The problem I've found with common routes is that they are too often perfunctory. It's a means to introduce the world, the characters, the protagonist's situation. On paper, sounds reasonable; in practice, it all feels overly rehearsed and pragmatic, like an advertisement or vertical slice...
Secret LIs are fun. It's a shame, though, how they sometimes get the short end of the stick compared to the other routes -- theirs are shorter or feel overall more detached from the central conflict.
It doesn't bother me, necessarily, but when a narrative design scheme becomes so pervasive, it ossifies, in a way. In other words, binary choices feel less like a deliberate decision, meant to convey a certain aspect of the work, and more like the safe go-to, no though behind it. I've seen many...
I tried Mystic Messenger, was unimpressed by it and unwilling to incorporate it into my daily routine (yes, I know that is the point, I just didn't enjoy the chats themselves). As for Love and Deepspace, it doesn't appeal to me at all. Not a revenue model I'd like to support for videogames. And...
Actually, I always stick to the default name -- bonus points if the other characters have voice lines for it. It just helps me understand the protagonist as a character in her own right, as opposed to some vague projection of the player. Besides, certain names just don't make sense to me in...