Appropriate amount of branches?

[CrawfordMtnNative]

Basically what is on the tin.

Is there a point where you can give the reader too many potential paths to choose from?

 

[AlinaX]

I don’t know. I think it’s important for choices to have some sort of consequence. I was just reading a story where I could read (and, indeed, re-read) several different sections in almost any order. The significant choices began later.

Another story had lots of choices, and the order I chose resulted in a story that was vague and confusing, leading up to a major choice without a proper lead-up.

Yet another offered limited choices that were quite appropriate but a bit lazy, not helped by a plot that was basically, “We’re all nymphos, let’s fuck.”

The more choices you offer, the harder it is to keep story and characters coherent. The real question for you as an author is: How many different endings are you willing to write?

 

[HotCosmo]

Basically what is on the tin.

Is there a point where you can give the reader too many potential paths to choose from?

I think it relies a lot on the kind of story you're trying to write. I have written (unfortunately not finished) around fourteen story games with different styles and structures, and one of the biggest problems is how fast the scope increases when you add another main path with a different ending.

With all this said, yes, I think you can give the reader too many paths and make it confusing or hard to choose, especially if they are shown just at once. If you have six possible paths, it is not the same to give it to the reader like, 'Here, choose one of these six paths just now,' as to give them first two options and rely on that decision opening for them three of the paths in another future choice.

What I'm trying to say is that the problem isn't usually the number of branches. It's how you present these paths for the reader. There are some tricks like the branched branches or the nesting. The nesting can help you and the reader to keep coherence in the story and not feel overwhelmed. I'm going to give you the example of my current WIP. The player is going to go to a gala at night, but first he needs to get a tuxedo in the morning. I give the player a few different paths to get the tuxedo, paths that branch in different ways, but at the end he will arrive at the gala with a tuxedo. I save some of his decisions through variables and acknowledge them in the rest of the story if necessary.

A final tip that I think can help you is to create a diagram of the story. There are a lot of app and websites that allow you to do it, and it's a perfect way to keep track of your branches and see if maybe there are too many or if they are presented too soon or too late (people usually prefer to have meaningful choices along the whole story and not just concentrated at the start or the end)

 

[CrawfordMtnNative]

I don’t know. I think it’s important for choices to have some sort of consequence. I was just reading a story where I could read (and, indeed, re-read) several different sections in almost any order. The significant choices began later.

Another story had lots of choices, and the order I chose resulted in a story that was vague and confusing, leading up to a major choice without a proper lead-up.

Yet another offered limited choices that were quite appropriate but a bit lazy, not helped by a plot that was basically, “We’re all nymphos, let’s fuck.”

The more choices you offer, the harder it is to keep story and characters coherent. The real question for you as an author is: How many different endings are you willing to write?

This makes me feel better. I'm using variable choices to keep it interesting but also not becoming overwhelming.

Think.

+ [Flirt back.]
    You smile. “No complaints here.”
    Betty’s eyes linger on you, amused and just a little daring.
    The air between the two of you warms again.
    ~ flirtBetty = flirtBetty + 2
    ~ flirtGroup = flirtGroup + 1
    -> NIGHT_ONE_RETREAT


+ [Keep it light.]
    “I mean, at least this time there’s no karaoke machine,” you say.
    Charles groans. “Don’t remind me.”
    Betty laughs, splashing a little water your way. “You’re never living that down.”
    ~ flirtGroup = flirtGroup + 1
    -> NIGHT_ONE_RETREAT


* {flirtAmy > 1} [Glance toward Amy.]
    You meet Amy’s eyes briefly, wondering what she’s thinking. 
    She holds your gaze for a beat. 
    ~ flirtAmy = flirtAmy + 1
    ~ flirtBetty = flirtBetty + 1
    -> NIGHT_ONE_RETREAT

It's early in the story so for most readers the first two choices will be presented, with each of their flavor text if it was picked. The third is only presented if they had flirted with Amy earlier to raise her flirtAmy score higher than one.

But they all lead to the same knot. And any given knot might display different text depending on the value of certain variables.

 

[CrawfordMtnNative]

I think it relies a lot on the kind of story you're trying to write.

Very good point.

What I'm trying to say is that the problem isn't usually the number of branches. It's how you present these paths for the reader.

So far I have been able to keep it all straight and not overwhelming to me, but it should flow naturally for the reader, despite something like a dozen possible endings.

My story takes place over three nights. Everyone will basically being following the same path with slight variations on their choices that increase or decrease certain variables. Starting with night two, the story completely splits into two branches depending on actions of the reader. Once they enter one path, it is impossible to get onto the other.

The first branch will continue fairly linearly with just three different endings.

The second is slightly different (it is the WEIRD path) because it splits into two different branches; weirdGood and weirdBad. The reader will have four different ways they can move forward, each of those four options will have four options within it. Three end badly and a fourth that funnels them onto the weirdGood path.

ok, I guess I have more than a dozen endings written but it ain't difficult to keep straight because once they enter the weirdBad path, the story ends in just a few knots, depending on their choice. And if they funnel back to the start of the weirdGood path, it proceeds linearly like the NORMAL into three possible endings.

I know that sounds confusing, but it really won't feel that way for the reader. And it provides a reason to reread it again.

 

[CrawfordMtnNative]

The above might seem overly complicated but there are only two major locations and five characters (including the reader), so it isn't as bad as it seems.

 

[HotCosmo]

@CrawforMtnNative

The above might seem overly complicated but there are only two major locations and five characters (including the reader), so it isn't as bad as it seems.

Everything seems fine to me. From what you said, I don't think the readers feel overwhelmed.