Will you read a VN without voice acting? Does it bother you?

[Mugi]

This just came to mind since I was debating on whether or not to read Tsukihime. My first VN was Katawa Shoujo, which of course didn't have any voice acting, and I was fine with that; it's still definitely one of my favorites, because it got me into VN's and I couldn't stop playing. At that point I had no idea that there were VN's with voice acting, so when I then started Hoshizora no Memoria it somewhat annoyed me, maybe because I wasn't used to it? But of course I got used to it, and am actually quite fond of it at this point. It's been half a year or so since I read Katawa Shoujo, so I wonder how it'll feel reading something without voice acting..

How does everyone else feel about this? Does it bother you if a game doesn't have it? Or maybe you dislike voice acting?

[Bolverk]

I prefer voices. But if it's a great vn, I am okay with no voices.

[Turnip Sensei]

I'm okay either way. Voices are always nice, but I tend to read so fast that I skip most of the voices anyway. Well sometimes it's nice to put some VN with good voice acting on auto-play and sit back and enjoy.

[Satsuki]

As I just finished Fragment's Note, I don't have much problem with no voice. Yeah, I still counted it as "small minus" in my review, but it doesn't really matter if everything else is good.

[Segai]

Voices make the experience better in my opinion but as my first VN was also KS which didn't have voices it doesn't really bother me that much. The important part about a VN is the story and the art, not the voice acting I can't even understand. It is indeed just a small minus if there's no voice acting.

[Shikomizue]

Voice acting doesn't really matter to me to be honest. I also started with Katawa Shoujo, and I think it was a great starting point because it showed me, even if at the time I didn't know it, that voice acting isn't important in a visual novel.

[Yuno-Gasai]

Honestly if the VN is truly great, I could make an effort and read it but I really prefer them to be voiced it adds so much to a story as much as the music in my opinion. VNs without voices have less impact when it comes to epic scenes or emotionnal ones for me.

[Rose]

I think voice-acting is something that adds a lot to the experience, so it's relevant to me. Now, that does not means that I loathe VNs without voice acting, hell, I'm reading Tsukihime and I'm in love with it despite the audio issues, not to mention how much I love Katawa Shoujo. Judging the nature of the medium, I feel like voice acting is something that can only add to the work.

 

Something I want to mention, is that I'd rather either have no voice acting at all or it full voiced than only some parts. I read The Second Reproduction and only having some parts voiced was really weird and while it wasn't bad, in fact, some voiced parts were outstanding, I think it's the worst choice possible. You know, go big or go home.

[Getsuya]

It increases the difficulty of reading through it in Japanese manyfold so yes I really need voice acting to get through these games. If they were in English I wouldn't care.

[GetterEmperor]

I pretty fine with it. The Rance series for example isn't voiced, but it's still pretty much my favorite series. 

[sub-zer0]

I guess I can do without voices if the VN is really my type of VN(everyone likes something specific,right?). I remember reading my first VN and the characters spoke and I was like: woah woah, these people talk? that's pretty cool, Its kind of like an audio book with pictures and stuff. Voice acting does add the to atmosphere though,especially for some of those emotional moments, the sad BGM in the background, the good voice acting that brings tears to your eyes, 

[havoc]

dont really mind i gueass, loves tsukihime and katwa no shoujo.

 

Voices are nice, but i think of them as more of a gimmick.

It does not make a bad game any better.

Nor does it really improve on a great game.

It just adds that little extra touch.

[XReaper]

doesn´t bother me at all. like mentioned above there´re plenty of good examples out there.

[Funyarinpa]

-The atmosphere of Umineko

-999, fucking all of it

 

I rest my case.

[sarkasmus]

I don't need voices, they're nice to have but not neccessary.

[Eclipsed]

I will, but I'd definitely prefer voices.

[Deep Blue]

I'm fine with either of them, there are however some voice actors that I really dislike so I mute them when I can

[Suzu Fanatic]

I prefer voice acting (if Japanese. I'm one of those people that dislike English VAs), but I can still enjoy a non-VA'd visual novel - just takes a little bit for me to get used to it... I eventually just simulate their voices through my imagination.

[kratoscar2008]

I played old VNs/DS like True love and Nocturnal Illusion, did play all routes barring Makoto´s in Kanon unvoiced and i plan to play Clannad unvoiced as well so yeah i play VNs unvoiced.

[Nimbus]

I used to have no voices on but recently I've started playing with voices on.

 

[TexasDice]

Back when I had my paranoia, I always turned them off on purpose. Then, someone told me about headphones and I got over it (fairly quickly).

 

But I still don't care if voices are in or not. Especially if dropping them helps the translation budget (thanks, voice acting contracts).

 

 

EDIT: Thread-title in relation to survey is confusing and caused me to vote incorrectly. I demand blood.

[arakura]

I think I prefer vns without voices. But it's hard to say. My favorite vns are ones without voices (Dra+Koi, Analogue, Tsukihime, and Katawa Shoujo).

[Kosakyun]

I don't think I would've enjoyed Rance as much as I did with all the voices so yeah.

Dunno what I feel about the Rance girls having voices though.

[BookwormOtaku]

I prefer it with voice acting but I'll read an unvoiced VN as long as the story interests me. The text has to be in english though as an unTL voiceless VN is a bit above me at my level of Japanese literacy.

[wyldstrykr]

im okay with non voices but i sometimes (or always) missing the expression of the speaker