Do you prefer long common route -> shorter character route OR short common route -> longer character route

[AkinaSR27]

Interested to see what people think! Do you prefer long or short common route?
Personally I enjoy long common routes that establish the starting relationships and world-building! Especially if the cast's chemistry is a huge thing, But I also really enjoy long individual routes as it makes things refreshing for each routes

 

[Marrychan]

I prefer it when the common route is shorter; Olympia, for me, has the perfect balance of the common route and the characters. When more than half the game is the common route, I tend not to like it as much. When more than half the game is the common route, the part where the character really gets involved gives me the impression of "oh, we have to do a romance route for this character, right? We can fit it in at the end of the game." I always get that impression.

 

[koko36]

Short common route , longer character route ~

 

[dark.moon]

Well i prefer a short common route rather than a long one. I get kind of impatient if the game takes too long to get to the interesting parts.

 

[cinderella]

it really depends on the story itself. if its a mystery game long common routes all the way but on common otome settings short commons def

 

[freidynes]

it kinda depends on the plot for me...though i do like a balance of lengths in both common and character routes! i do love character routes but i feel like if its too long, the story might feel too dragged out sometimes, especially when i feel like the LIs dont interact too often with the MC in their own respective routes. same with common routes, it starts to feel like filler moments when it gets too long.

 

[blackflag]

For me it entirely depends on the type of game I am playing.

For example I think Ken ga Kimi had a great approach which is a
Long common route that splits about 70% in to a semi character route, which indicates what character route you get after common is. It is trying to tell a very layered story which requires a lot of base to be covered in the beginning to fill in the world history. The final 30% of common gets more into the issues that effect your romance option, then the character route is more rekindling the friendship and addressing those issues in several ways.

 

[Sir.Hikari-desu]

actually it depends, is the plot really good for be more than 50% the common route ok but i prefer the common routh change depending which character are you dating, is really a few visual novels that have something different to offer lately is more likely

- prologue 10%
-COMMON ROUTE 50%
- character route : 20%
- END 10%
- END with a character 10%

 

[lilycadence]

short common route to long character route, but i do like when world building is still being fleshed out in the character's route, especially if there's uniqueness to every li's route

 

[Albeett]

Honestly, if the story's good and you're enjoying it, a long common route isn't a big deal. As long as each part has meaningful details and isn't just filler, that's what really boosts the score, since a lot of stories usually end up with plot holes.

 

[mizumachi]

i guess it really depends on what is considered long or short? my personal ideal length is around 3-4ish hours, where it establishes all of the major characters plus the dynamics, then segway into actual routes that are around 5-7ish hours long.

virche, collar x malice and code:realize have my favourite common routes and i don't want to imagine a world where they were shorter

 

[eishishuu]

short common route, longer character route

 

[kokonefuwas]

it just depends on how engaging it is. the common route shows all the characters more and i really like that, but once you're on a character route the other characters just disappear so maybe common route for me lol

 

[Gappy]

I typically prefer a shorter common route compared to the character routes. I play through each route back to back and just skip to the new content. So when its a long common route I feel like I only get to play half a games worth of content for each subsequent route.

 

[Arisara]

I dislike long common route same as too short common route.

 

[tf_charge]

Assuming the total playtime between the two options stay the same, short common route -> longer character route should be better since it's technically more content due to the repeated nature of subsequent playthroughs that always include the common route? Though of course, quantity doesn't always equal quality.

Additionally it's rather important that the common route is well-written and well-made, since it establishes the setting, world-building, character dynamics etc., vital components that effect all parts of a vn.

 

[Yuki3548]

I prefer short common routes, because overly long common routes can easily make me feel tired and worn out, so much so that I end up giving up before I even reach the individual character routes.╮( •́ω•̀ )╭

 

[mistysea]

If those are the only options then shorter common route and longer character route. That said, I'd personally prefer it if both were long lol
My ideal would be a long common route that spends time on developing the world building and getting me well acquainted with the cast. Followed by an equally long character route that focuses on understanding that specific love interest and their romance with the mc!
But since it's always one or the other, and I don't really like shorter character routes since it feels like I barely spent any time with that specific love interest. So yh- I'll go with a short common route with a long character route!

 

[はなび]

It really just depends on the game and what's the best for that specific story. For games that want to focus on a more overarching and complex storyline overall, a longer common route makes more sense in order to establish things that must stay consistent throughout all character routes. This is especially the case for games set in non realistic settings, where they'd have to do more world building and establish a lot more information. I think (even outside of more elaborate worlds/stories) common routes are very important in establishing the main theme and making the work as a whole feel cohesive in what it is trying to tell (otherwise it feels like completely different stories that don't have much relation to each other), although quality and effective storytelling don't necessarily correlate to length.

But even then, I don't think character routes should be short because that's where the specific relationship development with that love interest takes place, so having it be too short would make the romance feel forced and prevent us from getting to know that specific character that much, as well as not having enough time to properly develop and resolve the themes of that specific route. If there are going to be character routes, then I don't think those should just be like a random romantic ending tacked onto the end of the common route (imo) and should be able to hold its own as a story, while still tying into the overall game. So ideally, both the common route and the character routes should be sufficient in length to tell whatever story the writer wants (which would be dependent on the specific story, of course).

 

[ozkun]

No middle ground? =)) I prefer a common route that's just right, not too long, but not too short either. I like games that have brief moments with each character before a choice appears. That way, I can determine which character's route I want to play first. Many games show a choice as soon as I meet a character, making it difficult for me to know if I should choose right or wrong, because I haven't decided if I should pick that character first, in case I meet someone more my style later. Because I usually choose my most favorite character to play for the first route.

Oh, and a character route around 7-8 hours is fine with me. I don't mind the length, but it's best if it's long because of a good plot, not just rambling on and on

 

[Mutamento]

I actually prefer games with longer common routes and character storylines, but if I had to choose between these two, I would choose games with shorter common routes and longer character storylines. Sufficiently long routes and character development are very important to me.

 

[Yara010]

I think longer because I want to know more about characters before route

 

[AkinaSR27]

No middle ground? =)) I prefer a common route that's just right, not too long, but not too short either. I like games that have brief moments with each character before a choice appears. That way, I can determine which character's route I want to play first. Many games show a choice as soon as I meet a character, making it difficult for me to know if I should choose right or wrong, because I haven't decided if I should pick that character first, in case I meet someone more my style later. Because I usually choose my most favorite character to play for the first route.

Oh, and a character route around 7-8 hours is fine with me. I don't mind the length, but it's best if it's long because of a good plot, not just rambling on and on

Oh yeah! I consider the length of common route with its ratio towards the total length of the vn as a whole so for example I consider Gensou Kissa Enchante which have a long playtime to have a longer common route even though the individual routes are quite lengthy too. It can also be like Jack Jeanne where individual routes branch away very late. Sorry that I didn't specify it! ><

 

[qixianxiaomiao]

I prefer the long common route, where I can take my time playing through it, then dive into the character routes and finish them all in one go!

I used a translator, hoping the expression is accurate.

 

[Altorese]

I prefer middle ground. if i have to choose one, i think it will be longer? I want to know characters more before i have to choose. thought sometimes individual routes feel not enough after this :(