Gameplay/Selections: Yay or Nay?

[Funyarinpa]

Do you like VN's with gameplay, or do you think games get in the way?

 

Do you like influencing the story, or do you enjoy the pre-determined ride?

 

I like gameplay- I think gameplay gives VN's more opportunity to immerse you(i.e. 999)

 

However, I do not like selections- mostly because it is a hassle to skip over and over again to get to different routes. Virtue's Last Reward is an exception for this, since it has a wonderful, convenient flowchart. It feels like heaven's blessing!

[Monmon]

I do like vn with gameplay like kamidori, however after 1 or 2 runs, i want to throw it out. It become chores and wasing my time.If they could they should make skip battle function.

And for selection, i prefer not too many(especially blind choices).

[Nosebleed]

I like gameplay, I don't like RPGs though so when a gameplay involves a ton of RPG elements then it's a no

But if it's puzzle and riddle solving stuff like 999 then I can appreciate it more because I'm more into that kind of thing.

So in the end I'd say it really depends on what kind of gameplay we're talking about. I like more simplistic stuff.

However I won't disagree it usually makes the VNs more interesting and engaging so it's usually a plus no matter the scenario.

 

As far as amount of choices I like a good amount,  however I don't like really obvious choices like in Da Capo where it's clear which choice triggers what flags so wether there's 20 choices or just 5 you can still easily get any of the girls because it's that obvious.

I like choices that aren't there just for the sake of being there and don't give away the path  you'll be taking when you pick them so yes I do like influencing the story a lot and the more choices the better as long as there's a variety of paths you can go to like in S;G where depending on your choices there's plenty of different dialogue which makes you want to try every possibility.

[Clephas]

I think choices should be few and if the gameplay overpowers the story, it shouldn't be present in VNs.

[Decay]

Kamidori has too much gameplay for its own good. Especially since getting materials for new items is grindy. And honestly, it's not very good gameplay either. Thankfully it wasn't too hard to cheat so I could skip the grinding, but then I was rewarded with an underwhelming and mediocre story. Kamidori, along with Sengoku Rance, are vastly overrated. Especially Sengoku Rance, its gameplay is just like a really crappy version of Koei's RTK games, and it doesn't have anything else going for it. 999/VLR had decent gameplay, but I'm not into escape the room kind of puzzles so maybe I'd like it more if I was. The best part about it is how it contributed to the story and at least attempted to add to the tension.

 

Basically I'm saying that I've yet to find a VN with good gameplay. So as a result, I'm really skeptical of any VN that offers gameplay of any kind. I'd rather they just focus on telling a story if they're going to bother being a VN at all, and if the game designers want to make a game, they should just make a full fledged game instead.

[Bolverk]

Doesn't really matter for if it has gameplay or not. If it has good gameplay that adds to the story great. But if it doesn't, that's also okay. If the gameplay becomes bigger than the story then I think it's in the way really.

 

I personally think baldr sky did a nice balance between the game and story. Utawararumono had a nice balance as well because it was connected highly to the story. Rance had a bit too much of it. kamidori is a bit too much for me as well.

 

Too many damn "meaningless" choices tend to get on my nerves. Luckly most newer games have fewer of them. A few for branching routes and a few for different jokes or scenes that doesn't affect the routes. That's ideal for me. I am not in the extreme though, It get's a bit boring though when they have like only a 4-5 branch choices in the entire vn.

[Clephas]

I thought Ikusa Megami Zero had about the most ideal balance... minimal grinding (well, unless you wanted to turn everyone into magical monster powerhouses) and a great, massive story spanning over half a millennium.  I'd say that most of Alice Soft's games are the reverse... too much grind, too little story.  Also... basic requirement of any VN with gameplay... the gameplay has to be relatively easy to master.  Games with a steep learning curve have no place in VNs, lol. 

 

That said, it is best to stick with role-players or strategy when it comes to VN gameplay.  Madou Koukaku is about the most gameplay-leaning I can stand... and that is only because the gameplay is good enough that I didn't feel like I was wasting my time.

 

Edit: If you want an example of a game that goes way too far in the gameplay direction... the Sengoku Hime series.  While the story isn't weak, the ratio of gameplay to story is about 80%-20%

[Guest]

When I play a visual novel, I want to read a novel

Adding gameplay just breaks the pace and often doesn't add much to the game itself.

(Says the guy who played 20 VN's max, let's say in the few ones I played gameplay was out of place)

That's why I do not consider games such as Kamidori and the Rance series as being VN's.

These are just ero-RPG's.

 

As for the number of choice, I like having choice.

But it's a choice depending on what type of game you want.

If it's a harem game then many choices is more enjoyable.

If it's centered on the plot I think fewer choices is the best (even though harem thingies can be plot centered ... or can they ... no idea)

 

Well that's my opinion.

[Life]

I don't mind whether or not there are many choices or not in vn's or not but sometimes it bugs me when theres too much gameplay. I feel like it's something that if used, should be used in moderation.

[Kaguya]

I don't mind it either way.

VNs with no gameplay are ok, but the ones with gameplay are fine as well. I can ejnoy them regardless, though I prefer if the gameplay is just complementary to the story, not it's main selling point.

 

I like having tons of different choices if they all lead to different stuff. It gives me more things to do, which makes the total run time of a VN longer- which is great, when VNs make up most of your entertainment.

[Yukiru]

Variety is a great thing. When you feel like playing a VN with gameplay, they will be there. When you feel like having nothing to do with the plot, Kinetic VNs will stay there. I don't see the point in choosing sides.

[Freestyle80]

well most of us wants to read a good story and rpgs get in the way of the 'fun'

[Okami]

I like both VNs with gameplay and without one, true like Monmon said after 1,2 run gameplay usually becomes boring and I wish to skip it, also if gameplay is boring to begin with like in some VNs it only gets in a way. So I guess I don't care if there is a gameplay or not as long as story is good.

 

As for choices I prefer many as they help me interact with  VN batter.

[Funnerific]

I don't really care about gameplay, but it bothers me when VNs have lots of poorly-done choices that lead to quick, underwhelming bad ends (Air, Clannad, Little Busters, Fate/Stay Night, Harukoi Otome, Sharin no Kuni).

I'd rather have no choices at all, so long as the story is good. Though it's really nice to have if it's done well like in Aoishiro (there's a lot of bad ends, some are shared between routes, most of them have a unique CG or two and are well-written, with story and feels and everything).

Well, if it's just short branches with no impact on what comes afterward, then it feels meaningless. Oh, that includes the famous ejaculation choices.

[Clephas]

If a game has more than seven choices before a path split, it is enough to annoy me.  Generally speaking, there is no need for a lot of scene variation up until a path split, and a good story shouldn't be interrupted constantly with meaningless choices.  Of course, meaningful choices are another thing entirely...

[Darklord Rooke]

Hmmm. I find the more choices the player has, the less meaningful they become. I would love to be presented with many choices, and each choice alters the story and the environment in a meaningful way, but that is unrealistic. So I prefer fewer choices.

[The Major]

I don't really care about the number of choices, I guess too many can be irritating... but not enough is kind of boring. A problem that I have is I'll often just get bored or distracted reading VNs, so I do appreciate some gameplay to help keep me engaged. l'd pay cash money for that baseball game in Little Busters.

[castor212]

I think choices should be few and if the gameplay overpowers the story, it shouldn't be present in VNs.

This.

 

Quite a lot VNs I like is the linear ones.

[Chocolat]

If the gameplay is good, it's not a bother for me (I liked it in Princess Maker 2). But

too many choices can be annoying, especially when to get a good end, you have to choose the good one

or you'll fail.

[Tawm]

I'd just play an actual video game if I wanted any gameplay.

Gameplay kind of ruins the experience for me.

 

Doesn't really matter to me if a VN has many choices or not.

My favorite VN of all time is Kikokugai: The Cyber Slayer, which has none.

[shcboomer]

I feel like VNs with gameplay isn't necessarily a bad thing. There is that sweet spot though, a point where gameplay has diminishing returns and becomes more of an annoyance than an aid.

[grim_tales1]

I do like some gameplay, because I think it really immerses you in the story and gives you a chance to influence things (like 999 and VLR). In all honesty I havent played that many true VNs but I think 'too many' choices would be a pain. VLR is an exception

but conversely, the blinking map takes you right out of the game in that

[Darkshine]

There are some stories that I like with gameplay and without, it really depends. As for choices in the VN I prefer not to have that many choices and to keep choices that will actually push the story forward in a certain direction cause having to many can be a pain and is really not necessary.

[Decay]

Meaningless choices are my bane. I enjoy choices that lead to alternate scenes, or maybe meaningless choices that have elaborate and funny responses in moderation. But choices that don't mean anything and only change  one or two lines of dialog are nothing but pointless fluff. That fluff can get especially aggravating when you've screwed up a choice or two and can't go down the route you wanted to, and have to figure out which of the billion choices in the game actually meant something. Every decision in the game should ideally contribute a fair amount of content and actually have an impact.

[grim_tales1]

Meaningless choices are my bane. I enjoy choices that lead to alternate scenes, or maybe meaningless choices that have elaborate and funny responses in moderation. But choices that don't mean anything and only change  one or two lines of dialog are nothing but pointless fluff. That fluff can get especially aggravating when you've screwed up a choice or two and can't go down the route you wanted to, and have to figure out which of the billion choices in the game actually meant something. Every decision in the game should ideally contribute a fair amount of content and actually have an impact.

Good post. I agree with what you say, especially about choices only changing 1 or 2 lines.