>>718412160
here is a better example
kingdomcome deliverance has some great quests that are semi-linear.
one mission about picking up a tiara for a wedding, finding out there were complications with its production, uncovering the personal problems of its makers, and dealing with criminals responsible for threatening and delaying the production. But you can also just find a look alike stone and have someone else make it and call it a day, skipping the side stories. But the narrative beats are the same at the end of the day, Get the tiara. I found the tiara, mission complete. the stuff in the middle doesnt matter, those characters cease to matter.
another mission about uncovering a counterfeit coin operation. you can go on this huge hunt following stolen items, tracking another knight, siding with the knight to investigate, and finding the operation. Or you can realize Henry's town was a silver mine, and someone is making counterfeit silver coins. So if you were paying attention you can just go search the mines and find it yourself. But the end result is the same. Find the operation. I found the operation, mission complete. the stuff in the middle doesn't matter beyond that quest.
in both cases I complete the mission node and progress to the next planned mission node on the linear chain. sometimes they branch near the ending, but the branches dont affect anything. the path to splits are straight.
for it to not be linear there would need to be a web of potential orders in which missions could be completed in varying orders and account for how they were completed, with new contingency missions that respond to the state of the world. And that isnt new vegas. new vegas is pretty straight forward.
