Do you prefer predictable outcomes from your choices or to be surprised by the game?

[DawnCry]

First of all I would say that the game has to be clear in that aspect, meaning that it's actually a selling point when characters can lie or maniputale you. Something to note is that you should actually add elements to help the player actually find the truth in those situations.

Let's give an example and take a well known evil character such as Osira of legend of queen opala and focus on the first game, it could have been possible that Osira could lie or mislead us towards destroying the crystals of elements and it would be perfectly fine if you can find out what truly happens if you destroy the crystals. Most developers actually fear this element of lying and manipulation mainly because those that weren't careful enough will feel betrayed.

Personally I find perfectly okay the use of deceit, just give hints that player's can notice, perhaps having stuff like if you have a perception stat you could get a warning "something feels off about this", perhaps it wasn't a full lie, only a half-truth but that's for you to discover.

I do enjoy a lot more characters that have their own ambitions and objectives.

 

[Doorknob22]

Most of the time, predictability is better than surprises.

 

[riktor]

choices should generally have obvious results if your game is at all logically consistent, sometimes unpredictability can work depending on the story though. I am personally not a fan of any game that actively seeks to subvert player expectations or control.

 

[Rando Civ]

Ok, my actual two cents? I love it when devs are creative and use their imagination for things we didn't expect. I prefer when people don't conform to the masses and just do what they want to do. At least from my own humble opinion, that's better than the same plot repeating itself a hundred times. Subversion, Inversion and whatever shape of unexpected is good in my book. Granted, sometimes doing so can be divisive or just downright bad (like TLOU2), but taking the risk itself, is very respectable.

 

[Dahakma]

I prefer certain predictability. It is not a real choice if you have no clear idea of what do you want to accomplish by picking each option. I played a game with three options, two of them resulting in instant bad end and no hint the third is the correct one.

 

[TheHighSpire]

It depends on the game. I'm mostly fine with surprises as long as the player agency is respected. Like, alright, your boss decides that because it's Monday you will absolutely have to suck his cock. If you don't then he will tell a nasty rumour to your boyfriend try to get you fired. As long as I can different routes from there, then sure.

What I mostly care about is if these surprises fits into the story. I hate surprises that breaks the integrity and immersion of the story.

 

[Loganfin]

Generally speaking, I'm going to be very careful in any game, check out everything that I can, pay attention and look for clues. Based on that, I want the choices that I have to make sense given the context. But at the same time, its good to not be completely predictible either. That takes away the fun and the mystery. Having a random unforseen consqeuence later on because you made a choice can be good writing. But having a character react in a way that the player could not predict in a negative way immediately is very bad writing.

Make it make sense, within its own world and characters and its generally good.

 

[probably_dave]

I know this sounds like a cop-out, but predictable unpredictability.

For example, using the old left-right in a forest approach.
If both are the same look the same when the choice is made, that is fully unpredictable as the player has no idea what will happen either way. Try to avoid these.
However, if the left approach is full of bones and carcasses and the right approach is clear, naturally, the player will think of the right approach as safe. However, if they are feeling lucky, they could take the left approach to see what happens. Here, a level of unpredictability would be accepted by the player as they are actively choosing the unpredictable route. What would frustrate the player if they chose the safe route and suddenly get attacked by a giant monster.

Of course, you can play on these stereotypes to, so long as, if you hit a surprise on the player, when they look back at their choices, it's obvious something was up.
Take the same example, the left side might be full of carcasses, however, they all appear to be small animals while another similar version of the left side has a few human skulls dotted around. The outcome can then be good for ones with the animals and bad for the ones with the skulls. These subtle differences can help the player make a decision and not feel cheated if something goes awry.
The same can also be done with the obviously good path. Does the path feel obviously too good to be true? Does is have a nice gingerbread house and all the trees are candy sticks? An extreme example, but hopefully, you get my gist. Providing a player with a choice where they don't know the outcome, you want the player not to make their choice purely on 50-50 but on the facts they've been presented. This should then reward the player with the feeling they made the "right choice" rather than "I was lucky"

This same type of logic can apply to multiple different scenarios, but the same type of logic applies. Should I go for the kiss on the first date? Well, what hints have been dropped before hand that she would accept that? Did she go and hold my hand and did I make the move to hold hers?

As put earlier:

check out everything that I can, pay attention and look for clues. Based on that, I want the choices that I have to make sense given the context.

Also, on a side note, try and avoid the "Deus Ex Machina" principle as much as possible. It can be done well in certain circumstances (like for comedy value, my favorite being Moe rescuing the school class being stranded on an Island in the Simpsons) but most of the time it feels cheap. An event that is so unpredictable, the player has no way of knowing before hand what will happen is likely to just frustrate the player.

 

[woody554]

I like solving problems and deducing things. for that to be possible things must have (an internal) logic to them that I can find out. if they don't have that, the result will be rng.

I don't mind having a probability attached to things, but that's not the same as rng. what I mean is if I have one choice giving me 90% chance of success and another one only 30%, that still makes sense if the wording or context of choices make it possibe to expect that kind of a result. in contrast a pure rng result makes everything preceeding it pointless, it didn't have any effect on the result, it's not causally linked at all. worthless. we don't want to use days and weeks to create an event that made all the work pointless.

so if you want to subject me to something nasty, make sure the clues or logic is there. an instant game over after sticking your dick in sleeping mom's ass game day 1 is totally fine. I should've known better and I have only myself to blame. but the same happening after long time playing and working though the stairway to heaven would be very bad. you can still slap me with negative outcome (for cases where you still have some tiny requirement unfilled). but it should be proportional, ie. no game overs anymore. maybe I lose exp points, maybe mom hates me until I redeem myself etc, but something that is fixable by playing more.

but if you do decide to punish the player (in a game that's not about some form of masochist fetish like ntr), MAKE SURE the reason for including that negative outcome is good enough. like if you decide a choice will lead to my game gf break up with me (again, in a non-ntr setting) make sure the following story is good enough. maybe you later win her back and things will be even better than they were (ie. the basic romance structure). but the improved story should overcome the shit you put the player through, or you just shot yourself in the dick for no reason. if the outcome is weaker then why are you doing it? the design choice must be justified or the whole thing should be cut.

 

[Endrju]

Cool thread
I am all in when it comes to interesting\intriguing stories, plot twists and unpredictability BUT all in the boundaries of the world that was created. No breaking the rules just for the sake of the end goal.

 

[SirSpitz]

The problem with most games is lack of time investment to avoid predictable outcomes.

Lets say you use Ren'Ply and make a novel game; there is a ton of work involved just to make the game with predictable results. But if you have the time and creative skill set, with choice options you can make a game within a game that has even more surprises and plot twists; still the files would be long and time consuming to make. Personally, I doubt there are that many creators who would invest that kind of time to make something where a plot choice kills off a third of the rest of the game content. Still there are ome good games out there, yet the choices taken just "hides" content outcomes generally speaking

 

[Endrju]

The problem with most games is lack of time investment to avoid predictable outcomes.

Lets say you use Ren'Ply and make a novel game; there is a ton of work involved just to make the game with predictable results. But if you have the time and creative skill set, with choice options you can make a game within a game that has even more surprises and plot twists; still the files would be long and time consuming to make. Personally, I doubt there are that many creators who would invest that kind of time to make something where a plot choice kills off a third of the rest of the game content. Still there are ome good games out there, yet the choices taken just "hides" content outcomes generally speaking

 

[Ataios]

Clearly predictable.

Surprises can be fine in regular games, but in porn games, I want to choose the fetishes I see. E.g. when I play a game with female protagonist, I want her to have lesbian sex and lesbian sex only, not be raped by a gang of male thugs. When I play a BDSM game, I want to choose who is on top. The list goes on. The stories of regular games can still be enjoyable if they go in an unexpected direction. Porn games don't have the luxury.

 

[probably_dave]

Porn games don't have the luxury

I feel I agree with you but also disagree at the same time. I think it's because the term 'Porn Game' covers such a wide base, with each player knowing what they like and dislike. It would be impossible for games to meet everyone's requirements.

Drastically over-simplifying things, you could put porn games into two categories:

Sex Simulators (I don't like this term, but couldn't think of a better one): where your prime aim is to get into the pants of everyone around you. I don't mean the pure sex simulators here (girl in room, chose your position, etc), but more that the prime aim and goal of the game is to have sex with people as quickly and as varied as possible with the majority of the gameplay focused on this. Here, predictability is key to allow the player to get the fullest enjoyment from the game.

Games with Porn: where your prime aim is something else but sex comes along with the journey. Of course, the sex plays a key part in the players goals, however, this is not the only goal. These types of games have more freedom for unpredictability, as usually, the investment the player is making is greater and the thrill of 'not knowing' is part of the overall experience.

I think a market exists for both these types of games but the key part for me is how do you let the player know what type of game they are getting into before they make that initial investment. If one advertises itself is one thing but is actual another, it ends up pissing off the player.

 

[Staimh]

If a game is repeatedly unpredictable I would expect to find it frustrating.
If a game is consistently predicable it can eventually be played as a long puzzle (I am likely to enjoy).
If a game is largely predictable with occasional idiosyncracies it can make the game more challenging and occasionally can be used as a way of injecting humour (I am likely to enjoy).

 

[ihl86]

I think a lot of people made good arguments for unpredictability in games.
This is my take on it.
I want and expect most of my choices to be predictable, not necessarily foreseeable. I am still fine and even like unpredictability in the game itself.
The story doesn't have to take me to a foreseeable outcome.
If someone hits the MC with the car and he finds himself in the hospital is not a foreseeable path for a game but if the story wants to take me there, I don't mind.

Now about the outcome to choices I made directly:
If in a dating simulator type of game I give a female npc flowers or chocolate or whatever and she doesn't like them and I get - love with her it depends. Did I have a chance to find out that she doesn't like those things but I didn't take it - than it is all on me and that's fine. Is it the first time I give her that gift, the game doesn't really allow you to figure out if she likes it or not. That can be fine, if not overdone, sometimes you can't foresee a response. If I gave her the same gift 5 times before and it game me +love and now the game decides to give me -love just so that it isn't predictable that I would not enjoy that game. That is not predictable and I don't see why something like this should happen.

Another example, let's say the MC is in college and has a choice to go to a party or study a day before a test.
If your game decides to be different and when you choose study you somehow get an F because the teacher is pissed but if you chose the party you had a chance to somehow influence the teacher's mood and get a better grade, this can be ok, if not overdone. It's something that I can accept can happen in real life sometimes and so I don't mind if it happens in the game (but as I said only rarely, and not all the time).
If you just decide to give the MC a bad grade if he studies and a good grade if he goes to the party, just to make the choices unpredictable, I would not enjoy the game.

I guess in the end, if done rarely, with a good story and reason behind it, a few unpredictable outcomes can be ok.
But as a general answer to the question, what I prefer is a predictable outcome because if I can't predict what my choice will do, why am I playing that game in the first place? Why not look at a comic where I don't make choices and I just see what the author wants.

 

[Ataios]

I feel I agree with you but also disagree at the same time. I think it's because the term 'Porn Game' covers such a wide base, with each player knowing what they like and dislike. It would be impossible for games to meet everyone's requirements.

Drastically over-simplifying things, you could put porn games into two categories:

Sex Simulators (I don't like this term, but couldn't think of a better one): where your prime aim is to get into the pants of everyone around you. I don't mean the pure sex simulators here (girl in room, chose your position, etc), but more that the prime aim and goal of the game is to have sex with people as quickly and as varied as possible with the majority of the gameplay focused on this. Here, predictability is key to allow the player to get the fullest enjoyment from the game.

Games with Porn: where your prime aim is something else but sex comes along with the journey. Of course, the sex plays a key part in the players goals, however, this is not the only goal. These types of games have more freedom for unpredictability, as usually, the investment the player is making is greater and the thrill of 'not knowing' is part of the overall experience.

I think a market exists for both these types of games but the key part for me is how do you let the player know what type of game they are getting into before they make that initial investment. If one advertises itself is one thing but is actual another, it ends up pissing off the player.

I was assuming the game had mostly or exclusively sexual content. If the game has other important elements, such as exploration or combat, I think you can add surprise elements here, but not as far as fetishes and the sexual content in general go. Characters may react in an unexpected way, even betray the protagonist, but not within the sexual content. A love interest in a lesbian game may steal the MC's car and money but she may not invite her boyfriend to turn a lesbian encounter into an MFF threesome.

 

[ihl86]

I was assuming the game had mostly or exclusively sexual content. If the game has other important elements, such as exploration or combat, I think you can add surprise elements here, but not as far as fetishes and the sexual content in general go. Characters may react in an unexpected way, even betray the protagonist, but not within the sexual content. A love interest in a lesbian game may steal the MC's car and money but she may not invite her boyfriend to turn a lesbian encounter into an MFF threesome.

I think you are replacing the idea of unpredictability with the idea of forcing different sexual content/fetishes on the player which is different.
If in your example, the love interest invites her boyfriend over unexpectedly but you have a choice if you go through with it or not, would you still mind?
It's something unpredictable, but it's not forcing you to go through that path.
On the other side, if she invited her girlfriend for a FFF threesome, would you always be ok with that, if you had no say in the matter?