My thoughts exactly, now i don't want to get into too much graphic detail. But i find i get a great deal more "satisfaction" from the h-scenes in eroge that knows how to balance the 3 things i want. Which is: story - character development - H-scene payoff
H-scenes are very important to me, which is not to say i'm against an good story by any means, however i do not think i would want to play an visual novel without H-scenes, it does not sit right with me. Playing an purely story visual novel is not good enough for me, i'd rather read a book. Pure hentai is also kinda meh, it does the "job" if you know what i mean. But not much else.
Eroge however struck that magic chord of Ero and plot, which has pulled me in like no other medium. They are symbiotic in my opinion, both depend on each other. If one part (story or H-scenes) was pulled out it would simply not engage me anymore.
When i play visual novels it's usually about the characters and writing first. (Is the story engaging? Do i care about the characters at all? Am i enjoying the artwork?) If all seems right then i will look forward to the first h-scene, after that i will again want for more plot to keep the story flowing, then some more ero, then i would want an great ending etc...
What other medium does this? I understand the position of anti-H purists in this thread, and their conservative standpoint. But i think it would be an great loss for visual novels the day that h-scenes were removed, and hopefully it will never happen. Of course there are some things that i dislike about the Visual novel scene today. For example the excessive amounts of trashy nukige games, or when i play an game that seems like it has promising artwork and ero, only to find out that the writing is boring, juvenile and with the depth of Twilight.
Anyway bit of an personal message to Codesterz here! Love your profile picture! I just finished Natsukumo Yururu and Sagiri was definitely my favourite character! Awesome f-ing game! Actually i planned to use exactly that image as my profile picture... god dammit ;-_- Also i was planning to read Sumikko Soft's next game "Akiyume Kukuru" but my ITH can not hook the text in that game, have you by chance played that game and been aware of any h-codes of it lying around? I really want to play that game but i can't do it without text hooker due to my limited Japanese... Argh! Anyway, it's nice to see someone with my same way of thinking! (I would also be interested in that 24 episode hentai you prophesized :3) Maybe see you around!