I cant remember if I reviewed this years ago or not, but I found the "sequel not sequel" Bermuda is out now so I went back to replay this one before I play the new one. Reska's route is still near and dear to my heart even years later <3
If you have not played this yet (somehow) please do, it really is worth it. Hearing the music brought back so many wonderful memories.
This is by far one of the best free otomes out there, so I know 20$ for the new one will be money well spent!
SweetChiel, you did such a good job, and you have touched so many of us with your game over the years. We are so proud of you and we love you <3
mitra and reksa.... best boys..... <3 i just wish the gallery included character sprites because i loooove love love seeing all of the characters designs. after all these years i think the game holds up pretty well!
Hey, I’ve played this vn a few years ago and I decided to finally leave a comment! Honestly at first I was so intrigued by the tittle and art of this vn, as an Indonesian you don’t know how delightfully shocked I was when I stumbled on this years ago. I was really curious on how you’ll incorporate Indonesia aspects into this since I rarely see anything like this before!
How pleasantly surprised when I read through it, I really did enjoy every second of it (I still do!). The world building, the character developments, the banter, the Indonesian culture reference is just chefs kiss. It was an easy read, the kind of vn where it’s full of fluff but still has substance. While it tackles many dark subjects but not really delved into further, it’s lighthearted most of the times, though I’m sure it was intentional in your part.
I’ve played all the 3 routes and I’m happy to say that Mitra is my favorite. I love him so much it’s not even a joke, his personality and his character design is so good so good. He’s really kind, caring, patient, and overall a perfect match for Tamara imho. Those fluffy and romance scenes between him and Tamara is soooo wonderful that it always left me wanting for more!
Tho tbh I was so fucking shocked when I played Nusantara: bermuda triangles and saw that Rama and Tamara got married?!?!? My jaw was dropped to the ground and my first thought was “why didn’t Mitra and Tamara get together instead?!” But honestly I understand in a narrative standpoint why ASDHSADCJSAD
You don’t know how much I adore this vn. Thank you for making this and thank you so much for making it free for broke ass people like me LMAO. And last I wish you luck on your future projects!!!
Hello, Yazp! Thank you and congratulations on finishing all 3 routes! 🎉🥳
I'm really happy to hear you've enjoyed yourself! It's all I could ask for. still have a lot to learn about Indonesian culture--there are too many to count and I think I was only able to touch the tip of the ice berg (for Indonesian friends out there, please do tell me if I get anything wrong! I try my best to do research & stay respectful, but I do hope I was able to share this knowledge with the people overseas in a fun way <3)
Ah tbh, if I encounter Mitra n real-life, I think I'll also swoon, he's just such a husband material >\\\< but yes, i Nusantara Bermuda, the timeline I'm using is where Tamara is married to Rama *SPOILER ALERT*
As you may already know, with Rama's tendencies, I'm afraid he will not exist in any other timelines without Tamara by his side. Compared to the other 2 bachelor, he needs Tamara the most, but his route is not everyone's cup of tea so this has become quite the dilemma amongst the readers X'D
But I'm sure you understand this already!
Last but not least, thank YOU for giving my visual novel a chance and loving it in return ^.^)/ my next project "Saving Grace" has weekly updates posted on Bermuda's gamepage for now so take a look if you're interested~
Do you have a world creation sheet for your world or something? (Or a World Anvil page?)
Like... explaining what the different tribes are like, and the world is like and stuff like that?
It's a really interesting world. And Reksa's warrior tribe is exceptionally interesting.
And I kinda have this nagging idea that won't leave me alone of writing a fanfiction where Harry Potter grows up with them.
I LOVE culture clash stories. It's always so interesting seeing all the problems and misunderstandings that comes when people of very different cultures meet.
And Reksa's tribe is a warrior tribe, living in a hostile enviorment (in the middle of a war, depending on the timing) And they seem to have more Sith-like mentality. (Strength and bravery over peace and love and all that. Which is common in that type culture.) It also seem to be a strong honor culture.
Which is the complete opposite of the modern western world.
I can't stop thinking how interesting it would be to see that clash. ^_^
But as much as I can extrapolate from the game itself, and predict what kind of culture and values based on the game info, it's not a full picture, and leaves much to be guessed at.
And while I could use studies of warrior cultures thorough history to fill the gaps, I'd much rather have the real knowledge from the creator of this amazing world. ^_^
Hi, Raven! Thanks for dropping by and this is an excellent question! ^.^)/
First thing first, let me tell you about my priority list. When I make a visual novel, the first one on the list is the Story Plot. I need to at least complete the rough draft of each route before I commit myself to making it. The second is Worldbuilding + what Indonesian Culture I'd like to introduce you to. Honestly the worldbuilding is often a mix of my fantasy + the culture involved. In Winged Ones, Omed-omedan comes from Bali so I inserted a little Batik from Bali + the village houses resembles real Bali houses. The same can be said about Caci Dance. Because the dance came from the Manggarai people (Flores/East Nusa Tenggara), the Komodo tribe wears the specific clothes/batik from there too + their houses resemble Manggarai's.
Winged Ones also has the unique birds/animals you can find in Indonesia. Rama symbolized Cenderawasih, Mitra is Javan Hawk-Eagle, and Reksa is Komodo Dragon.
If you lookup at the mini encyclopedia, everything kinda connects to one another in a way. Like how Rama wears Papua Batik because Cendrawasih is from there. And there's also a mix of Javan Batik due to the existence of Javan Hawk-Eagle. But Javan people doesn't live on tree houses mind you 😂 It's an original concept of an Avian tribe (some live on tree houses while some prefer to be on the ground to preserve energy/avoid children having accidents, more specifically those who haven't learned how to fly yet)
Basically, there are lots of culture mixed in together in my attempt to make an original concept/world while still respecting my culture.
Are you with me? I wish I can do a better job explaining it ^^;
However, I admit, there is limited information I can give you about Bali/Manggarai people. Because I haven't go there myself so I can only do online research + look up real photos from people who have actually gone there. I also consider it might be a good idea not to delve too deep since it might distract the readers from the MainStory Plot.
In any case, I always do my best to explain/introduce the culture I used via the mini encyclopedia.
I hope I answered your question! Thanks again and see you around :3
P.S. I don't have a wikipedia/a website of my own so I can only explain this way～
And I figured. The name "Komodo" was kinda self-explanatory. But it doesn't tell me what kind of culture his tribe is in. I mean, it helps knowing the general area is based on Bali tho. (Are people there as cute as Reksa too? ^_^ )
His people is clearly a warrior culture. Is the Manggarai a warrior culture? Or are they more inspiration for the bird people?
I'll run it through my AI. It's excellent in digging up info on things like this. ....within it's 1000 words limit at least. lol
Based on the behavior of Reksa and the people in the village, I can theorize that strength and warrior skills are important. The talk of honor and dishonor (with the face scarring and battle prowess) hints at an honor-culture. (Which isn't exactly uncommon outside modern western civilization. And is also common in many warrior cultures.) I don't know if the way Reksa acted with the mc is his personality or not, but the fact that no one else reacted to it makes me think that claiming a woman without asking her permission AND that his rival thought he could claim her at all indicates a 'might makes right' mindset. But it's tricky to be sure what is culture and what the the manipulative/corrupted hot guy's imposed rules. Except Reksa DO talk about what duties are expected and stuff like that, so I think he could be used as a moral guideline....
If you want to offer proper world building of your world, without interrupting the story, why not create the world at World Anvil, or a similar page, and link it? That way people can choose if they want to learn more or not, outside the gameplay itself. ^_^
I used my AI assistant to help me create a theory on their culture (for my fanfic). (Most of it comes from tribal warrior cultures, and similarities in them. Paired with what little I could gleam from the game itself.)
Could you tell me if I'm hitting anywhere near the mark?
Obviously I need to adjust it with this new info, but as a baseline....
(Oh, and I know he's not adopted in the game. That part is for the fanfic I planned. Cuz.... Just look at the two characters! Black hair.... Green eyes.... Duknow. The likeness just hit me when I played it. lol)
Uhh, have you read the encyclopedia? Bali and Manggarai are 2 different people/places ^^;
Bali is located at East Java, while Manggarai people is from Flores/East Nusa Tenggara. They're 2 different places--2 different islands. That's why the Avian & Komodo looks have different culture. (Bali = Avian/Loma Village, Manggarai = Komodo)
I think you're confused about this (or we have some miscommunication). I only used Manggarai people as reference for the Komodo due to the Caci Dance they performed. In real life, It's not a brutal/violent ritual at all. It's a war dance ritual that symbolizes friendship/a showcase of strength & goodwill. It is performed to celebrate events such as harvest or to welcome guests of honor.
If you want to learn more about Bali/Manggarai, I do not recommend using AI, my suggestion is to do some research on books or even the wikipedia. They will give you more info/facts about them～ I don't dare to say much about them since I haven't visited them myself (like I said in my reply before)
The concept of 'a warrior tribe' is used for both Avian & Komodo people who is at war with each other. You get to see the more peaceful aspect with the Avian people, but they do fight (Mitra with his double knives & Rama with his knive). The Komodo people will feel more brutal/violent due to their nature of placing strength & body size above all + you get to see them fight with whips (Caci Dance reference used here but I turned it into smth more serious/brutal than the real life version).
It's from my fantasy, therefore, readers are free to imagine what kind of tribes they are. I added some hints/prompts in my visual novel (about their history, behaviour, hints about their matchmaking/wedding rituals, etc)
But in the end, readers have the freedom to imagine what the Avian/Komodo tribe is like and that's why it's fun.
I'm pretty sure I would have flunked geography in elementary school if it was possible. ^_^; I don't even know where Bali is located, to be fair. Sounds...Asian........? lol (And as may be obvious I just fed the AI the info I did know, and let it fill in the blanks --Bali is as good setting as any, from what the game looked like, since they share the same continent, so the nature will look the same, even if the tribal customs are different.)
Although I admit the AI isn't exactly infallible. I will have to do some fact-checking later if I want to get it precisely right. But for any fantasy setting, the best source will always be the author. ^_^ I know that some authors are very touchy about someone using their story and get things wrong. But you do seem a bit more laid back about it.
But thanks for the info. ^_^ I did use the Manggarai people to try and figure out the Komodo culture.
And I see. I used the Caci dance idea the way it's portrayed in the game, and with what the guy said about it.
No, warrior tribes/people are specifically referring to the kind of tribe (or nation) that makes going to war central to their lifestyle. (Like the Romans, or the Camanchi native american tribes, and your Komodo tribe who seem to appreciate strength and warrior skills more than peaceful pursuits.)
Most nations go to war over something, but it doesn't make them a warrior tribe. (Like your bird people, who seems to prefer peace over war.)
But regardless, I just wanted to figure out the background for the Komodo tribe so I can use it for my fanfic. And it's hard to write about a child growing up in a place --and the following culture clash with british wizarding society-- if I don't know the values and everyday life of the Komodo tribe he'll be raised in.
I realize real life will be a bit different from fiction. So that part is mostly to fill in the gaps that the game doesn't answer.
Oh lol, it's ok. There's a ton to learn if you really want to know more about Bali/Manggarai X'D even I don't know much about them, I just basically pick up a culture that I like & try to introduce it to you/to the world. I try not to touch anything too religious though & keep it fun most of the time. I like positive vibes, however, I also sometimes make things more intense/dramatic than normal, like the Caci Dance.
There's no correct/wrong answer in my fantasy world setting though. Just keep it respectful, especially when it involves a religion or taboo things (like Sati Ceremony, you can be dramatic about it, just don't insult it) & you can go as wild as you want! All I want is for you to have fun & enjoy the process. I appreciate your effort ^.^)/
He's also 100% right. I like his philosophy towards things. I get him. Far more than any other character in the game.
Awww.... And he wants to take you with him cuz you're delusional... He's so sweet~ ❤️
I am so sad you can't just go with him.😭
I like him more and more. ^_^ And his village and people are very interesting.
LOVE the CG's in his route! ^_^
(And suddenly I feel like watching a gladiator match. lol)
And he's always protecting you. *blushes and presses my hands to my cheeks* ❤️
....so SO protective. ^_^ Even when you're just training. lol
Even when he yells at you he's cute!!! *squeals and holds my head in my hands shaking like a manga character* ❤️
Awww~ And he's so sweet when you say you plan to go home too... lol
...I'm a little bit dissepointed that he allowed you to go in the end tho. Where did his fight to keep you go? *pouts* I honestly expected you'd have to sneak away while he was too weak to stop you to get to that woman and make the choice at the very end.
The end credit tricked me to think there was no end btw. That was really, really mean... >_>
But hey! There was an ending there, hiding away. ^_^ I adore his version of foreplay btw. ❤️
On a side-note....
...I can't help wonder what it'd look like if she brought him to her world tho.
Like... "Hey, uncle! This is my new boyfriend!" Reksa: *growls*
😂
I am kinda sad we didn't get to see their wedding... I really AM curious about their rituals. ^_^ (And I may or may not consider stealing it for a crossover fanfic with Harry Potter which totally have nothing to do with a certain lizard's hair and eye color. Nope. Not at all. xD)
Either way: I LOVED his route!!
It was a million times better than the other times I played the game. ^_^
I kinda hope this is or will be on Steam now, so I can buy it and add it to my collection. lol
Which guy did you like the most and why? Defiantly Purba. With mysterious lizard-man as my second choice.
2. Do you play a lot of otome/visual novels? What made you choose to play Nusantara? Let me put it this way: I have run out of Otome games remotely interesting to me on both Steam and Itch, and is scraping the bottom of the barrel for them by lowering my standards massively and reaching out to try things I otherwise wouldn't go near.
I play an unholy amount of them. This game looked interesting, in a maybe-caveman like way. And the artwork was pretty. The LI's may not be yandere, or in any way dark and/or evil, but I was willing to see what they might be like regardless, mainly because of the artwork and how pretty the lizard-man was. (Your plot is sadly missing from this page, and all we have to work it out with is an enigmatic poem that doesn't tell us much. I recommend adding a brief summary to catch more people's interest.)
I liked the lizard-man in the artwork on the page as well, but unfortunately I cannot figure out how to romance him.
3. Which element of the game would you say was the best and which ones would you say need work? Consider story, art, characters, music etc. I can't speak for music since I rarely have the sound on as I find it distracting. The artwork is very pretty, however. And you are good at storytelling. The ending was a bit...anticlimactic. It appeared to promise an epic journey, but somehow ended in five minutes.
What I HATE is the lack of choices. Especially REAL choices. This game has ONE real choice: Which of the birds you want to date ("Non" is NOT an option), and the follow-up choice to stay with them or not, which really is just a way to ask the play if they like the choice the mc made or not.
At the beginning there is several places you could have made a choice that would end the game early --which would have been nice. (Not because the game is bad, but because it makes you feel more in control of it, and thus hate it less when you're dragged into it by that woman whom I shall not specify to avoid spoilers.)
Later you get choices for who to visit, but NOT a choice whether you want to be romantic or friendly or ignore people. And it really suck when you don't have all three of those choices --especially for a love interest.
4. Do you have any other questions, comments or constructive criticism?
If you want my advice: Add some more choices. ESPECIALLY when it comes to romance. And either add a Walktrough guide, or make it easier to romance the lizard-man.
And because of the premise of the game, PLEASE add the possibility to fail at what the godess want from you. The whole game seems unrealistic, and any victory meaningless without the possibility to fail.
I honestly expected that the end outcome might have depended on saving that lizard-man at the first play-trough. It's very typical for the good games and stories that you save someone from the enemy, and later they turn out to be pivotal to your success.
But in this game it doesn't matter. He has zero impact on the ending.
I'd say the same for the outsider bird with white hair. Like maybe he'd be necessary in the fight and if you didn't help him he'd leave and that'd end badly for the village, or something.
But no. NOTHING matters.
I won't tell you to make the whole epic journey thing with the map --I realize just how much work that extra route would take.
But if you're not gonna make that big journey, then maybe drop the Chekhov's Gun with the map? Because it raises people's expectations that there WILL be an epic journey to the lizard's village, with trials to overcome and choices to make that will determine the bird-people's fate.
And, to be fair.... This may not be a critique, per se, just a personal preference, but...
I REALLY was hoping that you might have been able to change history by making the lizard people win, and then it turned out that humans would change ever-so-slightly because they'd be decedent from them instead of the bird people.
Which would change the ending so that either you started a family with one of them, and discovered that your baby looked...strangely human.... OR you went home and realized everyone (including you) suddenly looked a bit like the lizard people.
Hinting that you'd single-handedly changed the fate of humanity by accident.
(Maybe change who is president or something too for a more Chaos Theory feel, like in the classical "A Sound of Thunder".)
I really wish there was more choices in this game. I got bored with the lack of it after a while and hit fast forward, and I was beginning to think there would be no choices at all by the time I finally hit one.
...with an uncle like her's, who need enemies? >_> I would have killed him... or gone to live in the streets out of shere spite.
A few choices such as whether to follow that bird, or run away from that woman would have been great. (Also to refuse the uncle and go live in the streets) Even IF they'd cut the game short (and possibly lead to a bad ending) it would be better than not having a choice at all.
Also choosing what clothes to wear (or reject them and wear your own ones) would have been a good choice to have. If only because it made you feel like you had a semblance of control in the game.
I also don't understand why she care if people there are suspicious of her. She didn't choose to go after all. So why would it matter what anyone there thinks? She has nothing to hide. And the only risk is that people think her crazy.
And an option to kick the bird would be lovely~ ^_^
Pleeeeeeeease make it an option to kick that bird!!! >_> I really, REALLY want to kick that bird! >_<
I will never understand why the mc does not try to undermine what that woman who caused problems at every turn.... Why would she let her win?
I wish she'd stop caring about Mitra. I'm pretty sure I rejected him at every turn. The only person I like at all is the lizard-man. (I like the redhaired lizardman (Purba) best, but I suspect he's not a love interest.)
This is the problem with a lack of choices: You get stuck with a dumb bird you don't like as an LI. >_>
The very least choice you could give is whether to allow someone to court you or not. It's not like you're given any choice to -not- meet with anyone.
(And I still can't seem to find a way to romance the lizard-man. Heck, given half a chance I'd join THEM, and let the world burn. >_>)
I also notice there is no way you can possibly fail your mission. Like... I tried. A LOT!
Can't do it. Failure is impossible. Blind obedience to the idiot woman who sent you there AND succeeding is the ONLY ending in this game. >_<
I give up. *sigh* ALL the endings suck!
The art is very nice, and the story well-written.
But the complete and utter lack of real choices (and a love interest I actually like) just ruins it for me.
IS there a way to romance the mysterious lizard man, and I just somehow fail to find the magical recipe for it?
(I don't have high hope for Purba. Even if he'd be my first choice. But why bother to add the mysterious dark-haired one you save to the artwork for the game, if he's not important to the story? And it doesn't make one whit of a difference if you save him or not.)
Hi, Raven! Thanks for the feedback~ one of the reasons why the choices are limited is because I try to focus on the main plot. Too many sub-plot might distract the reader >_<
And nope, no kicking the bird! x'D She's the Goddess' servant, are you not scared of divine retribution lol. I try to make the MC to have a positive attitude/energy as much as I could, who knows, maybe it could affect us in real lives. Of course, you'll see she's not some pushover either in Reksa's route.
And yes, you can romance the mysterious lizard (you mean Reksa, right?) Sadly, Purba is not available to woo. I understand why quite a number of people want to roomance him tho
As for the reason why you're stuck with Mitra, it's because his route is the easiest. So the difficulty level would be: Mitra (easy), Reksa (medium), Rama (hard)
If that was true then more of the best games would be less popular. (Not to mention shows like Game of Thrones would be dead.)
One trick to deal with sub-plots, however (as I have learned in writing is necessary) is to always tie them to the main story.
And to keep the distractions brief, you can always loop things back into the main line, while still keep the choices recorded so they affect the ending.
Like, say you choose to not follow the bird: Bad End: You're stuck with your uncle. (Which, btw, is a mystery never explained, and I still wonder what he wants with you.)
Or you choose to twart the godess at every turn, or refuse to destroy the crystal: Bad End: The Lizard people won, and you probably died (unless you sided with them), and the modern world resemble Sith society. At each point you do things like throw away the crystal she gave you, the game doesn't need to change anything (or maybe you wake up with the thing under your pillow) it loops back into the story that way, until at the end you have the same choice to destroy the orb or not, and after that you get to see the real outcome of your choices.
That way, choices both matter AND they don't disrupt the story.
I have seen smaller games than this with more endings that this game have. If you let the choices the reader matter have a delayed effect, it may even affect only the ending, and thus not distract from the story until very close to the end.
I'm somewhat of a theistic satanist. I'd say I'd happily join her enemy if she pisses me off. Hell is my first choice of afterlife. ^_^ (Granted, I'd prefer to work as a demon, but anything is better than blind obedience and bordom in the sky.)
I think if you ever made Purba a romance choice, that'd change the outcome of the whole story. lol AND as he is a sneaky bastard, it wouldn't have to change the game much, because he could tell you to spy for him and thus have to act as normal in the village, with a few extra choices to snoop around. (Maybe it'd even be why he seduced you to begin with, but if you make the right (fierce and brave) choices he might fall for you for real.) And the main story goes on with a few extra scenes, but the ending changes massively.
It's probably Reksa. I never got his name.
I don't really care about collecting thing. Not that kind of gamer. But I tend to have a tunnel-vision in romance game, and since I want the lizard-guy, no one else will do! lol
I honestly liked him right from the start. He seemed like the kind of guy I'd like. ^_^ (By which I mean violent, potentially evil, and with a 50/50 chance he'd kill you if he gets the chance. lol Manipulative guys (in addition to wickedness) are even better, but that one is sadly not an option, so Reksa it is.)
Aaah, I think I know what you mean! I've seen games with MC that depends on your choice, she/he can lean more toward Evil or Good. Unfortunately, I've never played one (my choices are limited back then because I can't buy paid ones, only play free ones >_<;)
And I think it will be difficult for me to write the Evil route, because honestly, I'm more inclined to write fluffy romance/comedy, my limit is to write angst/bad ends/dark fairy-tales 😂 I do appreciate the input though! I like the idea of writing more short bad ends if the reader choose a wrong option. (I did this with the Antagonist route in "Nusantara: Bermuda Triangle" and I think I can improve it some more thanks to your feedback. The readers will just have to save more often lol)
As for Hell... I'm sure everyone have their own thoughts/opinion regarding matters about Hell or Demons. For me, I'm not keen about the idea of joining Hell--I mean, is Satan even recruiting? Are we evil enough/interesting enough for him to let us join him? The biggest chance is He'll just throw us to the fire and forget about us while we're tortured/paying for our 'insignificant' sins.
Once again, thank you for sparing some time to write me so much review~
Try some games labeled "Dark Romance" on my page. Some of the games I've played just ends the game early (like one about a haunted train --if you get off you get a 'bad end' as in nothing happens and you live your normal life, but if you stay you get stuck there), sometimes it's obviously that a choice will get you killed (like running away from the yandere-esque guy in the swamps) but the fact that you CAN try, consequences be damned, make you far more at peace with the forceful main story.
I think the best games have a more morally neutral characters (if they can't choose personality), because it lets people overlay their own morality on that person. A few 'false choices' can make you, as a player, feel more in control and more like it is you playing the game (letting the player name their character improves this immersion in the game too), because it feels like it's happening to to -you-, not a random stranger.
All characters will resonate more with one person than the other, but choices is what makes people pick up a game instead of a novel. And with the sheer amount and variation of novels (and fanfiction) out there, it's not a marked you want to compete with.
Your story is extremely well written (and I say that as someone who's studied writing) but I think it would be better if you threw in some choices, both real and false. ESPECIALLY in the beginning. I know many people who end up dismissing a whole game before it even begins if there's no choice popping up during the first 2-5 minutes of gameplay. (Personally I'm more stubborn, and use the skip button to check before giving up. lol) Far too many run-ins with the pure novel style of Visual Novels that often (tho not always) are less well written than published books (not surprising because creating a Visual Novel is more work than pure writing) makes many people skeptically to invest time and effort in something that fails the basic premise that this is a game and will therefore have choices.
Try to an Everyman type mc. They're everyone because they're no one. They need -some- personality, but allowing the reader to guide choices (especially moral choices, and how they feel about something) actually lets the reader feel more at home in the person they control. And moral choices are, 90% of the time, flavor choices that requires a few sentences of text to be changed at the most. Maybe just a single sentence. A mere way of thinking and feeling. But the impact on the reader is great.
If you need ideas for bad endings tho, just ask. I'm excellent at ideas, even if I'm too lazy to write them. lol (Also, this game is tribes in the wilderness. Trying to run away there is five million ways to die. Hunger. Sickness. Wild animals.... Pissing off the godess of the world --although she can't actually harm you, can she? She pretty much admitted that herself. But I imagine she can make life difficult somehow anyway just by refusing to save you if you scream for help. lol)
Satan is ALWAYS recruiting. Clearly you have not read books written around the time of the witch trials. :p
Of course, to actually join him you have to work for it. But considering he's at war with heaven, at the very least he'll always accept people willing to fight for him. For a different kind of position you need to gain the favor of a demon lord willing to take you as his servant tho. The Devil himself is overflowing with offers these days.
Does he seem like someone who'd want to follow g-d's plan? Why on earth would he give a damn if humans suffered? He's not exactly gaining anything by doing so.
According to certain saints who said they have seen Hell, the main torture is that you're removed from g-d's grace. Hell is a place of Darkness, where you still can see the demons. The 'torture' in Hell is pretty much that the victim is presumed to want to go to heaven, presumably is a cristian, and just fucked up his life royal and now have to sit and think about it. There is little actual information in the bible. Only that people seem to suffer. Without explaining why. (Not counting the political propaganda that is the King's James' infamous faulty translation.) Revelations have some hints at it, I think, but that is another part that has for one thing not yet happened, and for another is so chalk-full of propaganda it's not even funny. (I'm pretty sure it's been linked to various nations opposing the people who wrote that thing.)
So as far as I can tell, Hell is a place where people bothered by guilt torment themselves. Everyone else have a much better time of it, and occult resources suggest that truly evil humans can become demons themselves. ^_^ (I also happen to know a ritual for it. lol)
-
Oh, and I meant to ask...
Any chance you plan to make some DCL with NSFW content? ^_^ I am sure Reksa is a BEAST in bed! ❤️
(And I guess those who like the bird people guys have someone more civilized and boring. One of them anyho. lol Some people might like that too I guess.)
Btw.... Your game is severely under-priced on Steam. A game of your level (provided you show there IS choices in the demo) could easily go for twice as much. It may not be professional standard like the endless row of Otome games that is a copy of every other otome game against a different backdrop --but in many ways the originality of your story makes it better, and in terms of writing it's more professional than the majority of games on Itch.
A little more practice (or study of writing techniques), some more choices, a few more endings, and I think you could actually have competed with the big names like the Demonheart series, who seem to have started at Itch. (At least the game is here, so I presume so.)
If you want to study writing techniques btw, check out Brandon McNulty on YouTube. He's a published writer who does 'how to write' better videos. And he's very good at them.
Hello again and thank you for the recommendations and references for learning material! I always have room for improvement, I'll do my best to learn and polish my writing skills!
However, I'll have to draw the line about NSFW content >///< I'm too embarrassed to write them--heck I even sometimes still blush when writing fluffy scenes, so... yep, maybe not for me.
And, ah, I see that our knowledge about hell is different. It might have something to do with my country having diverse beliefs and I get to hear more things about it. So let me share with you: (of course, my knowledge is also limited & might be flawed so take it with a grain of salt, you might want to make your own research!)
- in Islam, hell is a place where we will suffer physically and spiritually. The punishment differs depending on our sins. For example, if we do sin with our mouth, our tongue will be pulled out/hammered with iron nails/cut off depending on the severity. Then the tongue will regenerate & the punishment will repeat. If we do fraud/steal with our hands, our hands will be cut off with dull swords and then it will regenerate. The same happens with other body parts... rapists will have a hot iron pole inserted from below and they will suffer a slow death before repeating it again. The most severe is probably getting thrown into a lava lake & we can feel our skin/organs melting while we struggle to swim to the shore. we will revive and the torture begins anew. Meanwhile, those who commit suicide will repeat their moment of death in a loop.
the interesting part is each of the sinners will have an attendant/torturer and they will have our face. I'm not sure what they symbolize but maybe to remind us that we did this to ourself? Oh, there are 7 layers of hell if you're wondering how big hell is according to Islam
- in Buddhism, they believe in reincarnation. All of us will drink forgetful soup before jumping into different lakes of reincarnation. We can become a tree/insect/animals/human again depending on our karma. It also decides whether we'll have good luck or bad luck in our next lifetime. I'm not sure whether there's an end or not, but maybe we reincarnate until we achieve enlightment and ascend? (like the Buddha story)
There are quite a lot of similarities about Hell if I read chinese/japanese novels though. It's all mixed up but the punishment part is similar except from the bible which is a little vague. But at least, now you can probably imagine the punishment.
As for why the Devil is doing God's bidding (torturing sinners), who knows? maybe he just enjoys it, because he's Lucifer. I mean, he is essentially also the prisoner of Hell (because he rebelled & got thrown down), not its ruler who follows God's commands; his actions within Hell might be driven by his own desire to cause suffering and tempt others, not by God's will.
in any case, what Heaven and Hell truly is will be different since we have different beliefs. I like to think the different Gods/Demons all exist lol (how else can they monitor the millions and millions of humans). Maybe Buddha & Jesus are drinking tea together right now along with the other small Gods or whatnot lol. And then, we will simply be judged according to what belief we have after death.
Jokes aside, I enjoy our exchange of knowledge. I will continue to make visual novels slowly while also trying to survive my office job :') so I hope to see you around!
Finish this game & somehow i still want more of it. It's just that attaching for me""
1, It's quite hard to choose, between Mitra and Reksa. Mitra has an easy-going personality and it led me to navigate his route/ending quite easily(It only had a good ending lmfao) while reksa was quite painful to play. But it was worth it, he is just that cute and the way he open up to us after some months even thou we're from different tribe. It was hard for me to get rama's good ending so i had to find a guide.. I'm not that fond into dudes who keeps his feelings, never choose to find his own happyness & etcs.. but the way he protects, looks out for tamara is the sweetest thing i was into about him.
2. Yes I do, I was attracted by it's design. It reminded me of a game before that gives off old age vibes with folklores n such stuff. The design was the second thing along with the characters 100%.
3. The Art was the best element in this game for sure, the music was absolute pleasant to my ears that i forgot i was still at the main menu. Idk if u got rid of the design of "Load/Save/Exit" when i saw the basic "Preferences, save, load, exit, main menu" n yk it was not matching with the scenery.
4. It's something i would like to consider in a game: CGs for Side Characters. Extra dialogue choices and stuff with them to get to know more about their backstories. Especially with Chief Sukma & Silva or Purba(He quite peek my interest.) or flashbacks on how the scene goes when the komodo and avians were in war. Anywys love this game, it's forever my favorite.
Congrats on finishing the game and thank you for taking the time to answer my questions, vmpbites! ^///^ I'm so happy to see people are still coming to play my game!
1. I see Mitra and Reksa are still the most popular picks. It's understandable though since they're very lovable and don't worry, you're not the only one who is having a hard time getting Rama's Good End x'D I remember there are a handful of people who asks for a guide/walkthrough because they can't unlock the good end! In any case, thank you for loving my boys <3
2. Thank you! I have a soft spot for fairytales/folklores, so I'm glad to hear you enjoy it. You can expect more rustic/painted designs from me in the future ;)
3. Ah you got me there >_<; back then, I was quite lazy with designing GUIs. The first version I made with Novelty was better, but when I moved on to Ren'Py, I remember having a hard time with it and in the end, I kinda gave up and went with the basic design Ren'Py provided :')) so please excuse me. I still have a lot to learn with GUIs, but Bermuda's design is better though!
4. Extra scenes & CGs for side characters? I will take note and take it into consideration, but for CGs, I will probably prioritize CGs for the bachelors--Bermuda had some CGs with NPCs/side character, but not much. I originally planned a lot more CGs for them but I had to be selective since I want to have the right number of them >_< not too much and not too little. This is a tricky problem that I still struggle with sometimes but I'll try to keep becoming better!
Once again, I'd like to thank you for giving me this review, vmpbitez! ^.^)/ I'm always thankful for any feedback I get--Hopefully, I will become better and better. If you'd like, you can try my 2nd Project called "Nusantara: Bermuda Triangle" and see if I have improved? It's at least thrice longer than Winged Ones tho so take your time and have fun~
1. The guy I liked the most would have to be Mitra because he seemed like the most understanding character from the other two playthroughs.
2. I play A LOT of visual novels because of the storytelling and how the reader can see how much thought and effort were put behind every choice, ending, and scene that goes into the story. What made me choose Nusantara was the cover but also me wanting to try something new and different from my usual reads.
3. I would say the music and the art were very well done. I just kind of wish there were a few more in-depth scenes of background characters and their stories, or even when our character left to go home, I would have liked to see how that affected the guys.
4. Nope only thing I have to say is thank you for your hard work and please don't overwork yourself!
Hi, its_ahmeraka_1227! It brings me joy to see more people are still coming & playing Winged Ones -^.^- thank you for answering my questions! 1. Ah, Mitra. Honestly, he is also my type. If you ever found someone like him in real-life, don't hesitate to bring him to the altar! x'D
2. Me too! Although I haven't had the time to play anymore ever since I got office work, I still watch people play with youtube (Walkthroughs and such), Detroid become human is one of them. Thank you for giving Nusantara a chance, I hope you have fun and can learn something new from it -^.^)/
3. Oh thank you for the feedback! I'll take note to have more of the bachelors' POV scenes for future improvement--it feels like a lot of people are suggesting this. I'm happy to see you want to know more about the bachelors, so I'll see what I can do while maintaining balance of 'knowledge' & 'mystery' ;)
4. You're welcome! Thanks again for visiting and letting me know your thoughts! xoxo,
really enjoyed this!! I didn't expect to get so much content out of it (took me an entire afternoon)
I think it's really great that you also get such wholesome interactions with the side characters. I got attached to them even though usually I just focus on the LI
(also as much as I liked sweet Mitra, my fav was Reksa even though all he did was hiss lmfaoo💀)
PLS, INI LUCU BANGET!!! I LOVE IT TOO MUCH, I'VE BEEN PLAYING THIS GAME NON-STOP. SOMEONE TAKE MY LAPTOP AWAY!!! Great job btw dear developer!! I can't wait for your next project!! And please do tell me if you already publish a game other than this, I will gladly play it!!
Aaaa, makasih, Jajajacece~ Congrats ud berhasil slesein smua route ny! Sneng rasany ad org indo yg suka >///< I'm still working on my 2nd project but it shouldn't be long now, Nusantara: Bermuda Triangle will definitely be released this year! I hope when the time comes, I'll be able to see you here again :'3 I look forward to hear your thoughts!
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I cant remember if I reviewed this years ago or not, but I found the "sequel not sequel" Bermuda is out now so I went back to replay this one before I play the new one. Reska's route is still near and dear to my heart even years later <3
If you have not played this yet (somehow) please do, it really is worth it. Hearing the music brought back so many wonderful memories.
This is by far one of the best free otomes out there, so I know 20$ for the new one will be money well spent!
SweetChiel, you did such a good job, and you have touched so many of us with your game over the years. We are so proud of you and we love you <3
mitra and reksa.... best boys..... <3 i just wish the gallery included character sprites because i loooove love love seeing all of the characters designs. after all these years i think the game holds up pretty well!
Hey, I’ve played this vn a few years ago and I decided to finally leave a comment! Honestly at first I was so intrigued by the tittle and art of this vn, as an Indonesian you don’t know how delightfully shocked I was when I stumbled on this years ago. I was really curious on how you’ll incorporate Indonesia aspects into this since I rarely see anything like this before!
How pleasantly surprised when I read through it, I really did enjoy every second of it (I still do!). The world building, the character developments, the banter, the Indonesian culture reference is just chefs kiss. It was an easy read, the kind of vn where it’s full of fluff but still has substance. While it tackles many dark subjects but not really delved into further, it’s lighthearted most of the times, though I’m sure it was intentional in your part.
I’ve played all the 3 routes and I’m happy to say that Mitra is my favorite. I love him so much it’s not even a joke, his personality and his character design is so good so good. He’s really kind, caring, patient, and overall a perfect match for Tamara imho. Those fluffy and romance scenes between him and Tamara is soooo wonderful that it always left me wanting for more!
Tho tbh I was so fucking shocked when I played Nusantara: bermuda triangles and saw that Rama and Tamara got married?!?!? My jaw was dropped to the ground and my first thought was “why didn’t Mitra and Tamara get together instead?!” But honestly I understand in a narrative standpoint why ASDHSADCJSAD
You don’t know how much I adore this vn. Thank you for making this and thank you so much for making it free for broke ass people like me LMAO. And last I wish you luck on your future projects!!!
Hello, Yazp! Thank you and congratulations on finishing all 3 routes! 🎉🥳
I'm really happy to hear you've enjoyed yourself! It's all I could ask for. still have a lot to learn about Indonesian culture--there are too many to count and I think I was only able to touch the tip of the ice berg (for Indonesian friends out there, please do tell me if I get anything wrong! I try my best to do research & stay respectful, but I do hope I was able to share this knowledge with the people overseas in a fun way <3)
Ah tbh, if I encounter Mitra n real-life, I think I'll also swoon, he's just such a husband material >\\\< but yes, i Nusantara Bermuda, the timeline I'm using is where Tamara is married to Rama *SPOILER ALERT*
As you may already know, with Rama's tendencies, I'm afraid he will not exist in any other timelines without Tamara by his side. Compared to the other 2 bachelor, he needs Tamara the most, but his route is not everyone's cup of tea so this has become quite the dilemma amongst the readers X'D
But I'm sure you understand this already!
Last but not least, thank YOU for giving my visual novel a chance and loving it in return ^.^)/ my next project "Saving Grace" has weekly updates posted on Bermuda's gamepage for now so take a look if you're interested~
Thanks again and see you around!
Xoxo,
SweetChiel
Do you have a world creation sheet for your world or something?
(Or a World Anvil page?)
Like... explaining what the different tribes are like, and the world is like and stuff like that?
It's a really interesting world.
And Reksa's warrior tribe is exceptionally interesting.
And I kinda have this nagging idea that won't leave me alone of writing a fanfiction where Harry Potter grows up with them.
I LOVE culture clash stories.
It's always so interesting seeing all the problems and misunderstandings that comes when people of very different cultures meet.
And Reksa's tribe is a warrior tribe, living in a hostile enviorment (in the middle of a war, depending on the timing)
And they seem to have more Sith-like mentality. (Strength and bravery over peace and love and all that. Which is common in that type culture.)
It also seem to be a strong honor culture.
Which is the complete opposite of the modern western world.
I can't stop thinking how interesting it would be to see that clash. ^_^
But as much as I can extrapolate from the game itself, and predict what kind of culture and values based on the game info, it's not a full picture, and leaves much to be guessed at.
And while I could use studies of warrior cultures thorough history to fill the gaps, I'd much rather have the real knowledge from the creator of this amazing world. ^_^
If you don't mind of course.
Hi, Raven! Thanks for dropping by and this is an excellent question! ^.^)/
First thing first, let me tell you about my priority list. When I make a visual novel, the first one on the list is the Story Plot. I need to at least complete the rough draft of each route before I commit myself to making it. The second is Worldbuilding + what Indonesian Culture I'd like to introduce you to. Honestly the worldbuilding is often a mix of my fantasy + the culture involved. In Winged Ones, Omed-omedan comes from Bali so I inserted a little Batik from Bali + the village houses resembles real Bali houses. The same can be said about Caci Dance. Because the dance came from the Manggarai people (Flores/East Nusa Tenggara), the Komodo tribe wears the specific clothes/batik from there too + their houses resemble Manggarai's.
Winged Ones also has the unique birds/animals you can find in Indonesia. Rama symbolized Cenderawasih, Mitra is Javan Hawk-Eagle, and Reksa is Komodo Dragon.
If you lookup at the mini encyclopedia, everything kinda connects to one another in a way. Like how Rama wears Papua Batik because Cendrawasih is from there. And there's also a mix of Javan Batik due to the existence of Javan Hawk-Eagle. But Javan people doesn't live on tree houses mind you 😂 It's an original concept of an Avian tribe (some live on tree houses while some prefer to be on the ground to preserve energy/avoid children having accidents, more specifically those who haven't learned how to fly yet)
Basically, there are lots of culture mixed in together in my attempt to make an original concept/world while still respecting my culture.
Are you with me? I wish I can do a better job explaining it ^^;
However, I admit, there is limited information I can give you about Bali/Manggarai people. Because I haven't go there myself so I can only do online research + look up real photos from people who have actually gone there. I also consider it might be a good idea not to delve too deep since it might distract the readers from the Main Story Plot.
In any case, I always do my best to explain/introduce the culture I used via the mini encyclopedia.
I hope I answered your question! Thanks again and see you around :3
P.S. I don't have a wikipedia/a website of my own so I can only explain this way～
Never heard of that at all. But good to know.
And I figured. The name "Komodo" was kinda self-explanatory.
But it doesn't tell me what kind of culture his tribe is in.
I mean, it helps knowing the general area is based on Bali tho.
(Are people there as cute as Reksa too? ^_^ )
His people is clearly a warrior culture.
Is the Manggarai a warrior culture?
Or are they more inspiration for the bird people?
I'll run it through my AI.
It's excellent in digging up info on things like this.
....within it's 1000 words limit at least. lol
Based on the behavior of Reksa and the people in the village, I can theorize that strength and warrior skills are important.
The talk of honor and dishonor (with the face scarring and battle prowess) hints at an honor-culture.
(Which isn't exactly uncommon outside modern western civilization. And is also common in many warrior cultures.)
I don't know if the way Reksa acted with the mc is his personality or not, but the fact that no one else reacted to it makes me think that claiming a woman without asking her permission AND that his rival thought he could claim her at all indicates a 'might makes right' mindset.
But it's tricky to be sure what is culture and what the the manipulative/corrupted hot guy's imposed rules.
Except Reksa DO talk about what duties are expected and stuff like that, so I think he could be used as a moral guideline....
If you want to offer proper world building of your world, without interrupting the story, why not create the world at World Anvil, or a similar page, and link it?
That way people can choose if they want to learn more or not, outside the gameplay itself. ^_^
I used my AI assistant to help me create a theory on their culture (for my fanfic).
(Most of it comes from tribal warrior cultures, and similarities in them. Paired with what little I could gleam from the game itself.)
Could you tell me if I'm hitting anywhere near the mark?
https://www.tumblr.com/sweet-succubus03/776894329724813312/the-way-of-the-komodo...
Obviously I need to adjust it with this new info, but as a baseline....
(Oh, and I know he's not adopted in the game. That part is for the fanfic I planned. Cuz.... Just look at the two characters!
Black hair.... Green eyes.... Duknow. The likeness just hit me when I played it. lol)
I added a new and (hopefully) improved version to the post I linked below, using the info you sent.
Sadly my AI do not know of the people you mentioned, so research is thus far a bit basic I fear.
But I'd love to hear your opinion. ^_^
Uhh, have you read the encyclopedia? Bali and Manggarai are 2 different people/places ^^;
Bali is located at East Java, while Manggarai people is from Flores/East Nusa Tenggara. They're 2 different places--2 different islands. That's why the Avian & Komodo looks have different culture. (Bali = Avian/Loma Village, Manggarai = Komodo)
I think you're confused about this (or we have some miscommunication). I only used Manggarai people as reference for the Komodo due to the Caci Dance they performed. In real life, It's not a brutal/violent ritual at all. It's a war dance ritual that symbolizes friendship/a showcase of strength & goodwill. It is performed to celebrate events such as harvest or to welcome guests of honor.
If you want to learn more about Bali/Manggarai, I do not recommend using AI, my suggestion is to do some research on books or even the wikipedia. They will give you more info/facts about them～ I don't dare to say much about them since I haven't visited them myself (like I said in my reply before)
The concept of 'a warrior tribe' is used for both Avian & Komodo people who is at war with each other. You get to see the more peaceful aspect with the Avian people, but they do fight (Mitra with his double knives & Rama with his knive). The Komodo people will feel more brutal/violent due to their nature of placing strength & body size above all + you get to see them fight with whips (Caci Dance reference used here but I turned it into smth more serious/brutal than the real life version).
It's from my fantasy, therefore, readers are free to imagine what kind of tribes they are. I added some hints/prompts in my visual novel (about their history, behaviour, hints about their matchmaking/wedding rituals, etc)
But in the end, readers have the freedom to imagine what the Avian/Komodo tribe is like and that's why it's fun.
I'm pretty sure I would have flunked geography in elementary school if it was possible. ^_^;
I don't even know where Bali is located, to be fair. Sounds...Asian........? lol
(And as may be obvious I just fed the AI the info I did know, and let it fill in the blanks --Bali is as good setting as any, from what the game looked like, since they share the same continent, so the nature will look the same, even if the tribal customs are different.)
Although I admit the AI isn't exactly infallible. I will have to do some fact-checking later if I want to get it precisely right.
But for any fantasy setting, the best source will always be the author. ^_^
I know that some authors are very touchy about someone using their story and get things wrong.
But you do seem a bit more laid back about it.
But thanks for the info. ^_^
I did use the Manggarai people to try and figure out the Komodo culture.
And I see. I used the Caci dance idea the way it's portrayed in the game, and with what the guy said about it.
No, warrior tribes/people are specifically referring to the kind of tribe (or nation) that makes going to war central to their lifestyle.
(Like the Romans, or the Camanchi native american tribes, and your Komodo tribe who seem to appreciate strength and warrior skills more than peaceful pursuits.)
Most nations go to war over something, but it doesn't make them a warrior tribe.
(Like your bird people, who seems to prefer peace over war.)
But regardless, I just wanted to figure out the background for the Komodo tribe so I can use it for my fanfic.
And it's hard to write about a child growing up in a place --and the following culture clash with british wizarding society-- if I don't know the values and everyday life of the Komodo tribe he'll be raised in.
I realize real life will be a bit different from fiction.
So that part is mostly to fill in the gaps that the game doesn't answer.
Oh lol, it's ok. There's a ton to learn if you really want to know more about Bali/Manggarai X'D even I don't know much about them, I just basically pick up a culture that I like & try to introduce it to you/to the world. I try not to touch anything too religious though & keep it fun most of the time. I like positive vibes, however, I also sometimes make things more intense/dramatic than normal, like the Caci Dance.
There's no correct/wrong answer in my fantasy world setting though. Just keep it respectful, especially when it involves a religion or taboo things (like Sati Ceremony, you can be dramatic about it, just don't insult it) & you can go as wild as you want! All I want is for you to have fun & enjoy the process. I appreciate your effort ^.^)/
I like Reksa. He's cute. ❤️
He's also 100% right.
I like his philosophy towards things.
I get him. Far more than any other character in the game.
Awww.... And he wants to take you with him cuz you're delusional... He's so sweet~ ❤️
I am so sad you can't just go with him.😭
I like him more and more. ^_^
And his village and people are very interesting.
LOVE the CG's in his route! ^_^
(And suddenly I feel like watching a gladiator match. lol)
And he's always protecting you. *blushes and presses my hands to my cheeks* ❤️
....so SO protective. ^_^
Even when you're just training. lol
Even when he yells at you he's cute!!! *squeals and holds my head in my hands shaking like a manga character* ❤️
Awww~ And he's so sweet when you say you plan to go home too... lol
...I'm a little bit dissepointed that he allowed you to go in the end tho.
Where did his fight to keep you go? *pouts*
I honestly expected you'd have to sneak away while he was too weak to stop you to get to that woman and make the choice at the very end.
The end credit tricked me to think there was no end btw.
That was really, really mean... >_>
But hey! There was an ending there, hiding away. ^_^
I adore his version of foreplay btw. ❤️
On a side-note....
...I can't help wonder what it'd look like if she brought him to her world tho.
Like... "Hey, uncle! This is my new boyfriend!"
Reksa: *growls*
😂
I am kinda sad we didn't get to see their wedding... I really AM curious about their rituals. ^_^
(And I may or may not consider stealing it for a crossover fanfic with Harry Potter which totally have nothing to do with a certain lizard's hair and eye color. Nope. Not at all. xD)
Either way: I LOVED his route!!
It was a million times better than the other times I played the game. ^_^
I kinda hope this is or will be on Steam now, so I can buy it and add it to my collection. lol
-
EDIT:
It is on Steam! Yay! ^_^
To answer this tho....
Which guy did you like the most and why?
Defiantly Purba. With mysterious lizard-man as my second choice.
2. Do you play a lot of otome/visual novels? What made you choose to play Nusantara?
Let me put it this way: I have run out of Otome games remotely interesting to me on both Steam and Itch, and is scraping the bottom of the barrel for them by lowering my standards massively and reaching out to try things I otherwise wouldn't go near.
I play an unholy amount of them.
This game looked interesting, in a maybe-caveman like way. And the artwork was pretty.
The LI's may not be yandere, or in any way dark and/or evil, but I was willing to see what they might be like regardless, mainly because of the artwork and how pretty the lizard-man was. (Your plot is sadly missing from this page, and all we have to work it out with is an enigmatic poem that doesn't tell us much. I recommend adding a brief summary to catch more people's interest.)
I liked the lizard-man in the artwork on the page as well, but unfortunately I cannot figure out how to romance him.
3. Which element of the game would you say was the best and which ones would you say need work? Consider story, art, characters, music etc.
I can't speak for music since I rarely have the sound on as I find it distracting.
The artwork is very pretty, however. And you are good at storytelling.
The ending was a bit...anticlimactic. It appeared to promise an epic journey, but somehow ended in five minutes.
What I HATE is the lack of choices. Especially REAL choices.
This game has ONE real choice: Which of the birds you want to date ("Non" is NOT an option), and the follow-up choice to stay with them or not, which really is just a way to ask the play if they like the choice the mc made or not.
At the beginning there is several places you could have made a choice that would end the game early --which would have been nice. (Not because the game is bad, but because it makes you feel more in control of it, and thus hate it less when you're dragged into it by that woman whom I shall not specify to avoid spoilers.)
Later you get choices for who to visit, but NOT a choice whether you want to be romantic or friendly or ignore people. And it really suck when you don't have all three of those choices --especially for a love interest.
4. Do you have any other questions, comments or constructive criticism?
If you want my advice: Add some more choices. ESPECIALLY when it comes to romance.And either add a Walktrough guide, or make it easier to romance the lizard-man.
And because of the premise of the game, PLEASE add the possibility to fail at what the godess want from you.
The whole game seems unrealistic, and any victory meaningless without the possibility to fail.
I honestly expected that the end outcome might have depended on saving that lizard-man at the first play-trough.
It's very typical for the good games and stories that you save someone from the enemy, and later they turn out to be pivotal to your success.
But in this game it doesn't matter. He has zero impact on the ending.
I'd say the same for the outsider bird with white hair.
Like maybe he'd be necessary in the fight and if you didn't help him he'd leave and that'd end badly for the village, or something.
But no. NOTHING matters.
I won't tell you to make the whole epic journey thing with the map --I realize just how much work that extra route would take.
But if you're not gonna make that big journey, then maybe drop the Chekhov's Gun with the map? Because it raises people's expectations that there WILL be an epic journey to the lizard's village, with trials to overcome and choices to make that will determine the bird-people's fate.
And, to be fair.... This may not be a critique, per se, just a personal preference, but...
I REALLY was hoping that you might have been able to change history by making the lizard people win, and then it turned out that humans would change ever-so-slightly because they'd be decedent from them instead of the bird people.
Which would change the ending so that either you started a family with one of them, and discovered that your baby looked...strangely human.... OR you went home and realized everyone (including you) suddenly looked a bit like the lizard people.
Hinting that you'd single-handedly changed the fate of humanity by accident.
(Maybe change who is president or something too for a more Chaos Theory feel, like in the classical "A Sound of Thunder".)
I really wish there was more choices in this game.
I got bored with the lack of it after a while and hit fast forward, and I was beginning to think there would be no choices at all by the time I finally hit one.
...with an uncle like her's, who need enemies? >_>
I would have killed him... or gone to live in the streets out of shere spite.
A few choices such as whether to follow that bird, or run away from that woman would have been great. (Also to refuse the uncle and go live in the streets)
Even IF they'd cut the game short (and possibly lead to a bad ending) it would be better than not having a choice at all.
Also choosing what clothes to wear (or reject them and wear your own ones) would have been a good choice to have. If only because it made you feel like you had a semblance of control in the game.
I also don't understand why she care if people there are suspicious of her.
She didn't choose to go after all. So why would it matter what anyone there thinks?
She has nothing to hide. And the only risk is that people think her crazy.
And an option to kick the bird would be lovely~ ^_^
Pleeeeeeeease make it an option to kick that bird!!! >_>
I really, REALLY want to kick that bird! >_<
I will never understand why the mc does not try to undermine what that woman who caused problems at every turn.... Why would she let her win?
I wish she'd stop caring about Mitra. I'm pretty sure I rejected him at every turn.
The only person I like at all is the lizard-man.
(I like the redhaired lizardman (Purba) best, but I suspect he's not a love interest.)
This is the problem with a lack of choices: You get stuck with a dumb bird you don't like as an LI. >_>
The very least choice you could give is whether to allow someone to court you or not.
It's not like you're given any choice to -not- meet with anyone.
(And I still can't seem to find a way to romance the lizard-man.
Heck, given half a chance I'd join THEM, and let the world burn. >_>)
I also notice there is no way you can possibly fail your mission.
Like... I tried. A LOT!
Can't do it. Failure is impossible.
Blind obedience to the idiot woman who sent you there AND succeeding is the ONLY ending in this game. >_<
I give up. *sigh* ALL the endings suck!
The art is very nice, and the story well-written.
But the complete and utter lack of real choices (and a love interest I actually like) just ruins it for me.
IS there a way to romance the mysterious lizard man, and I just somehow fail to find the magical recipe for it?
(I don't have high hope for Purba. Even if he'd be my first choice. But why bother to add the mysterious dark-haired one you save to the artwork for the game, if he's not important to the story?
And it doesn't make one whit of a difference if you save him or not.)
Hi, Raven!
Thanks for the feedback~ one of the reasons why the choices are limited is because I try to focus on the main plot. Too many sub-plot might distract the reader >_<
And nope, no kicking the bird! x'D
She's the Goddess' servant, are you not scared of divine retribution lol. I try to make the MC to have a positive attitude/energy as much as I could, who knows, maybe it could affect us in real lives. Of course, you'll see she's not some pushover either in Reksa's route.
And yes, you can romance the mysterious lizard (you mean Reksa, right?)
Sadly, Purba is not available to woo. I understand why quite a number of people want to roomance him tho
As for the reason why you're stuck with Mitra, it's because his route is the easiest.
So the difficulty level would be: Mitra (easy), Reksa (medium), Rama (hard)
Here's a walkthrough for you if you want to collect all CG~ (click & drag your mouse through the white space)
https://lemmasoft.renai.us/forums/viewtopic.php?t=36095
Good luck & have fun~
If that was true then more of the best games would be less popular.
(Not to mention shows like Game of Thrones would be dead.)
One trick to deal with sub-plots, however (as I have learned in writing is necessary) is to always tie them to the main story.
And to keep the distractions brief, you can always loop things back into the main line, while still keep the choices recorded so they affect the ending.
Like, say you choose to not follow the bird: Bad End: You're stuck with your uncle.
(Which, btw, is a mystery never explained, and I still wonder what he wants with you.)
Or you choose to twart the godess at every turn, or refuse to destroy the crystal: Bad End: The Lizard people won, and you probably died (unless you sided with them), and the modern world resemble Sith society.
At each point you do things like throw away the crystal she gave you, the game doesn't need to change anything (or maybe you wake up with the thing under your pillow) it loops back into the story that way, until at the end you have the same choice to destroy the orb or not, and after that you get to see the real outcome of your choices.
That way, choices both matter AND they don't disrupt the story.
I have seen smaller games than this with more endings that this game have.
If you let the choices the reader matter have a delayed effect, it may even affect only the ending, and thus not distract from the story until very close to the end.
I'm somewhat of a theistic satanist. I'd say I'd happily join her enemy if she pisses me off.
Hell is my first choice of afterlife. ^_^
(Granted, I'd prefer to work as a demon, but anything is better than blind obedience and bordom in the sky.)
I think if you ever made Purba a romance choice, that'd change the outcome of the whole story. lol
AND as he is a sneaky bastard, it wouldn't have to change the game much, because he could tell you to spy for him and thus have to act as normal in the village, with a few extra choices to snoop around.
(Maybe it'd even be why he seduced you to begin with, but if you make the right (fierce and brave) choices he might fall for you for real.)
And the main story goes on with a few extra scenes, but the ending changes massively.
It's probably Reksa. I never got his name.
I don't really care about collecting thing. Not that kind of gamer.
But I tend to have a tunnel-vision in romance game, and since I want the lizard-guy, no one else will do! lol
I honestly liked him right from the start.
He seemed like the kind of guy I'd like. ^_^
(By which I mean violent, potentially evil, and with a 50/50 chance he'd kill you if he gets the chance. lol
Manipulative guys (in addition to wickedness) are even better, but that one is sadly not an option, so Reksa it is.)
I'll try the walkthought. Thanks. ^_^
Aaah, I think I know what you mean!
I've seen games with MC that depends on your choice, she/he can lean more toward Evil or Good. Unfortunately, I've never played one (my choices are limited back then because I can't buy paid ones, only play free ones >_<;)
And I think it will be difficult for me to write the Evil route, because honestly, I'm more inclined to write fluffy romance/comedy, my limit is to write angst/bad ends/dark fairy-tales 😂 I do appreciate the input though! I like the idea of writing more short bad ends if the reader choose a wrong option. (I did this with the Antagonist route in "Nusantara: Bermuda Triangle" and I think I can improve it some more thanks to your feedback. The readers will just have to save more often lol)
As for Hell...
I'm sure everyone have their own thoughts/opinion regarding matters about Hell or Demons. For me, I'm not keen about the idea of joining Hell--I mean, is Satan even recruiting? Are we evil enough/interesting enough for him to let us join him? The biggest chance is He'll just throw us to the fire and forget about us while we're tortured/paying for our 'insignificant' sins.
Once again, thank you for sparing some time to write me so much review~
Try some games labeled "Dark Romance" on my page. Some of the games I've played just ends the game early (like one about a haunted train --if you get off you get a 'bad end' as in nothing happens and you live your normal life, but if you stay you get stuck there), sometimes it's obviously that a choice will get you killed (like running away from the yandere-esque guy in the swamps) but the fact that you CAN try, consequences be damned, make you far more at peace with the forceful main story.
I think the best games have a more morally neutral characters (if they can't choose personality), because it lets people overlay their own morality on that person.
A few 'false choices' can make you, as a player, feel more in control and more like it is you playing the game (letting the player name their character improves this immersion in the game too), because it feels like it's happening to to -you-, not a random stranger.
All characters will resonate more with one person than the other, but choices is what makes people pick up a game instead of a novel.
And with the sheer amount and variation of novels (and fanfiction) out there, it's not a marked you want to compete with.
Your story is extremely well written (and I say that as someone who's studied writing) but I think it would be better if you threw in some choices, both real and false.
ESPECIALLY in the beginning.
I know many people who end up dismissing a whole game before it even begins if there's no choice popping up during the first 2-5 minutes of gameplay. (Personally I'm more stubborn, and use the skip button to check before giving up. lol)
Far too many run-ins with the pure novel style of Visual Novels that often (tho not always) are less well written than published books (not surprising because creating a Visual Novel is more work than pure writing) makes many people skeptically to invest time and effort in something that fails the basic premise that this is a game and will therefore have choices.
Try to an Everyman type mc.
They're everyone because they're no one.
They need -some- personality, but allowing the reader to guide choices (especially moral choices, and how they feel about something) actually lets the reader feel more at home in the person they control.
And moral choices are, 90% of the time, flavor choices that requires a few sentences of text to be changed at the most. Maybe just a single sentence. A mere way of thinking and feeling.
But the impact on the reader is great.
If you need ideas for bad endings tho, just ask. I'm excellent at ideas, even if I'm too lazy to write them. lol
(Also, this game is tribes in the wilderness. Trying to run away there is five million ways to die. Hunger. Sickness. Wild animals.... Pissing off the godess of the world --although she can't actually harm you, can she? She pretty much admitted that herself. But I imagine she can make life difficult somehow anyway just by refusing to save you if you scream for help. lol)
Satan is ALWAYS recruiting.
Clearly you have not read books written around the time of the witch trials. :p
Of course, to actually join him you have to work for it.
But considering he's at war with heaven, at the very least he'll always accept people willing to fight for him.
For a different kind of position you need to gain the favor of a demon lord willing to take you as his servant tho.
The Devil himself is overflowing with offers these days.
Does he seem like someone who'd want to follow g-d's plan?
Why on earth would he give a damn if humans suffered? He's not exactly gaining anything by doing so.
According to certain saints who said they have seen Hell, the main torture is that you're removed from g-d's grace. Hell is a place of Darkness, where you still can see the demons.
The 'torture' in Hell is pretty much that the victim is presumed to want to go to heaven, presumably is a cristian, and just fucked up his life royal and now have to sit and think about it.
There is little actual information in the bible. Only that people seem to suffer. Without explaining why.
(Not counting the political propaganda that is the King's James' infamous faulty translation.)
Revelations have some hints at it, I think, but that is another part that has for one thing not yet happened, and for another is so chalk-full of propaganda it's not even funny. (I'm pretty sure it's been linked to various nations opposing the people who wrote that thing.)
So as far as I can tell, Hell is a place where people bothered by guilt torment themselves.
Everyone else have a much better time of it, and occult resources suggest that truly evil humans can become demons themselves. ^_^
(I also happen to know a ritual for it. lol)
-
Oh, and I meant to ask...
Any chance you plan to make some DCL with NSFW content? ^_^
I am sure Reksa is a BEAST in bed! ❤️
(And I guess those who like the bird people guys have someone more civilized and boring. One of them anyho. lol
Some people might like that too I guess.)
Btw.... Your game is severely under-priced on Steam.
A game of your level (provided you show there IS choices in the demo) could easily go for twice as much.
It may not be professional standard like the endless row of Otome games that is a copy of every other otome game against a different backdrop --but in many ways the originality of your story makes it better, and in terms of writing it's more professional than the majority of games on Itch.
A little more practice (or study of writing techniques), some more choices, a few more endings, and I think you could actually have competed with the big names like the Demonheart series, who seem to have started at Itch.
(At least the game is here, so I presume so.)
If you want to study writing techniques btw, check out Brandon McNulty on YouTube.
He's a published writer who does 'how to write' better videos. And he's very good at them.
Hello again and thank you for the recommendations and references for learning material! I always have room for improvement, I'll do my best to learn and polish my writing skills!
However, I'll have to draw the line about NSFW content >///< I'm too embarrassed to write them--heck I even sometimes still blush when writing fluffy scenes, so... yep, maybe not for me.
And, ah, I see that our knowledge about hell is different. It might have something to do with my country having diverse beliefs and I get to hear more things about it. So let me share with you: (of course, my knowledge is also limited & might be flawed so take it with a grain of salt, you might want to make your own research!)
- in Islam, hell is a place where we will suffer physically and spiritually. The punishment differs depending on our sins. For example, if we do sin with our mouth, our tongue will be pulled out/hammered with iron nails/cut off depending on the severity. Then the tongue will regenerate & the punishment will repeat. If we do fraud/steal with our hands, our hands will be cut off with dull swords and then it will regenerate. The same happens with other body parts... rapists will have a hot iron pole inserted from below and they will suffer a slow death before repeating it again. The most severe is probably getting thrown into a lava lake & we can feel our skin/organs melting while we struggle to swim to the shore. we will revive and the torture begins anew. Meanwhile, those who commit suicide will repeat their moment of death in a loop.
the interesting part is each of the sinners will have an attendant/torturer and they will have our face. I'm not sure what they symbolize but maybe to remind us that we did this to ourself? Oh, there are 7 layers of hell if you're wondering how big hell is according to Islam
- in Buddhism, they believe in reincarnation. All of us will drink forgetful soup before jumping into different lakes of reincarnation. We can become a tree/insect/animals/human again depending on our karma. It also decides whether we'll have good luck or bad luck in our next lifetime. I'm not sure whether there's an end or not, but maybe we reincarnate until we achieve enlightment and ascend? (like the Buddha story)
There are quite a lot of similarities about Hell if I read chinese/japanese novels though. It's all mixed up but the punishment part is similar except from the bible which is a little vague. But at least, now you can probably imagine the punishment.
As for why the Devil is doing God's bidding (torturing sinners), who knows? maybe he just enjoys it, because he's Lucifer. I mean, he is essentially also the prisoner of Hell (because he rebelled & got thrown down), not its ruler who follows God's commands; his actions within Hell might be driven by his own desire to cause suffering and tempt others, not by God's will.
in any case, what Heaven and Hell truly is will be different since we have different beliefs. I like to think the different Gods/Demons all exist lol (how else can they monitor the millions and millions of humans). Maybe Buddha & Jesus are drinking tea together right now along with the other small Gods or whatnot lol. And then, we will simply be judged according to what belief we have after death.
Jokes aside, I enjoy our exchange of knowledge. I will continue to make visual novels slowly while also trying to survive my office job :') so I hope to see you around!
xoxo,
SweetChiel
Finish this game & somehow i still want more of it. It's just that attaching for me""
1, It's quite hard to choose, between Mitra and Reksa. Mitra has an easy-going personality and it led me to navigate his route/ending quite easily(
It only had a good ending lmfao) while reksa was quite painful to play. But it was worth it, he is just that cute and the way he open up to us after some months even thou we're from different tribe. It was hard for me to get rama's good ending so i had to find a guide.. I'm not that fond into dudes who keeps his feelings, never choose to find his own happyness & etcs.. but the way he protects, looks out for tamara is the sweetest thing i was into about him.2. Yes I do, I was attracted by it's design. It reminded me of a game before that gives off old age vibes with folklores n such stuff. The design was the second thing along with the characters 100%.
3. The Art was the best element in this game for sure, the music was absolute pleasant to my ears that i forgot i was still at the main menu. Idk if u got rid of the design of "Load/Save/Exit" when i saw the basic "Preferences, save, load, exit, main menu" n yk it was not matching with the scenery.
4. It's something i would like to consider in a game: CGs for Side Characters. Extra dialogue choices and stuff with them to get to know more about their backstories. Especially with Chief Sukma & Silva or Purba(
He quite peek my interest.) or flashbacks on how the scene goes when the komodo and avians were in war. Anywys love this game, it's forever my favorite.Congrats on finishing the game and thank you for taking the time to answer my questions, vmpbites! ^///^
I'm so happy to see people are still coming to play my game!
1. I see Mitra and Reksa are still the most popular picks. It's understandable though since they're very lovable and don't worry, you're not the only one who is having a hard time getting Rama's Good End x'D I remember there are a handful of people who asks for a guide/walkthrough because they can't unlock the good end! In any case, thank you for loving my boys <3
2. Thank you! I have a soft spot for fairytales/folklores, so I'm glad to hear you enjoy it. You can expect more rustic/painted designs from me in the future ;)
3. Ah you got me there >_<; back then, I was quite lazy with designing GUIs. The first version I made with Novelty was better, but when I moved on to Ren'Py, I remember having a hard time with it and in the end, I kinda gave up and went with the basic design Ren'Py provided :')) so please excuse me. I still have a lot to learn with GUIs, but Bermuda's design is better though!
4. Extra scenes & CGs for side characters? I will take note and take it into consideration, but for CGs, I will probably prioritize CGs for the bachelors--Bermuda had some CGs with NPCs/side character, but not much. I originally planned a lot more CGs for them but I had to be selective since I want to have the right number of them >_< not too much and not too little. This is a tricky problem that I still struggle with sometimes but I'll try to keep becoming better!
Once again, I'd like to thank you for giving me this review, vmpbitez! ^.^)/
I'm always thankful for any feedback I get--Hopefully, I will become better and better. If you'd like, you can try my 2nd Project called "Nusantara: Bermuda Triangle" and see if I have improved? It's at least thrice longer than Winged Ones tho so take your time and have fun~
I hope to see you again in the future!
xoxo,
SweetChiel
1. The guy I liked the most would have to be Mitra because he seemed like the most understanding character from the other two playthroughs.
2. I play A LOT of visual novels because of the storytelling and how the reader can see how much thought and effort were put behind every choice, ending, and scene that goes into the story. What made me choose Nusantara was the cover but also me wanting to try something new and different from my usual reads.
3. I would say the music and the art were very well done. I just kind of wish there were a few more in-depth scenes of background characters and their stories, or even when our character left to go home, I would have liked to see how that affected the guys.
4. Nope only thing I have to say is thank you for your hard work and please don't overwork yourself!
Hi, its_ahmeraka_1227!
It brings me joy to see more people are still coming & playing Winged Ones -^.^- thank you for answering my questions!
1. Ah, Mitra. Honestly, he is also my type. If you ever found someone like him in real-life, don't hesitate to bring him to the altar! x'D
2. Me too! Although I haven't had the time to play anymore ever since I got office work, I still watch people play with youtube (Walkthroughs and such), Detroid become human is one of them. Thank you for giving Nusantara a chance, I hope you have fun and can learn something new from it -^.^)/
3. Oh thank you for the feedback! I'll take note to have more of the bachelors' POV scenes for future improvement--it feels like a lot of people are suggesting this. I'm happy to see you want to know more about the bachelors, so I'll see what I can do while maintaining balance of 'knowledge' & 'mystery' ;)
4. You're welcome! Thanks again for visiting and letting me know your thoughts!
xoxo,
SweetChiel
really enjoyed this!! I didn't expect to get so much content out of it (took me an entire afternoon)
I think it's really great that you also get such wholesome interactions with the side characters. I got attached to them even though usually I just focus on the LI
(also as much as I liked sweet Mitra, my fav was Reksa even though all he did was hiss lmfaoo💀)
PLS, INI LUCU BANGET!!! I LOVE IT TOO MUCH, I'VE BEEN PLAYING THIS GAME NON-STOP. SOMEONE TAKE MY LAPTOP AWAY!!! Great job btw dear developer!! I can't wait for your next project!! And please do tell me if you already publish a game other than this, I will gladly play it!!
Aaaa, makasih, Jajajacece~
Congrats ud berhasil slesein smua route ny! Sneng rasany ad org indo yg suka >///<
I'm still working on my 2nd project but it shouldn't be long now, Nusantara: Bermuda Triangle will definitely be released this year!
I hope when the time comes, I'll be able to see you here again :'3 I look forward to hear your thoughts!