Maidens of the Kaleidoscope

~Beyond the Border~ => Sara's Audio-Visual Import-Overflow Retail => Topic started by: Ghaleon on April 11, 2011, 09:43:26 AM

Title: Question for you young'uns (VN THREAD)
Post by: Ghaleon on April 11, 2011, 09:43:26 AM: So I've been seeing alot of folks on gaming boards I visit talk about romance VNs, jrpgs, anime, etc. And I can't help but wonder if teens these days (boys really) are finally starting to respect a good romantic story these days, or if it's just a behind the closet online-only thing anime fans seem to share an interest in. When I was a teen, admitting personal enjoyment to some romance fiction had to be in the context of "my girlfriend made me" or else you would be about as alienated as someone openly gay at that age (gay people are publicly accepted here but highschool kids are generally idiotic, mean, ignorant, and spiteful). Is it still like that?

Also since it's kinda related, I'm in the mood for a real tear-jerking romance VN/jrpg, any suggestions? H or not, don't care.
Title: Re: Question for you young'uns
Post by: trancehime on April 11, 2011, 09:54:54 AM: I have no business discussing romance nowadays as I haven't really read or played anything of the sort recently, but I can help you with recommendations. Unfortunately, I cannot guarantee any of my recommendations can be actually played, as I don't know if people care enough to translate them. For instance, Kitto, Sumiwataru Asairo yori mo, by propeller, is an extremely good Visual Novel I recommend playing if you ever get the chance to. propeller as a whole is an excellent studio that manage to take relatively ordinary premises and turn them into extraordinary experiences discounting their more supernatural ventures such as Chrono Belt, Evolimit and Bullet Butlers. propeller's next game, Sukima Sakura to Uso no Tokai is looking extremely promising and I would most recommend that too if it were already out and I have already tried it (it's set to be released May 27th).
Title: Re: Question for you young'uns
Post by: Kips McKipzerson on April 11, 2011, 12:59:50 PM: Usually if theres a good enough story (and translation), I could be slightly moved by it. Granted I dont play many VN's, but when I do, It's pretty moving. Plus the fact I cried like a babby over a gun game.
Yeah. A game like CoD (Only it was red dead :V), but still, the fact stands. For me, It's got to have at LEAST a decent story, the climax normally shouldn't be at the very end (imo) and the ending should just be great overall. I cant exactly feel something when I'm reading a VN thats horribly translated or sucks overall.

So yeah, I guess some kids do, but this is just me talking. I cant exactly speak for everyone.
Title: Re: Question for you young'uns
Post by: Bio on April 11, 2011, 01:10:25 PM: KEY does its job :V
Unless I'm pissed off or tired.
Title: Re: Question for you young'uns
Post by: RainfallYoshi on April 11, 2011, 03:54:14 PM: I can definitely understand the whole "emotion is gay" thing because I grew up through that mentality as well. I've always been different anyways though so I usually ignored it. :V

I'd like to hope that society is moving towards a more open-minded view of what a "man" is in that guys can enjoy romantic things if they want but I can't say I've seen how that's progressed.
Title: Re: Question for you young'uns
Post by: Yukarin on April 11, 2011, 04:23:19 PM: Go for some Saya no Uta.

No seriously, it's got quite a good story.
Title: Re: Question for you young'uns
Post by: Aba Matindesu! on April 11, 2011, 04:29:14 PM: I can't say for sure, guys over here are into ecchi/harem works and may only watch VNs for... eh, hardcore stuff. I wouldn't think they'd go all "LOL NINNY" over someone enjoying real romantic fiction, though.

>>re: guys IRL who go "A REAL MAN IS X" like no tomorrow
Don't get me started on them, please :<
Title: Re: Question for you young'uns
Post by: HakureiSM on April 11, 2011, 04:42:57 PM: Eh, I can't stand VNs, but I think all my friends know I watch 'girly' romance anime and stuff, and while they're not into it and hate my guts whener I put some eurobeat to play(usually just to troll them) it's not a subject that shows up often, because it simply doesn't matter much.

Plus we all cried like wussies watching Toy Story 3 so they can't even play macho and deny that they know what it's like so :V
Title: Re: Question for you young'uns
Post by: Lepetit89 on April 11, 2011, 05:56:12 PM: Not exactly romance, but I think the general acceptance of those particular topics has improved a lot, though that might depend on who you're talking about.

For instance, a few friends of mine, who really aren't into romance and emotional things, didn't mind me crying during one particular scene in an episode of Desperate Housewives.
Actual romance seems to be in the same category as any other emotional genre (barring rage-driven gorefests, of course) as far as that issue is concerned, so I hardly encounter any weird gazes when admitting to liking romance and the like. Then again, I'm also the guy who collects plushies, so people might be used to worse from me, who knows.
Title: Re: Question for you young'uns
Post by: trancehime on April 12, 2011, 01:25:02 AM: Quote from: Kogasa Tatakumo on April 11, 2011, 04:23:19 PM
Go for some Saya no Uta.

No seriously, it's got quite a good story.

The reason why I didn't already suggest this is because I think Ghaleon's already played it. :V
Title: Re: Question for you young'uns
Post by: Suikama on April 12, 2011, 01:30:26 AM: omg u guiz r we tlkan bout da VNs cause den liek evry1 shud paly dis wun its da bestest n MOStDEEP VN u'll EVUR REED!! (http://www.shrinemaiden.org/forum/index.php/topic,5728.0.html)

also technically it is romance :smug:
Title: Re: Question for you young'uns
Post by: Reverie on April 12, 2011, 05:36:20 AM: Quote from: Ghaleon on April 11, 2011, 09:43:26 AM
you could try narcissus.its free.
Title: Re: Question for you young'uns
Post by: Ghaleon on April 12, 2011, 06:24:38 AM: Quote from: Miyuka on April 12, 2011, 01:25:02 AM
The reason why I didn't already suggest this is because I think Ghaleon's already played it. :V

Unless it is aka eien no aselia, nope. EnA is the only VN I played, unless you count sengoku Rance which I consider more like a tbs game (and dint have a romantic story at all anyway).

I'll give it (and the motk bred one) a look next (among VNs, prob not the next game period)
Title: Re: Question for you young'uns
Post by: MatsuriSakuragi on April 12, 2011, 06:36:49 AM: Quote from: Heartfelt Fancy on April 12, 2011, 05:36:20 AM
you could try narcissus.its free.

Narcissu, you mean? I think I remember that one.
and what a downer it was. I'm drawn to it because I'm a medical nerd but... bleh :<
.
Title: Re: Question for you young'uns
Post by: andrewv42 on April 12, 2011, 01:53:59 PM: I haven't, in my life, attempted a story of romance.
Title: Re: Question for you young'uns
Post by: Ghaleon on April 12, 2011, 03:01:21 PM: Quote from: andrewv42 on April 12, 2011, 01:53:59 PM
I haven't, in my life, attempted a story of romance.

You should try unless you're scared of cooties. The romance storylines per route in EnA seemed deeper and more touching to me than any movie's (I havent enjoyed a movie romance to date). It doesn't exactly force "this is a romantic moment bish" into the game so much as make you, the player like the girl whose route you are taking, then nod the main character into caring (like anybody with a heart would). It's kinda hard to explain. Somehow having a fictional girl playable in a game's battle system makes them seem more real and likable too.
Title: Re: Question for you young'uns
Post by: trancehime on April 12, 2011, 03:19:20 PM: i'm still recommending Kitto, Sumiwataru Asairo yori mo to everybody who hasn't already tried it.
Title: Re: Question for you young'uns
Post by: ♛ Apher-Forte on April 12, 2011, 06:35:43 PM: I dunno really.

In my opinion there was never any particular animosity aimed at guys having a feeling for beautiful things, like romance novels and the sort, though it does question me why does the average housewife seemed to like Crime Novels more than anything else in Britain... In my opinion, in high school at least over here, if you read anything at all, you are considered intelligent and well educated, it was a mark of appreciation because face it, our generation now relies on nothing but the internet to entertain them, while this is seemingly well made, and accessible, the average person is still getting dumber if before getting smarter by the internet's overloading experience, visual media and exposure to knowledge once considered coveted to books hidden in a corner of a library. Is it still relevant that today's people read a lot but read little between the lines?

I mean, if you look at it this way: back in my days, it was reading that separated me from the rest. Are you the sort of guy who read romance novels? Oh, that is great, my friend says, because he takes up a novel and puts it back after 5 seconds by glancing at how many words there are per page and how there are no pictures. Is it the average guy rather prefer spending time tuning his bike before picking up a book? that is not quite true either, I think averagely if there were any animosity aimed at people reading, period; was the animosity that derived from the fact they cannot find themselves doing the same thing, or able to have a 10 second concentration period where they can think without being bombarded by a facebook update.
Title: Re: Question for you young'uns
Post by: Ghaleon on April 12, 2011, 06:50:44 PM: Not really on topic, but that last post reminds me of how I hate it when people say "TLDR". Really? It takes all of 2 minutes to read a post that is considered TLDR (unless it's exceptionally long, in which case... maybe 5?).

Anyway, when I was in school, reading in general wasn't considered too unusual. I mean you were probably on the nerdier side of the spectrum for reading, but nobody thought you were smart for it, and it wasn't really "ZOMG HES READING, GET EM!". Though there was a few times I was teased cuz I had X-book (even though it wasn't actually a Romance novel) where people said "lawl, looks like a romance novel". For example, Raymond Feist's "Magician: Master" book, where pug is in his brown robes standing in front of his first wife. It was just teasing though, not really bad stuff.

HOWEVER, when I was in school, people had this conception that if you liked Shakespear, you were smart. So like half my grade was pretending to enjoy it at one point or another, pretty pathetic IMO.
Title: Re: Question for you young'uns
Post by: Suikama on April 12, 2011, 06:54:59 PM: Quote from: Ghaleon on April 12, 2011, 06:50:44 PM
HOWEVER, when I was in school, people had this conception that if you liked Shakespear, you were smart. So like half my grade was pretending to enjoy it at one point or another, pretty pathetic IMO.
=3c (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z7TODsQyx_k)
Title: Re: Question for you young'uns
Post by: Infy♫ on April 14, 2011, 08:12:58 PM: Honestly I have never played a sort of Romance game so I can't really tell. I'm planning to play Katawa Shoujo however, but that is for different reasons.
If I'd play such a game or read that kind of book though, and people would find out, there would most likely be a lot of criticism. And then this will dissolve into rumours which dwell from mouth to mouth and grow larger.
Title: Re: Question for you young'uns
Post by: TAKE IT CACODEMON!! on April 14, 2011, 10:27:51 PM: Quote from: Suikama on April 12, 2011, 01:30:26 AM
omg u guiz r we tlkan bout da VNs cause den liek evry1 shud paly dis wun its da bestest n MOStDEEP VN u'll EVUR REED!! (http://www.shrinemaiden.org/forum/index.php/topic,5728.0.html)

also technically it is romance :smug:

it's hott tentacle sex

And yeah, I spent most of my teens (and a few days barely out of them) thinking "hurr emotion is gay, y u guys do dis". Don't get me wrong, I love drama, but I didn't (and still don't) actively seek it out, despite being a so-called film-buff.

Also, another VN pimp here: Air Pressure (http://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/529708). Not mine. It's quick and sad.
Title: Re: Question for you young'uns (VN THREAD)
Post by: Seventh Holy Scripture on April 15, 2011, 02:17:08 AM: Sadly, people tend not to fan translate romance games; they prefer edge-of-your-seat action, mindscrewery, or both. Clannad (http://vndb.org/v4) and Flyable Heart (http://vndb.org/v1179) come to mind, but I can't really recommend either one as a translation, they're largely made up.

The Da Capo (http://vndb.org/v264) games have never appealed to me, but they might be your cup of tea.

Oh, and the translation is not quite finished, but a game I'm working on- Katahane (http://vndb.org/v22)- does pretty well when it comes to romance. If you like lesbians. (There is some nicely done heterosexual romance as well.)
Title: Re: Question for you young'uns (VN THREAD)
Post by: pineyappled on April 15, 2011, 03:04:04 AM: DCII was just mediocre. Well, most of the stories, anyways. Yume and Otome's were pretty good. Koko and Nanaka's were the blandest things I've ever read. What kind of 14-year-old has boobs that big, anyways?
_{Also, IMO the art sucks. Blatant anatomy errors everywhere and crooked faces.}
Title: Re: Question for you young'uns (VN THREAD)
Post by: Cystral Dragon on April 16, 2011, 12:08:06 AM: Unfortunately for you it still has to be the my girlfriend made excuse ( if you have one). At least no one asks what I do on the computer all day.
Title: Re: Question for you young'uns (VN THREAD)
Post by: Suikama on April 17, 2011, 05:17:53 PM: Oh hey Type Moon isn't dead (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZrgId0ZUuE&playnext=1&list=PL433444F59D936840)
Title: Re: Question for you young'uns (VN THREAD)
Post by: trancehime on April 18, 2011, 02:49:40 PM: Quote from: Suikama on April 17, 2011, 05:17:53 PM
Oh hey Type Moon isn't dead (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZrgId0ZUuE&playnext=1&list=PL433444F59D936840)

Holy shit, Aoko backstory?!

What the hell is this shit, Type-Moon, you on crack?!
Title: Re: Question for you young'uns (VN THREAD)
Post by: Suikama on April 18, 2011, 03:55:37 PM: Quote from: Miyuka on April 18, 2011, 02:49:40 PM
Holy shit, Aoko backstory?!

What the hell is this shit, Type-Moon, you on crack?!
You know this was technically the first story Nasu ever wrote :derp:
Title: Re: Question for you young'uns (VN THREAD)
Post by: trancehime on April 19, 2011, 02:39:57 AM: Quote from: Suikama on April 18, 2011, 03:55:37 PM
You know this was technically the first story Nasu ever wrote :derp:

Yeah, well. :derp: I don't actually keep up with Type-Moon and Nasuverse very much. :derp: :derp:
Title: Re: Question for you young'uns (VN THREAD)
Post by: Teewee on April 22, 2011, 01:40:25 PM: I used to read VNs sometimes, but not so much anymore since I have other things keeping me busy. I did like Clannad and Kanon (the latter made me cry a little at the endings I reached. Ayu and Nayuki...). I liked how in Kanon the more erotic scenes were saved until the end, and only being a small part of the story instead of being all about porn. Clannad was nice, too. I never reached an ending, though (or maybe I did, but completely forgot). :derp:

The soundtracks were great! It was that which made me cry at the endings of Kanon I reached.

Maybe someday I'll get more time to read those, but its not very much on my mind for now :V
Title: Re: Question for you young'uns (VN THREAD)
Post by: Ghaleon on April 24, 2011, 03:24:06 AM: You know, about Type-moon, I keep hearing good things about it, and nothing bad. But..I am turned off by it anyway. Because the nature of the good things sounds like it's from rabid teenage fanboys.

What is the target audience of type moon? Am I being unreasonable to assume that many of its fans are just highly vocal like..say..mima fans and/or unjustifiably numerous like naruto/bleach fans? I can't really specify exactly, but there's just SOMETHING about it that makes me think that the reason why people like it, are for reasons outside of my own reasons for liking what I like. I mean so many times I hear bull like "blah blah from type moon is such a badass cool guy, he's immortal and he can destroy the universe with the flick of his wrist and and.. HES SO COOL".. And I'm sitting there facepalming thinking "YOU SOUND SO STUPID".

I'm sorry if I offend anybody, I'm not saying any of you fit in that category, but honest to god, the only time I hear people say something about typemoon, is when it's in the context of some stupid testosterone-fanboisitic rant about badassery and coolness. BADASS is overrated, it doesn't impress me, I don't care about it. Is type moon worth giving a shot for me? Either way, I will try the other 2 I promised to first.
Title: Re: Question for you young'uns (VN THREAD)
Post by: Suikama on April 24, 2011, 03:41:36 AM: type moon sucks because nasu is a bad writer BV

But really it's success comes from the combination of badass girls, unique abilities, emotionally unpredictable endings, weirdass writing style, and how they stood out overall from other VNs at the times of thier release.
Title: Re: Question for you young'uns (VN THREAD)
Post by: Romantique Tp on April 24, 2011, 04:01:56 AM: In other words their success comes from being random ?
Title: Re: Question for you young'uns (VN THREAD)
Post by: Suikama on April 24, 2011, 04:14:51 AM: Quote from: The only Master Bigode in the world on April 24, 2011, 04:01:56 AM
In other words their success comes from being random ?
Not at all actually. Tsukihime and Fate both appeal to males and the previously mentioned combination of stuff hits all the right notes. Attractive women, powerful shounen manga like abilities, an unpredictable plot that keeps you locked in the story, and the fact that it stood out from many other VNs, all contributed greatly to it's success.