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How important is the MC in your opinion?

LapisWhale

LapisWhale

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上級乙女
Jul 31, 2025
128
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(Please excuse my English, it's not my first language.)

The MC is one of the most (or the most) important things in an otome game for me xD

I'm a half-time self-insert, but I would like to see an MC that actually has a personality, no matter if she is shy, submissive, strong-willed, flirty, a little numb, etc., but her actions speak for her and make sense, logically.

I might say, there are a lot of things I cannot do in real life that I want her to do :Ddd if that makes sense. For me, self-insert does not really mean the MC has to be completely empty. I still want her to react to things in her own way, have fears, preferences, or even make choices I would not personally make.

A good MC can also make me more engaged in the storyline, curious about what she would do next, how she can get out of those situations.

Also, the story needs someone to think and act to happen, the loveline needs to be logical and can show why they fall in love. The chemistry in romance depends on both sides, not just the LI being attractive or saying sweet things. Sometimes a LI can feel completely different depending on the MC they interact with. A good MC can bring out sides of the LI that make the relationship feel natural, fun, or emotional, instead of just "the game says they are in love now" =)))))))) I need to see the reason, not just talk, so that I can say 'Oh gosh, I love her!!! No wonder why the LI falls for her' or something like 'They're a good match xD' or even 'Oh that man is not deserve you girl! go hide!!!'

She doesn't really need to be voiced, or have a good design because bad writing is not gonna save it :vvv But I would love to see more voiced, beautiful MCs; even though I may or may not like a voiced MC that much, it does add to her personality.

After all, she is the one we see the world through. Isn't it exciting that we can control her actions but she is her own person at the same time? That she can do something insane based on her personality but we cannot due to reality, or to pretend to be someone we are not, just to satisfy our own 'wait, what if though?' =)))
 
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The MC is as important as the game setting for me, and those are the main reasons I'll start a game. I don't self-insert, but even for players who do, I think a well developed MC that can properly complement and match a LIs personality is a must. And I agree with you: she can even be meek, shy, or submissive, a good MC will shine and move the story forward when she's well written, and be strong in her own ways :)

The fun in otoge for me is seeing how the relationships develop, so both the LI and the MC must be interesting for me to enjoy it. As you said, we see the world through her, so learning about her quirks and feelings is essential to really immerse yourself on the game. The way the MC interact with the LIs and side characters can say so much about her, and can make me relate to or admire her for how she deals with all kinds of situations

Of course, I love a voiced MC! And I really like looking at her portraits in game (especially when she has cute clothing changes! I think it's very lovely). Getting to hear the MC is such a delight, and can give her more little details about what type of person she is. It's not a necessity, but I enjoy voiced MCs a lot ;) As for character design, I like both the flashy MCs, who look gorgeous with elaborate clothing and hairstyles, as well as the MCs who look more like real girls (and the fact that despite looking "plain", she can still have a lot of characterization!)
 
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fr4pp3cinn said:
The fun in otoge for me is seeing how the relationships develop, so both the LI and the MC must be interesting for me to enjoy it. As you said, we see the world through her, so learning about her quirks and feelings is essential to really immerse yourself on the game. The way the MC interact with the LIs and side characters can say so much about her, and can make me relate to or admire her for how she deals with all kinds of situations
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I couldn't agree more! Sometimes those minor interactions show a whole new side of her. It really is the little details that make the game delightful xDdddd

fr4pp3cinn said:
As for character design, I like both the flashy MCs, who look gorgeous with elaborate clothing and hairstyles, as well as the MCs who look more like real girls (and the fact that despite looking "plain", she can still have a lot of characterization!)
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Also, I love what you said about 'plain-looking' MCs having rich characterization. At the end of the day, good writing wins everything :d

May she be the heroine we all come to love, as a character, as a person, and as the heart of the story xDddd
 
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tm3033 said:
I'm a half-time self-insert, but I would like to see an MC that actually has a personality, no matter if she is shy, submissive, strong-willed, flirty, a little numb, etc., but her actions speak for her and make sense, logically.

I might say, there are a lot of things I cannot do in real life that I want her to do :Ddd if that makes sense. For me, self-insert does not really mean the MC has to be completely empty. I still want her to react to things in her own way, have fears, preferences, or even make choices I would not personally make.

A good MC can also make me more engaged in the storyline, curious about what she would do next, how she can get out of those situations.

Also, the story needs someone to think and act to happen, the loveline needs to be logical and can show why they fall in love. The chemistry in romance depends on both sides, not just the LI being attractive or saying sweet things. Sometimes a LI can feel completely different depending on the MC they interact with. A good MC can bring out sides of the LI that make the relationship feel natural, fun, or emotional, instead of just "the game says they are in love now" =)))))))) I need to see the reason, not just talk, so that I can say 'Oh gosh, I love her!!! No wonder why the LI falls for her' or something like 'They're a good match xD' or even 'Oh that man is not deserve you girl! go hide!!!'
Click to expand...
Yesssss, i know it must be hard to program or to tell a good story, but this are the small things that mak me love a story. also that the choice can have consequences in what its happening around, like if we were mean with someone, we can afect not only the relationship with that person, but the people that are near to them (brother ,sister, enemy, friend, etc.)
 
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I find them very important. They are the reason the plot moves forward (mostly) and are who the player sees the game through. I like the concept of self-inserts but only when its true to what that means. I rarely play as myself and enjoy making characters for the games I play that don't have set protagonists. I've actually become more of a fan of MCs who you can customize but still enjoy set ones. I just hope that regardless they're both written and implemented well. That's what is most important to me.
 
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Pretty important. The games I play usually have multiple love interests so it's not that hard to find someone I like. But there's (most of the time) only one MC and if I don't like them then it's hard to play the game.

I can ignore the characters that I don't like but the MC is always there. That's hard to ignore.
 
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Super important to me. I don't self insert, so I view the MC as a separate character. If I find the MC annoying, I can't enjoy the game and I usually quit playing it.
 
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I believe the MC is crucial. Not only do players spend the most time with this character, but the story is also told entirely through the MC's perspective, which greatly influences immersion. I feel that the MC's personality, reactions, and way of thinking significantly shape the overall impression of the story. That's why I find that the more distinct a MC's thoughts and values are, the more I grow attached to them, and the longer they stay with me.
 
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Incredibly important. It helps if MC has a well-defined personality as like everyone says, it pushes the story forward because they're an active participant in the story, and it also makes the romance with the LIs actually feel reciprocal.

I have nothing against blank slate MCs, but it does make the romance feel 'weaker' compared to games with a distinct MC. I may not have felt it much when I was young, but now that I've gotten significantly older, games such as Tokimeki Memorial Girl's Side have lost a lot of its appeal to me, since I prefer seeing actual chemistry of the MC and the LI rather than trying to check boxes. It makes the game more enjoyable, and helps with being immersed into the story.
 
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I just want MC to follow through on her convictions and not switch up her established personality when interacting with other LIs. There needs to be personality perimeters with the number of choices you make so she can lock in and respond to story scenes accordingly. Tokimeki had this devil/angel gauge which was fun lol.
 
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The MC is just as important as the LI.
Since I don't project myself onto the characters, I get really excited when a unique MC appears. I also love voiced MCs because you can really sense their personality!
 
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