Quote:
Originally Posted by Archon_Wing
I never said they can't have well written main characters at all, did I?
I can't prove a negative, so feel free to list them. But can you be confident that these are just exceptions.
You're right though, I haven't an exhaustive list of VNs that I've played and almost never complete them, however, I think I've had enough experience with games and hentai to put two and two together. This is why I don't use the words most and all to avoid retarded semantics debates.
To me though it's simple logic that as a game that features many attractive females will put the focus on them. There are many, many ones that feature them on the cover, no? And there's just a higher chance they'd be more interesting. It's what sells.
It's also simple logic that a game is inherently a self insert in most regards, especially when you can direct the character's actions. Making a character too distinct could interfere with the process. Of course, games are evolving.
I also don't think it's unreasonable to say that pornographic material has certain elements of sexual fantasy to it which of course increases the self-insert factor.
Finally, it would be safe to say that a lot of the audience, heterosexual males, do not have interesting men in their sexual fantasies. 
And to me it makes perfect sense that when the transition comes to anime, that viewers obviously do not have control over the protagonist's actions and a straight port will seem boring. |
The thing is, a VN has much more inner thoughts than let's say animes, mangas and most LN's that i have read. The way how they act/respond and all the moments what they are thinking give them a personality.
Your control of the said character is rather limited, i get choices A, B, C and almost every time none of these answers are anything close how i would respond in that situation.
The male character is in lot's of cases more than just as you said "penis" for the story.
I think that visual novels are as the name suggests still novels but in a slight different form. Which means all the characters (including the MC) play their part , so that the story can work (or fail). It's not like what was mentioned earlier a dating game like Tokimeki memorial in which the main character was almost a bland slate.