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Welcome to the General VN Discussion thread!

If you have something you'd like to talk about but don't think it's worth posting as a separate thread this is the place for you.

  • Did you start playing something new?
  • Are there any games you're looking forward to?
  • Are you looking for suggestions on what to play?
  • Do you have some feedback or questions about our community?

These and any other topics are welcome here - as long as they are VN or community related.

< Previous thread

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Long Live The Queen was one of my first visual novels, so I'm super excited for this 👀

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Aside from completing all non-remake S;G entries, I played it last because it's a great sendoff to Okabe/Mayuri shippers like me. It's such a nice palate-cleanser to the seriousness of the main entries.

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Since 2009, one visual novel has changed many lives

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I've recently played through the demo of Save the Villainess, one of multiple villainess themed titles suggested to me by @Elevator7009@ani.social.

I'm not entirely sure how I feel about it - not because I dislike it but rather because it's very different from what I expected. It's much closer to Umineko (in terms of the atmosphere as well as meta and magical elements) than a straightforward VN. Structure wise however it has more interactivity and actual choices then that series.

Tasty tasty Servant

I'm a bit mixed on the writing - on one hand it tries to be kind of serious, on the other it plays around with already mentioned meta elements, through the use of a narrator actively participating in the story, and presents the MC as a bit of an aloof weirdo. That last point isn't bad in itself but doesn't really mesh with what's going on and how the game tries to present its creepy vibe. At times the writing makes me confused on what emotions devs want me to feel.

That's how I felt early on anyway.

After finishing the demo I feel like all the characters are aloof weirdos to some extent and the whole things started to feel more like an American McGee's "Alice in Wonderland" interpretation than a mystery romance novel. Despite my initial impressions this story doesn't take itself (too?) seriously and with this approach the whole thing becomes way funnier to read.

Horse

Speaking of presentation, it's also all over the place. The art style is very nice and all the illustrations are great from the technical standpoint. There's also a decent amount of dynamism in how the scenes are presented - like panning the camera over various elements of the background or moving characters to represent some actions.
At the same time, the game goes a bit too hard with animating certain character elements (to the point they look weirder/more robotic than if they were static) as well as when employing various effects during some scene transitions or meta focused segments. I hope they tone these down a bit in the final release.

Also, this might be a petty complaint but the semi-regular title drops can get a little obnoxious - the fact they are always accompanied by a full logo reveal doesn't help either. Please let this be a demo or prologue only thing and not a recurring stinger happening throughout the whole story.

Happy stroll

Most of what I wrote here might sound like I don't enjoy the game but that couldn't be further from the truth. I do like what I played so far and I hope it improves even more in the full release. This demo seems to be about a year old or so - I'm sure things will be more polished once the full version comes out.

I've you're in mood for a villainess themed story and don't mind a cast being filled with weirdos this title might be worth a look. I'll be definitely keeping an eye on the full release and search for other similar titles in the meantime.

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submitted 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) by Berin@discuss.tchncs.de to c/visualnovels@ani.social
 
 

//VNDB

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Preface

This thread is dedicated to fan and official patches focused on providing fixes, quality of life improvements and restoration of content cut from western VN releases.

New content mods and other expansion related projects should be relegated to the General VN Thread or their own posts.


Submitting patches

If you know about any patches you'd like to see on the list feel free to post them in the comments or message one of the mods about it. Before you do however, make sure to familiarise yourself with the submission rules below.

Submission rules:

  1. Patch link must lead to a public facing official source. Direct download links or patches hidden in the depths of a random discord server are a no-go.
  2. Official source must provide:
    • General content description or a feature list.
    • Installation instructions.
    • Version compatibility (soft requirement).

Keep in mind that sticking to these rules does not guarantee patch inclusion. Moderation team reserves the right to refuse any submissions that go beyond the previously stated goals of this list or violate the rules of the ani.social instance (where this community is located).


Patch list:

A Sky Full of Stars -Fine Days-Name: Miazora: Fine Days Translation Patch
Official release: link
Compatible versions:

  • DLSite (might require VPN to access)

Feature List:

  • English translation of all the text in the game.
  • Adds Hinami's route for versions without it.

Angel Beats! -1st beat-Name: Angel Beats! 1st Beat Translation Patch
Official release: link
Compatible versions:

  • DLSite (might require VPN to access)

Feature List:

  • English translation of all the text in the game.
  • English subtitles for opening and ending themes.

Higurashi When They Cry HouName: 07th-Mod
Official release: link
Compatible versions:

Feature List:

  • Full voiceover
  • Lipsync support (when using PS3 sprites)
  • Sprites and backgrounds in 16:9, 1080p and 1440p combined assets
    • Sprite Options: PS3, MangaGamer, or Original Japanese
    • Graphics Options: PS3 or Original Japanese.
  • Exclusive console content (such as bad endings).
  • Upgraded user interface
  • ADV (text box at bottom) and NVL (text covering the whole screen) support
  • Opening videos from the console release
  • Option to bring the BGM/SE closer to the Pre-April Update/Original JP Release
  • Various Third-Party Language Patches (see below for chapter support)

If My Heart Had WingsName: Konosora/IMHHW ReTranslation patch
Official release: link
Compatible versions:

  • Japanese Editions:
    • [2012-05-25] この大空に、翼をひろげて 初回限定版
    • [2012-07-13] この大空に、翼をひろげて 通常版
  • English Editions:
    • MangaGamer
    • Steam (not officially supported but had no problems during my own playthrough)

Feature list:

  • Vastly improved translation
  • Restoration of cut and censored content

Additional comment: Highly recommended as the official translation is quite butchered compared to the original text.


Majikoi! Love Me Seriously!Name: Official 18+ Content Restoration Patch (paid)
Official release: link
Compatible versions:

Features:

  • Restores 18+ content removed from the Steam release.

Name: Voice Restoration Patch
Official release: link
Compatible versions:

Feature list:

  • Restores vice acting for side characters (unavailable in the English release).

Name: Majikoi Translation Project
Official release: link
Compatible versions:

Feature list:

  • Slightly different translation compared to the official one.
  • Optional uncensor patch.

Majikoi! Love Me Seriously! SName: Majikoi S Translation Project
Official release: link
Compatible versions:

  • Original Japanese release

Feature list:

  • English translation of all the text in the game.

Sakura Wars 2Name: Sakura Wars 2 English Translation
Official release: link
Compatible versions:

  • GS-9169 (V1.002)
  • GS-9198 (V1.004)

Feature List:

  • English translation of:
    • Story dialogue
    • Battle dialogue
    • Mini-games
    • Battle menus
    • System menus
    • Added subtitles to movies
    • Boss images
    • Theater room names
    • Load Screens
    • Boot up screen
    • Everything within Long Day
    • Credits

Summer Pockets REFLECTION BLUEName: Summer Pockets Reflection Blue Translation Patch
Official release: link
Compatible versions:

  • DLSite (might require VPN to access)

Feature List:

  • English translation of all the text in the game.
  • English subtitles for opening and ending themes (optional).

Umineko When They CryName: 07th-Mod
Official release: link
Compatible versions:

Feature List:

  • ADV (text box at bottom) and NVL (text covering the whole screen) support
  • PS3 assets:
    • Voices, sprites
    • CGs (event images)
    • Backgrounds
  • Sprite Options: PS3, MangaGamer, or Original Japanese

VA-11 Hall-AName: Photosensitivity Mod
Official release: link
Compatible versions:

  • GOG
  • Steam
  • Nintendo Switch release
  • Playstation Vita release

Feature List:

  • Adds a small change to Day 11 of VA-11 Hall-A, making it safe for photosensitive people to play. Multiple versions available.

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cross-posted from: https://discuss.tchncs.de/post/36721447

There are over 100 otome games by over 80 developers! It will run from May 19 - May 26.

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I've got something unusual for y'all today: a VR visual novel. Still in production but it has a demo, thought someone might find it interesting.

PROJECT MIX is a VR narrative adventure inspired by ‘90s anime and Hong Kong cinema — and the debut title from PLECTRUM SOFT.

You play as Rone, a young former triad member desperate to leave his criminal past behind. After a chance encounter with Valencia, the eccentric owner of the Eleventh Heaven Bar, he finds himself starting down an unexpected new path - working as a bartender.

Play the PROJECT MIX VR Demo on Steam!

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  • VN alone is usually $20.00, now $15.00 for the sale. Works on MacOS, Linux, and Windows.
  • Official book is usually $10.00, now $7.50 for the sale. It contains
    • Extra info on all characters
    • All portraits and backgrounds
    • Early concepts and fan content
    • A guide plus a full detailed flowchart!
  • Altogether it's usually $30.00, now $22.50.

Both available in Italian and English.

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I wanted to share something for those interested in less known, historical oddities today.

Girl of the Bakehouse ~ Withered is a short kinetic novel from a Chinese doujin group called MICA Team - group which later found their footing as a gacha developer with games like Girls' Frontline 1 and 2 as well as Project Neural Cloud. The game had a very limited release (400 copies, available only during few Chinese cons) and never received an official English version so the only way to play it is to use a fan translation packed with the full game. I'm not linking it here since we didn't have a conversation about how to handle such cases on the community level but anyone interested in checking it out feel free to message me or just check the fan patch release on game's VNDB page.

Titular bakery

Action of Girl of the Bakehouse takes place in a small town occupied by an invading military forces and follows two characters: Mendo (a war reporter attached to said military) and Jefuty (a local girl whose parents were killed by the troops). The story itself is pretty simple and focuses on revenge - not the exciting and fun kind of revenge but rather the sad and "unnecessary" one. It's down to earth, it's personal and it's tragic (from a purely humanist perspective).

On the production quality standpoint the game is alright - it's an amateur production and it shows, though I don't think it necessarily takes away from the experience. The writing is good for what it is, not the best thing I've read but also never got boring or took me out of the experience. The art is pretty rough, music and sound effects do their job well. As long as you don't expect a high-budget affair your time with it should be a positive one.

War, war never changes...

Considering the limited release and the amateur development you'd probably be prone to expect this to be a neat but long forgotten curio. Wrong, this title isn't just a one-off but was actually remade twice - first as Codename: Bakery Girl and later as Reverse Collapse: Code Name Bakery (the only one available officially these days, here is the Steam page in case anyone's curious).

Both games moved away from a pure VN approach and changed into tactical RPGs. The story itself also evolved, with Mendo becoming a soldier/agent tasked with extraction of a mysterious person from a hostile territory (Jefuty).
World building got a lot more fleshed out, leaning further into the sci-fi setting as well as providing new details about who, what, where, why, the history of the world and much more.

The world and lore of these remakes were also utilised in already mentioned gacha games, with Girls' Frontline titles acting as prequels (though not directly related) to Mendo and Jefuty's story.

I always had soft spots to historical oddities and rough but ambitious attempts by indie developers. Trying out this small but passionate project, one which gave start to a franchise spanning universe I fell in love with almost 7 years ago, was a really fun experience. I'm glad I finally got a chance to see it for myself.

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Found this via their Mastodon account (@saveandload@blorbo.social)

Here's their introduction post:

Time for a little #introduction!

We're the Save and Load Club, a book club community centered around Visual Novels.

We pick something from a list of member suggestions, vote on what to read and then, while reading, discuss the VN together!

This account will be used to announce new sessions or other significant news. You can also always ask questions about the site.

A more detailed rundown on what this is and how it works can be found on our forums with the link below. https://saveandload.club/t/welcome-to-save-and-load-club/5

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14 chapters, ~5–6 hour completion time.

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Welcome to the General VN Discussion thread!

If you have something you'd like to talk about but don't think it's worth posting as a separate thread this is the place for you.

  • Did you start playing something new?
  • Are there any games you're looking forward to?
  • Are you looking for suggestions on what to play?
  • Do you have some feedback or questions about our community?

These and any other topics are welcome here - as long as they are VN or community related.

< Previous thread

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submitted 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) by Berin@discuss.tchncs.de to c/visualnovels@ani.social
 
 

There's a new tournament/poll Tumblr blog for determining the VN of all time. It's probably going to have a tournament structure and match VNs against each other, like similar blogs. Feel free to submit VNs!

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DescriptionThe Ghost of Alcantra is a passion project made by four people. It is a free kinetic romance/mystery vn that alternates between two perspectives, one taking place in 1987 and one taking place in 1997. In 1987, Nick Fox meets the mysterious Alexandria (who seems to know more than she lets on) at the Summer Festival of Alcantra. They become closer, but at the same time, Alcantra finds itself the center for a series of murders. In 1997, an unknown narrator gets hit by a motorcycle and ends up in the hospital with amnesia. A detective, Scarlet Storm, informs him that a murder has just occurred and gives him a note found with his belongings that says: “Her blood is on your hands.” He joins Detective Storm to assist in the case in hopes that doing so will help him recover his memories. She tells him that the townspeople think the murder was done for The Ghost of Alcantra. As the events progress, it becomes clear that the events of 1997 are connected to those of 1987.

If you’re looking for a fairly lengthy visual novel focused around a central romance and mystery, consider The Ghost of Alcantra. There are many great visual novels that involve different routes or dating sim elements, but if you’re wanting to experience a narrative that emphasizes a singular, fleshed-out story, consider checking out The Ghost of Alcantra.

Links:

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I was internally debating whether this counts at all, but it has a VNDB page, so VNDB

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I mentioned this game in the general thread but since I don't know if anyone read it I thought I'd link it as a post as well.

Game has a demo, a pretty interesting one, so feel free to check it out if you're looking for a crime focused VN and aren't put off by the potential triggers.

Here's the content warning from the dev, just in case:

Content warningAttention: This game contains episodes featuring physical and sexual violence, strong language, and various other triggering moments that may provoke fear and feelings of anxiety. Please proceed with caution.

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