. I'll warn you that while people love MLA, the game filters for people who WILL like it. If you're the kind of person who would sit through Extra and Unlimited, you're the kind of person who would like Alternative. It's difficult to find people with good criticisms of MLA, not because it's flawless, but because the people who could've made those criticisms have better things to do than read a 950,000 word trilogy they don't enjoy.
Sorry this post is long when you asked a one-sentence question. I'm sure there's a nona on here with a negative experience to match my positive one, but Muv-Luv accomplishes something special. Muv-Luv is not my favorite VN, but if I had to pick a VN to represent the medium, it would be my choice.
No.7628
>>7625>Muv-Luv accomplishes something special. Muv-Luv is not my favorite VN, but if I had to pick a VN to represent the medium, it would be my choice.Maybe I'm talking out of my ass here but I feel like under the right circumstances it could've taken off to the extent that Fate did but for whatever reason it didn't quite get there. At least that's the impression I've gotten cause last time I heard about this franchise in the wild is when youtube recs showed me a video about a Muv-luv gacha that imploded in record time.
No.7629
>>7628>it could've taken off to the extent that Fate did but for whatever reason it didn't quite get thereI am also talking out of my ass, but I think it has to do with accessibility and target audience. While Fate is of a similar length, I think it feels less intimidating when each route of FSN is pretty decent, and you get exactly what you expected. Meanwhile, people interested in the war drama aspect of Muv-Luv have to tolerate two VNs in a completely different genre before getting to the 'good part.' Additionally, prior to Fate, TYPE-MOON had created Tsukihime and related VNs; Fate is not terribly different tonally or thematically from Tsukihime, so if you like Tsukihime, you'll like Fate. Meanwhile, although age was no stranger to darker themes, they didn't venture into "war drama
utsuge with alien invasion and extensive science and military minutiae" territory before MLA. Kiminozo and KimiIta are their most famous titles prior to Muv-Luv, in my opinion, and while Extra and Unlimited fit with these two tonally, Alternative doesn't. I once read that a lot of Extra/Unlimited fans were disappointed by Alternative when it initially released in Japan, probably because it's entirely linear and
it doesn't have a happy ending. We take Muv-Luv's premise for granted now, but it was unexpected when it released; age probably alienated some of their core audience with it. Finally, Fate got another huge boost from its good anime adaptation. It helps that FSN is not horribly difficult to adapt if you just focus on one route instead of whatever Studio Deen was trying to do. Muv-Luv is far from impossible to adapt, but it would take a lot of patience and more time than what was afforded to Fate (the UBW anime is 26 episodes and adapts 1/3 of Fate in a complete and satisfactory story, whereas a Muv-Luv anime would need to adapt the whole thing in one go or else it wouldn't make sense).
>last time I heard about this franchise in the wild is when youtube recs showed me a video about a Muv-luv gacha that imploded in record time.Don't forget about the godawful 2021-2022 anime adaptation that speedran the first 2 VNs in the series and threw uninitiated people into Alternative with absolutely no context while also alienating the VN's audience by changing the character designs, voice actors, and music into something that is objectively inferior to the VN's! Being a Muv-Luv fan is suffering.
No.7639
>>7622I forgot to mention in my previous post, but I think the Kikokugai all-ages version also got a fan TL, as well!
>Do those version ever make it to the fan translation scene?Yes! While it's kind of a moot point now that FSN has an official release, the Realta Nua version (originally for PS2 iirc) was the basis for the fan patch that let you toggle sexual content, as well as get the additional scenes from that version (Realta Nua added scenes and had some other better qualities over the original, but omitted the sex scenes since it was on console). AIR is another example; there's a Vita patch available that cuts all the adult content. I think the Killer Queen remake is also getting a fan translation, and last I saw, it's specifically the Nintendo Switch version, which doesn't have sexual content.
>That's interesting. How did this happen?I couldn't find any concrete information, but I've seen a lot of people say that the Japanese all-ages version added improvements to gameplay and voice acting to the protagonist, so I would assume it had something to do with that?
No.7737
>>7639>I think the Kikokugai all-ages version also got a fan TL, as well!
Thanks! I'll check this out.
No.7747
>>7746I've tried a bunch of things but nothing seems to be working thus far…someone else said they've been having this issue so I was wondering if anyone else in this thread has?
Also if anyone has a torrent link of the VN kek.
No.7749
>>7747Who the hell administers your computer?
No.7751
I didn't even realize Fate Stay/Night got an official translation recently, I might buy it on Steam because it's on sale, even if it's not a huge difference in price. I only read the beginning of the very first manga when I was in middle school and then saw a lot of spoilers online, it was soon after the first season ended, so I know what to expect from the story but I heard not all the routes have been adapted yet.
I'm considering buying several BL VNs right now thanks to sales so I can play them little by little on my laptop while it still works. I've been spending the last months doomscrolling on my laptop after work instead of doing more interesting things, so I might as well do it.
No.7752
>>7751It surprised me back when it was announced cause I figured it would've been deemed not worth it. There's a translation patch for both the 18+ version and realta nua pc version that have been out forever so you'd think most people who cared would've played it already.
No.7753
>>7752I assume the franchise makes so much money all over the world with its adaptation that the original VN will be bought by people who have just heard about it a lot in passing and are curious, but not curious enough to go through the "hassle" of illegally downloading the VN and a translation patch. I just bought it because I'm exactly like that, but I won't start it now. I also bought Hashihime of the old book town, it interests me more for now. I'm trying to finish a video game before starting it though.
No.7755
>>7749Me
>>7750Thanks nonnie!
No.7757
>>7596Reading and discussing Umineko as it was released part after part was such a fucking ride. One of the most intense fan experiences I had. I genuinely loved the partial releases because they gave so much fuel for discussions and speculation while simultaneously hyping us up for the next part. Good times.
I can't imagine the series to be that fun if you read it all at once. The waiting time and the million fan theories were part of the fun.
And the music. The fucking music. My absolute favorite VN OST by a mile and I wasn't even into electro and dubsteb before this.
Also, while it doesn't have much actual gay fuel I just loved Battler and that man was so hot and funny when was fighting (and even while he was getting abused), I love that guy. Sadly a series that is absolutely unadaptable. The red text and looong but great logic-based debates alone only work in a text-based medium. Cut half of the dialogue and it's just generic arguments.
No.7772
>>7758>HanachirasuI guess there is no censored version of this one, even on Steam?
No.7893
Nonas, now that the year has ended, what was the best VN you read in 2024? Is there anything you're looking forward to in 2025?
No.7894
>>7893Released on 2024? None because I'm, sadly, an EOP. I started Hatsuyuki Sakura and Tenshi no Inai 12gatsu, which got english translations last year tho…
Read on 2024? Lkyt if we're talking about vns I finished reading and Lamento if unfinished. I started too many vns for my daily routine/schedule so I only got to finish 3, all of them BLVNs. What about you, any recommendation?
>Is there anything you're looking forward to in 2025?Finishing my backlog of winter-y vns I started since November, trying to continue and finish Summer Pockets before the anime airs.
No.7916
>>7894>Tenshi no Inai 12gatsu How is it? It’s by the people who made White Album 2, so it looks incredibly promising. I’m hoping it has a somewhat somber tone, but it’s hard to get a read on what it’s like.
>What about you, any recommendation? Tokyo Onmyouji was hands-down the best BL game I read this year. If you haven’t read it already, I’d highly recommend it! It was so nice to have a VN where all the routes felt unique instead of rehashing the same thing with a different LI each time. The protagonist is so likable; he’s a character in his own right, which is one of the things I love about BL games compared to a lot of other VNs.
As for non-BL games, I read the Tsui no Sora remake, and it was fun! While it wasn’t nearly as good as Subahibi, I’m glad I got to revisit a story I love so dearly in a different form. It was sort of nostalgic, even if it doesn’t hold a candle to Subahibi. If you haven’t read Subahibi, though, I’d highly recommend reading that instead. I also finished Swan Song this year. It’s not for everyone, as it’s a bleak story, but it’s going to stick with me for a very long time. It has an interesting setting, presentation, and atmosphere, even if I firmly believe the “true ending” shouldn’t exist. Oddly enough, I think it’s similar tonally to Lkyt, so you may enjoy it.
I also started Mamiya: Doomsday Dreams this year, but I have mixed feelings so far. I have not finished it yet. I read the prequel a very long time ago, so I’ve had to backtrack and review parts of the first in case what I’ve forgotten impedes my enjoyment. I’m hoping to complete it soon, as it’s the only VN I’m currently reading, and I don’t want to start another one until I’m done with it.
No.7931
>>7916I was pretty surprised at how interesting the Yasuko route was and because of that it probably ended up being my favorite, she's a really interesting albeit fucked up character and her ending gave me the feels…
I'd keep at it with Mamiya, most of the good shit is later in it and when it hits hard holy shit does it hit hard, definitely one of my favorite VNs.
Just starting Tokyo Onmyoji myself so I'm excited to read it!
No.8071
>>8070Probably because few people in Japan have a PC. Even so, they would get much more overseas sales with a PC port.
No.8092
>>8070Porting is much more expensive than just localizing a game, I'm a dev with a game that's been waiting for console approval for almost a year because the storefronts keep being retarded about stuff we need to change…
No.8095
>>8092Why? I remember playing Pokemon games on an PC emulator - if even people who do piracy-related stuff for free can manage, so can professionals who get paid for it.
https://www.emulator-zone.com No.8097
>>8095NTA but getting something up and running via emulation is not the same thing as going through all the proper channels of a company and storefront
No.8116
>>8097Just sell the game in your own store. Plenty of VNs never make it to Steam or GOG anyway (because of content restrictions) - Slow Damage for one.
No.8516
>>8326She needs to ditch the pov stuff and do an actual bl project, I like her characters and I enjoy the psychological aspects but it never goes as hard as I'd want it to.
No.8565
>>8326Have you played the price of flesh? It had a secret Ren route
No.8566
>>8565Haven't even heard of this game is it basically the same as BTD? Ren looks very devious in the images.
No.8583
>>8566>>8565Yeah it's the same sort of thing as btd, there's some implied bl with some side characters in one route which was kinda cute but alas the pov stuff always takes the focus, the writing is fully gender neutral as well and it's a fun enough ride but as I'm not the target audience it never really gripped me, I ended up really liking the route with the office lady the most funnily enough
And yeah the updated release has a Ren route but they ruined his shota appeal and made him a creepy man with an anime fetish (which to be fair was already part of his characterization)
No.8902
>>8898>How was this?I loved it
No.8942
>>8940Chaos;Head is pretty solid, and has a similar vibe to Steins;Gate. In the original version (I don't know about the NOAH version because I haven't tried that), he even has figures from other VN series like Fate, Tsukihime, and Da Capo. The whole VN is about him being a shut-in otaku with paranoid delusions
until the homicides start.Subahibi probably also applies, but mainly in specific parts. There's a protagonist who's similar to the Chaos;Head protagonist, but even more insane. There are also a bunch of anime references that kind of bleed through into every aspect of the story. For example, two characters are basically just Kagami and Tsukasa from Lucky Star,
except this is actually a plot element and isn't just a funny reference. It's not as obvious as the Science Adventure Series, but I think it counts.
No.8943
>>8940Chaos;Head is a great suggestion, especially if you already like Steins;Gate. I'd also suggest the other Nitroplus titles like Robotics;Notes. Excluding that series CROSS†CHANNEL is underrated and has a protag boarding on chuuni like Okabe
No.8953
Has anyone here played Laughter Land using textractor? Last time I tried I was having issues and wasn’t sure if it was user error or software issues. I just wanna know before I try again.
No.9169
>>9115Reporting back to say this game is fun! It's basically Oregon Trail world-wide edition, and yes you can confess your undying love to your master while freezing to death in Antarctica. Not sure I'd rec it as a BL but it is good, done a few successful runs and I'm sure I'll play more later but for now it was a pleasant little surprise.
No.9225
>>9224There's a non-zero chance the creator of the image hasn't played any of the VNs present. They are right that BL games have infinitely more interesting stories though.
No.9226
>>9225I assume they've played something due to the screwdriver meme
I kinda assumed the sleeping pills was also a reference to a yurige but I've never played one so I have no idea there (maybe it's the idea that yuri is so calming and moe/boring that it puts you to sleep).
No.9227
>>9224I wish yurige were cool like yaoige but yurifans would probably shit their pants over anything non-wholesome let alone rape or screwdrivers or amputation or any of the cool stuff in chiral games
No.9228
>>9227ehh I sort of get it, darker plots like rape or amputation would attract moid gurofags like flies to shit and they are the lowest of the low moids to pander work to. I know it sucks to compromise an interesting story because of the moid boogeyman but it just feels different to afflict extreme pain onto a woman rather than a moid even if its fictional
No.9229
>>9224This has to be a troll. Putting Katahane, Flowers, and Subahibi in the same category as Hanahira and Lilium x Triangle is comical.
No.10010
Not sure if this is the best thread for this, but I've been plotting the story for a BLVN that I've wanted to make for a while and I'm unsure whether or not I want to have H-scenes for the Pre-Climax Climax
It doesn't change the story if the characters have sex or not, but how much does it impact marketability or appeal? Some VNs are on Steam completely uncensored because they can claim "artistic pornography" or whatever, but do sex scenes ever push away more people than bring them in?
Doing separate clean and explicit versions seems like unnecessary extra work for writing a VN alone, so I'd rather just stick to one or the other
I'd be completely fine with either option so it's not like I'm forcing smut or forcing a lack thereof
No.10014
>>10010You could use a toggle for the smut and then people can choose the best experience for themselves. Personally I think a lot of "big" VNs are hurt by the sex scenes because it scares away people who would otherwise enjoy a PG13 work, but if you are only making it for BL fans I think it's completely neutral.
No.10136
I hate getting memed into trying galge with a "great plot," only for it to be something very standard and boring. It's so difficult to discern whether a VN is actually good, or if it's just scrotes overhyping something. I know it's easy to say, "just stop reading galge," but there are so many I've genuinely enjoyed.
No.10354
>>10353I have an aggressively negative reaction to
futanari sorry, heard it's ok though.
No.10355
>>10353No, because I haven't finished SubaHibi kek. It looks like it includes a lot of things. Do you plan on buying it, anon?
No.10356
>>10354It's wild to me that they're adding even more of it, I guess sca-ji's just really into that…
>>10355It's too expensive and I've already played subahibi and the 10th anniversary version of the tsui no sora remake (what a mouthful lol) so unless the general packaging really impresses me I don't have much interest in getting it. I'm hoping China will buy enough to fund a figure or something though.
No.10364
>>10356Yeah, that makes sense.
>I'm hoping China will buy enough to fund a figure or something though.Which character would you like to get a figure of?
No.10368
>>10364If I had my personal choice than Takuji but that'll never happen because he's a boy so Kimika and/or Zakuro would be cute.
No.10370
>>10010>but do sex scenes ever push away more people than bring them in?I think it really depends on the themes of the VN. Gore and questionable content (cannibalism, incest, self-harm etc.) are almost mandatory in Nitro+Chiral games, so any censoring of sex isn't going to bring over the portion of the fandom who do not wish to see such extreme stuff. On the other hand, if you include uncensored sex in something 'normal', it might repulse more people than it would attract. R18 otome games have an option to turn the sex scenes on and off for a reason. Ideally, you should always give the player the option of what they want/do not want to see, even if it's a crude one (two-tiered: R18/All ages, instead of selecting each element separately).
>Doing separate clean and explicit versions seems like unnecessary extra work for writing a VN aloneIf you consider this 'extra work', really reconsider whether you have the time and resources to work on one in the first place.
No.10371
>>10369Yes, because zoomies need to be reintroduced to NICE BOAT.
No.10373
>>10353I wish I could, but I won't be buying it sadly.
>>10356>I guess sca-ji's just really into that…He absolutely is kek.
No.10387
>>10386HE LOOKS SO CUTE!! KYOURI!!!
I know crossdressing is his gag and there's the Kaginado joke of him being the heroine but I do wish he could have been a butler too…
Aaahh, I just know I'll be on the hunt for theirs and Misuzu's merch from this collab. I hope they get acrylic stands!
No.10529
>>10524>something else?I honestly think there is a jrpg vacuum and people were chomping at the bit to try anything that even remotely falls under that umbrella. Some people picked Clair Obscur and don't talk about it anymore, some picked Hundred Line and are still playing! It's the fujobait that gives it staying power obviously.
No.10530
>>10524People really want another experience like danganronpa so it doesn't surprise me that not-dangan4-lite did well. Honestly, it really was kind of like brand recognition desu
No.10532
>>10529>It's the fujobait that gives it staying power obviously.I haven't bought it yet because my current backlog is too big to add more to it but I am definitely intrigued by all the art I've seen floating around of red guy and white guy. I was going to eventually buy it anyway due to already liking danganronpa but the fanart makes me bump it up the priority list.
No.10534
>>10524Sometimes I feel like people are so conditioned into playing gachaslop that they don't want to touch standalone games anymore since they have to spend $60 right away and get maybe 40 hours of gameplay instead of spending $150 every two months to get a new character and play 20 hours of a new patch. They're held hostage because they can't quit due to the sunk cost fallacy and all their friends are still playing so they don't want to miss out. It's sad.
No.10567
>>10534This makes me sad, but it does feel like a lot of the audience of VNs has moved on to gacha and vtubers, doesn't it? I think it's impossible for a medium with such a significant time investment to compete with gacha. It also kind of sucks because even if a specific gacha game is just like a visual novel with microtransactions, it can't last forever. Obviously, people will archive the stories of the big ones, but it's just sad to know a game could have the greatest story ever and have the plug pulled on it prematurely.
No.10579
>>10567Based on how popular gacha games for waifufags are in Comiket and how the ones for women are in Comic City events I'd say yes, they most replaced VNs in terms of popularity and target audiences.
No.10590
>>10534>conditioned They are!!! I hate to get all WE LIVE IN A SOCIETY about it but the average attention span has been eroded by short form content over the years and unless people actively make a stand against it by choosing long form and meatier media the markets are going to reflect this. They have essentially been groomed to find gacha and other live service games' "10 hours of new content every few months" shtick acceptable.
I've seen some (mostly western) VNs do the "episodic" thing and I'm not sure I like it as a compromise but also understand we no longer live in a world where you can work part time to support yourself while you pursue your creative passions.
No.10652
Still playing through everything tagged with Male x Male on VNDB but this one is so light on that I'm just going to post it here instead of the main BL game thread. VN of the day is "Case 00: The Cannibal Boy"
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1391450/Case_00_The_Cannibal_Boy/Short kinetic novel, definitely designed to be read in one sitting and is only a half hour. Has a namable MC but the default is Brucie which I find funny.
This one is centered around the framing device of friends telling each other urban legends instead of working on homework and is divided into three chapters with each being a different story. It's a bit 2edgy4me, but I think the second one "Doppelgangers" is the best. It focuses on two siblings Hans and Grete (like Hansel and Gretel, do you get it!?) as it deals with Grete crushing on a boy who is in love with someone else only for that someone else to be
her twin brother who she proceeds to kill and feed to his boyfriend unknowingly again very edgy. I'd give it probably a 3.5/5 and it'd appeal to people who are fans of games like Corpse Party and works with those high-school sensibilities.
No.10665
I'm afraid stuff like Sweet Pool may be the last of its kind.
>Itch.io releases strict new content rules banning depictions of rape, incest, bestiality, and related themes. The language is vague—terms like “pseudo-incest” and “implications” raise concerns about subjective enforcement.>Devs are biting their nails over a new Steam rule that prohibits—in painfully vague terms—certain kinds of content on its platform. The new rule (seemingly introduced incredibly recently, and definitely introduced since the Wayback Machine's last Steam rules snapshot from April 14 this year) forbids "Content that may violate the rules and standards set forth by Steam’s payment processors and related card networks and banks, or internet network providers.">In other words: keep Visa, Mastercard, and PayPal happy or sling your hook. How do you do that? Valve doesn't say, only noting that particular care should be taken with "certain kinds of adult only content." No elaboration is offered as to what kinds of adult-only content that means, leaving NSFW devs groping in the dark to appease payments processors.>https://www.pcgamer.com/software/platforms/steam-introduces-new-rule-prohibiting-certain-kinds-of-adult-content-that-might-make-visa-or-mastercard-unhappy-financial-deplatforming-in-action/>https://www.gamingamigos.com/post/timeline-steam-itch-io-adult-game-bans>>10652>Case 00: The Cannibal Boy is a half-hour visual novel partly based on a true story, written by a writer with a background in psychology. It is a psychological horror story with an urban legend theme.At least they know how to advertise it…
No.10668
>>10665So far it's only steam and itch that have been affected. As long as it stays that way, nsfw games will still be available for purchase on other sites like gog, fakku, jast, mangagamer, dlsite, and booth. And even if mastercard/visa stop payments to these sites, the sites will likely just find a way around it like dlsite did (not sure what gog would do though). Also while dlsite and I'm pretty sure booth both require genitalia censors, decensor patches are easy to distribute elsewhere for indie devs. But I really don't like that mastercard/visa are being allowed to dictate what adults are allowed to buy with their credit cards.
No.10669
>>10652>Male x Male I had no idea this one had any BL elements at all. How was the translation? The store page doesn't look promising…
No.10672
>>10669It's fine, it gets the story delivered, there are a few jokes that feel clunky and might have struggled to be adapted but without knowing Chinese I have no idea how faithful it is.
No.10673
>>10670>>10671I love Nazi shota.
No.10674
>>10668For how long? They'll be going after them one-by-one, just like they've been already doing with Japanese companies (DLsite, Melonbooks, NicoNico, Manga Library Z, Tora, Fantia, some otaku dating site -
https://automaton-media.com/en/nongaming-news/visa-payment-suspended-on-legal-dating-site-for-otaku-prompting-response-from-japanese-politician ).
Japan was their trial run (it succeeded) - they will come after American companies next.
>Ofcom’s Whitehead spoke about the importance of ‘harmonizing’ legislation, not just between different laws, like the European Union's Digital Services Act (DSA) and the UK’s Online Safety Act (OSA), but also between government agencies and industry. “We say [the DSA and OSA] are regulatory cousins, they’re not twins. But they do share some things in common.” Whitehead said. “We don’t have powers to instruct folks to take content down, we’re not there to surveil and censor, we're there to improve governance, improve standards, improve safety by design,” she noted. “I think the onus is on us to explain what they have in common and also what the differences are.”>The FTC’s Slaughter picked up on this thread, explaining how harmony and directional convergence among international regulators is good not only for regulators but for industry, too. “It is how you foster coherent innovation, development, business growth, and opportunity, and we really want to see that,” she said. “The US hasn't had new legislation in this area recently, but there have been really important developments, many of which are consistent with some of the things that we're seeing across the ocean and around the country,” Slaughter added.>The two panelists also spoke about the importance of different jurisdictions being as aligned as possible on privacy and safety regulations, and how to help industry navigate areas where they differ. >One of Slaughter’s frustrations is that there’s still no comprehensive federal privacy bill in the US.>While Ruane thinks much of the DSA wouldn’t pass constitutional muster in the US, such as requirements to audit speech moderation decisions or measurements of systemic risk, what platform policies and decisions are made in the European Union could soon be applied in the US, too. “To some extent, what I think the government's involvement in content moderation should or shouldn't be, doesn't matter, even though I wish it did. It's already happening. We are already seeing governments involving themselves in content moderation in the EU. We’ve got some good safeguards, but there are also some significant concerns,” Ruane said.https://www.techpolicy.press/regulators-industry-ponder-how-to-integrate-online-safety-laws/ No.10703
>>10684Their localizations aren't always my favorite, but I appreciate them trying to hold the line.
Unrelated, after watching a bit of the Umineko stage plays I've been thinking about playing the VN. I never bothered with it before since it lacked any real shippable pairs to me (unlike something like Fate or Dies Irae), but Battler is surprisingly charming.
No.10704
Am I the only one who hated Umineko? I've literally only seen praise of it in the EN fanbase. I've never seen any other VN get glazed as much and I don't think it deserves it
No.10709
>>10703I like Ange more than Battler actually kek
>>10704I like Umineko but I also totally get why someone would hate it, it's one of those VNs that's more popular overseas like zero escape while Japan doesn't really like Umi.
No.10721
>>10709>>10704The women in the game definitely have much more going for them. I've always liked murder mystery plots, and the magic portions give me chuuni middle-school nostalgia in a fun way.
No.10849
>>10704I also disliked Umineko. I've mellowed out about it over the years, but I still dislike it. I wasn't disappointed by the ending because I hated it long before that. I am a huge fan of mystery novels, and it was such a huge disappointment coming from those books to Umineko. I think the strongest elements were the human characters' writing (I love Ange and Eva; I also thought Erika was pretty great even if she's not 'real'), and I unironically think it would've worked better as a family drama than as a mystery. I was spoiled on the solution to the mystery long before I read it, and while this can often enhance a good mystery novel, it just made Umineko more frustrating because there were more contradictions within the text that became obvious if you knew the solution ahead of time. I really think Ryukishi07 didn't know how he wanted the VN to end when he wrote Episode 1, or his friend who died had a bunch of information he wanted to include, but didn't write it down. I won't write out all of my grievances, as Umineko fans often don't respond too well to criticism, and it's kind of pointless to try to explain it, but you're not alone. I suspect most people who hated it did not make it through all 8 episodes, which is why you don't see many people shitting on it. I did read all 8. I kept waiting for it to "get good," and it never did.
No.10850
>>10849Erika's real, she's just a girl who got into a plane crash and probably drowned near rokkenjima.
No.10851
>>10850My bad it was actually her falling overboard on a boat, more or less the same thing though.
No.10852
>>10850Sorry, I meant Erika as she appears in the story. As in, the Erika whose personality is depicted within the text. The character herself, like you said, died before the plot, so the Erika we see within the story isn't "real." I don't know how else I can explain it, but hopefully you understand what I mean.
No.11429
>>11409As someone who played Monster girl quest to see a cute boy suffer I feel this.
No.11430
>>11409this isn't from a yaoi VN?
No.11442
>>11429I've had a couple of friends who did this kek
>>11430Nope, masochism VN for guys, he gets forced to fuck his mom too.
There was actually a pretty fair amount of these made in the 2000s but I can't think of any that were translated (that and a lot of the fetishes in them are way too intense for me)
No.11444
I'm the one embarking on the challenge to play every VN tagged with BL on VNDB and I've been stuck on a 30 hour furry game for weeks that I just do not have the motivation to read. Like outside of it just not appealing to me it's so visually bland and poorly written I want to give up. Blah. It feels like quiting/cheating though so I at least want to power through one route.
When do you consider a VN "finished?" Just a single route, main story, all the routes?
No.11445
>>11444>When do you consider a VN "finished?" Just a single route, main story, all the routes?All of the routes makes the most sense to me. Especially cause some games have a true route that contains the most story resolution hidden behind completion of all the other routes. That being said I don't think you should have to play through something that doesn't appeal to you. I couldn't get further than one route of Hadaka Shitsuji cause I found it a miserable experience and I understand it just wasn't for me.
No.11447
>>11444I'm morbidly curious as to why the gay furry VN scene is so big, especially in China for some reason.
I also find it really funny when the furries are specifically Pokemon and they just look like idk Squirtle's head pasted on a buff guy Chuck Tingle-style. I don't know how anyone finds that appealing.
No.11450
>>11444> 30 hour furry gameIs it
Echo? I've been wanting to read it despite hating furry shit with a burning passion because it's tagged as
Denpa. I'm curious to hear what's so bad about the writing!
>When do you consider a VN "finished?" Just a single route, main story, all the routes?For me, it's not done until I've read all the routes. This is just a personal thing because I've read VNs where the ending either elevated or completely ruined the VN. However, if I'm reading a review, I expect the reviewer to have read the true ending. I think this is reasonable because I see reviewers comment on things that get resolved in another part of the plot that they refused to read, and it makes me mad. I can empathize with being stuck collecting all the endings of a VN you hate, though. I say just drop it once you finish the main plot, but state which endings you completed.
No.11452
>>11447The gay/bi male slice makes up a huge number of furries, right? Maybe that's why?
No.11454
>>11450Yes actually! It's just a bunch of unlikable characters interacting with each other in ways that aren't particularly compelling. Like one character is a shitty ex boyfriend and that's the extent of our interactions with him, or another is a stoner that no one likes and I have no reason to care beyond that. I haven't even played far enough to get to the real supernatural/horror elements yet but I just find the characters interactions tiresome. It's very frustrating because I saw someone compare it to denpa novels as well as Higurashi and I'm just stuck thing that while Higurashi had a slow burn opening it was way more captivating from at atmosphic angle. Doesn't help that this game just has photo filter backgrounds of the desert which is like the flattest possible location.
I keep asking myself "Would I like this more if it was in an art style I enjoy?" And right now the answer is no. But it's one I've been reading in half hour sessions, so again not far at all.
>>11445>>11450True, a good true ending can completely elevate a work and recontextualize prior routes that might have been lesser, at the same time it kind of feels like a "completion" as opposed to just a "finish" there are definitely VNs where if you haven't read the true ending or every route I don't think you've finished it. Largely depends on if there are unlockable routes and whatnot imo, but I was curious what the general opinion was.
>>11447Yeah I've played a few for my personal challenge which I haven't talked about here because I think it's just not the topic of the site but two of them were Chinese and that's a bit off-putting. I noticed they're more likely to have furry characters in gacha as well like Arknights and ZZZ. Kind of weird considering outside of monster characters and fringe bara works you don't see it much in Japanese media.
No.11457
>>11452I know that, but how did it result in such a big VN niche specifically? I feel like I've seen more furry bara than regular bara VNs on vndb. And are non gay furry VNs comparably common? I thought furries mostly just commissioned horny art of their OCs.
>>11454What do you do when you come across obscure/old games that you can't download, nonna? And are you playing fan games too? Because you would stumble on my own shitpost of a game eventually kek
No.11458
I have 11 visual novels in my backlog now that I finished all the BL visual novels I have. They're mostly otome games, and there's also Fate/Stay Night and Stein;Gate. I already started one otome game and I find it a bit boring right now so I often take breaks. I'll still force myself to finish at least one route in each of them before buying more visual novels on Steam, I need to force myself to do that or I'll buy one million games and VN during the next Steam sales and my backlog will get even worse.
No.11460
>>11454>I have no reason to care beyond thatThere's a 1-hour-long video essay I've seen in my recommendations, and while I haven't watched it, it's made me wonder how much of the praise is because it's one of the only plot-focused furry VNs out there (as far as I'm aware), so it's a bit of a novelty. I've seen a lot of reviews praising it to high heavens, too. I also wonder if part of its high rating is because the art style filters most people who would criticize it for its writing (there's a reason I've had it downloaded for years and have never made a move to actually read it kek). I'd like to see your negative perspective on it when you finish reading; I always enjoy reading opinions on stories that go against the consensus. It's much more interesting than seeing the 500th "this visual novel BROKE ME" review.
>Higurashi had a slow burn opening it was way more captivating from at atmosphic angleWhile it's not my favorite denpa VN, I feel like the rural setting and sound design really helped Higurashi. If Echo has a boring setting, ugly characters, and bad writing, it doesn't leave you much to enjoy. The VNs I've hated the most were ones I just found boring as opposed to those I found aggressively bad. It's sad that it sounds like Echo is in that category. I hope it at least becomes funny-bad for you instead of boring-bad.
>you don't see it much in Japanese mediaDon't quote me on this, but I'm pretty sure the most popular Japanese gay furry VN was left eternally unfinished, which probably says something about its popularity there.
>>11458>started one otome game and I find it a bit boring right now so I often take breaksWhich one?
No.11465
>>11460>most popular Japanese gay furry VN was left eternally unfinisheddo you mean morenatsu? iirc there was a big divide of bara vs kemono stuff in the community at the time, and the game was already in development hell.
No.11466
>>11457>What do you do when you come across obscure/old games that you can't download, nonna? And are you playing fan games too? Because you would stumble on my own shitpost of a game eventually kekI haven't yet, but that's probably because I've really curated my list. Though there are games that I didn't complete because I finished the demo and didn't want to buy the whole thing.
One of them was one of those ugly 3DCGI porno VNs on steam for instance, I ain't paying 9.99 for another hour of sex scenes.
Basically the criteria is: BL/Yaoi, in English or has a translation, and it doesn't have the excluded tags like Trans and Nonbinary… and Fanfiction. Which I didn't initially exclude but then I read a Genshin one that I was so lost in I decided to exclude them.
Anyway here's the parameters I think I shared it in the BLVN thread but I've streamlined it a bit. Here's also a small showcase of what I'm doing. Green means completed, all routes done. Orange means I'll get back to it at some point "stalled." Red means dropped, I did one or more routes but didn't complete it for whatever reason (probably bad). I also have a blacklist which I add the sequels of games I finished but didn't enjoy to. For instance I hated Ambition Plot, so I just went ahead and added Ambition Plot 2 to it and removed it from the challenge. AI games also get blacklisted if I see them.
I'm going in alphabetical order except for jumping ahead to games which are a sequel to the one I'm on, in which case I read that and then return to the game which was next. It's a bit of a Sisyphean task, in the time I've been procrastinating on Echo three more games have been added.
Sorry if that a bit detail than you were asking lol. I wonder though if the Itch.io purge will mean a lot of ENVNs will just be lost media or hard to find, I played one where the Itch page was missing when I went to share it here. I guess in that case if I run into one I'll need to make an MIA tag for them to remind me to periodically look for reposts by the creator later.
>>11460> I've seen a lot of reviews praising it to high heavens, too. I also wonder if part of its high rating is because the art style filters most people who would criticize it for its writingThis reminds me of the fact that people often complain about BLVNs and Otome games regularly scoring high on VNDB and other sites for this exact reason. Like the fact that it's targeting a smaller demographic somehow means they automatically go easier on the game. Which to an extent might be true. NitroChrial games are so big primarily because they were the only ones available over here on top of also being good. There was also discussion a while back here about Enzai only being popular because it was the first one translated. But I still maintain that the games that score high like ADELTA titles are mainly because of the production value, unlike whatever Echo is doing.
No.11468
>>11466> wonder though if the Itch.io purge will mean a lot of ENVNs will just be lost media or hard to findTBH most itch.io games are probably excluded from your list considering the excluded trans tags
No.11469
>>11460>it's made me wonder how much of the praise is because it's one of the only plot-focused furry VNs out there (as far as I'm aware)I could see that. I remember some time ago I read a let's play critique of a VN by a furry dev named Klace and if I look at another game he made from 2019 it seems to have good reviews but at a glance the reviewers all seem to be furries so who knows what non-furries would think.
No.11470
>>11466>I wonder though if the Itch.io purge will mean a lot of ENVNs will just be lost media or hard to findLast I heard, they relisted or were in the process of relisting all the purged adult games but forcing them to be free. Or maybe it was dependent on the dev opting in? I'm not sure. Hope nothing of value was actually lost. I hope some alternative pops up by the time I actually complete some shit of my own.
No.11472
>>11450I'm not as anal with furshit compared to other people but I always found the way furries did anthropomorphism to be very "yea only an autistic gay dude would like this". And when you do find that rare unicorn that doesn't make everyone look balloon animals, you're not sure if you ever gonna find one like it again. I guess it's the case for bara too since in theory, guys who aren't just skinny twinks would be nice for variety sake but they're always drawn so weird. I dropped a couple of FVNs because the art just wasn't hooking me as much or felt gross about it until much later learning the guy behind it did some freaky shit behind the scenes.
No.11475
>>11465Yeah, I did. I don't know if it's the actual most popular or even what the circumstances were, but it's the only one I've seen discussed in places you don't normally see that kind of thing. I have no idea why it was left unfinished, but it's always seemed odd to me. You'd think something would come along to dethrone it.
>>11472For me, I just can't stand the art style, and I hate the community. Plus, I'm always left wondering why they were animals in the first place. Like, nothing is ever done with the fact that it's a tiger man and a sheep man or whatever. They're basically just humans in fursuits.
No.11476
>>11470The issue is with payment processors, so devs are listing demos/free versions as a way to get around it for the visibility.