Disclaimer: I’m aware that many have a strong distaste for achievements, and plenty of folk would be adverse to using a guide. However I’m looking for feedback to influence the nature of future guides; even if you don’t use them, I’d welcome any thoughts on the matter.
Were you to use an achievement guide, how would you prefer the guide to be delivered?
Playthrough-type Guide.
This style makes the choices for the player, providing a specific list of choices to make throughout the entire story, which will result in specific achievements. This can be further divided into two more styles:
Branching playthroughs that split at various points, instructing the player on which choices will result in accessing which achievements.
Example: Branching guide for Choice of Magics. Five playthroughs in guide, but each requires multiple replays to receive all possible achievements.
No branching playthroughs - more total playthroughs are then required for the guide - the player however will require the same number of playthroughs.
Example: Simple guide for Sabres of Infinity. Three playthroughs in guide, and each only needs to be played once.
Each Achievement Explained Separately-type Guide.
Example: Achievement guide for Choice of Rebels: Uprising.
This guide explains in detail the requirements for each achievement individually. This enables players to play the story their way, giving increased agency and freedom, but increasing the complexity and difficulty for them, too, as they must make the calculations and predictions themselves to meet the achievement requirements in their bespoke story.
The nature of the book itself will also affect what style of guide is best suited. Some examples include:
- Samurai of Hyuga 1 & 2 have relatively simple achievement requirements, which make a full playthrough guide unnecessary to an extent.
- Choice of Rebels: Uprising has some very complex achievement requirements indeed, in which case a full playthrough guide can become very useful.
- Choice of Magics is so large and complex that a non-branching playthrough guide would become far too big to be practical.
- My Guns of Infinity guide includes a branch. When its sequel, Lords of Infinity, is released, writing a continuation of the guide will be increasingly complex due to the included branch in Guns; books taking place in a series may be better suited to non-branching playthrough guides.
Here is a poll to illuminate the popular choice:
- Branching Playthrough Guide
- Non-Branching Playthrough Guide
- Individual Achievement Explanations Guide
0 voters
Thank you very much for your time and wisdom.