This is a condensed version of the full article which can be found on my Main Blog Here.

 

Empty and Pointless?

 

The illusion of choice is one of a video game’s most fragile tools, a single contradiction or misstep in presentation and the whole thing shatters and the player feels cheated. As such the idea of a Meaningless Choice is one which is viewed in a negative light as something to avoid alongside the idea that all choices must offer some form of consequence, no matter how minor. Games such a Mass Effect and output of Telltale embody this fear of making anything the player does feel as if it does not matter. A Meaningless Choice is one which does not effect the outcome of the game in any noticeable fashion outside of a possible change in one or two lines of dialogue after the choice, or could even be the same choice offered multiple times, and it is the boogeyman of narrative choice focused games.

 

 

When it comes to visual novels the picture becomes noticeably blurrier, on the one hand there are those which follow the common wisdom and make their choices all have meaning, such as increasing the affection value with a heroine, but on the other are those which use a large amount of Meaningless Choices in their structure, often mixed in with real ones. It is this second group which will be the focus of this analysis and the surprising ways that the unique position of visual novels allows them to be more flexible with the presentation of choice.

 

Engagement For The Player

 

At their most basic level all choices serve the purpose of engaging the player, be it through the consideration of romantic options or life or death battles. Meaningless Choices also fall under this category, but due to their inherent low value they act upon the player in their own distinct manner. Rather than providing any grand spectacle, their role is to keep the dial of engagement ticking up and prevent the player from losing interest by showering them with smaller doses of the highs given by more significant decisions. These small nods to the player involve them more directly in the narrative and give them a moment to pause and ponder what has just occurred, which engages them with story in a more conscious manner while they make their decision. It is easy for the player to slip into a trance like state and not be properly looking at what is being presented to them and, given the narrative heavy nature of visual novels, could lead to a sense of boredom due to the lack of other gameplay elements to keep their attention. By containing small points of engagement, visual novels can avoid this pitfall and also create a cohesion throughout the entire experience, hence the use of Meaningless Choices. Aokana -Four Rhythms Across the Blue- uses this approach to pad out the space between its important choices but uses them sparingly enough to make sure they are still effective and unobtrusive. There is a careful balance showcased in Aokana between having Meaningless Choices to increase engagement and just using them to fill space which could cause the player to become irritated with the constant interruptions, and this is key to their presence in a visual novel being beneficial.

 

Choices As Roleplay

 

By far the most common use of Meaningless Choices is as a means for the player to roleplay as the protagonist. This generally takes the form of deciding their reaction to events which are obviously of no importance and provide a selection of in character choices to give the player a little room to co-author the character. Having a co-authored protagonist is far from unique to visual novels as many western rpgs use similar techniques for their player character with perhaps the most iconic of these being Geralt from the Witcher games. However, it is far more prolific in the medium of visual novels, pick up any of them and you will likely find each one has some degree of Roleplay Choices. This prolific presence is no doubt due to the increased importance choices have in visual novels as the primary means of interacting with the player, outside of including some other gameplay style, and means that visual novels must make the most out of this limited resource. OELVNs in particular tend to use Roleplay Choices due to their closer cultural relationship to western rpgs with games like Sunrider leaning heavily into this aspect of visual novels to supplement the narrative feel of their events.

 

 

Immersion In A Feeling Of Helplessness

 

Sometimes the sense of agency provided from choices can be turned on its head, the player can be stripped of power through Meaningless Choices and be made to feel the powerlessness of the characters. Most other games would fear the idea of putting the player in a position of weakness like this since many lean heavily into a power fantasy and would be concerned about the player losing interest if this illusion is not constantly fed. Visual novels by comparison tend towards a variety of forms of emotional resonance and often choose to have lows to complement the highs which other games would struggle to implement. 

 

Stripping the player of their primary agency while still offering the pretence of choice is what Meaningless Choices excel at. They make it clear to the player how helpless the protagonist is and how nothing they attempt changes an outcome they never had any control over. Rather than simply being told this is the case, the player gets to experience the character's feelings through their own actions in the face of this unchanging reality. Cartagra: Affliction of the Soul is a strong example of how effective this technique can be for creating empathy. While it does have some real choices mixed in, it uses a heavy amount of Meaningless Choices to communicate to the player the desperation and powerlessness of its protagonist in the face of the murders which threaten those he holds dear. It compliments the overall bleak tone of the game and allows the player to sink into the atmosphere and character mindsets without the game having to spell it out from them. Of course this approach is a balancing act, be too aggressive with the choices and the tone can become overbearing or silly in the absurdity of the lack of consequences, but be too light in their use and the player may not even notice the intended effect at all.

 

 

Disguising What Choices Actually Matter

 

As alluded to earlier, the function that ties together the use of the Meaningless Choice is its ability to disguise what choices have consequences and what is just filler. This not only functions as a form of engagement by keeping the player on their toes, but more importantly it also serves to create a more believable experience. Our lives are not only determined by single large choices but also the smaller choices of our everyday activities can collectively have just as much of an impact. As we grow up we learn the intricacies of these choices to the point at which they almost become second nature and are only thought about at the back of our minds. It is this lower level decision making which Meaningless Choices simulates and so the player inherently ascribes value to them where none exist since it resembles something they are intimately familiar with. In doing so Meaningless Choices hide the important choices in a coat of noise while helping them to appear more natural in an apparent web of choice and consequence. Most visual novels using Meaningless Choices utilise this technique in some fashion, even if it is only by accident, it is a fairly common feature in the Slice of Life genre such in the Sakura games and My Girlfriend is the President who use it to create a sense of normality to their worlds.

 

Conclusion

 

Every part of a visual novel serves some function even if it was not intended by the developer, and Meaningless Choices are a strong example of how careful consideration of every aspect is needed to avoid any undesired influences on the player. They can form a solid backbone for the more substantial narrative elements by providing the space to roleplay and disguise the choices which actually matter while helping hold the player’s engagement. On the other hand they can offer a chance to disempower the player through a feeling of helplessness in the face of what appear to be unavoidable fates. There is an impressive degree of flexibility to Meaningless Choices and they are a strong tool in your development toolbox and are more than filler, just beware of overusing them as the illusion could quickly breakdown.