How do you play VNs?

[Cidz]

I"m just curious how people play them. are you a completionist? Do you play you're favorites first and your least favorites last? Do you use walk-throughs?

Personally, I like to play the first time around without any walk-throughs and kind of playing blindly. It's fun to see what I end up with. Of course I usually end up with the forever alone or bad ending lol. (Or if i get the char. i get their normal or OK ending) Then after that I like to use a walk-through to go through each route. Sometimes I go for my favs. or i just go for ones that kind of interest me. If there is a true route/path, i save that one for last.

I don't want to say I'm a completionist, because i seem to have trouble finishing VNs (i get distracted easily lol) but I've been working on completing all the routes in Hakuouki. And I want to complete all the routes in Starry Sky.

[Anarchy]

Yeah, that's usually how I play too. The first time I try to react honestly to the choices, without trying to influence the story in a specific way, but then after that I bust out a walkthrough and try to get other routes. I usually look at all the routes and try to plan out an order in which to play them too.

[LVUER]

I usually play blindly at the first time, picking choice that I like or lead to the most interesting outcome and see where it leads me. At the second time, I chase after my most favorite girl, or the main heroine since usually she's the one who have most plot without spoiling anything unnecessary. I play the least likeable girl last.

One thing for sure is that whenever I play, I always unlock every little bit the game have (that's why I always grateful for gallery + ending list options).

[PyTom]

I start off like LVUER, especially for early choices. Eventually, I'll decide I want to pursue a heroine's route, and I'll try for that. If I'm in any way pressed for time (which is always), I'll use a walkthrough to aim for a particular ending, if one exists.

I'll then attempt a total clear of the game, or at least a clear of everything that appeals to me.

[rasburn]

I usually try to choose the path I would take myself (or sometimes make up a character to play like, like a flawless person or an idiot ). I initially feel I want to try out all paths, but depending on the structure of the choices in the game I might change my mind. If the choices are only of the "serious" type where you need to think, and then suffer the consequences, I want to try all endings. However, if there are too many arbitrary/small choices that are too random or where you gather some kind of ungraspable points, I usually won't spend too much time finding all endings.

If a VN's so hard I need a walkthrough to play it properly, I probably won't bother to find all endings.

[dramspringfeald]

I"m just curious how people play them.

Are you a completionist?
- Oh god yes... which is where Disgaea has become a problem. Were talking 6 months of gaming to unlock about a quarter of the game. Having 1-3 + a number of the DLCs + 2 or 3 Alt endings per story lines not including the main, Which I might add has 40 or so Endings to unlock.... My eyes bleed but I cant put it down.

Do you play you're favorites first and your least favorites last?
- I tend to play my favorites first.

Do you use walk-through's?
-Yes, only when Extremely stuck OR after I've beat the game.

[9:19]

I play favourites with a walkthrough then I quit.

[TrickWithAKnife]

Click.
Click.
Click click.
Click click click click click click.
"This is just screen after screen of internal dialogue, and occasionally absurd choices that obviously don't mean anything."
Goes back to own game to add more variety.

My average time spent in a VN is probably 3 minutes. There have been rare exceptions that I really enjoyed, but I never played them more than 20 minutes. I don't want to have too much influence from other VNs, for fear that I'll make mine exactly like everyone else's.

[CeruleanMermaid]

I usually play with a walkthrough, since I want to get the best ending on the first try. But I'll sometimes replay it and pick the choices I feel like choosing. Though even when I'm using a walkthrough, I'll often abuse quick save/quick load to see how a different choice from what the walkthrough dictates will play out lol.

I also try to fully complete all of them, because for the price I pay to import these JVNs it feels like a waste not to! Plus a lot of them have extra content that can only be unlocked once you've fully completed the game.

I used to play favorites to least favorites, but I found that my drive to finish the game dimished once I was left with only my least favorite character |D So now I use either the company's recommended playing order, or leave a character I like for last.

[Daistarir]

I read the text slowly then confident pick the choice without thinking . Scream like fan girl when I saw the boys blush , almost kill the laptop because of the CG . Laugh like crazy girl when I received bad ending . I never use Walkthrough but I used Save/Load alot.
I'm usually play the shota or the tsundere first . I have no interest in kind guy , but I like cool kind guy.
Shota ... I have to pick what kind of shota to play .
He must be naughty , meany , ideas evil type . Or forbidden love (Muahaha)

[CtrlAltLee]

I make natural choices the first through. Second time I take notes as I pursue my guy/girl of choice, and if it gets to the fourth time of so then i'll break out the walkthrough. (Or youtube the alt. endings, if most of the game is going to be the same )

[MarineScripter]

I always go for the best looking guy first, superficially. I choose choices that I myself would choose, and groan when it's inevitably the very wrong choice. I don't use walkthroughs unless I'm absolutely stuck, although my friend always uses them.
A completionist? Not guilty. My verdict is tossing the game away for something new when I've completed whatever suits my interest. A terrible, terrible habit...

[Boomsickle]

I decide which girl i like the most beore playing and i try to finish her route before finishing the rest , sometimes with a walk through

[KittyKatStar]

I"m just curious how people play them. are you a completionist? Do you play you're favorites first and your least favorites last? Do you use walk-throughs?

1. First time - play blindly and how I'd like. Generally going for the person I'm interested in.
^ Usually end up alone or with a bad ending. =,) If I get a good/best ending I'm pretty much baffled.
2. Go for the person I'm most interested AGAIN, if I got the bad end, but this time do it right with a guide.
3. Go from 2nd favourite to least favourite in order.

Sometimes the person I was least interested in turns out to be my favourite, or vice versa. So although it makes it harder and harder to finish a VN, it's possible I might be pleasantly surprised.

[Sharm]

I play exactly the same way KittyKatStar does.