Text-based games - How neccessary be pictures?

[Iron Cunny]

Hey brothers and sisters. There are sisters there right? Wait nevermind don't answer that.

So anyways I'm working on my Twine text-based game (well technically I'm overhauling it by grabbing old shit and putting it into new shit) and a thought just popped into my head.

So, the game I'm making, it's erotica right? Or maybe it's unadultered violent peasant smut, whatever we're calling it.

If it was a sfw work I wouldn't even think twice but, how neccessary are images and illustrations for text-based games of the nature I'm going for? Like, can people just masturbate to text? Do they need accompanying images? E.g. character/NPC images and all.

On the flipside, do people actually rather characters not be illustrated so that they can have a little more imagination on how they look? How does that go for games like DOL, in which I have seen fanart of?

I mean, I have a small degree of art ability so I can illustrate, but you know, it's a combination of time and effort that I kinda want to put into leisure-drawing, practice-drawing and writing+learning Twine. But if people ultimately prefer artsy stuff in their game then I'm willing to take the step.

 

[Count Morado]

Hey brothers and sisters. There are sisters there right? Wait nevermind don't answer that.

So anyways I'm working on my Twine text-based game (well technically I'm overhauling it by grabbing old shit and putting it into new shit) and a thought just popped into my head.

So, the game I'm making, it's erotica right? Or maybe it's unadultered violent peasant smut, whatever we're calling it.

If it was a sfw work I wouldn't even think twice but, how neccessary are images and illustrations for text-based games of the nature I'm going for? Like, can people just masturbate to text? Do they need accompanying images? E.g. character/NPC images and all.

On the flipside, do people actually rather characters not be illustrated so that they can have a little more imagination on how they look? How does that go for games like DOL, in which I have seen fanart of?

I mean, I have a small degree of art ability so I can illustrate, but you know, it's a combination of time and effort that I kinda want to put into leisure-drawing, practice-drawing and writing+learning Twine. But if people ultimately prefer artsy stuff in their game then I'm willing to take the step.

People have masturbated to text for centuries --- and still do.

There will be people who will tell you they are necessary.
There will be people who will tell you they are not necessary.

Neither choice will make your game any more or any less engaging to an audience, per se. No matter what you choose - there will be an audience for it, if that is what you are worried about.

If you choose not to include images at this time -- but decide to later, it's not like it will be any more difficult at that time.

Do what makes you enjoy creating the game. Do what makes you want to keep working on the game. Do what makes you moves you toward achieving your goal.