should I make my game an EA with no characters

[RainMe]

I am planning to release my game as an EA version with only 30% of the characters and around 60% of the bgs and no scenes. the goal is just to test the story and to get done with it.
here is an example of how my unfinished characters will look like in the EA version

do you think this is a good idea

[morinoir]

Isn't there other way to test your story? Is the early access free or paid? Because if it's paid, for me personally, if I'm going to invest in your game, it should at least hook me up visually just like a book cover does. And in early access, I think people who play will expect some well-planned updates. If you're still pondering whether to continue your project or stopping after early access, I say just hire an editor or look for volunteers who can give feedback to your story and script.

I think it's also better if you focus on finishing your demo for now rather than forcing early access. Polished demo will give player better experience than full game with unfinished assets.

[Elsa Kisiel]

Personally, I don't play early access games even when it's good because I prefer to experience games when they are completed, when they are as intended by their author. So, if the game looks interesting, I'll just come back later to see if it's finished.

I'm even less interested in an early access visual novel. Once I got every endings, I don't "read again" visual novels, so if I'm reading it in early access, that means I'm never going to read the full version.

[wulfmune]

I've read some interactive fiction I really loved that had no backgrounds or character at all. I feel like for immersion purposes, either one should go all out on visuals or skip them completely. Incomplete or poorly implemented visuals are too distracting and kill a good story for me.