Pet Peeves in VNs

[Clephas]

We all have our little pet peeves.  In fact, our taste in anything is generally framed at least a little bit by our pet peeves.  For an otaku, the more jaded you become, the more your pet peeves bother you if you don't make an effort to repress them. 

 

So, what are your pet peeves, and how does it effect what you prefer to play?

 

My VN pet peeves are:

 

Plot inconsistency in story-focused VNs

Hetare protagonists

Multiple main protagonists

the entertainment industry (as a game focus, though I can usually stand an idol heroine, if it is just one of them)

weak-willed, submissive, foolish female protagonists (DID {damsel in distress} Syndrome)

Protagonists with no redeeming value (a protagonist who is completely and utterly average or below average, with no particularly admirable traits or stand-out capabilities)

G-Senjou no Maou's path structure

Meaningless sub-heroine routes

nukige

well-designed but poorly utilized settings (someone went through the effort to make an incredibly detailed setting... but the story doesn't do anything with that setting)

 

How these effect my enjoyment... generally speaking, they simply decrease my enjoyment of the game in general (though a few, like hetare protagonists and the meaningless sub-heroine routes are game-killers for me).  I've played enough VNs that I've learned to suppress my pet peeves until the game is over, in most cases.  Generally speaking, I don't have high enough expectations of the average moege to go insane with hate over it touching on my pet peeves.  However, if it is in a game I had expectations for... watch me explode.

[OriginalRen]

Falling in love after meeting someone for the first time. This shit just doesn't happen, and if it does, it's such a rarity. The realism of "dating" in VNs is somewhat of a bummer to me. It just never feels real to me like it should.

 

Also, recurring comedy. It's funny maybe the 1st 20 times, but not 100 more.

[Darklord Rooke]

Bloat. Scene after scene where nothing happens.  Key, I'm looking at you.

[Clephas]

Games that don't have any basic character development scenes are fairly boring, as well.  If you don't get to know the characters at all, even the best story idea will frequently fall flat.

[Darklord Rooke]

Ideally, writers develop character in scenes which move the plot forward. That way you don't get a Little Busters scenario where large chunks of the game are just the characters stuffing around.

[O. Van Bruce]

I'm strange to mention this but: Fanservice outside the sex scenes when I'm not playing a nukige. If you want me to focus on the story or the romance, don't make me horny while I'm trying to read please.

 

I must say, there is sometimes good fanservice that provide something to the story or ambient but otherwise, when I want to read, I want to read... when I want to fap, I want to fap.

[wattstax]

...

Hetare protagonists

...

Protagonists with no redeeming value (a protagonist who is completely and utterly average or below average, with no particularly admirable traits or stand-out capabilities)

G-Senjou no Maou's path structure

Meaningless sub-heroine routes

...

Hm, I agree with most of your points, but I have to admit that I prefer the "regular" even timid protagonist just because it is easier for me to relate to him. I have to agree though that I like him to be at least a good listener or sensitive, to give him some redeeming qualities. Sure, it is unrealistic that all females around him fall head over heels for him. Though to take Grisaia as an example as it is the most recent VN I played: Yuuji was much too strong of a protag, beating people up and such. Nice for story purposes though in such games, where the main focus tends to be which girl to choose I find it hard to relate as I would be completely unable to pull such stunts. That is not to say, I imagine myself as the protag. But I need some familiarity in behaviour, you know?

Would you mind explaining the G-Senjou path and sub-heroine plots (without spoilers)? Can't follow here.

And regarding love on first sight. I believe it is possible but the overreaction that the girls just throws herself at you is the most unrealistic behaviour here. Also the affection should have a good explanation to be taken seriously.

[O. Van Bruce]

Ideally, writers develop character in scenes which move the plot forward. That way you don't get a Little Busters scenario where large chunks of the game are just the characters stuffing around.

 

Welcome to high school simulator AKA Key

[Stanleys]

Welcome to high school simulator AKA Key

Exceptions include Planetarian, Tomoyo After, and to an extent, Rewrite.

[O. Van Bruce]

and to an extent, Rewrite.

 

Welp, after having the same setting in Clannad and Little Busters they had to try mixing something new on the recipe...

 

But I'm with Rooke after reading Clannad and part of Rewrite...

[Guest]

Love for some stupid reasons (he gave me a lolipop 152 years ago so i luv him even now)

Situations that don't make sense and unlikely things happening just for the sake of a scenario.

Having to play 15h of a game before the plot actually starts.

Stupid or oblivious protags ( girl : - Wanna go on a date ? , Guy : - *Why does she want to go on a date*  *face palm* )

Game with little to no scenario (or worthless scenario)

 

Plaese guys do not compare Clannad and LB ... Not comparable !

[Katatsumuri]

Sudden H-scenes without a buildup, unless they are somehow justified

Comedy derived from someones embarassment

Stupid plots

plot holes

featureless protagonists

[Nosebleed]

Bad endings. Screw every bad ending in existence.

Falling in love first sight. No..no it just doesn't happen.

Heroines/protags that suddenly decide it's perfectly fine to have sex in less than a week, sometimes even before they start dating for clearly no good reason other than for you to fap. Not to mention the girls always turn into huge perverts right at that moment even though they never experienced it before. This happens in almost every eroge and for once i'd like properly introduced sex scenes.

Tsunderes. Screw them and their abusive ways.

Ignorant as hell or really stupid protagonist. Rikki i'm looking at you

[O. Van Bruce]

Heroines/protags that suddenly decide it's perfectly fine to have sex in less than a week, sometimes even before they start dating for clearly no good reason other than for you to fap. Not to mention the girls always turn into huge perverts right at that moment even though they never experienced it before. This happens in almost every eroge and for once i'd like properly introduced sex scenes.

 

What's bad for people being horny? You are a sack full of sexual hormones when you are a teen. If you suddenly discovered sex and you liked it, you'd do it non-stop. At least that's how I feel even nowadays haha.

 

And yeah, it's perfectly fine a week, hell, there are people out there that have sex with people mere hours after knowing each other.

[Nosebleed]

What's bad for people being horny? You are a sack full of sexual hormones when you are a teen. If you suddenly discovered sex and you liked it, you'd do it non-stop. At least that's how I feel even nowadays haha.

And yeah, it's perfectly fine a week, hell, there are people out there that have sex with people mere hours after knowing each other.

That's not what i wanted to point out. Sure your hormones are all jumbled and you just want to do it as a teen but that's not what i have a big issue with. My problem is HOW this is presented in vns. It's almost always tasteless and clearly there just so you can fap to it. What i'd like to see is a healthy relationship progressing to that point and not have the characters suddenly turn into sex masters.

They even often point out how they're clueless about the subject and then when it comes down to it they go all out? This makes no sense in my head

[wattstax]

What's bad for people being horny? You are a sack full of sexual hormones when you are a teen. If you suddenly discovered sex and you liked it, you'd do it non-stop. At least that's how I feel even nowadays haha.

And yeah, it's perfectly fine a week, hell, there are people out there that have sex with people mere hours after knowing each other.

But if you think of the fact, that stories take place mostly in school settings AND in Japan, I am also of the opinion it should be a little more romantic, instead of: You are gorgeous. Let's go to bed.

[Famichip]

- Reaaaaaaally long common routes
- Long H-scenes (thank god for the Ctrl key)
- When a character I really like doesn't have a route
- Poor, boring storyline

[O. Van Bruce]

That's not what i wanted to point out. Sure your hormones are all jumbled and you just want to do it as a teen but that's not what i have a big issue with. My problem is HOW this is presented in vns. It's almost always tasteless and clearly there just so you can fap to it. What i'd like to see is a healthy relationship progressing to that point and not have the characters suddenly turn into sex masters.

They even often point out how they're clueless about the subject and then when it comes down to it they go all out? This makes no sense in my head

 

 

But if you think of the fact, that stories take place mostly in school settings AND in Japan, I am also of the opinion it should be a little more romantic, instead of: You are gorgeous. Let's go to bed.

 

Probably 70% of the relationships bettwen teens aren't"healthy". What normally creates couples on that stage is the lybido... here and wherever you go, even in Japan.

[Nosebleed]

Probably 70% of the relationships bettwen teens aren't"healthy". What normally creates couples on that stage is the lybido... here and wherever you go, even in Japan.

But that's not the point i want to make. I'm not talking about real life. I'm talking about vns, romance vns. Having random out of context sex scenes thrown at you is NOT romance. This is regarding fiction not real life.

Look at Clannad, that was romantic and guess what, no sex content involved although implied at points there was no need to emphasize it. Though i am okay with h content i like it in a proper context and that's what i wanted to point out.

[O. Van Bruce]

k, I get your point. It's all about artistic ideals then. 

[wattstax]

I like to add a non-functioning Auto-Read-Mode. I like to enjoy my VN as a low-animated movie. So if I have to click every time I can't enjoy it.

[Vokoca]

Perverted protagonists (Cross+Channel is the worst offender here) and h-scenes in general, really. I usually end up skipping through the h-scenes and just looking at the CGs, since they're usually ridiculously dragged out for no particular reason, and it's not fun for me to read at all. They're usually tasteless and out of place, and the more apparent this is, the worse.

 

The only h-scenes I didn't mind that much were the ones in Saya no Uta (even though even these were there undeniably for faps, they at least had plot-related purposes), and the Grisaia ones, which even seemed to move the plot/relationship along, at the very least. In fact, Makina's h-scene might be the only h-scene I've ever enjoyed, simply because it was hilarious.

[Flutterz]

Hmm, probably when the VN takes a dip in quality. For example One's common route was great, but the heroine routes were almost copy-pasted from each other, and not very good at all.

[Hint]

Well some of my pet peeves are listed Here... so.. My VN  pet peeves are:

Prostitute Herione (i can't stand them, i don't know why.)

Unavoidable Rape/Gang rape: it annoys the hell out of me. 

Cowardly Protagonist (Hetare Protagonist)

Annoying Heroines (example: Chianami from "Hoshimemo")

[Skeith]

I guess for me it would be:

 

1. clueless protagonist or heroine/heroines about the feelings of the other

2. H-scenes that have such ridiculous amounts of moaning.

3. forced comedy moments/scenes.

 

Well, I guess that's it. Can't really complain much, as I didn't really play that much VNs.