What do you think is lacking in the OELVN scenario?

[Hime]

Btw I think we need some GirlXGirl too.

True. Myself I'm a great fan of shoujo ai and I think OELVNs should contain a lot more of it. I guess Lux has to do a game totally tributed to shoujo ai after TeraMura is completed, heh. For great justice! Uh, I really shouldn't think about when TeraMura is completed, I should think about getting it completed... -mumbles-

[Mr. E]

Hey, thanks for the comments, everybody! (Mind you, I may not act out on the result of the poll. This post's result is basically just one more factor in a bunch of others... )
But it helps to see what other people think. I found it a bit surprising that Dating Games were so low in the forum, and I can see that many people would like to see an Epic (Although I haven't defined the term yet...)
For me "Epic" means "Lengthy", meaning that it's bigger than my usual game (still, that may be considered small, especially when comparing it with professional VNs). Length also means more development to the characters (since they usually have more time on screen) and a more controlled pacing. But it also means taking MUCH more time developing the game and less chance of the project actually seeing completion. Epics are also hard because it's difficult to find a story that NEEDS all that time to be told. An epic story must be such that it could not be shortened without loosing much of it's power. If the story can be effectively reduced with little loss, then it's not an epic, but a "Lengthened Story" at it's best and "Filler Text" at it's worst.
Of course that is just a personal (and rather flimsy) definition.

[Nafai]

. Epics are also hard because it's difficult to find a story that NEEDS all that time to be told. An epic story must be such that it could not be shortened without loosing much of it's power. If the story can be effectively reduced with little loss, then it's not an epic, but a "Lengthened Story" at it's best and "Filler Text" at it's worst.

Well its a common perception of what a long story would be. Just a note thought that while there is something to be said definitely for the brevity and power of carefully chosen words and a minimalist structured story (we've got a lot of those in the forums) the fact that a story could be told in a lesser amount of words doesn't necessarily mean that the extra words were mere surplus. Decompression storytelling, while it has its share of critics, is a valid story telling method. (see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decompression_(comics) - note the sample page from Whedon's X-Men (after the couple featured therein takes the... er... next step in their relationship ))

Just bringing this up because I know how much pressure there can be sometimes to make sure you're not adding unnecessary chunks to your story... [Which is why I find short games HARDER to do)

[yummy]

Comedies!

I'm aware it's not something that is really easy to write, because there are quite a lot of humor styles. Creating a piece that is based on parodies is something that is"risky" because some people might not know about what you're referring to...
There are lots of games that benefit from humor, be it commercial (clannad) or fan made (OMGWTFOTL).

It's also difficult to tell if one story is going to be epic since it's only after the game is finished that you can tell if you're going to label it as something epic. (Unless I've misjudged what you were talking about).

[musical74]

I'm going to vote for comedy too...

I don't care for HORROR things, but a SUSPENSE VN might be good. Noctural Illusions had suspense at times and it was well done. Horror? Nope, I'll pass on that...don't care for the genre.

Comedy VNs are few, and it's hard to please everyone regarding it. There's a lot of humor styles - sublte, slapstick, phyiscal, self-degrading, visual....so long as it's not *over the top* (meaning TRYING to show that it's a comedy, instead of just *HEY! that was funny!*) I think a good comedy VN would hit the spot =)

Hentai....I think there's enough hentai in things as it is. Not to say that there can't be more, but there's a lot of hentai out there already.

Epic...no, because I'm one of those people that likes to try and finish a game in one sitting. Elven Relations is about as Epic as I want...it's a good hour or so, and everything is well done and moves well, no *uhhhh what the heck am I supposed to do?* (see Romancing Saga 3). Epics are OK, just not really my cup of tea. Not to say that I won't play them (those in the community here I'll play ) just....like the comedy piece more.

[DaFool]

I have the impression that people here prefer light atmosphere.

Is this true?

I like light atmosphere too, and I think I can write competently light, but I feel a personal challenge to attempt a dark atmosphere, and am wondering how people will respond to that.

Most English commercial VNs until recently were pretty dark, I think.

[mikey]

I have the impression that people here prefer light atmosphere. Is this true?

I like light atmosphere too, and I think I can write competently light, but I feel a personal challenge to attempt a dark atmosphere, and am wondering how people will respond to that.

I have a theory on this ^_^.

Because light atmosphere is something I don't/can't do, I like playing it. Similarly, I don't like really heavy atmospheres, because I often have a lot of thoughts and emotions for my own projects and I like a bit of balance. That's also one reason why I like mindless hentai. (EDIT: I mean mindless, not stupid. It's not easy to find such games, to be honest. I liked AG2, for instance.)

So it's like when race car drivers like to take a back seat and enjoy the drive at a normal pace.

[Matt_D]

I have to say that the market is pretty saturated with pretty dark tales. I don't mind them and sometimes I really enjoy them.

However there are times where you wanna sit down, you wanna spend 5 or 6 hours wooing a cute girl and have silly encounters in an upbeat fashion, sure you can have some drama, some excitment and such like, but at the end you sit down with a grin on your face and think "yeah I really enjoyed that." You want a gay mate who just cracks you up, and a crazy female best friend who hits you with a fan and stomps off. A little sister that shouts BAKA BAKA BAAAKAA as you run out of her room in fits of hysterics coz you caught her unpacking a breast pump!

Sometimes you just want to be made to feel happy, and to think it's all right to be happy. *nods* Comedy is the only way to go!

I think a reason behind the onset of depressing games is much to do with industry perceptions of the communities that play games and watch anime. It's really hard to find a genuinly happy upbeat anime (Lemure almost managed it, but the emos turned up and ruined the last episode), and the same seems true of games at the moment. People seem to think that being innocently happy and content is a bad thing.

[DaFool]

Matt >> are you talking about commercial English VNs? Because there are a lot of untranslated Japanese VNs which are in the 'light' category. Or is it true that given as a whole, there still are more 'dark' games compared to 'light' games?

mikey >> interesting review of AG2, I really enjoyed reading it.

Those possibilities for romance was one of the factors in the development of the original Nettestadt Troll idea, that just because there's a monster who can have his way with a girl, doesn't necessarily mean he'll really go through in putting her through humiliating acts.
Actually the premise of AG2 sounds like one of my game ideas I had right before I moved on...where it's just one guy and one female supercomputer all alone in a spaceship that goes on a long journey. And you can guess... the supercomputer (and consequently the spaceship it's managing) is powered by sex and man-juice. I actually even mapped out the inputs to the system (food, air, water, supplies, sex) and the output (energy, course vector strength -- which is influenced by her satisfaction) and was on my way to creating the template for a simulation engine. If the supercomputer is not satisfied, the course vector strength will not be enough for you to reach your destination. But if she is, then you even get a reserve of energy and will have enough power to even divert your course and visit interesting planets where you can trade energy with aliens for more food and supplies.

[Matt_D]

I'm talking about commercial translated games(and patched Japanese games) there are games that could be considered "light" but they tend to be more (story lacking) hentai games from what I've found. I don't know a single Kanji - and my Katakana/Hiragana isn't much better. I want to play comic party so much T_T

Ahh AG2 there's a game that has kept me amused for months (yaay to crazy modders) I just wish it had a bit more too it. Like a tamagochi but a girl instead lol.

[Scout]

Btw I think we need some GirlXGirl too.

True. Myself I'm a great fan of shoujo ai and I think OELVNs should contain a lot more of it.

I really like the way you think. We've got way more than enough straight romances, I'd really like to see a game where I can relate to the heroine more easily.


Erhem, that aside... actually, I think it would be interesting to have an epic, but not in the sense of the term that's used around here; something actually on an epic scale. If a game's going to take 4 hours... it's satisfying to have saved the world at the end.

[mugenjohncel]

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[dreamer]

Ah! but there are three votes for hentai.

[DaFool]

Things to think about if you are developing a hentai game or considering making one

1.) What music will you use during the scenes? Will the Creative Commons musicians get offended when they realize their proud creations were used for porn? (That's why most porn music is synthesized stinkyness -- I hope to change that). That means to be absolutely safe you need to read the terms of use of their music, or else find someone or compose yourself. Or maybe use no music at all.

2.) Will the scenes actually be erotic, or will they make me throw up? I don't know about you, but I can't fap to stick figures... I am not Madarame (of Genshiken). Once the scenes become laughable...that's it, you have just entered the realm of sleaze, and unless that's what you were intending from the beginning, it's gonna be hard to dig yourself out of that grave. I have been drawing naked girls since I was eleven years old (I should have practiced more on faces LOL). To me this is a personal challenge (all the more since I have to draw naked guys now).

So ironically, for a visual novel hentai game, it seems to require the most professional capabilities, hence it is such a challenge. Unless you want to go the Newgrounds route (there I go, I am generalizing a community based on a few products I've sampled from it, guilty me )

There are no additional requirements for hentai games, other than they have original art. But that's exactly why making them can be hardest.

[mugenjohncel]

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