[al|together 2006 release] A Dream of Summer

[TDOMMX]

Hello, people. I have some questions and comments about "A Dream of Summer". Since I couldn't find the translator's contact info in the readme or on their site, I thought I would post them here.

I enjoyed reading through A Dream of Summer, which took me roughly three hours to complete with all three endings. The story was a tad predictable, but I didn't feel it was a waste of time. The artwork is pleasant to look at, even if the characters look a lot younger than they should. The music was fitting, though nothing really leapt out at me. Most importantly, the translation did a good job of preserving subtle nuances. The English text seems to flow naturally with nothing missing or out of place (at least, in my opinion).

When I was playing through the game the third time, my jaw nearly dropped at the creator's "Holy Land" gag. While seamlessly integrated into the visual novel, I wasn't exactly expecting a minigame of this sort. Granted, Toshiki's asides make it quite clear that he is a bit of a perv, but... No, I'd better shut up for the sake of those who have not yet played it.

I have two questions. First, I currently have 93% of the artwork unlocked. I am missing two CG in the bottom-right of the first page. Am I correct in assuming that these are unlocked via the Holy Land game? And if so, how? Going for the best distance does not seem to be getting me anywhere...

Second, I noticed the readme mentions a "God Mode". I managed to get 44964mm on my own, but I am curious as to how this mode is activated or unlocked. If they tell you in the game, please point me in the right direction instead of flat-out telling me.

For those who prefer "happily-ever-after" style endings, I should warn you that the endings of A Dream of Summer are bittersweet at best. Nonetheless, it is a worthwhile read, even if it isn't thought-provoking or heart-stopping.

[Misu]

Haven't played through the game myself, but the groups website is http://dejavu.visualnews.net/. Best way to get a hold of them would be to PM Starchanchan directly ^^;;.

[TDOMMX]

I already said that I checked the website. On the other hand, I did not think of sending him a private message via the Visual News forums. Thanks.

[MaccaSvenne]

I have achieved the impossible, getting the highest score (=50000) in both normal, master and god mode...I wonder if it's cause for celebration or just a sign to get a life... =)
The two cgs you missed are indeed found through the holy land mini-game.
Here's what you do to get them:
The first bar should be stopped somewhere around the middle or slightly below. The second bar should be full/stopped as far right as possible.
Took me an hour or so to master this kinda funny mini-game...

[Starchanchan]

Originally Posted by MaccaSvenne

I have achieved the impossible, getting the highest score (=50000) in both normal, master and god mode...I wonder if it's cause for celebration or just a sign to get a life... =)
The two cgs you missed are indeed found through the holy land mini-game.
Here's what you do to get them:
The first bar should be stopped somewhere around the middle or slightly below. The second bar should be full/stopped as far right as possible.
Took me an hour or so to master this kinda funny mini-game...

Yep, that's correct. And from what I remember (haven't played through the mini-game in a while) God Mode is unlocked by getting that special CG in Master Mode. Your two missing CGs are similar in appearance, so make sure you realize you've actually gotten both XD

Nonetheless, it is a worthwhile read, even if it isn't thought-provoking or heart-stopping.

A Dream of Summer is certainly impressive. From a presentation standpoint, it's a first-rate doujin effort: nice backgrounds and CGs, voiceovers for all characters, a well-recorded image song, etc.

The script happens to be competently written, which is definitely a plus. There's none of the pretentious, overdone crap that can be found in some recently translated visual novels (Tsukihime, Wind.....).

On the downside, the story isn't terribly interesting. It's actually rather dull (more than a little predictable too......it isn't good when a key plot twist can be easily guessed at the beginning of the game) and needlessly long-winded, which leaves the experience emotionally flat. On the whole, I can't help but wonder if A Dream of Summer would be better if some text were cut.

Mizuna's ending does redeem the novel a bit. It's by no means thrilling (again, besides the cliches and predictable nature of the story, the main problem is that there's so much unnecessary dialogue bogging the pace down. Climatic scenes that might potentially have impact lose effectiveness if they're extensively drawn out), but it's still a relaxing, mildly touching conclusion. A Dream of Summer comes so close to being a masterpiece, so it frustrates me to find such serious issues. However, I suppose it's still worth a look, if not only for the slick production values.

[TDOMMX]

Heheh. Thanks, guys. Although I have a hard time getting the height just right, I can throw at 100% power no problem.

I've come across a weird problem. I have been playing the game for a little while and managed to finish God Mode. However, when I accessed the CG Mode after finishing God Mode, my mouse clicks stopped responding. I had to force-shutdown the program (twice) to regain control of my computer (and sacrifice a 49500 in Master Mode and a perfect score in God Mode! NOOO!!!).

I tried it a third time, restarting the game each time I unlocked a new mode. My current (albeit lower) scores are as follows:

Normal Mode: 50000 (yeah!)
Master Mode: 48500
God Mode: 48000

The problem is when I got to CG Mode. The two slots I mentioned before are now filled in, and my percentage reads 110%, but now the slot in the upper-left is empty. I had the same display earlier, but now my mouse reacts just fine. Any ideas?

I'll try finishing the game again to see if that refills the first CG slot. This is definitely odd.

[speedtouch]

Thanks to all who worked on A Dream Of Summer. An engaging read, despite the fact (as mentioned by many of the folks above me) that you just knew what was going on even before the story really got going ^_^''''

That doesn't take much of the magic away from this piece though. It still packs some emotional punch, and it'll hit you hard once you get into it.

(Although I must admit this mostly applies only to Hazuki's ending - the loli pianist girl endgame is typical dating sim material, and IMHO its relevance is questionable at best.)

Great effort, this would have warmed a few hearts around the globe. Now on to the next one..

EDIT: I have also noticed TDOMMX's problem over here, 110% completion with the top-left CG missing.

[MaccaSvenne]

I too had the problem with 110% completion, but after I re-read the novel it once again showed 100% with no missing CGs...I guess/hope it's just a bug.

[TDOMMX]

Yeah, the CG mode seems to be riddled with bugs. There were times when I would quit the game, then access CG mode and have weird characters display where the percentage should be.

Anyway, my gallery is now back to normal. I haven't been able to reproduce my previous 50000 in God Mode, and I don't think I'll be fiddling with the game much in the near future. Oh well.

Thanks for all your help.