Outpost Omega J 45 Posted September 5, 2018 Share Posted September 5, 2018 (edited) Mostly because I'm bored, I have decided to try and start a debate. The question: Should visual novels be classified as "games"? I propose they should not. While they are quite fun and entertaining, there is very little interactivity. I think it would be more appropriate to classify them as e-books. Added September 5th, 2018 8:41 EST: The debates seems to have narrowed in onto only two choices, game or book. While there is nothing wrong with arguing one of those two points, it was not my intent to limit this debate to ONLY those two choices, should somebody have another opinion on the matter. Additional note: I set the above poll to private. In theory*, no one can see who voted what. *In theory, theory and practice are one and the same. In practice, theory and practice are completely different. Edited September 6, 2018 by Outpost Omega J Grammatical fixes. Added information about the poll. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
TakiMinase 148 Posted September 5, 2018 Share Posted September 5, 2018 Related video: [video=youtube;Tu2qo-hwI-o]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tu2qo-hwI-o Quote Link to post Share on other sites
napoleon 134 Posted September 5, 2018 Share Posted September 5, 2018 Visual Novels are not quite games and perhaps not quite books either in the traditional sense. They are essentially "choose your own adventure" books. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Outpost Omega J 45 Posted September 5, 2018 Author Share Posted September 5, 2018 I remember the choose your own adventure books. But that still makes the point they are closer to books than games. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Pasa 278 Posted September 5, 2018 Share Posted September 5, 2018 Visual Novels are games, in fact many of them even have proper gameplay. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Kai 55 Posted September 5, 2018 Share Posted September 5, 2018 Unless they have gameplay like eushully or alicesoft visual novels, I have a hard time seeing them as games. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
napoleon 134 Posted September 5, 2018 Share Posted September 5, 2018 I guess the only real question is: are books games? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Outpost Omega J 45 Posted September 6, 2018 Author Share Posted September 6, 2018 The debates seems to have narrowed in onto only two choices, game or book. While there is nothing wrong with arguing one of those two points, it was not my intent to limit this debate to ONLY those two choices, should somebody have another opinion on the matter. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Ivan 165 Posted September 6, 2018 Share Posted September 6, 2018 One of my favourite computer games is Planescape: Torment - it's a cRPG with absolutely massive amount of text that dwarfs most visual novels (looks familiar? ) and basically non-existent gameplay challenge (you play as character who is immortal - if you die, you respawn immediately. How difficult combat can be?) - 80% of gameplay time is spent navigating massive dialogue trees. I have yet to see someone who wouldn't call it a "game", even if on fundamental level, only thing that differs between Planescape and, say, Fate/Stay Night is artstyle. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Outpost Omega J 45 Posted September 8, 2018 Author Share Posted September 8, 2018 (edited) I think you killed the debate, Ivan. "The site's admin has ruled, I'm not gonna disagree and risk getting banned from the site." says the average website user. I was kinda hoping to get at least thirty total votes in the poll. Edited September 8, 2018 by Outpost Omega J Quote Link to post Share on other sites
napoleon 134 Posted September 8, 2018 Share Posted September 8, 2018 Visual Novels being books or game isn't mutually exclusive. They certainly are games in the sense that they belong to a category of software but are definitely not books despite being primarily text based. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Kuroyaksha 13 Posted September 27, 2018 Share Posted September 27, 2018 Depends on the visual novel, but pure visual novels are most definitely not games. In order for it to be a game you need two things: 1. Rules 2. Having a win state and a fail state Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Red Phantoms 12 Posted September 28, 2018 Share Posted September 28, 2018 (edited) Visual novel today is a very broad genre. For me it depend on what they include the the game. Some VN like kanna sister simply just a kinetic novel with branching story line similar to goosebumps in that case i really cant say if those classified as game Meanwhile some other VN implement actual gameplay like Senjou no folklore, Hyakki Yakou, Baldr Series (Giga), Dai- series (Alicesoft) and Meister Series (Eushully). My suggestion is instead focusing on the VN itself you should focus whether or not gameplay is exist within the game or not Edited September 28, 2018 by Red Phantoms Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Outpost Omega J 45 Posted November 10, 2018 Author Share Posted November 10, 2018 *BUMP* I am still holding out hope that I can get thirty total votes in the poll. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
napoleon 134 Posted November 10, 2018 Share Posted November 10, 2018 How do I know which one I voted for? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Outpost Omega J 45 Posted November 11, 2018 Author Share Posted November 11, 2018 (edited) How do I know which one I voted for? *Blinks blankly in confusion* The poll it self is a yes or no question. Presumably, you voted in accordance with your own opinion on the matter. The mechanics of the poll are set up to protect the privacy of those who vote so as to minimize ass-hole behavior of those who disagree with you. I know how I voted, and if you read some of my earlier posts, it should be obvious, but I don't have the means to actually see my own vote in the poll, let alone anyone else. My purpose was to start a debate, not a fight. Ivan, as the sight administrator, MIGHT have access to that information, but I don't know for sure. Given that whole point of this debate was to alleviate my boredom the night I set it up, it doesn't seem right to bother Ivan over something so trivial. Edited November 11, 2018 by Outpost Omega J Gramatical Fixes Quote Link to post Share on other sites
napoleon 134 Posted November 13, 2018 Share Posted November 13, 2018 (edited) since i am unsure of how i cast my vote i will now redefine my position on the matter in the following way: visual Novels are and are not games. Thanks for reading. Edited November 13, 2018 by napoleon ( . Y . ) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Outpost Omega J 45 Posted November 13, 2018 Author Share Posted November 13, 2018 (edited) Bench mark! 15 votes! Half way there! -------------------- Side note, this was my 255th post, other wise known as FF in hexadecimal (no, that is not a reference to bra size, though given the content of this sight in general, I can see how someone might make the mistake). Being a slight computer science nerd, I just felt like celebrating that a little. Edited November 15, 2018 by Outpost Omega J Added comment about 255th post. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Zero Dilemma 338 Posted November 13, 2018 Share Posted November 13, 2018 In this matter I agree with both Omega and Napoleon. I don't consider VN as game because it lacks interactivity, which is--in my opinion--the main element in any game. Sure we've to pick choices in a lot of VNs, but as long as it don't have prominent gameplay features then I still consider it more on the side of "passive" entertainment medium. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Ivan 165 Posted November 13, 2018 Share Posted November 13, 2018 How do I know which one I voted for? Answer text of option you chose is displayed in italics. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Outpost Omega J 45 Posted November 30, 2018 Author Share Posted November 30, 2018 20 VOTES! Two thirds of the way to my goal of thirty! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
TakiMinase 148 Posted November 30, 2018 Share Posted November 30, 2018 Congratulations on reaching the milestone. It's a huge achievement considering how inactive this forum overall is. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Fluffy 29 Posted December 7, 2018 Share Posted December 7, 2018 Visual novels aren't games, but products that has a significant gameplay element to it that also reads like a visual novel stays as a game, but like i said: vn's are vn's, not games Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Outpost Omega J 45 Posted December 8, 2018 Author Share Posted December 8, 2018 WOOT! Several votes came in while I wasn't looking. Only 2 more to goal! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Stef 10 Posted January 16, 2019 Share Posted January 16, 2019 (edited) It's said that any interaction like a choice in a novel is basically classed as a game, because you choose which why it will end There are loads of hybrid VN,s too those have to be classed as games "Reload" for example is a hybrid VN, it has game play like an RPG as well as being a novel Not all VN's have choices, some are just read through novels, but you still have to advance the text & voices with your keyboard or mouse (interaction), So i have no answer either way! (for this later on read through's) I got to say for most part with the music, voices, backgrounds (some are also animated) etc they do feel like games in a sense, so "Yes!" BTW didn't the japanese otaku already class them as games Edited February 5, 2019 by Stef Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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