Do you prefer otome game with gameplay element or just text reading element only?

[Bubblepink]

As someone who usually likes to go for 100% or all the routes, stat raisers are so tedious and repetitive to go through. I don't mind other stuff like mini games, but I can't say they enhance the experience most of the time.

 

[Artina]

Both are acceptable as long as they don't affect the experience of the story. However, I hope that the difficulty of otome games with gameplay elements is not too high.

I used a translation tool. If there are any mistakes, I apologize.

Agree! and don't worry there's nothing wrong with your english language even if it's using translation. Be more confident. 赞成. 我能一点点用国语. 你的英文没有问题.请更自信吧. 是我的中文可能有问题哦.

I'm alright with gameplay if it flows naturally from the story rather than feeling like an interruption, or if the gameplay is integral to the telling of the story. Like if it adds to the storytelling or themes in someway, but I honestly haven't really personally played an otome where I feel like the gameplay enhanced the story too much for me. I like games in general so I like gameplay, but I play otome for the story (and view it basically like a novel but with some interaction in terms of the choices) so a lot of the time, it just ends up feeling like a bother if I'm interrupted in the middle of reading and forced to play a gameplay segment. If the gameplay is difficult, I feel like it would be a problem if I couldn't beat it and thus could not advance the story, basically soft locking me. But if it's too easy or I dislike the gameplay loop, I feel like it might start feeling like a chore that I have to do in order to get back to the story. And if I enjoy the gameplay too much over the story, I may want to just continue playing that, instead of going back to the story haha.

In terms of games in general (not just VNs and otome) there are some that integrate the gameplay and story very well (like having story inside or as part of the gameplay harmoniously) but I feel like there are many games where story and gameplay are almost at odds with or overshadow each other (especially when they're very separate from the other, so it feel jarring when switching over). They almost seem opposed in concept to me. Gameplay gives the reigns over to the player, letting them actively do something, while story is more like you watching passively and giving the control primarily over to the creators. These mindsets are basically the opposite to me personally, so when I want to read or experience a story, I want to focus on the story instead of being interrupted by gameplay, and when I want to do gameplay and find it too fun, I generally only want to do gameplay and I don't want to be interrupted by long segments of story or cutscenes (unless it's integrated well and the gameplay and story enhance each other, like I said). I guess I get too absorbed in each thing (story or gameplay) that I don't want to be forced to stop and do something else.

This goes for all games, but especially otome and VNs because I view and enjoy them as stories. Therefore, I'm just here to read so I usually prefer no additional gameplay mechanics and just pure story like a full visual novel. But even without additional gameplay mechanics, I think visual novels can do innovative things just by creatively using the elements and norms of their own medium, and I would personally be more interested in seeing something like that (if I wanted to see something that took advantage of its "game" format) instead of something that incorporates elements from different game genres (as I would just play those genres if I wanted them). But even that isn't necessary for me, as I am fine with and even prefer just full text and a linear story (even without choices or only minimal choice, which I actually might prefer).

this is why balancing the story and gameplay in otome games is difficult/challenging that i can understand why otomate cut off the gameplay element from their otome games IPs. Unless maybe it's story rich JRPG/RPG or full simulation game element instead like Persona series, Tales of series, Fire Emblem, Trails series and even story of seasons/rune factory series.

I tend to prefer pure visual novel myself, but I do like some gameplay heavy games as well. In that case RPG or stat-raiser mechanics work better with otome/romance games for me (stuff like Harvest Moon, Rune Factory, LoveRevo, the Prince of Tennis DS games and the like).

There's Ore ga Omae o Mamoru as well, which was fun, but not really to my tastes. The DS had more experimental games in that regard.

Harvest moon, rune factory and even love revo with its raising stats simulation. It's addicting ngl. Agreed. even i started my otome games from love revo DS.

I think I actually prefer just reading the story in otome games—I can be pretty lazy, after all. Mini-games don't bother me, but if they get in the way of unlocking all the CGs, I'd be pretty frustrated.

sometimes i find it bother to have gameplay on otome games because i want to focusing on the story instead. i this is relatable too. Even worse if the gameplay element is what i can't do the most. like rhythm. This is one of the reason why i'm still not really interested playing jack jeanne.

I can play games of all genres, yet whether they appeal to me all comes down to the developers' design. Take Wand of Fortune and Clock Zero for instance—when they first came out, the gameplay element they introduced were just irritating. Even with polish in their later ports, they still end up feeling pretty tedious.

Clock zero with their answer to question gameplay is bothersome yet it's an unique experience so the game was appealing and unforgettable memories to me too. (except i'm still on clearing 1 route only and haven't done the rest.)

Yeah I've played gatcha games before and I'm more forgiving of games like genshin or wuthering waves since they have lots of gameplay outside of the gatcha elements. A lot of mobile visual novels tho only really have the draw being reading text and if I'm reading and then get told to "stop and wait 24 hours!" Or "pull for this card that'll give you more content " it's more frustrating than engaging so I'll usually just end up putting it down and completely forgetting about it. Plus I see a daily grind as the same thing as a "game with real life time elements" since I then start to see the game as a chore and not something fun! Some people have more time to sink into these games or love being able to play for short bursts so these games are probably a treat to those individuals but they unfortunately don't work for me .

who's mentioning about genshin and wuwa? i used to play genshin but not anymore, but i play wuwa. I think i'm on the side gacha games is okay IF the story is skippable. gacha game is addicting but at the same time if you playing more than 1 games with the same exploration genre it'll burden your time and ended up sacrificing the story element for the sake of doing their limited time event with their gem reward, usually a game like this is what makes player pursuing to saving gem to pulling a character they like and skipping the storyline of the game even though one of the main reason for playing it is for the story AT FIRST.
I've played otoge vn gacha element before what was it called "ikemen genjiden ayakashi" iirc, the gameplay is quite fun? but the audacity to unlock some content through gacha and repetitive gameplay and yes waiting time to unlock new chapter story is snoozefest to me tbh what makes me insta dropped the game is the extra story that i grind is actually leading to mature content (sexual innuendo) that makes me shocked because i never imagined a gacha game for all age is having an adult content.

Wait... Atelier is an otome game series!? I don't know why that didn't occur to me before, but it does make sense when I think about it.

You should check Elkrone no Atelier then. It is the first atelier with real otome game vibes imo.

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Sorry if can't replying all the comment that everyone post in this thread but i having fun reading all of everyone's comment (my fault if there's some mistake/error reading comprehension that i end up misunderstand that i make with the replying--clearly i hope it's not.). I've been sick for 2 days plus with the situation one of my family cat passed away yesterday that end up me and my family grieving over him. At least it's good now. Happy days to you all.

 

[Sahsame]

I like reading better, minigames distract me from the story to much and sometimes i just want to relax and read and not have to use my brain.

Edit: Also my brain doesnt always work with me so sometimes the minigames arent really good for me, so accessability is important.

 

[はなび]

this is why balancing the story and gameplay in otome games is difficult/challenging that i can understand why otomate cut off the gameplay element from their otome games IPs. Unless maybe it's story rich JRPG/RPG or full simulation game element instead like Persona series, Tales of series, Fire Emblem, Trails series and even story of seasons/rune factory series.

Yeah, it's very difficult to have both and not have them detract from the other. Developers probably can't spend as much effort on one if they need to do both, which is why things like RPGs and simulations still focus on gameplay slightly more even if they are story-heavy. I think they do pretty well but there still won't be as much writing, and especially first-person narration/MC's thoughts compared to a visual novel, if that is what someone is looking for.

Sorry if can't replying all the comment that everyone post in this thread but i having fun reading all of everyone's comment (my fault if there's some mistake/error reading comprehension that i end up misunderstand that i make with the replying--clearly i hope it's not.). I've been sick for 2 days plus with the situation one of my family cat passed away yesterday that end up me and my family grieving over him. At least it's good now. Happy days to you all.

I'm so sorry to hear about your family cat. Sending you all my support and condolences. Please take all the time you need to grieve, and thank you for taking the time to reply even with everything that's happened (no need to push yourself to reply if it's too difficult though). I sincerely hope things get better for you and your family.

 

[dolbwunz]

i've done text based and with gameplay as well since I play LADS but either way if the story is rich and engaging then i'll still play it

 

[Artina]

Yeah, it's very difficult to have both and not have them detract from the other. Developers probably can't spend as much effort on one if they need to do both, which is why things like RPGs and simulations still focus on gameplay slightly more even if they are story-heavy. I think they do pretty well but there still won't be as much writing, and especially first-person narration/MC's thoughts compared to a visual novel, if that is what someone is looking for.

Yes i agree with this too.

I'm so sorry to hear about your family cat. Sending you all my support and condolences. Please take all the time you need to grieve, and thank you for taking the time to reply even with everything that's happened (no need to push yourself to reply if it's too difficult though). I sincerely hope things get better for you and your family.

No i mean thank you so much for your encouragement post! OMG. even thinking about him again still make me crying until now, grieving over the lost of pet is hard even no matter what creature they are. Really, i'm thankful with your caring comment, hanabi it means a lot to me. Thanks a lot! We're doing better now don't worry. I also hope the same to you too!

 

[strawberryxoxo]

I absolutely adore otome games that incorporate gameplay elements!

I suppose I grew up during the era when stat-raising games were flourishing such as Pacthesis' dating sims, Tokimeki Memorial Girl's Side 1 to 3, Otometeki Koi Kakumei Love Revo!!, Storm Lover Kai, etc. So, they hold a special place to me.

Over the years, I've noticed a decline in stat-raising games and those with gameplay elements, which genuinely makes me quite sad. I don't mind when otome games are purely visual novels with choices, but there are times where I crave for some gameplay.

I've been holding off on finishing Jack Jeanne because it's such a gem that I didn't want it to end too soon. I played Hana Awase New Moon -Himeutsugi Volume- and truly enjoyed the card game battle system. I've put the other volumes on hold for the same reason, really; I'm just savouring them and I don't want to rush through. Even if Tempest's mix of investigation and trial gameplay was truly entertaining to me. I'm currently playing Despera Drops, and the mission-based gameplay during the common route has really appealed to me.

Mobile otome games are a different story for me on the other hand. There are days when tasks feels like a chore, and I've got to complete events a certain time frame.

In summary, I do love my PC/console otome games with some gameplay elements.

 

[Fruitcup]

I wouldn't say i have a hard stance either way as I play both from time to time. I much prefer fully vn games compared to ones with heavy gameplay. That's just a personal option; I just love reading so much. While ill still play vns with gameplay elements its normally very rare for me.

 

[kokonefuwas]

both would be fine. i prefer minimal gameplay since i just want to read the story, but gameplay like Tokimeki Memorial Girl's Side is too much for me

 

[orphan_account]

Does anyone have any suggestions for stat raising games they really enjoyed?

 

[lambdadelta]

Does anyone have any suggestions for stat raising games they really enjoyed?

i only played tokimeki memorial girls side, personally i found it fun and addictive once you get the hang of it! the third game gets much easier too.

 

[orphan_account]

okimeki memorial girls side

Thank you! I'll check it out later on tonight. I'm always looking for new stat raisers

 

[TurtleLover]

The gameplay elements add a lot to the experience for me, but if the story is good enough then text is also fine. I am a slow reader though, so it takes me a while to finish one, but I still love playing them. Has anyone had a similar experience?

 

[bugpudding]

I think for me, the gameplay element would have to be what I consider fun... Stat raisers are fine for one or two playthroughs but it makes it such a slog to get through beyond that. But I feel like I'd be very open to playing a game if it were like Limbus Company... but romance.. I wonder how to best search for a game like that!

 

[araaach]

Recently i've been thinking about this after sharing hana awase(an otome game with hanafuda battle), even japanese community is discussed about this too before on twitter after love and deepspace (恋と深空/恋与深空) booming successfully on otome game market nowadays.

So what do you think? do you prefer an otome game with full visual novel reading style format or otome game with visual novel with some gameplay? like maybe simple simulation/dungeon crawler/rpg maker style,etc.

Personally i like full visual novel format but i don't mind some gameplay element too, but in my opinion the bad side of mixing gameplay element is i'll be focusing on grinding instead rather than continuing the story thus making the game longer than i imagine. (laugh)

well i found myself enjoying the gameplaye+vn a lil bit more

 

[Artina]

Does anyone have any suggestions for stat raising games they really enjoyed?

try prince maker or otometeki koi kakumei love revo. there are also princess maker series, lair land story and volcano princess too but imo it falls on the category of non otome games.

 

[Artina]

The gameplay elements add a lot to the experience for me, but if the story is good enough then text is also fine. I am a slow reader though, so it takes me a while to finish one, but I still love playing them. Has anyone had a similar experience?

me too. but for me sometimes i got diverse on to do the gameplay instead the end lol.

 

[Awebo!!]

I prefer otome with gameplay elements but since I don't have much free time I always end up reading pure visual novels and it take me months to complete them.

 

[7Senses]

It really depends on how much time I have, though I lean more towards otome games with some light level of activity/minigames that occur occasionally. When I was younger and didn't have adult responsibilities, I loved grinding out multiple routes and endings in the Tokimeki Memorial Girl's Side games.

But playing stat-raising or RPG-based games with combat nowadays is a little too time-consuming for me. I had to give up Rune Factory because I couldn't find enough time to sit down to raise crops, go on battles, and etc for more than 30 minutes-1 hour a day. It would take me like a month at my pace to finish 1 route.

On the other hand, playing a text-only otome game is fine, since I can save and continue off at any time. I also don't have to worry about other things and have to save-scum or min/max things. Though, playing gacha-based otome games like Love and Deepspace is also fine, since I can just do my dailies and log off unless there's a minigame from an event. Just having smaller, bite-sized levels of activity is enough for me in a day.

 

[xcoral]

I prefer that they have some kind of mini-game because sometimes just reading can bore me a little.

 

[Zherita]

Uhh gameplay element is pretty neat when done right... but it depends if it really blends well with game style and story

 

[nemaiaish]

Text elements becuase lolol i am too stupid for rpg( expierience with gachas haha)

 

[solarisa]

I prefer systems like in Haruka 7, where there is an additional gameplay element, but you can choose how deeply to engage after the first playthrough. Like in Unicorn Overlord, where after upfront optimization all battles are autopilot.

 

[mizumachi]

for otomes, i prefer just straight up reading. i don't mind stat raisers since dandelion and the tmgs games are some of my favourites but i find they get tedious after a while. i play lads casually but even then, i just put the battles on auto since the gameplay isn't fun enough for me to actually engage with it

Does anyone have any suggestions for stat raising games they really enjoyed?

someone mentioned it before but storm lover kai is really fun and cute! the first game has a fantranslation too. it's so nice to play an otome where you actually experience dating a guy rather than it happening RIGHT at the end of a route

 

[Anie_Reichi★]

I prefer with gameplay element tbh because I can get bored quickly when playing visual novel only gameplay (except if you play it on console because you can play while lying down on bed but since I had to play them on PC, it's not really comfortable to play so long unless the game is really interesting)
That's why I really enjoy playing rune factory 4, harvest moon-style of games, or any rpg games with female protagonist and has romance genre.

But otome games like girl's side love stories, princess debut, vampire knight, prince of tennis, etc can be more entertaining than the ordinary otome games...