That's a weird way to put it. MC is just the point in which the main plot revolve around. Think about any literature or media. There are sometimes entire arcs where MC doesn't even show up. Do you not like it when Gon doesn't show up for entire Arcs of HxH? Or when Han is off doing his thing while luke is training with Yoda? Or when we see the stuff thats happening in Falconia in Berserk? Or when we shift to Gabby and Falco and have no idea whats going on back in Paradise Island in Attack on Titan? Would you say these are bad writers?
Err...what? I don't mind storytelling from a narrator point of view in media where I have a passive role like in literature or film, of course. This, however, is a different medium. It can offer an active role just like any other video game. Hence, if you want to embrace the active role, it's better if the story follows the player (almost) all the time. Obviously there are kinetic VN's that aren't games, but from what I can see that is not how this VN profiles itself.
This isn't a story driven cRPG/adventure in the first place. Its a VN. Even if it was, self inserting is a terrible way to play any role playing game. You are supposed to become the character, not force the character to become you.
The MC isnt you. You are not a newlywed to some redhead who didn't tell you she was pregnant. You don't have a knee injury which forced you to retire from fighting. That's not what roleplaying is. You are supposed to take the backstory of the character and take it from there. How would this character react? How do you want him to react? Would it make sense? You ARE shaping the narrative by controlling the MC, but the problem people have is that they get so self absorbed. It should revolve around ME! VN is not a traditional RPG format. Its a novel, often with CYOA mechanics, in visual format. You shouldn't expect the same narrative style as Baldur's Gate or something.
Roleplaying means you are taking on a role, a fictional reality of sorts. It's entirely up to you how you approach it, however. It can be that you became the character and roleplay it based on the character background, its personality, etc. Something completely different from you. But, you can also take the character and play it as though you and your personality merge with the character. You are in control, you make the decisions. You can just as well imagine yourself being in that character's shoes as well as imagine being someone else. Or, y'know, something in between. There isn't a right or wrong way.
If you strip away the combat, stat progression and other gameplay mechanics from a CRPG, what do you have left? Branching dialogues/choices with consequences (ideally). That's something VNs can and sometimes do have just as well. There are few of those that embrace this concept in depth (as that is demanding on the developer), but give the player enough choices that matter and it can be a roleplaying experience much like with a RPG (as far as the story is concerned).
