itch.io

I do not understand what you are getting at.

You use a high level programming language. You use an ide. You use libraries that someone else made. Do not belittle people doing the same. It does not lessen a game. 

Using a game engine is literally using a high level programming language and using the specialiced libraries and framework that the engine provides.

Bitching about wich programming language is best, is nothing new. But you act, like it lessens or enhances the game made with it.

Also, you should not forget the topic. This is about vn. That reads visual novel, in case you forgot. 

What do you think is more important when making a vn: the writing of the story or the programming of displaying pictures and sound and reacting to user input?

Of course it is usefull to be able to code on lower level, but as I said, in most engines you can include your custom made code if desired or even needed. Because of that, one should carefully decide the engine to be used. For some projects a self made engine might even be best, especially if it is easy tasks and you already know how to programm. But get used to reinvent the wheel a lot and have common pitfalls and mistakes and flaws, like fullscreen issues, corrupt save games and a plethora of other tiny details you did not think about before starting to code. All those things are pre-solved by a good engine, so you can concentrate on the needed writing and logic for telling the story. And maybe even doing some Art, instead of using premade assetts.

the challenge is not run the marathon mounted in a harley davidson, the real challenge is make the 40 km running with your legs and sweating the tshirt

If you create a game for your own fun of creating a game and maybe learning new skills, by all means, go ahead, run a marathon. It is a challenge you made for yourself. Your "game" is making the game.

But if you create a game to tell a story, maybe hope of makeing a game that other people will like to play, what use for the player will it be, if you spend energy to run a marathon? Will the game get any better by doing it the hard way? Will your story telling techniques improve by this? Will your art get better? Will you chose better music, or even make some?

Making a game is not the same as being able to code an app. You need parts of one to do the other. But high skill in coding does not equate high skill in game making.

If this were a rpg, your skills might be Coding, Art, Story. You propose to max Coding, but for a good game you still need Story and Art, and Story is most important for a visual novel, followed by Art.