What's your favorite time period in a VN?

[ThirstingHeart]

What I mean to say is: In a visual novel what setting interests you most? Modern day, Fantasy, Sci-Fi, etc... I want to start on a project, something I can dedicate my new found free time to, but I find myself caught between time frames to start in.

-Modern day stories seem the easiest, since this is the time frame we live in and understand.
-Fantasy and Sci-Fi stories almost fall into the same category to me. Both can have non-existent creatures, unicorns/fairies or aliens, but the exceptions seem to be how advanced or far behind the civilizations are. Also how complicated backgrounds can be: A lush forest or a space station... But for all possible complications, Fantasy/Sci-Fi seem to give more creative license to the designer. Clothes, species, buildings...

So I figured I'd ask you all to get a better idea on what time period people seem to enjoy. A huge driving force for me is designing something people want to play. So all opinions are welcomed and loved.

Gosh I hope I put this in the right place.

[azureXtwilight]

Nothing beats fantasy stories for me then.I always love to take a break from the normal routines for a while...

[LVUER]

Present days. This doesn't necessarily means slice of life, but I want a present day (concrete buildings and cellphone) setting, it doesn't matter if we have some out-of-time technology.

[TyranX]

I'd say you should try and incorporate them both. Nothings better than having our timezone, which we can be familiar with, with elements of the fantasy realm. (IE. magic users, anthros, monsters, etc. what have you.)

[ThirstingHeart]

Nothing beats fantasy stories for me then.I always love to take a break from the normal routines for a while...

Yeah, it is refreshing to get away from everything once in a while.

Present days. This doesn't necessarily means slice of life, but I want a present day (concrete buildings and cellphone) setting, it doesn't matter if we have some out-of-time technology.

Out of time as in old fashioned?

I'd say you should try and incorporate them both. Nothings better than having our timezone, which we can be familiar with, with elements of the fantasy realm. (IE. magic users, anthros, monsters, etc. what have you.)

That's not a bad idea... I wonder if I could do that without making it seem silly.

[LVUER]

Out-of-time as too advanced for our time, like having a device that could amplifies your ESP power, firing protons and trapping ghost, things like that.

[ThirstingHeart]

Oh! So a modern setting with a tilt in the Sci-Fi direction?

[sayuri]

Sci-Fi can work but I find it is either 1) distracting or 2) not well formulated. Fantasy on the other hand I like. Princes and princesses are always fun. I personally like stories set in the late 1800s. Though the timeframe is slightly different, if there was a visual novel in the same genre as The Count of Monte Cristo I would be in heaven. Basically I'm a sucker for the Victorian era and there are simply not enough visual novels about it.

[IceD]

Whatever time frame would you chose, it will always find an audience. There aren't any worse or better time frames for fictional works. You should just do what you feel you want to make. The only thing concerning creators is that some realms are harder to describe and need more work. There were already lot's of fantasy vn's, hand in hand with modern day "your average student" school romance stories they make most of vn's. Unless you're realm is something special, it won't bring much attention.

If you really want to be original, take a turn into deep water and make a historical fiction visual novel, just as sayuri says. Also, if you heard about steampunk or dieselpunk, you might try those - they give many opportunities for creators, because those worlds have some strict rules, but also give much freedom. Afaik, practically there weren't any apocalyptic or post-apocalyptic vn's (incorporating such elements as in fallout), so you might try to make a sci-fi/steampunk mix set in such settings - this might be really interesting, but only if you create a nice world with it's own rules and settings.

Many creators jump to sci-fi or fantasy not knowing that those genres require really alot of work. Fiction is more believable and likeable when there is something that reminds of a real world - a precisely planned and crafted realm full of races, kingdoms/countries, culture, places, technology and myths. You can make even a whole new universe, if you need to. Without those it's just "another generic story" - even if it's well made people won't think much about when they finish it and even more propably, forget about it preety fast. It's not what we, creators want.

As for now, just do what you fell you're the best at. It will be glad to see a great tale set in a distinct new imaginary world, but I won't blame you for another japanese school-romance esque vn If it's going to be done with effort and devotion, it's all we need.

[LVUER]

@ThirstingHeart:
No, the setting still in present day. Our present... but I don't mind if there are some technology that too modern for present day. Not sci-fi. Not that I hate sci-fi though...

Persona and Earthbound are two examples of present day setting.

[Wintermoon]

Fantasy is good. Especially if the author actually uses her imagination instead of repeating the same fantasy clichés that I've seen a thousand times before. However, even clichéd fantasy is often enjoyable to me.

Steam punk is a type of fantasy, not really better or worse than any other type of fantasy.. More imaginative than the typical high fantasy setting, but less imaginative than a totally new type of fantasy setting. I'm just throwing it out so you don't get stuck in the "fantasy = medieval Europe + magic" mindset.

Historical settings can work, but the clash between historical and modern values is problematic. I prefer early (pre-Christian) settings.

Actual sci-fi is based on actual science, which is very difficult to get right. Most so-called sci-fi is actually futuristic fantasy. Which is not a bad thing, but if you're going to go fantasy, why not go all out?

Alternate history is intriguing, but very difficult to pull off successfully, and often not worth the effort.

Present day is just boring and shows a complete lack of imagination.

[LVUER]

What is the example of alternate history? You mean like 1960, if Germany win the WW2?

[Wintermoon]

What is the example of alternate history? You mean like 1960, if Germany win the WW2?

Yes.

[Jake]

You should just do what you feel you want to make.

...

As for now, just do what you fell you're the best at.

I agree pretty much completely with this.

I tend to find high-fantasy stuff boring, but there have been good high-fantasy stories that I've enjoyed; I tend to find cyberpunk and sci-fi interesting, but I'll still dislike a bad cyberpunk book. Write the story you want to write in the setting you feel most comfortable with, and you'll definitely find some people who naturally like that setting anyway, and if it's a good story it'll be a good story even outside of people's preferred setting.

The more you try and fit in with other people's preferences the less likely you are to be writing something inspired and interesting, IMO, and while the setting might be enough to get me interested in a project I might not otherwise have looked at, it won't be enough to keep me reading something which isn't very good, especially if I get the impression the author only made it (say) cyberpunk to get the attention of cyberpunk fans.

[Deji]

I personally like present day as long as it's not set in Japan where characters are in high-school (I think I developed an allergy to that theme already >_o)
I adore high fantasy, and I like historical as long as it's not politics or war-oriented.
I'm not a fan of sci-fi.

That being said, you should write whatever *you* like; there's no point on working on something you don't fully enjoy and that you'll end up being tired of (especially if it's something you're working on during your free time) just to please an audience.