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Accidentally found the game on TV Tropes and wanted to talk about it after finishing it.

SpunkySix wrote:Accidentally found the game on TV Tropes and wanted to talk about it after finishing it.

Well, talk about it then. How'd it go? What did you think? Do you think it was a worthwhile accident? Who is best girl? Aside from Rin, of course, because Rin is best girl

Two years back someone alerted me to the game in a "wow look another weird japanese thing. ANIME DISABILITY PORN GAME" and i was like, what? so I had to download act 1, of course, but it was nothing like I expected and i was hooked on it, finished it asap and immediately wanted more so I downloaded the actual game and it took over my life for like, a month. Now I'm replaying it for the first time in two years and it's literally just as good, there were so many awesome details I forgot and kenji still makes me laugh.

Topham wrote:

SpunkySix wrote:Accidentally found the game on TV Tropes and wanted to talk about it after finishing it.

Well, talk about it then. How'd it go? What did you think? Do you think it was a worthwhile accident? Who is best girl? Aside from Rin, of course, because Rin is best girl

What an odd way to spell Emi. Or did you mean second best girl?

Anyway, long story short, as my first REAL VN, (I've played others, but they were much shorter and some were much lower quality) I loved everything about it. I got super immersed in the story and felt more than I've felt in a long time. I teared up, I smiled, I worried, I laughed, I wondered, my heart flittered and so on. Everything about the route I picked, (and probably the only one I'll actually play since I feel too attached to it to do the other ones) was so nice. Emi was super cute, the whole running theme struck a chord with me since I do that in real life, (and it helped me remember why) the progression with her felt very natural and mature, and I really grew to care about everybody at my special school. The music was excellent and the art was the highest quality I've seen in an independent project like this. Plus I got the happily ever after ending, which felt really, really nice. I could say so much more but I'd just end up gushing too much.

The only downside is that I got so attached to Emi and friends that after the credits rolled I started to actually miss them, and now even a few days later I feel super bummed out that I won't ever get to interact with them again. I can't get Standing Tall or most of the music out of my head, and I keep wanting to watch Emi run again. I've heard this is common, but it concerns me. I have a bad history with depression and social anxiety, and having such awesome relationships in such a beautiful place, even if it's fictional, torn away from me has made me feel empty, like something is missing. I've only now realized just how much I'm still missing out on and just how far away I am from my real life good ending even after battling for years, and the problem is, there's no Emi here to make it better. I don't have Rin as a friend to help me out, or the nurse to give me tips, or such an ideal setting for meeting such wonderful people, or even Kenji to be quirky and awkward at odd times, or any of that. It's... been kind of an eye opener. I don't want to be alone in my room playing fake waifu with imaginary Emi and pretend friends with Rin and Lilly and Hanako, but it hurts when I face the reality of the situation. Metaphorically, I don't want to end up falling off a roof with a weirdo because I missed out on something awesome, and it scares me that I might just end up at my very own, very real bad ending.

Overall though, to answer the question, yes, this was a very happy accident. It's changed the way I look at VNs as a medium, it's provided me with probably the greatest story I've ever had the pleasure of reading in my life, and even the downside of it has made me think in a way that might end up being positive. Maybe I needed this wake up call, as crappy as it feels now. I spent years not knowing what was wrong with me, a year talking to a doctor about it once I did, and months on medication for it. Maybe I just need to nip it in the bud this time and push even harder and further forward, to get around another lap of the metaphorical track so that I can find my spiritual leggless cutie. That sounds about right.

SpunkySix wrote:I've played others

and probably the only one I'll actually play

I feel super bummed out that I won't ever get to interact with them again.

If you've played others, it isn't your first.

You're doing it wrong.

You have four more routes and twelve more endings to get, there's plenty of opportunity to interact with them again. Quit forcing yourself to be bummed.

Potato wrote:

SpunkySix wrote:I've played others

and probably the only one I'll actually play

I feel super bummed out that I won't ever get to interact with them again.

If you've played others, it isn't your first.

You're doing it wrong.

You have four more routes and twelve more endings to get, there's plenty of opportunity to interact with them again. Quit forcing yourself to be bummed.

It's my first MAJOR one. I've played much smaller ones, but they weren't on this level.

As for playing the other routes, that just feels weird because it feels like over writing what I already did. I get that some people like that, but it's not really for me. If they continued from the ending I got though, I'd play it in a heartbeat.

SpunkySix wrote:Accidentally found the game on TV Tropes and wanted to talk about it after finishing it.

Yeah, pretty similar with me, only I accidentally found it via 4chan instead. Not entirely sure what I expected, but the idea of decision based games has always fascinated me for some reason. I wasn't prepared for what is, quite frankly, emotional onslaught. It's already changing my perspective on life somewhat, which I simply didn't think a game/VN could do.

SpunkySix wrote:As for playing the other routes, that just feels weird because it feels like over writing what I already did. I get that some people like that, but it's not really for me. If they continued from the ending I got though, I'd play it in a heartbeat.

Solution: Anytime you feel what you already did is being overwritten, save the game. Exit to main menu. Check the Library and witness how everything you did is still there, and your feelings are lying to you.

SpunkySix wrote:As for playing the other routes, that just feels weird because it feels like over writing what I already did. I get that some people like that, but it's not really for me. If they continued from the ending I got though, I'd play it in a heartbeat.

That's pretty common. I felt like that. The best advice I ever got from these forums was Panda telling me to do the other routes.

Try it.

neio wrote:

SpunkySix wrote:As for playing the other routes, that just feels weird because it feels like over writing what I already did. I get that some people like that, but it's not really for me. If they continued from the ending I got though, I'd play it in a heartbeat.

That's pretty common. I felt like that. The best advice I ever got from these forums was Panda telling me to do the other routes.

Try it.

Hm... it's really okay then?

In that case, I may have to do so some time down the line, once I've distanced myself from the experience somewhat. Right now, I'm just barely starting to recover from the feels trip the first route took me on.

SpunkySix wrote:As for playing the other routes, that just feels weird because it feels like over writing what I already did.

I tend to just consider everything a parallel universe. Nothing gets overwritten because everything happens concurrently.

Kyler Thatch wrote:

SpunkySix wrote:As for playing the other routes, that just feels weird because it feels like over writing what I already did.

I tend to just consider everything a parallel universe. Nothing gets overwritten because everything happens concurrently.

That makes sense too. I'm a lot more clear on everything now and I'm giving serious thought to trying Rin, Hanako and Lily's routes out down the line. Not sure about Blue Smart though, she doesn't interest me as more than a friend. The others I can kind of see wanting a romantic relationship with in varying degrees, but her I don't know about.

SpunkySix wrote:Hm... it's really okay then?

No, it's really not. It's terrible, actually. In fact, you know who else played more than one route? Hitler.

It's fiction, man. Of course it's okay. I'd also go for all endings per route (two each, three each for Rin and Hanako, plus one for Kenji), gives a better perspective on the characters and such.

Potato wrote:

SpunkySix wrote:Hm... it's really okay then?

No, it's really not. It's terrible, actually. In fact, you know who else played more than one route? Hitler.

It's fiction, man. Of course it's okay. I'd also go for all endings per route (two each, three each for Rin and Hanako, plus one for Kenji), gives a better perspective on the characters and such.

Heh, good point. I don't know about all the endings though, I don't think my heart can take all of that sad.

Personally, I enjoyed doing blind runs for my first two girls. It really solidified the experiences for me, making it feel even more personal. Kinda like how I went into my second run expecting Hanako just 'cause that's who I was expecting the first time around, and I ended up with an emotional train wreck worse than my first run. Thanks, Rin. After that you start running out of options, and it's hardly a blind run anymore, but you can still play it like one.

Potato wrote:plus one for Kenji

Spoilers, dude.