Age and romance?

[deviltales]

Wondering about some things. If there's a main character [ either male or female ] and considering that the character is 18 or older, would it be too much to speak more openly about intimate intercourse/ the-more-than-a-small-kiss-thing ? I'm not talking about perv things, those are WAY OFF my arena. If the MC's is already blossoming into an adult, the romance should be more explicit, both in writing and art. Again, nothing that is too revealing or dirty. I was thinking about it for some time, since I am picking up a project where almost all the characters are >18. Of course, it depends very much on the player, since it's his/her own view of the VN. Any thoughts?

[Lumella]

Depends on the taste of the character itself, I suppose. If the MC has a pre-made personality, I believe you should base his reactions from it. For example, if your character is conservative but secretly romantic then another character mentions something explicit in a distasteful manner, I'm sure the MC would comment that the other character is being crass. However, if the topic was mentioned in a poetic manner, maybe he'll be more open about such mature topics.

If the MC would be based from the decision of the player, you could assume what would be the reaction of the character if he or she's in the situation in the perspective of the player.

I hope you understand what I mean xD;;;

[fleet]

It also depends on the historical time and place of the story. Some societies were/are more open about it.

[deviltales]

@Lumella:
Every MC has a pre-made personality.. or at least mine do XD. . Of course, decision-making is crucial, and the MC is shaped a little bit/if not a radical change. Depends on the VN and the other characters, I guess. I'm thinking that puberty and hormones are steering up and are revealing the sex-appeal, beauty, perception etc.

@fleet:
Yes, that's true. I'm more open to create games set in modern times, since it's easier for me to write/draw things i know about .
Thank you both for the tips .

[OokamiKasumi]

If there's a main character ... 18 or older, would it be too much to speak more openly about intimate intercourse / the-more-than-a-small-kiss-thing ? ... [I've been] thinking about it for some time, since I am picking up a project where almost all the characters are >18.

If you actually want the answer to this, the best way to find out is by asking Real People over 18. Seriously, go to a coffee shop close to a college and conduct a survey. (Coffee shops are more lenient about Adult topics, and since they don't sell alcohol, you're less likely to be misunderstood.)

CAUTION! Be prepared to answer the question of WHY you want to know the answers to your questions.

When I was writing my first erotic novel this is exactly what I did. I went to a coffee shop, set up my laptop and a few erotica reference books on one of the small tables, then told people I was conducting a survey. I even had a clipboard ready with the questions to things that had been plaguing me about what people found attractive in a lover.

Some of the answers I got surprised me, but what I learned made all my characters very realistic, especially when it came to selection and pursuit of a love interest.

[Auro-Cyanide]

It's going to depend a lot on your setting and your characters. Some people talk about sex and some don't. Some time periods have been far more open to it than others.

Speaking as a 22 year old female in a modern western country, yes, my friends and I talk about it, my family refers to it and I believe it's something healthy for partners to dicuss with each other. But your milage is going to seriously vary depending on what you are doing.

[bellice]

I obviously can't speak for everyone, but I (18) and the people I associate with (ranging from 17 to 32) talk about sex quite often. We don't feel uncomfortable talking about it in public, since it's just a natural piece of human relationships. Nothing wrong with it.
In fact, a few days ago me and a few of my friends were discussing erotic stories and what words to use for male genitalia. Quite openly and loudy. At university.
So yeah, really no problem there. xD

As far as I'm concerned, I always thought it a bit boring to have a romantic VN where the characters are 17 or older and all they think about doing is kissing their crush. They're probably still in puberty and have a lot of hormones to deal with, so why not treat it realistically? That doesn't mean it automatically has to turn into an H-Game. There are ways to convey emotional AND sexual attraction and even include the act itself without making it explicit. (When in doubt, just use fade-to-black.)

[Destiny]

I wouldn't make that depend on the age, but on the type.

If the character is a flirt, then he/she would surely talk more or less about sex-related stuff.
Someone shy on the other hand wouldn't even talk about that when they age 60.

Also, for as long as it isn't too explicit, I see no problem there.
In germany, the law says, that +16 games/novels/whatever start when the text/images are supposed to arouse.

So me talking about my period or that I have a boyfriend or that I think about doing a truth or dare involving a sex shop as a joke wouldn't cause any problems, since probably nobody would totally get off to that informations. Especially when the information is this short, formal and non-provoking.
A natural conversation with some sex-related topics (that are not obviously arousing) shouldn't be a problem.
Just read your text a few times (or let someone proof-read it) and think if that could be considered erotic. If yes, rewrite it, if no, then everything should be fine.
Now if a character tries to sexually harass someone by telling him/her erotic stuff or by getting all visual about the fling last weekend could be problematic, yes. That should maybe explained indirectly (something like "And then, Dake started to brag about how his one night stand went. I fear, those images will never leave my mind...", so everyone knows that "Dake" got very explicit, but no player gets the details).

[Omnificent]

While South Park has the kids acting more 14 than 10, it's a pretty accurate representation of how crass kids actually are in middle school/high school. Adults have a little more restraint/maturity when talking about sexual topics, but they still talk pretty freely about it with their friends.

[QofDust]

For what it's worth I say go for it. If it makes sense for your characters to have sex then they should. If its important to the plot then a little sexy content will make the story feel honest not trashy. Of course that doesn't necessarily mean you have to include great graphic descriptions of the sex or sexually explicit artwork. You can have your characters fall into bed locked in each other's arms. Then fade to black until the next morning....or something like that.

[lemuel]

My protagonist, Farmind, comes from a culture (fictional) where discussing sex is acceptable but urination, vomiting, and defecating are taboos. This in no way makes him sexual in conversation, but when appropriate he talks about sex. The narrator, on the other hand (who is a separate character), refuses to be too explicit, and censors his more explicit utterances.