A Visual Novel WITHOUT CGs

[curry nochi rice]

Is this even possible, yes it is technically, but what would you feel if the game you're playing has no CGs

[DaFool]

You mean a commercial title?

Because there are plenty of CG-less freeware VNs out there, even Japanese ones. Usually <2hrs, or kinetic novels, or in NVL mode.

[Celianna]

I have no problems with it. It's not a definite rule that if you make a VN you should have CGs. It's just an extra perk.

[papillon]

It's perfectly possible to tell a good story without CGs. However, the CGs are often seen as a 'reward' by the player - you explore the story and you unlock all this cool art - so they can be less motivated without them. It can be more difficult to get the mood across for certain kinds of dramatic scenes without specialised artwork. And it's harder to market the game to new players without Cool Pics to show off. Showing just screenshots of the exact same talking heads all the time, out of context, doesn't look that interesting.

[LateWhiteRabbit]

I think a lot of players are going to feel a little ripped-off if they don't at least get Event CGs for endings. Like Papillon said, most players view them as rewards, and in many ways they act as the carrot to get players to continue. Events like kissing a character for the first time, etc. also don't have the same impact in text as they do in CG form.

It is certainly technically possible to do a VN with no event CGs, but I don't think it is a very good option. It can get very boring to stare at the same sprites for a long VN without any changes or pictures to break up that monotony. In that case, the VN becomes very much like a traditional book - the reader sees what the main characters look like on the cover, then has to imagine everything else as they read.

[tuna_sushi]

If it is really incredibly long, at least one would be nice.
But if it's not that long, I don't really care... as long as it have a good story!

[teacup]

I used CGs as a way to encourage players to finish the game entirely.
Most players will go on paths they normally wouldn't or go for an ending they normally wouldn't if it means they'll get a new CG in the gallery. I for one hate having an incomplete gallery, so getting all of the CGs is a motivation for me to replay the game until I unlock them all.
They aren't necessary, but they're definitely a good bonus and a refreshing break from staring at the same character sprites the entire time. They're also an effective way to show scenes that character sprites can't [such as a romantic/kiss scene].

[Taleweaver]

Sheesh, of all my VNs, only Daemonophilia, The Dreaming and Adrift have CGs. I don't think they're a necessity, more of a bonus.

[J. Datie]

They're nice, and they do a lot to add impact to a scene, but I would never refuse to play a VN simply because it has no CGs.

[Camille]

I think I remember reading somewhere that Cinders isn't going to have any CGs and it's a commercial title. It makes up for it by having a lot more poses and whatnot for the sprites. I wouldn't refuse to play a game that didn't have CGs, but I think, like many others have said, they're something of a reward and would certainly motivate me to play the game more.

[redeyesblackpanda]

I think, if there was some sort of progress bar (as in something saying xx% complete) I probably wouldn't miss the CGs at all.
CGs make a piece nicer to me, but I don't think I'd really notice if they weren't there.
The most important things are that the art you do have is good and that the writing is good.

[Sexo Grammaticus]

Depends on whether you're not wanting CGs (can we stop being all pretentious and just say 'pictures' instead) because you think your story doesn't need them, or just because you don't want to go to the effort of making the art / finding an artist.

[papillon]

It's not about pretentiousness AFAIK; people shorten vocabulary they use often so they can get the point across more quickly. 'CG' is an understood term in visual novels. "Pictures" is generic and unclear. Background pictures are also pictures. You could refer to CGs as "full-screen illustrations" but that would take a lot longer to say.

[Sexo Grammaticus]

Abbreviation to communicate a point doesn't make much sense in a non-realtime discussion format like a forum; it's just always struck me as a "OFFICIAL INDUSTRY INSIDER" thing to say to make yourself look more professional or 'in the know' than you need to be or anyone cares about.

The point still stands that in this context, pictures are pictures, regardless of if they're characters, backgrounds, whatever.

[papillon]

Abbreviation to communicate a point doesn't make much sense in a non-realtime discussion format like a forum

It's also a lot faster and easier to type!

The point still stands that in this context, pictures are pictures, regardless of if they're characters, backgrounds, whatever.

Except that asking about "a visual novel without pictures" would mean something totally different than "a visual novel without CGs"