: Re: What point of view is best to write a visual novel in? I am currently working on a visual novel, and I am wondering if I should write it in first or third person. Which method is better

@Kaufman555

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These are broad generalizations.

1st-Person is better for world exploration and action (puzzle solving, combat, RPG). The player experiences the world through an avatar – sometimes as a tabula rasa with amnesia, or as a stranger in a strange land. When the MC has a backstory, he is usually generalized with no personality or imposed emotional state. There's a discovery phase before making meaningful choices. There are "good" and "bad" decisions. Choices are about goals, stats, and unlocking achievement gates. The reader can uncover the situation in non-linear order. Endings can be ranked from best to worst.

2nd-person is usually done as imperative mood. “Bob plunges the blade into Jim’s chest” becomes "Plunge the blade into Jim's chest…". The imperitive implies a second-person subject (you). Narratively it's the same as 1st-person.

3rd-person is better for narrative, character development, and plot-driven stories that explore emotional or interpersonal relationaships. The player navigates with a traditional protagonist (or several) as a character embedded within the story, usually with a history and family – especially if they are leveraged by the plot to raise the stakes. The protagonist has a character arc, and the narrative imposes an emotional state. Dialog has subtext and tonal shades. Choices are compromises where something is gained and lost, or mutually exclusive. Conflicts are amoral or ambiguous. Endings are not about "winning", but resolving the narrative with a satisfying conclusion.

None of these are actual rules, of course.

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