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Visual Novels Community Thread | A Little Something for Everyone

Yuuichi

Member
I mean last time I checked (last year) they were still using KAG (used in lots of games, if the files end with .xp3 it's KAG), which is cracked to hell and back, so I'm not sure what they thought they could come up with to stop people; anyone with some systems experience could probably plow straight through it.

On a related note, the whole DRM situation is so weird. Some of my games just don't have it, some demand disks as tribute, some decide once in a blue moon they want a disk, and a slim few have serial keys like the days of yore. My last few games I haven't even had to bother bypassing any, it's been great.
 

Jazz573

Member
I mean last time I checked (last year) they were still using KAG (used in lots of games, if the files end with .xp3 it's KAG), which is cracked to hell and back, so I'm not sure what they thought they could come up with to stop people; anyone with some systems experience could probably plow straight through it.

On a related note, the whole DRM situation is so weird. Some of my games just don't have it, some demand disks as tribute, some decide once in a blue moon they want a disk, and a slim few have serial keys like the days of yore. My last few games I haven't even had to bother bypassing any, it's been great.

KAG (or KiriKiri) is an open source engine. I believe parts of it are under the GPL. So it has the ability to implement DRM? Doesn't that run counter with the GPL's goals?
 

Yuuichi

Member
KAG (or KiriKiri) is an open source engine I believe.

It is indeed, although many of the branches (and maybe Z? idr) are closed and unique from company to company with various file security solutions and additional modules. Fun fact: nekopara is the first KAG game to use an Emote module, also the art is literally just a bunch of photoshop layer files.
 
Denapsoft is releasing Sacrament of the Zodiac on Feb 5th and Atom Grrrl might be a February release too. Three yuri titles in one month huh.
 

Shun

Member
DRM this eroge maker was touting as uncrackable was like immediately cracked.

Twitter whining followed.

Are you talking about Renai Jijou? I only know because I am part of a Vita game soft exchange group and one of the members tweeted it. I'm the person who got a vita eroge through blind trade.

I still have not finished it. I am still mentally distraught that I received that hibikiworks game out of all the vita games to get through blind exchange...

I don't know how to get rid of it.

Also I hope Mahoyo gets ported at some point, I would love to play it on my Vita. It is a pain to have to go through my virtual machine to run windows all the time when I want to. I don't even like windows.

At least they are working on the sequels.
 

aravuus

Member
I'm so happy to finally take advantage of the W10 tablet I bought exclusively for visual novels and decided that WEE1 would be my first game.

WEE1? That's a pretty cool art style, looks like a mix of drawn stuff and very high-quality cel-shaded 3D models
 
I wonder why doesnt VN devs do things like the Nekopara 3d models more? I mean if you have such an engine, you can use it in all your games and have similar animations, that still look different.

I still think the Nekopara models are great and you cant even see that these are 3d models and not just drawings.
 

Yuuichi

Member
I wonder why doesnt VN devs do things like the Nekopara 3d models more? I mean if you have such an engine, you can use it in all your games and have similar animations, that still look different.

I still think the Nekopara models are great and you cant even see that these are 3d models and not just drawings.

But they are just drawings.

Fun fact: nekopara is the first KAG game to use an Emote module, also the art is literally just a bunch of photoshop layer files.
 

Marche90

Member
Filled the survey. Because why the heck not.

Btw: if I win the game they're offering, I'll raffle it here. I'm not interested in it but I'm sure there are people here who would love to have it.

Arent they actually using models? I remember they tweeted some of their models before and then put drawn textures on it?

Nope. If the Emote system works in the same way as Live2D they use different 2D layers to achieve that effect
 

Shizuka

Member
I find it funny that I commented at the end about how I wished there were more yurt-focused VNs being released in English, it asked me if I want the chance to win "Kindered Spirits on the Roof" (whatever that is), and then I find out afterword that it's a yuri-focused VN.

Yuri is about to surpass even otome and become the highest amount of romance-oriented games in English. I think it's about time we start getting more BL and even non-eroge galge.
 

StereoVsn

Member
I only requested totally feasible VNs. You know, Baldr Sky, Dies Irae, White Album 2. :p
I actually watched and liked White Album 2 anime. Is VN supposed to be on par or better? If so I would actually buy it. White Album 1 on the other hand was fairly bad.
 

StereoVsn

Member
The anime only adapted the first part of the visual novel. But it's highly regarded.
Well, I hope we would get a localized version of this then as Writing/drama quality was quite good. It's similar to Golden Time (no idea on VN existance). My Kanji knowledge is terribad and I wouldn't have the patience of getting through it with a dictionary.
 

mollipen

Member
Yuri is about to surpass even otome and become the highest amount of romance-oriented games in English. I think it's about time we start getting more BL and even non-eroge galge.

Good yuri, or trash made for lesbian-fetishizing male fans? Legitimate question, because I've been able to find very few quality yuri VNs, in English or otherwise. My last trip to Japan, 98% of what I came across—be it games, manga, or other fandom—was BL-focused. And I'm being generous with that percentage.

So, if there's a lot more out there than I think there is, I'm honestly shocked to hear that, and I'd love to find it.
 

jonjonaug

Member
Good yuri, or trash made for lesbian-fetishizing male fans? Legitimate question, because I've been able to find very few quality yuri VNs in my, in English or otherwise. My last trip to Japan, 98% of what I came across—be it games, manga, or other fandom—was BL-focused.

So, if there's a lot more out there than I think there is, I'm honestly shocked to hear that, and I'd love to find it.

I know Kindred Spirits had a target audience of male fans, but I've heard from people I trust that it's quite good despite this.

Other than that I can't really name much.
 

Yuuichi

Member
Arent they actually using models? I remember they tweeted some of their models before and then put drawn textures on it?

Nope, you can take a look around the site here(not NSFW), or trust the fact I've had my way with the demo's files at some point and seen the files myself.

Yuri is about to surpass even otome and become the highest amount of romance-oriented games in English. I think it's about time we start getting more BL and even non-eroge galge.

We're running outta those real fast, unless you want console backports.


While we're on the topic, I filled out the MG survey as well and recommended Flyable Heart, 恋色空模様, and 蒼の彼方のフォーリズム for localization, as I think they would jive well with the audience that helped Evangile do well for them.
 

Shizuka

Member
Good yuri, or trash made for lesbian-fetishizing male fans? Legitimate question, because I've been able to find very few quality yuri VNs, in English or otherwise. My last trip to Japan, 98% of what I came across—be it games, manga, or other fandom—was BL-focused. And I'm being generous with that percentage.

So, if there's a lot more out there than I think there is, I'm honestly shocked to hear that, and I'd love to find it.

Hey, I'm calling it like I see it. I can't vouch for quality or if they're just trash made for male gamers, but the increase is undeniable and it did surpass even otome, no other romance genre can compare to yuri right now.

There is Flowers, which should be the biggest yuri title ever, among several others high and mid profile titles. They may be running out of titles to localize and start localizing yuri titles that you'd call "lesbian-fetishizing male fans", but they're there. On the other hand, try to think of how many BL titles were officially released last year.
 
Hey, I'm calling it like I see it. I can't vouch for quality or if they're just trash made for male gamers, but the increase is undeniable and it did surpass even otome, no other romance genre can compare to yuri right now.

There is Flowers, which should be the biggest yuri title ever, among several others high and mid profile titles. They may be running out of titles to localize and start localizing yuri titles that you'd call "lesbian-fetishizing male fans", but they're there. On the other hand, try to think of how many BL titles were officially released last year.

The number of yuri and otome localizations is pretty comparable right now. It's BL that's getting almost nothing.
 

mollipen

Member
On the other hand, try to think of how many BL titles were officially released last year.

I don't know, to be honest, because that's a genre I don't care about. I'm kind of surprised if they aren't coming, because god there's tons of the stuff in Japan from what I saw, and I feel like yaoi/BL has long has an established place on our shores. (I remember reviewing the Fake anime on VHS, which I think was one of the first real examples of the genre we got over here.)

So, yeah, if BL is getting shafted, that's a real shame. I just assumed it wasn't, because the offerings seem plentiful to translate, and the fanbase has seemed to be around for years and years. Maybe I'm just over-estimating how many BL gamers there are based on the amount of other stuff (manga, etc) that exists in Japan.
 
The WEE translator circus continues on:

So we'll first go with, yes we replaced translators again. The previous translator felt that they were not skilled enough to translate college level economic theory and making sure all the details were correct. This was in early January and we spent the month vetting a new group of three translators.

Our main translator from this group has worked in a bank in Japan and has certifications for Japanese (JLPT, JTEST, JETRO) and English (TOEIC, TOEFL). The other two will help fact check and double check the terminology used in the game and they too also have certifications for Japanese and English. This allows them to read field-specific reference materials and translate the terms accurately. They've spent January double checking the previously translated 8% and now have moved on to new content. As of today it is now 11%.
What is that, translator #4 now? I can't help but laugh at it all.
 

StereoVsn

Member
Speaking of galge games, I'd love to see some competent ports of Tokimeki Memorial games. There are some great Let's Plays for a few of them on a different forum and wiki and they sound pretty great.

Edit: Not surprised on WEE, reading about the game this is seriously tough stuff as far as Japanese knowledge is concerned. It's not something you would get even with say JLPT N1 normally.
 

Yuuichi

Member
Can you even request that, since part of the game itself has already been fulfilled?

I don't think I ever even got a code tbh, my steam profile is in my gaf one and you can check if for the game but it's not there. I backed for a physical game and OST, it's been so long that I don't remember how the tiers worked. At the end of the update post they said again that you can still request refunds (something they started late last year).
 

Shizuka

Member
I don't think I ever even got a code tbh, my steam profile is in my gaf one and you can check if for the game but it's not there. I backed for a physical game and OST, it's been so long that I don't remember how the tiers worked. At the end of the update post they said again that you can still request refunds (something they started late last year).

The physical tier comes with digital codes as well. I don't think they'd deny a refund if you already redeemed the first two games though. In any case, if you end up with a valid Steam key for WEE and won't use it, I'd gladly take WEE 2 if you'd be so kind.
*wink wink*
 
Edit: Not surprised on WEE, reading about the game this is seriously tough stuff as far as Japanese knowledge is concerned. It's not something you would get even with say JLPT N1 normally.

That's not really a good excuse, especially when the series has already had so many translators. It makes a publisher look really incompetent when this keeps happening.
 
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