Universal Survey on Visual Novel Preferences

[yummy]

1. How many games on the Renai Archives have you played?
e) 8 to 15

2. Of those games that you played, what made you most want to download them?
d) The story preview interested you

3. As a creator, what do you believe is the ideal game length?
d) 45 to 60 minutes

4. As a player, what do you believe is the ideal game length?
e) 1 to 2 hours

5. At which file size would you NOT download a game regardless of content?
e) 500+ mb

6. "I would not download a romance visual novel where none of the datable characters appeal to me."
a) True

7. As a creator, I believe the most important aspect about visual novels is
c) Focusing on plot structure and progression

8. I think gameplay in visual novels
c) is a distraction, but I'll play through it anyways because I don't want to miss anything

9. As a creator, your philosophy on the number of datable girls is that
b) there should be two or three girls so that you can give the player some options, but still maintain a relatively small budget

10. I would include 18+ content in my game in order to
b) add something that the deepens plot - and *only* if it adds something to the plot

11. I most favor
c) Genki Girls (girls with a lot of energy)

12. "The player should never be presented with bad ends that do not resolve the story by themselves."
a) True

13. What are your thoughts on English voice acting in visual novels?
c) I don't particularly have any strong feelings as long as they are of average quality or higher

14. How much do you READ WIP topics in the message board?
b) I only read topics for games that interest me

15. How much do you RESPOND to topics in the WIP forum?
b) Rarely

16. If you do respond to the WIP topic, what is it about them that makes you respond?
b) Interesting story premise

17. What are your blanket thoughts on art in the visual novels made on Lemmasoft?
c) They're about what you expect for free games

18. What are your blanket thoughts on the length of the visual novels made on Lemmasoft?
a) They're way too short and need to be much longer

19. Imagine a visual novel making team. Who holds the ultimate authority over the project direction?
d) A visual novel making team should always have a producer that exclusively decides the project direction

20. "Visual novels should be in the first person."
b) False

21. How defined and concrete should the protagonist look in a romance visual novel?
d) Totally unique. He should look very different from any ordinary person - for example, be very muscular, have scars, red/white eyes, etc.

22. I will not play a game that has this content, no matter what. (Check all that apply)
[ ] - Any 18+ sexual content
[ X ] - Bloody gore
[ X ] - Incest
[ ] - Student - Teacher relationships
[ X ] - Yaoi
[ ] - Tentacles
[ X ] - Depictions of underage sex
[ X ] - Rape
[ ] - Other (write in)

23. "I market my games outside of the Lemmasoft community."
b) False

24. "I favor anime styled visual novels over other styles."
a) True

[Adorya]

1. How many games on the Renai Archives have you played?
d) 3 to 7

2. Of those games that you played, what made you most want to download them?
d) The story preview interested you

3. As a creator, what do you believe is the ideal game length?
f) 2 hours or more

4. As a player, what do you believe is the ideal game length?
c) 20 to 45 minutes

5. At which file size would you NOT download a game regardless of content?
f) 1+ gb

6. "I would not download a romance visual novel where none of the datable characters appeal to me."
a) True

7. As a creator, I believe the most important aspect about visual novels is
c) Focusing on plot structure and progression

8. I think gameplay in visual novels
c) is a distraction, but I'll play through it anyways because I don't want to miss anything

9. As a creator, your philosophy on the number of datable girls is that
b) there should be two or three girls so that you can give the player some options, but still maintain a relatively small budget

10. I would include 18+ content in my game in order to
b) add something that the deepens plot - and *only* if it adds something to the plot

11. I most favor
a) Tsunderes

12. "The player should never be presented with bad ends that do not resolve the story by themselves."
a) True

13. What are your thoughts on English voice acting in visual novels?
c) I don't particularly have any strong feelings as long as they are of average quality or higher

14. How much do you READ WIP topics in the message board?
b) I only read topics for games that interest me

15. How much do you RESPOND to topics in the WIP forum?
b) Rarely

16. If you do respond to the WIP topic, what is it about them that makes you respond?
c) To correct the author's mistakes

17. What are your blanket thoughts on art in the visual novels made on Lemmasoft?
b) They're bad, but you're willing to play for the sake of the story

18. What are your blanket thoughts on the length of the visual novels made on Lemmasoft?
c) They're the right length

19. Imagine a visual novel making team. Who holds the ultimate authority over the project direction?
a) The writer

20. "Visual novels should be in the first person."
b) False

21. How defined and concrete should the protagonist look in a romance visual novel?
c) Very defined - his face should be visible, and he should have more defining features, such as distinctive hair style or accessories.

22. I will not play a game that has this content, no matter what. (Check all that apply)
[ ] - Any 18+ sexual content
[ ] - Bloody gore
[ ] - Incest
[ ] - Student - Teacher relationships
[] - Yaoi
[ ] - Tentacles
[ ] - Depictions of underage sex
[ ] - Rape
[X] - None

23. "I market my games outside of the Lemmasoft community."
b) False

24. "I favor anime styled visual novels over other styles."
a) True

[lunasspecto]

1. How many games on the Renai Archives have you played?
d) 3 to 7

2. Of those games that you played, what made you most want to download them?
d) The story preview interested you

3. As a creator, what do you believe is the ideal game length?
b) Between 5 to 20 minutes

4. As a player, what do you believe is the ideal game length?
b) Between 5 to 20 minutes

5. At which file size would you NOT download a game regardless of content?
e) 500+ mb

6. "I would not download a romance visual novel where none of the datable characters appeal to me."
b) False
I generally don't download the make-your-own-romance style VNs anyway.

7. As a creator, I believe the most important aspect about visual novels is
c) Focusing on plot structure and progression

8. I think gameplay in visual novels
a) is great and doesn't need to be optional

9. As a creator, your philosophy on the number of datable girls is that
b) there should be two or three girls so that you can give the player some options, but still maintain a relatively small budget

10. I would include 18+ content in my game in order to
e) I would never include 18+ content in my game

11. I most favor
n) Other - I really don't enjoy all these archetypes.

12. "The player should never be presented with bad ends that do not resolve the story by themselves."
b) False

13. What are your thoughts on English voice acting in visual novels?
c) I don't particularly have any strong feelings as long as they are of average quality or higher

14. How much do you READ WIP topics in the message board?
b) I only read topics for games that interest me

15. How much do you RESPOND to topics in the WIP forum?
b) Rarely

16. If you do respond to the WIP topic, what is it about them that makes you respond?
b) Interesting story premise

17. What are your blanket thoughts on art in the visual novels made on Lemmasoft?
d) They're good, considering that they're for free

18. What are your blanket thoughts on the length of the visual novels made on Lemmasoft?
d) They're too long and need to be shortened a bit

19. Imagine a visual novel making team. Who holds the ultimate authority over the project direction?
d) A visual novel making team should always have a producer that exclusively decides the project direction

20. "Visual novels should be in the first person."
b) False
I think people any point of view is acceptable as long as it's used well.

21. How defined and concrete should the protagonist look in a romance visual novel?
c) Very defined - his face should be visible, and he should have more defining features, such as distinctive hair style or accessories.

22. I will not play a game that has this content, no matter what. (Check all that apply)
[X] - Any 18+ sexual content
[ ] - Bloody gore - I can handle it if it isn't downright excessive. I honestly thought Winter Shard was a bit over-the-top in this respect, if that gives you any idea.
[X] - Incest
[X] - Student - Teacher relationships
[ ] - Yaoi - Well, if it isn't "18+" stuff...
[X] - Tentacles
[X] - Depictions of underage sex
[X] - Rape - I could accept this if and only if it was decidedly non-explicit and fit into a well-written story, et cetera. Actually, I guess that goes for most of the other stuff, too. Except tentacles. Sorry, mugenjohncel.
[ ] - Other (write in)
Yeah, sometimes I wonder if I don't really fit in here....

23. "I market my games outside of the Lemmasoft community."
b) False

24. "I favor anime styled visual novels over other styles."
b) False

Incidentally, I hope to release a Ren'Py game I've been working on by Monday April 27. We'll see whether I meet that goal.

[Samu-kun]

The most updated statistics, now in a graphic file!

[Samu-kun]

And now, a compilation of all the other responses that people have written in, edited for parsimony.

I might not have been able to capture all of them, but I can guarantee that I have at least 95% of them.

1. How many games on the Renai Archives have you played?
3-15

2. Of those games that you played, what made you most want to download them?
2 Recommended by friend
A shot for each release
a to e
a and d
a, c, and d
a, b, and d
Too subjective.
To gauge the "State of the Nation"
Both the artwork looked appealing, as did the story
Attractive screen shot on first pass, then story descriptions

3. As a creator, what do you believe is the ideal game length?
5 Depends
1+ hours

4. As a player, what do you believe is the ideal game length?
3 Depends

5. At which file size would you NOT download a game regardless of content?
9 None of the above

6. "I would not download a romance visual novel where none of the datable characters appeal to me."

7. As a creator, I believe the most important aspect about visual novels is
Storytelling, in a manner which utilises the strength of the medium
Achieving the desired emotional impact
Making it enjoyable
Telling engaging stories
b and c
Telling an engaging story using the power of both visuals and sound.
That the characters, datable or not, are emotionally realistic, unique and don't annoy me.
Telling a nice story in a visually pleasing way.
A consistent overall package with no apparent glaring flaws.
Mix of c, b, a
An engaging plot that requires 'choices' and branching to properly tell the story
b, c, and d

8. I think gameplay in visual novels
a or b, depending on game
Depends on what kind of gameplay
Depends on the difficulty level

9. As a creator, your philosophy on the number of datable girls is that
8 Depends on story
Not concerned
c with b's approach: good amount of options without overdoing it.
Why would a VN would be solely and exclusively about this?
Whats the budget problem? Write as much as you want
There should be as many as are needed to make a good story
As many as the creator can control and keep both necessary and equally important

10. I would include 18+ content in my game in order to
Does not appeal to me
If it is part of the game
Complete the story
b and d
Mix between plot with fanservice.

11. I most favor
2 Non stereotypical
5 Don't care
Capable selfless custodian
Clever girls
Shy, sad, and lonely.
Guys
Meganekkos
Characters that feel real
True to life girls
Characters that aren't shallow
Cute, normal girls
Characters who act responsible and know how to keep their cool.
a and d
a, e, f and traps
a, e, g, and h
Don't enjoy all these archetypes

12. "The player should never be presented with bad ends that do not resolve the story by themselves." Depends on story

13. What are your thoughts on English voice acting in visual novels?
2 Good voice acting > no voice acting > bad voice acting

14. How much do you READ WIP topics in the message board?

15. How much do you RESPOND to topics in the WIP forum?

16. If you do respond to the WIP topic, what is it about them that makes you respond?
a to f
Don't know
If I feel like I have a helpful suggestion to make
Mix of c, d, e
Depends on the topic, if there's some kind of an option I want to voice.
a and/or f
a, b d, f
a, b, d, e, f
b and c
a and b

17. What are your blanket thoughts on art in the visual novels made on Lemmasoft?
Mixed
a, d, and e

18. What are your blanket thoughts on the length of the visual novels made on Lemmasoft?
2 Don't care
Never played a full one
Between b and c
Depends on game

19. Imagine a visual novel making team. Who holds the ultimate authority over the project direction?
Depends on team
The team
The person most capable
a and d

20. "Visual novels should be in the first person.”
2 Doesn't matter
2 Depends on story
2 Depends

21. How defined and concrete should the protagonist look in a romance visual novel?
2 Don't care
4 Depends on story
Anything but A

22. I will not play a game that has this content, no matter what. (Check all that apply)
Yaoi ero
Male pregnancy
An environmentalist message
Moe
Abuse

23. "I market my games outside of the Lemmasoft community."
Not sure

24. "I favor anime styled visual novels over other styles."
2 Don't care

[chronoluminaire]

1. How many games on the Renai Archives have you played?
f) 16 or more
About 35, I think.

2. Of those games that you played, what made you most want to download them?
b) Popular thread on Lemmasoft
With elements of d) (story looks interesting) and a) (graphics look attractive), but more than anything else it's the ones that other forumgoers rate highly that I'm likely to play.

3. As a creator, what do you believe is the ideal game length?
e) 1 to 2 hours
Happy with anything between 30min and 2hours, and there's certainly a place for shorter games. But for a "full-size" game that I'm making, I'd aim for between 1 and 2 hours' playtime.

4. As a player, what do you believe is the ideal game length?
ABSTAIN
This is really hard to answer. Any length can be fine, and there can be times when I want to play something short, and times when I want to play something longer.

5. At which file size would you NOT download a game regardless of content?
g) No limit
Well, OK, 100Gb might risk not fitting on my hard drive, and it'd take an awful long time to download. But if it was worth it, I'd clean out the hard drive space and set the torrent going for a month. So no limit.

6. "I would not download a romance visual novel where none of the datable characters appeal to me."
b) False
This was tricky. There is a definite element where if the characters appeal to me, I'm a lot more likely to try it; but it's not a hard and fast rule.

7. As a creator, I believe the most important aspect about visual novels is
c) Focusing on plot structure and progression
This is a bit of an odd choice as well. d) is very important, and for the ren'ai subgenre of the VN medium, a) is quite important too. But the most significant thing across all genres of VN, to me, is plot.

8. I think gameplay in visual novels
b) is great, but should always be optional
This is the ideal. I'll play things like Fatal Hearts and MorningStar where you have to labour through some of the minigames long after they stop being fun, but my ideal would be to have minigames always optional. (Terminology warning, BTW: I understood "gameplay" to refer to "minigames", but some might take it to refer to the act of making choices from menus, at which point the question means something rather different.)

9. As a creator, your philosophy on the number of datable girls is that
b) there should be two or three girls so that you can give the player some options, but still maintain a relatively small budget
WIRTW had 2 romance targets (note the question presupposes BxG); ER had 3; ER2ML will have 4. But I'm likely to be down at 1-3 for the next thing I do after ML.

10. I would include 18+ content in my game in order to
b) add something that the deepens plot - and *only* if it adds something to the plot
I can't really see myself doing this, but there was the infamous sex scene in Ultimate Dream, so maybe... But I suspect it won't happen for as long as SunKitten's my artist.

11. I most favor
a) Tsunderes
c) Genki Girls (girls with a lot of energy)
d) Little sisters
e) Twins
m) Neko girls
All of a,c,d,e,m And several other archetypes too, particularly osananajimi (childhood friends) and action girls. If you have to choose just one answer, though, then a) Tsundere, as long as they're done well.

12. "The player should never be presented with bad ends that do not resolve the story by themselves."
b) False
I don't see any problem with this, as long as there is a route to an ending that does resolve the story.

13. What are your thoughts on English voice acting in visual novels?
c) I don't particularly have any strong feelings as long as they are of average quality or higher
I reasonably enjoyed it in a couple of games - Senior Year and I think Ripples. But I don't have strong feelings.

14. How much do you READ WIP topics in the message board?
b) I only read topics for games that interest me

15. How much do you RESPOND to topics in the WIP forum?
b) Rarely

16. If you do respond to the WIP topic, what is it about them that makes you respond?
Any of a-f.

17. What are your blanket thoughts on art in the visual novels made on Lemmasoft?
d) They're good, considering that they're for free
Some free games have truly excellent art. Some have bad art that I'll put up with. Most OELVNs that I play tend to have very good art. Also, note that not all OELVNs are free, and the art in the commercial ones is often worse than art in some free ones.

18. What are your blanket thoughts on the length of the visual novels made on Lemmasoft?
b) They're too short and need to be a bit longer
All things considered, there are more OELVNs that I'd prefer if they were longer than the other way around.

19. Imagine a visual novel making team. Who holds the ultimate authority over the project direction?
a) The writer
I do like it when the artist is involved too, though.

20. "Visual novels should be in the first person."
b) False
I think they normally and mostly should be, and it's startling and sometimes jarring when they're not, but I don't agree with hard-and-fast rules like this.

21. How defined and concrete should the protagonist look in a romance visual novel?
b) Moderately - his face should be visible, but he should have ordinary features
c) Very defined - his face should be visible, and he should have more defining features, such as distinctive hair style or accessories.
This one (like several of these questions) really needed an "I don't mind" option. I'm happy with any of these approaches.

22. I will not play a game that has this content, no matter what. (Check all that apply)
[X] - Bloody gore
[X] - Yaoi
[X] - Rape
[X] - Other (write in)
I'm sure there are other things that I'd avoid, but I'd rather not comb the depths of my leat favourite genres to come up with them. Anything that's too "horror movie" in style I'm almost certain to avoid.

23. "I market my games outside of the Lemmasoft community."
a) True

24. "I favor anime styled visual novels over other styles."
a) True

----------- And FIA's questions: -----------

25. Which sort of gameplay you prefer?
Any of these or other options too, don't mind.

26. What sort of genre you favor?
c) Fantasy
I do like HighSchoolRomance, and mystery, and fantasy, and steampunk, and sci-fi, and historical, and weird uncategorisable things. So "all of these", really.

27. Which is your preferred format?
a) AVG(With the text box)

28. From (27), which sort of narration you prefer?
Either.

29. What is your criteria of a commercial value game( The game you will pay. X the choices)?
[X] Lengthy interesting story
(but not too lengthy, like Ever 17... o.o)
[X] Interesting gameplay
[X] Interesting characters or setting

30. More on game's graphic. What is your thought on usage of 3D characters used when artists are not available?
a) I am all neutral on this 2D and 3D business.

[uluuu]

1. How many games on the Renai Archives have you played?
e) 8 to 15
f) 16 or more
(It is hard for me to remember. I play a lot of games, and I drop a lot of games in the middle of playing, only to go back months later. I'm in the middle of playing a few right now. So I don't know.)

2. Of those games that you played, what made you most want to download them?
a) Attractive screen shot(s)
d) The story preview interested you
f) Other (A lot of times it'll be a character who looks really interesting, or a setting, or a premise.)

3. As a creator, what do you believe is the ideal game length?
e) 1 to 2 hours
f) 2 hours or more
(It is easier to give a story "life" if it is longer, at least for me. Probably just a writing style thing.)

4. As a player, what do you believe is the ideal game length?
(That depends on the game. I like longer and more complex stories, but I hate it when stupid stuff is dragged on forever. So I dunno. That's probably kind of hypocritical, oh well.)

5. At which file size would you NOT download a game regardless of content?
(It doesn't matter, if I am really interested in a game. There is almost always something I don't need anymore on my hd)

6. "I would not download a romance visual novel where none of the datable characters appeal to me."
a) True
(Probably? Pure romance is hard for me to get into as it is...)

7. As a creator, I believe the most important aspect about visual novels is
a) Making sure all the datable characters are lovable and appealing
f) Other (The story has to be worth telling, the writing has to be good enough to tell it, and the drawings have to be good enough to show it.)

8. I think gameplay in visual novels
(I don't really care? If I know that a game is full of a type of gameplay I don't like, then I just won't play it.)

9. As a creator, your philosophy on the number of datable girls is that
e) Other (Depends on what kind of game you're making. Dating sims should have lots of options for dates. Story-based games should have what is necessary for the story. What's all this about 'dating', anyway?)

10. I would include 18+ content in my game in order to
b) add something that the deepens plot - and *only* if it adds something to the plot
(Except I wouldn't "add" anything, it would only be there if it was already part of a story.)
c) market my game for the hentai market - I want to make money off of my game
(I've considered it, but that kind of thing is incredibly boring to write, so.)

11. I most favor
a) Tsunderes
(Only certain ones, though. I really don't like the ones who are horribly bitchy for no reason at all.)
c) Genki Girls
d) Little sisters
f) Yanderes
g) Older sisters
j) Elegant girls
n) Other (I guess? I just like characters that are interesting.)

12. "The player should never be presented with bad ends that do not resolve the story by themselves."
b) False

13. What are your thoughts on English voice acting in visual novels?
c) I don't particularly have any strong feelings as long as they are of average quality or higher


14. How much do you READ WIP topics in the message board?
b) I only read topics for games that interest me
c) I skim through most of them

15. How much do you RESPOND to topics in the WIP forum?
b) Rarely

16. If you do respond to the WIP topic, what is it about them that makes you respond?
h) Other (No idea. I can never figure out what to say.)

17. What are your blanket thoughts on art in the visual novels made on Lemmasoft?
c) They're about what you expect for free games
d) They're good, considering that they're for free
(I don't like blankets)

18. What are your blanket thoughts on the length of the visual novels made on Lemmasoft?
a) They're way too short and need to be much longer
b) They're too short and need to be a bit longer
c) They're the right length
(It's too hot for blankets)

19. Imagine a visual novel making team. Who holds the ultimate authority over the project direction?
(I don't like working in teams, either)


20. "Visual novels should be in the first person."
a) True
(Usually, anyway)

21. How defined and concrete should the protagonist look in a romance visual novel?
a) Very undefined - his face should be blank and he should have ordinary features
c) Very defined - his face should be visible, and he should have more defining features, such as distinctive hair style or accessories.
(One or the other.)

22. I will not play a game that has this content, no matter what. (Check all that apply)
[ ] - Any 18+ sexual content
[ ] - Bloody gore
[ ] - Incest
[ ] - Student - Teacher relationships
[ ] - Yaoi
[ ] - Tentacles
[ ] - Depictions of underage sex
[x] - Rape
[ ] - Other (write in)
(This depends on my mood. Chances are I'll try anything once, if I get bored enough. Not a fan of rape, though.)

23. "I market my games outside of the Lemmasoft community."
(It is a mystery.)

24. "I favor anime styled visual novels over other styles."
(I like all kinds of art styles.)

[Samu-kun]

The latest statistics.

And a compilation of all the other responses.

1. How many games on the Renai Archives have you played?
3-15
Don't know

2. Of those games that you played, what made you most want to download them?
2 Recommended by friend
A shot for each release
a to e
a and d
a, c, and d
a, b, and d
Too subjective.
To gauge the "State of the Nation"
Both the artwork looked appealing, as did the story
Attractive screen shot on first pass, then story descriptions
a, d, and interest characters and setting

3. As a creator, what do you believe is the ideal game length?
5 Depends
1+ hours
e and f

4. As a player, what do you believe is the ideal game length?
4 Depends

5. At which file size would you NOT download a game regardless of content?
11 None of the above

6. "I would not download a romance visual novel where none of the datable characters appeal to me."

7. As a creator, I believe the most important aspect about visual novels is
Storytelling, in a manner which utilises the strength of the medium
Achieving the desired emotional impact
Making it enjoyable
Telling engaging stories
b and c
Telling an engaging story using the power of both visuals and sound.
That the characters, datable or not, are emotionally realistic, unique and don't annoy me.
Telling a nice story in a visually pleasing way.
A consistent overall package with no apparent glaring flaws.
2 Mix of c, b, a
An engaging plot that requires 'choices' and branching to properly tell the story
b, c, and d

8. I think gameplay in visual novels
a or b, depending on game
Depends on what kind of gameplay
Depends on the difficulty level
Don't care

9. As a creator, your philosophy on the number of datable girls is that
9 Depends on story
Not concerned
c with b's approach: good amount of options without overdoing it.
Why would a VN would be solely and exclusively about this?
Whats the budget problem? Write as much as you want
There should be as many as are needed to make a good story
As many as the creator can control and keep both necessary and equally important

10. I would include 18+ content in my game in order to
Does not appeal to me
If it is part of the game
Complete the story
b and d
Mix between plot with fanservice.
a and c

11. I most favor
2 Non stereotypical
5 Don't care
Capable selfless custodian
Clever girls
Shy, sad, and lonely.
Guys
Meganekkos
Characters that feel real
True to life girls
Characters that aren't shallow
Cute, normal girls
Characters who act responsible and know how to keep their cool.
a and d
a, e, f and traps
a, e, g, and h
Don't enjoy all these archetypes
a, c, d, f, g, j, n

12. "The player should never be presented with bad ends that do not resolve the story by themselves." Depends on story

13. What are your thoughts on English voice acting in visual novels?
2 Good voice acting > no voice acting > bad voice acting

14. How much do you READ WIP topics in the message board?
B, c

15. How much do you RESPOND to topics in the WIP forum?

16. If you do respond to the WIP topic, what is it about them that makes you respond?
2 a to f
2 Don't know
If I feel like I have a helpful suggestion to make
Mix of c, d, e
Depends on the topic, if there's some kind of an option I want to voice.
a and/or f
a, b d, f
a, b, d, e, f
b and c
a and b

17. What are your blanket thoughts on art in the visual novels made on Lemmasoft?
Mixed
a, d, and e
c, d

18. What are your blanket thoughts on the length of the visual novels made on Lemmasoft?
2 Don't care
Never played a full one
Between b and c
Depends on game
a, b, c

19. Imagine a visual novel making team. Who holds the ultimate authority over the project direction?
Depends on team
The team
The person most capable
a and d

20. "Visual novels should be in the first person.”
2 Doesn't matter
2 Depends on story
2 Depends

21. How defined and concrete should the protagonist look in a romance visual novel?
3 Don't care
4 Depends on story
Anything but A
a or c

22. I will not play a game that has this content, no matter what. (Check all that apply)
Yaoi ero
Male pregnancy
An environmentalist message
Moe
Abuse
Horror

23. "I market my games outside of the Lemmasoft community."
2 Not sure

24. "I favor anime styled visual novels over other styles."
3 Don't care

[Samu-kun]

Annndddd... I think we pretty much have enough responses to at least get a rough estimate on the board.

Thanks everyone for participating. Hopefully, this data will be of use to people. Luckily, I was able to get pretty solid data on all the questions I had for my game, although this most certainly was not the case for all of the questions.

First off, of course, I need to make a disclaimer. This survey was by no means scientific in any shape or form, so take the data with a grain of salt. Of course, there was the typical bias that comes from a voluntary survey. Worse still, now in retrospect, I get a feeling that maybe I should have logged out and posted the survey as a guest so that people didn't give me responses that I wanted or did not want to hear. And then finally, the responses were by no means anonymous, so that probably contributed to further bias.

In any case, allow me to make at least make some loose analysis of the data.

The Renai Archives
Generally, usage of the Renai Archives is pretty significant, with all but one of the respondents having played at least three games. Unfortunately, it is still difficult to make any firm conclusions about the data, since it seems more likely that people who have played more games generally are more likely to have familiarity with this message board and consequently be more probable to respond to this survey. We can conclude, however, that the Renai Archives appears to be used by most of the members at the very least.

Regarding why they downloaded the games, the responses vary more, although there seems to be more of an emphasis on the story preview.

Game Length
In general, people favored shorter game lengths from the stand point of the creator than the player, although the data is by no means conclusive. Most players appear to favor longer games, with the majority of the respondents favoring games of at least 1 hour length. A sizable portion of the players wished for 2 hours or more - currently far beyond the play times of the majority of the games offered here. Creators can modestly expect longer games to be welcomed by most players, although whether they themselves favor longer games is indeterminate.

File Size
There is a firm consensus across the board: File size ultimately does not deter many people from downloading games, provided that they are good enough. The plurality of the respondents voted for the largest option, 1 gig+, while all of the "other responses" were "none of the above," or no limit. Creators can be reasonably sure that most of the board will not be deterred by large file sizes.

Datable Girls
Data is roughly split on whether the respondents would download a game where none of the girls appealed to them. While in the minority, a sizable portion of the respondents still said they would not download a game where none of the girls appealed to them, signifying the importance of creating likable characters.

Most Important Aspect of Visual Novel
Data appears inconclusive at best. Nearly the plurality of respondents wrote in answers, although the data appears to lean vaguely towards the plot element over the art, interactivity, or character element.

Gameplay
There appears to be a moderate consensus of most respondents favoring gameplay. Creators can reasonably expect that visual novels hybrids with gameplay will be welcomed in the community.

Number of Datable Girls
Data is inconclusive.

Adding 18+ Content
In general, the majority of the respondents either would not include 18+ content, or include it only for storyline purposes. While the data is far from being conclusive, it appears most of the community generally does not favor 18+ content merely for the sake of sexual titillation.

Favorite Character Type
Data is inconclusive. A better designed survey will probably be necessary to gauge this question.

Bad Ends
In general, the large majority of respondents do not feel that all ends have to resolve the story. The data appears to allow for pit trap endings that leave the story unresolved, so long as there are alternative endings present in the game.

Voice Acting
There appears to be a firm consensus of neutrality towards voice acting. Very few have negative options of English voice acting in visual novels, so creators can expect voice acting to be accepted so long as they are of decent quality.

WIP Topics
Creators of WIP topics can be assured: Even if nobody posts in their topic, most people are at least skimming through it. However, what exactly causes them to go from skimming to actually posting remains almost completely inconclusive.

Current State of Games
The majority of respondents are either satisfied or pleased with the current quality of art in the majority of games. Creators can reasonably be sure that so long as they hit a modest standard of artistic quality, most people will accept or enjoy it.

On the other hand, the respondents lean mildly towards favoring longer games, although the data is far from being conclusive.

Team Management
In general, there is a weak consensus that the writer should hold final authority over projects. Whether this is a sound team management strategy or merely a popular assertion remains to be seen.

The Protagonist
Data is inconclusive.

What People Don't Want
The data is inconclusive. For starters, the options did not specify whether any of the listed content would be 18+. For example, assuming that all questions assumed 18+ content, it makes little sense for teacher-student relationships to be viewed more positively than under aged sex, considering that both would involve under aged sex in the first place. Furthermore, the age difference and the gender of the teacher would factor considerably in the responses. In addition, I assume that 18+ tentacles and slapstick tentacle comedy would have very different responses. Not only that, but in regards to under aged sex, the ages of the two partners would also be a factor.

In general however, in terms of the order of content that people do not want, rape, yaoi, and tentacles rank in the top three in that order. A better designed survey will probably be necessary to gauge this question any further than that.

Marketing Outside of Lemma
It seems that roughly half of the respondents market their games outside of the community.

Anime Styled Games
In general, the respondents appear to mildly favor anime styled games over other styles. Creators can expect most anime styled games to be met with welcome, although the data still supports the fact that games of other style can still find a sizable interest as well.

[Jake]

The plurality of the respondents voted for
the plurality of respondents wrote in
...
the majority of the respondents

So I'm curious, you know the word 'majority', why do you keep using 'plurality' to mean the same thing? It only serves to confuse people whose grasp of political terminology isn't up to scratch, and since IIRC you're a political studies major, that's going to be most people on the forum - especially the ones who aren't native English speakers. Face it, the political use of the term as you're using it here is pretty stupid, since the literal meaning of the word is "property of being plural" and we already have a perfectly good word meaning 'majority'.

For example, assuming that all questions assumed 18+ content, it makes little sense for teacher-student relationships to be viewed more positively than under aged sex, considering that both would involve under aged sex in the first place.

...

So if I go to evening classes to get that art a-level I didn't take when I was in school, I suddenly become under-aged? The teacher-student relationship most certainly doesn't require one of the participants is under-aged. It's still a common taboo, because the student-teacher relationship requires a variety of respect and the teacher-student requires a variety of objectivity which would be endangered.

[ficedula]

it makes little sense for teacher-student relationships to be viewed more positively than under aged sex, considering that both would involve under aged sex in the first place

Just to clarify this (not that I voted...) in most European countries, at least, the age of consent is 14-16 - so a teacher-student relationship in no way has to involve under-aged sex.

While the data is far from being conclusive, it appears most of the community generally does not favor 18+ content merely for the sake of sexual titillation.

...and while I know over-analysing data into a grey mush is of dubious benefit and accuracy, I'd venture to say this is because of the sort of person who visits the forums rather than representing the wider audience. Just speaking from my own experience trying to sell VNs at cons (commercial and amateur) the thing that surprised me was that the things that sold best were either the /arteestic/ games with beautiful artwork and a great plot, /or/ the trashy porno-fest ones. Anything in between was a bit more dubious. YMMV

[Novinha]

To help myself and (hopefully) help the other creators on this board, I've gone and created this survey on visual novel preferences. Here's a whole bunch of questions that I've asked over the past two years, so I'd be interested in gathering data of the board and keeping it somewhere it'll be useful for people to see.

To prevent response bias, you need to answer at least 20 of the questions for your responses to be counted. If you don't want to respond publicly, you can sign out of your account and post as a guest. Also, suggestions on additional questions are welcome and I'll make a second page of questions once I collect enough of them. Thanks everyone. I'll be collecting data on this as soon as people start responding.

Here goes - please kindly provide the tally afterwards, we VN creators would benefit from this. Will you also consider spreading this survey to a greater population? LSF membership is (IMO) not a good representative of actual VN players demography.

1. How many games on the Renai Archives have you played?
e) 8 to 15

2. Of those games that you played, what made you most want to download them?
a) Attractive screen shot(s)
d) The story preview interested you

3. As a creator, what do you believe is the ideal game length?
f) 2 hours or more
*This depends on story and how it's depicted, methinks - even a 30 min VN could be good if that's what it takes to tell the story effectively. I'm answering 2 hrs or more because that's the length of most eroge... I mean Japanese commercial VNs.

4. As a player, what do you believe is the ideal game length?
f) 2 hours or more
*The longer the story, when effectively told, the more immersion I could get from it as a player.

5. At which file size would you NOT download a game regardless of content?
?) 500+ mb
*Thanks to unlimited quota, if the story and characters are good enough and I could find it nowhere else I will download a good game no matter how big it is - this is for practicality's sake, if it's that large perhaps I just go and buy the DVD

6. "I would not download a romance visual novel where none of the datable characters appeal to me."
a) True
*Darn right I won't.

7. As a creator, I believe the most important aspect about visual novels is
b) Making sure the art is as beautiful as possible
*The 'MOST' important initially and for those looking to commercialize, only when they're hooked in by the art they would bother to check the story etc In the long run, I believe story and characterization to be the most important

8. I think gameplay in visual novels
a) is great and doesn't need to be optional
*Not all of us play for the CG/Scene gallery :p

9. As a creator, your philosophy on the number of datable girls is that
b) there should be two or three girls so that you can give the player some options, but still maintain a relatively small budget
*... Even though I put five heroines in Scelta ^_^;

10. I would include 18+ content in my game in order to
e) I would never include 18+ content in my game
*For the straightforward reason that Indonesian law prohibits porn ^_^;

11. I most favor
c) Genki Girls (girls with a lot of energy)
d) Little sisters
j) Elegant girls
*No ojou/hime-sama? or is that 'Elegant girls'?

12. "The player should never be presented with bad ends that do not resolve the story by themselves."
a) True
*If it's irrelevant to the story, dump that bad ending

13. What are your thoughts on English voice acting in visual novels?
e) All games should have voice acting if possible
*As long as it's done wholeheartedly, unlike many flat lifeless anime English subs

14. How much do you READ WIP topics in the message board?
d) I read through most of them

15. How much do you RESPOND to topics in the WIP forum?
c) From time to time

16. If you do respond to the WIP topic, what is it about them that makes you respond?
a) Attractive art
b) Interesting story premise
c) To correct the author's mistakes
e) I wish all creators luck regardless of the topic

17. What are your blanket thoughts on art in the visual novels made on Lemmasoft?
b) They're bad, but you're willing to play for the sake of the story
*There are notable exceptions, then again this is in comparison to large pro Japanese VN companies *runs for cover* ^_^;

18. What are your blanket thoughts on the length of the visual novels made on Lemmasoft?
b) They're too short and need to be a bit longer

19. Imagine a visual novel making team. Who holds the ultimate authority over the project direction?
d) A visual novel making team should always have a producer that exclusively decides the project direction
*Me is the director of Scelta


20. "Visual novels should be in the first person."
a) True
*Should, not must... I don't see why VNs can't be told in third person.

21. How defined and concrete should the protagonist look in a romance visual novel?
b) Moderately - his face should be visible, but he should have ordinary features
*I thought the point is that players could identify with him? On the other hand blank faces would be scary ^_^;

22. I will not play a game that has this content, no matter what. (Check all that apply)
[ ] - Yaoi
*As long as it's relevant to the story... Anything that's put in just for fan service gets thumbs down from me.

23. "I market my games outside of the Lemmasoft community."
a) True
*... or at least plan to.

24. "I favor anime styled visual novels over other styles."
b) False
*... haven't seen anything else that can trump Japan-made VNs though.

==================

Note after finishing survey:

1. Please allow more than one answer on multiple choices when relevant.
2. Allow freeform input after the multiple choices (like what I did)? You may gather additional info from there.

[Jake]

...and while I know over-analysing data into a grey mush is of dubious benefit and accuracy, I'd venture to say this is because of the sort of person who visits the forums rather than representing the wider audience.

Or just as likely, because people will give different answers if they are readily identifiable in a permanent record as having given those answers compared to being able to answer anonymously, or with no record.

I mean, even leaving aside personal embarrassment, there's also "well, you interviewed well, Mr. Samukun, but we did a Google search on your name and it seems you admit to enjoying looking at animated middle-school bondage rape porn... I don't think we can offer you the position"...

[Guest]

Just speaking from my own experience trying to sell VNs at cons (commercial and amateur) the thing that surprised me was that the things that sold best were either the /arteestic/ games with beautiful artwork and a great plot, /or/ the trashy porno-fest ones. Anything in between was a bit more dubious. YMMV

I'm taking a guess that this means the only titles that sell would be:
* anything that turned into anime, especially those made by Key, Type-Moon and 7th Expansion
* anything with a title in the ballpark of "Fuck me! Fuck me! Fuck me!"

[delta]

The Renai Archives
Generally, usage of the Renai Archives is pretty significant, with all but one of the respondents having played at least three games. Unfortunately, it is still difficult to make any firm conclusions about the data, since it seems more likely that people who have played more games generally are more likely to have familiarity with this message board and consequently be more probable to respond to this survey. We can conclude, however, that the Renai Archives appears to be used by most of the members at the very least.

That is a very, very, very bad assumption to make. The question was not "how often do you use the RAA", but "how many games on the RAA have you played". My answer SOLELY was about the second part, I NEVER use the RAA. I just pick up games from these boards from time to time, and I know most of them end up on the RAA.

In fact, most of the question were so imprecise/shallow/leading that I would not recommend anyone to draw any conclusions from them beyond the anecdotal.