Alexis Kennedy
Posts: 1374
5/30/2012
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This is an open thread for questions about how StoryNexus will work, and why. We don't promise to answer everything, but ask away...
edited by Alexis Kennedy on 7/24/2012
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Alexis Kennedy
Posts: 1374
6/9/2012
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ah, the sex question. This is my current thinking based on discussions with the team, and not a final answer.
1. Storygames that happen to include scenes of sex between consenting adults. This happens. We'll probably enforce a 'mature content' warning, no more. (For the absolute exclusion of doubt, we don't mind what gender(s) the adults might happen to be, and that is a final answer.)
2. Outright consenting-adults spank material. I don't see us excluding this stuff, especially because the line with 1 isn't always clear. I also don't see us promoting or publicising it: it's just not what we want to be known for.
3. Problematic material in either 1 or 2. For example: sexualised violence, minors, incest, non-consensual scenes. There is a complicated continuum from specialised tastes to ugliness to outright illegality, and this is down to cases, but our default position would be to take problematic material down, not go to the barricades for free speech. I imagine the examples I picked of 'problematic' material give you a good idea of where we'd draw the line.
EDIT: fixed a spelling mistake that might have caused low comedy.
edited by Alexis Kennedy on 6/9/2012
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Chris Gardiner
Administrator
Posts: 539
6/14/2012
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Hidden qualities: No - there are strong design and craft reasons for this. We feel they'd be more trouble than they're worth. From debugging, testing and support standpoints they'd be a nightmare.
Hidden prerequisites: No - for the same reasons. There are ways to retain the element of surprise, though, even with visible qualities. Currently, Storynexus has different classes of qualities that display differently.
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Alexis Kennedy
Posts: 1374
8/28/2012
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"Over-the-line StoryNexus Content includes: [...] bigotry of various kinds (racism, sexism, homophobia are top of the list). "
We're not in the business of censorship. This is here to let us rule out blatant, serious bigotry, like an 'educational' world written by Holocaust deniers or religious extremists. The Turner Diaries are OUT, Huck Finn is IN.
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Alexis Kennedy
Posts: 1374
6/10/2012
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'So is StoryNexus just a branch of Failbetter or its own entity? Would games made using StoryNexus be considered Failbetter games?' StoryNexus is a Failbetter product. Games made using SN are only Failbetter games if we make them (and we plan on making our own games using the platform). Creators retain copyright to their own games.
This may help you picture how it'll work. http://www.dropmocks.com/mBjKJX All SN games will have that bar at the top. The dropdown menu I've moused over will contain games you've recently played and games we want to promote. We'll also have a directory of games.
'graphic violence, for instance' - We're looking at a 'mature content warning' again, though I'm sure someone could write something sufficiently appalling that we would want to take it down.
'ESRB' - See above.
'Rating scheme- a way for the cream to rise to the top?' - For now we're looking at a curated rather than a rated solution - 'these are the games we recommend'. However the moment you create a world, you'll have a URL you can share it around on. In the longer term, we'll look at automated recommendations - but it would be premature to do this when we're not sure yet how much or what kind of game we'll get from the crowd.
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Lily Fox
Posts: 346
6/10/2012
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Alexis said "I'm sure someone could write something sufficiently appalling that we would want to take it down."
Challenge accepted! (No, not really. I'll be good.)
--
@LilyLayer4
Fallen London character: Lilith B.
Author of Maelstrom - Play - Discuss
Author of City of Phire - Play - Discuss
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Cedric Appleby
Posts: 121
5/30/2012
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Being a hobbyist game developer, I am rather interested in your business model. As in - will there be a fee for using the platform? Is the platform itself going to be free (or financed by advertising), but with certain 'premium features' (such as subscription/Fate-locked storylets - or ability to have more than, say, 100 users) only available to paying customers? Are you going to ask for a little bite of the Fate transactions that happen within the games created using / hosted on StoryNexus? Or is it going to be something entirely different?
--
That is, in fact, a beak. Tea is difficult.
@21stCenturyBird on Twitter. -- In-game profile.
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Alexis Kennedy
Posts: 1374
5/31/2012
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'a bonus of sorts for someone who's excelled in another game': This is definitely the kind of thing that's possible in principle.
Submissions: We won't be looking for submissions for stuff to include in FL. The copyright issue aside, we have more ideas for content than we know what to do with already, and it's easier to write it ourselves than to modify something that's even mostly right :-)
We might at some point create worlds that are intended from the start to be open to community submissions - this is something we've talked about - but FL will never be among them, I'm afraid, and this is all still speculative.
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MaskedGentleman
Posts: 339
6/1/2012
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Before I assault you with questions first I would like to say that I find this endeavor most amazing. Greatly looking forward to it. Now then,
1. Will many of the things that we no doubt take for granted be available? Specifically, a travel map, inventory, profile pages, an inventory upgrading system, a market place, cliques, and very large words.
2. Will we be able to use these forums to collaborate on projects and share our ideas? And how will multiple people be able to run one project?
3. I know Failbetter is an ethical gaming company, but regarding copyright will Failbetter own the rights to what we create?
4. Will the games we make be browser games? And in this case should we start looking around now for websites to host our games?
5. Can we make challenges based on multiple attributes? Can we assign different text for different failures (say passing the shadowy and failing the dangerous)? Will our games use the straightforward, modest, high-risk system, and will we be able to change the probabilities?
Of course none of these are demands or requests, merely curiosities. I love the Fallen London system and think that this is extremely generous. Looking forward to it. 
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I would like to thank this community and game for the many years of joy you have brought me. May you find your Heart's Desire.
Daniel Redwood
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Cedric Appleby
Posts: 121
6/9/2012
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A little follow-up question on the issue of what's allowed. Will there be any content restrictions beyond "nothing illegal"? For instance - knowing the Internet, there may be an outcropping of... shall we say... crudely adult-oriented gameplay at some point in StoryNexus' lifetime. (Not that I think this is overly likely, but I find it helps to establish a clear policy ahead of time.)
edited by Cedric Appleby on 6/9/2012
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That is, in fact, a beak. Tea is difficult.
@21stCenturyBird on Twitter. -- In-game profile.
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