VN vs Sandbox/Free roam: The Poll

[danteworks]

My game starts off as linear, but then moved to sandbox. There were growing pains to start with, but I always knew that my vision of the game would have to use sandbox inevitably. I think my players are quite happy with it, and I have not heard of a complaint.

 

[RomanHume]

I think the irony is that a lot of the "Free Roam" games people would name on here, are actually linear VN's that make you jump through hoops and do a lot of exploring before you can get to the next pearl on the chain.

 

[Ignazzio]

Tricky question. I would go all the way with Sandboxes cuz by definition they allow you to pick shitload of different paths and options. But since they are endlessly harder to make properly for a small team VNs are probably much better choice in erotic industry. Tbh except for an old Goblinboy games and Girl Life it's hard to even think about a sandbox game here. Games like BB, MOTH etc. are the prime example how hard it is to create a sandbox.

 

[pasunna]

Basically I’m not play vn
It’s not feel like a game to me
But that is just my taste as because I’m not a fan of reading too…
Grind mini game are bad but better than reading ton of text that I’m not interesting
But in the end it no point to tell what better
It’s on difference genre and you don’t need to like them both

 

[dosenspezi]

Sandbox?

I'm kinda confuse because Linear VN and Sandbox are not mutually exclusive, in fact they aren't even in the same category. The first is a storytelling format, the second a game mechanic.

A sandbox game can contain a linear VN and to be honest a large part of AAA games work like that (openworld games with ONE plot and a lot of shit around you can pretty much ignore).

A sandbox game may not even have an actual plot (more than the beginnings I mean) in it (I think about SuperPowered, Rogue-like, Corruption, Jack-o-nine-tails, Glassix etc).

Well, the term "sandbox game" is likely taken from your childhood sandbox - a play zone where you tend to explore, create and destroy whatever you want. Some guys may call it god mode. A fairly known and succesful example for sandbox games is Minecraft! I don't know any porn game that comes close to this term, but there are some open world games in progress - usually 3D powered by Unity (AI Shoujo for example). All the other adult sim games with kinda free roam mechanics tend to make you grind or bridge the time to trigger next events instead of following (more or less) linear storylines.

 

[ShamanLab]

There is lots more of game genres and mechanics then just VN and "sandbox". I hate both of them. I'm mostly into adventure games which connect strong story with variety of choices and some kind of action.

 

[Droid Productions]

I'm on the linear Sandbox preference myself. I like story and characters, so a pure Sims-style Sandbox has little attraction. On the far side of that you have a pure kinetic novel, where I'd rather be reading a good book instead. So somewhere in the middle you have Sandboxes with a reasonably linear story (or multiple stories, wrapped in a world) or VNs with lots of meaningful decisions. I love both of those.

I tend to build sandboxey VNs myself largely as a personal preference. I like having a central arc that drives you forward (and I'm happy with how LoM stole Persona's Calendar to keep the core story moving forward, while still offering side-quests and side activities). The flipside is sandbox-porn games get a lot of flack for being grindy, which I totally get.

 

[khumak]

I'm on the linear Sandbox preference myself. I like story and characters, so a pure Sims-style Sandbox has little attraction. On the far side of that you have a pure kinetic novel, where I'd rather be reading a good book instead. So somewhere in the middle you have Sandboxes with a reasonably linear story (or multiple stories, wrapped in a world) or VNs with lots of meaningful decisions. I love both of those.

I tend to build sandboxey VNs myself largely as a personal preference. I like having a central arc that drives you forward (and I'm happy with how LoM stole Persona's Calendar to keep the core story moving forward, while still offering side-quests and side activities). The flipside is sandbox-porn games get a lot of flack for being grindy, which I totally get.

I agree. I tend to prefer games that are a bit of a hybrid with some of the freedom of a pure sandbox game and some of the structure of a VN. So you're not just fucking around with no real goal there is some underlying plot but you feel like you're driving the story and not just along for the ride like some of the pure VNs. Some VNs are really just an illustrated short story and either don't have any choices or the choices are mostly irrelevant. The same thing is going to happen no matter what you choose.

 

[PeteHanson]

Maybe i missed good sandbox adult games on here yet, but i honestly can not think of a single one that i played and did this well. I would not consider games with a map overview and grind cycle a sandbox, but maybe its just me..

 

[VNON]

this is what and how i see it

sandbox / free roam IMHO they r just laziest and easiest way for indie game devs,
i started asking for a game's saves after playing this kind of games.
some exception like DIK freeroam, you r free to roaming around

linear VN as Kinetic novel? (Honorable Devs)
i wont played it, and won't disturb their peaceful thread as long as they put the tag

how about VN with multiple choice / branching a lot ? (not for every devs can handle this pressure)
the GOAT is still GGGB, not perfect but almost perfect, and its completed now.

and DMD is definitely the most i hate
but it have multiple choices? almost all of them are useless choices
and every second a single choice pop up to stop you from anything

but in the end, its the devs choices
and peoples have different preferences, can't and don't' forced it to them

no offence

 

[PeteHanson]

how about VN with multiple choice / branching a lot ? (not for every devs can handle this pressure)
the GOAT is still GGGB, not perfect but almost perfect, and its completed now.

From what you talked about vns in the rest of your post we seem to think very much exactly in the opposite direction, especially cause i prefer mrdots games way of handling their other game melody at least. (its been a while since i even looked at not finished games on here, so maybe DMD is just much, much worse, but i doubt it...)

Still i take the chance and ask the question anyway what does "GGGB" as an abriviation stand for exactly?
I have a hard time getting most of these straight and having nothing to go on aside this is not helping me on google either.

 

[Deleted member 1370694]

VNs tend to work better (in my opinion). Gameplay is very difficult to create and often you get subpar gameplay and subpar story and characters when you try to do an adult game with focus on gameplay. While VNs can focus more on story and some few but well implemented gameplay elements can work (often) better.

So since I am pessimistic, I say I prefer VNs with (if at all) only few gameplay elements or multiple choice (if that counts as gameplay).

 

[RogueKnightUK]

Still i take the chance and ask the question anyway what does "GGGB" as an abriviation stand for exactly?

The game "Good Girl Gone Bad". It is far from being one of the most popular games, and it most certainly is not a 'sandbox', but it has respect for it's many branching paths and options, and offers considerable amounts of free choice for a VN based game.

 

[Pixieblink]

Both?

Sandbox is great for games you can really sink your teeth into.
Linear is good if you just want to play a goofy game without vesting hours into it.

 

[PeteHanson]

The game "Good Girl Gone Bad". It is far from being one of the most popular games, and it most certainly is not a 'sandbox', but it has respect for it's many branching paths and options, and offers considerable amounts of free choice for a VN based game.

Yup i was able to find it. But there two things about it that make it not worth playing the female protag in a sex game was never my thing. And the art.. hoestly that is the bigger factor i just can not stand the shots that are on vndb, at all.

 

[polywog]

A visual novel is an e-graphic novel. you can't even remotely compare a VN to a Game.
Toilet paper, and a toilet bowl brush are two different things entirely.

If you wanna wipe your ass with a brush, go right ahead, but don't go telling paper users how to do their business.

 

[RogueKnightUK]

A visual novel is an e-graphic novel. you can't even remotely compare a VN to a Game.
Toilet paper, and a toilet bowl brush are two different things entirely.

If you wanna wipe your ass with a brush, go right ahead, but don't go telling paper users how to do their business.

You seem to be conflating two distinct things there completely ignoring, or perhaps oblivious to, the differences between a VN and a Kinetic Novel. Only the Kinetic Novel is accurately described as merely being the electronic version of a graphic novel. A graphic novel or kinetic novel are merely extended comic books, where a story is told in a graphical format, no choices, one ending.

A VN presents choices and variable paths and endings. To unlock the options requires gameplay, making the right moves/choices, thus it is a game, even if a relatively simple one.

"Which hand?" is a game, with only 2 choices and 2 possible endings. "Rock, Paper, Scissors" is a game with only three choices and three possible endings. "Tic Tac Toe" is a game with again, limited choices leading to only three possible endings. That they are simple doesn't change the fact that these are games.

 

[polywog]

You seem to be conflating two distinct things there completely ignoring, or perhaps oblivious to, the differences between a VN and a Kinetic Novel. Only the Kinetic Novel is accurately described as merely being the electronic version of a graphic novel. A graphic novel or kinetic novel are merely extended comic books, where a story is told in a graphical format, no choices, one ending.

A VN presents choices and variable paths and endings. To unlock the options requires gameplay, making the right moves/choices, thus it is a game, even if a relatively simple one.

"Which hand?" is a game, with only 2 choices and 2 possible endings. "Rock, Paper, Scissors" is a game with only three choices and three possible endings. "Tic Tac Toe" is a game with again, limited choices leading to only three possible endings. That they are simple doesn't change the fact that these are games.

To say that chess has only two endings, demonstrates that not only have you failed, but your teachers as well.

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A novel is not a game, it's a story.


VN are watched, they aren't played.

 

[Pixieblink]

Isn't the real question WHAT DO THEY LIKE BEST ?!?
Dunno about you guys, but I NEVER play my game except to test it out.

 

[polywog]

Isn't the real question WHAT DO THEY LIKE BEST ?!?
Dunno about you guys, but I NEVER play my game except to test it out.

also it should be clear that there's no shame in watching some dude's VN story, we don't judge
lots of people are into that sort of thing