Use CSIDE- it helps to find bugs and align your tabs and forego the text file, just write straight into CSDIE. It comes with a basic dictionary for spellings- though not grammar.
I think you will get the hang of it quickly and it is very intuitive and basic compared to some of the other languages you will be using. I’m not a coder, but got the hang of it- though not at an advanced level or anything, but enough to do what I need.
I’ll think about it, I might consider Choicescript as a side hobby. I have autism
Of course, mate, do what works best. Another tip, after a day of writing, I cut and post the scene in the free version of Grammarly to catch out grammar issues. This can’t be trusted 100%, particularly when using fantasy nouns and such, but does smooth things over. I am awful at typing and rereading stuff I have recently written, my mind passes over the mistakes. Still, everything always needs a final edit. And I still find mistakes, more so my testers.
I think it is mostly about creating habits and trying to stick to the ones which work.
I’m curious when going through IFs I’ve really liked I noticed that most have good RO interactions but your game was quite enjoyable even without so I’m curious how did you do it how did you craft a good IF without an RO cast to support it.
It’s the variations and the plot that makes this game really good, so primary focus on that. There is character work, but it’s kind of obvious it’s not quite such the focus, just look at the sequel
I am bad at being short so bare with me…
You caught me returned from a birthday party and just saw your message (just to try and convince people I do not live at my computer waiting for messages).
I always loved the old gamebooks, Lone Wolf and Fighting Fantasy. I tried to find old gamebooks when I was a wee little lad and, when not getting into trouble, hid away and devoured them all. Enjoyed them just for the pure adventure of it, taking me on a journey to a strange land, with a map on the inside-front cover, and making me the hero. The world would be described from second person POV, but simply, with whatever emotional impact coming mostly from me, as the reader and MC, and not from being a premade, defined character. Two of these books, Creature of Havoc and Crimson Tide, helped inspire Green, one with the MC playing a monster, the other where you age during the adventure.
I wanted to write a game in this style for a long time.
Also, I always remembered a game called Alter-Ego (our own Dan Fabulich worked on porting it). I played this game on a website for abandonware, back in the day. It allowed you to decide your character’s life, from birth until old age.
Then I found Choice of the Dragon and Parenting Simulator and thought CoG and HG titles were, sort of, IF life simulations like Alter Ego.
But first, I made a little, very, very amateur game called ‘Green: An Orc’s Life’, a card swiper, based on Reigns, where you play an orc from birth to death with left-right binary choice. Probably about 30K long and horribly coded, still available on Steam, but it is very rough (based on a Unity Template).
So, effectively, I had the skeleton framework for a world and a game, but wanted to branch out and deepen the experience. Choice script was perfect for this, allowing an unknown to join the community and publish. I have always thought CoG and HG are wonderful for giving everyone such an opportunity, it is very rare in any sort of publishing.
Having the game mapped out allowed me to pick up pace and expand. I had lots of support from active fans. Although, as I learnt more about CoG books, I knew it would be a risk without ROs, and because I wrote it like a paper gamebook without chapters, just linked scenes and paragraphs, with a much more complicated stats and variable system.
That the CoG and HG fanbase are broad-minded in their IF expectations paid off. Green has done well! (Very well in the release month, afaik).
Size drew people in. Novelty kept many there. But mostly, I made it to have a bloody good adventure and fun and think I succeeded!
So, with a bit of ignorance for the audience I was writing for, and with lots of hard work and lots of support by really great people in the thread, I got a big orc game down without ROs and survived to tell the tale.
In all honesty, it was a game I wanted to play but couldn’t find, so I made it. Turns out, I wasn’t alone in wanting to be an orc.
As I mentioned, one of the reasons the game got completed was because of the support of the thread, you being a big one in this regard, mate.
The sequel (more of a follow up really) is also a risk. I have more character work, but still want to focus on the adventure. It is a different style, and this may put some of the folks who liked Green off. The novelty of Green certainly garnered me more attention, but I hope Ash and Fire does well too. If so, I have plenty more to come in the future.
The Forums have been hectic lately, but I value having a label like HG. It is almost a miracle that something with a niche, but large enough fanbase exists to give randoms like me a chance to self-indulge. Green is one of my proudest achievements and HG and its fans gave me the opportunity to make it.
That last point of yours reminds me of something similar Jonathan Maberry, one of my favorite novelists said about his first jump into writing fiction. He grew up learning the old folklore stories of monsters and other things from his grandmother, we’re talking the folklore of old Eastern European depiction of vampires, zombies, werewolves, etc. etc. etc. and one of the things that kept annoying him was that there was no real fiction covering those types of things, it was the usual modern interpretation on Dracula stuff, and he just kept complaining about it to the point where his wife was like, just write the damn thing. So he wrote the Pine deep trilogy, which is about your average modern day people taking on his spin on these old folkloric creatures played as straight as possible. The way he put it, it was something he really wanted to read so he wrote it as a way to get it out of his system and, well, one thing led to another.
I’ll have to check those out. You put that very well. Those things inside of us, nagging to get out, can be the key inspiration and motivation. Also, if you don’t get it out, other ideas might never appear, it is a non-conductive blockage in our synapses!
Some authors are very good at writing for a particular audience. Others need to go where… forgive the turn of phrase… the Crone of Fate takes us.
Just a note for anyone reading this, and for you, Patrick, since I sent some advice to you on this thread a while ago. I advised the use of Grammarly to find spelling and grammar issues, something very useful after a long session of writing. I need to clarify this so as not to get folks into trouble, with the new focus on AI in Cog games.
Grammarly can be used like an advanced word processor to find spelling and grammar problems. It will make suggestions to fix this on a word-by-word or line-by-line basis, like any word processor, although I find it is superior. Grammarly, regarding the paid version (which I don’t have, just to be sure), can rewrite texts. So do not use it for this with any CoG, HG or Heart’s Choice work. This would be generative AI, to allow it to do the actual writing, or rewriting, for you.
@HarrisPS Sorry to summon you. Could you quickly check if the above statement is correct?
Big thanks! @HarrisPS
Hello! That sounds right to me.
How do u get on the dark path
The best way is to be tainted, generally still try to be diplomatic and not completely cackling evil, and do enough to get invited to see the real king, and then wear his mask. This is, to be clear, on the emperor path, or at least the first part of it
Hi Edward, Welcome to the horde!
To take the Dark Path, you must become corrupted by demonic essence. When you are a young orc, join your band of mates to burgle the farmer’s house. Upstairs, there is a locked room. If you can get inside and mess around with the altar, you become corrupted. Another way, while a young orc, is to spirit walk with the shaman (choose to work with the shaman for your yearly training placement; I think it is the second series of jobs). Make sure you drink the Wish Witches’ tea.
When you are an adult orc, free to wander the world, travel to the far north and enter the dungeon. Here, you will confront a demonic orc. Take his offer of power – this is an important step and easier to find than the corruption events during adolescence.
Once you are tainted, give in to the darkness whenever presented with the option. For example, when travelling to Granardgard on a carriage, you will stop off at a tavern. Someone tries to poison you when you take your dinner into your room. Instead of asking questions, give in to the demon inside.
You must become the chief of the Dust Clan at some point. In the battle with Morgorc, you can also choose to change into your demonic form.
Eventually, you will get the chance to meet the emperor. The first ‘emperor’ is a ruse. The best way to get past him is to let him win the game of croquet and answer all his questions truthfully. If you have acted brutally, do not pretend to be peaceful.
If successful, you will meet the real emperor. Rip off his golden mask and put it on. Become the Darkness…
There is another way. If you continue past this meeting with the Emperor, as a mortal orc king, you can meet the Emperor again during the Battle of Grandardgard. Again, taking his mask and putting it on will open the Dark Path.
You must already be corrupted before this. Ensure you don’t heal your corruption, no matter what your shamans say. There are a few other ways to gain corruption, but I can’t remember them right now. Please let me know if you require any additional assistance.
Thanks for the concise answer, mate. I’ve found this to be a relatively common question.
K tysm because I have already become an emperor multiple times but can’t seem to be able to go on the dark path
Is the mushroom tea the tea ur talking about
Is this when you are still young?
I can’t remember exactly. You must be a young orc and spirit walk with the shaman- perhaps this starts with mushroom tea.
The tea I am referring to is within the spirit walk. You should find yourself in a strange land with 2 towns. Explore these towns, and you will find out where the Wish Witch lives. Drinking her tea gives you corruption.
If you miss this, don’t worry. Just make sure you do not act to please Krog. You should aim for having low Piety. When you are an adult, accept the demon orc’s proposal in the northern mountains.
I am away from my files right now, so I can’t check. If you still have issues, let me know and I will put together a firmer route.
Yes it’s when I’m still young ill copy and paste it. Snooky reaches over, his hands cradling a small bowl of steaming grey liquid. “Over the next two years, we will be going on regular spirit walks to divine our inner truths. Drink this mushroom brew, then close your eyes and begin your journey. Or leave me to my travels if you are not ready.”
Options:
Back out and choose another placement.
Drink the mushroom tea.
Yep, this must be it. Drink that tea, young orc. Eventually, you will go to see the Wish Witch. Drink her tea… This will anger the shaman, since it is the wrong thing to do… But the right thing to do is to start the road unto the Darkness.
Wait did I have to drink the wish witch tea… cause I just corrupted myself from the demon orc