Thanks for all the feedback. It’s given me a lot of food for thought.
Letting people choose is good. It also doesn’t force them to pick names with the same origin if they don’t want to. Or even names at all. Like, the name I usually use for a Japanese MC is a sequence of four actual Japanese words (Kinsui Akuyama), but they aren’t used as a name in the real world. And I’ve used sequences that aren’t in any language, like Barial Irmaji.
2 Likes
Yeah players could already name themselves but I will shorten the list of preset names and add options to name the family members.
2 Likes
the fact or state of belonging to a social group that has a common national or cultural tradition.
that is the definition of ethnicity
I’ve removed the ethnicity variable as storywise it didn’t affect anything and was just an internal code that the player never actually seen.
Instead I’ve added the following choice before the game begins…
Before we begin, here is your initial choice. Would you like to name your character's family or stick with the preset names? (For story reasons you cannot change your mother's name.
*label family_name
Father: ${father}.
*line_break
Mother: Lucy.
*line_break
Brother: ${alex}.
*line_break
Aunt: ${aunt}.
*line_break
Uncle: ${uncle}.
*choice
#I'll stick with the current names.
*goto pilot
#Change my brother's name.
*input_text alex
*goto family_name
#Change my father's name.
*input_text father
*goto family_name
#Change my aunt's name.
*input_text aunt
*goto family_name
#Change my uncle's name.
*input_text uncle
*goto family_name
The choice where you can describe your parents has been altered to this; (if anyone has a suggestion or request for the skin tones please let me know.)
s you near the bottom of the stairs, you pass the family portrait. Your mother stands in the centre of the frame, her sun-kissed skin…
*choice skin_tone eye_colour
#...stood out against my father's darker skin tone...
#...and with those pale blue eyes gave her an unearthly beauty.
*set eyes "pale blue"
*goto a_disturbing_discovery
#...and with those dark jade eyes gave her an unearthly beauty.
*set eyes "dark jade"
*goto a_disturbing_discovery
#...and with those deep hazel eyes gave her an unearthly beauty.
*set eyes "deep hazel"
*goto a_disturbing_discovery
#...and her one blue and one green eye gave her an unearthly beauty.
*set eyes "blue and green"
*goto a_disturbing_discovery
#...was similar to the pale skin of my father...
#...and with those pale blue eyes gave her an unearthly beauty.
*set eyes "pale blue"
*goto a_disturbing_discovery
#...and with those dark jade eyes gave her an unearthly beauty.
*set eyes "dark jade"
*goto a_disturbing_discovery
#...and with those deep hazel eyes gave her an unearthly beauty.
*set eyes "deep hazel"
*goto a_disturbing_discovery
#...and her one blue and one green eye gave her an unearthly beauty.
*set eyes "blue and green"
*goto a_disturbing_discovery
#...was similar to the tanned skin of my father...
#...and with those pale blue eyes gave her an unearthly beauty.
*set eyes "pale blue"
*goto a_disturbing_discovery
#...and with those dark jade eyes gave her an unearthly beauty.
*set eyes "dark jade"
*goto a_disturbing_discovery
#...and with those deep hazel eyes gave her an unearthly beauty.
*set eyes "deep hazel"
*goto a_disturbing_discovery
#...and her one blue and one green eye gave her an unearthly beauty.
*set eyes "blue and green"
*goto a_disturbing_discovery
Then the player’s name choices are now;
Instantly, the frenzied tapping of pencil on paper fills the classroom. Glancing at your own test, you write your first name at the top.
*if (male)
*fake_choice
#Dean.
*set name "Dean"
#Jose.
*set name "Jose"
#Kaito.
*set name "Kaito"
#That's not my name.
*input_text name
*if (female)
*fake_choice
#Megan.
*set name "Megan"
#Sofia.
*set name "Sofia"
#Yumi.
*set name "Yumi"
#That's not my name.
*input_text name
*if (enby)
*fake_choice
#August.
*set name "August"
#Robin.
*set name "Robin"
#Sam.
*set name "Sam"
#That's not my name.
*input_text name
Then you add your last name.
*fake_choice
#Bell.
*set surname "Bell"
#Charlemont.
*set surname "Charlemont"
#De la Croix.
*set surname "De la Croix"
#Heroux.
*set surname "Heroux"
#Hunter.
*set surname "Hunter"
#Martinez
*set surname "Martinez"
#Nakamura.
*set surname "Nakamura"
#Swann.
*set surname "Swann"
#That's not my surname.
*input_text surname
Hopefully, this will work better.
6 Likes
Yep. I’d say that tying names to ethnicity doesn’t really work - especially since population is extremely diverse and different.
You can be black, yes, but you often aren’t african - american - black people here, in Russia sure aren’t, you can be asian, but you aren’t japanese or chinese, you’re tatar or kalmyk. You can also be mixed – I’m russian with tatar and ukranian blood mixed in, but not truly familiar with the culture of my grand - grandfather.
And in general, well. Name selection is still limited, but I can just type mine in and pretend my mother was a native married into immigrant family - if I can, I usually play people with russian backgrounds and names. Although it rarely, rarely ever fits…
This all looks better. Is it intentional that you aren’t able to change your mother’s name, though?
Yes it is intentional. For story reasons she will always be Lucy.