VN Tutorial
Foreword
みなさん、こんにちは！私の名前はトウヒです。なぜ私は私のニックネームのように木の名前を使用しています？よく、質問はしないでください！SPNへようこそ… (>_O) ~*
Okay, let’s get back to the topic! Now, I would like to ask how many of you could read Japanese kanji or at least understand their katakana and hiragana? If you could read the sentences above without translation help then it’s good you don’t have to read this page but if it’s otherwise, then you should read further ~ that’s if you’re interested in this section…
So, what’s the topic in here? Well, just for your information:
As we know that 70% of Japanese PC Games are dominated by Visual Novel (some of visual novel contain adult scene may be called ‘eroge’). Therefore, we sure know that those games definitely written in Japanese Language. Although there are few of those games that translated, either by professional translator or fansubs translator into English. Did I mention only “few” that being translated?
In fact translated visual novel only cover around 10% (we should thanks as well to the fansubs translator that actually cover around 70% of those 10%) from overall of those genre. While for the rest unlikely will, stay at their original language; nihon-go and not being translated at all (what a waste). Unfortunately, I had played those un-translated visual novel and I found out that most of visual novel that not translated have a fine quality story line. If so, why don’t we play those visual novels anyway? Well, that’s possible but the questions is: “Can you read those Japanese character?” (Nb: Japanese language consists of katakana, hiragana, and kanji. Those are different from alphabet letter and just to let you know, they never use romanji in their writing).
My first suggestion for you is trying to learn Japanese if you want to learn it seriously then I’ll give tips to learn it effectively, at least in my opinion. Another suggestion using translating machine which mean I’ll discuss “how to?” as this page main focus.
But before you start to read each tutorial, it won’t be hurt to know basic terminology about visual novel itself.
So what is visual novels?
Visual Novels are the general name for a genre of games which these days come primarily from Asia, and combine static backgrounds with reams of text, and generally require very little interaction from the player. The main point of these games does not lie in the graphics; it lies in the story that is being told, hence the name, visual novels. The player interaction is usually limited to making certain choices at decision points throughout the game that affect the route of the story and the overall ending.
The appeal of these games lies in their simplicity and their ability to tell a good story. Since the majority of these games deal with a male protagonist attempting to seduce one (or more) female characters, they are immensely popular with Asia’s younger male population. It is also a reason for the fact that this genre of games are not popular in the western world. Games over here are generally judged more on graphics and gameplay than by the story they are telling, whereas for a visual novel the story is key to its success.
That’s it about visual novels because what I’m going to discuss more is “eroge”
So what is eroge?
Eroge is a niche genre of Japanese PC games also known as 18+ games. In the West, they are often referred to as hentai games or H-games, although this is a misleading name due to reasons explained below. Eroge is a portmanteau of erotic game, and as such, all eroge include some erotic content. However, do not think that the focus of all eroge is on the erotic (ecchi or H) parts, as there is much more to them. Eroge goes hand-in-hand with visual novels, which are all-ages story-based eroge, akin to Western fiction. Note that galge and bishoujo game encompass both eroge and visual novels.
Get the point? Okay, now clear up misconception about eroge.
- Eroge are not all cartoon porn. There are many games that have captivating storylines or gameplay, with minimal erotic content. Some games even provide you with an option to skip the H scenes altogether. This misconception stems from a combination of many factors. Story-centric games are difficult to comprehend for non-native speakers, leading to the majority of eroge brought overseas to be H-based since they are easier to ‘understand’. There is a distinct lack of official translations into other languages due to a lack of general interest in Western markets. This stems mostly from unfamiliarity with the genre and existing misconceptions. In addition, there is a mindset among some players that they play eroge only to get the H scenes or HCGs. Since they cannot understand the language, they seek something that doesn’t need any explanation: porn.
- Eroge are not all dating sims. Dating sims (also called love simulation games) were highly popular back in the 1980s and 1990s. Examples include Tokimeki Memorial 2 (Konami) andDoukyuusei (elf). In these games, you have to do repetitive tasks such as studying, part-time jobs, buying gifts and going on dates, in order to raise your stats and gain affection points with heroines to unlock their endings. Ever since Leaf introduced the love comedy genre with ToHeart and key made the nakige (crying game), Kanon, in the late 1990s, a greater number of games have put emphasis on the story instead of just ‘getting the girl’. In most games, you also don’t have to do repetitive tasks now (at least for ADVs) and just need to make a few critical choices in the common route. Dating sims in the original sense are pretty much nonexistent now.
- ADV/AVG (adventure game) are basically a visual novel, usually with multiple storylines and a cast of characters that grows as the story progresses. Depending on a player’s choices in the common route (flag system), the story will evolve differently. Most eroge fall under this category. ADVs are normally set in a school environment and are love comedies, although this is not always the case.
- RPG (roleplaying game) are not much different from their non-H counterparts. You wander about dungeons, slay monsters and level up your favorite characters. Or alternatively, you are a strategist directing your troops to attack neighboring factions. Regardless, you will spend lots of hours on the game. However, there’ll be incentives in the form of HCGs if you win. And if you lose, there’ll still be HCGs. So hey, it’s a win-win situation!
- SLG (simulation game) are not as common, but can be very enjoyable. Mirroring actions in real life, you can raise daughters, run businesses or build towns. There is considerable planning that is needed, but your hard work will pay off in the end. There are not many of this genre since it is difficult for game makers to find the balance that is necessary for players to enjoy such games. Note that dating sims are a type of SLG.
Beyond the broad type that it is under, there are basically three spectrums that an eroge can be rated on: story, interactivity and H (ero content).
- Some game have extremely deep and intricate storylines such as Natsuyume Nagisa (Saga Planets), Muv-Luv Alternative (âge) or Fate/stay night (Type Moon). Typically, there are less choices in these type of games and a true route is presented to the player at the end. On the other end of the story spectrum are those that don’t have little or no story, such as the Love Death series (TEATIME) or 3D Custom Girl (Tech Arts3D). It is noteworthy that these games usually make up for this with innovative gameplay or H content.
- RPGs and SLGs are known to have high amounts of interactivity and gameplay. GIGA‘s Baldrseries is wildly popular due to its gameplay (and storytelling as well), while Eushully is among the best RPG makers out there. Many fandisks also have mini games or Japanese (riichi) mahjong included for your gaming pleasure. Meanwhile, there are those where the story is almost entirely linear, such as propeller’s Kitto, Sumiwataru Asairo Yori mo. When an eroge does not contain any choices, it is known as a kinetic novel. An example of this is ocelot’s all-ages visual novelShinkyoku Soukai Polyphonica.
- H content varies greatly from game to game. Some games are focused on having sex with as many girls as possible, or catering to certain sexual fetishes. These games are normally referred to as nukige or yaruge. Note that over half of all eroge produced belong to this category, which predominantly have dark themes. You can usually tell if a game is a nukige just by looking at the cover or reading the name. Conversely, some games only show one or two H scenes at the end of each route, depicting the final act of consummation of the lovers’ relationship. Popular eroge are increasingly being adapted to consoles such as the PS2, PSP, XBox360 and DS. In these adaptations, the H scenes are replaced by original scenes since 18+ content is not allowed on these consoles. The most well-known H-free visual novel is CLANNAD by key.
The length of each game also varies greatly. Some ADVs take over 10-15 hours to finish one route, while RPGs are notorious for sucking hours of your life away. Meanwhile, various doujin (amateur) circles make short one-route games which can be completed within an hour or two. Even among professional companies, there are full priced (~9000 yen) and low-priced games (~3000 yen). For example, softhouse-seal almost entirely produces low-priced nukige. Of course, there is a notable correlation between game price and the number of heroines and story length/quality.
- Playing eroge and visual novels is similar to reading a book. However, with the voicing of the seiyuus (voice actors), the characters come to life. With appropriate music playing in the background, a good emotional scene turns into a tear-inducing one. Being able to see the characters on the screen and watch their expressions change as the scene unfolds brings another dimension that manga and Western fiction are lacking.
- The problem with anime is that it is constrained by the cour system where the story must be condensed into a set number of episodes. This causes some series to feel rushed. In other anime, there is a shift of focus from the story to character presentation. This is why you see an increase in fanservice, as this is designed to lure in viewers and increase subsequent merchandise sales at the expense of storyline development. In eroge, there is no such constraint so the character and plot development are much better constructed. Not only that, but due to the interactivity mentioned earlier, the player can decide on which character’s story they would like to follow, thereby increasing both the dynamic nature and personal enjoyment of the game.
- Due to the route system in most eroge, there is high replay value. Instead of watching anime where it follows one route (most likely not your favorite character), you now have the choice to follow whichever character and story you wish. Enjoy talking with your favorite characters. Delve deep into their backstories. See how they react when you decide to choose another girl instead. More games nowadays include true routes which are available to the player only after prerequisite routes have been completed. Personally, I believe that finishing a game completely brings a very satisfying sense of closure to each game that I play.
- Reading books are a good way to increase vocabulary and refine your writing. Eroge is no different in this regard. I’m sure that many of you are interested in learning Japanese or perhaps already know quite a bit. Unlike anime and manga, which consists almost entirely of dialogues, you can learn a lot from reading eroge. Don’t be afraid that you don’t know everything! As you play more, you’ll begin to recognize words and being able to hear how they’re pronounced is also a major plus.
- Most eroge have low system requirements, aside from the disk space required to store all the sound files. The exceptions are 3D games, such as FrontWing’s Time Leap, Leaf’s Kimi ga Yobu, Megiddo no Oka de, as well as ILLUSION and TEATIME‘s highly interactive games. Overflow of School Days fame is also well-known for creating huge games since their games are fully animated. Aside from these, so long as you set the regional and language settings on your computer to Japanese, you can enjoy these games!
Tutorial Index:
- http://sprucefir.wordpress.com/vn-tutorial/general-starting-point-setting-the-regional/
- http://sprucefir.wordpress.com/vn-tutorial/how-to-play-japanese-game-in-english/
- http://sprucefir.wordpress.com/vn-tutorial/enrich-your-japanese-game-translation-with-translator-aggregator/
- http://sprucefir.wordpress.com/vn-tutorial/agth-and-its-%E2%80%9Ch%E2%80%9D-command-basic-explanation-and-h-code-reference/
- http://sprucefir.wordpress.com/vn-tutorial/ta-helper-guide/
- http://sprucefir.wordpress.com/vn-tutorial/ta-helper-plugin-guide/
- http://sprucefir.wordpress.com/vn-tutorial/tutorial-how-to-improve-atlas-translation-perfornance/
- http://sprucefir.wordpress.com/vn-tutorial/how-to-play-japanese-game-in-english-with-ith-updates/
- http://sprucefir.wordpress.com/vn-tutorial/lets-talk-a-bit-about-no-dvd-patch/
- http://sprucefir.wordpress.com/vn-tutorial/h-hooker-code-list-updates/
Reference Sites:
In case if you want to know more information and news about visual novels.
