[Locked] Katawa Shoujo Developer Q & A

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Who is your avatar? I have never seen that character before...
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DevilsDesire wrote...
My Q is why and who's idea whas it to put lelouch in the class introduction, and if im not mistaking the girl on the back left had desu eye's, and the boy in the front row with the yellow hairband refers to Haruhi? and one last thing is there going to be a misha's route ore just the main 5


I'm fairly sure it was the idea of one of the artists. The girl in the back left does not refer to Suiseiseki, but the hairband boy is indeed male haruhi.

Misha won't have a route of her own

Nikon wrote...
Not that it matters much, but I'm curious if you're going to be sending a completed copy to RAITA. Having came up with the concept of the characters (which I'm sure was a joke at the time), I wonder if he might enjoy having a copy of the fan-made game.

Also, do you have any intention of having someone translate this to Japanese? I'm positive that there are some Japanese people that would be highly interested in playing this game in a language they understand.


We'd love to have RAITA play KS. There is a translation project to Japanese already underway.
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Good evening from me too. I just recently found about about the whole project and it's my very first visual novel of any time. Must say that the demo took me by (pleasant) surprise, it was far better than what I'd expect to just find on the net.

Cutting to the chase, I'm somewhat curious about the story, the characters and their world itself rather than the more technical stuff. Not sure how many share my point of view but anyway.

- Don't you feel that every character, expept from the main protagonist, are far too positive towards their special cases for their age? Being in good terms with something like that needs both an optimistic character and maturity. And in this settlement there are at least 5-6 of them gathered together. Don't you feel it's a bit too far from reality?

-Also, if you acknowledge the above as true, would the reason be that it's because a "game" with characters all shut to themselves and gloomy (or worse) wouldn't appeal to the base of the users or is is something else, like a deeper point in all that?

-Apart from that, I think I've noticed that, at least in the demo, there's not only way of getting the ending you pursue (namely, I'm pretty sure I got to Hanako's end with both playing defensively and offensively in Risk). Are you using some type of point system (Doing X gives/takes Y points to/from Z character)? And, in any case, will this be used in the full version as well?

-Following closely, my only dissapointment from the demo was that the user choices were not as many as I'd have thought, not always mind you, but through certain courses I think I may have been asked to pick a reaction 4 times. I imagine that this would mean much more work from your part, and that you can't possibly answer "We're gonna have 25 reaction points in the full version". Simplifying the question, how would you commend the level of the user's interaction in the game's progress?

Tnanks in advance.

P.S.I was sure I had something more to ask but I can't remember right now. Hope that double posting won't be frown upon, IF I remember anything.
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ElBandidoMonco wrote...
Edit(Question already answered)

Can i ask if there's going to be a part in the version which explains what Rin was doing in the town during the Lilly route? Other than being "mysterious" and weird and all, i was hoping for a serious answer


Rin was going shopping, but the thing slipped from her mind.
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luinthoron High Priest of Loli
1. How (much) does writing for a VN differ from other types of writing (that is, for example, the other writing you do you mentioned earlier)?

2. How difficult was/is it to make the h-scenes "sound" good without having actual voices?
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megamano wrote...
Hello there. I got interested in this VN and it is quite refreshing from the usual ones I've seen. I didn't check everything into the demo yet, but I'm working on it. As for my questions...

1. I've noticed that the girls seems to be separated in groups of two in terms of friendship. And of course, it's hard to miss the tension between two girls. I would like to say it's a refreshing take on it, since I've seen too many VN where all the girls are either strangers to each other or are all friends. My question is where did you get the idea for that? Was it originally planned like this or was it an idea that came later?

2. I suppose I should expect it, but will hanging out with certain girls change how others look on the main character? Somehow, the idea of Lilly refusing to spend time with the MC out of spite is tearing my heart.

edit:

3. Almost forgot... I just want to know, there won't be any 'sad' endings where someone die(in this case, MC) for a girl, right? Nothing frustrates me more than those kinds of ending. If the story is that good, you're talented enough for a happy ending.


The pairings of the girls is a very old concept, and yes it was planned.

It's probably just natural that when you hang out a lot with someone you have less time to go out with others. Lilly hardly is the type who thinks that "the friends of my enemies are my enemies".

Every story will have multiple endings, some might be sadder than others.
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Okay I gotta ask this, concerning Emi, you have it listed that she is 41kg, now is that including her prosthetic legs, if not how much do her legs weigh?

Secondly during H-scene(s) will Hisao be removing her legs so as to make the sex easier/safer, and with her legs off can will there be some nice kinky things between them?
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notepad wrote...
Will we perhaps see an Act II release or a full path release (as in all the acts pertaining to one of the heroines), or do we have to wait for the full game to be finished?


No. Next release will be the full game.

somesome wrote...
Love this game, brilliant and unique concept. Two thumbs up.

When making this game, did you take any reference from actual special schools for disabled people (Like studying the cases of real disabled people to get an understanding of their mental conditions or habits, or learning those special schools' daily activities)? Or did you use your own ideas?


I think every writer did some research on real people with disabilities, at least to some extent.
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studlytheknight wrote...
Are there any plans for releasing a game for monetary gain through this team?


No. We don't want money.

Jigsy wrote...
Is Akira going to have any (major?) involvement in the story?


She'll be seen in Lilly's own story quite a bit.
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What kind of response has this received from players in Japan (if any)? I saw some screenshots from random 2chan and Japanese blog posts, but I wasn't about to get any information out of it.
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Notharam wrote...
Thank you very much for taking time to answer these questions. It is very much appreciated!

@Aura:Rin is possibly my favorite character next to Emi. What sparked you to make a character with a disability such as a birth defect and surgical procedures? And, if not put as a reason in the first answer, did fantasies play any role in her creation?


Well, an eroge girl with no arms is RAITA's idea so you have to ask that from him. He pegged Rin as a thalidomide child, but I had her arms chopped neatly off because I wouldn't have known what to do with them.
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studlytheknight wrote...
Who is your avatar? I have never seen that character before...


She's Agatha Christie (yes, that Agatha Christie (not kidding)) from Shikkoku no Sharnoth
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Bit of a random question, what are the different character's preferences regarding to food? I know Emi is a health nut, but everybody else?

Also, what has been the most fun and rewarding part of this project?
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we have a team of about 10 tanslators working on a japanese localisation.

Mostly their comments have been positive.

Hi. I'm Crud, joining via mobile phone for half an hour.
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What year is this game set in? If it is the modern day will there be references to modern problems within Japan, and the rest of the world, or will this be in its own bubble?

Crud... will the Japanese release be on the main website... and if not where might I be able to find it when the day comes (to see the differences and skill of translation etc.)?
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Zubon-sama wrote...
Bit of a random question, what are the different character's preferences regarding to food? I know Emi is a health nut, but everybody else?

Also, what has been the most fun and rewarding part of this project?


Hanako prefers simpler food, like sandwiches. she's not a fan of curry.
I can't speak for the other girls.

as for the other question, I would say woking in a team that's been able to drag my skill level way up. also not being lynched by said team for the dumb shit I've pulled over the years.
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@Blue123
Another question for you, I am listening to the music again, and I am rather curious about "Daylight," to what reason does it trickle down at the end like it does, I may just be at a lose for how music interpretation works for this piece, but the ending does feel weird, if only to me I guess.
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Ranter wrote...
Good evening from me too. I just recently found about about the whole project and it's my very first visual novel of any time. Must say that the demo took me by (pleasant) surprise, it was far better than what I'd expect to just find on the net.

Cutting to the chase, I'm somewhat curious about the story, the characters and their world itself rather than the more technical stuff. Not sure how many share my point of view but anyway.

- Don't you feel that every character, expept from the main protagonist, are far too positive towards their special cases for their age? Being in good terms with something like that needs both an optimistic character and maturity. And in this settlement there are at least 5-6 of them gathered together. Don't you feel it's a bit too far from reality?

-Also, if you acknowledge the above as true, would the reason be that it's because a "game" with characters all shut to themselves and gloomy (or worse) wouldn't appeal to the base of the users or is is something else, like a deeper point in all that?

-Apart from that, I think I've noticed that, at least in the demo, there's not only way of getting the ending you pursue (namely, I'm pretty sure I got to Hanako's end with both playing defensively and offensively in Risk). Are you using some type of point system (Doing X gives/takes Y points to/from Z character)? And, in any case, will this be used in the full version as well?

-Following closely, my only dissapointment from the demo was that the user choices were not as many as I'd have thought, not always mind you, but through certain courses I think I may have been asked to pick a reaction 4 times. I imagine that this would mean much more work from your part, and that you can't possibly answer "We're gonna have 25 reaction points in the full version". Simplifying the question, how would you commend the level of the user's interaction in the game's progress?

Tnanks in advance.

P.S.I was sure I had something more to ask but I can't remember right now. Hope that double posting won't be frown upon, IF I remember anything.


Half of the main characters were born with their disability so don't know what it is like to be "ablebodied" and the rest have had time to get adjusted to it. However, Yamaku has many students who do not cope as well with their disabilities as Rin or Lilly do (Hisao is an example, and some are even more depressed). And who knows what the characters think when they are awake in the middle of the night alone, staring at the ceiling of their room...

Act 1 does not use a point system as such, though any flow control system like this is always equivalent to one. The way it's coded, various choices rise "flags" which might not affect all girls (why would Hanako care how you play Risk against Shizune?) which then decide how the story progresses.

I'm very happy with the outcome of the flow design in Act 1. A visual novel is not a game, and not even a dating sim so the limited interactivity is not a negative thing in my opinion.
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So...
1) Will we get a detailed flashback about how Kenji's misadventures led him to his paranoia of women?

2) Who's idea was it to put "Stop stem cell research" on Shizune's underwear? Could we get a clean version of that graphic? Also, maybe it's just me, but Lilly seems to be staring right at Shizune, and that seems a bit awkward since she's blind.

3) What do you think a "footjob" from Emi would feel like?
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luinthoron wrote...
1. How (much) does writing for a VN differ from other types of writing (that is, for example, the other writing you do you mentioned earlier)?

2. How difficult was/is it to make the h-scenes "sound" good without having actual voices?


1. It resembles writing a script for a theater play more than writing a novel.

2. Easy. Just cut all the moaning "dialogue" ;)