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[ArcCain]

It would be nice, Crud, to see official posts about different projects on the 4LS/KS blog.

[cpl_crud]

It would be nice, Crud, to see official posts about different projects on the 4LS/KS blog.

I'm thinking about doing an updated "Stalkers Guide" (after asking around) so I'll pass that to Aura for posting.

I was also thinking it might be nice to have the "official" 4Ls blog be more of an aggregator for everyone's public blogs but I haven't taken any steps to do so

[LynXsh]

Good time of day!
I'd like to ask you some [stupid] questions.
0. Music.
0.1. Would you make the "Prototypes" available as a dl-able archive somewhen?
0.2. Would you release the lossless edition of "Enigmatic Box of Sound" [and "Prototypes"] (no matter, if as a free dl or for some price) somewhen? I know, хотеть не вредно. But вредно не хотеть.
1. Artbooks.
1.1. Would you make the landscape-oriented versions of "Beauty and Strangeness" and "The Soft Hour"? Of course, дарёному коню, and so on, but it's a little jarring when the picture is splitted right in two.
I tried searching this thread for these questions \ something like them, but no luck. So, I beg your pardon if it all was discussed before, maybe it's me being banned by search engines.
Hope, I didn't insult you.
Thanks in advance and best wishes!

[Silentcook]

0.1, 0.2, 1.1: unlikely. Members of 4LS are more interested in making new stuff than redoing previous releases.

[Bringr]

Will the writers and artists who worked on Hanako's route ever apologize for what they did to her?

[dedsec]

What kind of music does Hanako Ikezawa like?

[cpl_crud]

What kind of music does Hanako Ikezawa like?

I should know this...

What I'm thinking is "Music without edges" - in that nothing too jumpy. So I'm thinking classical, soft rock, and probably also generic J-pop (low energy).

[ToiletBowlTim]

Did any of you get off to Hanako's rape scene or was it strictly professional?

[cpl_crud]

That's kind of harsh, at least he didn't write such a horrible route. He might just have been misled to defend it.

Ok. Deep breaths. Calm blue oceans.


I've resisted answering these comments for some time, however I feel like there are some things that need to be said here. Before I start, I'd like to welcome you to get in contact with me personally if you'd like to discuss this further. If you're just here to troll and get a reaction, then fine, enjoy that. If you have a legitimate discussion about the topic of consent, then please, get in touch. I know that there were other Devs that were involved in crafting the scene that you read, so I can't speak for all of them though.

First up, let me make one thing clear. Hanako's sex scene was not written as a "rape" scene. However, as with all art, there are different interpretations, and as a creator, I need to live with that. So if the Hanako route is a subverted rape path to you, then I can't argue with that. But, by the same token, you also need to accept that your interpretation will also be challenged.

I am really enthused by the fact that something that I had a part in creating has sparked a discussion about consent. I think that a lot of people get a little embarrassed when it comes to sex education, but I'm glad that there are people that take it seriously enough to fly the flag. But, please remember that consent doesn't mean that you're going to enjoy something. Most people consent to immunizations and blood tests, but that doesn't mean that they enjoy needles. Sex also isn't something as simple as we would like it to be, and many people have different conceptions about it. Yes, you need to have a dialogue with your partner when it comes to sex. But, but the same token, you also don't need to ask "are you OK if I continue" every step of the way. It's perfectly acceptable for one partner to have a "just get on with it" attitude to sex. Of course, by the same token, consent is revocable by either party at any time.

Is this what happened in the Hanako path? No. At least not intentionally. Writing sex scenes is hard and its embarrassing - I would say even more embarrassing than the act itself. The original sex scenes that I wrote for the Hanako path were much more "advanced" than two virgins having sex should have been. I'll admit that these were because my original girlfriends were more experienced than I was, and at the time of writing the Hanako path I only had limited experience with sex in general. Thankfully I was called out on this and the final sex scenes are about as awkward as two people fumbling around for the first time should be.

I noted that your screencap mentioned condoms. I actually wrote about this many years ago, you can find the post here. https://cplcrud.wordpress.com/2012/03/31/on-condoms/
Carrying condoms is something that I did for many years before having sex. I am actually disappointed that more fictional sex doesn't include safe sex. In fact, I was talking to a coworker from the US today, and I noted that he was also slightly embarrassed when we started talking about condoms, and that was one of the triggers to write this post. Buying condoms is embarrassing. I've been buying condoms for over a decade, and I still prefer to buy them form a vending machine and not at a supermarket as I hate seeing the cashier scan them. But you can bet that I still buy them.

I know that you probably still have concerns, and I'm happy to continue the discussion - but not here. This is a forum for people that are wanting to know more about the game and aren't interested in a troll war. If there is a serious and civil discussion then we can continue on a new thread, but this is the thread for asking and answering questions.

And so, now I will answer your original question. No. I didn't "get off" at Hanako's consensual sex scene. It was embarrassing for me to write and I'm glad that the other devs were able to edit it into something that thousands of people have enjoyed. Also, as a father and a believer in sexual equality and fairness, I'm partially glad that there is a discussion about consent that has come from this. But, by the same token, I'm concerned that some people's view of sex has changed such that two teens fumbling over each other for the first time is seen as less consensual than a porn star being double-teamed.
Rape is no laughing matter, and it's not one to be taken lightly. I know that the rules of the internet state that I shouldn't feed the trolls, but I also think that if we trivialize Rape and start to mis-diagnose it, then we will become numb to the real rape. Just think - in India a child is raped every 3 hours. If you are really concerned about sexual violence - as I am - then maybe let's work together on topics like this by donating to charities like Amnesty (which I do) or MSF so that they can protect and also rehabilitate real rape victims.

As noted, I'm happy for you to reply, but please either make a new thread, or get in contact with me through a more appropriate forum.

[dedsec]

What year does Katawa Shoujo take place?

[cpl_crud]

What year does Katawa Shoujo take place?

2007 last time I checked

[StilesLong]

What year does Katawa Shoujo take place?

2007 last time I checked

Does it change from time to time?

[cpl_crud]

What year does Katawa Shoujo take place?

2007 last time I checked

Does it change from time to time?

To my memory it is 2007, but my memory is failing

[dedsec]

Since Hanako has a cell phone, how might she pay for service or for the basic necessities of life such as bills and food while being in high school?

[cpl_crud]

Since Hanako has a cell phone, how might she pay for service or for the basic necessities of life such as bills and food while being in high school?

I can't remember what we decided on, but we had some theories like her aunt or something paying for it, or maybe some kind of endowment from the school/government.

Or possibly it was a payout based on her parent's pensions.

Or Lilly just splashed out.

Someone else might be better qualified to answer this.