Play Tsukihime, it's the perfect babby's first VN. Or Fate/Stay Night if you don't like older things.

I like Utawarerumono quite a lot. The PC version battles are ridiculously easy, but they are a nice break from the walls of text.

Heard ever 17 is good, haven't gotten too far.
Aside from tsukihime and fate/stay, my favorites are Yume miru Kusuri and Cross Channel.
Didn't like Kanon, but Clannad was good. Both are a high school slice of life setting, with tragedies at the end.
If you like scifi, try Critical Point.
Oh and kana little sister.

Tsukihime is a good first choice, but it doesn't have any frills (no voice acting mainly) which can be weird if you're used to that. Ever17, Remember11 and Swan Song are all great, though they're all pretty heavy on the disaster and drama themes. They're also extremely long hauls and take some commitment. If you're going for something shorter, you can easily read Planetarian or Saya no Uta in a single evening.

Yume Miru Kusuri is supposed to be good, but I dropped it. I just don't like dating sim-style stuff like that. I'm even having a hard time getting through KS. But if that's your kind of thing, YMK is a good bet.

>>874
I second Planetarian. Made me cry like a little girl, multiple times.

>>872
>Kana little sister
Second.

>>875
>Planetarian
Third.

>>865
>the perfect baby's first VN
Narcissu.

Now (obviously):
Saya no uta
WARNING: it may fuck you up for life.

Wanko to kurasou if you're into cute dog lolis.

kira kira (kirari's route)

Dues Machina Demonbane
the Muv Luv stuff
To Love 2
Cross Channel
Kana Imouto
Saya no Uta
My Girlfriend is the President.

you can find all of this on www.erogedownload.com

Maiden Rape Assault: The Violent Semen Inferno

>>890
>This isn't your soft rape story.
>This is a gripping story about fiery vengeance and a sinister revenge plot.
>Experience the brutality that unfolds and evil deeds taken to the extreme!
>Our beautiful maidens are waiting; don't resist the temptation to participate in a unique sexual fantasy.
I shouldn't be surprised that Japan actually makes games like this, but the title is so direct I thought you were joking.

Post edited on 26th Jan 2012, 2:46pm

>>890

>>901

It exists. As does the english translation patch.

Saya no Uta will come you some nightmares alright.
Most are already said, most Type-Moon vn's are a good start. I'd also recommend G-Senjou No Maou.

Another rec for Saya no Uta.

It may be a hopelessly depressing tale, but the intense feelings it stirred up inside of me made me the happiest I had been in a long time.

>>903
I second G-Senjou no Maou. One of the best VN's I've ever read.

Planetarian is also good for beginner because it's short.

If you want a mindfuck, read Forest.

It has characters and settings from Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan, Mary Poppins, The Chronicles of Narnia, Lord of the Rings, Winnie the Pooh, Jumanji, and many more. It's pretty much Liar-soft at their best.

btw: Saya is "finally" to be released, so Urobushi is now referenced in both directions.

>>1006
I can't believe that JAST is actually going through with releasing it stateside. They're also expected to release Muramasa and Kikokugai, if memory serves correct.

>>1008

all things considered, it's been so long since many of us have played Saya that it would be worth going through again, and the uncensored CGs would be a pleasant touch.

though I'm still going to wait for somebody to make a patch to switch the uncensored CGs from the JAST version to the original version for use with the original fan translation which, side by side, will be better to the point where english-only audiences can noticeably tell which one is better.

>>1013
I hope there'll be a patch that makes the Japanese version playable with uncensored CG

Here, have another recommendation for Saya.

why do people like Saya so much?

>>1033
In its own way, Saya no Uta apparently adresses the inexistence of such a thing as absolute (classical) philosophical cathegories: truth, beauty and goodness. Specifically, and against naive realism, it shows that what our empirical culture takes as an esssential component of the ultimate path to objectivity, the notion of heavily considering the "object" as what is reported by our five senses, is flawed to the core. The story reminds us that every definition or provisional so called "truth" can only be grasped thanks to actual lies: to substitutions (by a semiotical process) and biased interpretations of stimuli, which ultimately render every human experience as virtual, fictional and thus essentially false. Then, these conclusions are made extensive to both our inherited concepts of beauty and goodness (i.e. that there are no aesthetical or moral truths, either). Nevertheless, Saya, for good or bad, ends up defending love (whatever that may be) as the ultimate value to cherish: the only thing worthy of truly sacrificing a world for; and we ourselves have to ackonowledge all this as well, in order to love and folow her to whatever may come...

Also: she's mighty brilliant, loverly perverse, heartbreaking (and melancholically) romantic and a super attractive petite sexual animal. Oh: and she's like a cat. And the game's art is damned stylish, the music's great and there's no waste on any route.

I can't recommend Saya because it was just too scary for me and I had to drop it.

>>1034
>it shows that what our empirical culture takes as an esssential component of the ultimate path to objectivity, the notion of heavily considering the "object" as what is reported by our five senses, is flawed to the core.

>Saya, for good or bad, ends up defending love (whatever that may be) as the ultimate value to cherish: the only thing worthy of truly sacrificing a world for

"love is caused by chemical signals in your brain that can be turned on and off" - /ot/17926

>>1034

I've never seen anyone put it that way before haha but I completely agree to every thing you said.

>>1036
>/ot/17926
Yeah, and I likely disagree ( >>/mai/9295 )...

You see: if what happens in our brains is indeed merely a bunch of action potentials over an elastic medium (or sort), just a mechanical event, it is not love, nor ideas, nor concepts or any animically meaningful thing at all. Those entities/values are truly metaphysical, in the sense that they can't be pointed out anywhere, other than as mere signs within a space of representation. They're rather form than material. That's the virtual quality I talk about.

Post edited on 11th Nov 2012, 9:59pm

I guess I'll post in this thread because there's no point creating a new one.
I'm looking for a VN which has romance but isn't focused on getting laid, also it shouldn't be tragic.
Last one I tried was Cross Channel, but I can't finish it because it's too rough on the feels.
I have read/played Katawa Shoujo, Edelweiss (favorite this far), Monmusu quest.
Also tried Wanko to Kurasou, Kana Little Sister and Saya no uta but I didn't like them for one reason or another

>>1060

fate stay night, tsukihime, Umineko, Utawarerumono, tears to tiara, Period, G-senjou no maou, Kannon, Demonbane, Kara no Shoujo, YUNO

there's a list to keep you occupied for a week or so.
it might help if you specify a specific genre or two rather than omit the straight up sex romps.

>>1060
VNDB has ways to filter what you're looking for if what people post here isn't exactly what you want, or if you want more.

>>1061
>>1062
I have looked up some on vndb, but the descriptions can only tell so much so I came here for recommendations instead.
I have downloaded G-senjou no Maou, Daibanchou, Hoshizora no Memoria, Fate stay night and Tsukihime.
I'm having the same problem with genres as I had with anime, I really have no idea what I want because I don't know about them very much.
I have decided one thing though, no more tragedies. I just couldn't handle Saya no Uta and Edelweiss was rough for me too (Mizuki route)

>>1063
if you don't care for tragedies go for moege. My Girlfriend is the President is far from tragic but you get a lot of sex and fanservice in it, which is something you weren't looking for. Dengeki Stryker might be up your alley as well and if you like mecha check out Demonbane.

>>1060

>I'm looking for a VN which has romance but isn't focused on getting laid, also it shouldn't be tragic.

If you aren't looking for one of those 'the very best the medium has to offer' deals like all the Nitro+ VNs and whatnot then maybe I could help you. Japan produces tons of cutesy and pointless VNs where the girls are the only real focus (many of which are moege obviously but not all of them) but those don't get translated all too often. If you don't give much of a damn about deep plot and (pseudo)philosophical ramblings and you're just looking for the company of some cute girls then I can recommend the following: Hoshimemo, ToHeart2, Fortune Arterial, Yosusora, Canvas 2, Shuffle (... damn I know there way more of them, can't recall anything ATM though)

Those include varying degrees of H material, most of the time it's rather forced and you can completely ignore it, heck, many of them even have all ages editions.

And, well, if I misunderstood you and that's not what you're looking for feel free to ignore me.

>>1064
>>1066
Thanks again for the recommendations, added them to my to-do list
Moege might be what I'm looking for.
I wouldn't dismiss a good plot for cute girls doing cute things though, I read these as an escape from my lonely sweatcloset life so an absorbing plot would be nice too even without the romance part.