- Jun 10, 2017
- 10,409
- 15,316
So it was, I quote myself:
What, look at game design 101, don't provide at all the same feeling than the example you gave.
Can you devs stop with the One "choice option" you give us?!
- Thread starter Deximay
- Start date
- Jun 17, 2019
- 4,014
- 13,019
Feelings are personal. I'm with Winterfire in this: a single option, if it makes sense in the context of the narrative as he's explaining, can be extremely effective for me. While I find timed auto advance (as well as time limited choices) terribly disturbing, due to may usual playstyle
- Jul 14, 2018
- 417
- 1,602
I can't take anything else you've said seriously because of this statement.
Having four options that are all labelled the same, particularly in a game built around arguing directly with the player about who is in control of the narrative is not at all the same as having one option. The entire point of that is to make you feel trapped, that you are no longer in control.
It's unfortunate that it's that influential of a game, as people mimic it without understanding why it does what it does when it does it, but to say it's the same feeling is to either not understand what's being explained or to only have a very surface level understanding of narrative and player agency.
- Aug 29, 2020
- 262
- 229
- Jun 10, 2017
- 10,409
- 15,316
Look at the context, and what is effectively said before making such statement. Especially if you claim that it will change your view on the seriousness of someone. Just to be sure that you aren't making a fool of yourself.
Oh, so you can't take me seriously because... Er, because you agree with me ? Seriously ? :/
- Jul 14, 2018
- 417
- 1,602
- Mar 31, 2021
- 4
- 36
Denpa vn break a lot of writing and storytelling conventions because they are, to put it bluntly, schizophrenia simulators. Best practice is still best practice even if a few esoteric exceptions exist.
They do not break anything, it is normal for those types of games. They are not the only one.
- Mar 31, 2021
- 4
- 36
Yes, I realize, that’s why I named the genre. And yes, they do break conventions, that’s how genres and styles are defined especially abstract ones like cubism or denpa.
- May 29, 2017
- 212
- 371
I want to read a book; I open one; I want a VN with no choices; I search for "Kinetic Novel". The choices we make before engaging with the medium of our choices is there, if the Dev alludes us into thinking they give us a choice in their narrative, is the problem, and that's where my problem falls in with this thread. There are amazing visual novels written with plenty of choices to make on this site. Look for the big ones; don't try to take away from the writing skills of others by saying a good visual novel doesn't need choices (you can, but that's a choice on both the dev and the consumer).
- Jun 25, 2018
- 301
- 409
Can't stand it when I'm given a series of choices that are merely cosmetic and give me the same reaction regardless of what I choose. Too much crying wolf because I'll be so tuned out thinking my choices don't matter that when a choice comes later that does matter, I won't care and not be as engaged.
- May 29, 2017
- 212
- 371
- Oct 9, 2017
- 2,416
- 2,823
Going by most of the replys here it seems like people don't know what a choice is.
noun
noun: choice; plural noun: choices
- an act of selecting or making a decision when faced with two or more possibilities.
"the choice between good and evil"
The second option is to click the big red X in the upper right corner and delete the game.
- May 29, 2017
- 212
- 371
- Oct 9, 2017
- 2,416
- 2,823
Your attempts at sarcasm and wit are tiring. Deleting the game only solves one problem it doesn't make the devs see how pointless the action is.
Neither does quibbling over the definition of choice. I think we both understand it to mean "using UI elements that would normally be used for making choices" in this context.
- Sep 13, 2016
- 3,540
- 7,114
You guys haven't noticed that the majority of western vns work with fake choices? That's just a strategy to make you think the game has more paths than it actually has, the illusion of choice is a powerful tool.
Anyone that restarts these games to unlock different scenes will see that the story unfolds exactly the same way every time, in most cases you will just skip some content based on choices.
Sure there are exceptions that will take you to very different routes and endings, but for the most part VNs are just hiding from the kinetic novel tag with fake choices and they will wait until the last few minutes of gameplay to actually split the path into multiple endings and grab the second tag on a technicality.
Anyone that restarts these games to unlock different scenes will see that the story unfolds exactly the same way every time, in most cases you will just skip some content based on choices.
Sure there are exceptions that will take you to very different routes and endings, but for the most part VNs are just hiding from the kinetic novel tag with fake choices and they will wait until the last few minutes of gameplay to actually split the path into multiple endings and grab the second tag on a technicality.
- Sep 26, 2019
- 1,014
- 2,133
You needed to read what I was responding to but it was him basically saying that a "choice" with only one option and no other way to continue keeps him engaged and which is where the book comment comes from. Calling it a "choice" was poor wording on my part, but basically I was agreeing with your point that having a "choice" with one option is about as engaging as turning the page and if that is all it takes then it sounds like the literary equivalent of ambien.