The "thank you 4LS" thread.

A forum for general discussion of the game: Open to all punters


Weaver
Posts: 61
Joined: Tue Jan 10, 2012 11:17 pm
Location: Ontario, Canada

Re: I was pretty skeptical at first, but...

Post by Weaver »

zomgbbq wrote:
Jeffrey wrote:Yeah I have no doubt that the rest of the game is worth playing. I'll get to it eventually. Just felt the need to put in my 2 cents as humans do.
It is :) take your time doing it, I rushed through hanako's after completing Emi as my first arc. A few days later I had to replay it, I didn't miss much story wise but some of the events had a much stronger effect when I was playing at a normal pace rather than a "crap it's 1am in the morning and I need to finish this" pace.

You've maybe seen already, but some of the stories are awesome reads and deeply emotional.
I played until dawn for two weekends in a row. That was a bad scene. Looking forward to some real sleep this weekend :P
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zomgbbq
Posts: 30
Joined: Thu Jan 12, 2012 7:06 pm
Location: UK

Re: I was pretty skeptical at first, but...

Post by zomgbbq »

Weaver wrote:
zomgbbq wrote:
Jeffrey wrote:Yeah I have no doubt that the rest of the game is worth playing. I'll get to it eventually. Just felt the need to put in my 2 cents as humans do.
It is :) take your time doing it, I rushed through hanako's after completing Emi as my first arc. A few days later I had to replay it, I didn't miss much story wise but some of the events had a much stronger effect when I was playing at a normal pace rather than a "crap it's 1am in the morning and I need to finish this" pace.

You've maybe seen already, but some of the stories are awesome reads and deeply emotional.
I played until dawn for two weekends in a row. That was a bad scene. Looking forward to some real sleep this weekend :P
Damn, grabbed you aswell huh? The first full nights sleep after my run through with Hanako's arc at 2:30am was very relieving. I felt stressed the entire day and all I could think about was how I just wanted to hug her damnit.
"You're out of touch, I'm out of time.. But I'm out of my head when you're not around"

"What's the word for when it feels inside your heart that everything in the world is all right?"
Weaver
Posts: 61
Joined: Tue Jan 10, 2012 11:17 pm
Location: Ontario, Canada

Re: I was pretty skeptical at first, but...

Post by Weaver »

zomgbbq wrote:
Weaver wrote:
zomgbbq wrote:
It is :) take your time doing it, I rushed through hanako's after completing Emi as my first arc. A few days later I had to replay it, I didn't miss much story wise but some of the events had a much stronger effect when I was playing at a normal pace rather than a "crap it's 1am in the morning and I need to finish this" pace.

You've maybe seen already, but some of the stories are awesome reads and deeply emotional.
I played until dawn for two weekends in a row. That was a bad scene. Looking forward to some real sleep this weekend :P
Damn, grabbed you aswell huh? The first full nights sleep after my run through with Hanako's arc at 2:30am was very relieving. I felt stressed the entire day and all I could think about was how I just wanted to hug her damnit.
Haha i know that feel!

My final one was Rin, ended at around 6am. I tried my best to wake up at an early enough time so my schedule wouldn't be all insane for work. So I woke up at 10am Sunday and ... well it was a weird day to say the least. Coupled with the impact of her route and sleep deprivation I felt a bit like clouds were in my head too :P
Lanyx
Posts: 12
Joined: Sat Jan 14, 2012 12:24 am

Re: I was pretty skeptical at first, but...

Post by Lanyx »

I was never really BIG into anime either. I watched a few more series than you, and maybe even a couple obscure ones that weren't very mainstream, but I never really considered it a hobby. Then I got into VNs when I played Saya no Uta, which was amazing, and since then I've been dabbling in both anime again and other VNs.

More to the point, you're absolutely right. This game really does have some excellent writing. I think you'll find that with VNs moreso than anime too, but that's entirely my not-so-educated opinion, considering I've only played 5 or 6 of them. Once you're finished with this one you should check out some others you might be interested in. =p
Jeffrey
Posts: 3
Joined: Tue Jan 17, 2012 7:12 pm

Re: I was pretty skeptical at first, but...

Post by Jeffrey »

Lanyx wrote:I was never really BIG into anime either. I watched a few more series than you, and maybe even a couple obscure ones that weren't very mainstream, but I never really considered it a hobby. Then I got into VNs when I played Saya no Uta, which was amazing, and since then I've been dabbling in both anime again and other VNs.

More to the point, you're absolutely right. This game really does have some excellent writing. I think you'll find that with VNs moreso than anime too, but that's entirely my not-so-educated opinion, considering I've only played 5 or 6 of them. Once you're finished with this one you should check out some others you might be interested in. =p
Yeah, i'm looking into a few right now. Pretty big change in me considering a week ago I would've scoffed at the thought. That's the power of Katawa Shoujo.
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Thrasher Thetic
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Joined: Wed Jan 18, 2012 3:02 am

Re: I was pretty skeptical at first, but...

Post by Thrasher Thetic »

Hi all, first post.

Had to register an account to throw in my two cents. You hit it right on the head.

Like you the only anime I ever really watched and enjoyed was Cowboy Bebop, plus some feature length films (Mononoke, Akira, stuff like that). Like you, I came into this expecting some cheesy porn and came away with a great character drama, actually five character dramas. What makes it even wierder is that I'm not normally into romance stories of any kind unless they're tied to some other setting or story arc (James Clavell's Shogun for example), this was nothing but several teenage romance stories with a slightly off-beat hook (the disability thing) but nevertheless managed to pull me in. I took my time with it, probably a few hours a night for a week straight and finished all the arcs and I was sorry when it was over.

This has actually turned me on to VNs, and I reccomend you investigate some of the other threads on here where users toss out reccomendations. I just finished Utawarerumono (again a good story and the battle system made me nostalgia-out, I love tactical RPG stuff.) and am starting on the Seiken no Inganock series.

Anyway, Kudos to the KS writers, artists, and devs. You made yourselves a winner here.
The only difference between theory and reality is that in theory there is no difference, but in reality there is.
capncrooked
Posts: 19
Joined: Tue Jan 17, 2012 12:19 am

Re: I was pretty skeptical at first, but...

Post by capncrooked »

It seems like a lot of us are willing to squander sleep to get through this game. I for one, did the same. It was greatly rewarding to achieve my goal. Has anyone else been having dreams about it too? Last night, I was having problems sleeping, and as I was waking up, the last little part of a dream was in my memory and it was definitely bout this game. :)

I don't mind though, as it's been thoroughly enjoyable so far. :)
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contown
Posts: 36
Joined: Sun May 10, 2009 8:31 pm

Katawa Shoujo helped me come to terms with my own disability

Post by contown »

Seriously. I have to thank 4LS, because this game resonated with me, and helped me, a lot. I was diagnosed with epilepsy about two years ago out of nowhere, (apparently it's not uncommon for it to start late in the second decade of life/early in the third) and obviously it hit me like a brick to the face. My entire life had to change to fit this new problem. I still take 9 pills a day, used to be 14. But even when I got used to the side effects, the emotional problems never really left. There were so many things I can't do anymore that I used to enjoy, like going to raves. Can't even drive.

All of this killed me. But honestly, Katawa Shoujo helped me a lot. Watching the display of Hisao, and all these other girls with their own serious problems, overcoming their issues and repairing whatever part of them was "broken" hit me like an equally-sized brick to the face. It's helped me to face my situation with more optimism, and instead of brooding, I'm trying to find new ways to deal with it. In particular, I have to thank Suriko. That scene in Lily's route where she gave Hisao the paper crane as a physical symbol of overcoming and adjusting to your circumstances is my favorite in the game.

And... Yeah, enough rambling about my problems. I just felt like I had to get that out of my system. So thanks guys.
Daratum
Posts: 3
Joined: Wed Jan 18, 2012 7:09 am

Thank you.

Post by Daratum »

Ive always been a fan of visual novels and dating sim games, ever since I could navigate newgrounds back in the day. I stopped playing them after middle school because of lack of interest and quite frankly lack of quality. This is my first year of college and I decided to give it a try, you know, for old times sakes, that and its been worked on for 5 years so its the least I can do. I can say, without a doubt, that I have never felt this way ever before, this game touched me in ways I cannot begin to describe. It brought back alot of painful memories of relationships old, broke me down, made me cry time and time again, made me laugh and snicker and cry (did I mention cry?) but it also changed me. Its made me kinder, happier, more open, i've started exercising and eating healthy (thanks to Emi nagging at the back of my head) and overall things are looking good. I've decided to change my life now, feeling good about it. I just completed the game for the first time, after a little of 6 hours and ended up with Emi (in case you couldn't guess by the earlier comment) ... but ... I just wish ... I wish I could erase my memories and play this again not knowing anything about it. I guess I just wanted to get this off my chest and say, thank you 4 leaf studio. Thank you Kataw Shoujo.
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tmhizzy
Posts: 19
Joined: Wed Jan 11, 2012 10:30 am

This game has changed me.

Post by tmhizzy »

I can't look at anything the same way after playing this. I know it sounds melodramatic, and I admit that it might be, but this game has really given a broader view about the things around me. Katawa Shoujo was more than just game for me, it was a wake up call. It made me question aspects of my life that I never really payed any attention to. It also made me want to live a healthier lifestyle. Since then I have started jogging and it feels good to finally do something like this.

It might be because all the games(e.g. Skyrim, Batman:AC, Saints Row, Etc.) I played before this were really shallow compared to Katawa Shoujo. I still love playing them, but Katawa Shoujo has seriously hampered my ability to enjoy them. Their stories were nice, but they paled in comparison to Katawa Shoujo.

I would also like to admit that I downloaded the game to check out H-scenes, and they made me cry. I would to end with a thank you to the developers for making such an amazing work of art.
Ditsch
Posts: 15
Joined: Wed Jan 18, 2012 10:01 am

Re: The "thank you 4LS" thread.

Post by Ditsch »

Thank you , i consider the game you created as a piece of art, and a breakthrough that games can also be a form of art. :)

It did induce feelings into me and it did enlighten me, you did all a excellent job.

A special thanks to the guys who did create the music it did fit so well to the game and the mood that i couldn't play without
as the feeling was not like it should. I love the music in the game and i might end up listening to it very often and connect
it to the feelings i had in the game ect., or simply soak in it and relax to it. :)

I wish everyone a happy life. :)
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Rolanberry
Posts: 53
Joined: Fri Jan 06, 2012 7:10 pm

Re: The "thank you 4LS" thread.

Post by Rolanberry »

Yea! it doesn't need to be repeated but it still can be said! this is an amazing game that I feel like I'm a better person for playing it. Really, thank you so much for this game.
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Deadeye
Posts: 33
Joined: Tue Jan 17, 2012 6:14 am

Re: The "thank you 4LS" thread.

Post by Deadeye »

This VN helped me move on with my life. For so long I've been dwelling in the past. And to see many of the girls on here have similar problems, it helped me realize that I need to look in front of me and try and get on with my life. I want to thank you for making such involved characters that are even though a bit extreme can be related too by many people, myself included. the next time I went to work after playing this VN I felt so much happier, even my co-workers felt that vibe, I laughed more got along with them and it was generally a good time. Although I can't bring myself to do 100% completion (<3 Hanako) I still believe this VN has been the greatest help to me since I got a computer.

P.S. - I want a soundtrack ASAP please :mrgreen:
"We can not see past the present if we refuse to turn away from the steps we have already made in our wake."
ManlyManTheManlyMann

Re: Thank you.

Post by ManlyManTheManlyMann »

Yep feel the same...even the middle school part :P




Manly~Away
Lanyx
Posts: 12
Joined: Sat Jan 14, 2012 12:24 am

Re: Thank you.

Post by Lanyx »

Daratum wrote:Ive always been a fan of visual novels and dating sim games, ever since I could navigate newgrounds back in the day. I stopped playing them after middle school because of lack of interest and quite frankly lack of quality. This is my first year of college and I decided to give it a try, you know, for old times sakes, that and its been worked on for 5 years so its the least I can do. I can say, without a doubt, that I have never felt this way ever before, this game touched me in ways I cannot begin to describe. It brought back alot of painful memories of relationships old, broke me down, made me cry time and time again, made me laugh and snicker and cry (did I mention cry?) but it also changed me. Its made me kinder, happier, more open, i've started exercising and eating healthy (thanks to Emi nagging at the back of my head) and overall things are looking good. I've decided to change my life now, feeling good about it. I just completed the game for the first time, after a little of 6 hours and ended up with Emi (in case you couldn't guess by the earlier comment) ... but ... I just wish ... I wish I could erase my memories and play this again not knowing anything about it. I guess I just wanted to get this off my chest and say, thank you 4 leaf studio. Thank you Kataw Shoujo.
I love seeing these threads. =)

It seems this story has been inspiring for many people. I think that's wonderful. Congratulations on your new resolve, and best of luck to you.
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