/r/visualnovels Census Results

[the_dive]

So do I have to take everything read and presented from reddit with a pinch of salt or something? I can't take most of these responses seriously.

Nah. Reddit's a good place to find content, it just tends to become an echo chamber a lot of the times. The upvote/downvote system is flawed because its used nowadays as an agree/disagree button rather than a contributes to the discussion/ does not contribute to the discussion button. Good thing about it though is that there's a community and info for every single little thing on Reddit like /r/AliensAmongUs.

Anyways on topic, census really reveals how little VNs the majority of people have read. Was expecting the average to be like 30 or 40.

 

[Narcosis]

Sorry, but message boards nowadays aren't as useful as they were 10 years ago, nor are they revelant. Vast majority of sites ended up as a space for group circlejerking, with little to no actual content and discussion; it's the kind of age we're living in.

[bigfatround0]

This place used to be a circlejerk before and after aaeru. Only recently did it start to change but that change made people leave.

[wyldstrykr]

i will get off topic here:

what is the minimum visual novel that you must read to become a reader in visual novel?

how do i know if the visual novel is outside of a large title or not? (i think i only read large title because the translator is only translating the large title)

ive read at least 20vns (some with gameplay) so am i one of those?

[Nerathim]

Most important VN attributes - Story came in top, followed by writing then visuals. This means there's an awful lot of liars who took the Reddit survey.

Really sickening.  Visuals, more important than soundtrack? I seriously hope it's a bad joke. (same goes for most of the results)

[Narcosis]

i will get off topic here:

what is the minimum visual novel that you must read to become a reader in visual novel?

how do i know if the visual novel is outside of a large title or not? (i think i only read large title because the translator is only translating the large title)

ive read at least 20vns (some with gameplay) so am i one of those?

Literally zero. If you say you're a visual novel enthusiast, who the fuck has any say in the matter? You can be a Shoot 'em Up fan without having ever finished one.

Besides the fact of being a big fat liar without knowledge to support one's beliefs, yes.

Edited October 13, 2015 by Narcosis

[Tyrael]

All this /r/VNs hate when fuwanovel is just as shitty...

If you think fuwa is shitty, then why the hell are you here? 

[Helvetica Standard]

i will get off topic here:

what is the minimum visual novel that you must read to become a reader in visual novel?

how do i know if the visual novel is outside of a large title or not? (i think i only read large title because the translator is only translating the large title)

ive read at least 20vns (some with gameplay) so am i one of those?

Literally zero. If you say you're a visual novel enthusiast, who the fuck has any say in the matter? You can be a Shoot 'em Up fan without having ever finished one.

I agree. It a really subjective thing and you can't exactly grade ppl by the amount of games they've played. Hell you could grade them based on the knowledge of existent VNs or the number of hours read/played. If anyone would like a friendly scale of fandom, then perhaps...

 

casual-----------------------enthusiast------------------------------------fan----------------------------------------adept--------------------------veteran
2-5 hours read           10+ hours read or 1-2 VNs read      30+ hours read or 5-7 VNs read     100+ hours 15+VNs     500+hours 30+VNs

 

YMMV of course and then again, it's still subjective. It would be hard to call yourself a VN reader if you haven't even finished one tho,
regardless of how many hours you've read, but it's still possible as Palas said (for example you could read most of a VN and drop it halfway since you didn't like it, the same we all do with anime.)

[CeruleanGamer]

i will get off topic here:

what is the minimum visual novel that you must read to become a reader in visual novel?

how do i know if the visual novel is outside of a large title or not? (i think i only read large title because the translator is only translating the large title)

ive read at least 20vns (some with gameplay) so am i one of those?

Literally zero. If you say you're a visual novel enthusiast, who the fuck has any say in the matter? You can be a Shoot 'em Up fan without having ever finished one.

 

I agree. It a really subjective thing and you can't exactly grade ppl by the amount of games they've played. Hell you could grade them based on the knowledge of existent VNs or the number of hours read/played. If anyone would like a friendly scale of fandom, then perhaps...

 

casual-----------------------enthusiast------------------------------------fan----------------------------------------adept--------------------------veteran
2-5 hours read           10+ hours read or 1-2 VNs read      30+ hours read or 5-7 VNs read     100+ hours 15+VNs     500+hours 30+VNs

 

YMMV of course and then again, it's still subjective. It would be hard to call yourself a VN reader if you haven't even finished one tho,
regardless of how many hours you've read, but it's still possible as Palas said (for example you could read most of a VN and drop it halfway since you didn't like it, the same we all do with anime.)

500 hours and 30 VNs for veteran? Seems like a low standard. Is there a higher tier than that?

[InvictusCobra]

i will get off topic here:

what is the minimum visual novel that you must read to become a reader in visual novel?

how do i know if the visual novel is outside of a large title or not? (i think i only read large title because the translator is only translating the large title)

ive read at least 20vns (some with gameplay) so am i one of those?

Literally zero. If you say you're a visual novel enthusiast, who the fuck has any say in the matter? You can be a Shoot 'em Up fan without having ever finished one.

 

I agree. It a really subjective thing and you can't exactly grade ppl by the amount of games they've played. Hell you could grade them based on the knowledge of existent VNs or the number of hours read/played. If anyone would like a friendly scale of fandom, then perhaps...

 

casual-----------------------enthusiast------------------------------------fan----------------------------------------adept--------------------------veteran
2-5 hours read           10+ hours read or 1-2 VNs read      30+ hours read or 5-7 VNs read     100+ hours 15+VNs     500+hours 30+VNs

 

YMMV of course and then again, it's still subjective. It would be hard to call yourself a VN reader if you haven't even finished one tho,
regardless of how many hours you've read, but it's still possible as Palas said (for example you could read most of a VN and drop it halfway since you didn't like it, the same we all do with anime.)

500 hours and 30 VNs for veteran? Seems like a low standard. Is there a higher tier than that?

Clephas level: 1500+ hours 200+ VNs read 

 

Edited October 13, 2015 by InvictusCobra

[Down]

I'm a bit surprised to see all the flak reddit is getting here considering the results wouldn't be very different on fuwa and taking seriously/getting mad at polls of this kind is a bit pointless imo.

what is the minimum visual novel that you must read to become a reader in visual novel?

If you... read visual novels you're a visual novel reader... If the question is more something like "becoming a fan" of visual novels, then we go back to the good old debate of true fan vs false fan and legitimacy, and it's all kinda irrelevant, I think. Don't ask yourself those questions, just read VNs.
If the question is something like "how many VNs do you need to have read in order to say you know the medium" there is a non-stupid answer but it's more complicated than a number, since it also depends on how much involved you are into knowing everything that surrounds the medium and not just reading the VNs themselves. You could have read 150 VNs and have no idea what you're talking about, you could have read only 50 and still be really knowledgeable about them. At 20 you're sort of in the average of players, but you probably don't know that much yet. But it's not something to fret much about imo.

[bigfatround0]

All this /r/VNs hate when fuwanovel is just as shitty...

If you think fuwa is shitty, then why the hell are you here? 

cause I can? I used to visit this place a while ago and I occasionally come and lurk when I'm bored. 

[CeruleanGamer]

I'm a bit surprised to see all the flak reddit is getting here considering the results wouldn't be very different on fuwa and taking seriously/getting mad at polls of this kind is a bit pointless imo.

what is the minimum visual novel that you must read to become a reader in visual novel?

If you... read visual novels you're a visual novel reader... If the question is more something like "becoming a fan" of visual novels, then we go back to the good old debate of true fan vs false fan and legitimacy, and it's all kinda irrelevant, I think. Don't ask yourself those questions, just read VNs.
If the question is something like "how many VNs do you need to have read in order to say you know the medium" there is a non-stupid answer but it's more complicated than a number, since it also depends on how much involved you are into knowing everything that surrounds the medium and not just reading the VNs themselves. You could have read 150 VNs and have no idea what you're talking about, you could have read only 50 and still be really knowledgeable about them. At 20 you're sort of in the average of players, but you probably don't know that much yet. But it's not something to fret much about imo.

I'd say the genre should also be taken into consideration. If you are just reading all vanilla, harem, romance crap, you are roughly at about 20% (probably less...) of what the overall visual novel world can offer. VNs have all sorts of genres and caters to numerous amounts of fetishes and hobbies. You might not like some genres, avoid and not touch some with a 10 foot pole or you have absolute favorites, but you can't claim to be a visual novel expert if you are one-dimensional with your genre preferences.

Edited October 13, 2015 by CeruleanGamer

[Mr Poltroon]

I'm a bit surprised to see all the flak reddit is getting here considering the results wouldn't be very different on fuwa and taking seriously/getting mad at polls of this kind is a bit pointless imo.

what is the minimum visual novel that you must read to become a reader in visual novel?

If you... read visual novels you're a visual novel reader... If the question is more something like "becoming a fan" of visual novels, then we go back to the good old debate of true fan vs false fan and legitimacy, and it's all kinda irrelevant, I think. Don't ask yourself those questions, just read VNs.
If the question is something like "how many VNs do you need to have read in order to say you know the medium" there is a non-stupid answer but it's more complicated than a number, since it also depends on how much involved you are into knowing everything that surrounds the medium and not just reading the VNs themselves. You could have read 150 VNs and have no idea what you're talking about, you could have read only 50 and still be really knowledgeable about them. At 20 you're sort of in the average of players, but you probably don't know that much yet. But it's not something to fret much about imo.

I'd say the genre should also be taken into consideration. If you are just reading all vanilla, harem, romance crap, you are roughly at about 20% (probably less...) of what the overall visual novel world can offer. VNs have all sorts of genres and caters to numerous amounts of fetishes and hobbies. You might not like some genres, avoid and not touch some with a 10 foot pole or you have absolute favorites, but you can't claim to be a visual novel expert if you are one-dimensional with your genre preferences.

That's quite the sad statement for me. While the number of Visual Novels (subtracting nukige and incomplete reads and "not so visual novel like" VN's - Ace Attorney) I've played is probably above 50, I do actively avoid certain genres and focus on certain aspects even when I'm out of my comfort zone.
Although thinking about it, I'd never claim to be an expert on Visual Novels. I'd much prefer to claim I'm an avid player.

[CeruleanGamer]

Experimentation and curiosity are key. You wont know what you like when you just play the same stuff over and over. 

With me as an example, I initially thought I wouldnt like netorare but after I played a few of them, I actually thought they were amazing. Especially the netori subgenre where you play as the protagonist doing the NTR'ing.

Same with chikan or public molestation and exhibitionist genres. They may sound irrational and something that might not happen irl or maybe outside of Japan, but the thrill of not getting caught is pretty exhilirating for me.  

Edited October 14, 2015 by CeruleanGamer

[Chronopolis]

I have an idea of a few genres, including some of the more cliche ones, but not really of the slice of life, comedy/romance, or key style novels. While there's not enough VN's that you'll find mountains of anything you are looking for, there is a lot of different VN's out there. Strat-gameplay is a genre, so is cross-dressing (ok some of these are types, not categories), JPRG, Majikoi-style/Grisaia comedy, Chuunibyou, peaceful slice of life into drama, drama/supernatural, more mature romance, moe-quasi-medival, agents vs agent, utsuge, heavily stylized *katahane, wonderful world, yume miru kusuri*, modern-day/cybertech action, not to meaning the bunch of unique story/vision-driven works there are that are easier to put under their own heading.

I've at least touched about 75 VN's, finished 10 in English, 15 in Japanese (only like 25 in total). Have about 80 in my serious wish list. I follow what more avid readers talk about and review. Odds are if it's a non-gameplay, story-focused VN, non-obscure title, I've probably seen it at least once while looking vndb.

 

Edited October 14, 2015 by Chronopolis

[Beato]

I have been reading VNs since 2008 yet for various reasons I've only read around 50 (I have 46 listed on my vndb but there are a couple more that I've never finished). That I shouldn't be considered a "true fan" or whatever of something that has been my hobby for 7 years purely because I haven't read "enough" content seems pretty silly to me.

[XReaper]

as for me, though already been interested in otaku-culture agood while before, i first started reading eroge and the derivates of theirs around ~´97/´98 on sega saturn (doukyuusei), mostly as a means to distract myself from the lonelyless i felt back then, which ironically hastened the process of turning me in into a hopeless social outcast the more i immersed myself into the medium as awhole, almost breaking up contact with all of my friends, family members and other people once dear to me and basically kept on living my (shitty but enteraining) life, that consisted(s) only of earning money for allowing me to stay in my imaginary 2d wonderland.
in terms of numbers, i lost the overview at some point, but the vndb list of mine is pretty much inaccurate, since i have not rated all of the ones i read yet, mostly nukige or those considered the worst and on the other hand numerousness never got finished by me btw. completed only a few routes that draw me in for various reasons and then stalled them infinitely.
as for the content, i do prefer almost anything focused on interpersonal drama, twisted relationships (incl. netorare), excessive violence (both physically and mentally), realistic stories, authentic characters, prostitution, sexual slavery, horror, despair, betrayel, revenge, (dark) fantasy, chuunibyou, adventure, sci-fi, true love stories, conclusive plotlines and so on.

 

[SilverLi]

Thanks for the sarcastic comments Rooke. Laughing for myself.

At last I got my recognition playing all those shitty nukiges. I can title myself as a veteran. Oh wait I should feel miserable.