Ask!

[Reksho]

Question for the writers:

I was wondering, did you write an entire branch from beginning to end (a main branch) and subsequently wrote the other branches based on that first branch? Or did you write all branches simultaneously?

[Kyvos]

Question for the writers:

I was wondering, did you write an entire branch from beginning to end (a main branch) and subsequently wrote the other branches based on that first branch? Or did you write all branches simultaneously?

All the paths were written seperately, although they did know approximately what the other writers were doing with their paths at the time. Also, the guy who wrote Lilly helped a lot with Hanako.
Also, they worked on most of Act 1 together.

[Reksho]

Question for the writers:

I was wondering, did you write an entire branch from beginning to end (a main branch) and subsequently wrote the other branches based on that first branch? Or did you write all branches simultaneously?

All the paths were written seperately, although they did know approximately what the other writers were doing with their paths at the time. Also, the guy who wrote Lilly helped a lot with Hanako.
Also, they worked on most of Act 1 together.

I think you misread my question. I wasn't talking about the paths. I was talking about the branches WITHIN the paths.

[TheHivemind]

Question for the writers:

I was wondering, did you write an entire branch from beginning to end (a main branch) and subsequently wrote the other branches based on that first branch? Or did you write all branches simultaneously?

I myself plotted out the good/bad branches beforehand, and then wrote them all at once--big ol' scenes with a bunch of notes denoting what went where depending on previous action. Someone else (probably Delta?) would then go through and add all the actual code-bits that split them into sub-scenes.

I think the last thing I wrote was actually the conversation with Misha, because it was decided that as things were it was too easy to fuck up and miss out on the good end (and once that was written I had to go fiddle with the bad end and make it a not-so-bad end instead).

[Silentcook]

And then The Letter happened.

[Reksho]

I had to go fiddle with the bad end and make it a not-so-bad end instead.

Not-so-bad end?
You silly, silly man.

[uwa]

I think the last thing I wrote was actually the conversation with Misha, because it was decided that as things were it was too easy to fuck up and miss out on the good end (and once that was written I had to go fiddle with the bad end and make it a not-so-bad end instead).

What, did Emi originally get hit by a bus and Hisao die of a shock-induced heart attack? I think one of the major reasons KS has such an impact is its restraint, and it has become obvious in this thread that that came only after a lot of revision and editing over time.

[Boppin]

I have a few questions for the artists of the game.

1. Concerning the sprites, how were they handled? There are many different sets of clothing. Was the school uniform the original sprite for each character, or were there base "dolls" that you eventually drew each set of clothing onto?

2. I'm assuming you all used electronic tablets to draw everything on PC. Did any of you draw anything on paper and then scan it in, then refine it in Photoshop or SAI?

I love to hear about the various processes people go through when they are creating. I'm decent with analog techniques, but I'm still having a hard time adjusting to working on a computer. All of the artwork in Katawa Shoujo looks so thought out. I would be lying if I said I weren't a bit jealous of all of the talent you possess. One day I hope to be able to create something so moving, but it's hard for me to find inspiration since I graduated college.

[Pseudogenesis]

Question for Aura: What was your tone with Nomiya? Just looking to clear things up. I've seen a disproportionate amount of hate towards him, and maybe it's because I haven't played KS in so long, but from what I remember his reaction was very similar to Hisao's, something Hisao touches upon himself. Is he one of those hate magnet characters, or is he deeper than that?

[ProfAllister]

Question for Aura: What was your tone with Nomiya? Just looking to clear things up. I've seen a disproportionate amount of hate towards him, and maybe it's because I haven't played KS in so long, but from what I remember his reaction was very similar to Hisao's, something Hisao touches upon himself. Is he one of those hate magnet characters, or is he deeper than that?

Beat you to it.

It seems that Nomiya and Jigoro get a lot of hate. Did this surprise you? Were there any characters you specifically disliked?

Not at all. Nomiya's mannerisms and character are meant to make people uncomfortable and Jigoro is straight up antagonistic. Hideaki is hated by a majority of the dev team, but I'm sure everyone has their own pet characters to dislike too.

[TheHivemind]

I think the last thing I wrote was actually the conversation with Misha, because it was decided that as things were it was too easy to fuck up and miss out on the good end (and once that was written I had to go fiddle with the bad end and make it a not-so-bad end instead).

What, did Emi originally get hit by a bus and Hisao die of a shock-induced heart attack? I think one of the major reasons KS has such an impact is its restraint, and it has become obvious in this thread that that came only after a lot of revision and editing over time.

Sorry, let me clarify: I altered the bad end as it stood to allow it to bridge into the good end (which is why they both take place on the track. I was actually WAY lazy about that). The plan for her bad end was (once we threw the idea of epilogues out) always meant to be abrupt.

[Reksho]

The really amazing thing though is that KS has inspired a lot of people to improve their lives. I can see the "feels" coming from the romantic pathos that's all over the game, but there is absolutely nothing in KS that should inspire one get their shit together, start working out, get better grades or what have you. It was really unexpected. As I said I don't really know what to think about all this, but drawing a reaction from the reader is one of the core goals of a writer, so I am satisfied.

Fairly old post but whatever. I find this bit to be fascinating.

Basically, you are saying that your intentions you had with your writings, did not correspond with the amount of response from the readers. That in itself is something to think about. Almost every creator on the world will tell you that they drew inspiration from their own lives. Their own experiences and own views. So when they try to project that into a creation, they try to convey that inspiration to the viewer.

So what does it mean when the viewer receives much more inspiration from the creation than the creator himself put into it? What does it mean when the intentions do not correspond with the response? I always thought that the intentions behind the creation - the intentions of the creator that is - were essential to invoke an emotional response from the viewer. But I'm starting to think that's not the case.

The creation is independent. It doesn't matter whether the creator was sad, angry, ambivalent or whatever with his creation. The only thing the viewer sees is the end product. You are saying that there is nothing in KS that should inspire someone to get their shit together and improve their lives. But the fact that you may have not put that intention into the game, does not necessarily mean that it does not exist in the game.

In a sense, the creator does not have full control over the creation. And frankly, I don't think that's possible either, even if it's only because we are human.

[Boppin]

The creators of a piece are essentially parents. Once their work is introduced to the world, it takes on its own life and its own meaning. They're not too different from ink blots, really. Say someone paints a picture of a beetle, and another person sees this picture and believes it is a rabbit. Are either person "wrong?" I don't think so. It's just a difference of thought brought on by many instances: differences in perspective, differences in upbringing, differences in gender, differences in race.

Katawa Shoujo, to me, puts the reader in a special vantage point where they can experience five different stories- five different stories with multiple branches- at their own pace. There are definitely many people who will have taken the same or similar choices since its birth, but these were all conscious decisions by the player. That brings a bit more investment to the mix.

Now consider that the story has been developed with different writers, authors, coders, musicians, each with their own expectations that they put in to the game. I don't think it's too strange for all of those hopes and dreams to take on a life of their own- basically for any form of media. Without individual interpretation and the ability to compare different situations to our own in life, art as a whole wouldn't really exist. Maybe Katawa Shoujo was a happy coincidence. What successes out there aren't coincidences in the end, though?

[Reksho]

The creators of a piece are essentially parents. Once their work is introduced to the world, it takes on its own life and its own meaning. They're not too different from ink blots, really. Say someone paints a picture of a beetle, and another person sees this picture and believes it is a rabbit. Are either person "wrong?" I don't think so. It's just a difference of thought brought on by many instances: differences in perspective, differences in upbringing, differences in gender, differences in race.

Katawa Shoujo, to me, puts the reader in a special vantage point where they can experience five different stories- five different stories with multiple branches- at their own pace. There are definitely many people who will have taken the same or similar choices since its birth, but these were all conscious decisions by the player. That brings a bit more investment to the mix.

I'm not so sure about comparing art with something like ink blots. Ink blots are actually specifically made to be as ambiguous as possible. If many people looking at the same ink blot see the same thing, then the artist behind the ink blot has pretty much failed. But in the case of KS, most of the people get the same kind of feeling after experiencing the story, which is the main intention of the writer, I would think.

Of course, there certainly are creations which are meant to be ambiguous as a form of art from the creator. But I don't think something as structured as a visual novel would have this attribute.

[Boppin]

I'm not so sure about comparing art with something like ink blots. Ink blots are actually specifically made to be as ambiguous as possible. If many people looking at the same ink blot see the same thing, then the artist behind the ink blot has pretty much failed. But in the case of KS, most of the people get the same kind of feeling after experiencing the story, which is the main intention of the writer, I would think.

Of course, there certainly are creations which are meant to be ambiguous as a form of art from the creator. But I don't think something as structured as a visual novel would have this attribute.

You have a point, about the ink blot analogy. I'm not sure what a better analogy would be, off the top of my head. I suppose my main point was that the possibility of people continually finding different meanings in established art has happened before, so it is understandable to me why a story such as Katawa Shoujo can have taken on such a life of its own without the authors realizing it.

I don't want to drone on about the idea though. I feel I've already taken too much time away from the "Ask" thread. Sorry, folks.