Replay VNs? It's more likely for vn's going the MagiKoi route where the game branches into completely different stories early on (basically making it a combo pack of games, so it's not really a replay, rather playing 3 different versions). But for games with a lot of common route text, it's rare.
Imagine reading a book 3 times to get 20 pages of different text each time. Most ppl won't have the patience. And if you use the ctrl key to skip read text, that's not really playing the game, just hunting for scenes by 100% completionists.
By myth, I meant the thought that "adding more branching choices will nake ppl replay the game". Doesn't work that way. Replayability value of most games comes from the gameplay itself. The more different each quest/mission is everytime, either due to randomised variables or clever ai. In case of VN's it can be done by pacing, transitions etc. But even then, due to the format being basically a book with pictures, it's rare for it to have replayability value for the same text.
What choices do add is variation: a feeling that choices matter. But even in big title rpgs, most people stick to the same choices, which feels right to them, like whether to 'kill the terrorist' or 'save the freedom fighter' (same person). Ofc roleplayers may do a walkthrough roleplaying a different personality, but again, rare & not mainstream.
So while routes & branches do have value, it doesn't add much to replayability, though it does increases the feeling of importance (since you chose one of 2 & that gives the decision weight).
However this can be done without making you choose between girls. The dark & rom routes are a good example (again, ppl are not likely to replay the game through all the identical text to see their non-prefered content (rom/dark))
As for why I added most, see your post. I know many people do replay, but it's not as great as you may think, since people who do are more likely to be vocal hardcore players compared to casual players who aren't as active. I never meant no one does it, just that it's in the minority. And more importantly, the myth wasn't about the numbers but about the concept I explained above.
Even I replay games sometimes. BaDiK & DLC comes to mind recently. BaDiK for the quality of storytelling(like said above it's rare, but sometimes vns can be engaging enough to be more than a picture book), DLC cause each route has kinks I like.
But not most of the time. Splitting routes is like a dank & dirty theatre to me. I won't go there for mediocre games, but for great games I sit through it.
Tl;Dr: by myth I didn't mean no one replays games, just that adding choices doesn't add that much to replayability. Just take a game like Mass Effect, remove all the gameplay, and have ppl play through the story with only cutscenes. Most ppl will be happy with the story they craftted/decided through their choices(main importance of choices) & not opt to sit through multiple same scenes just to get some variations here & there.
So replay if you want, nothing wrong with that. Just don't assume adding lot of exclusive content in a VN is automatically enough for people to replay it. Most of the times what it'll do is cut the content in half since players can only experience either-or at any given play-through, while not nearly incentive enough to read through the same scenes again & again. Unless you use skip, but that's just hunting for scenes & not really 'playing the game'
Hope this clarified what I meant. People do replay games, but it's in the minority, especially for text-based games with no actual gameplay & most people will not start replaying games just because of branching choices. The focus of such choices is to give control to the player to craft the story, not to make the players play the game multiple times to get all outcomes (though some hardcore completionists do, myself included- i had 100% completion for maps of all planets on Mass Effect 1
). Just many ppl & devs see these ppl commenting & think more branches = replayability, which is wrong. Either you go the MagiKoi route & branch the game early to minimise common text(to go the exclusive route), or give important choices which are not exclusive (choosing abby dark path doesn't lock out mal_rom path)Anyway, ended up typing too much. Have a Great Day
PS: "Tl;Dr: by myth I didn't mean no one replays games, just that adding choices doesn't add that much to replayability. " Another point i didn't add is having more choices is not very likely to get players who do not replay games to replay them. You may replay even harem games cause you like to replay games you enjoyed. But for people who don't, having branches isn't very likely to change that. So branches kinda become a non-factor - another concept that makes it a myth. Ofc everything is case by case basis. A well done game adds more replayability with more brances, but the branching choices is the secondary ingredient behind a very engaging gameplay, which is even more harder in reading text ganes like vns
PS again: I see how my previous statement might have led to your misunderstanding of what I meant by myth. I had explained this recently & hence subconsciously just wrote that line instead of the detailed explanation
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