discussion Do you prefer games with multiple choices that affect the story or a linear story where choices don't affect anything?

[idkwhattoput123]

And that matters a whole lot as well. Too many choices can lead to a clusterf*** and really messing up a playthrough. Take Glassix, there are so many events that you risk missing an important LI moment where she's at the right place and the right time.

Exactly, I prefer games where the choices blatantly remove you from someone's path and that's close to how much input you have.

 

[stangnomez]

Depends on the story that the game wants to tell. Having said that, more games would benefit from less gameplay than the opposite.

 

[Speach]

Definitely the first one. A game can get boring real quick if choice doesn't matter. Also removes the replayability.

 

[User_109698]

Multiple Choice is better if the branches in the story are really good.

 

[email1000]

I like multiple choice so long as there is a gallery to show me what I am missing out on the other paths

 

[hashdalein]

I go through each choice and pick the one that I like the most. So it gets pretty time consuming

 

[CambionDreamer]

I used to love choice games, but too many are "You're either Jesus himself, a bland apothetic gray, or a puppy kicker". It's also overdone these days, it's gotten to the point where I felt nostalgic at the thought of playing a linear game. The "Zero Escape" franchise is always awesome though.

 

[Decker434]

I like having choices that matter but having dialog options that just give some personality to your character also add to the enjoyment of the game.

 

[Republican Bear]

Less choices that actually affect the game please.

As to many choices that just lock out content pisses me off.

 

[RJErwin]

i can enjoy linear straight forward game, sometime i see games that are soo pretentious with 10-20 of branch, it's just so dumb.

 

[kdunnorofl]

more choices and branches makes game more interesting imo

 

[juntokan]

A game needs choices or you end up with either a Movie or a VN. Neither, as far as I'm concerned, are games (sry).

 

[SirDarkbull]

I like choice if it doesn't lead to a dead end. I also don't like it when I have to choose between two girls and lose one of them.

 

[kikomascado]

Obviously I like making choices that do affect how the game plays out, but it's not uncommon for Devs to be too ambitious and make it so the game has so many flags and branching elements that they get lost on it, don't have the time to work on all routes and it all becomes a mess. So even when there's story variations, I think it's good to be moderate and not deviate too much from the main aspects of the game.

 

[charmin2314]

I love it when i game have multiple branches and were you have to play it several times to see all the content, Delicate Taboo does this so well, it's a shame it got abandoned

 

[Lurkabowa]

Do you prefer games with multiple choices that affect the story or a linear story where choices don't affect anything?​

Both. Here’s something i like to say:

Short & narrow. Long & plenty

 

[LUVGAMZ23]

I prefer kinetic / linear just because of practicality.
The reason I think Visual Novels with choices fail is because… of MATH.

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..
…

Yeah, now I can write whatever the fuck I want because I said the M word and everyone bailed on my post and have stopped reading.

Choose Your Own Adventure games essentially failed because of math. Yes, they had more than 1 choice per page, but use 1/page for simplicity.
CYOA goes like this: You read Page 1. Do you choose Page 2 or Page 3?
P.2 leads to 4 or 5. P.3 leads to 6 or 7. And so on.

Math says that to have 7 choices, you need:
1+2+4+8+16+32+64+128 = 255 pages. That’s a 255 page novel to write.
The player has read 8 (!) pages and is done the book.
They can start again, but now they only read 7 new pages. They can start again… and so on.

That’s why when players go “Choices! Choices! Choices!” I go “sure pal.” The above is 8 choices of TEXT. Doesn’t include 3D models, programming if/then statements etc…

Yes. There are very successful branching VN. 100% true. I have no clue how they fucking pull it off and I’m stunned beyond measure that they don’t have a higher ABANDONED tag rate.

But I do notice the change in versions: Version 1. Version 2. Version 3. Version 3.5. Version 4. Version 4.25. Version 4.5. Version 4.6. Version 4.61…
So, for me, it’s either Kinetic, or VN with NO expectation that it’ll be finished.
All because of math… because although math does ruin things… it’s also an absolute. 2+2 ALWAYS = 4 in simple math.

 

[Gravespawn]

The times where I hate Mutiple Choices is when no matter what I do, I can't figure how to get that few scenes and storyline I missed despite the multiple time I play it.

 

[nishaven]

I only play multiple path games with a walkthrough.

 

[skard912]

Visual novels should be more in depth with choices that impact the outcomes. That's why BADIK, Eternum, Ripples are so good.