I'll freely admit this post is written with only one thing in mind:
the arguments people sometimes use when defending using lower
resolutions for their visual novels. Often, those are based on either
inaccurate observations or misunderstood information. I want to point
out some of the more common 'myths' and discuss why they aren't true.
1. Downscaling is destructive.
This
theory states that downscaling for whatever reason is incredibly
destructive. By putting out a low resolution of the visual novel, all
can play the game windowed on native size or upscale in full-screen
mode.
In fact, it is downscaling which is preferable. With
downscaling, the scaling algorithm can look at the neighbouring pixels
and average those out. With upscaling, there are no surrounding pixels
to go by, so all the computer can do is some glorified guesswork. This
causes either a blocky or a blurry appearance.
Of course, that
doesn't mean we should all put out full HD games, either. Upscaling a
little is of course preferentially to downscaling a lot, since most
scaling algorithms aren't good enough to handle a large factor. It is
best to sit somewhere in the middle of your expected audience's computer
resolution, so people will have to scale as little as possible. If it
is possible, you can look into offering multiple resolutions.
2. High resolutions cost more work to draw.
The
amount of strokes needed for both low-resolution and high-resolution
are of course the same - the main difference is the amount of pixels in
between the two strokes. You might want to add some more detail to take
advantage of the higher resolution, though.
3. High resolutions are too big in file size
Another often heard argument is that higher resolutions are too big in file size, causing longer downloading times for the user.
The
effects high resolutions have on file size is quite minimal. For
example, let's take a look at the optimized image files of 'Days of the
Divine', which are roughly ~260 images:
1920x1080 40,4 MB
1280x720 23,4 MB
1024x576 17,9 MB
Something
important to keep in mind here is the word 'optimized' above. The
original 1920x1080 .png image files are a whopping 217 MB, but there is
no reason not to use at least a little optimization if you're worried
about file sizes. While the many ways to optimize are too complicated to
explore swiftly, using compressed .jpg images where there is no notable
difference and basic compression when exporting images is far more
rewarding than using lower resolution sprites.
4. It's what Japan does
They
don't, or at least not anymore. Although PC gaming in Japan is
relatively niche compared to the West (and with it high-end computers), a
more important factor is the fact that once a translation patch is
released and word of mouth has started spreading, the VN is already a
few years old. Most recent VNs from Japan are at least in 1280x720, so
there is no reason we should stay behind.
5. Nobody cares about higher resolutions
There
are enough people that do. No-one uses 800x600 monitors anymore, and
playing a lower-resolution game on a higher-resolution monitor is
choosing between seeing a small post stamp on your desktop or going
full-screen, ruining the images due to upscaling. Even if it was once
acceptable, times change and your audience does too.
While
there can be legitimate reasons to choose for smaller resolutions (one
example being stock art being harder to locate for higher resolutions),
keep in mind some people will care, so think for yourself if it's worth
it in the end.
~Kiki
