Another quote question,

[Snips]

If a commercially distributed visual novel is available for a gaming console or handheld, does it count as a videogame? I could see the argument going either way. After all, they're really just books with pictures and music and the like. However, they have achievements on the 360 and some of their title screens say "new game" so I'm curious. I just finished one, and am being talked into trying others, and some quotes are just plain priceless.

[Applejack]

It is classified as interactive fiction, no different than a book on tape. Except often with awkward hentai scenes. Personally I don't consider visual novels video games UNLESS it has actual gameplay outside of clicking on an option. With this that would mean something like Princess Waltz would be a visual novel that is also a video game while Family Project would not. Princess Waltz has a whole card battle system that makes up a good chunk of its mechanics. Family Project does not. Sengoku Rance is a video game. It has a whole strategy game element to it.G-Senjou no Maou is not a video game. Animamundi would techincally fall under a video game status because it has the whole 'timed decision making' thing as well as 'hey if you don't have this item from the alchemy system YOU CAN'T MAKE THIS CHOICE, FAG' thing. Kira Kira would not be a video game. I think you see my point. Having achievements is a low fucking barrier to entry since every single thing that is sold on/for the 360 has achievements.

But then hey, I'm not staff so whatever. It isn't my call. Like, I wouldn't say 'I am playing Saya no Uta'. I'd be 'I am reading Saya no Uta'. Or 'I am reading Planetarian'. But then again I would totally go 'I am watching MGS4' and there are quotes from that thing here. But hey, that at least has a terrible fighting game at one point so hey.

Also stop reading visual novels. THAT WAS MY JOB, DAMMIT. ;.;

[Snips]

Also stop reading visual novels. THAT WAS MY JOB, DAMMIT. ;.;

Some friends of mine are really into it. I started with Clannad since I liked the anime. Now they're making me read a bunch of others at once and even encouraging me to write some of my own since I've been writing for well over 10 years.

I was just curious if VN quotes would be acceptable for "Videogame quote of the moment" really.

[Applejack]

You can't just write a visual novel, man. Like...writing a visual novel requires some things. Like writing a hugeass infodump because you skimmed over a book on psychology or something. Or...writing awkward sex scenes. Or having the most pretentious allusions in your story since Xenogears.

Also I bet I recommend better ones than your friends. I mean, they probably just did the whole 'Tsukihime' and 'Fate/Stay Night' or whatever.

Hell I gave you like five in my previous post alone.

I WILL BE THE VN KING ROUND THESE PARTS, SIR.

[Snips]

You can't just write a visual novel, man. Like...writing a visual novel requires some things. Like writing a hugeass infodump because you skimmed over a book on psychology or something. Or...writing awkward sex scenes. Or having the most pretentious allusions in your story since Xenogears.

I've written "choose your own adventure books" in the past. A visual novel is largely similar, but with audio and video accompaniments. As fate would have it, I'm engaged to a wonderful artist, and a programmer friend of mine has already begun poking around at various VN engines to see the best way to go about this. It'd take a long time, but it'd be a fun project to work on.

Also I bet I recommend better ones than your friends. I mean, they probably just did the whole 'Tsukihime' and 'Fate/Stay Night' or whatever.

Actually, right now the one being forced on me is G-Senjou no Maou. I hear it's one of the best, and the synopsis is intriguing, but the english translation of the name worries me. That, and I'd rather not get my expectations up to the point that everything else sucks.

[Applejack]

Dude, a visual novel is nothing like a choose your own adventure book. They only thing they have in common is that they both let you pick something from time to time. Ever17 alone has more references to physics and psychology and biology and and other -ologies than a god damn college textbook. And it manages to bring them all together in what is possibly the single greatest mindfuck that ever came from Japan. It takes a lot more than just being a good writer, since really now a lot of visual novels are not all that well written: they just have a lot of adjectives and name drops.

G Senjou no Maou is really damn good thanks in part to a pretty fantastic eschewing of norms in terms of narration, character morality, and point of view. What's wrong with the translation of the name? The Devil on G-String? It is an overt reference to Air on the G String and thus Bach. That whole novel is full of references to classical music to the point where every single song on the OST is a remix of a classical piece of music. But also G-Senjou has hentai scenes. Awkward hentai scenes. But man, everything before those scenes is generally awesome.

But don't start with that one. You want to start off light. You already did Clannad which is not what anyone should start with. Here's what you do. Start with Planetarian. It is really short, shouldn't take you more than like 3 or 4 hours. You don't even make a choice, you just read the story. But it's still good for what it is. It is low impact and great for starting out since you don't have to worry about good or bad endings. From there you go on to Tsukihime. That gets you the standard visual novel set up, with multiple characters and a good enough plot and the awkward love scenes; it is also fairly short as far as VNs go. Narcissu is also fairly low impact and should be played sometime after Planetarian.

If you want a more eroge in your VN experience (think porn with a plot, but an actual plot and not a porn plot) then go with Yume Miru Kusuri but only if you promise to do Aeka's route last.

Kira Kira is light and fluffy, but also kind of funny and it has some pretty good music. It is also about four kids at a religious high school who decide to start a punk rock band. At one point they start saying 'fuck' all the time and it is funny.

Saya no Uta is best played around Halloween or the Canadian equivalent. Fair warning: shit is fuuuuuuuuuuuuucked up in Saya no Uta.

After those you'll be able to move on to such delights as Umineko and Higurashi and Chaos;Head and Family Project. Then you can hit the god damn big dogs. Like the aforementioned Ever 17.

You know what, fuck it, just play Ever 17. And don't fucking look at a guide. You earn that true ending through trial and god damn error.

[Rainbow Dash]

Gonna go ahead and say "No" on this one. VNs are software, but that doesn't make them games. You could classify any novel as a video game using that slippery slope with Kindle. If it has actual gameplay elements outside of branching dialogues, then it counts. If in doubt, just submit it, not a big deal.

[Applejack]

If it has actual gameplay elements outside of branching dialogues, then it counts.



Hey we can't have the same opinions on the matter god dammit