Question about the MC appearance on screen?!

[papillon]

I hate invisible main characters, they creep me out. Far too often they come with unspoken expectations that would be easier to deal with if made explicit.

Of course, there are a number of games who make use of the invisible main character in order to pull a surprise on the player later when you realise you're not controlling who you think you're controlling, so... There are benefits. (Of course, in a lot of those cases the game goes out of its way to make you THINK you know what the protagonist looks like, rather than being completely invisible, in order to make the surprise work better.)

[Kam]

Those bottom appearances.. Like avatars with their lines next to them?
Always found that kinda cheesy in VNs.. especially if they use the same sprite that's in the center of the screen.

Imo, it depends on the game.
Umineko having Battler on-screen was pretty great.
For some VNs, it's vital not to show the MC. Though most only show him on the CGs, and then in plenty of galge them having no eyes/face obscured (self-insertion, ho).
Both work, but if the game is all from the MCs perspective, I'm fine with him not showing as a sprite.
Makes it a little more personal.

[meiri]

I think it comes down as to how your sprites are drawn, as well as the POV.
If your sprites are drawn facing right/left, then you can pull off having the MC on screen, because then it'll look like the characters are speaking with each other. (In this case, I would expect the narration to be third person.)
However if all your sprites face forward, as if talking to the MC, then I wouldnt suggest the MC be on screen as well. (I would imagine this scenario be 1st person.)

If your story is in first person (like the last scenario mentioned) I think it'd be understandable to have a headshot only for the MC, as all the other characters will be on screen and youll be able to see their emotions w/o the headshot.
If its in third person (like the first scenario mentioned) I wouldn't have headshots at all.
I like to see headshots on the left, as I read from left to right

And you didnt ask this, but I do generally like to see the MC in CGs.

[Chocopyro]

I actually prefer B, I've noticed. Not only in games I've played, but its kinda what I'm going for in mine too. I mean having the character appear on screen as a sprite is kinda distracting. I probably won't even notice having nothing to reference the character, which works fine in games where the protagonist is supposed to represent the player, but in the end, I prefer a proactive protagonist with plenty of character to one who is... Passive? A blank slate? Well, back to the point. Having that icon, or at least showing his face in CGs clearly kinda helps me to find them a little more likable and fun to I experience the story through.

Buuut, thats just my opinion.

[Akitsuki]

Personally, I like when the MC appears as headshot when they talk. It feels weird if the MC shows waist-up like the other characters, except if the narration is written in third-person. Though I don't really object when the MC is not shown if it's in first-person, but having the MC's picture in the screen helps me to understand the situations and the feelings more.

[Ishvke]

Personally, I like when the MC appears as headshot when they talk. It feels weird if the MC shows waist-up like the other characters, except if the narration is written in third-person. Though I don't really object when the MC is not shown if it's in first-person, but having the MC's picture in the screen helps me to understand the situations and the feelings more.

Exactly this.

I prefer a bust/belly(lolwut) shot to a headshot though. Headshots just make everything all claustrophobic and gross.

Also, I don't like when a side sprite is to the right of the textbox (B1). Since most western languages & several other languages run left-to-right, most people who grew up as one of those languages as their first grow up to automatically look rtl. As result, (for me anyways lol) when sprites are to the right of the textbox, it feels almost like an afterthought, and I often miss out on a lot of the expression variations and/or they are annoying and awkward to consistently look at.

[Shinoki]

I prefer to have the MC appear on screen if he/she has a name. If it's a nameless character that has basically no background, it's mostly better to keep him/her off screen I guess