Newer to the visual novel space, but! I have thought about them a lot lately, and I really appreciate you comparing them to comics and calling them a crossroads between mediums. Because I have wanted to make comics AND visual novels, it’s hard NOT to see the similarities they can have in terms of expression and presentation. I sometimes think of them in my mind as cousins.
And that kind of is why I started dabbling in visual novels and finally made one of my own earlier this year. I felt like I was finally able to tell a story I would’ve previously imagined as a comic in a way that was more accessible to me. Comics, even short ones, are daunting — I have to consider panel composition and spend hours writing and drawing a page that someone will read through in a moment. But visual novels cut down a bit of those extra things that I had a hard time committing to. I can instead draw some emotion sprites, only dedicating full “panels” to scenes that most need it (CGs). I can write lengthier stories and dialogue without worrying about cramming too much into a word bubble. The things that really excite me about making comics are the things that visual novels let me focus on! And the accessibility and fun of learning Ren’Py makes it even easier for me to gain creative momentum :D
