Sometimes it is the people no one imagines anything of who do the things that no one can imagine. ~ Alan Turing
You are one of those unimaginable people. You are no trained spy, soldier or law enforcement officer. You live a normal life with no fuss or fanfare.
Your life has one abnormal element: You work for United Surety and Bond aka Department 9.
There’s just one tiny problem. You know nothing about Department 9 or the secret it has been protecting for decades.
It’s 2018. In the age of the Internet, information means influence and control. What would the power brokers of the world do to possess the first truly sentient computer created by a visionary scientist? Answer: Anything and everything.
Subject: Mathis
Creator: Alan Turing
Birth: 1946
Sentience Achieved: 1954?
Abilities: Unknown
Location: Unknown
Agency Contact: Department 9
Status: AI of Great Interest
One event shatters the normalcy of your life and puts you under one dangerous spotlight.
Can your loyalty be bought? In moments of crisis, will you do what must be done or will you become undone? Will you be a keeper of secrets or a traitor to history and honour? What will be your ultimate prize - trust, glory, riches or lifelong regret?
Demo Link: https://dashingdon.com/go/3939
Game Play Info
Set in modern times London, Fall of 9 is first a mystery and second an adventure game. Like the player, the main character knows very little. The MC is the perfect innocent bystander. Text and information is sparse in the beginning. Dialogue moves the story and plot along. Be on the lookout for information that may be pivotal later on.
There are two mysteries to “solve”. The MC must discover the true nature of his employer the United Surety and Bond commercial insurance firm. What is USB’s real business about? The MC has a past which is mentioned but is not readily revealed. The MC’s actions does affect what clues and information is revealed and when.
There is a historical context as is seen in the Prologue. If the player knows anything about Alan Turing then they will have a good idea as to where the story is headed but not how it will get there. That’s the mystery part.
You may:
- Be Thirtysomething, Fortysomething or Fiftysomething. Age will make a difference.
- Be Male, Female or Non-Binary. Have not added Transgender and have to do research on what that means.
- Be Straight, gay, asexual, celibate and so forth.
- Be Single or Committed. You start the game as unattached who may or may not be looking.
- Be RANDOMLY assigned a job as a Data Analyst, Technical Analyst or Risk Analyst. Each has their own advantageous traits and skills. For example, a Data Analyst may perceive some things more clearly or earlier than the other two roles.
- Have a Devious Delinquent, Simply Shady or Connected Criminal past.
- Have special talent(s) based on hobbies and pastimes. For example, you may be a Naturalist or a Navigator.
- Decide to play as a Good, Flawed or Just Plain Bad MC. Morality is not set in stone. In the beginning, there are two available paths but the player can change multiple times as the game progresses. Some interactions, clues or items may be available only to a specific moral posture.
- There is romantic potential with NPCs two of whom have a shared past with the MC. The exes may help or hinder the MC.
- The emphasis is on dialogue not tools. The MC will have to find ways to charm, cajole, trick and demand information out of NPCs. There is no magic wand or gun to help the player along.
- Text is British not American spelling.
Status & Updates: 04/16/2019
- Expanded previously available chapters 2-3.
- Chapter 4 posted.
- Based on feedback, more choices have been added.
Author Notes:
This is my first attempt at a Choicescript or any kind of game program. I’ve finished one novel and was looking for a diversion (aka got writers block and needed to get unstuck) and found Choicescript. I am a former software designer/tech writer so a Choicescript game would seem to be a good match. That remains to be seen. Any critique and feedback would be appreciated.