I have an idea for the main plot, and some of the writing floating around in my head. But the work of translating this to a playable (and enjoyable) game is a little daunting to me. I was wondering if anyone else would be willing to help me? I’m willing to offer my services in return as a writer/editor for someone else’s game.
Well, that completely depends on what your idea is. I make no promises but I’d be more than willing to take a look.
Well, I sketched out the basic setting here, but my idea is more defined than that synopsis. My main problem is making things like goals-- translating the story into storylets, especially in the beginning. I think that if I can get someone to show me how to do it, I can eventually work on my own.
[quote=RageBox Alice][quote=Lily Fox](Aside: Don’t you just hate it when you hit the Back button by accident, hit Forward and your post in progress has disappeared? Take two.)
Alice - That sounds like an intriguing and darkly exciting setting. I hope you make something of it. In regards to shifting locations, I have some ideas how it could be implemented.
1 - Apparently-identical ‘moving rooms’ Sometimes cards with secretly different move-to-area effects. In this case each room or wing of the mansion would be a different Area.
2 - Assume the mansion is one big Area and give each room their own Sometimes card. Every time a player draws and plays a room card, they are assumed to have moved to it from the previous one they visited/played. I think this would be the preferred style for a SN story.
3 - Area transition could be a challenge tied to an ability. Say that each wing of the house is an Area with Sometimes cards for each room or event in that wing. Players can, uh, play a transition card (either randomly drawn from a Sometimes deck or Pinned depending on how often you want them to be able to attempt it) which has a branch for each wing. If the ‘transition’ ability check succeeds, they move to the new area. If not, they don’t, obviously.
Hope that makes sense and is of some use. I have got to learn to stop writing forum posts in the early hours of the morning.[/quote]
Thanks for the ideas!
I’ll have to think on it some more to decide how I want to do it, but right now I"m leaning toward a combination of the first and third ideas. Most of the rooms would have an identical-looking Sometimes card (something simple like “Try your luck?” with a picture of a door), with some of them being tied to an ability. I think, for the story, each room really needs to be it’s own area, with it’s own Always and Sometimes cards. I already know I want a “level-up” equatable to Fallen London’s “A Person of Some Importance” that will be achieved much later, with parts of the mansion being accessible only for those with that achievement. I had the idea for a few places (like the player’s bedroom) being accessible anytime through the use of a special key. In other words, it wouldn’t matter what door the key was used on, the person could always return to their bedroom with it. This would only be for a couple of rooms like the bedroom, the library, and maybe the dining room.
Thanks again for the help. You’ve got my mind buzzing with ideas~[/quote]
First thing is that this all sounds great. I would suggest giving the player the goal of trying to escape the house, forcing them to explore the house to find a way out. Sadly I’m not in the beta so I can’t give you specific advice on how to craft a storylet but can you create cards with the same title?If you could I would make multiples of the door cards and give them each different designations.
Perhaps the best way to keep the players looking through the house is just making the different rooms fun to explore. Play up the bizarre features of each room. Unusual geometries, creepy dolls, a kitchen with bloodstains all over the floor. Create mysteries that the players need to solve to be able to access new rooms, and the clues to the mysteries are hidden in the different rooms. I hope some of this has been helpful. :)
Genius that I am, I somehow got logged out in the middle of replying. That was me above. Also, thanks a lot for the suggestions.
Cards with identical names are totally alright and functional. Something learned from experience.
Spreading out clues, prolonging mysteries: How about this, there’s going to be plenty of mysteries, big and small, yes? Space out the resolutions, with some minor but of course interesting climaxes some 1/3 or 1/2 way in, which only lead to more questions.
Thanks for confirming that I can confuzzle my players with random movement. This should be entertaining~
Oh yes, there will be plenty of things for the player to figure out as they go. Hm, that’s a good idea. I’m getting more and more impatient for a chance to get my hands on the tools and start work. I already have another idea that I might make try fleshing out once Pandemonium is up and running.
If I may be so bold, since you know how the storylet system works (title text, card text, success/failure text) perhaps you could use a word file to go ahead and write descriptions of what rooms the players see. This lets you be ahead once you actually have the tools rather than try to write and design the game at the same time.
I’d started a little of this, but didn’t want to get too involved before I got a look at the tools. I’m not solid on my plans for things like requirements, tolls, and qualities.