- May 15, 2021
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Both excellent films, but nothing more recent? Boyhood and Everybody Wants Some are my more recent Linklater favouritesI'm more _School of Rock_ or perhaps _Dazed and Confused_ on a good day.![]()
Both excellent films, but nothing more recent? Boyhood and Everybody Wants Some are my more recent Linklater favouritesI'm more _School of Rock_ or perhaps _Dazed and Confused_ on a good day.![]()
Actually, if I had to put myself into a Linklater movie type - I'm the "Waking Life" and "Slacker" guyI'm a Linklater fan, too. But I see you and Arisushi as _Before Sunrise_ types, while I'm more _School of Rock_ or perhaps _Dazed and Confused_ on a good day.![]()
Hello Arisushi, sorry for the late reply, but I still hope that my short review can be of some help. I just want to warn you in advance that everything I wrote was written solely through the filter of my own preferences and in no way pretends to be objective.Earlier today, I released the opening act of my visual novel, "Mayura Express".
PC -You must be registered to see the links
MAC -You must be registered to see the links
It's not exactly ready for a proper "f95" release yet, as there's still an important part of the story I want to complete before creating a proper thread for it. (And that's going to take some time.)
Right now, it's more or less just a quick introduction to some of its characters.
However, I'd really appreciate if any of you could take a look at it, and share your thoughts on it. (Both the good and the bad)
NOTE: My intention is not to "promote" the game here.
1. I don't have a lot of active audience on my patreon. Those who support me (God bless them), have mostly shown their appreciation through likes.
And as much as I love seeing those little heart symbols, it's not enough to get an idea of what they think about the "finer details" of the game.
2. Being a story-first thread, I hoped the players here won't mind the lack of erotic scenes, and would be happy to appreciate/criticise it for what it is.
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Long story short, I just want someone to critique my work, and tell me what they liked and what they didn't.
Of course, I do feel a bit awkward about asking this in a forum where I've only been an occasional participant, but...
A few months ago, Jufot said it was okay to share my stuff here and ask for critique. So, I figured I'd just take up on that kind offer.
So, if anyone's up for a quick, 10-15 minutes playthrough, please check out Mayura Express, and share your thoughts with me.
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(Was that too long for a "Hey guys, please critique my game"?
I'm sorry if it was. It's the first day of the release and I'm a little nervous and desperate for feedback. )
Thank you very much for sharing that. I'm genuinely grateful that you took the time to clearly explain your expectations and thought process. It really helps a lot.Hello Arisushi, sorry for the late reply, but I still hope that my short review can be of some help. I just want to warn you in advance that everything I wrote was written solely through the filter of my own preferences and in no way pretends to be objective.
Let me start by saying that I hang out in off-topic threads of a few of my favorite games, and most of the new games I try are recommended by people in those threads. Talking to the guys there, I got the impression that for them, such recommendations also become the primary source of new games that are worth playing. It's not that I don't keep an eye on the "latest updates" section of the site, but after you've tried everything that is high-ranked and filtered by the tags you like, it doesn't become very useful. Because your life is not enough to try out every new game there; dozens of them appear every day.
So, if the guys in the off-topic thread ask me what I think about “Mayura Express”, I’ll probably answer that it’s from one of the developers of “One Night Stand”, female protag, graphics in the style of “Our Red String”, girl travels to her hometown by train and chats with a random guy the whole way. Look, I really hate to write this, but that’s basically all I could see in the published fragment.
Of course, one can object to me: “Well, duh, dude, bingo, this can be said about any story-based game, the characters just chat and that’s probably all. Try to read what they're talking about.” This is not entirely true. Our tastes are shaped by modern media, where actions and emotions often prevail over content, and, alas, I am no exception. There has to be something that hooks me first, and then you can feed me long dialogues and self-reflections from the characters.
Look, I don’t know, at the ONS for example. An elderly bartender stands over the bar, polishing an already clean mug and choking on self-pity and the meaninglessness of his life. A young beautiful girl sits at the table with a sad and worried face, thinking about her love failures. What's interesting and exciting here? But here you did a great job of creating tension and intrigue between the characters. They gradually notice each other, their thoughts take a different direction, they begin an awkward conversation, tension grows. This is the trick that got me hooked and kept me playing in anticipation of what would happen next.
And when I think about it, there's always something about my favorite games that grabs my attention from the very beginning.
Summer's Gone - a misanthrope dude with deep mental trauma leaves the house for the first time in a while, meets a random girl on the street, who gets hit by a car before his eyes. Poor Vic and crazy Marla. The drama is created.
Chasing Sunsets - begins with a very touching and sweet story of childhood love between a step-sibling, which ends nasty. The conflict has been created.
Hillside - a "damsel in distress" opening that always works.
Leap of Faith - Chris drags the depressed MC to a fast food restaurant, where they joke and flirt with a pretty waitress, and the MC eventually gets her number. It's fun and creates a playful mood. I'm looking forward to a date with Kira.
I can go on and on, but this will be enough to get the idea: this is either an emotional situation that makes you feel for the characters, or some kind of intrigue that piques your interest, or some kind of action that attracts your attention and makes you want to see more. Naked boobs will be not bad too, but I think we are not talking about this kind of games
In the meantime, I have the impression that I was traveling on the Maurya Express in the same wagon with Surya, dozing all the way to the sound of the carriage wheels and her casual blabbering with some random dude. Either way, I can't say I don't like it, I just hope the rest of the chapter brings some fire to the story and makes this part a quick introduction to the characters. Thank you for sharing your work with us and I wish you all the best!
And thank you for your kind response and explanation of your intentions behind the story. And you certainly won't stop me from giving the game another try after it's full chapter releasedThank you very much for sharing that. I'm genuinely grateful that you took the time to clearly explain your expectations and thought process. It really helps a lot.
I completely understand where you're coming from. And also agree that what you've seen till now is just "fluff" that doesn't give you a strong incentive to continue reading further. But that was entirely intentional.
As I mentioned in the original post, there's still one key part of the story that is yet to be completed. THAT will (hopefully) serve as the "main hook" that makes readers come back for at least one more chapter.
But, as much as the story is going to have a "main hook line", I'm also the kind of writer who focuses equally on the "little moments of nothing." So, it was important for me to set that tone early on too.
Still, that lack of a hook is why I've held off from releasing this demo/Preview on f95. So, I assure that your concerns about the opening of the story will be properly addressed in the next (0.1 full version) release.
So, once I add that remaining content and release it here at f95, I'd really appreciate if you could give the game another chance and see if it's something you might be interested in![]()
The story, graphics and colors so far seem like an Indian feel good movie. Continue with the story and keep the rickshaw scene which is fun but maybe create more impact at the beginning of the train scene. The language part is a bit harder for me to have an opinion on as I don't speak English mainly myself but it feels like it could be improved a bit. But as I said, continue with the story and adjust later because the little that has come so far seems really good and promising. It may be foolish to spend too much time tweaking at the beginning because it can spoil the joy of creation. What you have done so far is still good enough to move on. Looking forward to the next release.Earlier today, I released the opening act of my visual novel, "Mayura Express".
PC -You must be registered to see the links
MAC -You must be registered to see the links
It's not exactly ready for a proper "f95" release yet, as there's still an important part of the story I want to complete before creating a proper thread for it. (And that's going to take some time.)
I'm sorry if it was. It's the first day of the release and I'm a little nervous and desperate for feedback. )[/I]
Thank you. I'll do my best to make the coming update (and all the subsequent ones) engagingAnd you certainly won't stop me from giving the game another try after it's full chapter released![]()
Yeah, being a short story, ONS operated on a completely different pacing.The scene in the cafe from the ONS makes a similar impression on me, when the characters have already become sufficiently acquainted and have overcome the initial awkwardness, they have a little time to get to know each other better and relax. But there the pressure of the plot prevails, one night stands are what they are, chop-chop boys and girls, there is no time for cuddling and chatting, you have the job to do! I hope there will be no rush in "Maurya Express"![]()
Thank you for the feedback, presenting a "feel-good" vibe was an important goal for me. So, I'm glad you felt that way.The story, graphics and colors so far seem like an Indian feel good movie.
I personally do not believe in "re-working" on already published content (during active development). I'm the type of guy who will forever be stuck at the beginning if I did that.... continue with the story and adjust later because the little that has come so far seems really good and promising. It may be foolish to spend too much time tweaking at the beginning because it can spoil the joy of creation. What you have done so far is still good enough to move on. Looking forward to the next release.![]()
In an effort to entice more players to give SSS a shot, I'll share this spoiler-free relationship graph of the game. Complex doesn't even begin to describe itShort Sad Stories chapter 6 is out onYou must be registered to see the links! Chapter 5 is also out for freeYou must be registered to see the links![]()
it is a bit weird what people consider as "complex" relations (graph)In an effort to entice more players to give SSS a shot, I'll share this spoiler-free relationship graph of the game. Complex doesn't even begin to describe it
View attachment 2953363
It is complex enough for me. Even in this latest episode, I was reminded of connections between characters that I've completely forgotten about.it is a bit weird what people consider as "complex" relations (graph)![]()
I wasn't familiar with that acronym, so I searched the forums a bit. Do you mean New Coral City? From a quick look at the game page, it has broken English, rape, and blackmail. Everything screams porny, and not at all "story-first" (see my criteria in the OP). I feel confident in saying this one is a pass.and while we are in soap-operas territory, complexes and story first games, has NCC been mentioned here? if not check that for "story-first"
I think quite highly of New Coral City personally. I've never seen another game present such a complex web of relationships or accommodate choices and branches so skillfully. It's definitely more character-focused than plot-focused if that matters, but literally every character has a story and the relationships can develop along completely different lines depending on how the MC treats them and generally behaves. You could maybe call it porny in the sense that casual sex is treated as the norm for the setting (though monogamous relationships are possible), but it's actually plausible casual sex for the most part and the characters still develop meaningful connections even if they're explicitly not dating or boyfriend/girlfriend. To a large extent, NCC focuses on friendships and rivalries above romance -- the MC's relationships with other men are very important to the story, for instance, though there's zero gay content as far as I'm aware. I thought Éama shared some interesting reflections on NCC's relationships on this thread earlier this year.I wasn't familiar with that acronym, so I searched the forums a bit. Do you mean New Coral City? From a quick look at the game page, it has broken English, rape, and blackmail. Everything screams porny, and not at all "story-first" (see my criteria in the OP). I feel confident in saying this one is a pass.
Well, that definitely changes things. Perhaps I should give it a shot.I think quite highly of New Coral City personally.
NCC is a very, very porntastic game. It's a good porn game, with -- as Endless says, a very complex array of relationships (and a surprisingly sophisticated sexual satisfaction system) -- but it has even less of a carapace of a story than _The Anomalous Dr. Vibes_. RfL is like _King Lear_ by comparison.The status of the game is a bit complex. I'm talking about the old version which has by far the most content but has been abandoned. There's a remake slowly under development, but it's really just at the starting out stage still.
It makes sense a plot-focused person wouldn't care too much for NCC because as you said not much happens in the grand scheme of things besides some dramatic subplots, but I'm just as much (OK, probably more) of a character guy myself. NCC has lots of characters I find rich, memorable, well-developed, and very human. And there's immense variety to the relationships and how they can develop. For instance, I greatly enjoyed my playthroughs where the MC was in a monogamous relationship with Ashley or Yvette. There is still all sorts of interesting things going on in the relationships even if the MC isn't sleeping around...for instance, it turns out Luana very much does not like to feel rejected. It's still a very enjoyable and immersive experience even if you avoid most of the sex.NCC is a very, very porntastic game. It's a good porn game, with -- as Endless says, a very complex array of relationships (and a surprisingly sophisticated sexual satisfaction system) -- but it has even less of a carapace of a story than _The Anomalous Dr. Vibes_. RfL is like _King Lear_ by comparison.
I mean, Endless... consider the _Follower_ backstory to NCC. Strip out the porn and the there's some minor corporate intrigue involving the magazine that employs the MC. And that's it.
I share your impression of Panacea. Despite having a story, it was too intertwined with all the pointless, porny sex and was ultimately ruined by it. Happily and surprisingly, the dev's new game, Occultus: Daughter of Darkness, is much better on both accounts.I've been replaying Panacea recently, and I think it provides a good example of a game I'd be much quicker to call porny than NCC. There's so much sex in Panacea that feels obligatory and unnecessary. It's as if after x minutes of gameplay the dev feels obligated to throw in another emotionless sex scene and perhaps scratch off another kink or two.
As a character-first kind of guy, your chart convinced me to give it a try.In an effort to entice more players to give SSS a shot, I'll share this spoiler-free relationship graph of the game. Complex doesn't even begin to describe it
View attachment 2953363
So did I. Lemon was my favourite character. I even said "don't be such a diesel!" to my wife during an argument. She wasn't amused. I already like it more than 2022's Bullet Train (which I enjoyed a lot btw)
Really glad you enjoyed it! I hope you'll like the rest of it.(Really appreciate the recommendation. I definitely wouldn't have tried it out otherwise)
That was my initial complaint too, but for some reason, given those choices, most players seem to be drawn to the same names. Like, when discussing the game on Patreon, I refer to Lucas or Anne and everyone seems to instinctively get who I'm talking about.The only downside here is that it's kinda hard/annoying to write about it because the developer chose to give the player the option to choose between 3 names for most of the characters instead of just giving them a fixed name + the option to name them yourself.
It's never spelled out, but I think it's anorexia because bulimia doesn't fit. When she was in the hospital with Olivia, Anne talks about being sectioned against her will because she thinks she's fat and refuses to eat. Even when she's doing better (after meeting Lucas) she's hesitant to eat anything and needs gentle coaxing. We never see or hear about binge-then-puke cycles you'd expect from a bulimic.Hell, we don't even know if she has anorexia or bulimia. At least I think we don't.... Maybe it got mentioned?.
It is devastating, and it really affects her relationship with Alice. Since you haven't mentioned Mia, I'll assume you haven't played chapter 6 yet and won't risk spoilers.Like "Nicole" for example, the drug dealer hobo who has, if I remember correctly, dementia. A bit off an odd choice to go with here, but ok.... It's just that dementia would be a pretty devastating diagnose for someone her age.
Yes, she is interesting and has the potential to have a really solid character arc. We just need a chapter mostly focused on her. Something like what we've had with Olivia, Martha, or Anne.Well, my favourite character overall would be Ashley though, the coke girl. Mainly because she's the hardest one to get read on which makes her the most interesting one for me..
Indeed. In every sex scene, you can feel that it's not mere lust, but an organic evolution of the relationship between people who genuinely care for each other. It's an AVN club with vanishingly few members...One last thing I wanted to point out here are the lewd scenes and how they're done. The developer managed to let those scenes play out organically instead of just turning them into some plain porn scenes like it's done in 99% of all the other AVN's out there.. Good stuff and also quite rare....