Times New Roman

[Maverynthia]

So I was wondering if the Times New Roman font is OK to be packed with a commercial game. Not that I have anything commercial planned yet but there might be.
A sub question, what about a free game?

Why Times New Roman, becuase I kinda like the look of it and if it's good enough for AksysGames and ideaFactory Intl... WHY NOT!

(If anybody has suggestions for fonts that look the same but slightly different with a bold look that would be free to use I'm listening.

[SundownKid]

I personally suggest using sans serif fonts in a visual novel. This is because the text box is usually only one or two lines and therefore it doesn't need the serifs (the purpose of serifs are to be able to easily read text in large blocks by providing a baseline). Times New Roman is a serif font and is best suited for large blocks of text like prose, books and essays.

I suggest browsing Google Fonts for suitable fonts that are about balanced in every aspect. I really hate whatever font face Ren'py uses by default. Everything in Google Fonts is free to use commercially.

[Maverynthia]

I agree the default renpy font is.. =_ = I really wish people would switch from it. I also wish they'd not keep the bolded names.. BUT... What can you do...

However for Visual Novels I myself personally find serif fonts to be be most readable, because they are like a book. And like I said, if it's good enough for Visual Novel giants then why not. Though seriously I wish Aksys/IdeaFactory would use the font that came in the original game. Which looks like a serif font, but without the serifs. Like nice wide parts with a curving thin part:
https://s.vndb.org/sf/45/84045.jpg
https://s.vndb.org/sf/09/48009.jpg

Amnesia looks like it actually uses a serif (semi-serif?) font:
https://s.vndb.org/sf/23/22823.jpg
Though the text is tiny.

[KuroOneHalf]

Huh? You guys don't like Dejavu Sans? I think it looks pretty good. :o
Which ones do you guys prefer over it then?

Also Maverynthia, comparing fonts for Japanese characters with fonts for Roman alphabet languages isn't a good 1:1 comparison to make. The way the characters are drawn is very different, so what looks good in one probably doesn't translate to something as good looking in the other. You'd be best using Roman alphabet fonts as reference.

Unless you're writing your visual novel in Japanese, in which case it'd be relevant to say so.

[Kailoto]

Huh? You guys don't like Dejavu Sans? I think it looks pretty good.
Which ones do you guys prefer over it then?

I don't dislike the font. It's a pretty good sans serif font, and a decent choice for the default in Ren'Py. It's just that, though... it's default, and a lot of visual novels don't bother to switch it. And that sort of grates after seeing it more than a few times.

As for where I stand on font usage: sans serif all the way. I can understand the appeal of serif fonts, and it might suit a high fantasy or other lore-heavy setting, but as SundownKid already stated, the serifs serve no functional purpose and don't really fit more relaxed prose. Maybe it's all the papers I've had to write, but I always associate Times New Roman with academia or "work" composition, and therefore am thrown off whenever it shows up in fiction. I take serious consideration into choosing a font before I even start writing, because selecting a font with a style that meshes with the tone of the work is very important in my opinion.

In the end, it's up to the individual, though... just remember that fonts have both form and function, so don't neglect one in favor of the other.

[Maverynthia]

OK getting back to the topic, does anyone know if Time new Roman is allowable to be shipped with a VN either commercially or not?

[SinnyROM]

You can try researching whether or not Times New Roman is available in the public domain. I think it's safer to find another serif font that is in the public domain. Google Fonts and Font Squirrel are good places to look through, and you can filter by different styles.

[Kailoto]

OK getting back to the topic, does anyone know if Time new Roman is allowable to be shipped with a VN either commercially or not?

Ah, I completely forgot about this part of the question. My bad.

Now again, legal disclaimer, not an attorney, blah blah blah, but from what I understand, if you have access to the font from a Microsoft computer - in other words, if you have Times New Roman because the font came installed on your Microsoft computer - then the license permits you to use the font in commercial form, as long as it's electronic. So if you wanted to print something with the font or use it for you business, you might have to buy the license instead.

For a visual novel, I think using the font would be okay, but once again the question moves to whether or not it's a good choice even if it's permissible. You'd probably be better off using a free font (there's a lot out there) similar to TNR to stay on the safe side.

[trooper6]

OK getting back to the topic, does anyone know if Time new Roman is allowable to be shipped with a VN either commercially or not?

A quick google would help with that question.
For example, there is a wikipedia page on the font Times New Roman: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Times_New_Roman
It says that the font has a proprietary license. So I wouldn't use it if I were you. That page does, however, list some free variants of Times New Roman you could use.

[Laniessa]

https://www.microsoft.com/typography/faq/faq11.htm

You can usually use the fonts commercially (printed poster text for example), but you can’t redistribute them. Since you’ll be packaging the font with the game, I’d advise against using Times New Roman.

Edit: Here’s a list of commercially free-to-use serif paragraph fonts, if you wanted to browse for something.

[annpan]

You can used Times New Roman if you take the responsibility of solely contacting the creator and paying a small or large fee to gain license rights to be able to use it commercially/redistribute it. Roundabout way to go about things... Errr, that is what I'm doing with my fonts if I ever get to that stage. Is indecisive about game being commercial or free.

[synedraacus]

First, whether or not it's legally available, Times New Roman carries a certain stigma: it is everywhere. Using it for a printed/electronic document means "I either haven't yet figured out how to switch fonts in Word or didn't bother", which is hardly the kind of feel you want in a game. Of course, for renpy DejaVu Sans has the same problem.
Second, it's not really a VN kind of font, as SundownKid has already pointed out. You may indeed want to use serif if you plan to show more than a couple of paragaraphs of text most of the time (ie if you are making an interactive fiction and not a typical VN). But even in this case you'll be better off with something fancier. I personally like Old Standard for this kind of things because it has a nice old-fashioned Cyrillic; if my memory serves, Garamond worked pretty well in "80 days".

[sasquatchii]

Times New Roman is a serif font and is best suited for large blocks of text like prose, books and essays.

Sure, Times New Roman was created specifically for large condensed blocks of text (for newspapers in the early 30s), and serif typefaces are frequently used in books because they are easier to read in condensed paragraphs of text.

That said, there's no reason to advise or suggest sans serifs over serifs.

Serif typefaces are gorgeous when used well, and just as effective as sans serifs. Using sans serifs for everything is a design trend that has been on the rise for a good while now. I think people shy away from the serifs because the defaults (the web ones & the ones installed on everyones computer) have been used to death by everyone everywhere, and since not everyone is a designer sometimes the fonts get misused or used badly.

When I was starting out as a fledgling graphic designer, I too, disliked serif typefaces. They felt unfriendly, corporate, and too formal. But once I started learning more about typography I quickly realized that serif fonts are our friends! Seriously, though. When used well they are actually quite beautiful and can add a lot of personality and beauty to a design or a GUI.

That said, I have to agree with synedraacus, who said:

Times New Roman carries a certain stigma: it is everywhere.

It's true. Times New Roman is EVERYWHERE. It's the default in a lot of programs like word, so using a font that everyone knows and hates (sort of like papyrus and comic sans) is usually a bad idea. You might be better served picking a serif that isn't the default.

[Solthomir]

This thread is a month old, but I thought it would help to add direct links to several free Times New Roman alternatives. (The Wikipedia page on Times New Roman is informative, but not very helpful if you just want to download and use a font in Ren'Py.)

TeX Gyre Termes (extended version of Nimbus Roman, Times New Roman; GUST e-foundry License 1.0)
http://www.fontsquirrel.com/fonts/tex-gyre-termes

Liberation Serif (metrically compatible with Times New Roman; Red Hat Liberation License 1.0):
http://www.fontsquirrel.com/fonts/Liberation-Serif

Linux Libertine (Times New Roman alternative; SIL Open Font License):
http://www.linuxlibertine.org/index.php?id=91&L=1

Tinos (extended version of Liberation Serif; Apache License 2.0):
http://www.fontsquirrel.com/fonts/tinos

[Fox Lee]

In addition to the advice other people have given, if you do use a serif font (which I do find desirable sometimes, mostly when the more contemporary look of a sans-serif sort of kills the mood for your story), it's a good idea to search for one with "true" italics. That is, an italic/oblique variant where the glyphs are redrawn to suit, not just slanted right. Many freeware fonts don't include one, but it's worth finding one that does, if your story uses any italics at all. (I think a couple of Solthomir's examples do, IIRC.)

As for the original question, I don't think you're technically allowed to bundle Times New Roman with software, under its license. But even if you were, its commonality makes it a shaky choice design-wise. By virtue of being the MS Office default since forever, you may also get people who find it grating in a narrative. Like, I don't know if anybody else has this experience, but I find it really hard to "hear" a character's voice when the text in which they're speaking instantly makes me think of a feasibility study ^^;