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Just out of curiosity since i'm going to start putting away time to start my first two VN.
What is your favorite VN?
Why it is your favorite?
What makes it so special or different from other VN?

I haven't done this in such a long time... I can't resist...

What is your favorite VN?

Desire.

Why it is your favorite?

Because at the time when I played it, the game fit my mood, state of mind, it made me forget, it made me happy. Much like when you're building something from Lego and you need a very specific piece - and then that piece appears - it may be a very ordinary piece, but given the circumstances, you will appreciate and remember the moment and the piece itself more than anything else to come. (Well, it wasn't that dramatic, but it really felt like that was a game that I've been waiting for all that time... it was, for me, perfect). When the player is ready, the (right) VN appears, so to say.

What makes it so special or different from other VN?

Objectively speaking, not much. But since there is no rational reason for love, it doesn't have to be different - the mix of its attributes just happened to be right for me at that time, so I felt it was perfect. But as seen from the previously written, of course, once in love, one will find an endless supply of opinions, reasons and theories why the object of his affection is indeed perfect - from the parts that most people would agree on as good, to the parts that most would dislike. It's not analysis, it's a declaration of love. And love is blind, after all.

Ever 17

Cause one of the girls had identical chrachteristics to my wife, and i played it together with my wife... also had a downside though... she loved the suppernatural aspects in it so much, that she allways wanted to play it, and we didn't have time for other things

But i also loved some of the games on the Renai Archive allmost as much as commercial games... i particularly liked the ones that made you think some and had a moral messege... i think the moral messeges in many games on the renai archive is great, and that in my opinion actually makes them supperior to commercial games

I'm going to be unoriginal and say Ever17 too

It's really hard to choose though.

I think that what you perceive as best is (and should) always be a more emotional than a rational choice. Tor makes an interesting point, as I also fondly remember games I played with my wife (that dates back to DOS point-and-click adventures on a Pentium 133) - they were often quite uninspired, but somehow that doesn't matter and often bad games in the right context can be a perfect fit.

Also, often you stumble upon some very ordinary game, but because you haven't been hyped, aren't familiar with any community wars and just play it one afternoon without any complaints or criticisms automatically forming in your head (as is the case when you play games to give reviews and opinions on them), it may just be the most enjoyable experience of them all.

Often I think it's forgotten, than what makes people like a certain game can also be that they are in a mood and situation to appreciate / overlook / love the features that it has (good or bad), rather than that the game has some objective quality that makes it "good".

mikey wrote:Because at the time when I played it, the game fit my mood, state of mind, it made me forget, it made me happy. Much like when you're building something from Lego and you need a very specific piece - and then that piece appears - it may be a very ordinary piece, but given the circumstances, you will appreciate and remember the moment and the piece itself more than anything else to come. (Well, it wasn't that dramatic, but it really felt like that was a game that I've been waiting for all that time... it was, for me, perfect). When the player is ready, the (right) VN appears, so to say.

Yes everything is up to the individual player! You have to be ready as in have the right heat, emotions, etc... to enter any VN. You could find one to be awful the first time around but come back later to like because depending on your mood you find something you missed in the story or made a personal connection.
That is what i think makes VN great, You can never truly put one away forever.

Der Tor wrote:But i also loved some of the games on the Renai Archive allmost as much as commercial games... i particularly liked the ones that made you think some and had a moral messege... i think the moral messeges in many games on the renai archive is great, and that in my opinion actually makes them supperior to commercial games

Yes i really do agree and like VN that appear or have moral messages, totally superior to commercial VN. I'm personally not a commercial VN fan. I think putting on the market puts to much pressure on the creators and it loses it purpose, content and enjoabilty.

Vatina wrote:I'm going to be unoriginal and say Ever17 too

I'm going to have to read this some day...

I'm personally don't have a favorite because i haven't read every VN as of yet and I'm pretty unbias when it comes to creativity.

Lets all just have fun!

"Love and Peace"- Vash

Narcissu is my favourite.

The ending scene nearly made me cry like a little girl. That's something I hardly ever do.

Many titles have eye-rolling death scenarios. Narcissu did it right.

A tough question...
For me it's Heart de Roomate. There's nothing special to it. It's just... that this particular VN has the biggest impact on me (I began to think lots of important things after playing HdR). May be it's just a pure coincidence though...

LVUER wrote:A tough question...
For me it's Heart de Roomate. There's nothing special to it. It's just... that this particular VN has the biggest impact on me (I began to think lots of important things after playing HdR). May be it's just a pure coincidence though...

This is exactly what I was getting at, from time to time the moment and circumstances of when one plays have so much influence, that any game can be special. The same game, if it was played a month later, perhaps the impact would have been very different.

There is another point related to this - I think this can also be achieved "by accident", for example some games you know are simply produced according to a template, by a disinterested team, with just about everything outsourced, zero ambition... and yet, even a soulless production can feel special, because how we perceive games is not just how the game is made or how much literary quality it has, it's also about the mind of the player - and if it has no soul, sometimes players give that soul to the game.

I think that everyone has (or will have) such a mix of experiences - there are a few very popular games which I think are great (I have the same opinion as the majority), and there are some games I think are great, but they have the worst reviews and frankly, I wouldn't recommend them to people, because I know it's more or less just me.

Also, memories. Sometimes I remember a game, but not because it's life-changing great, but because I remember the time I played it, it brings back memories related to that period of time. There is a huge list of factors and circumstances that determine how people think about a game, and I think it's great that it's not "objectifiable".

It all applies also to how I think about making games. Because any game can be special to a certain person under certain circumstances, it's never a waste when you make one, and it's never wrong if you make it your way. It's motivating.

That's true, there are many things that I love because of that, and not necessarily because they are the greatest thing on earth. (Well, to me, maybe )

But my fav is still E17 For the same reasons too.

Fate/Stay Night, hands down. What made me enjoy it so much were the deep characters and the way they lived their lives. The game was very inspirational and had a significant impact on me. If the remake of Tsukihime will be done with anywhere as close as that much quality then I'll buy it twice.

Also, it's not a VN but if I had to name a game that I played "at the right time" then it would be Planescape: Torment. I was only able to find a copy ten years after I first heard of the game, but it was such perfect and impeccable timing that I was left speechless after playing it.

M12 wrote:Narcissu is my favourite.

The ending scene nearly made me cry like a little girl. That's something I hardly ever do.

Many titles have eye-rolling death scenarios. Narcissu did it right.

I need to finish that.

Sensei 2/ Tzsuki 'Possession' Joint first !

Like many, True Remembrance was the first VN I checked. Then I decided to get Planetarian, which was also damn good but felt a bit underwhelming... Ironic, 'cause I love mecha and all that stuff but I saw everything coming as soon as I clocked half the reading time.

I have no special reasons, TR was the first one I read and I loved it. It had sad moments, lovey dovey fluffy moments, etc. I mean, it was too much for this rusted mech accustomed to huge battleships approaching fast and Macross missile massacres.

I gotta say I don't have a favorite. O_O
Shocking isn't it?