Choices vs story

@RVallant Also consider dead end choices.

Dead end choices sometimes get lumped in with fake choices, but there is a slight difference even if they are both essentially “railroading” the main story.

A fake choice as many have said are essentially what Bioware does on a regular basis. You get three options and picking any one of them leads to a slightly different conversation/text/situation, but ultimately it has no impact on the main story and just leads to the same path. Its basically like your actions didn’t mean much at all.

Some can accept this as long as its an engaging enough story and you aren’t doing it too often. As JimD mentioned sometimes it might be necessary evil if only to break up very long walls of text and I do agree its better than having a lot of one choice pages in a row.

A dead end choice is different. You get three choices, one leads to the main story path and the other two lead to death or a premature end. Now if the writer wants to torment the reader, then those choices won’t even lead to an immediate dead end. It’ll go on maybe one or two more pages each with their own dead end choice that result in a premature ending.

Personally, I prefer writing dead end choices and avoid fake choices as much as possible because even if its still railroading, the choice was an action that at least made a difference as far as the story is concerned even if it lead to a premature end. Basically the reader can decide if they liked/hated that ending and stop reading or they can simply go back and try again which is pretty easy with a click of the back button (or page flip for old school books)

Well at least that’s how I feel about it anyway. I mean I know I would have preferred to see a dead end choice in Dragon Age if you turned down the option of joining the Gray Wardens instead of Ducan just saying “Sorry, but I’m invoking the But Thou Must Trope and you’re coming with me anyway.” cue Ostagar.

To me a short cinematic showing my commoner dwarf getting executed for foolishly staying in Orzimarr as a captured criminal would’ve been a lot more satisfying. Sure I would’ve had to reload and pick the choice to go with Duncan, but I would’ve appreciated the fact that they at least made it an option to genuinely choose poorly, otherwise why bother to make it a choice at all?

@EndMaster I think you bring up several good points, especially when pointing to games like Mass Effect and Dragon Age as examples. In my new game, Empowered, I have noticed that in the beginning I am doing something similar to what you discussed here. I give you the option to do different things, all of which lead to sometimes wildly different ways to get to the exact same place. Now, this is my introductory chapter, so it serves a purpose, but it is very important to me not to slip into that as I continue on with the game.

So it has its uses, I guess, but should not be a device that carries your game.