Even played the Strange Men series by Uri? Well, they were done in RPG Maker (or was it WolfRPG?), but i love the whole concept of putting these illustrations in key scenes like the detective finding the one of the staff suffering in his last moments or a certain character trying to commit suicide. It really helps in immersion when there are unexpected and/or dramatic situations, adding to the whole scene impact depending on how you draw it. Same thing for character introductions, depending on how you do it.
But you obviously can’t draw the MC in a CYOA. So you could draw how those things happen in their eyes, which would add to the replayability quite a bit. (Tip: If you’re doing any of these, add an option to hide/unhide illustrations in the beginning, just in case it upsets some people around there)
Or you could simply add landscapes or buildings to the start of each chapter.
I thought along the same lines, that mostly people wouldn’t object to images. Yet, it would be pretty easy to turn them off for those that absolutely don’t want to see them… however, would this mean that people would leave them on (the default should be on or off?) and then complain?
Mmmmmmm anyway for my next WIP I think I’ve come around to the idea to experiment with having illustrations (as many as @Feather wants to make ). But, I think I will try to implement it in a way in which they can be turned off…
Don’t be dissuaded, @adrao. I’m going to include as much as possible too!
And over 2/3 of people are visual learners. Many people retain information by seeing. When I do a jury trial, I make sure to have a few exhibits/visual aides even if they aren’t that important. People want something to look at amidst all the talking. http://www.uab.edu/uasomume/fd2/visuals/page1.htm
Visuals can be REALLY helpful with things like keeping characters straight, especially if there’s a big cast. I can’t tell you how confused I was sometimes reading Heroes Rise because there were so many characters and honestly I would get some of them confused. Even little thumbnails with head/shoulders would have helped a lot! Plus, images help the author keep appearance descriptions consistent! When you have 30+ characters, it can be hard to remember eye color/hair color/color of uniform stripes, etc! I currently use a spreadsheet but it’s getting out of control.
I’m going to be I a minority here since my opinion is from a visually impaired individual. I personally don’t like illustration, what is the use of illustration for people like me? I’m glad text games are available because its frankly the only game a blind person can really play without too much difficulty.
Now, if a game does have illustration be it an NPC, MC, Landscape, Buildings, etc. I’d rather it be partnered with a description, but the description needs to resonate what the image and word are trying to portray.
I still rather have a text game as text and let my imagination do its work.
I have no problem with it but only if it falls under these criteria:
1) NPCs only and preferably when we meet them. That way we don’t have to deal with the inherent disappointment that comes when our imagination doesn’t match reality imposed by the author. 2) Landscapes and scenarios are acceptable, however, just because there’s an illustration doesn’t mean you can lazy about. We still want descriptive scenes gripping with detail and this counts for NPCs as well. And if there’s a picture there then the two must match, obviously, otherwise it causes discrepancy. 3) Remember that the charm of text games comes from giving the reader the ability to use their imagination. Use illustrations sparingly.
With that out of the way, Way Walkers is a beloved Hosted game around here and that game too had illustrations.
). But, I think I will try to implement it in a way in which they can be turned off…