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Root Double and innovation in storytelling

6 years ago

Hello, I picked up a game called Root Double as part of the Humble Visual Novel bundle, and I'm really intrigued by the decision making system it has. It appears that you choose levels of trust in both external people and yourself at the start of a chapter, and then the chapter plays out (with actions happening based on your pre-set confidence levels). I have to say, this is a fairly interesting way to gain user feedback to feed into non-linear stories. Has anyone else played/completed the game? Furthermore, are there any other examples of interesting story/gameplay mechanics you've come across at CYS or in other games?

Side note, the bundle is quite nice, Sunrider Part 2 (1 is 10 hours long, high quality, and free) was quite impressive - the second half is a straight up visual novel which does an excellent job of offering choice yet variety.

Edit: Depending on the responses, I wouldn't mind if this were shifted to the Writing Workshop, come to think of it.

Image describing the game's affinity system below, you control your opinions via a slider for each character (including the protagonist)

Root Double and innovation in storytelling

6 years ago

I've heard of this. It certainly looks interesting, i'll have to try it sometime.

Root Double and innovation in storytelling

6 years ago
This is the bundle, if you're interested. Like most other bundles, the value for money is exceptionally good.

Root Double and innovation in storytelling

6 years ago

Found another interesting entry Symphonic Rain, which expects you to play musical notes via the keyboard, and the quality of your keyboard smashing determines which end you get.

Root Double and innovation in storytelling

6 years ago
Anyone played the Zero Escape series? It's by Spike Chunsoft (makers of Danganronpa, which I do quite like). I finished 9-9-9, and while that game is a 7/10, it does innovate in a small way by forcing you to experience alternate timelines before allowing you to proceed on the critical path (armed with the information from those paths IRL and in game through 'magic'). It's the first of the Zero Escape series, and I'm working my way through the others, but forcing the player to experience other paths and gain information of them which makes progression down a main path is an interesting mechanic. Then again, come to think of it, Hatoful Boyfriend did this years ago (and arguably very damn well in that case).

Root Double and innovation in storytelling

6 years ago
I picked up the first one after hearing good things about it, but never actually beat it and wound up just reading a screenshot LP. I really enjoyed the plot but, the gameplay itself brought nothing to the experience IMO.

The second one looked interesting too, and I've read an LP of some VN called Ever17 I think was by the same writer. It's pretty clear he's got a thing for manipulating alternate timelines.

Root Double and innovation in storytelling

6 years ago
Hmm, I myself hated the plot of 9-9-9, the level of reaching going on to justify parallel knowledge, the psuedo-pop-science, and the villain's motives all felt underwhelming to me (though I am pretty Sci-fi jaded so it takes something novel to get my respect these days). Just started the second, and I feel I'll like this one more, it's more open about its premise. In its defense, 9-9-9 was a fairly nice room-escape game, though that's not a genre I particularly care much about.

Ever17 was pretty gruesome from what I heard, but it does get a lot of high reviews in the VN community.

Root Double and innovation in storytelling

6 years ago
Oh, I don't ever expect a VN style anything to have anything approaching good writing delivered in a concise or coherent way, I just liked the ideas and some of the characters.

Root Double and innovation in storytelling

6 years ago
Come to think of it that way, VNs are like seasons of a soap opera. If they're winding up quickly, they're probably doing something wrong. The largest one I'll be considering to play will be muv-luv's three parts (which apparently clock in at >100 hours, which is mass effect trilogy length, another space opera for comparison). But yeah, doesn't mean they would be hurt by better writing. I personally liked G-Senjou No Maou, it had fairly nice writing and pacing, and interesting branches.

Root Double and innovation in storytelling

6 years ago
I wish I could get Axiom to post again because she has played a lot of VNs and has Opinions, and I remember talked/ranted about the lengths before. Not even the plots so much as the sheer amount of meandering, unnecessary words.

I don't know if it's something that reads better before translation, or just different expectations for different audiences or what (more time taken from your life while never getting to the point = more value for your money?), but words for the sake of words I've never considered a good writing technique.

Root Double and innovation in storytelling

6 years ago
It is strange, in TV shows you understand the need for filler episodes and arcs because the artists (and team) are employed and paid for the number of episodes produced. With VNs, the game's only bought once, so just gushing out meaningless content makes much less sense (except when they're doing it for the art, I suppose). Interestingly, VNs are catching on to that, Dis Irae launched on Steam recently, with the 'general' arc free for anyone to play, but to get the character endings you have to buy those as paid dlc add ons.

As for better before translation, good VNs get good translation jobs, and you can figure out that most of the issues are coming in in localizing jokes/pop culture reference that are Japan specific, the length is intentional. I suspect audience expectations have something to do with this situation, considering the west never really grew a strong VN culture. Perhaps the Japanese were just more comfortable with the idea of spend large amounts of time in front of a screen with little motion as long as there was pretty art / waifus? Perhaps, in the same vein, they wanted to spend more time with their waifus, ergo the droning on VNs (and so many spin offs. Good god, just look at the epileptic tree that bloomed from Fate/Stay Night... They have magical girl spinoffs, alternate reality spinoffs, and I think alternate reality magical girl spinoffs for good measure).