And at last, Project Missionary is complete. Note that it will receive updates, as I had to cut some corners to make it to the Ludum Dare 55 deadline.
6 Likes
Oops!.. I Did It Again
I find myself elbow-deep in another fight scene that is taking entirely too long to write. Luckily, it is vastly simpler than the fight system that consumed my entire month of February, and Iām 
this close to finishing and moving on. It has been many times more fun to write, however, because it is an epically moving piece of action literature involving a team of heroes battling against a formidable foe for control over a precious and coveted artifact, or rather itās a bunch of babies fighting over a stolen sucker. Tomato, Tomahto.
Iāll share a bit of the scene leading up to our heroic teamās dramatic clash, but I warn you there is some language, and one of the characters portrayed isā¦well, heāsā¦heās an a$$hole, no nice way to put it.
Content Warning: Offensive Language
Excerpt from Scene To Market, To Market
In the near distance, Freyja darted among a group of older children, her braids flying behind her as she laughed and toddled from their outstretched hands in a lively game of tag. $!{first_name}ās gaze followed ${player_xir} sisterās joyful movements, a flicker of delight sparking in ${player_xir} eyes.
The sound of approaching footsteps caught $!{first_name}ās attention, and ${player_xhe} turned to see Halla and Tekla walking towards Astrid and Ammaās stalls, with little Olle nestled in Teklaās arms, the stick of a sucker protruding from his wide mouth.
As the adults exchanged greetings, Tekla lowered Olle onto the soft blanket beside $!{first_name} and the Pihl twins. $!{player_xir} eyes widened with curiosity as ${player_xhe} took in ${player_xir} new companion.
Olle, a sucker clutched in his chubby fist, regarded his new playmates with a toothy grin. He offered the treat first to Umma, then Hollvin, and then $!{first_name}. Each child sampled the sweet, their faces alight with shared delight.
As the infants scooted closer together, $!{first_name}'s ears caught fragments of the adultsā conversation drifting over the blanket.
āā¦the latest about the Altimās child tax? We had no idea it would be impossible to payā¦ā Astridās voice wavered, the words foreign to $!{first_name} but laden with an unfamiliar tension.
Olleās sucker made another round, the infantsā giggles punctuating the air as they reveled in their newfound connection.
āā¦the Commander stood in our home, smilingā¦ They want our childrenā¦ā $!{first_name}ās attention shifted to ${player_xir} mother, noting the strain in her voice before being drawn back to Olleās infectious laughter.
The shadow of the nearby stall stretched across the sun-warmed stones, its edge inching closer to the blanket as the day progressed.
āā¦a son to join their ranksā¦ a daughter to serve their Empressā¦ or to serve the military on her backā¦ā The adultsā words drifted in and out of the $!{first_name}ās awareness, the gravity of their meaning lost on ${player_xim} but the emotional weight palpable.
As the infants played, Amma and Teklaās voices rose in response to Astridās revelations, their tones a mix of horror and determination. $!{first_name}, oblivious to the full import of the conversation, found comfort in the sunās warmth and the companionship of ${player_xir} new friends.
From ${player_xir} vantage point on the blanket, the world seemed to glow with golden warmth, the shadow of the stall stretching a little further, brushing its dark fingers along the edge of the blanket. $!{first_name}, caught up in the momentās magic, reached out ${player_xir} tiny hand to pat Olleās arm and smiled. Olle returned the gesture, his gummy smile widening until it seemed like it might swallow his face. He popped the sucker into $!{first_name}ās smiling mouth and giggled.
The infants huddled together on the blanket, their slight forms a picture of contented camaraderie. Above them, the adultsā voices continued to rise and fall, the undercurrent of tension a distant echo amidst the laughter and chatter of the marketplace. All felt right amid friendship and the sunās warmth, a cherished moment of peace and connection.
*page_break On Lollipops and Power
*set player_bran_relations 30
*set player_met_bran true
The warm sunlight dimmed as an enormous man strode into view, his presence commanding attention and inspiring fear. He went through the market stalls, trailed by a small, mousy woman, with thorn-filled floral tattoos framing her face, struggling to carry a huge infant.
The woman, hardly older than a girl, heeled him, nearly dropping the @{(bran_gender +1) boy|girl} as she tripped on a loose cobblestone. The big man bellowed, āKara! You fucking oaf! Gods help me if you harm $!{bran_name}. Iāll have Magda ensure youāre servicing Fredi for the next month. They donāt call Frostveil Fredi because heās tall,ā he turned from the frightened woman and laughed.
As he approached each vendor, his booming voice caused the merchants to shrink back. āIf you want to make real money, youād sell your goods in my store,ā he said, producing a gold coin. āCome, sell in my store, and soon youāll swim in gold Empresses, like this here,ā The once lively chatter faded to hushed whispers, the vibrant colors dulling in his imposing presence.
Watching wide-eyed, $!{first_name}, nestled on the blanket with ${player_xir} new friends, observed as the big man and his entourage drew closer to Astrid and Ammaās stalls. Touching the corner of the blanket, the shadow of a nearby booth stretched forebodingly.
His gaze swept over Astrid and Ammaās wares, his lip curling in disdain. āGrimar, come to shop? How about something warm for your wife?ā said Astrid, producing a knitted Stormhorn cap, her jaw muscles bulging.
Grimar spewed spittle that speckled Astridās face as he laughed. āThis shit? A one-armed, blind simpleton could knit better than you, woman. Depths, this fucking cripple could do better,ā he said, gesturing to Halla, who bristled. Tekla, placing a hand on her arm, shook her head.
āBesides, there isnāt enough yarn in all the Step to knit a cap big enough for Magdaās fat head,ā he laughed again at his joke. āStormhorn wool isnāt Magdaās style. Besides, she wears nothing but the finest Altim imported fabrics. You wouldnāt know nothing about that, though, would ya? But you might, if you came and put that beautiful behind of yours to work for Magda." His leering gaze crawled up and down her figure. "Wouldnāt need to do much, get the tattoos, and might even make some of these,ā he said, producing the gold coin. āJust lie there and watch the Ems roll in, I bet your much better at that than knitting. Just a friendly offer, heard you owed the Altim, something about popping out one too many whelps.ā
When Astrid didnāt respond, he shrugged and turned to Kara. āPut $!{bran_name} down with the other brats,ā he ordered, his tone clarifying that this was not a request.
A sudden commotion drew $!{first_name}'s attention back to the blanket. Bran, spotting the lollipop in Olleās hand, snatched it away. Olle sat immobile, smiling as @{(bran_gender +1) he|she} popped the sucker into @{(bran_gender +1) his|her} mouth. After a moment, Olle raised his hand, asking for the sucker back. Still, Bran continued to gnaw on it, @{(bran_gender +1) his|her} seafoam green eyes studying Olle.
Umma lurched toward $!{bran_name}, reaching for the sucker, but Bran caught her and pushed her to the ground. Hollvin, seeing Bran distracted, snatched at the sucker, trying to pry it from @{(bran_gender+1) his|her} grip. Bran yanked @{(bran_gender+1) his|her} hands free, bending Hollvinās until he crumbled. Olle, watching wide-eyed, a gummy grin plastered to his face, inched toward Bran, wanting to join in. Bran hit him with a meaty baby fist, flattening the small boy, a shocked look replacing the smile.
As $!{first_name} watched Branās aggressive actions towards ${player_xir} new friends, a surge of protective anger welled up within ${player_xim}. $!{player_xhe} couldnāt stand by and watch as the bully mistreated ${player_xir} friends. With a determined grunt, $!{first_name} pushed ${player_ximself} up onto ${player_xir} hands and knees, ready to confront the giant infant.
Umma, Hollvin, and Olle, seeing $!{first_name}ās brave stance, rallied behind ${player_xim}, their own faces set with resolve. They crawled to ${player_xir} side, forming a united front against $!{bran_name}ās tyranny. The four infants faced off against the bully, their eyes locked on the coveted sucker in Branās grasp.
Seeing the defiant group arrayed before @{(bran_gender +1) him|her}, Bran let out a menacing gurgle, @{(bran_gender+1) his|her} free hand clenching into a chubby fist. @{(bran_gender+1) He|She} glared at $!{first_name} and ${player_xir} allies, daring them to make a move. The tension on the blanket grew as the infants prepared for an epic battle, the fate of the sucker hanging in the balance.
9 Likes
Iām back on the grind trying to finish the first chapter of my WIP. Itās hard when my brain refuses to focus, but Iāve been managing to get something down every day, which is at least better than March was. Even if itās only a handful of words. The good part about having a bunch of branching in this half of the chapter is that it lets me bounce from scene to scene.
Anyway, hereās a last minute excerpt of an RC car race. Itās been a ton of fun to write, which is probably why this scene is flowing a bit easier than some of the others.
April Excerpt
Beck straightens at your side, narrowing their eyes as they scan the length of the store. They stalk off without a word. You tilt your head, curious, as they grab a standing sign from the front of the store. They bring it to the center of an aisle, resting it down on the ground to create a sort of makeshift ramp. You smileānow this is dedication.
After a long moment Beck nods, apparently satisfied, and returns to you.
āOkay, so Iāll show you the track, and then we can do a lap. First one to get their car back here wins,ā they explain.
You murmur your assent, and then theyāre off. Beck skillfully drives their car around the store. You watch them lead it winding through the aisles. They reach the ramp and donāt hesitate to send their car flying off the edge. It soars in the air and crashes hard enough that you think it might flip. At the last moment it seems to steady itself. Beck drives the car in a long arc around the outside of the store before bringing it to a halt at your feet.
āGot that?ā they look at you, their eyes bright.
āLetās do this,ā you say.
Whatās your strategy here?
*fake_choice
#Iām going to start slow and focus on control.
Youāve never driven this car before, you have no idea how itās going to drive. The best strategy here is to start slow and to focus on control. You press down the left joystick. The car springs to life, jolting forwards in a burst of movement.
Beck shares none of your hesitation. They lay down hard on their controller. Their car revs and stutters forward, quickly accelerating. It blasts past yours. They clearly have more practice than youāwhile youāre gently guiding your car forward, theyāre pushing theirs in a reckless charge towards the aisles.
āGiving up already?ā they tease.
You ignore them. The slow start gives you a good feel for the mechanics of the car, and in no time at all youāre able to start going faster and faster.
*set racesim + 1
#All that matters is speed. Time to go fast.
Youāve never controlled this car before, you have no idea how itās going to drive. You donāt care. All that matters is speedāyouād bet thatāll be Beckās strategy, and youāll never win if they snatch the lead right away. Itās time to go fast.
You press down the left joystick. The car springs to life, jolting forwards in a burst of movement.
Beck matches your eager rush with one of their own. They lay down hard on their own controller. Their car revs and stutters forward, quickly accelerating. They clearly have more practice than you. They donāt hesitate for a second as they push their car in a reckless charge towards the aisles.
āEat my dust,ā they grin.
You match their smile. Your confidence has bought you precious inches of a head start, even as Beck quickly starts catching up.
*set racesim + 1
#More than anything, I want to make this look cool.
Youāve never controlled this car before, you have no idea how itās going to drive. That doesnāt matter. The only thing you want right now is to make this look cool. Winning would be even better, but you just want to have some fun here.
You press down the left joystick. The car springs to life, jolting forwards in a burst of movement. You test the right. It swerves to one side. You grin, delighting in making your car serpentine from side to side.
āGood luck winning like that,ā they tease.
Beck clearly cares more about winning than style. They lay down hard on their own controller. Their car revs and stutters forward, quickly accelerating. They clearly have more practice than you. They donāt hesitate for a second as they push their car in a reckless charge towards the aisles.
You ignore them, wondering how much speed youād need to pick up to make this car do a flip.
*set coolrace + 1
#How do I control this again?
Youāve never controlled this car before, and you have no idea what youāre doing. You look down at the controller in your hand and feel an icy chill crawl down your spine. There are two joysticks, one on either side. You hesitantly press down on the left one. The car springs to life, jolting forwards in a clumsy burst of movement.
Beck shares none of your hesitation. They donāt hesitate to lay down hard on their own controller. Their car revs and stutters forward, quickly accelerating. It blasts past yours. They clearly have more practice than youāwhile youāre just trying to guide your car forward, theyāre pushing theirs in a reckless charge towards the aisles.
āThat one makes it go,ā they tease, glancing over at you.
You grimace. You test the right joystick and your car veers to the right. Shit. You pull away from that stick and focus on the left one. Just make it go. Forward, preferably. Thatās all that matters.
*set failrace + 1
7 Likes
Iām in week 3 of a 2-week break to rest my carpal tunnels, which means writing hasnāt been going great. I did just install dictation software on my phone, though, which I hope will help me make some progress.
I have to admit, though, that I still feel awkward speaking the words of my stories out loud. I never totally got over that.
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I found this article very interesting. It has three essays about interactive fiction, from 1998.
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Another week, another dollar!
Development on Once in a Lifetime continues, chugging forward as I continue to plug in data to the Major Events Sequencer.
As this process has continued, Iāve begun the process of plotting out how exactly the code for the Dynamic Events Sequencer (Random Event Generation) should function/look.
Whilst Update 0 (WiP Release) will be content limited (first 10 years of life), thereās still plenty to do. Month-by-month gameplay will be designed in such a way that at least a few events should happen in each month actively.
The events themselves are narratively designed. An example is the following (not the actual text, just an example of what occurs):
You discover a lump on your side.
Youāre given the option to go to the doctor and have it biopsied for cash, or you could let it go and hope it goes away.
You go to the doctor and have it biopsied.
Going to the doctor, they take a biopsy. Youāll now need to wait for the results (following month).
Good News
Good news! Itās merely benign but still needs to be excised.
If you choose to excise the benign mass, itāll cost (dependent on insurance).
If you donāt excise the mass, youāll take a permanent negative to your health as the mass may grow, further, additional problems may occur in the future.
Bad News
The results come in. Cancer.
Youāre informed of the stage, and the subsequent process and costs for treatment (subject to insurance).
This has a general downward drag on your overall health. Other conditions may occur as a result, your health level begins to decline, and you must begin rigorous treatments (assuming you can avoid them) to fight for your life and avoid death.
You let it go, hoping it gets better.
It either goes away, or gets worse. Should it get worse, the option to go to the doctor becomes more pressing, or the possibility of an early death to cancer finally strikes.
In turn, my goal is to create detailed and situated events thatāll provide players with depth not seen in a game like this. Itāll take time, but Iām working on planning those out and developing the systems that can generate and sequence them.
POLL: How do you feel about the depth of events, based upon the example above?
- I love it, itās fantastic.
- Itās alright.
- Ehh, do better.
0
voters
See you soon,
~Zach.
5 Likes
Iām having a hell of a tough month in my personal life. But Iām starting back on my writing. Wondering if 2000 words a day is fast enough, or if I should try to escalate that to get it out sooner. According to my calendar, Iām intending to complete writing First Bull Run by May 10th. At that point I will go back and make some edits and improvements and start moving toward release.
7 Likes
2000 a day is plenty fast, as the saying goes, slow is smooth, smooth is fast. If you can consistently knock 2000 a day that is much better than burning yourself by trying to force yourself further for another thousand or two. Last thing you want is to have your neat end date be ruined by a burn out week where you donāt even want to look at a word.
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Carpal tunnel is brutal, I suffered for years with the condition because of my work as an electrician. The only thing that gave me some relief was Cortisone shots, save going under the knife. Are the shots an option for you? The first time I got them, it was incredible. Instant relief, the first time in years, and a peaceful nightās sleep. I feel for you.
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I just wanted to share the project I plan to write during my recovery. (The latest date for surgery is 29th April, but that might still change.) Also, yes, my upcoming surgery is what sparked the idea, one of the few good things to come from it.
A Fae Heart will be a novella that follows the story of Aoife Connolly, a talented paramedic whose life takes an unexpected turn after a tragic accident. While on her way back from a job where she was unable to save a victim of a suspected animal attack, Aoife suffers a serious injury that leaves her needing a heart transplant. However, due to her rare medical condition, Isolated Dextrocardia, and her O- blood type, the only suitable donor for her is the very person whose life she couldnāt save.
As Aoife recovers from the transplant, she starts to notice strange things happening around London that she canāt explain. With each passing day, she becomes more and more convinced that something mysterious is going on. Eventually, she discovers that her donor was one of the fairy folk and that a fae heart - well, itās magic!
Iāve been splitting myself into two the past few weeks. During my working hours, Iām thinking about this story while devoting my nights to Daemonglass.
18 Likes
Well, Iāve been officially accepted into my schoolās teaching program! Iām not sure why I needed to apply when I already go there, but whatever. Itās not my dream job, but itās the practical job I like best while I pursue my less practical ambitions.
Speaking of less practical ambitions, I donāt have a snippet this month, but I came up with this idea over the course of one video game YouTube video, a day of marination, and 10 minutes worth of giving in and brainstorming a new idea. I donāt want yet another potential project, but I really like this one. Thatās why itās going here instead of the interest check. I donāt know if I want people to be interested, because I donāt know if Iām going to write it anytime soon (even though I do want to). Anyway, here it is. What do think?
Victorian Murder Mystery+The Supernatural
*As the daughter of a detective from London, you have been exposed to delicious mysteries your whole life. As a member of the fairer sex, you are simultaneously well equipped for the task of investigating (after all, what man could resist an unassuming and attractive young lady asking unimportant questions) and disallowed from the endeavor. But when a spectacular murder falls practically straight into your lap, you cannot help but get involved. But the man behind the act is not your typical criminalā¦
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Congrats on being accepted! And that idea sounds interesting! Iād love to see where you go with it.
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Hey everyone ā
I know getting feedback is hard.
It is tempting to use this thread for trying to gin up feedback ā¦ lots of eyes on the thread, active participation of veteran writers and readers.
I know I allow excerpts, but their purpose isnāt to gather feedback. They are more to showcase examples of writing that can help both a writer and others learn and grow.
For example, I am grateful that @Havenstone posted his choice-block because I can look over how he structures a choice-block and learn from it.
The fact that we have a good mix of people with all sorts of ways of doing things sharing what they do is precisely what I was hoping to create by having this tradition established.
I want this to continue and to even grow in the numbers participating!
What I donāt want is for the scope of the tradition to grow. I want the scope of this thread to continue to focus on support for writers and their writing.
Things like a place to vent about āmom-lifeā or how health interferes with our collective need to write.
Exchanges like I had with NMCannon, about a shared type of experience we both had at writers groups that led to different areas of growth for us both, because these show everyone that we are not alone, and that it is okay to approach similar experiences and issues in different ways.
I know there is a need for feedback for almost all of us! I get it, I really do.
I started a feedback thread once more this month, so those that require a place to seek (or offer) help have such a place. The Support threads are not the place for this, though.
Thanks for understanding and supporting my efforts here. 
24 Likes
hi guys
just reporting back to the community
march to april felt so slow, I used my free time to do small research on games like harvest moon, story of seasons, stardew valley, rune factory, and harvestella to find interesting mechanics that I can pick
( read: steal ) for my own project 
while Iām away from the forum due to many things, I found that a forum member messaged me and asked how my farming sim going, and it really gets my motivation back, it just and idea and still an idea, Iām not even sure if I could really make it happen, but seeing someone got interested in it feels great to me
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Iād read that.
My fav line(s) from today. The characters have just pulled off an escape from what seemed like a certain doom.
āBlood magic,ā he says. āNot sustainable in the long run, but handy at a pinch. Especially when your jailer is kind enough to give you a nosebleed.ā
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Iāve had a bit of a chaotic week - IRL stuff. Itās kept me from maintaining my normal pace.
Been spending a lot of time reminding myself that Iām not a writing robot that absolutely must output the same amount every single day or else be a failure. Mostly successfully; itās just daunting to look ahead at how much of my project is still to be finished. Easy to go āwell at this pace itāll take too long!ā
Still, progress is progress, and I do feel more robust about this project than I have in the past. Hard not to, when itās the biggest effort Iāve ever put into anything.
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Iām posting this a day early because tomorrow will be more of the same as came before.
At the end of the third week of April, I am running balance testing. The end-game report I made last week is a god-send because it really gives me a snapshot of the attributes and mechanics I build up with each choice made.
The struggle I have is when I am reviewing the seed and I see āediting errorsā I want to stop and fix whatever issue I find.
Sometimes, it is okay to do this because the issue is better fixed right away.
Most of the time, the issue should be addressed in later passes because it interrupts my momentum and willpower to keep focused on the task at hand.
I understand this feeling. It is tough to counter at times (especially as I look back years on my project) but then I look at my writing and I get excited to share it with those that express to me that they are looking forward to more from me.
The love and effort you put into your project does show through in your writing. Your readers (including myself) do see it.
5 Likes
Wow do I ever feel that. Iāve barely had any time to write lately.
The good news is Iāll have the weekend to myself to focus on revisions. I just got edit notes and I have a lot of work ahead of me, but Iām looking forward to putting in the effort because it will make the game better.
The bad news is Iāll be lucky to finish ch 5 & 6 revisions this month, so thereās no way Iāll be finishing chapter 7, which was my goal. That will simply have to wait. Cāest la vie.
6 Likes
Yeah I feel that. I canāt believe how quickly the last 2 months have ticked by. Itās so hard to get time to sit down and actually write. I kinda made time over the last two days to take a crack at getting the next chapter of Phantas out (was a hard choice, I really should have done Raishall, but itās rare I can get enough time in one spot (rather than a short spot here then nothing for another few days, makes it harder to work out whatās been fixed) to try and untangle the mess happening in this chapter so kinda decided I should take it. 2 main files (+ 15 separate riddle files) make up the chapter. One of the files is about 35k- thatās the one thatās been causing me the troubles. Almost finished writing in the gaps, but itāll need a good bug fix afterwards I expect which Iām not looking forward to. On the plus side it has a harpy and dragon in it lol. (Weird the way you almost never see harpies in things. No idea why. Oh well, hereās one. I hope sheās not channeling sphinx vibes too strongly. Things kinda took on a life of their own as I wrote this in bits and pieces over the last year or so.)
Iād also really like to get the time to get though some spring thing games.
Summary
Little harpy excerpt:
āWell now, it would be only polite to introduce myself,ā your attacker states in a voice that trills musically. It has a hypnotic quality that captures your thoughts in a way that you cannot help but stare. āMy name is Aello, and you my little mortal are in a whole world of dangerā¦ quite literally. But you knew that already didnāt you?ā
She regards you with glinting golden eyes, so out of place against the brown speckled skin of an otherwise all to human face. But no human ever sported a covering of dusky feathers, powerful wings or the curved talons of a hawk. She tilts her head in a birdlike fashion as if trying to decide what to do with you next.
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This is based on my experiences only, but most portrayals of harpies that I have seen in the last decade really reduce the harpies themselves to either animal-intelligent level monsters or the caricature of the half-woman, half-mockingbird type of monster found in mythology.
I can only recall one instance where they were presented as intelligent and even humanlike in many ways.
4 Likes