20230523 "FC01"

Release Notes

All

• Fixed an error by which every other letter was skipped when at a choice point or other system string
• Version string updated to 20230523 "FC01"

Arch Linux

• Updated Makefile to allow proper compilation on Arch Linux
• Highly experimental static Makefile; it likely will not work for you

macOS

• Starting with this release, all binaries are Universal binaries, capable of running on both Intel and Apple Silicon Macs
  • This system requires MacPorts rather than Homebrew
  • These binaries require macOS 11 "Big Sur" or above as a result
• makedist.MacOSX.sh updated to 20230501 "FC01"

Trivia

FC01 is one of the main development teams of the company F&C. Its main claim to fame is the Canvas series of novel games, all of which play on themes related to visual art. The main character is usually a struggling artist himself, who often has stopped painting because of some tragedy that befell him prior to the beginning of the game. These games are also well-known for their music, having opening and ending theme songs that became famous in their own right, one example being "Plastic Smile" from Canvas2. Canvas2 in particular was popular enough to merit a TV anime adaptation, and is probably the most popular title in FC01's opus.

For me personally, though, my favorite of the pieces that FC01 put out was one of its lesser titles, 木漏れ日の並木道 (The Sun-Dappled Boulevard). It is unusual in several ways, not the least of which is the fact that the protagonist is a single dad and that his daughter is, in a sense, the deuteragonist of the story. It explores parenthood and transitions from childhood in a way that is sensitive and above all rare in novel games. It is not considered to be among the best works of the novel game genre, but for its warmth and its exploration of these topics it has a permanent place in my heart.