Posted August 19, 2024 by Chattercap
Hello everyone!
As those of you who play my games know, I've used Live2D-style animations for most of my games (hair movement, breathing, and facial animations). When I was first exploring ways that VNs have innovated, I was really enamored with the dynamic animations used in games like Virtue's Last Reward and Twisted Wonderland. I especially loved the smooth facial animations, which made the characters feel so alive.
However, after some pondering, I'm thinking that perhaps it would be best if I removed those animations. It has come to my attention that, for a lot of people, this kind of animation can look a bit unnatural and can be distracting at times. Moreover, I think that most people are relatively ambivalent towards it. Based on the comments I've received on my games so far, I think that, for the most part, people are relatively ambivalent towards the animations or don't notice them? (For the most part I've tried to make them VERY subtle so that they're not bothersome or distracting.)
If I removed the animations, I would be able to:
However, of course, the animations are a "feature" that I've advertised for my games, and I don't want to remove a feature without giving the opportunity to my players to provide feedback. If you've played my games and have any kind of strong feeling about the animations, please comment below! If there are quite a few people who feel strongly that they add to the games, then I'll keep them.
For the time being, I'll be transitioning the animations out of my current project, "The Perfect Woman." Depending on player feedback, I'll also work on transitioning animations out of my preexisting projects in the coming weeks. If you want me to keep the animations, please let me know, either by dropping me an email at chattercap@gmail.com or a comment below!
Thank you for your time and understanding!
Chattercap