Multiple Endings | A Line Through Time

[@EpicShadow26]

I think letting the player choose is the most ideal option, though that can’t happen every time obviously. Amalgamating and ambiguity are also solid options.

[@SketchHusk]

That's what I figured as much. I could see that the audience had their fair shares of ideas that works even from the developers' minds.

[@PrivateDomain]

For me it depends, but I think amalgamate, multiverse, and ambiguity are probably the best for different situations, amalgamate for character specific endings, multiverse for games that imply one, and ambiguity for "the weird ones".

[@Gamermario-lb3rq]

Personally I really like options 3 and 5. 3: If I made a game with multiple ending and I only care about making money the I’d chose this. The way I would do it though is that I would set up a poll to determine which ending is the most popular. Once the poll is finished the results will be hidden from the fans until a trailer for the sequel comes out that will take place after the most popular ending. 5: If I made a game with multiple endings and I am also a very creative person I’d chose this. I would make sure that each universe has its own subtitle. For example Dead Rising the games after S ending would be Dead Rising: Revelations, games after B ending would be Dead Rising: Survivors and games after D ending would be Dead Rising: Outbreak Unknown.

[@logicalabsurdity4892]

Personally, I prefer multiverse. Makes things more interesting if you ask me.

[@jackalkin6757]

Yeah, having many endings to base off the next installment on. Okay yeah, not everyone will like it, or in some cases accept it. While the Multiverse option enables more story opportunities if the writer messes up, all the stories that came before it, or at least in the story where that ending was chosen would either lose its importance, and possibly lose its consistency.

[@desrochessimon3044]

I wonder what option NetherRealm Studios will pick, if they make another Injustice game.

[@psyxypher3881]

So....where's The Elder Scrolls: Daggerfall on this? Because a massive chunk of the setting was built around making all six of Daggerfall's Endings work.

[@gbdornls]

Master Zyrel cand that became a clusterfuck, didnt it?

[@Bacxaber]

I like when games make safety nets for their plots, allowing for any player choice to hypothetically work in the sequel. For example, regardless of your allegiance in New Vegas, Caesar has a brain tumour. If you joined him, he's dead because of the tumour. If you fought against him, you get to feel responsible for killing him instead.

[@The4thSnake]

I guess that works.

[@FeralCabbage]

A flash turned steam game called Henry Stickmin has a ninth option, where all endings are canon. Each ending from the previous entry can be inserted to continue the story in the next entry. Pros: • The Player’s choices are validated • Leaves room for satisfying endings for all players Cons: • It takes a long time to write that many paths • Some people might be mad that they’re ending doesn’t get continued, and if it does, it ends unsatisfyingly.

[@Couch_Banana]

Sorry if this sounds rude, but could you please explain the second Con in a bit more detail? At first you said that all endings get continuations, and then you said that people might be mad that their ending doesn't get continued. Those two statements conflict with each other.

[@driveasandwich6734]

The best one is doing what Shadow the Hedgehog did: Both 6 (The ending is never referenced in other games) 7 (Both the last ending and the cutscenes leave it kind of ambiguos) and 2 (if you follow clues you will know that the Semi-Dark Ending is canon).

[@lpfan4491]

actually,shadow the hedgehog is not really that ambiguos in its ending(more so in its setup,since several details in the game proove that shadow decided to stick around with sonic for a while,the president got a photo of them somewhen and he asked eggman about his past after heroes ended). the final story ends with him discarding his past,which makes sence of not mentioning the events afterwards and why he works with gun in 06

[@DrakeVagabond]

We don't talk about Drakengard 2 round these parts

[@wompastompa3692]

Which games do I have to play to understand the sex robot game?

[@AlonsoDalton]

+Wompa Stompa While I haven't played Nier: Automata yet, at 5:07, he mentions that that the Nier series continues from Drakengard 1's E ending, so probably that ending from Drakengard and the original Nier. However, as I have played NONE of the above games, it's also entirely possible Automata can stand on its own.

[@macaemeia146]

I think the best ones are the multiverse one and letting the player choose one since in those options all endings are canon and I think it makes the story more interesting

[@levongevorgyan6789]

And then there's Daggerfall. Where ALL the endings are Canon, and all in the same timeline, except the one where the Continent gets smashed. Because who needs canon when you got Dragonbreaks, C0da, and CHIM?

[@SketchHusk]

I would figure, when considering, that one or two options often works better than the other from how [often] it was used in my knowledge. Though I guess it makes sense when you say that there _isn't_ a thing as the *best option.* Though I would think that there can be the *best option* for you to take in which would depend on either the devs or the players have a better handling (or perhaps thinking) with a game series. 7:51 Also nice clip to use with that phrase there lol

[@theivace9705]

You would hate the Tsukihime/Melty Blood franchise. There are 5 routes in the first visual noval, but the third entry Melty Blood the fighting game supposedly takes place after the 6th route that was cancelled, and will not be at all detailed until the upcoming remake decades after the fact.

[@yosurushi1427]

The reason most games that introduce a new character or setting in a sequel is because in mass effect they had such a large world and lore that players were invested in that I would be a waste to throw it away another reason may be it’s the same style or gameplay genre that developers don’t want to waste time in coming up with a new world or title that players who liked the original game can find the same style of gameplay it’s why games like dark souls who essentially created a whole new genre of gameplay and design that we call the genre a amalgamation of dark souls and blood borne same with Metroidvania

[@Ando1428]

You could tottally do good with fire. If your going for the hardest road to take.

[@sarika3689]

If I ever make a game I'm definitely gonna make it Multiverse. I mean, that's just like, efficient.

[@DrakeVagabond]

SH:Shattered Memories is based on SH1's Car Ending where Harry dies in the car crash at the beginning.

[@DrakeVagabond]

Correction

[@dariylevchishin706]

Great video man, keep it up

[@The4thSnake]

Thank you.

[@Merty1388]

I'll tell you the best ending;Don't do any multiple endings especially if it is based around player choices or through usage of dark/light powers.

[@rsotuyo15]

Then why have choices and light and dark side if it amounts to nothing.

[@pious83]

It's funny you mention Silent Hill 1. Back in the day I completed and got the "bad" ending IE Cut back to Harry in the car and he died in the crash, meaning the entire game took place in his head. It wasn't until Silent Hill 3 I became aware the first game had multiple endings too. I thought it was a new feature Silent Hill 2 had. Speaking of which would you consider Silent Hill 2 to fall under Option 6?

[@The4thSnake]

Somewhat. It's mentioned in 4 that James disappeared, so I'm not I'd say they ignored it outright, but that is the general approach for the series.

[@pious83]

+The4thSnake Fair enough. There isn't really a "happily ever after" ending for James, so I suppose it doesn't really matter. Not that he really deserved one by the end. I know a lot of people hold the In Water ending as their canon. I always viewed the Rebirth ending as more in keeping with his character. Are there any specific multiple endings that have stuck with you over the years, you have personally wanted to see pursued IE Mortal Kombat Arcade Endings.

[@The4thSnake]

I like the idea of a game getting two sequles that each follow a different ending. I think Infamous: Second Son should have been a sequel to 1's Evil Ending.

[@pious83]

+The4thSnake Absolutely. I'd like the idea that, perhaps through a previous save data, the sequel follows a context specific New game. Your options could be: 1)A default base game with a predetermined origin point, based on the options you noted. 2)A Save Data game that explores ideas dependent to your ending. A separate entity from the base game. Along the lines of Soul Reaver and it's original ending, as opposed to the one that made it into the final game.

[@The4thSnake]

@@pious83 Another one is to have two campaigns that reuse some assets but are largely separate.

[@Eshtian]

Actualky, all of dark souls endings are true in entirly, the fighter ending inly takes parts but dark souls takes everything from the endings as canon.

[@r3n3gad33]

Can you do one on the Marvel vs. Capcom games? Maybe you start with X-Men: Children of the Atom?

[@The4thSnake]

Do one what?

[@r3n3gad33]

The4thSnake You know, your timeline videos!

[@The4thSnake]

There isn't really a timeline there. Those games don't really have a continuity between them.

[@ABSWest]

Are we really going to be about referencing a hentai visual novel as an example for multiple ending

[@The4thSnake]

Yes.

[@SketchHusk]

@@The4thSnake lol

[@justinXLJL-eu8bl]

how come you didn't talk about the ending of the classic sonic games

[@The4thSnake]

In those cases, the better outcome is clearly intended as the true ending.

[@aman541]

Would Fallen Hero timeline for Zelda fall under none? (along with falling under multiverse)

[@The4thSnake]

I really have no idea how I forgot to mention that, especially when I've got two Zelda videos planned for the future.

[@pious83]

I still have no idea why Nintendo thought that should have been a viable option to the timeline?

[@lpfan4491]

yeah,its none and multiverse. it exists because nintendo wanted to make one timeline but they screwed up by letting the hero in win a link to the pasts prequel(oot) which led to majoras mask being made. oops? then they not-fixed the timeline by just making a new one with the windwaker and its sequels. then it finally occured to them that it kinda makes sence that link kinda has to win and die now because a link to the past and majoras mask both exist. and since the setup from mm and windwaker uses the same event(link wins),they did the split. just took them long enough i guess. however,they then just threw it in the trash because they dont even want to place botw and restart the timeline with only that game,ss and oot being valid. what a bunch of wasted work...

[@tylerwindels5625]

Hi everybody

[@The4thSnake]

Hi, Dr. Nick!

[@427noob]

You forgot one, reset it

[@The4thSnake]

Like a reboot?

[@427noob]

@@The4thSnake kind of, but more like what MK9 did. Having both timelines exist at the same time

[@The4thSnake]

@@427noob That's multiverse.

[@427noob]

@@The4thSnake true

[@theoxne3166]

HAHAHA Saltyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!

[@blakechandler167]

I don't understand why people are so upset about Mass Effect's ending. I get that it was kinda shitty, but the games are still super good.

[@The4thSnake]

Because when you spend over a hundred hours making decisions that you were promised would all make a difference in the end, only to have the last twenty minutes piss it all away and tell you none of it mattered, it really does ruin the entire story.

[@blakechandler167]

The4thSnake maybe that's why I don't see it as a big deal. I played mass effect in 2016 so I joined after the whole fiasco.

[@harlannguyen4048]

@@The4thSnake Didn't Bioware release an update that sort of fixes the endings?

[@The4thSnake]

@@harlannguyen4048 It didn't fix anything, really.

[@CarbonRollerCaco]

Because Bioware literally said before ME3's release that you wouldn't be limited to simply picking between endings A, B and C, yet the reality was only true by the absolute tiniest bit: if you did well enough up to the endgame, one of those choices would be BARELY different. Like a giant troll. But it WOULD be fine IF you got to see how your choice of ending gets affected by the other choices you made throughout the game a la Chrono Trigger's standard ending. Sadly, you don't.