Alternative Games

Hello, lains. Lately I've been pondering if there are any games, like the virtual girlfriend simulators, that follow the concept of you watching over friends talking - and interacting with each-other. I'll try to give you an example of what I am thinking: You are nothing, have no interaction other than looking and hearing. But the world, it is filled to the brim with life and people that you can watch and hear. You only watch things unfold with no other purpose. Every game I've played usually puts you in a situation where you are in the shoes of a protagonist, someone that is not you, and you make the story unfold by advancing through the game. VNs are usually like that and you always feel referred to or watched at, which puts me off very quickly. If anybody here could recommend something it would be appreciated. Picture unrelated.

So you are looking for a visual novel? That's quite tough. I've seen many games where the main protagonist have a defined name and personality, but usually you are seeing the world from the perspective of these characters. Closest thing I could remember is Ever17, where you can chose more than one character to have a different perspective of the story, but still you have some degree of control of the characters and you see the world from their eyes. Maybe you can look for anime instead? You definitely can find what you want in that format. Thanks for cute Cyrno BTW.

>>11665 This might not meet your needs, but it sounds like you should just listen to certain podcasts. People have described them as similar to being with a group of friends that you can't talk to.

>>11672 Sorry for the low quality, lain. Not a visual novel, necessarily, just a game that has the characteristics I've listed. And animu has been a mixed bag, as I've not found many series that have fit my liking. So I've given up on that, partially, these last few years. Although, I must say that there have been a handful of series that I've deeply enjoyed. >>11674 I might try podcasts. But I haven't touched the medium much due to how many podcasts lack emotional connection between the speakers, it has always felt forced or fake in some way.

That seems very voyeurish, just go sit on a square, or just use google street view or city traveling videos https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q30k45IlYVQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_l4MyDUi8Rc Theres also stuff like Journey and Subnautica but are not really filled with people.

>>11678 Can you give some examples of what you liked in the past? It may help use with suggestions.

>>11679 This. The game you're looking for is real life, OP. Go to a bar, sit alone, and listen to people interact with each other. Chances are, you'll identify some regulars and be able to piece together some of their daily life through simple observation. You can make life more fun if you try deduction or pattern recognition to tell yourself more about people without even talking to them, but be careful because doing so improperly is a slippery slope to profiling.

i also think podcasts are a good idea. i guess that's the closest to real without actually going out and being in social situations

>>11709 But it's not really socially acceptable to get close to the other people and visibly pay attention to their conversations. Or "zoom in" and stare at certain interesting parts of their anatomy.

>>11713 >stare at certain interesting parts of their anatomy Are you essentially looking for Voyeur Simulator? Um, I think there are certain fetish-oriented communities that would be able to help you more than this community can.

>>11679 I suppose it is in fact quite Voyeurish, but sexual interest is not what is driving me on this search. >use google street view or city traveling videos It feels monotonous and lifeless. I suppose what I am looking for is alike your suggestions but with the plus side of being able to hear the people talking. Thanks for the videos either way, they are nice to look at. >>11680 That would be a great problem, but I suppose VRchat could be an example. Not specially like that, due to the community, but imagine joining a server and just observing and listening to their conversations without them paying any mind to you. Just like that, but more personal, in VRchat there seems to be a lot of jokes and not much real life discussion. >>11709 I am not a very outgoing person and as >>>11713 has pointed out, it is not considered very acceptable. That's why I am looking for a game, real life has consequences that I am not willing to face. >>11714 Not OP Thanks to every lain for the replies. I'll keep my search going for now, in the mean time I'll try out podcasts to fill the void.