Naming characters, and creating heroines?

[Wootmuffin]

Is it preferable to use English or Japanese names in an anime style otome game? I can't decide. It seems right to use Japanese names simply because the drawings are done in the Japanese anime style, but at the same time I wonder if that's really the best way to go.

Also, if I did go with Japanese names... should I use the honorifics and titles like in manga/anime? (-kun, -chan, -san, sensei, senpai, ect.)

I'm happy going either way really, so I'm wondering which is more "comfortable" or "fun" for the player.

A trend I've also noticed is that a lot of otomes make the heroine as generic as possible, and in the cgs they don't show the girl's face. I assume this is so you can picture yourself in the character's place. Is this the best approach to creating a heroine for an otome game?

I am creating my first ever game, so I'm sorry if my questions are a bit on the weird side. I'm actually pretty excited about my plot idea and the characters I've come up with.

Thanks for taking the time to read my post!
-- Lindsay

[icebluehost]

Art doesn't have anything to do with it. Names depend on the setting of your game. If your characters are living in Japan, then it would be normal for the characters to have Japanese names and to refer to each other with honorifics like -san, -chan, etc... If they're living in America or maybe if the setting is somewhere NOT in Japan, then it would probably be better for you to not use Japanese unless your character was raised to know Japanese culture.

As for the generic heroine, that one is more up to you. There's no 'right' or 'wrong' answer. What's important in this case is the execution. Generic characters aren't bad because it makes the player feel like they're the actual person in the story. But sometimes if the writer fails to make the person believe that they're the heroine, it tends to make the heroine look plain and dull because she has absolutely no personality.

Good luck in your game. I'll be looking forward to it XD

[Wootmuffin]

Thank you for your really quick reply icebluehost!

I have my whole plot already and all the characters, and just had to laugh when I couldn't name them. When I thought about it, I realized that most of the NV games I've played... the characters had Japanese names. I thought with the style of the art and the type of game it was, it might be weird NOT to give them Japanese names (though that might not make sense, to me it seems logical.)

My "heroine" definitely has a background story, though the choices the player makes will probably have an effect on the vibe of the character. I guess I was just wondering if there's a general preference for generic character art, rather than having their actual personality being generic... but... this is the writing section. So I guess I should ask that in the art section rather than this one.

I was thinking of including a path in the game that isn't romantically inclined that ties into the character's backstory. The character's brother is missing and I thought it might be fun to have the option to have the character focus on finding their brother who has run off and left her with all the bills (and as a high school student, has no means to pay them)... do people tend to respond well to nonromantic paths? Or would it be better to include this as a subplot rather than one of the paths?

... Sorry for all the questions, I am a bit excited. I have way too many ideas, I wonder if most of them will even end up in the game.

[gekiganwing]

I thought with the style of the art and the type of game it was, it might be weird NOT to give them Japanese names...

If you want to create a story set in contemporary (or recent past) Japan, or one which includes a lot of first-generation immigrants, you can certainly do so. Just make sure to do a decent amount of research. It's always wise to have a story which gets details correct, though you don't want your story to seem like a research paper or a tourist guide. For instance, there are a lot of honorifics which people use. Misusing them to address a person in real life can be insulting. *If* you use them when creating dialogue for a fictional characters, make sure they're used appropriately.

My "heroine" definitely has a background story, though the choices the player makes will probably have an effect on the vibe of the character. I guess I was just wondering if there's a general preference for generic character art...

Shaping your main character's personality through choices is not a bad idea.

You'll get a thousand different answers if you ask "what should the main character look like?" Therefore, think about how you want to portray her. If you want, you can make her an average person who doesn't show up much or show her face, and wears a standard school uniform. But you can show her body and face too. If you want, you can present her as having a unique appearance (such as a distinct fashion sense or a distinct body type). Some people really gravitate towards non-standard protagonists, but if that's not suited for your purposes, then don't worry about it.

I was thinking of including a path in the game that isn't romantically inclined that ties into the character's backstory. The character's brother is missing and I thought it might be fun to have the option to have the character focus on finding their brother who has run off and left her with all the bills (and as a high school student, has no means to pay them)... do people tend to respond well to nonromantic paths? Or would it be better to include this as a subplot rather than one of the paths?

The "missing brother" idea could be the driving force of your story, or it could be a problem that's only addressed in one of your story routes. Again, I can't provide a single good answer. It's impossible to please everyone: some people like plot, some people like slice of life and love polygons, and some people like a mix of both. If you decide to include your MC's search for her brother into most or even all of your endings, that is a viable decision. If you decide that the MC should look for him in only one route, and just focus on plot, that's another viable decision. Heck, you can even include a Bechdel Test route which is just about the MC's friendship or family relationship with another girl.

I have way too many ideas, I wonder if most of them will even end up in the game.

A lot of professional creators have similar concerns. You'll rarely see an author or a movie director who claims that everything they wanted ended up in the final version.

So yeah, to wrap this up, I recommend starting out by either A) creating an outline, and planning how your story will be shaped, or B) focusing your writing and coding, and let your story shape itself.

[nyaatrap]

One tip. We Japanese tend to avoid using typical Japanese names in recent 20 years. We are naming newborns mixing Japanese and English sounds, especially on girl's name. Like Alice, Maria, e.t.c. Boy's are more conservative though. If you use topical Japanese names on teenagers, it's a bit weird for Japanese too.

[Arowana]

I have my whole plot already and all the characters, and just had to laugh when I couldn't name them. When I thought about it, I realized that most of the NV games I've played... the characters had Japanese names. I thought with the style of the art and the type of game it was, it might be weird NOT to give them Japanese names (though that might not make sense, to me it seems logical.)

Heh, I know what you mean! I always seem to decide on names last and have call my characters things like "shy guy" or "sporty girl" all through the planning/outline stages.

I think it's fine to use anime art regardless of where your characters are from. If you decide to make your characters and settings Japanese, however, then you might have to do a lot of research about Japan and Japanese culture if you're not familiar with it. You just wouldn't want, say, your characters to act like American high school students if they're supposed to be in Japan. ^^;

My "heroine" definitely has a background story, though the choices the player makes will probably have an effect on the vibe of the character. I guess I was just wondering if there's a general preference for generic character art, rather than having their actual personality being generic... but... this is the writing section. So I guess I should ask that in the art section rather than this one.

I think the heroine's appearance would depend on her personality. If she's a plain, ordinary girl who doesn't care much about her looks, then a generic appearance would make sense. But if she's very bold or stylish/fashion-conscious, then a distinct appearance would fit better. You could also make her appearance customizable if you're willing to do some extra artwork and coding.

Personally, really generic "eyeless" heroines freak me out a little haha. But to each their own. There might be some previous discussion on this issue in this thread as well.

I was thinking of including a path in the game that isn't romantically inclined that ties into the character's backstory. The character's brother is missing and I thought it might be fun to have the option to have the character focus on finding their brother who has run off and left her with all the bills (and as a high school student, has no means to pay them)... do people tend to respond well to nonromantic paths? Or would it be better to include this as a subplot rather than one of the paths?

I think this would be really interesting! Well-developed nonromantic paths are great in my book - I like being able to get a happy, meaningful ending without having to hook up with anyone (rather than forever alone = automatic bad end ).

The disappearance of the MC's brother seems like a nice mystery hook, actually, and could be major enough to become an overarching plot element for all the paths. Like perhaps the MC originally sets out trying to find her brother, and meets the other guys along the way (who may or may not be involved in his disappearance?) Maybe the guys try to help her (or stop her) from finding her brother? Maybe the MC has to choose between following a clue leading to her brother or saving one of the other guys? Lol, I'm just throwing out random stuff now.

... Sorry for all the questions, I am a bit excited. I have way too many ideas, I wonder if most of them will even end up in the game.

No worries, I know what you mean! It's really great getting excited about planning your game, and even if you don't use all your ideas, you can write them down and save them for the future. Best of luck with everything!

[Wootmuffin]

Wow! Looks like joining this site was the best decision I could have made. Everyone is really helpful, thank you very much! I am sure I am going to be on this site a lot while I tackle this project. I'm sure that with everyone's help, I'll be able to complete this project. Since it's my first time with this kind of project I was feeling a little worried about it (well, still do feel worried...) but I feel a little more confident now knowing that people are so willing to give me advice when I need it.

Thanks everyone!

[Wootmuffin]

I have taken two years of Japanese because in Alaska we have an "Immersion Program", we do a lot of business with Japan. I wouldn't say I'm ignorant of the culture and can even hold a basic conversation (though I imagine I probably sound like I'm in kindergarten... or worse.) So, I'm not really afraid of using Japanese names or honorifics. I still haven't decided if I should, but I guess I don't really need to worry about it until I start making the actual game. I already have the basic outline down, and just gave everyone working names. Might make it easier to just go with Japan so I can lazily slap a couple of the characters into school uniforms, but... I'm not sure if easy is a good idea. This is currently a solo project, though, so I don't want to get in over my head either.

I'll admit... while my characters are all created and have background stories/jobs/personalities/ect... the setting is a bit ambiguous. There's nothing I've come up that makes me think "Oh, this sounds like it would be in x country." the setting is just a modern city. I guess I should spice up the setting a bit, but I think the plot and characters are interesting on their own.

I think I will definitely incorporate the search for the missing brother into the plot, maybe a bit of mystery will be just what I need to keep the plot engaging! A nonromantic path would be different and fun... I'm not even sure if I want to do bad endings, but I guess you have to have at least one in the event that the player doesn't make choices that fall into any particular path. Maybe... just neutral endings rather than good? The story already does have some sad themes, but I've been doing my best to mix in a little bit of humor here and there to keep it from being too much. I don't know if it's working, but I guess I can have people read it over for me when it's less rough.

[icebluehost]

Might make it easier to just go with Japan so I can lazily slap a couple of the characters into school uniforms, but... I'm not sure if easy is a good idea.

I'll admit... while my characters are all created and have background stories/jobs/personalities/ect... the setting is a bit ambiguous. There's nothing I've come up that makes me think "Oh, this sounds like it would be in x country." the setting is just a modern city. I guess I should spice up the setting a bit, but I think the plot and characters are interesting on their own.

Right there. That is a dangerous way of thinking. You should never choose or decide on something just because you're too lazy to decide or plan it out. The whole story is going to start revolving on your decisions, and having one of the most important aspects of a story, the setting, be chosen out of laziness is not a good way to start a story.

I might sound a bit picky and annoying. Please understand I'm not trying to be mean or anything and I'm not angry at you. I understand that in this case, it's less important because you've already got the setting more or less ready (modern city) and you just need the name of a country inserted there, but I find it's a bad habit to make decisions out of laziness. You have to put in more effort in your plans. Decide on Japan because you WANT it to be in Japan. Not because you can't think of anything else and decide Japan sounds like the most common or the most natural place for the story.

I think I will definitely incorporate the search for the missing brother into the plot, maybe a bit of mystery will be just what I need to keep the plot engaging! A nonromantic path would be different and fun... I'm not even sure if I want to do bad endings, but I guess you have to have at least one in the event that the player doesn't make choices that fall into any particular path. Maybe... just neutral endings rather than good? The story already does have some sad themes, but I've been doing my best to mix in a little bit of humor here and there to keep it from being too much. I don't know if it's working, but I guess I can have people read it over for me when it's less rough.

Like most have already mentioned, most of these details are in your hands now. You can't please everyone so the best you can do is decide on the things that you personally like and hope that there will be some people out there who agree with you. I'm sure it won't be such a big problem because there are all sorts of people in the world XD

Personally I don't think a bad ending is necessary, unless the writer themselves want a bad ending. I also think those games where the player constantly gets killed when she makes a bad decision annoying, but I'm pretty sure there are those out there who like the idea. So it's really up to the writer/developer how they want their game to flow.

[Wootmuffin]

I wouldn't say my setting is "lazy"... it's already decided, the only part I question is the country-- but the only thing that will really be affected by that choice is what I have to draw, not the story. Picking a setting easier to draw wouldn't influence the script (except for names.) Since I'll be doing all the drawing myself... and all the writing... and everything else... picking the "easy" choice isn't necessarily laziness on my part.

Don't worry, I was not offended by your comment. I understand exactly what you mean. I'm on this forum to get advice, so I wont get bent out of shape if someone gives it to me... I just want it to be clear that I am definitely putting a lot of thought into what I'm doing.

[icebluehost]

Well that I can understand XD And as I've already mentioned before, in this case the decision rests entirely on you.

[Wootmuffin]

Hmm... well if no one really has a preference, I guess I'll just see what happens when I start drawing. Maybe my answer will present itself.

[FatUnicornGames]

I personally don't think just because you are doing the art in an 'Anime Style' means you have to make the setting Japan. I think it is more important to write something you know (or something unusual), personally. The scene is pretty saturated with Americans writing VNs in a Japanese setting. Whatever you want to do though.

[Wootmuffin]

That's a good point, it might be good to avoid the Japanese setting just to get something different out there. I'll definitely think about it some more...

[gekiganwing]

If you're still thinking about changing your setting, consider the following:

* Consider having your story happen in a place which you personally know. Model it after towns and schools which you have attended. Change a few details where appropriate.

* Consider having it take place somewhere you'd like to go, but can't. For instance, could the events of your story happen ten, twenty, or thirty years ago? Is the world of your story different from the real world in any way?