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I suppose I agree that the FVN scene didn't change 'that much', in the sense that many of the trends we observed and were able to pin down back then have remained present. Though a few games were able to reach their conclusion successfully, the reality is that "FVNs" are an accessible game development niche where almost anyone can release a first build promising incredible things, but extraordinarily few can develop into a long project and write it to its conclusion.

But things, in many regards, did change, and I've been meaning to do another survey sometime this year to assess it.

For starters, I think the many game jams over the years have caused a substantive shift in the scene by enabling and normalizing shorter projects, and with that came a greater experimentalism. The FVN scene that I observe today is less stilted, less restrained by rigid expectations and suppositions of what makes a good FVN.

If I had to summarise what was the reality of the scene back in 2020, it was that almost everyone to a greater or lesser extent had to grapple with the expectations set by Morenatsu and amplified by the first wave of FVNs in the 2010s. Developers had to at confront the notion of multiple routes and what their cast of dateable characters should look like.

Since then, however, the FVN scene has simultaneously settled on new landmark projects that influenced others (Adastra and its linear structure and focused narrative are the big one, no doubt) while also growing comfortable with taking influences from works well outside the niche. The FVN scene, also, both became obsessive with and eventually let go of its apparent "big bad wolf", the notion of "my wolf" (mind you, I mean this in regards to how developers, for a while, latched onto the idea that adding wolves to everything was the only way to financial feasibility and a lack of wolves spelled some degree or another of doom).

Other things changed, as well. This is merely guesswork but I think that, while the game jams enriched the community and made readers more receptive to experimental projects, they also did make discoverability into a bigger problem because now Itch's Gay/Furry/Visual Novel tags are more crowded. I also think the matter of representation has evolved significantly too, because nowadays we have more developers who are not gay cis men, and more readers who are not gay cis men. I know for a fact that the Minotaur Hotel readership is much more diverse than what I originally imagined when we started things back in 2019!

I could keep going, but I only have so much time tonight. Suffice it to say, some things just keep changing, and some just stay the same. Such is life.

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Oh damn, I didn't expected you to actually reply to this. I wanted to speak a little more about where I came from when I got into FVNs several years ago. by talking about Ren'py first.

To me, I see Ren'py as the RPG Maker of Visual Novels. After you learn all the tools and bullshit (mostly the ladder) that going around the engine, you can pretty much make whatever game you want through those limitations. They both have add-ons that are both official and community made that either add new mechanics and/or visual effects into the game. As well as the usual communities of people who will always help you out and tutorials online. It became more widely available for many people who couldn't afford the more expensive game engines nor have the skill set to make one themselves. And as time moves on, newer versions of RPG Maker include more standardized features while the previous versions are available to those who prefer them. Although, due to how easy it is to make multiple amount of games with just the base assets, RPG Maker is notorious for being riddle in shovelware. But that's not what to say that's all RPG Maker is. Some creators use that engine to make games that are consider cult classics, even created a new genre or 2, that both inspired other creators to tell stories that couldn't be made in mainstream. Ren'py is also that with VNs that either exploit what the engine has to offer to make very compelling narratives and uses of effects to focus more on the visual aspect. Or generally, make very compelling stories that we don't get to see or experience from simple text from books.

When I came to FVNs, I don't expect them to break boundaries from the get-go, I just want to see the kind of passion the creator want to present into their work since we lived in a time were software like these are more available to people who want to make their own stories come true. While playing around with what they can do in Ren'py To stand out more, (an Identity of it's UI, Image layering, and lighting/shades can come along the way).  I see that the more recent FVNs focus more on Kinetic ( usually VNs with no split paths or branching endings) instead of making something that'll be a scopecreep down the line. Which is for the best for the creators. But the fault lies on me for being too into the FVN  by checking the latest update and whatevers the new VN that day. I was expecting next FVN made by someone who's passionate about making something that's of their self. But as time goes on, I seen more cancelled projects and those that lean too close to Echo for their own good. But like any other genre of media, that's far in between and staring too much only damning your own perception of it. 

Oh, Morenatsu. I know of that VN and how much of that is a big deal with the furry community. Is just that I don't get much of the appraised for it back then. But that makes a lot of sense as the approach to many FVNs back in the 2010-20's.  Granted, there's probably a good reason as to why Gamma cancelled that project, way back then. As well as the other FVNs around the 2010's,  which I couldn't remember much besides BlackGate, tend to not favor well either. The only FVN I recalled that managed to surpassed the type of scope Morenatsu lay out to was Extracurricular Activities. Well, it did became a fully completed VN with 5 of the character's stories finish until it just... keep going... and going...  And then it going in a direction I don't vibe with since he also rewrite a bunch of the old parts of the game just for an excused for the more recent build... But I digress.

But I take your word, MinoAnon. I should just moved on to this new era FVNs to rekindle my loved again. That Land of Ghron looks promising to check out. I'll look forward to the new survey at the end of the year, and with a lighter view of FVN down the road.