This is an easy way to add a little "extra" to the experience. Perhaps levelling the plain for something bigger down the road... like using it to decide the outcome of exploratory/special events in ES ;-)


Add to the emersion by adding choice elements, for instance : give the player a basic horatio clone as avatar. Based on the descisions made in the game, the avatar can change. 

This opens up optional choices. Imagine one choice leads to implanting a microchip in the brain, in a later storry branch you could unlock an extra option that would allow you to interact with an alien lock/space ship/robot; and unlock a special story branch ormybe even a little minigame... .