@Harley_Robin_Evans Well you won’t have to of course, it’s all choice.
I updated it so that your alias can no longer be the same as your name and also fixed that error that @Nami pointed out. Also I’ve been asked if the Plan you pick effects you, and you will find that it does. If you have any questions about the stats or anything, just ask.
So to anyone who see’s this question, I would like to know what you are interested in when it comes to the competitions. I’m not planning . . . yet, on having some quiz or anything but most of the trials you’re faced with will be things like riding a horse, how well can you make speeches, stuff like that.
Also, do you like when your stats affect things like competitions? I know some readers don’t like it when your stats play a large role. But then there are others who feel like it adds to gameplay.
I also was thinking of adding a Kingdom Secrets area that will allow you to learn secrets in different ways to help you, if you choose, in the competition.
Personally I’m not the biggest fan of when the stats affect my game and prevent succeeding in trials or events.
Jousting, horse-racing, archery, hunting, 1-1 combat, group combat, chess, dancing, poetry, treasure-hunting, etc. Basically a wide variety of competitions that showcase your abilities - you could be decent at all of them, excellent at two or three or overall terrible at all… I’m leaning towards skills afecting the outcome because it helps me roleplay a character where choices and gameplay style have consequences. How you do in said tournament could help you bolster or hinder your imagine to the king and his nobles, as well as the princess.
For this to be fair, however, you have to give people a reasonable amount of time to raise their skills, otherwise its going to be a huge mess. On the other hand you have to ask yourself whether or not its worthwhile implementing a bunch of skills just to make the torunament valid. In my case you’d need horse-riding, archery, combat prowess, intelligence, reflexes, charisma, dexterity, perception, etc. It can be a bit too much to do, not to mention a waste of time if they’re only going to be used (mostly) at the tournament.
For jousting or a tournament maybe you can consider random outcomes for that event. On a MUD in play, when a jousting match is hosted, it is determined by a 2d6 roll and is basically rock, paper, scissors. You can use a far less complicated dice than that but overall, I think it would be a cool thing to incorporate into the game.
Enjoying this a lot!
RNG on a CoG/Hosted game? God forbid, people would grab their pitchforks and chase you all the way to kingdom come, not to mention it would neutralize skills and roleplay entirely. Can you imagine if the tournament’s results end up having an effect in the story? If there’s one thing I hate is re-rolling a hundred times just to get things going the way I want. I like RNG in certain games, like Binding of Isaac, but CoG/Hosted… please no.
Yea I can see the mob now. I wouldn’t though, I would actually add choices to all of them. @SuperNova I wouldn’t make it impossible for you to pass, anyone, no matter what stats, will be able to win. If anything, let’s just say it’s talking about ballroom dancing and what not, you get an extra boost up if you have high decorum.
@IvoryOwl Omg! Your ideas rocked! I had some of them in mind already but wow thank you. And different tournament outcomes will always affect the nobles, royals, and the heir. Also, I was planning on giving everyone a ‘prep’ time before the actual competition/trial begins so I wouldn’t need a whole new set of stats.
I enjoy when my skills affect the story and make my MC win (or lose) a challenge, it sets upon all the “you’re choices matter” feeling these games usually are about (?) But, then, again, i’m usually not that good at it so if the skill checks aren’t outrageously difficult that would be great!
I agree with IvoryOwl that giving enough time to the players to raise the skills that will be needed is essential. And also informing about the “challenges” skill requirements (not that I’m saying you have to be explicit as in “you’ll need you’re [insert skill] here]!!”) or why you didn’t pass them. Also you should decide if you want to make it possible for succeeding in all “challenges” in one playthrough or not (as in, you’re not going to lose the game but besting everything will require multiples gameplays), because some players may try to win everything in one game and, well, if it’s not possible it can be quite frustrating.
A possibility, that may please those who like skill-test and those who don’t, could be to not make them essential for the plot. I mean that failing the skill-tests won’t make you “lose” the game or lock good endings. The skill-tests could affect some extra achievements, give access to an extra scene or give more “color” to the narrative (?)
Competitions?
Maybe along with horse riding and speech you could include things like singing/painting or something else that tests your ability to charm people?
If this kingdom of humans that you have made cares about the bride-to-be’s intelligence rather than just breeding, looks, etc, you could have some kind of knowledge based competition like debate, history, politics, etc.
There are also more personable type “competitions” to charm people. So instead of how you look/sing from afar, they would test how well you converse with your equals, betters, lowers, etc.
Sorta? I like skills and skill checks (otherwise what’s the point of cultivating skills? Different dialogue or something?) esp because I absolutely hate it when people include options in games where if you choose it, it is automatically game over. The only exception to this is the times where you die in Zombie Exodus or Way Walkers University because their creators did it in such a way that you could still play the game even if you “died”. Although even in those games, there was usually a way to succeed with the choice you chose no matter how slim the chance.
In the first case, ZE set up “save points” throughout the various arcs where it was possible for the MC to die. When they did after failing whatever skill check or just accidentally picking the worst option, instead of saying game over and forcing them back to the beginning, it just took them back to the last save point. The reason I liked this despite it being a lesser hated version of my pet peeve (in which its just completely game over and you need to restart from the get go) is that the option you chose would have worked if you had the right skill level/personality/whatever the defining var is. I cannot stand when someone puts a “choice” in a game and no matter what its an auto game over because it does not fit the author’s narrative of the story. Then what was the freaking point of making it a choice then???
In the second case, WWU expected you to die as there was a very slim chance of surviving, but either way I loved it because it made the “death” a part of the story. You had the option of choosing whether you wanted the continue the game (not without consequence) or permanently “die” aka game over/restart. Not to mention that the game, esp. that scene and the events leading up to it imo, made you feel like every choice you made mattered and changed the story and that you weren’t just nonchalantly raising your skills for different dialogue scenes that stayed within the same narrative/storyline.
So with my little analysis of those to great Hosted CoGs in mind, I say that yes, I would like my stats to affect things like competitions because it does add to the gameplay imo. The thing to watch out for though is how heavily the MCs stats will weigh in on whatever event needs a skill check. If my speech skills are the best and I receive a standing ovation only to showcase my abysmal horseback riding skills the next day and fall off my horse, I hope that’s not game over or something like it. If anything, maybe there was a secondary skill check and I was charming enough that people felt bad for me and helped me out, maybe my relationship with the prince was high enough and he saved me before the damage was done, or maybe I failed the initial skill check and everyone after it, injured myself, had to stay in bed for the day and therefore missed a later event. However in missing that event, I ended up witnessing something that I would have never seen/heard if I had gone to said event.
My point is that the reason I love/play these text based games is that I usually end up feeling like I am a main character of a book. Great stories don’t just end with “There was chaos in the kingdom and our heroine decided to take a nap so everyone died”. They start with “There was chaos in the kingdom and our ‘heroine’ decided to take a nap and in doing so ignored the situation until she was forced into it, complaining all the way”. Just like irl, in stories life goes on. So unless the end result is a showstopper like death (in which I would encourage you to utilize a method like ZE or WWU that doesn’t require a complete restart), have the game utilize skill checks but whether the MC succeeds, fails, or does something in between, incorporate the result and keep the story going.
Its past 12am EST and I have no idea why I wrote this much…
Thanks for that lol! Wow we’re on the subject of game stoppers.
I was wondering how I should handle you being booted from the competition. You’ll get a scene after you get booted and return to the Dead Lands but I didn’t know what to do after. I would hate for you to have to do all of them all over again but I feel that some people might actually choose that. Perhaps a checkpoint?
Maybe you can make a scene that continue from the “Disqualified” scene, like this:
Blood Assassin: “Sorry, I’ve failed you”
Lord Doran: “You’re a disgrace to me”
Lord Doran: “I’ll take the kingdom myself. My own way” (you get the idea)
*choice
That’s my 2-cent
I would say that the “Ok. Whatever” option should lead to something like a return to your previous lifestyle of fighting for your Lord. Or perhaps managing his kingdom at home while he leads the attack on the humans.
Somehow though I don’t think Lord Doran is the type to keep you alive if you fail. The way I picture him, I just see him as this really impatient and violent Lord who wants power and he doesn’t care who’s in his way.
Will there be a option to betray the lord and fight for the humans even if you don’t win the competition?
I don’t know yet since a lot of things are resting on you winning this competition. When I get closer to that area, I’ll know better.
I would say then that you are forced to fight with the humans for the sole purpose of survival. Or perhaps go on the run, trying to survive as events unfold in the main storyline.
Can we get a beast pet tho I would love that
Seconded. I would like someone to ease the loneliness of the MC’s crazy life.
@Harley_Robin_Evans and @Kattz I’m happy to say that this is going to be possible. But there are certain things you need to do to make sure you get one . . . I kinda don’t wanna say cause well spoilers and choices. 
What why just and that dosent answer the question