A Text RPG Where You Can Create Your Own Medieval Fantasy Novel

Greets. I’m an old school DM. I code to help my sons on the Autism Spectrum: I write code for medieval fantasy as a hobby (been a D&D DM for years), but I’m also a writer and merged the two (like a MUD or Text based RPG collaborating medieval fantasy interactive character building while writing asynchronously with other writers, is it possible? Can you alter a medieval fantasy story made for everyone? Do it on your laptop or mobile anytime without having to install an app for free? Yes, you can do all: https://www.RulerOfKings.com There are lots of videos there that explain everything. Looking for writers to come on board and help build the world!

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Why not use ChoiceScript and make a story here?

I may do that when I get a chance, however ROK II is not just about making choices, it actually allows you to build a character using real stats, learn skills and use magic just like a table top game. So when you encounter a choice you actually use a skill you have. For instance, instead of just jumping across a pit a check can be made to see if you have the Jump skill, the level of difficulty and if you made it as opposed to just saying you choose to jump or not.

Yep, you can design games the same way here, too.

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Oh, I would very impressed if a game engine could design more or the same as I am able to custom code for my uses. I previously bought a game engine that promised lots of customization and was sorely disappointed. I will very much like to see an example of what you are talking about. Which game created has this so I can look?

In ROK II I was able to add relationships, multi-player functionality, build armies, explore a map, have detailed combat and so forth all like a regular table top game. I will also be working on creating your own party.

If you look through here, you can play demos of all of CoG’s official titles. If you select https://www.choiceofgames.com/category/user-made-games/ , you can read a bunch of titles created by members of this forum.

If you click on the link I posted above, you will see all the commands ChoiceScript is capable of.
The design possibilities are very robust indeed.

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Thank you kindly. I like what you have done. It reminds me of the adventure book stories I use to read as a teen.

Ey, there @GameCreator
So… I’ve clicked the link you’ve given at the top post above, and I think there’re several fundamental difference between ChoiceScript language that we (the community) use at here and the ROK II. So… yep, there you go.


Alright, I wanted to point out some stuff, @GameCreator. Might as well put them in a bullet list

  1. Since I already use ChoiceScript to create CYOA/IF on this forum, it seems that I’m unlikely to create a story using another engine (or programming language?). But thank you for the offer! It gives us a new insight on Role-Playing and worldbuilding.
  2. As I see it, CScript is more like “create a story from scratch, with your own design and game-mechanic”, while ROK II is more towards “Text Tabletop RPG online”. And I believe both things aren’t necessarily different in making choices, worldbuilding, creating character, dieroll and stat-checks, etc.
    It depends on the person’s taste, I guess.
  3. You might wanted to get to know the community before posting something like this, to be honest. It feels like you give us a new… engine? programming language?
    You give us a new tool to work with, but we don’t know what makes this new tool any different with the one we’re using. There’re no good reason for us to switch (or at least to try) this new tool.

So, I’m sorry if I sounded rude or harsh, but these are some points that I thought it’ll need to be brought up. Doesn’t mean that I hate the ROK II either! No no! Alright. You know that… sometimes, when a person says something, it’s actually the opposite… kind of thing
It’s just this thing is new to me, and probably to the rest of community at here, and we barely know you! You know that feeling, right? A stranger approaches you and hands you a cookie, saying, “this is good” :+1:


TL;DR
Welcome to the forum! :open_hands:t4:

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Probably all 300 of the stories published here have dozens to hundreds of stat checks.

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Just for fun, I did a quick search on my newest game. It’s getting close to being done. It currently stands at 2600 stat checks. :slight_smile:

(Searched for the *if )

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Just to clarify… in ROK II it isn’t linear. So a stat check is not necessarily when the story asks for it but it happens all the time. For instance you are in a Town and can go anywhere in the Town, you do not enter a story until you choose to be in one but you will understand more as you interact with it.

@Lucid
Of course :joy: though that may also account for flavor texts and checking to see if you’re romancing someone or not, etc. Checking for *selectable_ifs might be more accurate, at least for my story.

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I’ve taken a look at the link and, as others have said, I can’t see anything you have that can’t be done with choicescript.

Choicescript can be as simple as ‘Choose A or B’ or as complex as ‘if you have X, Y and Z, but not K and L is greater than or equal to BxC…’. These conditions can be before a choice, midway through a paragraph, or… well anywhere! The choice is down to the author.

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Just to note, while most CoGs are fairly linear in structure, they don’t have to be. You can use *goto or *goto_scene to create situations where the player can choose where to go, or what action to take, and then go back to the same decision point, thereby being able to choose when they want to do things.

Zombie Exodus and Zombie Exodus: Safe Haven are good examples of this. The former has a section where there are a few different missions you can perform, and you get to choose in which order to undertake them. The latter has points where you can choose what action you want to do, which will set the time variable ahead, and certain events will happen at particular times, but you can totally choose when you can do what you want to do.

Perhaps the most extreme non-linear choicescript game would be Paradox Factor, which is really cleverly done… it involves time-travel, and has a whole timeline of scenes, where you can choose which one you’re going back to, which can gradually unlock more options, but you can just go back and forth and all over the place…

For a “go anywhere in the Town” type thing, you could just write something like this…


*label InTown

Where do you go?

*choice
  #I go to the bakery.
    *goto bakery
  #I go to the market.
    *goto market
  #I go to the tavern.
    *goto tavern
  #I leave the town
    goto_scene mainroad

*label bakery

*if not(bakery_visit)
  You're at the bakery.  Stuff happens.  You're ready to go back now.
  *set bakery_visit true
  *goto InTown

*if bakery_visit
  You've already been here.  You go back.
  *goto InTown

And, you know, the same sort of thing for the tavern and market. Well, and presumably more interesting content :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

But yeah, this should give you an idea how to code nonlinear storytelling in choicescript :thinking:

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Another example of non-linear elements in CS is my new WIP, The Magician’s Task. In several of the chapters, there are several “mini-scenes” that give completely original text and provide multiple choices of their own, and you aren’t able to reach all of these mini-scenes in one playthrough.

For example, you have to choose two jobs, with your options being a thief, scribe, farmer, and guard. It doesn’t seem like you’ve read any CS novels or even taken a look at one so I’d suggest you do so to get an idea of what they’re about.

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Yes, I read through one of the recommended games that has the most options. Its a great engine for someone looking to create their own entry level story game who doesn’t want to get into the intricacies of coding.

… I’m starting to feel insulted, here. I may not be a master of coding, but I’m pretty sure choicescript is more complicated than that. :neutral_face:

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Choice Script’s strength is in its lack of complexity. Some elements of the script are more complex then others (ie multiple choices) but overall, the eloquence of Choice script is its simplicity.

I have experience with several scripting engines built both custom for specific projects and for use with multiple scenarios and all of them are more complicated then they should be.

No need to get offended - sometimes a scripting language isn’t for everyone.

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Eiwynn is correct. Puzzled face Not sure why someone would choose to take offense when I am actually praising the author for making a script that anyone could use who isn’t a coder.

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