Ask!

[ThatOneGamer]

I've got two questions:


- What do you think makes a great VN? And how KS is doing in that regard?
- If some VN enterprise asked you to join their rank what would you do and why? (assuming they want you for your experience and not to make something KS related)

[TheHivemind]

I've got two questions:


- What do you think makes a great VN? And how KS is doing in that regard?
- If some VN enterprise asked you to join their rank what would you do and why? (assuming they want you for your experience and not to make something KS related)

1. This is actually a huge, complex question that deserves more thought than I'm going to probably give it here--simply put a great VN takes advantage of the unique properties of the medium in order to deliver a satisfying narrative experience. Which leads to the question 'well, what are the unique properties of a VN?' I think I farted about with that question on the blog at one point (the only blog post I ever did, I think), but we're looking at something that uses words, pictures, music, and (maybe) interactivity to make its point. I don't know that branching paths are that critical, but your 'ideal' VN is probably going to have those paths. KS seems to have done okay in terms of being a 'great' VN, or at least it's a decent VN--there's some interactivity there (not enough for some, too much for others), I think the art team did a good job, our music is good, and I will be saying our direction is fantastic basically forever. The stories themselves have their fans, so that's pretty solid too. There's things we probably could have done better, but it's certainly gained its own little following, so that's nice.

2. It is very unlikely that it would happen, but if someone came to me with a really fucking cool concept I'd consider writing for it. It would need to be really cool, though.

[Silentcook]

I'll skip to the second question: first I'd want to see what the project is about.

Then if I like what I see and it's going to be freeware, I'd join with a caveat that I have nowhere near the amount of free time I had when we made KS.

If I like what I see and it's going to be commercial, I'd waffle and probably not join since I suspect the complications over money wouldn't be worth what I'd get paid, plus I don't really need any extra income.

If I don't like what I see, I wouldn't join for love or money.

[Reksho]

What would you say are the biggest differences between writing fiction and non-fiction?

[BlackWaltzTheThird]

Forgive the inane questions, but it's late and I'm bored.

-With whom, among both 4LS and out of anyone ever, would you most like to have a beer/other beverage of your choosing?
-What would your dream project be (whether a VN or otherwise)?
-Were you guys ever friends on like Facebook or similar things, and did this have an effect on your working relationship(s) with them? (Just FYI, I'm asking that for a reason, not just out of curiosity.
-Did you personally ever have to quote-unquote "fire" anyone, and how'd it go (other than "not well")?
-What is your favourite colour?
-What is the airspeed velocity of an unladen sparrow?

[TheHivemind]

What would you say are the biggest differences between writing fiction and non-fiction?

One is made up and the other is not.

[Aura]

Forgive the inane questions, but it's late and I'm bored.

-With whom, among both 4LS and out of anyone ever, would you most like to have a beer/other beverage of your choosing?
-What would your dream project be (whether a VN or otherwise)?
-Were you guys ever friends on like Facebook or similar things, and did this have an effect on your working relationship(s) with them? (Just FYI, I'm asking that for a reason, not just out of curiosity.
-Did you personally ever have to quote-unquote "fire" anyone, and how'd it go (other than "not well")?
-What is your favourite colour?
-What is the airspeed velocity of an unladen sparrow?

1. My main man delta would probably make the best drinking buddy.
2. I don't really have one. Maybe publishing a novel?
3. Yes and yes, significantly. Not on facebook, but we chat daily with each other, play games and watch movies together and do other friend stuff as long as it doesn't require physical proximity. Anyway, at least I work better with people I get along with. Also, if we weren't knit together so closely the project would probably have died so there's that.
4. No. We only ever fired one person directly and I didn't have to do it. It went ok though.
5. Green
6. Holy Grail is the least funny Monty Python movie. Also, wrong bird.

[cpl_crud]

What would you say are the biggest differences between writing fiction and non-fiction?

There's not that much really, depending on how technical you get.

For example, the hallmark of a good writer is the ability to convey your point succinctly. It doesn't matter if your point is the operation of a massive sound system or the details of a young girl's psychosis; you still need to get your point across.

When I'm writing manuals or specifications I put the same level of detail in them as I do when I write fiction. The aim is similar; get the reader to visualise the setting (be it a control panel or an imaginary cafe) and then follow the story. I suppose the only difference is when you are writing a really dry manual then you don't leave anything to the imagination, whereas in fiction you have a bit of licence to leave things up to the reader to decide...

And if you've read my technical articles you'll know that I use as much flowery bullshit language as I do in posts like this...

[cpl_crud]

Forgive the inane questions, but it's late and I'm bored.

-With whom, among both 4LS and out of anyone ever, would you most like to have a beer/other beverage of your choosing?
-What would your dream project be (whether a VN or otherwise)?
-Were you guys ever friends on like Facebook or similar things, and did this have an effect on your working relationship(s) with them? (Just FYI, I'm asking that for a reason, not just out of curiosity.
-Did you personally ever have to quote-unquote "fire" anyone, and how'd it go (other than "not well")?
-What is your favourite colour?
-What is the airspeed velocity of an unladen sparrow?

- I would say Delta or A22. I've had dinner with Raide and done a panel with Suriko, and they were both fun times.
- I have a couple of people on (my now defunct) MSN account, but it was mostly IRC. I think I have a couple of people on Twitter now as well
- I think we had to fire TCDohl, but he also kinda left of his own accord. There was someone else... but most people just kind of got pressured out (at least whilst I was there).
- Green
- European or African?

[OtakuNinja]

To cpl_crud
What's 'cpl' an abbreviation of?

[Aura]

To cpl_crud
What's 'cpl' an abbreviation of?

Most likely Corporal.

But then again, it might not be.

It is.

[cpl_crud]

To cpl_crud
What's 'cpl' an abbreviation of?

Most likely Corporal.

But then again, it might not be.

Correct.

A long time ago I was an Air Force cadet; roughly at the same time I started gaming. At the time I was a Corporal, and I was also not very good at games like Quake 2, hence the name.

It stuck, even after I left the cadets, entered (and subsequently left) the real Air Force as an officer, and moved onto a civilian career.

I'm just too lazy to update my handle; it would mean updating pretty much every account I have everywhere.

[Silentcook]

-With whom, among both 4LS and out of anyone ever, would you most like to have a beer/other beverage of your choosing?
-What would your dream project be (whether a VN or otherwise)?
-Were you guys ever friends on like Facebook or similar things, and did this have an effect on your working relationship(s) with them? (Just FYI, I'm asking that for a reason, not just out of curiosity.
-Did you personally ever have to quote-unquote "fire" anyone, and how'd it go (other than "not well")?
-What is your favourite colour?
-What is the airspeed velocity of an unladen sparrow?

-Hive owes me a beer. :3
-I don't know really. Likely I'd realize it AFTER the fact.
-I deem Facebook, Twitter, and any other similar quotesocialnetworkingunquote devices to be a scourge and a cancer. Even IRC was a necessary evil as far as I'm concerned. So, in short, no.
-Been there, not done that.
-Blues and greens.
-Roughly 11 meters/second.

[TheHivemind]

Forgive the inane questions, but it's late and I'm bored.

-With whom, among both 4LS and out of anyone ever, would you most like to have a beer/other beverage of your choosing?
-What would your dream project be (whether a VN or otherwise)?
-Were you guys ever friends on like Facebook or similar things, and did this have an effect on your working relationship(s) with them? (Just FYI, I'm asking that for a reason, not just out of curiosity.
-Did you personally ever have to quote-unquote "fire" anyone, and how'd it go (other than "not well")?
-What is your favourite colour?
-What is the airspeed velocity of an unladen sparrow?

1. As Silentcook pointed out, I owe him a beer. I would also probably drink with basically anyone else on the team, because any excuse to sit in a pub and drink is a good excuse for me. I'm easy.

2. Tough question--probably something that I could come back to and make into a ton of different properties--so like a really cool idea that would work as a book/comic/game/cartoon. A long-form comic book series is my current obsession, because that sort of script writing is a neat new challenge. I'd like to write a novel some day, but as of yet I've not come up with anything good enough.

3. I don't have contact info for anyone, but we do a lot of sitting around on IRC, which is nice. We managed to all get along well, and I consider some of these dudes to be friends.

4. Dohl was the only dude who was anything resembling 'fired,' I don't really remember much of it but it went well.

5. Red

6. Man at least get the quote right if you're gonna go that route.

[cpl_crud]

Forgive the inane questions, but it's late and I'm bored.

-With whom, among both 4LS and out of anyone ever, would you most like to have a beer/other beverage of your choosing?
-What would your dream project be (whether a VN or otherwise)?
-Were you guys ever friends on like Facebook or similar things, and did this have an effect on your working relationship(s) with them? (Just FYI, I'm asking that for a reason, not just out of curiosity.
-Did you personally ever have to quote-unquote "fire" anyone, and how'd it go (other than "not well")?
-What is your favourite colour?
-What is the airspeed velocity of an unladen sparrow?

- I would say Delta or A22. I've had dinner with Raide and done a panel with Suriko, and they were both fun times.
- I have a couple of people on (my now defunct) MSN account, but it was mostly IRC. I think I have a couple of people on Twitter now as well
- I think we had to fire TCDohl, but he also kinda left of his own accord. There was someone else... but most people just kind of got pressured out (at least whilst I was there).
- Green
- European or African?

Oh, and the missing question: Dream project: I've got about 50 pages or so of a culture guide for Japan (which is about a Japanophile as it gets I suppose) but I would also like to do a travel photo book. I just need to get better with my camera :/