Hero's face

A place to discuss things that aren't specific to any one creator or game.
Forum rules
Ren'Py specific questions should be posted in the Ren'Py Questions and Annoucements forum, not here.
Message
Author
yvanc
Regular
Posts: 53
Joined: Tue Feb 20, 2007 9:14 am
Location: Japan
Contact:

Hero's face

#1 Post by yvanc »

Hello,

As you all know, in visual novels, the story is told in the hero's point of view, Most I've seen in commercial VN somehow silhouetted, covered in shadow and sometimes only show the back view without showing the hero's face. In your opinion, do you think its better to add event cg showing the hero's face or not?

User avatar
mikey
Lemma-Class Veteran
Posts: 3249
Joined: Sat Jan 10, 2004 6:03 am
itch: atpprojects
Contact:

#2 Post by mikey »

This depends.

You can have various forms of showing the hero:
- normal
- eyes covered with hair
- face/head not showing at all
- hero not showed at all

What you use is dependent on the situation. If you have a strong character, it makes sense to show his face. If your character is constructed to be able to be "anyone" (so that players can identify with him), it's often fine not to show eyes, and give him very neutral features.

I like to see a face, personally. The best heroes have a face. But then, the more defined the hero, the less "me" in the game.

Ignosco
Veteran
Posts: 273
Joined: Mon Dec 25, 2006 10:48 am
Contact:

#3 Post by Ignosco »

There are quite a few different opinions on the face question here http://lemmasoft.renai.us/forums/viewtopic.php?t=2165. :)

F.I.A
Miko-Class Veteran
Posts: 546
Joined: Wed Sep 21, 2005 10:49 pm
Projects: Winter Shard, EVE, Hyperion
Contact:

#4 Post by F.I.A »

For me, I love to keep those shadowed eyes as well, till the moment when you are no longer in control of the main character(Or when you want to look him/her from 3rd person view).

For example, in Winter Shard...
Frederone's face is only shown in bad routes, where you see him on a throne.
「通りすがりのメーカだ。覚えとけ。」

----------
Winter shard
Image
WIP: Hyperion(Trace unknown), ?????(Progressing)

Sailor Kitty
Veteran
Posts: 282
Joined: Mon Jan 01, 2007 2:32 pm
Contact:

Re: Hero's face

#5 Post by Sailor Kitty »

My VN shows the hero's face when she/he is in conversation. But not when nobody else is around, i don't use sprites.
script is 85% done.
Title is now "Running through water"
and will hopefully stay that way.
Need a poem/lyric?
I'll write one for ya!
http://blog.sanriotown.com/sailorkitty_:hellokitty.com

Boch
Newbie
Posts: 23
Joined: Fri Oct 13, 2006 4:40 am
Contact:

Re: Hero's face

#6 Post by Boch »

I vote for showing his face. Seen too many games with the lead characters having the top part of their faces shadowed, missing, back facing the audience, etc.
Just one more try...

Enerccio
Miko-Class Veteran
Posts: 616
Joined: Thu Oct 26, 2006 4:23 pm
Projects: My Teacher; Songs of Araiah; Something new; Possible Cross Bomber?
Location: Slovakia, Kosice
Contact:

Re: Hero's face

#7 Post by Enerccio »

I don't like to see heros face in other place than event cg (or hcg :D)
Image
http://www.bishojo.tk is technically ONLINE!
Songs of Araiah promo: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CalchucuoDU

chisa-chan
Regular
Posts: 197
Joined: Fri Nov 10, 2006 3:25 am
Location: at a village near Bandung, Indonesia
Contact:

#8 Post by chisa-chan »

At some cases, I'd prefer to show the protagonist's sprite.
Kalau tidak suka ya jangan diladeni, gitu aja kok repot™.
Cynanthia's Blog (Indonesian)

chronoluminaire
Eileen-Class Veteran
Posts: 1153
Joined: Mon Jul 07, 2003 4:57 pm
Completed: Elven Relations, Cloud Fairy, When I Rule The World
Tumblr: alextfish
Skype: alextfish
Location: Cambridge, UK
Contact:

Re: Hero's face

#9 Post by chronoluminaire »

I find the "no-face" heroes irritating. They make me think of closeted otaku hikikomori in darkened rooms, playing galge and trying to pretend that they're really the protagonist rather than someone with no life.

(Okay, that's an exaggeration.)

Books don't try to keep the protagonist anonymous, do they? Nor do films. So it seems a bit silly to me when games do.
I released 3 VNs, many moons ago: Elven Relations (IntRenAiMo 2007), When I Rule The World (NaNoRenO 2005), and Cloud Fairy (the Cute Light & Fluffy Project, 2009).
More recently I designed the board game Steam Works (published in 2015), available from a local gaming store near you!

Wintermoon
Miko-Class Veteran
Posts: 701
Joined: Sat May 26, 2007 3:41 pm
Contact:

Re: Hero's face

#10 Post by Wintermoon »

Show the hero or don't show the hero, as the game requires. However, if you do show the hero, don't hide his face. Face-less characters look creepy.

monele
Lemma-Class Veteran
Posts: 4101
Joined: Sat Oct 08, 2005 7:57 am
Location: France
Contact:

Re: Hero's face

#11 Post by monele »

Books don't try to keep the protagonist anonymous, do they? Nor do films. So it seems a bit silly to me when games do.
You don't really play books or movies though :P. Maybe some people would enjoy a movie totally made in first person view? (I feel this would actually work better in the 18+ entertainment >.>...)
(note: I like fleshed out main charas but I just wanted to point this out ^^)

User avatar
papillon
Arbiter of the Internets
Posts: 4107
Joined: Tue Aug 26, 2003 4:37 am
Completed: lots; see website!
Projects: something mysterious involving yuri, usually
Organization: Hanako Games
Tumblr: hanakogames
Contact:

Re: Hero's face

#12 Post by papillon »

You do in choose your own adventures, and they still have pictures of the main character in the cover and interior artwork... :)

DrakeNavarone
Veteran
Posts: 338
Joined: Mon Mar 06, 2006 2:27 am
Completed: see sig below
Projects: always; never not
Organization: Team BG
Location: PA, USA
Contact:

Re: Hero's face

#13 Post by DrakeNavarone »

I like to see the hero's face, because I prefer "characters" over "avatars" in visual novels. If the hero is a character in the story, and has his own distinct personality, rather than that of the player's, then I say give him a face. If he's supposed to be only a means through which the player interacts with the other characters and is otherwise bland or flat, then feel free to hide his face. Of course, sometimes this choice is a more technical decision than an artistic one. Maybe the artist doesn't have the time to add more character art, or doesn't want to add more to their workload, or doesn't want to waste time on something that will hardly see any "screentime". But knowing you, yvanc, those aren't issues at all.
http://www.twitter.com/drakeynv
The Compendium of Drake:
Starlit Sky ~ Songs of Araiah ~ Mirai Imouto ~ Temple Glen ~ Fuyu no Tabi

User avatar
mikey
Lemma-Class Veteran
Posts: 3249
Joined: Sat Jan 10, 2004 6:03 am
itch: atpprojects
Contact:

Re: Hero's face

#14 Post by mikey »

The other idea is that you may also want a "purely bishoujo" game, meaning no men whatsoever - some games go so far as to not show a protagonist at all, some just hide his face to make him absent (psychologically, since in sex scenes he is present, but by covering his eyes, they cover his "soul", so you're left with the physical side only).

Also you can see this philosophy in bishoujo games that have the option of turning off male voices.

User avatar
DaFool
Lemma-Class Veteran
Posts: 4171
Joined: Tue Aug 01, 2006 12:39 pm
Contact:

Re: Hero's face

#15 Post by DaFool »

I think it goes like this

*highly story-based -> very well-defined main characters -> fewer choices for player (they must conform to main character personality) -> show hero and main character faces

*highly interactive / roleplay / gameplay-based -> playable character is an avater -> more choices for player, which can totally alter the personality depending on player choices -> no need for hero face

Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users