What is immersion?

[moxie]

I've heard this term thrown around a lot in gaming circles. Being 'immersed" in the game is an important part of the game's success. But what makes up for an immersive experience, especially in a VN?

Is it the world? The characters? The music? The choices? The writing? Would the MC being a personality-less character help?

What helps you feel immersed in the game? And what does being immersed mean to you?

I'm curious to what people think about this, since this sounds like a very important part to the gaming experience.

I know for me personally, I like to feel like the world is real. Doesn't matter if it's fantasy or sci fi or slice of life, if the setting isn't believable, it's hard to get lost in the game if the back of my mind is constantly niggling that something isn't right.
I like my characters defined, especially the MC. I don't like spineless ninnies.

So, thoughts?

[DaFool]

Immersion is what happens when you forget about paying attention to the quality of the graphics, the music tracks, the writing, the programming, the interface and overall presentation. You see the work as a whole, and it sucks you in.

A skilled game maker can create immersion using off-the-shelf assets. Whereas an amateur game maker can commission the best skills out there, but once put together, something feels wrong, off, or not cohesive... the game will feel like a bunch of pictures, scripts, and sound files cobbled together. Sure, that's what a game technically is, but it shouldn't feel that way.

[redeyesblackpanda]

Immersion is like the pinnacle of game play. It requires a peculiarly good blend of story, graphics, music, all that stuff.
What happens is you end up playing and forgetting about everything. Life, what's been bothering you, the time. You're essentially living the game.
You have to be able to relate to the MC. This is important: The main character don't have to be similar to you, but should be written well enough for you to understand and empathize with.

[moxie]

Ahhh, all righty. Thanks.