Why use side images?

[roankun]

I was all for it when I started making this one game (that I abandoned) but now that I'm making my own sprites, somehow the point of using side images bother me (or rather, make me feel lazy). I know you just crop/resize the sprites but...

Er... What I'm trying to say is, why do we use side images in the first place? I mean, the speaking chars already shown in full (or up to thigh) in front of you, so why need side images? There's a name box above the dialogue too so it's not like you wouldn't know who's speaking.

I want to use a side image for the MC alone, but that empty space at the left when everyone else (except the MC) is speaking bothers me.

Comments?

[LateWhiteRabbit]

This always bothers me when I see it. I agree with you - having two images of the speaker on screen at the same time is distracting and feels wrong - it's like, which one do I look at? I tend to read and click quickly, so I only have time to look at one or the other. It seems poor design to me to include both.

I'd prefer either one or the other.

[Endorphin]

Good question. =o
Maybe because it's more comfortable to look a little left/right from the text?
But then again... I just don't look up because I already have the face to the right/left. =/
I prefere it when there's only one face of the speaker shown at the same time - a side face can be used for the player character.
(This is actually something I like.)

So I absolutly agree with LateWhiteRabbit~
It's useless and distracting. =o

- Ryouko

[Deji]

I agree with everybody before me, i don't really like side images for characters already shown on screen, is graphically redundant, imo.
I imagine some people may find distracting to have to look up from the textbox to see the character change expression every time they click before reading, so it's to keep that from happening? If that's the case, then what's the point in having characters standing there in the first place? You could just have them on the side at all times...

I like having the MC on the side, so I know what the MC looks like (I don't care about self immersion and feeling like I'm the MC, tbh).

[LateWhiteRabbit]

I like having the MC on the side, so I know what the MC looks like (I don't care about self immersion and feeling like I'm the MC, tbh).

I do too. I like seeing the MC change expression or react as the conversation occurs, like they do in the Disgaea series.

Unfortunately in recent Disgaea games they do the stupid redundant thing like we are talking about here of having the two characters shown talking to each other on either side of the screen and changing expressions, and they still add a side image picture to the text!! It's stupid. Just add the speaking character's name above the textbox and be done with it.

[Taleweaver]

In Adrift, I used side images only for one reason: when someone is speaking while not shown on screen. The face next to the text helps convey the mood in which the dialogue is spoken, and you still "hear" who's talking, so that comes across quite well, I believe.

[YonYonYon]

If there's a side image, it's easier to understand who's talking right now, even if character have a sprite shown on screen. Because sometimes I might be too excited by the story to be able to read properly these little name boxes =A=

[Sapphi]

In Adrift, I used side images only for one reason: when someone is speaking while not shown on screen. The face next to the text helps convey the mood in which the dialogue is spoken, and you still "hear" who's talking, so that comes across quite well, I believe.

Yeah, I think this is the primary reason side images are used, along with being able to see the main character.

I'm one of those people who would gladly stay away from them otherwise. I find it annoying to have two exact copies of the same image in the same screen... and somehow even MORE annoying when there's a dissonance (like one looks mildly angry and the other is shouting).

[PyTom]

If there's a side image, it's easier to understand who's talking right now, even if character have a sprite shown on screen. Because sometimes I might be too excited by the story to be able to read properly these little name boxes =A=

Coloring the names in the name boxes - especially if the colors correspond to something like hair or accessory color - is another way to accomplish this. If you're consistent and the colors are spaced widely apart from each other, you get the same sort of reassurance without doubling the image on the screen.

That's also why Ren'Py, by default, puts the character name on a line by itself. I figured that people usually determine who's speaking without actually reading the name, and so having the actual text at the start of a line helps them to find a place to begin reading.

[papillon]

Side images help you to see who's speaking at any given point (especially with minor or new characters where it's easy to forget who they are), and help you to notice mood shifts while reading which in some art styles are hard to see - if the facial features are small and far away from the textbox, you would have to intentionally keep swinging your eyes up to check, which is awkward.

Side images also allow you to show mood shifts on characters that you might not be able to see onscreen at that time (for instance, if there's a CG being displayed)

And if you're doing them at all, it's less jarring to have them all the time than to have a huge blank space onscreen the rest of the time, or a totally different layout on the rare occasions that they're used.

I don't really understand the complaints people make about how horrible it is to have the same graphic twice. I wouldn't demand everyone do side images, but I don't see how there's anything wrong with them either. It seemed a little odd to me the first time I encountered it, but after a while it made the reading process smoother and more comfortable.

[sheetcakeghost]

In RR we use the side image to show the MC talking since she's never directly on screen. It could also be used for phone calls and whatnot, but we have another method for doing that. Otherwise I'd just have the character do the expressions to cut down on redundancy, despite it making the reading process smoother, but then I have a special sort of hatred for things that repeat. Honestly, I think having the face on the side all the time was just a stylistic choice that has recently gone out of style.

[Cidz]

huh, other then absolute boyfriend ive never really seen the side image and sprite of the same character. ive usually just seen side image for MC only. i think side images for the MC is kinda cool because then you can see thier expressions and moods and get a better idea of what they are thinking.

[PrivateEyes]

I'm not really bothered by them, but as people have said, I don't see a reason why you would need them.

[YonYonYon]

If there's a side image, it's easier to understand who's talking right now, even if character have a sprite shown on screen. Because sometimes I might be too excited by the story to be able to read properly these little name boxes =A=

Coloring the names in the name boxes - especially if the colors correspond to something like hair or accessory color - is another way to accomplish this. If you're consistent and the colors are spaced widely apart from each other, you get the same sort of reassurance without doubling the image on the screen.

That's also why Ren'Py, by default, puts the character name on a line by itself. I figured that people usually determine who's speaking without actually reading the name, and so having the actual text at the start of a line helps them to find a place to begin reading.

I know it I just wanted to show at least one plus of side image since it's seems to everyone don't like side images with full sprite at the same time.

[roankun]

Just a thought, then.
What do you guys think of side images without full sprites? At all?