Will come later

Oh yes, I'm very much aware of that. Just looking for the right balance.. if you give the reader all the power you might end up writing 100s of completely different stories, but giving them 'fake' power where they feel they're choosing but their fate has pretty much been determined already it's not a great story either.
For example if the main character meets an important character but chooses to avoid him there must be a completely alternate plot ór there can be ways they meet again anyway and next time you don't give them as much of a choice. The second scenario is the easy way to make sure you don't end up with 100s of seperate branches, but it does sorta mean some choice are more detours than truly different stories.

Hello,
I'm working on my first proper story and I wonder what approach most of you use/prefer?
In my head I have a sort of main point where I'd want the story to lead, but 'you'll end up in the same place sooner or later no matter what choice you make' feels like I'd be cheating the reader. (As would 'any wrong move will kill you so I don't have to write more than one page for each choice).
I prefer to think that every single choice made actually changes the main characters life path, but that would suggest I'd end up writing 100s of different stories in the end.