Should there be at least one good ending in a NTR visual novel?
- At least one good ending 22
- No good endings 13
Having a good ending usually defeats the purpose of what NTR implies. Then again, you could easily make the argument that visual novels are the perfect mediums to implement a good ending since by nature visual novels are choice-based games. As a reader, I often find myself longing for at least one good ending. NTR can be extremely heavy, so knowing that the characters do have the chance to redeem themselves makes the dark parts of the story a bit easier for me to digest. As a writer though, good endings are just missed opportunities to make the story even more hopeless, which is one of the characteristics that NTR tends to tilt toward.
For my next project, I have at least one good ending in mind. Of course, a good ending is kinda subjective. I think it’s impossible to have a “true” good ending with NTR, unless you stop the story right before the inevitable—blackmail, rape, etc.—happens (which, I think, is lazy writing at this point). But people can redeem themselves, and bonds can become stronger after shared tribulations.
So my question is: should I put resources into writing at least one good ending for my next game, or should my focus be aimed solely on hard NTR?