Kenshin_sama Posted June 30, 2015 Share Posted June 30, 2015 Like Decay, I use both interchangeably. They're both technically correct; you "play" the visual novel by advancing the text and using other interface features, and you "read" the text that comes up in it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ittaku Posted July 2, 2015 Share Posted July 2, 2015 Both. Usually one plays with themselves while reading them. Valmore 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B0X0R Posted July 6, 2015 Share Posted July 6, 2015 I say play because I've always associated VN's as a form of video games. But at the end of the day, I couldn't give even half a shit what verb is used. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikimir Posted July 9, 2015 Share Posted July 9, 2015 Both. I mean who cares, nobody is gonna care what words I use. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scorp Posted July 9, 2015 Share Posted July 9, 2015 I use read. There is no gameplay in your typical VN, so no difference between VN and manga (means in manga you look on images and read text and click/scroll to next page, you do same in VN) as I read both on tablet. Yes, exist some VNs with gameplay like Baldr, but in 99% you really read them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nightmare799 Posted July 12, 2015 Share Posted July 12, 2015 A friend of mine is constantly nagging me when I say "I'm currently playing *VN-title-here*. He says something like "you don't play them, you read them". Not that I thoroughly agree, but I noticed saying "read" myself after a while when talking about VNs. What is your opinion on this subject? Tell him to ¨read¨ utawarerumono or kamidori alchemy meister Also this argument is like arguing whether to say sex or gender. I MEAN FOR CRYING OUT LOUD!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bolverk Posted July 12, 2015 Share Posted July 12, 2015 "Visual Novels, do you play or do you read" Heh. Read, meh. I don't play them either, I plow them. Kenshin_sama and Kawasumi 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arakura Posted July 15, 2015 Share Posted July 15, 2015 Depends on how much you are reading versus how much you are playing. Is it Rance or is it Tsukihime? Generally I say read. Games are for playing, written stories are for reading. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zalor Posted July 15, 2015 Share Posted July 15, 2015 I tend to use the two interchangeably, but usually if I say "play" I actually mean read. So I guess read is my answer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darklord Rooke Posted July 15, 2015 Share Posted July 15, 2015 A friend of mine is constantly nagging me when I say "I'm currently playing *VN-title-here*. He says something like "you don't play them, you read them". Not that I thoroughly agree, but I noticed saying "read" myself after a while when talking about VNs. What is your opinion on this subject? As others have mentioned it depends on the degree of interactivity in each game. 999 is considered a VN but you wouldn't "read" it, rather you'd "play" it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lexyvil Posted July 20, 2015 Share Posted July 20, 2015 I actually say "Play" if there's at least one type of interaction present (either by a choice in a conditional branch or any other form of gameplay involved). Otherwise, I say "Read", for a Kinetic VN. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Noumi Kudryavka Posted July 20, 2015 Share Posted July 20, 2015 I usually end up saying read/play all the time (read slash play). But yeah, it's a reading game, what else do you want? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thunderbro Posted July 21, 2015 Share Posted July 21, 2015 I always use the term read, unless the visual novel has gameplay sections (such as in DanganRonpa or 999), in which case I'd say that I play them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Youko Posted March 17, 2016 Share Posted March 17, 2016 I have wondered for some time now how other people think about VNs. Do you think of yourself as playing or reading VNs. For insistence I mostly think of myself as reading them the same way I would read a book or manga but with the added benefit of knowing that the main character will not go insane and decide that he likes a blonde tsundere. However I know at least one person who thinks of it more like playing a game and plays through the first time making whatever choices he wants to make and after that changes just enough of the decisions to end up on whatever route he wants. EDIT to be clear this is not a question about definitions but a discussion about attitudes. do you try to put a bit of yourself into the game and make as many choices based on what you think the answers should be, while staying the route you want, or do you sit back and enjoy the story of the courtship or adventures of some interesting people Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fiddle Posted March 17, 2016 Share Posted March 17, 2016 Yes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eclipsed Posted March 17, 2016 Share Posted March 17, 2016 They are interchangeable in my book. In the technicality school of technical linguistic technical differences between technical definitions between the technical words read and play, you would technically be more in line with reading a VN rather than playing due to the technical lengthy texties naturey of the VN. Like, technically no1 will ever say they are technically playing a regular, physical book, more in that they are reading. Because again, the lengthy texties naturey of the book. VNs that technically have gameplay elements can definitely be a technical exception in which one is technically playing instead of being limited to the technical read, but tldr yes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soulless Watcher Posted March 17, 2016 Share Posted March 17, 2016 42 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darklord Rooke Posted March 17, 2016 Share Posted March 17, 2016 3 minutes ago, Eclipsed said: VNs that technically have gameplay elements can definitely be a technical exception in which one is technically playing instead of being limited to the technical read, but tldr yes Because reading is an activity which can be incorporated in activities you 'play', like you 'play cRPGs' you don't 'read them' even though they can incorporate a good deal of text, VNs with gameplay elements should be said to be 'played'. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Youko Posted March 17, 2016 Share Posted March 17, 2016 9 minutes ago, Eclipsed said: They are interchangeable in my book. In the technicality school of technical linguistic technical differences between technical definitions between the technical words read and play, you would technically be more in line with reading a VN rather than playing due to the technical lengthy texties naturey of the VN. Like, technically no1 will ever say they are technically playing a regular, physical book, more in that they are reading. Because again, the lengthy texties naturey of the book. VNs that technically have gameplay elements can definitely be a technical exception in which one is technically playing instead of being limited to the technical read, but tldr yes it is possible that the way I phrased this topic was misleading. I did not mean this as a technical grammatical question but one of attitude. I am somewhat more detached, enjoying the story of some interesting people while i think my friend tries to put a bit of himself and his attitudes into the main character. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deep Blue Posted March 17, 2016 Share Posted March 17, 2016 I think there is a thread already about this that's why some users are not answering you, sass level over 9000 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clephas Posted March 17, 2016 Share Posted March 17, 2016 42 minutes ago, Youko said: I have wondered for some time now how other people think about VNs. Do you think of yourself as playing or reading VNs. For insistence I mostly think of myself as reading them the same way I would read a book or manga but with the added benefit of knowing that the main character will not go insane and decide that he likes a blonde tsundere. However I know at least one person who thinks of it more like playing a game and plays through the first time making whatever choices he wants to make and after that changes just enough of the decisions to end up on whatever route he wants. EDIT to be clear this is not a question about definitions but a discussion about attitudes. do you try to put a bit of yourself into the game and make as many choices based on what you think the answers should be, while staying the route you want, or do you sit back and enjoy the story of the courtship or adventures of some interesting people It depends. Generally, with your standard VN, it is more of a 'reading' feeling. With hybrids, it is a gaming feeling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eclipsed Posted March 17, 2016 Share Posted March 17, 2016 24 minutes ago, Rooke said: Because reading is an activity which can be incorporated in activities you 'play', like you 'play cRPGs' you don't 'read them' even though they can incorporate a good deal of text, VNs with gameplay elements should be said to be 'played'. Ty for the save, Rooke-sama :3 7 minutes ago, Deep Blue said: I think there is a thread already about this that's why some users are not answering you, sass level over 9000 Eyyyyy! no wonder it sounded familiar! merged Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leaf Posted March 17, 2016 Share Posted March 17, 2016 "Read" sounds more mature than "play" if I say so. I guess it's about how you view the VN and yourself, though my opinion like everything else will always be mixed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fred the Barber Posted March 17, 2016 Share Posted March 17, 2016 When I need to vocalize that I am transitively acting on a VN, my brain picks a verb randomly from the set {"to play", "to read"}. So like Fiddle said: yes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valmore Posted March 17, 2016 Share Posted March 17, 2016 On 6/30/2015 at 1:48 AM, Decay said: My opinion: "Who cares?" I use the two interchangeably because it really doesn't matter. I couldn't possibly think of a less important issue. ^ +1 This I say read. You say play. Whatever. It's not worth arguing over. On 7/2/2015 at 5:23 PM, ittaku said: Both. Usually one plays with themselves while reading them. The farce is strong in this one. We can all learn from this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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