Question related to my old work,

[Tentacles]

How do you know when your work is more suited to a visual novel? Voreth's Promise Saga went through various incarnations, but eventually settled as being a novella.

Yet it still has some aspects that make it more like a visual novel: the main hero starts from experience of riches, but gradually learns the value of friendship through poverty. There are two different love triangles across the span of 17,500 words, also encompassing the experience of invasive technology.

I would call it science fiction, though the romance has increased in importance over the nine years I've wrote it. And now I'm thinking of various alternate endings that could work.

Or alternatively have multiple 'puzzle pieces', or short kinetic novels stored in a separate folder or disk that need to be understood in the right order as a whole series, that uses a front view battle system.

[SundownKid]

Anything can be a visual novel as long as you know how to make it fit the visual novel form. Although in general, slow-burning stories of intrigue tend to be more suited as visual novels than action packed stories.

There are exception of course. You can make an action packed RPG visual novel, but they are uncommon.

[Tentacles]

Oh actually my work tends more toward quiet fiction, more contemplative. That's actually why I'm wondering, thanks.

[Kailoto]

Hmm... it's a tough question (I've been pondering this one for a while), but I think when it comes down to it, the important part isn't the actual content or genre or style, but whether you plan to use the entire spectrum of media available to you. This might be a personal reason (since it's something I've come up with on my own, based on my own standards), but I think it should do if you're starting to second guess yourself.

To put it simply, if you don't have ideas about what you want to do with artwork, or music, or sound effects, or decisions trees, or text interfaces, then you probably don't have to be making a VN. Maybe you don't have all of them figured out, but as long as you have a clear vision of a couple of things (e.g. "I really want to show backgrounds and have awesome battle music"), then you have a reason to make something as a VN. The only time I would dissuade someone from creating their story as a VN would be if they didn't give any consideration to VN design - if they just had a story and characters, but didn't care about what the soundtrack or artistic style would be.

Now whether or not your project is suited for a visual novel above all else... well, that's a bit trickier. If you've narrowed your choices down to a few mediums and don't have a preference on any of them, I'd say do whatever makes development most efficient - if you can work faster and create a better quality experience making a novel or RPG instead of a VN, then go with that.

When it comes to actual content, I don't think it should matter... rather, I strongly believe that there should be no restrictions. Picture books are generally aimed at children, but that doesn't mean every picture book has to have a plain tale with simple morals. Comic books are inseparably linked with superheroes, but some of the best stories in the medium have nothing to do with them. Likewise, I'd like to see more visual novels that, say, explore the morality of determinism vs free choice, for instance. So I wouldn't base my decision on the type of story I'm telling - only on whether or not I plan to take advantage of all the tools that a visual novel makes available to tell it.

[Tentacles]

I'm pretty sure I want a Visual Novel as a base, even if the genre switches to Adventure Game mode later. Even if the Adventure Game mode is ever so slight rather than all encompassing like in say ... well early 2D RPGs.

It's going to stretch all my writing abilities in a way I haven't used in a while though.

The best example that comes to mind, would be where the primary game play is a dating sim or some other story heavy VN. But you might have a main character that plays retro games in their home after school. Oh and your girlfriend, she has tweaked your computer to have a million times harder maze than you would have otherwise.

Not really sure what you would call that.

And yes determinism vs. free will is also a favorite. My themes are less concrete. On the nature of reality, and its inherent subjectivity based on individual subjective rational, leading to a 'higher objectivity' through finding common life elements than you would by finding purely objective fact. Or rather, a deeper understanding of this higher objectivity.

Not in any way specific to one story, but through a collective story. Or searching for less intrusive ways to communicate the same thing.

[verysunshine]

I'm pretty sure I want a Visual Novel as a base, even if the genre switches to Adventure Game mode later. Even if the Adventure Game mode is ever so slight rather than all encompassing like in say ... well early 2D RPGs.

It's going to stretch all my writing abilities in a way I haven't used in a while though.

The best example that comes to mind, would be where the primary game play is a dating sim or some other story heavy VN. But you might have a main character that plays retro games in their home after school. Oh and your girlfriend, she has tweaked your computer to have a million times harder maze than you would have otherwise.

Not really sure what you would call that.

And yes determinism vs. free will is also a favorite. My themes are less concrete. On the nature of reality, and its inherent subjectivity based on individual subjective rational, leading to a 'higher objectivity' through finding common life elements than you would by finding purely objective fact. Or rather, a deeper understanding of this higher objectivity.

Not in any way specific to one story, but through a collective story. Or searching for less intrusive ways to communicate the same thing.

I would call that a VN with a retro mini-game.

Those are very interesting themes. I'd like to read or play that.