What do you folks think about games with multiple viewpoint characters on the main path? Many (most?) games are single MC, but that's pretty unique to games. It's fairly rare for a novel or a movie or a TV show to lock to a single POV character. And you can do so much more storytelling if you can tell things from multiple viewpoints.
One of my future projects, my story centering on a polyamorous community, pretty much requires multiple viewpoints. I can center much of the story on the Newbie couple, but there are so many vignettes, side stories that will impact the overall story.
I recognize that a substantial portion of F95 will hate any game where they can't self-insert, but I've told that story so many times that I'd like to do something "different." (Air quotes because, like I said, these techniques are pretty standard in storytelling everywhere else.)
I know what you mean. That was my first thought reading the list. Uncommon in VNs, but pretty common in other media.
If a story had multiple MCs, which techniques would you like (or dislike) more?
1) Single MC with a parallel story told through flashbacks or cutscenes (a la the video sequences in Chasing Beth).
2) Two similar MCs (ie straight men) telling stories in series (finish one before starting the next). Effectively, this is two separate games.
3) Two (or more) similar MCs whose stories are interleaved, but they are allies. (A la the Avengers.)
4) Two similar MCs who are working against each other (ie, they're both competing for the same LI).
5) Two MCs who are quite different (ie, a straight man and a gay woman).
6) A main MC but with many "side quests" told from the viewpoints of a variety of different characters.
In #2, I was imagining switching protagonists every chapter, but completing the story completely before moving on with the next? That sounds to me like moving to a sequel with the next generation. If they are contemporaries, I'd vote for interleaved stories. What just came to mind is a story told by two suspects questioned separately. Though in that case, ultimate MC would be the detective trying to make sense of their stories.
I like #3 for obvious reasons. It is probably how I'll deal with my project. Another example of this type of storytelling would be The Expanse. Disparate characters who have no (or little) knowledge of the others trying to do the best with what they have, only to have their paths eventually cross.
I expect #6 would be a more "popular" approach than #3. The side stories would be 'Kinetic Short Stories" with no real decisions by the player? Am I understanding that correctly?
I expect example #4 would be difficult for a VN. If the player is making decisions for opposing characters, there would be a temptation to choose the least advantageous path for one or the other.
#5 would definitely work for the "Choose your Gender" option. With an alternative like that, you wouldn't need to come up with separate LIs.
But that's not your question. If they are in the same game, we might be looking at a special case of #4, which could be difficult.
The only one I would have a problem with (from a practical aspect) is #4. Having a player control both sides can really mess up the story, IMHO.
Importantly, I'm asking about a story where most (or all) of this happens in the same playthrough. I'm not planning to do another "Choose your gender and LI" game
Tlaerost
Are you not wanting to do it this time, or have you been turned off to the approach?
I was thinking of a "Heavy Five" level of character choice for my Steampunk story, but the more I think about it, the more I feel that I'm asking for headaches with little pay off. Plus, when thinking of the game, I really only think of one character, a woman. Harriet G. Wollencroft is my prime character in the story. I can easily run her as straight, bi/pan/omni, or gay, but forcing myself to come up with at least three other MCs (adding cis male and trans options) might make an epic story arc even more confusing. Maybe some time in the future.