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I don't mean just the big, epic stuff that everyone waits for and gets all excited about, but just your average story that pops up on the main page. 

Do you explore all the choices and comb through it for every scrap of new text, or do you just read till reach an ending you're good with and then move on?

Not saying one is better than the other, I'm just curious how people tend to play.

I've got a couple of smallish-to-medium-sized games here, they've only got two main paths with some smaller branches. I'm putting in slight changes here and there with random variables, and there are some choices throughout that will lock off or open up access to different ways of tackling the endgame conflict. The idea being that even if there aren't that many branches, you'd get subtle differences on a replay, even following the same path. 

I'm just wondering though how much of this I should bother with, since I'm wondering if many readers will notice the smaller stuff, and as far as the end game goes I worry it might be a mistake. 'You don't get these two choices because they don't mesh with your character's previous behavior' still boils down to less choices, and the first time through will probably be most people's only impression of a game.

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Um, Mizal, sorry, but shouldn't this be in the Parlor Room?

No?

It's not about a specific game, I'm asking questions that apply to writing my WIP.

Sorry.

Okay, on topic.

I usually replay games that are:

1. Have hidden paths and more paths.

2. Are very interesting.

3. They are usually popular.

So, I regularly replay Ground Zero, Magellan, Snow, Mommy, and those games. I like the ones with diversity.

It's going to depend on the writing, but assuming that the story is well written, I'm probably more likely to go through the various paths if it's one of the shorter stories.

As far as writing stories, I don't really think about what the reader is going to do. I probably put a lot of small things that connect to a bigger picture if you go through every path, but more than a few people probably aren't going to see them because playing through once or twice was enough. But I'm doing it for myself than anyone else so I do it anyway.

I go through every possible path only if i like it. Been a while sence i read a storygame.

I really got to read more, but the lounge is so fun w/ mizal here to kick the hornets nest. 

I've replayed most (not the path of death one. ThatsYUGE) of steve27297293801$1's games, to try and find every ending. Esp if the story is shorter, then I'll definitely reread everything. 

Oh, glad you liked them, Aman. Personally, unless a game's proper shit, I replay it multiples times. I like to know how much work is put into it, and whether my choices actually meant anything.

I tend to play the average game twice, just to see another outcome before I review. I think linearity is an important thing to rate a story on. But if it's really shit, (the scum of WC shit) then I won't bother.

How many times did you all play robinsoul's cat game?

Five or six, at least, right? There was a lot to explore. I kept hoping there was some way to save Sunnycat, her death had me in tears IRL. Those poor kittens. :(

I find myself playing Dungeon Stompage often. Hell, it is the first game I ever played at CYS.

That one's pretty much designed to be replayable, yeah.

Hardly see any stories like that anymore. *Sigh*

Because it's a huge undertaking that requires insane amounts of work, good writing skill and advanced scripting knowledge. Can't exactly dash a game like that off over a weekend.

Yeah, but everyone should know that already.