What do you find the least most nessecary element in any

Visual Novel Community Archive, 2000-2009
#1

A dub. cough Graduation II cough. (Don’t get me wrong, I like the game, just that, as most people have mentioned already, the dubbing…)

I don’t think the brand name is that important, either, as it does not guarantee an excellent game. Also, I could spare some omake if it helps releasing the game faster.

To some “more serious” stuff, I think I could manage to live without BG music and without (Japanese) voices (I will assume it will have text), as, sometimes, I get so into the story that I forget entirely about the music.

How about you, Slayer-san?

#2

well…
i agree with Fxho and Nobody…
cuzz i can play a game very well without the MIDIs and this is the problem… cause the music is in MIDI format so obviously it’ll become repetitive sooner or later and that is very annoying (remember the old pc games? is the same thing)
i think that this’s the only thing that i could “turn off” in a game…
BTW Kumiko… what’s your problem with the manuals or booklets? -_- ? “when i was a child…” i used to collect them… that was very funny… and today i have lots of them
so as a Booklet collector i can tell you that designing a good manual isn’t an easy task… you need lots of creativity!! example… there a big difference in FF8’s manual compared with FF5! or example the Lunar SSSC manual!! that’s art ^-^
… so don’t consider them just like a plus… they’re another important part of game’s image, they show some of the things that it “offers” as a merchandise…

#3

sniff… why… just… why… why Kumiko!!!
… (sigh)… ok… ok… i surrender… so there’s no chance… that i would see a PeaPri’s booklet in the future? …
oh well… the crowd talked… so… i must shut now… but… i still say… why?..
(damn… life isn’t fair… but… who told me that it’s fair? …anyway… i’ll shut now… for now… nyah ha ha!! )

#4

I love computer manuals, even some computer hardware manuals (geez, who read THOSE!). It shows the interests of the people who made the software/hardware. Lately, I stopped complaining about manuals on the CD, as it’s beginning to be the norm, however, it may be funny when you try to troubleshoot your CD-ROM/computer and the manual is CD-based! :slight_smile: (OK, that was off-topic)

Slayer-san, Nobody-san: I usually don’t turn off the sound/voices, unless they are really annoying. And I definitely won’t turn off the Japanese voice! Sandalphon-san, in the old days, what sound-card???

#5

Hey Kumiko,

Have you guys thought about putting a manual in Adobe’s .pdf format? Then all of us who either want or need a manual can print it out with our printers, and you guys save the printing costs on the manual. (Although it might be a case of translation time and financial feasability to even produce an electronic version of the manual)

[This message has been edited by Doug (edited 04-28-2001).]

#6

well kumiko… you’re right… i prefer to sacrifice the booklet if that ensures me that the game will be released sooner than if it had a booklet… and also the matter of saving money too
also… doug-san’s idea is pretty good… why you don’t consider it Kumiko?

#7

well… just to explain something…
maybe Slayer-san is misundestanding me… i don’t want a manual as if was a newbie… i want them cuzz… i collect them… is just like a hobbie… ok… ok…that was when i was a child… but anyway i’m still looking forward the creativity of each company in the creation of the manuals…
anyway… my point is that i collect them… (i’m proud of having lots of them) cuzz i apreciate their creativity and their design… i enjoyed the Lunar’s booklet… o yeah… that’s style… that’s a collector’s piece… maybe u will say “hey if you want images or stuff like that… buy a Bishoujo Art Book like the ones that J-list offers” and… that’s right… i’m thinking about buying them… but there’s aproblem… many of them are japanese-only product… so… there are only a few chances of getting one… cuzz… they disappear very quickly… example… the ones that J-list had of crowd’s X-change^2 and Tokimeki… they disappeared!!..
well i’m leaving again my point… in fact what i want to let you know… i that i want the manuals… cuzz… i collect them!

#8
quote:
Originally posted by Kumiko Kamiyama:
Again, it isn't that we don't want to do all sorts of other things - however, everyone really needs to not judge a bishoujo product release with the same yardstick as the latest Playstation or PC game featured on the cover of CGW. Once we are on the cover of CGW, then one could understand using that kind of yardstick, right? [img]http://princess.cybrmall.net/ubb/wink.gif[/img] But it's your demand and support that will put us there... or the lack of demand and support to publications like that that would cause us to disappear.

Don't be so sure, Kumiko-san, even games covered as the feature game of the issue went as sleepers. The most recent one is The Longest Journey [old timers include The Summoning, Ultima Underworld, System Shock. All in the covers, but went almost unnoticed] .

And, IMNSHO, CGW has been going downhill after is was sold to Ziff-Davis (and that was years ago!). In May's issue, they listed "10 colossal games we want made (or at least we think so)". So what games does they list? Fighting games (with comments like "sassy Japanese schoolgirls in short skirts"), sport games, 3D shooters, et al. Adventure games? Not even close. Worst of all, they begin insulting Canadians (BTW, I am not Canadian), and called people named Wesley, "Wussley". I miss the old days of editor Russell Sipe, Charles Ardai, Johnny Wilson and Scorpia (IMO, one of the best female freelance computer game writers). Sorry for CGW, but I will not renew my subscription... (OK, I will stop now writting about CGW as it went off-topic).

Just as Kumiko-san wrote, it is up to us, to let the general public note this game exists and worth purchasing.

#9
quote:
Originally posted by Sandalphon:
In fact what i want to let you know.. i that i want the manuals.. cuzz.. i collect them! [img]http://princess.cybrmall.net/ubb/biggrin.gif[/img]

Interesting... I used to collect game boxes, as I liked their art (and a place to put the floppy disks). One day, while cleaning my room, I noticed it took about 3/4 of my bookshelf. I ended up throwing them all . It hurt, but at least I got more space. However, just like Sandalphon, I love manuals, but because I like to read them. BTW, Slayer-san, no matter how experienced you are, you will need the manual every now and then. Sure, the interface for most game has been simplified to the point that most players can play without reading it. Still, that does not apply to all the games. If you have played a flight-sim or games like Civilization/Alpha Centauri, you will get my point. I might add, though, that the manual is not just instructions on how to play the game. It also has the background of the game, or one or two interesting tidbit. That's why I like to read it.

[This message has been edited by fxho (edited 04-29-2001).]

#10

yeah… that’s it…
well… i read them too… cuzz… i collect them and keep reading them almost once in a while…
also i agree with Fxho’s point of view… cuzz many companies use to put some advices or clue hints in their manuals…
BTW Slayer… sorry but… this topic appears to be renamed as “booklets… parts of the game… or just an omake?” don’t you think?
(also… Fxho… i used to collect the console game’s boxes… i know that somewhere in this house i had all of them… but… my true collection is the booklets)

#11

Since everyone seems to have different opinions on this topic, I’ll pester you with mine to.

I don’t want the games delayed by some work on a manual that no one actually needs. So until there is a game that actually needs a manual, just skip it.

One thing I’d like to see is a detailed character profile on the CD, perhaps in html format… IF it don’t delay the game.

Regarding dubbing the original voices… Please never ever do that!
That would ruin the game game for me, I couldn’t play Graduation at all

As for production costs, the way X-Change was packaged was fine with me.
Not much printed material, but what’s there is enough.

#12

well…
it seems that everyone… (mostly Kumiko) is against the creation of manuals… ok… ok… let’s go ahead without them…
(sorry Nobody… but i think that games like Starcraft and all the strategies are really easy to get used with)
but i agree with Nobody’s point that a creation of a document with the charater profiles with be very good (and if it had images… it would be perfect!! )
so… my point is “ok Kumiko i surrender… go ahead without the manuals…” (and stop the hints about how they delays the release of the games…)

#13

Kumiko… you say that we can print the images… ok that’s good… but… there are just a few ones…
so if we want more… what we would do?
cuzz… we’re against piracy right? so… that’s my point… ok… here in the page are images… but just a few…
unless that you put many more in the cds… that would help…
(i just want 10-15 don’t think that i’m trying to get them all)

#14

The least?
either music or packaging
probably music
as Nobody mentioned… games are very rarely scored well, with the exception of some games by Square, game music is rarely good. I’d saying having more wavetable or CD-R sounds would go aways over midi though (I wouldn’t turn it off)

The most?
a Good Translation, I mean text mostly, but voice doesn’t hurt…
Too many imports suffer from that “All Your Base Are Belong To Us” syndrome. Bad grammar, poor attempts at localization - etc.

I’d also say Dubs aren’t necessarily crappy in and of themselves. Original voices are great and all, but if you ultimately can’t understand what they’re saying there’s not much of a point. With better voice actors, a dub could be quite enjoyable I imagine. Listening to a foreign language can be interesting, but unless I’m intent on learning it, it’s a distraction.


X-Change had a great translation by the way…

#15

BTW Kumiko… i love sketches…
so if you told me about some good pages woth sketches of bishoujo games… i would be very happy!

#16

well…
let’s start digging!!
well Kumiko… i mean the original sketches… but some really good doushinji works are welcome…-- but the ones that i like… the originals!
and… i’ll be very pleased if you can find some sites… if you’ve the time of course… thanks…
and thanks Slayer for your help…

#17

Miss Kumiko…
thank you so much!!!

#18