they also diminish the finished product as you can at times see when one update ended and another begun
- Thread starter VertigoAVN
- Start date
- Jan 3, 2021
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So the game is now long enough that I thought it would be fun to do a fresh play-through. Something I've noticed going back to the beginning and playing through a lot of the game in quick succession is...
...damn near every other VN needs to take notes from this game about shot composition and how to frame a scene. It is downright fan-fucking-tastic. Now the writing is already stellar, combining genuinely funny, witty, and charming dialogue with a good dose of the protagonist's internal monologue, and liberal application of ancillary scene details (e.g. description of what characters are doing, how things feel or smell, actions and scene directions, etc.).
But what takes it over the top is how much storytelling is being delivered through scene composition during dialogue. What the camera can or cannot see, the placement of characters in relation to each other, and how they visible react to how a scene unfolds. They are not just static dolls sitting there lifelessly until the camera decides to zoom in and take up 70% of the screen space with their headshot like we're playing a Bethesda RPG.
Every time there is a conversation (but especially so if it includes three or more characters), you can pick up so much extra details in those scenes that are entirely independent of the dialogue, just by paying attention to how those characters react when they're not the ones currently talking. Vertigo doesn't need to write lines of dialogue or descriptions to express someone reacting in shock or dismay or annoyance; you'll plainly see it upon their faces if you're paying attention at all.
I love this game for it. Such loving attention to detail, and I desperately wish far more developers took note of. This is what top-tier world building looks like. Is this George R.R. Martin levels of labyrinthian intrigue a la Game of Thrones? No. But this world, and the characters within it, feel real and authentic in a way that few other visual novels ever achieve. Fucking hats off to Vertigo.
...damn near every other VN needs to take notes from this game about shot composition and how to frame a scene. It is downright fan-fucking-tastic. Now the writing is already stellar, combining genuinely funny, witty, and charming dialogue with a good dose of the protagonist's internal monologue, and liberal application of ancillary scene details (e.g. description of what characters are doing, how things feel or smell, actions and scene directions, etc.).
But what takes it over the top is how much storytelling is being delivered through scene composition during dialogue. What the camera can or cannot see, the placement of characters in relation to each other, and how they visible react to how a scene unfolds. They are not just static dolls sitting there lifelessly until the camera decides to zoom in and take up 70% of the screen space with their headshot like we're playing a Bethesda RPG.
Every time there is a conversation (but especially so if it includes three or more characters), you can pick up so much extra details in those scenes that are entirely independent of the dialogue, just by paying attention to how those characters react when they're not the ones currently talking. Vertigo doesn't need to write lines of dialogue or descriptions to express someone reacting in shock or dismay or annoyance; you'll plainly see it upon their faces if you're paying attention at all.
I love this game for it. Such loving attention to detail, and I desperately wish far more developers took note of. This is what top-tier world building looks like. Is this George R.R. Martin levels of labyrinthian intrigue a la Game of Thrones? No. But this world, and the characters within it, feel real and authentic in a way that few other visual novels ever achieve. Fucking hats off to Vertigo.
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- May 30, 2020
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I've usually end up waiting a few updates before playing again with certain games (probably 4 updates at the least). I don't hold it against the dev for having us wait, but it does break immersion a bit to hit a cliffhanger and then come back a couple months later to pick it back up.
That's actually a compliment though because there aren't many games that I can say that about.
- Jan 3, 2021
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Chapter 1 Super-Cut
As a byproduct of my recent decision to re-play the game from the beginning, here are some of my favorite parts from the game's first chapter; be they specific lines of dialogue, entire scene compositions, particular expressions, or things that made me stop and laugh out loud. Needless to say, this is all spoiler-tastic, so tread at your own risk! This is by no means an exhaustive list, and could have easily been many times larger. But at some point you gotta curate and make some cuts (plus getting these all to upload properly took enough time as is). Beware, it is a lot of thumbnails for ~1440p images.
Also, Every Girl is Best Girl!
As a byproduct of my recent decision to re-play the game from the beginning, here are some of my favorite parts from the game's first chapter; be they specific lines of dialogue, entire scene compositions, particular expressions, or things that made me stop and laugh out loud. Needless to say, this is all spoiler-tastic, so tread at your own risk! This is by no means an exhaustive list, and could have easily been many times larger. But at some point you gotta curate and make some cuts (plus getting these all to upload properly took enough time as is). Beware, it is a lot of thumbnails for ~1440p images.
Also, Every Girl is Best Girl!
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I particularly like the pacing of this game. I'm a big fan of quirky/interesting characters, so the lack of sex at the beginning didn't bother me--I was just interested to meet more of these odd characters and learn more about them. The MC is not really a beta or an alpha. He's just a guy living his life the best he knows how. There are games where the MC dominates everyone and I like those fine, and games where the MC is a doormat, which I don't like. This game is not in either mode. The MC in this game is not willing to be submissive to women but neither does he need to dominate them. As to the pacing, I think the storytelling in the game is excellent, unfolding little by little as we play through each update. The devs didn't give us the whole story at the beginning, but they also don't milk their supporters with endless pointless updates.
- Jul 31, 2018
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My only complaint is it feels like there's a few too many characters in play at this point. There's a lot of tertiary characters that keep popping up that mc recognizes but they largely kinda blur together for me, even with my recent full play through where I tried a bit harder to keep track of everyone. Also, I feel like we need to get some concrete answers about what's actually going on soon or it's just going to be frustrating. Otherwise, writing is real good and that post last page about shot composition and little details in group scenes or stuff in the background was spot on. Love it so far.
- Jan 3, 2021
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I didn't have much trouble keeping track of people. I don't think the cast has gotten too big, yet. Part of the conceit is it taking place in a high school, so I figured a rather large extended cast was inevitable. So long as Ren doesn't end up fucking literally everything that moves, and the narrative doesn't twists itself so that every girl he encounters is 110% okay being in a polyamorous/harem relationship where he is the only dude (e.g. it doesn't turn into My New Family)? Cause yeah, if the story devloves into each update just being 'Ren fucks a new token girl', then I'm going to fall off real fast and be very disappointed. Fortunately, given what has been shown so far, there's no reason to seriously think Vertigo is going to head in that direction. If they were that unscrupulous, the game could have been neck-deep in schoolgirl pussy many updates ago.
Seeing as how they're a gay couple I imagine they just used the back doorLet's summarize the situation ... MC is at home, the doorbell rings and magically the parents are at home and he is outside the door?
View attachment 2612204
.... okay, I'll show myself the door now.
Yeah, I'll kind of agree with this. Especially since it doesn't have an event replay system like, say, Sensei Overnight or Lessons in Love (that I can find, at least) and some of these characters aren't listed on the phone. Some I can never forget, like Quoth, but some will just pop up and Rem will be like "Oh, hey, it's Xyz" and I'm just like "Fucking who? Oh, the girl you met for like 2 minutes 7 updates ago". It's at least a month between updates, the old memory isn't that good lol
- Jan 3, 2021
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I mean, those are both sandbox games. That's why this one doesn't have a 'event replay', cause it's a visual novel and not a sandbox.
- Jul 31, 2018
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An in game encyclopedia of all the ladies with a sentence or two about what they've done and who they're connected to would be very helpful, though.
Dev, a rendering question.
When Suzu is getting dressed and trying to figure out what to wear (part of the latest release I think), would she really have had an open window, during the day, when half naked?
When Suzu is getting dressed and trying to figure out what to wear (part of the latest release I think), would she really have had an open window, during the day, when half naked?
- Oct 11, 2018
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- Mar 22, 2020
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I am no longer able to request my post get promoted to the OP from the mods. Only the owner of this thread can do it for me now. Otherwise this is the only notice you get that I have updated my android port.
- Jul 2, 2020
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Feedback sent to Vertigo and he really appreciates it. Thank you for the kind words and the high praise
more I need more, also:
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- Jul 2, 2020
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Vertigo is working toward the next update as we speak. It's only a matter of time. Also yes Nagisa is wonderful