Visual Novel, Voiced Main Character?
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- Allegra Hughes
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Visual Novel, Voiced Main Character?
Hey Everyone,
What's your opinion on the main character being voiced as well? Their narration would be text, but their lines said to other characters would be voiced.
I'm thinking games like Tales or Grace or Mass Effect where you play as the protagonist but the characters are voiced.
The other option is to have everything voiced but the lines the character you play as say. I think personally, it feels awkward since you hear audio except for massive amount of lines your character says which breaks the flow of the audio story?
But i'd like your opinions!
What's your opinion on the main character being voiced as well? Their narration would be text, but their lines said to other characters would be voiced.
I'm thinking games like Tales or Grace or Mass Effect where you play as the protagonist but the characters are voiced.
The other option is to have everything voiced but the lines the character you play as say. I think personally, it feels awkward since you hear audio except for massive amount of lines your character says which breaks the flow of the audio story?
But i'd like your opinions!
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Re: Visual Novel, Voiced Main Character?
Well if the story is from a first person perspective of the main character, voicing the narration sort of makes sense? You could add a little reverberation and cut off a small amount of the treble/high frequencies to imitate the protagonist's self thought.
However from a third person perspective, narration can be left as text. It may be a choice whether you want that "outer" voice for narration.
Sometimes though when telling in first person, it may be a preference to not voice the protagonist at all so that the readers can apply the "voice in their head" as the protagonist's voice. Whether that voice be themselves, a voice they made up or voice of "name of person/character here".
At the end of the day, it's a choice you have to make. Some developers will voice everything while others won't voice the protagonist.
I don't mind if the protagonist isn't voice, but having one is quite nice at the same time.
However from a third person perspective, narration can be left as text. It may be a choice whether you want that "outer" voice for narration.
Sometimes though when telling in first person, it may be a preference to not voice the protagonist at all so that the readers can apply the "voice in their head" as the protagonist's voice. Whether that voice be themselves, a voice they made up or voice of "name of person/character here".
At the end of the day, it's a choice you have to make. Some developers will voice everything while others won't voice the protagonist.
I don't mind if the protagonist isn't voice, but having one is quite nice at the same time.
- Allegra Hughes
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Re: Visual Novel, Voiced Main Character?
Oh wow, that's a good point! I didn't think about that!MayPeX wrote:Well if the story is from a first person perspective of the main character, voicing the narration sort of makes sense? You could add a little reverberation and cut off a small amount of the treble/high frequencies to imitate the protagonist's self thought.
I could see that, but I'm wondering if people really read the dialogue with a voice or?MayPeX wrote: Sometimes though when telling in first person, it may be a preference to not voice the protagonist at all so that the readers can apply the "voice in their head" as the protagonist's voice. Whether that voice be themselves, a voice they made up or voice of "name of person/character here".
Anyway, thanks for your input~MayPeX wrote: At the end of the day, it's a choice you have to make. Some developers will voice everything while others won't voice the protagonist.
I don't mind if the protagonist isn't voice, but having one is quite nice at the same time.
Re: Visual Novel, Voiced Main Character?
If the rest of the cast is going to be voiced, I'd prefer for the protagonist to be voiced as well. I think having a "mute" protagonist is an overused and unnecessary convention.
Also, if you have the main character be voiced, it'll be helpful to ESL players of your game. Sometimes I'll play VNs in Japanese, a language I'm still studying, and the voices make a huge difference to me. Having the main character be silent slows me down immensely and lessens my understanding of what's happening, especially since this is the character I ought to be paying the most attention to.
Also, if you have the main character be voiced, it'll be helpful to ESL players of your game. Sometimes I'll play VNs in Japanese, a language I'm still studying, and the voices make a huge difference to me. Having the main character be silent slows me down immensely and lessens my understanding of what's happening, especially since this is the character I ought to be paying the most attention to.
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Re: Visual Novel, Voiced Main Character?
A mute main character is weird, I wasn't a fan of the Virtue's Last Reward style where he wasn't voiced. However not voicing their thoughts is perfectly fine, a voiced narrator seems like overkill and would slow down the story.
- Allegra Hughes
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Re: Visual Novel, Voiced Main Character?
True that makes sense!Hyraculon wrote:If the rest of the cast is going to be voiced, I'd prefer for the protagonist to be voiced as well. I think having a "mute" protagonist is an overused and unnecessary convention.
That's true. Thanks for the feedback!Hyraculon wrote:Also, if you have the main character be voiced, it'll be helpful to ESL players of your game. Sometimes I'll play VNs in Japanese, a language I'm still studying, and the voices make a huge difference to me. Having the main character be silent slows me down immensely and lessens my understanding of what's happening, especially since this is the character I ought to be paying the most attention to.
- Allegra Hughes
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Re: Visual Novel, Voiced Main Character?
That's true. Having their thoughts narrated could be overkill xD Thanks for the feedback!SundownKid wrote:A mute main character is weird, I wasn't a fan of the Virtue's Last Reward style where he wasn't voiced. However not voicing their thoughts is perfectly fine, a voiced narrator seems like overkill and would slow down the story.
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Re: Visual Novel, Voiced Main Character?
Depends on the person really. I personally don't like voiced protagonists. Or, to put it better, don't mind them but often finding myself not wanting to hear them talk and rather imagine what their voice would sound like.
I've never been a huge fan of voice acting in general though inside and outside this medium so I'm one to talk haha!
Everyone holds a different opinion on the subject at hand as long as you have an option to mute then I think you should just do you. If you can afford it and you like it than it's good to try it out and see how it's recived I believe.
I've never been a huge fan of voice acting in general though inside and outside this medium so I'm one to talk haha!
Everyone holds a different opinion on the subject at hand as long as you have an option to mute then I think you should just do you. If you can afford it and you like it than it's good to try it out and see how it's recived I believe.
Last edited by Hazel-Bun on Wed Feb 19, 2014 6:15 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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- Allegra Hughes
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Re: Visual Novel, Voiced Main Character?
Hmm I see. Thanks for the feedback!Hazel-Bun wrote:Depends on the person really. I personally don't like voiced protagonists. Or, to put it better, don't mind them but often finding myself not wanting to hear them talk and rather imagine what their voice would sound like.
I've never been a huge fan of voice actin in general though inside and outside this medium so I'm one to talk haha!
Everyone holds a different opinion on the subject at hand as long as you have an option to mute then I think you should just do you. If you can afford it and you like it than it's good to try it out and see how it's recived I believe.
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