Switching POV

[mapletaffy]

The game that I am making was narrated in a first person pov, but some scene requires me to jump to another pov (example: pov of the first obtainable guy) What are the ways to make it less confusing to the readers? My first plan was to have different textbox color (example: pink for the girl's pov and blue for the boy's pov) Is that okay enough? In terms of writing, is it okay if I'm just write it as it is and just change the textbox color? (example: Girl in pink textbox: Oh this blueberry cake is sweet. Boy in blue textbox: Duh. . .she's smiling just because of that?)

Suggestions are really welcome.

[fleet]

Place a small picture of the person who is speaking/thinking on the left side of the text box.

[Funnyguts]

There's no right way to do it, it depends on your story and how you want it to flow. But there are wrong ways to do it. If you're going to switch perspective, the first time it happens you should have the new character the player is controlling be the one the story sticks with for a while. Once the player is used to that concept, you can start going back and forth faster.

[Cidz]

This is useful for me too! I'll have to bookmark this thread.

Also, I was playing Saya No Uta, and i realized that when they want to talk about another person they usually switch to 3rd person.
but when it's the protags POV it's first person.
So maybe something like that could work?

[Zootower]

I've seen it done well and done poorly.

In VNs, it seems like it's best to clearly inform the viewer there's a perspective shift. I've seen it done a myriad of different ways -- but it seems like it's executed most clearly when there's some sort of transition using CG/Background Art (Juniper's Knot), or through a simple fade-to-black, with the next segment having a clearly differentiated prose style, like in Kira Kira. Either way, as Funnyguts noted, you've got ease the viewer in with some sort of clear demarcation.

[PyTom]

Another approach I've seen is a different text box - either the box itself, or the text color in the box. It's fairly effective, especially if the switch is for a small amount of time, such that reading the text isn't a burden.

[jack_norton]

I'm going to experiment with this too for Bionic Heart 2. In Heavy Rain, they showed a close up of the face of the next character you'll control, but that was to show something during the long loading times. "Unfortunately" with Ren'Py we don't have those though!
I think will show that and maybe a small portrait of the active character on the side of the dialog window (since is first person view so you never see your current active character on screen).

[nyaatrap]

Using different speed or method of With statements between switching would suggest this is where you should care the point of view.

[mapletaffy]

Thanks for the suggestions everyone~ These are very useful. ^^