First pespective or second perspective?
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First pespective or second perspective?
I have always been a little confused when writing stories/scripts for use in a visual novel style environment as to what perspective to write from.
I usually write from the first person but refer to the reader as the main character to try and draw them in to the story. e.g.
"You throw back the bedsheets and greet the day"
However i am usually torn between writing slightly differently, in a more secondary perspective, creating the idea that the reader is listening to the story being told by the main character.
"I threw back the bedsheets and greeted the day"
I am wondering which would seem the more appropriate for a visual novel, although it is probably dependent on personal preference.
I usually write from the first person but refer to the reader as the main character to try and draw them in to the story. e.g.
"You throw back the bedsheets and greet the day"
However i am usually torn between writing slightly differently, in a more secondary perspective, creating the idea that the reader is listening to the story being told by the main character.
"I threw back the bedsheets and greeted the day"
I am wondering which would seem the more appropriate for a visual novel, although it is probably dependent on personal preference.
Re: First pespective or second perspective?
I usually like first person better... Can't really say why... It actually means you're reading the story of someone else who is describing his day at the present tense... but you can also think of it as yourself saying what you're doing.
Second person is obviously about *you*, but it might feel impersonal and too "CYOA". It's like you're talking with someone else (the computer, the narrator, the game master?) who tells you what happens to you... It doesn't feel like it's directly happening to you... I'm not sure if I'm being clear XD
Second person is obviously about *you*, but it might feel impersonal and too "CYOA". It's like you're talking with someone else (the computer, the narrator, the game master?) who tells you what happens to you... It doesn't feel like it's directly happening to you... I'm not sure if I'm being clear XD
Re: First pespective or second perspective?
Just to throw this into the mix: Third person is used occasionally in VN's (such as Crescendo, which is in 3rd person throughout). I think any of these three perspectives could be used, but first person would probably be the easiest to write in for a VN.
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Re: First pespective or second perspective?
First person ("I walk") is most traditional for VNs, certainly. It's the natural and default choice.
Second and third person are both surprising at first, and using either draws attention to it for those who've played a number of VNs. They each cue a different type of feeling. The third person style ("Takuya walks") can feel more detached, perhaps more as if it's describing events that have already happened. The second person style ("You walk") would be a bit odd, and could risk evoking Choose Your Own Adventure; it's possible it could make people feel more involved, but equally, since it's so unusual, it might have the reverse effect, and make it harder to get absorbed because the player would keep noticing the strange style.
Second and third person are both surprising at first, and using either draws attention to it for those who've played a number of VNs. They each cue a different type of feeling. The third person style ("Takuya walks") can feel more detached, perhaps more as if it's describing events that have already happened. The second person style ("You walk") would be a bit odd, and could risk evoking Choose Your Own Adventure; it's possible it could make people feel more involved, but equally, since it's so unusual, it might have the reverse effect, and make it harder to get absorbed because the player would keep noticing the strange style.
Last edited by chronoluminaire on Tue Aug 21, 2007 12:10 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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More recently I designed the board game Steam Works (published in 2015), available from a local gaming store near you!
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Re: First pespective or second perspective?
There seems to be some confusion in this topic with terminology - most of us are talking about first person / second person / third person, but the original post was using 'first' and 'second' in an entirely different way... which could make said poster's head hurt when e tries to make sense of the responses.
Re: First pespective or second perspective?
In general: First Person is used for visual novels: i.e. "I pick up the bagel," simply because it's easier for the reader to understand, and because in the case of most VNs, the narrator has their own personality and decisions that are, to some extent, out of the player's control.
Interactive fiction and RPGs tend to use Second Person, as if they were a gamemaster acknowledging a character's actions (i.e. the player says, "I pick up the bagel," the game says "You pick up the bagel, it looks tasty.")
Interactive fiction and RPGs tend to use Second Person, as if they were a gamemaster acknowledging a character's actions (i.e. the player says, "I pick up the bagel," the game says "You pick up the bagel, it looks tasty.")
Re: First pespective or second perspective?
First person should be "I"
Second person should be "You"
Third person should be "S/he"
Don't get things confused.
I'm reminded of that dojo scene in Rush Hour 3:
"I am Yuu."
"No, who are you?"
"I am Yuu."
"How about him?"
"Me?"
"I am Mee."
Second person should be "You"
Third person should be "S/he"
Don't get things confused.
I'm reminded of that dojo scene in Rush Hour 3:
"I am Yuu."
"No, who are you?"
"I am Yuu."
"How about him?"
"Me?"
"I am Mee."
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Re: First pespective or second perspective?
Dude, that's totally ripping off Abott & Costello...DaFool wrote:First person should be "I"
Second person should be "You"
Third person should be "S/he"
Don't get things confused.
I'm reminded of that dojo scene in Rush Hour 3:
"I am Yuu."
"No, who are you?"
"I am Yuu."
"How about him?"
"Me?"
"I am Mee."
----
"Yes, ninety percent would never get finished, and ninety percent of the rest would suck. That's the way it always works. That's how you get stuff that kicks ass." -Andrew Plotkin
"Yes, ninety percent would never get finished, and ninety percent of the rest would suck. That's the way it always works. That's how you get stuff that kicks ass." -Andrew Plotkin
Re: First pespective or second perspective?
The poll shows that the story-telling style is preferred and tbh i believed to be the more appropriate, despite it being against my natural writing style .
At least now though, i can begin work on my VN project with a set style to follow - First person, present tense .
At least now though, i can begin work on my VN project with a set style to follow - First person, present tense .
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Re: First pespective or second perspective?
The poll is biased! I would have voted: 3) Whatever makes most sense for the story! (^_^)
On a related note, everything I've done in my (yet to be published) VN work has been been "implicit" first person, present tense.
What I mean is that the use of a pronoun to refer to the player/main character is completely avoided. All actions taken by any character are implicit in the dialouge or on screen action. I never say, "She playfully put her arm around me... I was so shocked!" instead I would have the narrator 'think' something like "Gahh! What's she doing? She's so close! She's acting playful like usual, but.. her arm on my neck... its so soft."
This may be an awkward example but you get the idea.
My goal is to fuse a cinematic/natural writing style which eschews exposition, and to let the player identify as much or as little with the self of the narrator as they wish.
So far its working out...
On a related note, everything I've done in my (yet to be published) VN work has been been "implicit" first person, present tense.
What I mean is that the use of a pronoun to refer to the player/main character is completely avoided. All actions taken by any character are implicit in the dialouge or on screen action. I never say, "She playfully put her arm around me... I was so shocked!" instead I would have the narrator 'think' something like "Gahh! What's she doing? She's so close! She's acting playful like usual, but.. her arm on my neck... its so soft."
This may be an awkward example but you get the idea.
My goal is to fuse a cinematic/natural writing style which eschews exposition, and to let the player identify as much or as little with the self of the narrator as they wish.
So far its working out...
Re: First pespective or second perspective?
That stream-of-consciousness writing style works. Makoto Shinkai uses it in his most brooding works, I think.
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Re: First pespective or second perspective?
Huh? The Voice of a Distant Star guy?DaFool wrote:That stream-of-consciousness writing style works. Makoto Shinkai uses it in his most brooding works, I think.
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Re: First pespective or second perspective?
Doesn't he only have two movies under his belt? I'm not sure you can talk about his "most brooding works" in that context- at the very least, you need new grammar...rocket wrote:Huh? The Voice of a Distant Star guy?DaFool wrote:That stream-of-consciousness writing style works. Makoto Shinkai uses it in his most brooding works, I think.
----
"Yes, ninety percent would never get finished, and ninety percent of the rest would suck. That's the way it always works. That's how you get stuff that kicks ass." -Andrew Plotkin
"Yes, ninety percent would never get finished, and ninety percent of the rest would suck. That's the way it always works. That's how you get stuff that kicks ass." -Andrew Plotkin
Re: First pespective or second perspective?
Come to think of it all his works are brooding
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Re: First pespective or second perspective?
Shinkai has three movies (Voices of a Distant Star, Beyond the Clouds, and 5 Centimeters a Second). He's also done a number of movies for Minori visual novels.
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