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How many people play with sound?

Posted: Sat Nov 29, 2014 12:11 am
by Nox
Myself, I rarely play with any sound from a visual novel simply because I play other things with audio on the side.

Re: How many people play with sound?

Posted: Sat Nov 29, 2014 2:07 am
by Suika
It depends on the focus. If it's a traditional visual novel with no flashy mechanics, then I almost always play with sound. I like to immerse myself in the story's environment, and sound is a big part of that for me.

On the other hand, if the focus of the VN is less on story and more about other elements (e.g., sim games), then I might play music in the background, and turn the game audio off. Of course, it's a different story if the novel is voiced (no pun intended >.<)

Re: How many people play with sound?

Posted: Sat Nov 29, 2014 2:12 am
by Rossfellow
When it comes to horror, the combination of sound and the uncanny lack of sound really add a lot to the experience, so I have plenty reasons to play with and experiment with sound.

I just wish it was so easy (as someone with no experience with sound design/editing) to acquire the ones I need.

Re: How many people play with sound?

Posted: Sat Nov 29, 2014 5:43 am
by Snowflower
Sound as in sound effect? or BGM as well?

I think when the creator puts music to the visual novels, most of the time it is because they seem fit to the scene. It kind of builds the mood for me. Like music can convey the emotions that the writing alone can't portray? Idk, that's just me.
as for sound effects, I don't care as long as they're not distracting and makes you deviate away from the plot.

Re: How many people play with sound?

Posted: Sat Nov 29, 2014 7:29 am
by truefaiterman
Always, sound is pretty important to me, sets the mood and can add a lot to the experience.

Re: How many people play with sound?

Posted: Sat Nov 29, 2014 7:44 am
by Kia
I play all games with music on 1 to 10 percent and around 20 percent of sound effects, if it has talking I'll have it on 30-40 percent. this way I can watch movies on the side of gaming. but ofc it depends on the game itself.

Re: How many people play with sound?

Posted: Sat Nov 29, 2014 11:34 am
by Shinoki
I usually play visual novels with sound, but that's probably because I feel rude not listening to what other people put their energy into to make, and I don't play in public places.

Re: How many people play with sound?

Posted: Sat Nov 29, 2014 12:33 pm
by SinSisters
I always play the sound! And there's nothing weirder than playing a visual novel which has exactly zero music or sound effects when I'm on the title screen, as I'm constantly checking to see whether the sound even works. In good VN, the music always has a purpose, and NOT having music has a bigger purpose (good for creating a chilling effect if you go from happy music to an abrupt stop, to creepier music)

-Nat

Re: How many people play with sound?

Posted: Sat Nov 29, 2014 12:47 pm
by sasquatchii
I always play with sound & music on. If there's no sound or music, I find it a little unsettling, and sometimes will double check to make sure my headphones are plugged in. I like sound effects, music, & ambience noises. For me, they make the game feel more real and set the mood for the story.

Re: How many people play with sound?

Posted: Sat Nov 29, 2014 6:09 pm
by Morhighan
After experiencing sound novels like Umineko no Naku koro ni, I try to play with sounds on, as I find they add to the game greatly. I am very sensitive to sounds and they tip me off to the feeling of certain scenes that I might not otherwise understand due to my communication disorder.

Re: How many people play with sound?

Posted: Sat Nov 29, 2014 7:00 pm
by kaleidofish
All creators should put audio into their visual novels because there will always be at least one player who plays your VN with sound. :D I love finding music & sfx to fit with the scenes that I'm writing. It takes a while to find the perfect music when you don't have a musician on your team, but the work always pays off!

edit: But to answer the question, I play with sound on.

Re: How many people play with sound?

Posted: Sun Nov 30, 2014 1:40 am
by Kia
kaleidofish wrote:All creators should put audio into their visual novels because there will always be at least one player who plays your VN with sound.
from the looks of it 99% play with sound and at least one plays without sound :mrgreen:

Re: How many people play with sound?

Posted: Sun Nov 30, 2014 8:25 pm
by Auro-Cyanide
Sound is super important to me when gaming, I get annoyed if I can't hear something properly. It effects the mood and the way something is read. The only reason I would turn it off is if someone did a terrible job and it didn't fit the story at all or if it was hurting my ears -x- Otherwise I always have it turned on.

Re: How many people play with sound?

Posted: Sun Nov 30, 2014 8:51 pm
by ketskari
It depends on the music. Sometimes even when I like the music, repetition can make it grating. I also can't read and listen to something that pulls my attention at same time, so sometimes I turn it off if there are dramatic, high pitched, metallic, vocal or electronic sounds (usually some combination of this).

Other than that, my preference is to read a VN with the music.

Re: How many people play with sound?

Posted: Sun Nov 30, 2014 9:02 pm
by LiamExe
I always like to have sound on when playing these sorts of games, since I feel the music and sound effects generally add to the atmosphere of the game, and help paint a better picture of the scene at hand. I'd understand muting the audio if it was for repeated plays or something, though. But I couldn't even imagine playing something through silent for the first time.

As others have said, it helps with the immersion, especially since I like to wear earphones when playing these sorts of things. Sometimes hours can by in the blink of an eye when I'm just fully immersed in the world the story has created. :D