Do you read Bad Endings or Leave them?

[Thatcomicguy]

Like the other discussion I started a few weeks ago, yet again I was talking to my VN friend on Twitter but this time about Bad Endings and whether we skip them, only read ones that change the route's story but ignore the ones that just lead straight back the main menu or just read them all to complete everything. 

I said at when I first started reading VN's I did skip them not really thinking then as essential more non-canon things there so at least the reader has some choices to make in the VN's but then I remembered that most VN's have a "true route" so even good endings are technically non-canon either. So now I do read most of them but still do skip the occasional one if: one I can't be bothered to read it. or two the good route was bad so therefor the bad can't be much better, but both of those are very few and far between.

One day when my backlog isn't over 91+ VN's (that's no joke or exaggeration and also not counting the ones I have downloaded on Steam) to read through I'll go back and read some like the ones in Grisaia no Kajitsu as I've heard they're pretty good and I few others.

So what about you guys?

Edited January 15, 2018 by Thatcomicguy

[Ranzo]

I normally skip bad endings unless they unlock something like cg's or a secret scene. Vn's like Kara No Shoujo or Enigma have really dramatic and interesting bad endings that add quite a bit to the game. Enigma's bad endings for example, add a very sinister edge to one of the side characters that you would never know about unless you got the bad ending.

[Thatcomicguy]

Just now, Ranzo said:

I normally skip bad endings unless they unlock something like cg's or a secret scene.

That's probably the main reason I started reading through some once I started noticing I was missing some CG's by the time I finished. Now I tend to play it safe and always check walkthroughs to see if they mention needing to read them or not to view everything in the albums 

[Zander]

I always read through bad endings as long as they have some substance. Ranzo mentioned Kara no Shojo which is one where I particularly enjoyed the bad endings; accumulating quite a few of them in the early stages of the story actually revealed some information that amplified the impact of some later scenes in the "success route" on me.

On some occasions, like in G-Senjou no Maou, I actually enjoy/prefer the bad endings more than the good or true ones. It's really disappointing when a VN's bad endings are limited to a big ol' "GAME OVER" with no story attached.

[Dreamysyu]

It depends on how much I like the VN in question and how difficult are the bad endings to reach, but usually I prefer to read them.

[PapaRabbi]

It depends, but I usually avoid bad ends like the plague.

[Plk_Lesiak]

Uuuuh... It's a tough one.

When I'm reading a VN for some time, I usually get deeply, emotionally involved and seeing a really bad conclusion can f*** me up in serious ways, like make me lose sleep and be emotionally broken for a day or two. The better the story, the more being surprised by something really bad/disturbing will influence me. So, I only approach bad endings in "controlled environment", when I'm in the right mood and knowing more or less what I'm getting into. Otherwise, it would just wouldn't be worth it (especially when I rarely can afford to be barely functional for longer periods of time).

Most of the time I read VNs to relax and escape sad parts of my reality so tragedy is not really what I'm looking for, I can be very much ok with it in the middle of the story, but I pretty much need that slither of hope at the end.

Edited January 15, 2018 by Plk_Lesiak

[Clephas]

Bad endings with story are common in chuunige, so I generally read them... and some writers have a fondness for Tsukihime-style 'normal' endings, so it is often worth reading them if that is the writer's style. 

[Mr Poltroon]

13 minutes ago, Plk_Lesiak said:

Uuuuh... It's a tough one.

When I'm reading a VN for some time, I usually get deeply, emotionally involved and seeing a really bad conclusion can f*** me up in serious ways, like make me lose sleep and be emotionally broken for a day or tow. The better the story, the more being surprised by something really bad/disturbing will influence me. So, I only approach bad endings in "controlled environment", when I'm in the right mood and knowing more or less what I'm getting into. Otherwise, it would just wouldn't be worth it (especially when I rarely can afford to be barely functional for longer periods of time).

Most of the time I read VNs to relax and escape sad parts of my reality so tragedy is not really what I'm looking for, I can be very much ok with it in the middle of the story, but I pretty much need that slither of hope at the end.

This more or less details my experience as well.

If I'm not too invested yet, I can read bad endings. But as I get more attached to the characters and the story it starts getting harder and harder to the point where I just don't feel it's worth it. If I feel I must, I'll usually skip through the text, occasionally reading a line or two to get the gist of it.
Stories that aren't that serious are fine with their bad endings, of course.

[MaggieROBOT]

I read every single one of them. AND I try to find all of them too. I like things like F/SN that is infested with short bad endings/game overs, I think it's fun when you're actually punished for picking a dumb choice.

Edited January 15, 2018 by MaggieROBOT

[Dreamysyu]

19 minutes ago, MaggieROBOT said:

I read every single one of them. AND I try to find all of them too. I like things like F/SN that is infested with short bad endings/game overs, I think it's fun when you're actually punished for picking a dumb choice.

"A dumb choice" seems a bit inappropriate in case of Fate because some of the 'right' choices on a first glance look dumber than the ones that lead to bad ends (I can't remember the examples, but I remember it happening at least a few times). Also, I tried playing Fata Morgana in more or less the same way, and it was pretty fun. Depends on a VN, really.

Edited January 15, 2018 by Dreamysyu
Shouldn't post when I'm tired, lol

[Guest]

29 minutes ago, MaggieROBOT said:

I read every single one of them. AND I try to find all of them too. I like things like F/SN that is infested with short bad endings/game overs, I think it's fun when you're actually punished for picking a dumb choice.

Same.

Seeing [Fate] Shirou Dying is so satisfying.

I'm a completionist by nature so I always go for all ends and I always get the bad ones first since they make the good end more enjoyable for me.

[Sayaka]

9 minutes ago, SeniorBlitz said:

I'm a completionist by nature so I always go for all ends and I always get the bad ones first since they make the good end more enjoyable for me.

This. I can't stand to think of having missed endings. I think it's fun to see how badly wrong things can go.

And as mentioned some vns have bad ends with story.

I like to visualise all the different routes and branching paths from choices as a map of that particular visual novel's universe, and it saddens me to think of not finding out all its facets, good or bad.

Although admittedly when there's a very large number of or difficult to find ends I sometimes give up.

[Silvz]

It depends a lot if the bad ending is actually worth reading and if it's not too hard to get. I've recently read a game in which each choice led to a different bad ending, but after a few of them, it got boring to read them all as the majority didn't matter.

Then, there are the ones that do matter but are too hard to get; the one I can recall now is Remember11 with its two-route system where some bad endings of the second route depended on the choices from the first. Skipping nightmare.

 

[Guest]

6 minutes ago, Silvz said:

 

Then, there are the ones that do matter but are too hard to get; the one I can recall now is Remember11 with its two-route system where some bad endings of the second route depended on the choices from the first. Skipping nightmare.

 

God, what the fuck, I'm gonna kill myself when I read Remember 11. xo/

[Silvz]

3 minutes ago, SeniorBlitz said:

God, what the fuck, I'm gonna kill myself when I read Remember 11. xo/

The best thing of Remember11 is it not having a proper ending  nor a full explanation for what happens. If you really want to avoid headaches, don't read it at all.

[Ranzo]

1 hour ago, MaggieROBOT said:

I read every single one of them. AND I try to find all of them too. I like things like F/SN that is infested with short bad endings/game overs, I think it's fun when you're actually punished for picking a dumb choice.

The best part about Fate Stay Night bad endings for me was all the trips to the Tiger Dojo after the fact. It helped liven the mood after some of those grisly endings.

 

2 hours ago, Zander said:

I always read through bad endings as long as they have some substance. Ranzo mentioned Kara no Shojo which is one where I particularly enjoyed the bad endings; accumulating quite a few of them in the early stages of the story actually revealed some information that amplified the impact of some later scenes in the "success route" on me.

On some occasions, like in G-Senjou no Maou, I actually enjoy/prefer the bad endings more than the good or true ones. It's really disappointing when a VN's bad endings are limited to a big ol' "GAME OVER" with no story attached.

God, that reminds me of Mizuha's bad end I felt like such a shitty person after that ending.

[Guest]

2 minutes ago, Silvz said:

The best thing of Remember11 is it not having a proper ending  nor a full explanation for what happens. If you really want to avoid headaches, don't read it at all.

The infinity series is next on my "VN series list", I just need to finish ZTD, Lamento, Cinderella & F/HA (+Sakura Dungeon), so it is inevitable, does the end(s) of Remember 11 at least leave hints for a possible theory?

Edited January 16, 2018 by Guest

[Silvz]

3 minutes ago, SeniorBlitz said:

The infinity series is next on my "VN series list", I just need to finish ZTD, Lamento, Cinderella & F/HA (+Sakura Dungeon), so it is inevitable, does the end(s) of Remember 11 at least leave hints for a possible theory?

It's been a long while, so not pretty sure about hints, but it is fact that the game is incomplete; IIRC because of lack of funds. When I read it, I had to look into fan theories/websites to understand the story, and, if you really want to find out what happens by yourself, you should pay more attention to Ever17 than Remember11 itself.

[Stormwolf]

Writers block ending. Nice. Can't say that makes it temptibg to read in the slightest

[Dergonu]

Man, I love bad endings. I never skip them, unless they are just pointless "nothing happened" ends, that are used in moege/ charage sometimes.

But bad ends with a few CGs and some actual story? Sign me up! I normally play bad ends first, actually, before the good ends.

[Fiddle]

I read bad endings exclusively. "Good" endings are usually associated with the protagonist getting into some dangerous line of work, or having unprotected sex.

[Guest]

17 minutes ago, Silvz said:

It's been a long while, so not pretty sure about hints, but it is fact that the game is incomplete; IIRC because of lack of funds. When I read it, I had to look into fan theories/websites to understand the story, and, if you really want to find out what happens by yourself, you should pay more attention to Ever17 than Remember11 itself.

Huh... interesting...

 

17 minutes ago, Stormwolf said:

Writers block ending.

I'm confused. xoS

 

[Stormwolf]

Was just an assumption since the game had no ending.

[Guest]

1 minute ago, Stormwolf said:

Was just an assumption since the game had no ending.

Ohhhhh...

Makes Sense.