How do you handle Routes in VNs

[Kendjin]

So I am playing through Rewrite as everyone has probably gathered, but its the first game where I have actually wondered, once you finish a route, what method do you use to explore the other ones?

Do you tend to save at each choice and mark up so you can reload from that point, or do you make use of the skip function, or do you simply replay in real time?

I have kind of wondered.

Personally, I tend to save at choices.

[Eurobeatz]

I usually save at choices so that I can reload and play from that place in the game. Starting over from the beginning is a pain.

[solidbatman]

Walkthrough. Not even ashamed to say it. I'm not a fan of spending a ton of time doing one thing, so if I have to constantly reload saves to get different routes, I'll more than likely just not even bother and drop the vn/game all together. Hell, nearly quit Clannad because of that, but Steve talked me out of it.

[Down]

Don't we have a thread already for this?

Let me look for it.

No, that's definitely not just me wanting to try to merge topics again.

edit: This thread kinda ended up with a debate about walkthroughs, but let's not care and say it's far enough from this topic. You should read it though.

I'm a little bit sad though.

[jaxter0987]

So I am playing through Rewrite as everyone has probably gathered, but its the first game where I have actually wondered, once you finish a route, what method do you use to explore the other ones?

Do you tend to save at each choice and mark up so you can reload from that point, or do you make use of the skip function, or do you simply replay in real time?

I have kind of wondered.

Personally, I tend to save at choices.

I replay from the beginning but I just skip read text to choices. There's new things (obviously) that are shown when you pick different choices, and it just doesn't feel the same if I just reload at that point.

[Sieg]

The only "external help" I use is recommendations on route orders. Apart from that I don't use walkthroughs at all, except when I've already finished all the main routes and go for the extras, such as the oppai route in Rewrite (which I did today and was hillarious). I feel that as "spoilerless" as an walkthrough can be, you aways catch on something. Besides, I feel like cheating whenever I used one so.. nah. It is really exciting to dive into a story without any prior knowledge or warning.

[Steve]

Well I use the skip already read text and just select the choices I think will get me to the other route I want and read the extra scenes - and as mentioned in some other topic, if the game has good choice system, you will most likely be able to recognize the choices and where they lead.

True that I save at choice if it isn't obvious like go with this girl / go with the other girl - just to be sure - if it turns out the choice did something else than I expected I can always reload. Otherwise I save the choice for when I go for the other girl's route.

If the game has not so good system and its like wear blue pants / wear green pants and it decides the route, then I just save and try to get the right one or just use WT (like in hatsukoi, it has terrible choices xD)

[Widi]

hmmm I personally replay from the start again without skipping the text because maybe there's a new things on scenario but sometimes if i bored i use the skip text

[Steve]

hmmm I personally replay from the start again without skipping the text because maybe there's a new things on scenario but sometimes if i bored i use the skip text

Hehe I started as that too but the skip stops for the new scenario so after a while I just used it all the time xD

[Skeith]

For me, when I played Katawa, in the first playthrough, I'd usually play the game using my gut-feel. Any choice that I feel is the correct one, I choose it. Then, starting on the second playthrough to infinity, I will use "common sense" in choosing the decisions (Want character A's routes, choose choices that includes A in them). When I first played MuvLuv, I stupidly followed Amaterasu's "recommendation" to not play other characters' routes. What a big mistake that was.

[Eldin]

I pick my favorite girl and neglect the shit out of the other ones just to make sure I get her the first play through.

after that I use a walkthrough for the others just to get the cg's.

[Metaler]

Regarding choices, I generally make a different save file everytime one pops up, even when the "correct" choice is obvious... It's kinda become a habit for me, haha.

For most VNs I read, I generally tend to leave my preferred heroine's route for last, unless there's a recommended order of sorts like Rewrite or Ever17. I just have a "leave the best for last" kind of mentality.

[RusAnon]

Depends how much time passed since I read common route. If it was too long ago, I re-read it skipping the parts I remember/boring ones. If I'm marathoning the game, I use saves as advised in walkthrough.

[jaxter0987]

Since route order was mentioned, I guess I'd like to add in that I also only ask for recommended route order and that's it. All choices are made based on gut feel, like how Skeith does it. I save at every choice, even though I know its an arbitrary choice that doesn't determine route (At least during the first playthrough). It's become a habit of mine as well.

For most VNs I read, I generally tend to leave my preferred heroine's route for last, unless there's a recommended order of sorts like Rewrite or Ever17. I just have a "leave the best for last" kind of mentality.

I kind of got mixed blessings when I played Rewrite. After meeting Akane, her route was instantly the one I was most interested in, yet it was recommended that the player go through her route last (And with good reason). So on one hand, I really did get to save her route for last but at the same time, I was dying of curiosity thanks to all the foreshadowing done by the other routes.

[Kendjin]

In a sort of follow up.

How many people once finishing a route, tend to go back and do others?

Also, if I'm right in thinking you can't do Akane's route without finishing Chihiya's route first?

[Down]

How many people once finishing a route, tend to go back and do others?

I try to always do all the routes. I can't feel like I've finished the VN if I didn't do all the routes.

If the VN really hook me I'll even do all the bad ends and read every bit of text I can. I probably read through all the text there can be in Tsukihime and F/SN.

If I'm bored by the thing though I might drop it after one route, but I'm not gonna consider I finished it. Eg I never went further than Al's route in Demonbane.

[RusAnon]

How many people once finishing a route, tend to go back and do others?

Well, pretty much always, except for cases when game is too shitty and not worth reading. Even if I don't finish other routes immediately, I keep it as "playing" in the list and will come back to it eventually.

[Zakamutt]

I also go for all routes unless it's something incredibly pointless and hard-to-get like Chaos;head's B ending. Pretty much the only thing I consider myself to have "finished" decently that I've only done half the endings for is School Days.

[Metaler]

How many people once finishing a route, tend to go back and do others?

I rarely do that unless I haven't played the game for a long time, like Rewrite; haven't played it since summer break ended back in February, so I'm thinking of restarting it (common route's fucking hilarious too, so it might be worth it). I also did it with Ever17 for the same reason.

[Kendjin]

Just so I am clear, is the common route when you don't actually focus on one person and basically just get on with everyone without pursuing anything else?

[Steve]

Just so I am clear, is the common route when you don't actually focus on one person and basically just get on with everyone without pursuing anything else?

yes, before going to specific girls route. its the part where you make the choices that then lead you to specific route

[Kendjin]

yes, before going to specific girls route. its the part where you make the choices that then lead you to specific route

I'm slightly concerned that despite following what I thought was a route, there has not been a lot of scenes with Kotori. I did meet Chibi though, so I might be on my way?

[Steve]

I'm slightly concerned that despite following what I thought was a route, there has not been a lot of scenes with Kotori. I did meet Chibi though, so I might be on my way?

nah, you will know when the route starts (it tells you and the date is no longer displayed), this is still common. rewrite common is very long.

[Kendjin]

nah, you will know when the route starts (it tells you and the date is no longer displayed), this is still common. rewrite common is very long.

Ahhh, I just thought the game ended at the end of October. Well I'm really enjoying it anyhow

Still not sure if there's magic or not, but I guess that keeps me playing

[jaxter0987]

In a sort of follow up.

How many people once finishing a route, tend to go back and do others?

Also, if I'm right in thinking you can't do Akane's route without finishing Chihiya's route first?

I HAVE to play all the other routes for me to consider the Visual Novel to be complete. Thus Rewrite, is the only VN I've actually completed because I still haven't gone through Shizune's route and Rin's route in Katawa Shoujo... I'll be going back for Shizune's eventually, but it will take a lot of convincing for me to even start Rin's route.

Yes you have to do Chihaya's route before you do Akane's route and you have to do Kotori's route before you do Shizuru's route.