Replay Value?

[azureXtwilight]

Well, what makes you want to replay a VN again and again? Is it only for unlocking the extras or what?

[mysterialize]

I think the main thing that makes a game replayable to me isn't really the extras outside of the game, but rather the possibility of seeing a whole new perspective of the story. If an alternate route is done well, then it will feel entirely different than any other routes, and hopefully clear up some things that other routes left unexplained... if I'm making any sense here.

Playing other routes also helps you get to know other characters.

Of course, extras are nice too. They just happen to take a backseat to story additions to me.

[luminarious]

Personally, I think the branching type is a bit annoying. I will skip over parts I've already read anyway, so it feels a bit redundant. I spent yesterday evening playing "Aoi Shiro" and it has 56 different endings, 80% of them bad. I just took the flowchart and went for the good endings, because this what I want in a good game: a good story. If it is from different perspectives and with different characters, then it's all good, but I don't like the method. Since the paths are meant to be taken in a certain order anyway, why not simplify the matter? Higurashi Koro Naku made much more sense to me.. you finish one chapter and a new one gets unlocked.

What I would like to see more in visual novels is not different choices at key points in game, but more dialogue. You could choose to say 'kthxbye' and the story would rush on, or you could ask questions regarding the character, background and the story right then and there. Much more immersive experience.

As for replay value? It's the same as with books. I can only pick it up again after a couple years, when I've forgotten most about the story.

[LVUER]

I replay a VN to:
1. Unlock all endings (also means all story or same story from different POV, since branching story could means very different story for each parts).
2. Discover all different scene/conversation/comedy that may occurs between characters.
3. Unlock all extras or other goodies that may be still hidden from us, player.
4. Get the feeling of great achievement (and sadness because I have truly finished the game) now that I've unlocked everything possible and know everything offered by the creator.
5. Specially for non-VN games, if they have new game+: unleashing my frustration that builds up when I first play the game, like decimating Lv.1 opponents with my Lv.60+ party members or burning those zombies to ashes with my unlimited rocket launcher ^_^ )

Still, I don't want to read those same message over and over again, so Skip Scene or at least Skip Read Text is a must. And Skip Read Text is also important for me to let me know that I haven't read that text yet.

[papillon]

I just took the flowchart and went for the good endings, because this what I want in a good game: a good story.

I should point out that a couple of the bad/normal endings actually may qualify as more of a good story than the happy ones. I didn't get every single ending (one or two stubbornly refused to happen even WITH the guide) but I got an awful lot of them. Yasumi's 'Normal' ends, at the least, are worth seeing - though it's probably better to do them before the happy ending so you leave on a positive note.

But many of the bad ends are just 'you screwed up in some way and now you're dead' which isn't much fun to read over and over again. Still, it allows for some tension when playing through. You don't know if what you're doing is right, and you don't know if it will pull through at the last minute or fall apart completely. Some of the most moving moments for me playing VNs have been when I've taken a choice that I suspect is going to lead to a bad end and then Surprise! Things turn out okay!

[Jake]

I think the main thing that makes a game replayable to me isn't really the extras outside of the game, but rather the possibility of seeing a whole new perspective of the story. If an alternate route is done well, then it will feel entirely different than any other routes, and hopefully clear up some things that other routes left unexplained...

I would second this, basically. The game has to have a compelling enough story in the first place, and has to offer something new story-wise for replays. A game which is mostly a puzzle where I feel compelled enough to try an solve it with a second or third play because I didn't quite get there the first time would also qualify, I guess.

For example, I'm in the middle (as I have been for a while :/) of Ever 17, and the first play-through of that leaves so many unanswered questions in a compelling enough way that I'm ready to go and spend more time with that title to find out what's going on. It helps that it's the kind of story I'm interested in, I'd expect people who just want a story with Touching Emotional Moments (and/or porn) with the female cast might not be so tempted. Conversely, most games I try from LSF seem to be primarily about building a relationship with one of a cast of characters - the so-called harem game, I guess - and if I even manage to make it through such a game once, I'm pretty unlikely to want to go through a second time. I mean, I already picked my favourite and went for them and got a story, and I'm sceptical that going for a different character is really going to change the experience enough to be interesting.

I think the last LSF game I replayed and found every ending of was FIA's Winter Shard. He did a good job of making each route through the game fairly distinct, with a fair number of significant turning points based on user choices, so when I got a less-than-ideal ending the first time I really did think "what if" and want to go and explore the other sides of some of those choices. Once I'd tried a second route and found that the story changed significantly and ended up completely different, I was far more compelled to play for more and more endings, because I was getting something genuinely new out of it each time, not a shallow re-hash of the first ending I found.

[JinzouTamashii]

I'm going to make it brief, but completing a game gives you an immense feeling of satisfaction and customizing a game makes it feel like your own creation.

[azureXtwilight]

Okay, so it's basically to view the story from a different view. But how about in a dating sim game? What makes you want to replay a dating sim game?

[mysterialize]

Really, the reasons for replaying a dating sim would probably be pretty similar. Though, in that case, it would be the opportunity to see each datable character's back story. If one has an intriguing history, then it's likely that I'd want to see the others, even if I don't happen to like the other characters' personalities.

Another interesting way to handle it might be to have each character reveal a little something about the main character as well, if they're not a basic, purposely vague entity just standing in the place of the player.

[Jake]

Really, the reasons for replaying a dating sim would probably be pretty similar.

Potentially, it depends how the sim part is handled. It's worth noting that a regular VN is far more like a story than a game, while a dating-sim has at least the potential to be far more like a game than a story; something like - say - True Love has more in common with Championship Manager than Charles Dickens. And, accordingly, people will find replay value in the actual game aspect which they wouldn't necessarily find in the story part.

(That said, personally I don't really get on with management sims, so I'm not talking about myself. ;-)

[Red Lilies]

For me, in dating sims, it's definitely to see each of the characters - either their back story or how they develop during the game. Likely if the dating sim is done well, I want to check out more than one of the character's personality and see if it was what I thought or something else entirely. If the characters aren't interesting, though, then I probably wouldn't bother with replays.

Also, if it otome and the guys are cute, then I wouldn't want to miss out on any CGs.

[azureXtwilight]

So, in other words, it depends on the characters?

[Red Lilies]

Pretty much. Most dating games have a fairly set plot (at least the ones I've played), so it's the same each play through with minor variations. So the only thing that really changes is the characters that you are interacting with. If the characters are falling flat, there won't be much replay value. But if they're interesting, it can be fun to see how they react differently to the same situations. In a game where it is based on getting one of the other characters in the end, the replay value is almost completely dependent on the characters (unless it has such an amazing story line that it swamps everything, breaking and overcoming ever expectation, but this is hard to do in most media - VN, books, movies, etc - and dating games hardly ever seem to focus on plot).

[PinkMagus]

If all VNs were perfect, IMO every choice, even if it doesn't lead to entirely new direction, would present the reader with some new information, be it the setting, the plot, the background, or simply an understanding of the characters themselves.

For example, MC (short for main character) has to make a cake for a party, and can either make a strawberry cake or a carrot cake. Now lets say that regardless of which decision he makes, it won't affect the ending or what characters like him. These two different choices however can still have an importances, maybe as he is making a strawberry cake he starts thinking of the past, while when making the carrot cake he ends up having to go to the store to pick up some ingredients and gets aggravated at the prices.

Both have no overbearing effect on the story, but they both reveal different information. One gives insight into the MC's past, and one gives insight into the MC's personality.

If that kind of diversity is made within all the choices, then it can be rewarding to go back and replay simply for the sake of seeing these other perspectives and additional information.

[majes]

I think the main thing that makes a game replayable to me isn't really the extras outside of the game, but rather the possibility of seeing a whole new perspective of the story. If an alternate route is done well, then it will feel entirely different than any other routes, and hopefully clear up some things that other routes left unexplained... if I'm making any sense here.

A great example would be something like Higurashi if it had choices. No route is really a "bad end" per se, you play through each route because each route sheds new light on the mystery. Writing a story like that would definitely lend itself to replay value.

I personally replay some visual novels periodically to try and evoke the emotions I felt while playing through the first time. I find that really great visual novels can still evoke similar or identical responses from me regardless of how many times I read them. In short, if you make something truly great, it has inherent replay value in my opinion.