What are some Do's or Don'ts in your opinion?

[namastaii]

When it comes to releasing visual novel/otome games etc

What are some Don'ts you have seen in games you've played? Things that are unappealing to you? What are your favorite things about a VN? Anyone want to share some Do's and Don'ts?

[trooper6]

Do: Follow your own artistic vision.
Don't: Make your game based on what you think everyone else wants to see.

[namastaii]

I just wanted opinions. For fun... I'm not making a game based off of peoples comments...
Just what people simply like and don't like.

[trooper6]

You misunderstand, I wasn't critiquing your question, I was answering it!
I don't like it when people make games based on what they think everyone else will like (oh...I have to use this art style, it has to have this element, etc)--that is a big don't for me. It results in uninspired and generic work.
And I do like it when people make games based on their own artistic vision. That is a big do for me. Even if the work isn't always successful, it is always more interesting.

[namastaii]

Hahaha I totally thought it was satire. XD I see. Yeah, I do believe everyone should do stuff not based on what they think people like lol Variety is more interesting. Unique is more interesting.

[trooper6]

Hahaha I totally thought it was satire. XD I see. Yeah, I do believe everyone should do stuff not based on what they think people like lol Variety is more interesting. Unique is more interesting.

And honestly, it is one of my biggest pet peeves. There are, IMO, way too many VNs that are following the conventional wisdom of what is supposed to be good. And it gets boring. Show me something I haven't seen already!

[firecat]

my do's and don'ts are:

do: make original VN stories, make sex scenes better (i know i'm bad for saying such thing), make mini-games fun, and tell which one is the bad ending / true ending.

don't: copy same old character traits from another VN, don't make sex scenes 1 minute long (no one likes them for 1min), never take out save button, don't make mini-games a requirement, and never try to sell stuff that can be easy obtained with a few hours of work.

[SundownKid]

Do: Reserve a lot of time and/or money for marketing
Don't: Soft launch a game with barely any fanfare (kinda defeats the point of making one)

Do: Write a full outline before you start writing
Don't: Just wing it.

[fleet]

Do: Have fun.
Do: Use a speller and grammar checker on dialog.
Don't make your first VN a big project.
Don't release your VN without having it Beta-tested by at least one other person.

[RokAbiel]

You misunderstand, I wasn't critiquing your question, I was answering it!
I don't like it when people make games based on what they think everyone else will like (oh...I have to use this art style, it has to have this element, etc)--that is a big don't for me. It results in uninspired and generic work.
And I do like it when people make games based on their own artistic vision. That is a big do for me. Even if the work isn't always successful, it is always more interesting.

This makes me happy, because I often worry that my art style isn't what people would want to see in a visual novel haha..People often tell me that my shading is "interesting", but nothing more than that, so I automatically assume people don't like it since I don't have many active followers on my dA account.


As for my opinion on Do and Don't:

Do: Reserve time to work on your project, even if it only makes just a small amount of progress over-all.
Don't: Push all the work on other people and claim it as your own.

[Mad Harlequin]

Do: Use a speller and grammar checker on dialog.

Adding to this. Don't rely solely on a spelling/grammar checker to check your work. It'll be useful for catching most typos, but that's about it. There are tons of things that it will miss, and it won't teach you how to improve your ability to construct fluid, expressive prose.

Off-topic: haven't we had a few topics similar to this one? Should we redirect discussion to an older thread?

[YossarianIII]

Do: Reserve a lot of time and/or money for marketing
Don't: Soft launch a game with barely any fanfare (kinda defeats the point of making one)

Do: Write a full outline before you start writing
Don't: Just wing it.

I would actually disagree with all of these -- at least as universal writing advice. (They're certainly good advice for specific conditions, though.)

Even if your goal is to make commercial VNs, it might make more sense to focus on the fundamentals of writing, art, and programming before you worry about marketing -- if only because it's easier to sell a good product than a bad one. Personally, I don't think there's anything wrong with soft launching early games before moving on to bigger projects that you want to launch with more fanfare.

And that's all assuming you're in it to make money. I see lots of games on these forums that were clearly just made for fun or even experimental games that were made for some artistic goal -- and that's great! For those types of writers, marketing would be a low priority, if it's one at all. But if you do plan on going all-out on marketing, then SundownKid is absolutely right about making sure to budget enough time/money.

As far as outlining, it seems to be a necessary step for most good writers, but I don't see anything wrong with "winging it" for a little bit to get a feel for a story before nailing down the structure, and then revising as needed. Structure in the final story is important -- but finding your best method for achieving it might take some trial and error.

TL;DR:

Do: Practice.
Don't: Quit.

[mitoky]

Do: Take time for a plot/scene which seems important
Do: Check if the game has a good pace.
Don't: Rush it
Don't: Make a game based on what others want.

Of course time may be a problem when you have a deadline, but when there is time i would prefer people to take it.
Also, i dont like it when the pace/ changes in a game arent smooth. Thats why whenever you have someone to test your game its always good to have them check on the changes.

Example, that scene changes to fast, that is distracting, that scene is too quiet.
I think its important to stay captivated by the game and having others test it that way can show you what needs more atmosphere.

[Razz]

Going off the last three demo's I've play-tested...

Do: Put in an obvious auto button

Don't: Leave it out because reasons

[CSV]

I'll start with general advice. So...

Do: Know your genre. Even if you are going to put a twist on it, check to see what has been done before.
Do: Check all written text for grammatical errors and the like. Even if you writing style isn't the most amazing or unique, it should be free of that sort of mistakes.
Do: Create original/different characters. I am not saying the usual stereotypes have to be left out, but it's frustrating when what you like is in no game at all because the same character-types are being repeated in every one of them.

Don't: Make the story move too slowly (so as not to be boring), nor too fast (which can become awkward).
Don't: Have mismatched art and writing. For example, maybe cutesy art isn't the best for a thriller-themed visual novel.
Don't: Create mandatory mini-games, or endings that can only be achieved through mini-games, since not everyone likes them. UNLESS it is visual novel based mostly around said mini-games, of course.



As for more personal advice...well, the problem is that it is always personal, as it has been stated before. I might love something that a lot of people hate, or vice-versa. You are probably better off doing something you will like yourself; it's more than likely that there's someone that will like the same. It's a matter of finding your "market".