The usage of "you"

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Mikan
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The usage of "you"

#1 Post by Mikan »

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    "\n  You feel awkward in it. You wonder if you really have to wear this to school everyday."
    "\n  It makes you look like a dork. It makes you feel like a dork."
All throughout high school and freshman comp, I've been told to avoid using the pronoun "you", but I tried using "you" anyway. I guess I could write the dialog in the format of
"Billy"
'I look so dorky in this outfit. Am I really going to have to wear this to school every day?'
but I think using 'you' kind of makes it seem more like the player of the game is participating instead of the main character of the game.
Then again, 'you' feels kind of rude.

What say you, English experts?

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Re: The usage of "you"

#2 Post by Samu-kun »

Aren't 99.9% of all visual novels written in the first person? So I don't think the word "you" should really appear in the narration at all unless the narrator is talking to somebody else. Besides, it'd feel really awkward since there'd be a separation between the narrator and the player. It'd be like they were two separate entities, so it'd be harder to get into the game.

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Re: The usage of "you"

#3 Post by lordcloudx »

Of course, I don't think it's a good idea to start every sentence with "you" like in your example. Maybe change the sentence structure to avoid redundant speech.
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Re: The usage of "you"

#4 Post by Asceai »

I wouldn't say 99.9% are written in first person. Fewer are written in third person than first person, but a decent chunk still are. Certainly more than 0.01%.

I must admit second person is rather rare, though. I can't recall a VN that I've seen using it.

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Re: The usage of "you"

#5 Post by luminarious »

Second person is used a lot in interactive fiction and text-based adventures. So it can work, it's just that when writing, try not to overdo with the word itself.. :)

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Re: The usage of "you"

#6 Post by honoreixix »

writing in the second person is a bit hard... but if you write it well enough you can make the reader (or player in a VN's case) really feel as if what's written is what's happening...
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Re: The usage of "you"

#7 Post by chronoluminaire »

There's been a thread or two on this topic in this forum already - see this thread, for example.

Basically, first person ("I go to school") is the default for VNs, and lets the player get inside the main character's thoughts more easily.
Third person ("Kaito goes to school") is seen in some VNs (like Kana ~Little Sister~), and gives a more detached, storytelling style.
Second person ("You go to school") is very rare in VNs (although yes, much more common in text adventures). It'll get you some attention for being so unusual, if you finish and release a VN in this style. Some people don't like it for VNs because it's trying to say it's the player (Chronoluminaire) rather than the main character (Kaito) who's in the story, and it can interfere with immersion when the main character does something that the player wouldn't.

Fundamentally, though, you should go with whichever you want to. VNs are a form of artistic expression, and if you want to try something unusual, feel free :)
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Re: The usage of "you"

#8 Post by luminarious »

chronoluminaire wrote:Fundamentally, though, you should go with whichever you want to. VNs are a form of artistic expression, and if you want to try something unusual, feel free :)
If feeling especially brave, one might even try plural forms.. :roll:

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Re: The usage of "you"

#9 Post by Jake »

luminarious wrote: If feeling especially brave, one might even try plural forms.. :roll:
Or if you're trying to write a VN in which the player takes the role of the Queen!

"We arrive at the school, ushered in through the rear lest Our appearance causes turmoil. We thought We saw two girls kissing behind the sheds, but that cannot have happened as lesbians don't exist. Nonetheless, We are not amused."
Server error: user 'Jake' not found

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Re: The usage of "you"

#10 Post by papillon »

Twincest-as-protagonist game!

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Re: The usage of "you"

#11 Post by luminarious »

Siamese twins? That would surely give a new perspective..

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Re: The usage of "you"

#12 Post by PyTom »

Jake wrote:Or if you're trying to write a VN in which the player takes the role of the Queen!
Or if you're trying to write a VN where the player takes on the role of Queen!

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Re: The usage of "you"

#13 Post by Asceai »

chronoluminaire wrote:Basically, first person ("I go to school") is the default for VNs, and lets the player get inside the main character's thoughts more easily.
Third person ("Kaito goes to school") is seen in some VNs (like Kana ~Little Sister~), and gives a more detached, storytelling style.
Actually, I think Kana Imouto is basically all first-person. There are a number of third-person VNs, though, like Gekkou no Carnevale, and it's certainly an interesting style.

To be honest, I like mixed first and third person, with changing perspectives. The easiest example that comes to mind is Devil on the G String.

EDIT:
I would play a VN where you take on the role of Her Majesty the Queen OR Queen. Can't really go wrong with either =p

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Re: The usage of "you"

#14 Post by Mirena (lazy mode) »

Well, I'm one of the people who can't stand "you" at all. I prefer to think of the protagonist as a separate person, telling his/her story. When "you" is used, it often makes me feel uncomfortable.

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Re: The usage of "you"

#15 Post by 000 »

Second person storytelling? Like, then someone tell you what you are/were doing??? Ugh, I wonder just how ankward I would feel reading that...
<feels sowwy for his Engrish>

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