- Sep 20, 2018
- 3,196
- 13,331
I disagree. Everything in a story ultimately happens at the whim of the author, but that doesn't mean the story need not concern itself with anything that happens beyond sight of the player. Attending to the actions of those off-screen, or following up on the consequences of actions previously taken, is part of building up the world the story takes place in.
Yes, an MC might choose not to become Sage's fuck buddy. But that doesn't mean the MC can't have other interactions with Sage, and it certainly doesn't mean the player isn't interested in what happens to her.
Making the Sage/Chad story continue without the MC only obviates our choices if the story plays out the same way in each case. If it plays out differently (say, either Sage becomes our girlfriend in one version, and Chad becomes a decent boyfriend to Sage in the other), that not only preserves the value of our choice, it also gives us more insight into the characters and ties up loose ends the player might otherwise wonder about.
If the whole Sage/Chad drama is dropped without any explanation for those who don't pursue Sage, it wastes all the time spent building it up in the first place. Better to give it some sort of resolution, even if it turns out not to be a primary focus.
