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It seems the answer changes from a general standard for success to personal standard of success. It's two entirely different standard.

Speaking from business POV, I think success for free VN is when the author or circle that made the VN (along with the said title) gain recognition from (at least intended) audience. The game could be criticized or praised, no matter, people now know there's that game and there's that people who made it. That's what important. So that when said people want to make commercial game, they don't have to worry about promotion/advertising too much. They already recognized.

Of course a single game won't be enough to make you widely and long-lasting recognized...

For commercial VN, we're talking about how fast you could acquire BEP (Break Event Point). We should always talks about that when talking about "seriouz" business. If you could reach BEP and then gain some profit, then it's already enough to continue living on as a game developer (though you're always living on the edge). If you could reach BEP fast, gain enough money to pay your bill during development cycle, and gain enough money to invest on next project, then you can safe to say that your game is commercially successful.

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And the novel aspect needs to be just as great as the art it acompanies; I've read plently of VN's with great art (*coughfortissimocough*), but god-awful storytelling. That's the main reason I despise nugikes, they're just expensive, glorified porn mags. Sadly, everyone praises these games just for the art and take the written aspect as just something to be ignored.

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Interesting topic! One could write an entire book on that subject

One thing that always makes me proud is finishing a project that I start. Some day, a few (or many) years down the road, I might stumble upon what I made and be embarrassed for a second at the spelling mistakes or grammar issues, and smile fondly remembering days that have gone by. What does success mean to you? That is probably the most important question.

Anyways, whatever you consider success to be, I hope you achieve it!

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