Why no 100% first person perspective ?

[MissFortune]

For me, exclusive 1st person is a horror when portraying:

1. Kissing: just a huge face filling your screen, usually with lips as big as your fist.
2. Missionary position: you can only see her face.
3. Oral sex on a girl: you can only see... well, you know.
4. Doggy style: you can see her back and some ass.

The best solution is a a combination of the all perspectives, based on what has the best erotic effect.

Playing around with it (almost missed the 'it' here lol) myself recently, I have to agree. 3rd is far better for any act that's close together and/or intimate. I think the one exception would probably a close up on the eyes, there's probably a couple more, but it's pretty limited obviously.

But even in those 'regular' scenes, getting the right look is tough sometimes, especially with lighting. It's so much easier to compose a scene with the lighting in 3rd person. It has a huge benefit of saving VRAM, though. Instead of three characters, you're using two. Instead of four, you're using three, etc. I don't know if that's why a lot of devs use it, or if it's simply for those who self-insert, but the VRAM point is a big plus. For me, at least.

 

[woody554]

or if it's simply for those who self-insert

for me 1st person feels much less like self-inserting but more like I'm observing someone over their shoulder. it makes me think things like "where is he going?" or "is he really gonna do that?". it gives me this detached feeling of being unable to affect where the character goes, I'm more a passenger or a camera he's carrying. like every gopro video ever, you're never the guy. instead he's carrying you.

where as 3rd person I self-insert with, if the character is relatable. the camera, while outside body, seems more like an abstraction. I don't feel like I'm being helplessly dragged along.

 

[Carpe Stultus]

PoV kisses and most PoV sex scenes....

 

[sonhot]

2d Japanese games usually do 1st pov for scenes involving the male protagonist and 3rd person for voyeur and cuck scenes.

 

[zapzero]

I think aside from VNs, most dating sims are technically "1st person"

 

[Ceesko]

yeah first person is dogshit when it comes to scenes. Kissing and making out especially is awfully shit to the degree it is funny. They are kissing empty air.

 

[Meaning Less]

They are kissing empty air.

Don't leave them hanging, you should put your lips on that screen.