Questions on Overall Presentation

[MrDent]

I'm in the process of creating my very first Visual Novel, and I'd like some tips on what people like from it, presentation-wise. I must admit, this is my first real attempt at programming, so I'm not too good at it, and the more I see of the incredibly top-notch VNs on this website, the more I feel like my inexperience shows. I've got a top-notch artist helping me, and I'm putting a lot of effort into finding and photographic the backgrounds myself, so I figure I should find out how to make the game look it's most appealing.

1.) How important do you think a unique GUI is? As of right now, I'm just using the generic one that's already packed into Ren'Py, but I don't think I've seen a game actually use it. If you think it is, do you know somewhere to find free alternative GUIs, or someone who'd help create a GUI for a reasonable price?
2.) What resolution do you think would be best for me to develop the game at? Currently, I have it at the standard 800x600, but all my sprites and backgrounds are in High-Definition, so I can change the resolution easily.
3.) Is the typewriter effect (Sound effects emulating speech) really that frowned upon? Once again, this is an easy fix, but I have my game making a sound whenever someone talks. I use different tones and speeds for different characters to emulate a difference in the characters' voices.
4.) How much space do you prefer the character sprites to take up? I'm just curious here. With the smaller resolution, they take up the majority of the screen, but if I change the resolution, how much space would you like them to take up? (The backgrounds are all filtered, and a few are from strange angles, so having the sprites proportional shouldn't be so much of an issue.)

[Tempus]

1.) How important do you think a unique GUI is?

Check out the CC board and recruitment forums. You can search specific subforums. I don't think a unique UI is that important as long as it doesn't actively go against the game thematically. Definitely change from the default one though since everyone knows what that looks like.

2.) What resolution do you think would be best for me to develop the game at?

If you have HD resources release in HD. There's no reason not to. Also, a 4:3 aspect ratio is a no-no. 800x600, 1024x768, etc are 4:3. Anyone who tells you that's a good idea today is foolish. 16:9 or 16:10 are the way to go.

3.) Is the typewriter effect (Sound effects emulating speech) really that frowned upon?

I think most people would find that annoying, but if you give an option to turn it off it should be fine. Voice acting I would have on by default, but typewriter sounds I would make opt-in. Why is the sound even there? Is someone using a typewriter? It makes no sense.

If you want the VN to look good but aren't planning on becoming an artist yourself, just do your best and then run it by some artists and graphic designers. Though I'd suggest learning some basics of graphic design before finalising the UI.

[RotGtIE]

I would say that the most important thing for the GUI to be is unobtrusive. It's good for your windows and dialogue boxes to match the theme of your story, but they cannot be allowed to make any attempts at stealing the show. Keep 'em nice and quiet so that they don't interrupt my ability to immerse myself in the story.

Couldn't tell you about resolution. Not really a graphics guy.

For any sound which accompanies spoken dialogue, I would suggest you go with an all-or-nothing approach. Silence allows me to imagine the voices of the characters, and fully-voiced lines allow me to hear their tone and inflection the way they were meant to be heard, but anything in between is enormously distracting. I would recommend against any halfway measures.

Most of the interaction in VNs is between characters who are at a normal speaking distance from each other, which is pretty close, so the sprites should be taking up a great deal of the reader's view, especially in the event of a first-person perspective. But it's really all dependent on the scene. I don't think you need any lectures about size, distance, and perspective, so I'd say all you really need to look out for is just ensuring that everything visually makes sense to the reader.

[LIZM]

3.) Is the typewriter effect (Sound effects emulating speech) really that frowned upon? Once again, this is an easy fix, but I have my game making a sound whenever someone talks. I use different tones and speeds for different characters to emulate a difference in the characters' voices.

Sounds to me like you're happy with this feature yourself, and in that case I think you should really keep it, but make it optional for those who find it really distracting/annoying. Personally, I like the typewriter effect and would be happy to see it in more games, actually. (The Phoenix Wright games did a good job with it, for instance. The "voices" in the Animal Crossing series are insanely fun too.)

[MrDent]

Thanks, you guys! This is all very much appreciated, so I'm changing my game accordingly!

[trooper6]

One thing about the typewriter effect: I have no problem with it...if it makes sense. Is it set in a historical time period when people used typewriters? If not....then that is weird for me. I mean a game set in the Renaissance with typewriter sound effects is hard sell for me. Or a game set today with teenagers...when...they don't use manual typewriters.

The next thing is...it also doesn't work as well for me if the the characters aren't in some way related to typing. Let me explain, Phoenix Wright is a lawyer and there are many scenes set in offices...and presumably he has to type up reports...you could also think of what you are reading as having been typed up for a report. Then it is fine. Noir detectives? Cops? Reporters? Sure (as long as it isn't set today when the manual typewriter sound makes no sense). Mimes? Painters? Football players? That doesn't make much sense.

Also, the sound should make sense. So if the text we are reading is in a modern smart phone having population, then maybe rather than a typewriter sound it could be the funny little clicking sound you get when you type on a smart phone. Is it set in the 15th Century? Then maybe the sound should be like someone scribbling on paper.

Anyway, I just feel like whatever is done should make sense in the game world and the game's aesthetics.

My game is set in the 1920s...so there were typewriters. But I'm not using a typewriter sound because
I don't imagine the text the player reads as having been typed out anywhere. The aesthetic is more silent film than reportage so if I wanted sound, I'd probably want some sort of film running through a projector sound. But even then, I imagine that the text the player is reading is happening in speech or inside a character's head. So a typewriter going off would seem a bit strange.

And I say this as a person who likes the idea of typewriter sounds.

[SundownKid]

I'm in the process of creating my very first Visual Novel, and I'd like some tips on what people like from it, presentation-wise. I must admit, this is my first real attempt at programming, so I'm not too good at it, and the more I see of the incredibly top-notch VNs on this website, the more I feel like my inexperience shows. I've got a top-notch artist helping me, and I'm putting a lot of effort into finding and photographic the backgrounds myself, so I figure I should find out how to make the game look it's most appealing.

1.) How important do you think a unique GUI is? As of right now, I'm just using the generic one that's already packed into Ren'Py, but I don't think I've seen a game actually use it. If you think it is, do you know somewhere to find free alternative GUIs, or someone who'd help create a GUI for a reasonable price?
2.) What resolution do you think would be best for me to develop the game at? Currently, I have it at the standard 800x600, but all my sprites and backgrounds are in High-Definition, so I can change the resolution easily.
3.) Is the typewriter effect (Sound effects emulating speech) really that frowned upon? Once again, this is an easy fix, but I have my game making a sound whenever someone talks. I use different tones and speeds for different characters to emulate a difference in the characters' voices.
4.) How much space do you prefer the character sprites to take up? I'm just curious here. With the smaller resolution, they take up the majority of the screen, but if I change the resolution, how much space would you like them to take up? (The backgrounds are all filtered, and a few are from strange angles, so having the sprites proportional shouldn't be so much of an issue.)

1) Incredibly important. A good GUI can mean the difference between an amateurish looking and professional game. You can put up a help wanted ad for a GUI designer for Ren'py, or alternatively, check the imagebutton GUI tutorial, make one yourself using placeholder graphics, and hire any graphic designer to create the elements.

2) Try to make it in HD if possible. No one has screens that are that res anymore, so you will probably want to increase the size to 1280x720, 1366x768, or 1920x1080. (If you do make it at that res, there are ways to create a downscaled window.)

3) I am fine with a typewriter effect, but you should probably make it an optional thing for people who dislike it.

4) It kind of depends. Check other indie or commercial VNs for examples of how it could look.

[Barzini]

1.) How important do you think a unique GUI is? As of right now, I'm just using the generic one that's already packed into Ren'Py, but I don't think I've seen a game actually use it. If you think it is, do you know somewhere to find free alternative GUIs, or someone who'd help create a GUI for a reasonable price?

Incredibly important. You can have the best game in the world, but if I don't feel getting past your main menu, your VN won't be played. Think of your GUI like branding for your game. I believe there are aspiring people in this forum that are willing to help.

2.) What resolution do you think would be best for me to develop the game at? Currently, I have it at the standard 800x600, but all my sprites and backgrounds are in High-Definition, so I can change the resolution easily.

16:9 - Always aim for 16:9

3.) Is the typewriter effect (Sound effects emulating speech) really that frowned upon? Once again, this is an easy fix, but I have my game making a sound whenever someone talks. I use different tones and speeds for different characters to emulate a difference in the characters' voices.

Not much of an opinion on this...

4.) How much space do you prefer the character sprites to take up? I'm just curious here. With the smaller resolution, they take up the majority of the screen, but if I change the resolution, how much space would you like them to take up? (The backgrounds are all filtered, and a few are from strange angles, so having the sprites proportional shouldn't be so much of an issue.)

Take a look at If My Heart Had Wings or Kono Oozara ni Tsubasa wo Hirogete - I think they pulled it off well.

[Katy133]

1.) How important do you think a unique GUI is? As of right now, I'm just using the generic one that's already packed into Ren'Py, but I don't think I've seen a game actually use it. If you think it is, do you know somewhere to find free alternative GUIs, or someone who'd help create a GUI for a reasonable price?

I think GUI's are very important, as they should be used to help tell the story and set the tone of the visual novel.

I'd recommend looking through Visual Novel Interfaces Tumblr Blog to see VN GUI examples.

2.) What resolution do you think would be best for me to develop the game at? Currently, I have it at the standard 800x600, but all my sprites and backgrounds are in High-Definition, so I can change the resolution easily.

1280x720 is now becoming the more standard resolution. And as time progresses, it seems that VNs in 800x600 may appear to look outdated by players.

3.) Is the typewriter effect (Sound effects emulating speech) really that frowned upon? Once again, this is an easy fix, but I have my game making a sound whenever someone talks. I use different tones and speeds for different characters to emulate a difference in the characters' voices.

I think the typewriter effect not only can be used well, but has been used well in the past. The story-driven games, Longest Night and Lost Constellation are both good examples of the typewriter effect done right. It adds to the tone and the characters. For example, the bear character in Longest Night has a "deeper" sound, whereas the witch character in Lost Constellation--billed, "The Huncher"--has a more "spooky" sound effect, especially when compared to the player character.

I'd recommend playing them (they're free) or finding a "Let's Play" video of them to see what I mean:
- Longest Night: http://www.nightinthewoods.com/ (scroll to the bottom)
- Lost Constellation: http://finji.itch.io/lost-constellation

4.) How much space do you prefer the character sprites to take up? I'm just curious here. With the smaller resolution, they take up the majority of the screen, but if I change the resolution, how much space would you like them to take up? (The backgrounds are all filtered, and a few are from strange angles, so having the sprites proportional shouldn't be so much of an issue.)

I'd recommend looking at screenshots of past VNs and finding examples of what "works" and what doesn't for you. Ask yourself which examples look "too crowded" vs. sprites that appear to be "too far away".

You should also take into account the player's POV. If it's in first-person (the player character does not have a sprite or has their sprite in the UI), then you may want the sprites to appear bigger (to appear "closer" to you) than if the VN is in third person.