Playing with no MC visual

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Neeka
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Playing with no MC visual

#1 Post by Neeka »

Hello everyone! I am wondering your thoughts on playing a game without the main characters art. It will be written in second person. An example: Aloners.
I thought this way would be best since the player won't have to play as a boy or girl, just play as themselves. The rest of the cast are males. There will be choices to form your own personality and thoughts as this game is more dialogue and character based. What is your opinion?

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Re: Playing with no MC visual

#2 Post by gekiganwing »

Neeka wrote:I am wondering your thoughts on playing a game without the main characters art.
If the reader does not see the protagonist, that's fine. I've enjoyed a number of VNs in which the story is presented through the protag's point of view, and the graphics show what he/she sees.

I've read a few VNs which obscure the protagonist's appearance. In other words, the reader sometimes sees them on screen, but their eyes or sometimes their entire face are hidden. In my opinion, this is not necessarily bad. However, I'm not sure if it's a good way to make the protag relatable (in the sense of "pretend you're this person"). I would not recommend hiding the protagonist's eyes or face.
Neeka wrote:There will be choices to form your own personality and thoughts as this game is more dialogue and character based. What is your opinion?
I like the idea of making the protag malleable. It seems interesting to let the reader define who the person is. Just keep in mind that this will require quite a bit of programming. You'll also need to do extensive playtesting to check for inconsistencies and glitches.

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Re: Playing with no MC visual

#3 Post by Mammon »

While I prefer visible protagonists, there are many games that have a faceless one. Especially the professional ones prefer to have a non-descript brownhaired MC you only see in CGs. So it's most definately possible and it can work. Easier too if you're planning to keep the MC vague for the audience's relatability.

The difficulties may come with underestimating doing this, however. Making a faceless MC can be easy or difficult depending on the rest of your story. Look at the plot and the events, do you think you can easily write it without defining the protagonist? If they do things or have opinions that will make them faced, it's probably best to choose a character for them before they choose for themselves. Once they've chosen, it's harder to write out/change your first draft.

Also, do you have a well-defined plan of how to make the character mallable? And when I say well-defined, I mean actually have what you want to do written out on (digital) paper in any way. Whether it's an outline, a flow diagram, anything. Because if you don't write it out properly, you might be taken by surprise when it turns out to be waaaay too much for you to write. Having tons of diverging paths and dialogues tends to do that.
My suggestion if you don't yet, is to categorise it like how the big games do it: Something simple like 'kind-neutral-jerk' or something like that. And make specific plot points where this may matter, rather than making all choices and interactions matter (and thus making your script x3 in size) or making the choices create many more routes than you planned for.
This may not sound interesting or what you were planning, but assuming this is your first project it's best to start with what's already been done before trying to improve upon it. First experience how difficult and time consuming it is, and where your strengths lie. Even if you don't, at the very least make your neutral route (where the MC stays as faceless as possible) first before making any of the mallable dialogues. If you try to work chronologically on all routes at the same time, you'll be progressing too slowly for your own feeling and probably drop out because it feels like an endless project or because you lose track of all the routes and such you're making.
ImageImageImage

Want some CC sprites?

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Neeka
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Re: Playing with no MC visual

#4 Post by Neeka »

If the reader does not see the protagonist, that's fine. I've enjoyed a number of VNs in which the story is presented through the protag's point of view, and the graphics show what he/she sees.
I like the idea of making the protag malleable. It seems interesting to let the reader define who the person is.
Thanks so much for your feedback! gekiganwing
Look at the plot and the events, do you think you can easily write it without defining the protagonist?
Also, do you have a well-defined plan of how to make the character mallable?
Thanks for the questions mammon! I've definitely got a lot to think about. Also in the past I had tried writing out different branches at once and it did become tiresome and felt like no real progress had been made. Something worth working on!

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