Board 8 > Plum Plays (Reads?) Uminkeo The Playthrough topic

(+) Yeah! (+)

I'm pretty sure I finished every Episode the day it was released, lost sleep included.

Well, excepting partial patches, which happened a few times (like the original Episode 4 release was only up til the chapter after the Rosa rip and tear Sakutaro scene for instance and we had to wait a few more months for the rest).

Who needs to actually be working

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/4/4/1/AANz_VAADrdZ.jpg

;_;

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/4/4/3/AANz_VAADrdb.jpg

Oh

Oh no

:(

Ngl the Uu-uu reveal hit me hard

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/4/6/2/AANz_VAADrdu.jpg

Hmm

Angie learned how to use an aether sewing machine confirmed

Edit: And one scene later it seems like there is actually more than one haha

Ok there are the credits I was looking for, Angie died in 1998

So either 1 of two things is true

1. She either died committing suicide and everything after the fall didn't happen
2. She died at the hands of Kyrie's sister

Interestingly not clarified, but dying in 1998 is a pretty big signal it was one of those

masterplum posted...

Edit: And one scene later it seems like there is actually more than one haha

This is, curiously, not very clear in the original VN, but made so with the PS3 graphics.

Sceptilesolar posted...

This is, curiously, not very clear in the original VN, but made so with the PS3 graphics.

I didn't notice with the graphics, It just was fairly obvious Beatrice was leading into saying there was one in red and then choked up

Lmao the music box has original art

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/6/2/4/AANz_VAADrgQ.jpg

How did anyone ever get past this

And uh, why am I missing two achievements

His stuff gets a lot better in Ciconia!

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/6/3/0/AAeolZAADrgW.jpg

I mean not...not good, but...better.

UshiromiyaEva posted...

His stuff gets a lot better in Ciconia!

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/6/3/0/AAeolZAADrgW.jpg

I mean not...not good, but...better.

Yeah, uh. I'll wait for better graphics before touching that

Its gonna be along ass wait because he put Ciconia on hold semi-indefinitely

rip

We got past it by the story being really good

tcaz2 posted...

Its gonna be along ass wait because he put Ciconia on hold semi-indefinitely

rip

This is why I don't consume media that isn't put out all at once (Or is good enough to be consumed as a standalone)

Zero chance I would ever read Umineko in installments in case the creator just got hit by a bus.

Anyways, Probably going to take a break for a few days but

POST EPISODE 4 CHARACTER RANKINGS

Jessica>Kyrie>Shannon>Maria>Kannon>George>Battler>A whole bunch of adults I don't really care about > Covid-19 > Rosa

Episode 2 was delayed because of Covid, but not for the reason you might think!

Rosa in last place is excellent....don't like the implication that best character Eva is an "adult you don't care about", though.

masterplum posted...

This is why I don't consume media that isn't put out all at once (Or is good enough to be consumed as a standalone)

Zero chance I would ever read Umineko in installments in case the creator just got hit by a bus.

Yeah I've kind of migrated to this mindset myself over the years. That said I can't say there is anything even remotely like having experienced Umineko as it was coming out. The ridiculous memes that came out of it, the incredibly heated theory discussions, etc were almost as enjoyable as the actual series itself. It's not something that I think will ever really be replicated as an experience.

But eh, trade offs for everything.

Anyway yeah, definitely take a break if you need to but I do wanna point out the Tea Party for Episode 4 in particular is basically like, the actual ending to the Episode this time. I mean they've all kind of been in a way but Episode 4's is literally over an hour long and is essentially just a straight up continuation.

UshiromiyaEva posted...

Episode 2 was delayed because of Covid, but not for the reason you might think!

To clarify, I'm not just talking about the Covid delay. There was a recent (like within the last 2 weeks) 07th Expansion event where Ryuukishi basically said he's had to shelve Ciconia because of low sales/interest and him having other things he's working on that take priority because of that (see: endless Higurashi spinoffs. Gotta make that $$$ apparently).

UshiromiyaEva posted...

Episode 2 was delayed because of Covid, but not for the reason you might think!

Rosa in last place is excellent....don't like the implication that best character Eva is an "adult you don't care about", though.

Eva is.... fine. Honestly she would be ahead of many of the other adults but I didn't feel like trying to order them

I think the problem with Eva is that her character is somewhat interesting but not very deep and I don't really care about her.

tcaz2 posted...

To clarify, I'm not just talking about the Covid delay. There was a recent (like within the last 2 weeks) 07th Expansion event where Ryuukishi basically said he's had to shelve Ciconia because of low sales/interest and him having other things he's working on that take priority because of that (see: endless Higurashi spinoffs. Gotta make that $$$ apparently).

This is absolutely devastating.

Eva is lame

Best adult is, uh, Natsuhi, I guess, who really cares

Jessica at #1 good call

Natsuhi is definitely best adult.

But you dont get that until the next couple eps

UshiromiyaEva posted...

This is absolutely devastating.

Well at the very least it does sound like he intends to continue it at some point from the way he said it. He just doesn't really have any kind of time table on it aside from 'not soon'.

tcaz2 posted...

There was a recent (like within the last 2 weeks) 07th Expansion event where Ryuukishi basically said he's had to shelve Ciconia because of low sales/interest and him having other things he's working on that take priority because of that

oh, damn

it's so good why isn't there interest ;_;

The same vague hell as N1RV Ann-A

AriaOfBolo posted...

oh, damn

it's so good why isn't there interest ;_;

I could see a two issues.

The financial - as far as releases on major platforms go, correct me if I'm wrong but Higurashi and Umineko only ever released bundled or heavily discounted from their original japanese retail. Ciconia releasing at $40 for one chapter may have been a bit too much for some.

The visual - again, as far as major platforms go, Higurashi and Umineko always had the redone artwork. Ciconia doesn't have anything besides the Ryukishi art which turns away a LOT of people.

And of course, the two issues combined.

UshiromiyaEva posted...

The financial - as far as releases on major platforms go, correct me if I'm wrong but Higurashi and Umineko only ever released bundled or heavily discounted from their original japanese retail. Ciconia releasing at $40 for one chapter may have been a bit too much for some.

Higurashi released Episode by Episode, but was much cheaper per game and came out far after the Japanese one was written.

How Ryuukishi has always done it for initial releases is release one Episode at a time, but every subsequent Episode contained the previous up through the end of each 'arc' (as in, Umineko 1-4 was bundled and 5-8 was bundled, but when 1 came out it was just 1, when 2 came out it was 1 and 2, etc). But they'd all be the same price.

It is indeed a big financial ask. Japanese people are used to paying that much money for things (seriously, look up the prices of anime and movie releases of BluRay etc over there- they're like 8,000+ yen) but most of the rest of the world isn't. You almost can't even launch a Steam VN in English that's even 30-40+ hours long at full game price in the west, much less a shorter one.

tcaz2 posted...

Japanese people are used to paying that much money for things (seriously, look up the prices of anime and movie releases of BluRay etc over there- they're like 8,000+ yen)

Oh I'm aware, anyone who's ever wanted a series owned by Aniplex knows. I paid $250 for my Kara no Kyoukai set at a discount, and it doesn't even have movie 8!

tcaz2 posted...

Higurashi released Episode by Episode, but was much cheaper per game and came out far after the Japanese one was written.

I think you aren't accounting for the difference in time. Higurashi released in 2002. 20 years ago. The market for VN's and games in general was wildly different at that time.

I think the art just flat isn't good enough today even if it was passable for people at the time

I don't want to downplay the art thought. Let's compare the very first screenshot of a few VNs on Steam.

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/9/8/9/AAeolZAADrl9.jpg
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/9/9/0/AAeolZAADrl-.jpg
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/9/9/1/AAeolZAADrl_.jpg
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/9/9/2/AAeolZAADrmA.jpg

Now, if I was buying blind, and I saw that that top one was twice the price of the other 3, was only 1 chapter this implying its incomplete, and shorter than any of them, and they all had great reviews...I'd think it's obvious what would be getting left out.

WE know the pedigree, but us already knowing means we've already bought it anyways!

Honestly he needs a patreon

tcaz2 posted...

It is indeed a big financial ask. Japanese people are used to paying that much money for things (seriously, look up the prices of anime and movie releases of BluRay etc over there- they're like 8,000+ yen) but most of the rest of the world isn't. You almost can't even launch a Steam VN in English that's even 30-40+ hours long at full game price in the west, much less a shorter one.

I'm not sure I would say Japan is really on board with that. Anime BR releases don't sell very much. Like selling a few thousand copies is considered a lot. Like I'm sure stuff like Demon Slayer sold an absurd amount. But, many don't even hit 1000.

masterplum posted...

I think you aren't accounting for the difference in time. Higurashi released in 2002. 20 years ago. The market for VN's and games in general was wildly different at that time.

I think the art just flat isn't good enough today even if it was passable for people at the time

I was talking about the Steam release there.

TeamRocketElite posted...

I'm not sure I would say Japan is really on board with that. Anime BR releases don't sell very much. Like selling a few thousand copies is considered a lot. Like I'm sure stuff like Demon Slayer sold an absurd amount. But, many don't even hit 1000.

Also I meant more that 'that's what the market accounts for there'.

Whether the average anime fan might be okay with it or not, it has persisted as a business model because that's what they have it set up for, and thus it works, because if it didn't they wouldn't still be doing it. Otaku buy enough to make it worth it.

But that's not what the market in the west is set up for. Especially in the digital space where you don't even technically 'get' anything and there's a million other similar products you can all download at a whim for less than a fourth of the price that, as said, both look better and are complete.

But from what I hear it also hasn't sold that well in Japan either so there are probably also other things working against it.

Apparently the new Monkey Island is great.

Going to play that first then I'll start chapter 5

Umineko won the Twitter VN competition!

https://twitter.com/RandomVNBot/status/1572389268127100929

Prob start again this week

Nice

OK LETS GET BACK TO IT

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/1/9/8/AANz_VAADvD-.jpg

Pretty intrigued how this is going to be different. Is anything really different going to happen?

Episode 5 hype

Ep 5 lets gooooo

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/6/3/7/AANz_VAADvK1.jpg

1. Krauss is a moron
2. Still feel like I am on to something where Beatrice is the desire people have. It seems every appearance of her is the result of someone needing..... A miracle

Hmm

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/6/5/8/AANz_VAADvLK.jpg
This 1985 is completely incompatible with episode 4

Given they are replaying 1986 over and over....

I don't know how to reconcile that

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/6/6/3/AANz_VAADvLP.jpg

Ok well this was funny

umineko before higurashi gang

Lambda the third best character

Poochie incoming.

Wellllll this is interesting

This side flip of Battler trying to keep magic alive is

Ok, well lets start off by saying Battler is still a poorly designed character up to this point that seems to think whatever the hell the plot requires him to think.

But in terms of plot its an interesting wrinkle. In some ways I feel Battler is playing the straight man so that everyone else can be is obtuse as possible until their intentions are slowly revealed.

I should point out that before finally getting around to this, other than the first couple hours of the game I played and quit years ago, the one thing I knew about this game came from a mafia game I played 5 years ago or so where I basically soloed the game as mafia after rolling the Witch of Miracles. I purposefully tried to avoid reading the flavor to figure out why that character was in the game or what they were and didn't really think about it until bernkastel showed up.

But the beginning of Episode 5 has made it apparent that bernkastel is likely not the mythical help in the heroes journey as was alluded to but has incentives that are unclear and possibly negative.

I honestly don't remember the flavor split of that mafia game at all, mafia flavor splits are sometimes quite random.

But regardless it wouldn't surprise me if an easy Bernkastel win isn't actually what Battler wants

These witches be mean

Ah, yes, VN Mafia. I remember it well.

Sceptilesolar posted...

Ah, yes, VN Mafia. I remember it well.

Weren't you the one trying to kill me the entire time

I was the host, so really I was trying to kill everyone if you think about it.