Common routes.

[dfbreezy]

I had some debate with fellow intellectuals about the nature and purpose of common routes. So i thought i'd ask the community, writer and non-writer, what you expect to see from common routes.

I am of the opinion that common routes are "tools" utilized solely for story progression and minor doses of the other choices. A sequence of events leading to the heroine routes.

I mean, if you're gonna have character development in the common route, why do you need a heroine route (minus the gracious ability to be with your waif of choice).

What do you all think?

[RedK]

I disagree. The common route lets you know more about each heroine so that you can pick the only ones you like.

Although I don't like it when playing the common route is more of a chore. It should be shorter in my opinion.

[solidbatman]

Common routes are horrible and are usually a padding tool because VN fans are weird. 

[Soulless Watcher]

In my personal opinion, common routes are meant to establish the world and tone of the setting. At the end of a common route we should have a basic understanding of how our protagonist perceives other characters and how they fit in the world. It should be the foundation that holds the stories of each of the routes up.

Having said that, I don't think that is the only thing a common route can do, I think characters can have development in common routes if the story requires it. In other words I don't think there is really any solid "rules" on what a common route should or should not have.

Edited January 19, 2017 by Soulless Watcher

[Zakamutt]

If anyone wants an hour of high-noise discussion on common routes go ahead and listen to this w

 

[Zalor]

1 hour ago, solidbatman said:

Common routes are horrible and are usually a padding tool because VN fans are weird. 

I'm with you. Fuck Common routes. At best, they merely just irritate me. I normally view common routes as something I have to work through to get to the truly interesting stuff. 

[Kawasumi]

most common routes are indeed boring if I may be completely honest.

I think the only common route I enjoyed all the way through was gore screaming shows, that was also a really rare example, nice pacing and good story progression, I like when vns actually use the story to develop characters.

I wanna read a story, not play a fucking dating sim

[Funnerific]

Here's a couple of things with fully eventful common routes:

1) Sakura no Mori † Dreamers

2) Ayakashi

I guess you could say Eustia counts too, although it would be more appropriate to say 95% of the game is the common route.

[Darklord Rooke]

3 hours ago, dfbreezy said:

I had some debate with fellow intellectuals about the nature and purpose of common routes. So i thought i'd ask the community, writer and non-writer, what you expect to see from common routes.

I am of the opinion that common routes are "tools" utilized solely for story progression and minor doses of the other choices. A sequence of events leading to the heroine routes.

I mean, if you're gonna have character development in the common route, why do you need a heroine route (minus the gracious ability to be with your waif of choice).

What do you all think?

I think common routes are often stage 1 in the 4 act story structure popular in Japan and China called Kishotenketsu[1]. The problem is that a) the introduction lasts for far too long, and often devolves into fluff and non relevant stuff to pad out length b) you have to repeat all that for every heroine route and c) often they have nothing to do with the actual story, which is sometimes due to a bad application of stage 3 of kishotenketsu - 'the twist/complication'. 

There is nothing wrong with a common route in theory, but the application often leads much to be desired. 

[1] https://mythicscribes.com/plot/kishotenketsu/

[Mr Poltroon]

Can I say "none of the above"?

They're just there to introduce me to the setting and characters. I mean, at least the common routes I liked the most did nothing but that.

[Norleas]

The problem of common routes is that they cannot shine more than the heroines path but at the same time the history need to advance giving screen time to the protagonist and all heroines  in a more "open" way.

Personally I like common routes that have story progression and something like a mini climax at the end.

 

[TexasDice]

Common routes are the best part of the VN experience. Once you make your pick and the other characters get degraded to side characters, everything goes downhill.

[littleshogun]

Pretty much agree with Mr Poltroon there that common route was a way to introduce the setting and characters. So yeah, I'm more like in the 3rd choice at the poll there although I'm pretty much okay whichever type common route that any VNs were had.

[Dergonu]

I feel that common routes should introduce me to the characters, the setting and the general plot. When done well, common routes should plant the seeds that will grow into a story in the routes, as well as introduce me to the characters and the game's world etc.
I do agree that certain common routes can drag on and get a bit boring, but slice of life games with standard heroine routes should definitely have them, as the common route is usually how I decide what heroine's route I want to go down first.

[Clephas]

There are multiple purposes to most common routes, in that they are an introduction to the characters, the setting, and the basic premise of the story (when there is a central premise, as there frequently isn't in charage/moege).  There are times when the 'common route' is most of the game, but the end result tends to be a bit disappointing with VNs like that. 

Also, debating what the purpose of a structural element of a VN is is fairly pointless... since most writers and scenario directors have multiple purposes for every part they insert.