Help me pick an idea to focus on? (/Intrest check?)

[Dagger1819]

Yep. It’ll be a while before I can make a wip or anything (need to get me a new computer/figure out choicescript first) but I have a couple ideas that have been knocking around in my head, and I’m hoping you guys can help me pick one to focus on. Note: These are all pretty early ideas, so they are subject to some change…especially the titles.

Reporter Reporting for Duty (RRfD)

Reporter Reporting for Duty (RRfD)
At a young age you were taken from your family and enrolled at a prestigious boarding school for future reporters. After graduation you’re bundled into the back of a van and deposited in the illustrious city of Halmandollar. With nothing but the clothes on your back, a resume for The Winglet, the best (and only) newspaper in the city, and your best friend Nick, it’s up to you to make a name for yourself, and try not to get maimed or possessed too badly along the way.

-Six Romance options. Including Nick, your best friend who just so happens to be a Grim Reaper. (He’s a pretty chill guy.) Iris, a Wendigo crime lord trying to go legit, and Mayberry, a demon of ambiguous gender who happens to be a swirling mass of purple and red smoke. Among more.

For the most part I plan for it to be lighthearted, and a bit silly but I do have some more bittersweet ideas as well…

Uncanny Escapades

Uncanny Escapades
You are an adventurer, through and through. But after an unfortunate accident puts your previous traveling companion out of commission, you’re looking for someone a bit more…unique to fill his shoes. Lucky for you, you’ve met a man who’s happy to help you out. You see, Mr. Fellrath runs a boarding house of sorts for creatures that are…more then human, and he’s happy to help you find the perfect companion to accompany you.

Get to know one of seven interesting characters~! Including: A tenderhearted robot, a shy vampire with memory problems, the troublesome ghost of an arrogant aristocrat (or maybe pirate…currently undecided.), and an exceptionally bored succubus, among others. Each with their own skills that will help (or hinder) you along the way. Find friendship and maybe even romance as you and your companion seek out interesting new sights and experiences.

VERY CHARACTER DRIVEN. It’ll be just you and the one you pick to accompany you for good chunks of the story…that’s the plan anyway.

I Took the Wrong Train

I Took the Wrong Train (…never really came up with a name, shh.)
After accidentally getting on the wrong train and having your ticket stolen to boot, you’re put to work to earn your place. However, you quickly find that you aren’t on any normal train. Humanoid abominations stalk the halls and the air smells of blood. Can you keep your humanity a secret? What will happen if you can’t?

This one’s got a bit more of a horror slant to it, but it’s also the least fleshed out so far.

Wispon

Wispon
You’re called up out of the blue by an acquaintance and requested to travel to the small town of Wispon to help them figure out why the small town suddenly feels so…wrong. There’s an odd heaviness to the air and you can’t shake the feeling that if you don’t figure out the cause soon, something terrible is going to happen…

Your typical supernatural mystery sorta deal. RO’s include your acquaintance; a scarred up hunter with a strong moral compass and more brawn then brain, an ever nervous sheriff’s deputy, a friendly, if timid werewolf florest, and a playful and sarcastic witch, among others.

So yeah. Any questions or advice or whatevers let me know and I’ll try to answer. I’ve never really written anything but I’ll try my best.

Poll for your thoughts/convenience.

• Reporter Reporting for Duty (RRfD)
• Uncanny Escapades
• I Took the Wrong Train
• Wispon

[Dagger1819]

Uncanny Escapades (still not sure about that name) is doing quite well! Glad you guys seem to like the idea.
Sooooo a few more facts for that one are in order, I suppose. I plan to make every character romanceable regardless of gender, though I plan on certain characters having a slight boost if you pick one they’re a bit more interested in. (Example: Succubus lady will like you just a smidge more if you’re female, but she’ll still be cool if you’re a dude.) There are two planned Asexual romance options, currently, and by no means do you need to even romance anyone anyway. If you want you can just have a (hopefully) awesome adventure with an interesting companion. This is all if I can figure out coding, of course but those are the current plans. Still got loads of story planning and whatnot to do.

[fairlyfairfighter]

These ideas all seem really good to me!

I picked Uncanny Escapades, however I feel as if that will also be the hardest to make:

1. People will, at the very most with 100% linearity, play 1/7. I’m guesstimating you’ll need to write 700,000 words for gameplay of 50,000 (*2, *7)

Seems super interesting though!

[Dagger1819]

Yeah, I’m probably getting myself in waaaaay over my head. xD But I’m feeling optimistic for the time being. Probably will feel a bit less so when I actually start trying to code…shivers

Glad you like the idea.

[fairlyfairfighter]

Hey it’s fine-- if you keep at it it’ll be great.

But don’t be afraid of cutting it down-- even having 5 character (even better if can pick their gender, too) is good, and only keep the characters you and the audience like…
After all, I envision each path will be pretty different and it might not be fun to spend over 100 hours on one character you only kind of like

[Dagger1819]

True. I intend to introduce the characters in a job interview sort of setting (for lack of better words) so once I get the story and coding figured out that’d probably be a good place to make a wip and ask for opinions on which character work and which don’t.

[Jerieth]

Uncanny Escapades sounds like it would be fun to play. Would it be possible to switch out side kicks? Maybe take the vampire on one mission and the robot on another?

[Dagger1819]

Mmmm. I’m not exactly sure yet. I initially planned for you to only get to have one companion per playthrough so you could really get to know that character, but I’m aware that’s pretty limiting, and a lot of people might not feel like doing a playthrough for each character. So…It’s currently a bit up in the air.

[Dpwjeremy]

I really liked all of them, but since can not pick one, I do like the strange train… It seems more unique… And some how more dangerous…

[Revache]

I know it’s your least fleshed out one but I had to go for I Took the Wrong Train, I just find the idea super interesting and novel. I mean, I can’t go past the romantic idea of a crime on a train (I’ve never been on a train where there’s been a murder in real life ). And, there’s woeful a lack of train mysteries in the COG library! I think it would also be lots of fun trying to pretend we’re not human. Would we get to choose what we pretend to be?

“I’m a vampire!”
“Oh. Well, here’s a cup of blood.”
“Errr…thanks.”

However, I can also get behind Uncanny Escapades but agree with fairlyfairfighter. That’s a lot of work! I mean the 3 characters you’ve already mentioned sound super interesting and I think you could stick with just them. Maybe, at least, just start with them and then when you’re a substantial way in you could start others? It’s a cool idea so I’d hate to see the project die because you get too overwhelmed!

Also, if you can only pick one companion can we maybe get letters or something from the others? Maybe they’re out on their own adventures and we can still hear about what they’re up to! The characters sound so interesting that I don’t want to be stuck hearing about only one .

[Dagger1819]

I don’t intend to trash any of these ideas anytime soon, so there’s still an alright chance that the train one will reappear someday. Hopefully with a better name, and more…flesh?
Heh. I actually really like the idea of you trying to pretending to be something supernatural. I’m not sure how well it’d work out, but wow do I like it. Like a lot.

Letters…that’s an interesting idea. I might be able to work that in…maybe.

sigh I probably should have fewer characters…mmm…I’ll have to see what I can do there.

[Dagger1819]

So question. Do you guys prefer gender locked RO’s or ones that you pick? Initially I had everyone gender locked. But if I’m going to have fewer options…

[Revache]

I think most people would prefer pickable genders for the ROs. I mean, if we can only hang out with one of them then we may have to choose between the coolest one AND the one we can actually date? The horror!

[Dagger1819]

Would you prefer to romance a vampire or a ghost?

[hachimachi]

Ghost. Ghost. Ghost. Ghost.

Also I second that pickable gender makes the most sense…even though I’m not the biggest fan of it lol

[Dagger1819]

xD I was kinda thinking ghost myself.

Yeah I was going to have the genders locked, but maybe I’ll save that for another idea. Does seem to make more sense.

[Dagger1819]

Alright, so currently the RO’s are:

Alex Hoylt- No gender, robot. Very emotional, empathetic, and strongly dislikes violence in almost all cases. Has soft spots on their body (fingertips, and chest for example) through which they can feel sensation. Physically fairly weak, but has a decent knowledge of first aid.

Vella/Victor- A deeply bored succubus/incubus looking to find something fun to do to pass time. (No, not you.) A bit of an adrenaline junkie, and likes an MC who feels similarly…within reason. They don’t exactly have the most positive opinion of sex, seeing it more as a boring necessity than anything else. Romance on the other hand…

Lanner- An odd man or woman with completely black eyes and abnormally pale skin. They’re always smiling and friendly, but can come off as creepy at times. Their touch melts metal, which often is more troublesome then useful. They have pretty high light sensitivity, and usually wear a floppy hat when out in the sun. (In the few times they’ve interacted, they make a point to stay far away from Alex.)

Francisca/Salazar A.k.a The Red Queen/King- Once a notorious pirate Captain, now an irritated and troublesome ghost tied to a ring they owned in life. They don’t find being a ghost ideal. Mainly because their sword is far less useful now that it’s incorporeal. Hot tempered and often sarcastic, but occasionally startlingly introspective and self-critical.

Chester/Abby Werewolf. They are very family oriented, and started working at a young age to help support their younger siblings. Now that their siblings are grown however, they find themselves…lost, often taking odd jobs simply for something to do. They’ve been known to enjoy the occasional fistfight, and they utterly adore music.

So those are the currently planned RO’s! Who do you like, who needs more work? Let me know~

[fairlyfairfighter]

@Dagger1819

their sword is far less useful now that it’s incorporeal.

I just imagine my angry ghost friend swishing his sword soundlessly at me as we’re stuck in whatever equivalent of ‘traffic’ is in the game

[Dagger1819]

Not all that unlikely of a possibility. xD I can totally see them getting annoyed and just whacking at some random person who can’t figure out why their body parts are randomly kinda cold.